Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

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Red Wine Cupcakes

A couple of months ago, my friends at Avalon Winery asked me to come up with a recipe to promote their new cooking contest for this year. If you’ll remember, they sent me to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival last year to compete in their America’s Greatest Foods Recipe Challenge. I didn’t win, I came in last actually (hey, some people can’t handle the idea of fish served with red, even when chorizo is involved – what are you going to do?) but after that trip – visiting the city of Charleston for the first time, meeting such influential chefs like The Lee Brothers and the great Art Smith (he asked me where to get a cup of coffee, y’all – and then he went to that coffee shop the whole time he was in town!), getting drunk with Kelly Liken, and making some new friends… I came out a winner in the end anyway!

So when they offered to send me a few bottles of their delicious Cabernet Sauvignon to develop a recipe with, of course I jumped at the offer. Guys, it’s seriously one of the best reds you’ll find for the price point. For under $10 a bottle, it really can’t be beat. Rich and fruity, with all kinds of delicious berry notes going on. Rolls right off the tongue, with very few harsh tannins that tend to come along with red wines. It’s available nationally, I always have luck finding it at Whole Foods (if your Whole Foods carries wine that is!). But, if you can’t find it – definitely ask your local wine distributor to carry it. I promise that you won’t be disappointed!

I ended up making two dishes with the bottle I opened…since I can’t do much drinking of the stuff at the moment due to baby #3. The first of which was more traditional, and I plan to share with you guys soon – then there were these cupcakes. Red wine and chocolate pair so well together anyways, I thought a cupcake wasn’t too far of a fetch. Boy, do I love being right!

The batter was absolutely beautiful…light and fluffy, and baked up gorgeous! For the frosting I went  the traditional route, used my simple vanilla buttercream with a bit of the wine added to it for flavor and a tint of color. It was definitely unlike any cupcake I’d had before, but still absolutely delicious. I loved how the acidity of the wine cut the sweetness of the frosting. And, of course the color was lovely!

These cupcakes would most definitely be perfect for your Valentine, and they’re something different that friends and family probably haven’t seen before – but will most certainly be intrigued by. I hope you guys enjoy, and a big thanks to Avalon for giving me an excuse to make them!

Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

8 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and egg yolk, as well as the vanilla, beat well until combined.

Add in 1/2 of the dry ingredients, followed by the wine, then the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl if necessary.

Divide batter evenly into lined muffin pan. Bake for 18 minutes then remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

In the meantime, to make the frosting, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, as well as the wine and vanilla. Beat until no lumps remain. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Makes about 12 cupcakes. 

Source: cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

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Crispy Chicken Sandwich

We rarely eat fast food, once in a Blue Moon. But, I have to admit that I have a soft-spot for a good crispy chicken sandwich. Juicy flavorful chicken covered in a crunchy coating…it’s tough to beat. So, when my latest issue of Cook’s Country came in the mail last week and I saw their homemade version while flipping through the pages – it immediately went on the menu for the week.

I made them on Tuesday night and just couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you guys. It was absolutely amazing. The breading on the chicken was absolutely spot on, and such an easy technique – I’ll definitely be using it for more than these sandwiches in the future. A simple mixture of flour and various spices is combined with just a bit of water to form a crumbly coating. Then, that mixture is pressed onto the chicken breasts and fried – leading to a breading that is thick and crunchy. I just know it would be wonderful on chicken tenders, fried chicken, and even a fish filet.

The other star of the sandwich was the dill pickle mayonnaise. A quick “special sauce” composted of mayo, mustard, chopped pickles, and a splash of pickle brine – I found myself eating the leftovers with a spoon after dinner was finished. It was so good! I topped them with a but of shredded iceburg lettuce for a cool crunch, but I’d imagine a slice of tomato would be pretty delicious on there as well…that is, when you can get your hands on a good tomato again!

While I pretty much despise deep frying, this is one that I know I’ll come back to again – just because we all really loved it. I served with some french fries (hey, I already had the oil out and heated up) and it made for a great crave-worthy dinner that I didn’t have to feel so bad about feeding my family, because I knew precisely what went into it. Homemade is always better, folks!

Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – halved crosswise
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp water
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil
4 potato hamburger buns
shredded lettuce, for topping

For Dill Pickle Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup dill pickle chips, chopped fine
1 tsp pickle brine
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients for dill pickle mayonnaise in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, sage, and cayenne in a bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture and set aside. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using a meat pounder, gently pound each chicken piece to an even 1/2-inch thickness between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Season chicken all over with remaining spice mixture.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and reserved 1 tablespoon spice mixture together in a large bowl. Add water to flour mixture and rub together with your fingers until water is evenly incorporated and shaggy pieces form. Place egg whites in a shallow dish.

Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken in egg whites to thoroughly coat, letting excess drip back into the dish, then dredge in flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer chicken to prepared wire rack and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Add chicken to hot oil. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325-350 degrees. Fry until chicken is golden brown and registers 160 degrees – about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to clean wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve on rolls with dill pickle mayonnaise and shredded lettuce.

Source: barely adapted from Cook’s Country, February/March 2014

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

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Homemade Ricotta Cheese

We have about five inches of snow on the ground this morning here in our little corner of the Eastern Shore. That may not seem like much to many of you, but to us  it might as well be 2 feet! It’s days like this where I’m so thankful I’ve gone down the path of DIY more and more often. To be able to make a kitchen staple from the comfort of your own kitchen, without having to venture out to the store, is really a blessing.

Take ricotta cheese for instance. All it takes is some milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and a few minutes of your time. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make, and how delicious it turned out. Creamy and flavorful, unlike that rubbery gunk that comes out of the container in one chunk that you buy from the supermarket. Now that I’ve made this at home, I don’t think that I’ll be able to go back to purchasing it.

I used it in a lasagna, but it really is delicious on it’s own – smeared on a piece of crusty bread. The recipe calls for whole milk, but I’m interested to try it with 2% to see if it turns out just as well –  as that’s usually what I have on hand. Will probably add a bit of heavy cream to up the creaminess factor, which I’ve noticed that other tutorials mentioned to do as well.

If you’re snowed in like I am, and stocked up on milk – make yourself feel productive and give this a try. You’ll be patting yourself on the back for days afterwards, I promise!

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar, plus more as needed
2 quarts (half gallon) pasteurized whole milk
1 tsp. kosher salt

Combine the milk and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk registers 185 F on an instant-read thermometer.

While the milk is heating, prepare a colander and line with a double layer of cheesecloth for straining the ricotta.

Once the milk has reached 185 F, remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and vinegar. The mixture will begin to curdle quickly. Stir just enough to evenly distribute the acids. Let rest 10 minutes.

When the mixture is adequately curdled, it will have separated into white curds and translucent yellow whey. Gently stir to ensure that this has occurred. If there is still milky whey in the in the pot after 10 minutes, add in more vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time and let sit 2-3 minutes more until the curds separate.

Very carefully pour the mixture into the prepared colander. Let drain about 15 minutes. Transfer the strained curds to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Store up to 5 days. Makes about 2 cups ricotta. Recipe can be easily doubled, or halved to make an additional cup of ricotta.

Source: adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook via Annie’s Eats

Greek Salad

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Greek Salad

The week before last I shared my new favorite salad dressing recipe, so I thought it was only prudent to share my favorite salad that goes with it. Greek salads are so basic, but definitely more special than your run-of-the-mill tossed green salad. There’s something about the zesty flavors of the kalamata olives and feta cheese that have always made this salad a superstar in my book.

I’ve mentioned before that one thing we have around here in our rural area is plenty of good Greek food, as several Greek families, whom are all related – relocated to our area ages ago and opened up restaurants. They take pride in always having the best ingredients when it comes to olives, olive oils, and cheeses. So, my first taste of a Greek salad was at a small place called Ocean Deli – and it’s pretty tough to beat.

Andy puts roasted green peppers on his Greek salads, and I think it really sets it apart from all the others I’ve tried over the years. So, I always add that to the ones I make here at home. I always try to stock up on good feta cheese while I’m in the big city too. You know, the variety that’s packed in brine and usually made with sheep’s milk…or at least a combination of cow and sheep’s milk. I find it’s always creamier than the other stuff. But, in a pinch – a standard supermarket feta suffices just fine.

I have been packing this salad for Jon to take to lunch at least 2 days a week for 2 years now, and he’s never gotten tired of it. I often make it for side salads as well, or even topped with some grilled chicken – it makes a delicious light meal in the warmer months. I’m pretty sure if you make it once, you’ll find yourself making it often too! A kitchen standard for sure!

Greek Salad

2 cups romaine lettuce, washed and roughly chopped
2 cups mixed baby greens, rinsed
1 green bell pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup Creamy Feta Vinaigrette (or your favorite Greek salad dressing)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
8 whole pepperocini peppers

Roast the pepper over an open flame on a gas grill, or roast it in the broiler until the skin is nice and blistered on the outside – about 4 minutes per side. Once charred, place in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. This “steams” the pepper, and make the skin easier to peel off. Once cooled enough to touch, peel as much as the skin off as you can. Roughly chop the pepper into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the lettuces, roasted pepper, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and salad dressing in a large bowl. Toss to combine.

Sprinkle kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese on top of the salad before serving. Garnish with pepperocini peppers.