120 are they Recipes

gone are the days where the bride and groom share a slice of a 3, 4, or 5 tier wedding cake. nowadays some people are opting for a more simple cake solution, yet they still want the elegance that a large tiered cake offers. enter on stage the simple yet elegant cupcake., versatile cupcakes are standing along side and, in some cases, replacing larger cakes these days. below are some helpful hints if you want to use cupcakes for the main cake at your wedding., tip #1 : arrangement, how you arrange your cupcakes is as important if not more important than the taste. everyone wants a breathtaking wedding cake at their reception so arranging your cupcakes to give this appearance is very necessary., my personal favorite way of arranging my cupcakes is to stack 4 or 5 boxes on top of each other to form a tree of sorts. i choose boxes that are approximately 4 to 5 inches high. i like 24 inch square boxes then 18 inches square then 12 inches then 6 inches square. this gives me a cupcake ledge of 3 inches when the boxes are stacked., decorate your boxes as you wish. beautiful paper wrapped around the boxes then a ribbon all the way around is a great decorating combination ., your wedding cake cupcakes can then be placed on the ledges and on top of the boxes for a beautiful arrangement for your wedding., arrangement idea for your wedding cupcakes is to place cupcakes underneath raised cake platters. larger cakes or more cupcakes can be placed on top of the platters., how your cupcakes taste and even how many different flavors you offer are both very important to the overall success of your wedding cupcakes. i think 1 of the best reasons to have wedding cupcakes instead of a large wedding cake would be that you can have many different kinds of cakes. not everyone prefers the same type of cake and frosting so having 2 or 3 different types of cake flavors would be ideal., three of my favorite flavors are vanilla , chocolate, and lemon cupcakes. these are a great combination for any special occasion that you may choose to serve cupcakes. you can either serve all of the different flavors in the same cups with the same decoration or you can use different cups and/or different decorations for each cake flavor you choose., skimp on the ingredients for your wedding cupcakes. fresh cupcakes made from your favorite cupcake recipes are always the best choice. boxed cake mixes just won tsp cut i for special occasion cupcakes. the same goes for frosting. make your frosting instead of buying it prepackaged from a grocery store. if you don tsp feel confident making your own, you could always buy some freshly made frosting from a local bakery., presentation is everything when dealing with weddings. you should make sure your cupcakes are just the right size so they are absolutely gorgeous when presented. the entire purpose of serving cupcakes at a wedding is to give your guests a small taste of a wonderful dessert. small is the key word here. you don tsp want cupcakes that are larger than an actual teacup. if they are, then they should be called mini cakes and not cupcakes., also, it would cost you a fortune to bake mini cakes for each of your guests. the right size cupcake will offer just the right amount of cake for each person attending and will also likely save you money., be careful not to err on the side of your cupcakes being too small. if your cupcakes are too small, you may run out of cupcakes before you guests sweet teeth are satisfied. you also run the risk of having too much frosting on a small cupcake which could ruin the overall taste of your wedding cupcakes., i ve found that the perfect size cupcakes are baked in 1/2 cup wells that i fill approximately 1/2 to 2/3 full of cupcake batter. make sure you carefully measure the cupcake batter each time you fill a well. this will make sure that your cupcakes come out of the oven all the same size., i hope that these tips will help you produce the most beautiful wedding cupcakes that anyone has ever seen! good luck

muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

hershey bars without nuts. the amount depends on how bif of a kiss you want to make., chopped nuts of your choice, chopped candies of your choice, caramel, toffee bits, rice crispy cereal, chopped oreos, dried fruits, sunflower seeds, colored sugar, coconut, chocolate mints, marshmallows, fudge bits, peppermints, etc.., like to add that some great foil to wrap your candy in can be found at beauty supply stores or at a hair salon. the foils used to highlight hair are ultra thin and come in various colors. they cover the chocolate very well and are great to use for other chocolate recipes such as truffles or molded chocolates. they re not expensive and come in large squares which means less foil cutting for you! ho! ho! ho

here are the basics of making an excellent cheese fondue , the proper way (or at least the lindysez way)., use good cheese , i use half emmental swiss and gruyere, grate them up and toss them with some salt and a good amount of pepper. let them sit out at room temp so they melt better . cut your bread (good french bread, but not sourdough) into bite sized pieces making sure to have crust on each piece. let those sit out for a while too so they aren tsp too soft., cheese that you use , you are going to use 1 3/4 cups of a dry white wine, such as a fume blanc, a california sauv blanc (don tsp use a new zealand 1 as most are too grassy) or a pouilly-fume. when you are ready to make the fondue, rub the pot with a clove of garlic (we like garlic, so we leave the clove in, but you don tsp need to); then place over a medium heat and add the wine. when the wine comes to a simmer, start slowly adding the cheese, sprinkling in a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt (my dad said you always have to stir in the same direction, in a figure 8 motion, it works. if you stir in a circle you will end up with a big glop of cheese in the middle of a pot of wine, the figure 8 is key); keep adding until you have a nice thick sauce, then add a splash of kirsch and a pinch of nutmeg. put over a burner to keep it bubbling, and stir often when you dip your bread., a lb of cheese is enough for 4 people; or more if you are serving other things. and the amounts are guesstimates. i almost always grate too much cheese, so only add as much as you need to get the right consistency ; when you dip a piece of bread into the fondue, you want a nice coating of cheese and for the bread to absorb the wine. that s what it s all about, cheese, wine and bread. so use the best you can of each ingredient. and any left over cheese makes for a mighty good ham and cheese omelet.

spanish tortillas are often served warm or at room temperature with olives, pickles, and garlic mayonnaise (see related recipe) as an appetizer. they may also be served with a salad as a light entree. for the most traditional tortilla, omit the chorizo and scallions. we recommend using our winning brand of extra-virgin olive oil, columela. use a cured, spanish-style chorizo for this recipe. portuguese linguica is a suitable substitute., spanish chorizo , cut into medium dice, extra virgin olive oil, yukon gold potatoes (3 to 4 medium), peeled , quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, onion , halved and sliced thin, table salt, ground black pepper, eggs, sliced scallions (green and white parts ), garlic mayonnaise (see note ) (optional), how to flip a spanish tortilla, slide after browning first side , loosen tortilla with rubber spatula and slide onto large plate., flip place second plate face-down over tortilla ; invert browned-site up on second plate., slide slide tortilla back into pan, browned side-up , and tuck edges into pan with rubber spatula.

chicken pieces (thighs are the best, breasts work as well, use 4 thighs if they are large, bone in, more thighs if tsp), bacon (more or less to taste, enough to line bottom of pan), rice, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, milk (fill empty soup can with ), salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika

a how -to -tip from neil patrick hudson former chef at the nantucket hotel, canola oil, butter, bay scallops, patted dry, garlic clove, slivered, lemon juice, white wine (not cooking wine), salt, coarsely ground black pepper, chopped fresh parsley

green beans (i used a combo of green and purple beans) trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces, diced pancetta, (if you don tsp have pancetta , you can use bacon), extra virgin olive oil, onion, diced, whole tomatoes, peeled and diced (you don tsp have to peel them, but i like them better without the peel. if they are especially seedy, go ahead and remove the seeds otherwise, i would just leave them in. also, i peel my tomatoes by holding ad turning them, on a long fork, over an open flame until they pop, peel with a knife, the peel comes right off), dried italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

st. louis ribs 1 rack, soak, sugar, salt, water to cover, sugar 1 cup, paprika 4 tbsp, black pepper 1 tsp, lawrys seasoned salt 3 tsp, molasses powder 2 tbsp ( i found powdered molasses on line, waiting for it to arrive) see ingredients for substitution., baste, ketchup 1/2 cup, brown sugar 1/4 cup, chili sauce 1/4 cup found near the ketchup in the store ., apple cider 1/4 cup, liquid smoke 1/4 cup, lemon juice 3 tsp, molasses 1/4 cup. substitute for powder. watch your end cooking time as the sugar will want to burn easily. but it gives the nice char effect and taste., pic of the slab is the prime cut of ribs. i personally think they are better than baby back ribs. st. louis have way more meat. i stand to be corrected but st. louis ribs are the section of ribs you see in the pics. you pay more but you don tsp get the brisket or top part of the whole rib cage. there is a flap of meat on the back side to cut off. the ribs you see ready to be marinated are like the fillet mignon of the rib. geez these taste so good i can tsp hardly wait to cook two sides today for the 4th. marinating since last night. i am killing myself writing this.

whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, egg, bananas , make sure they are ripe, bran flakes , unprocessed (bob s red mill sells this- among other brands, these are only for adding to recipes, not a hot or co), skim milk, honey, nutmeg, freshly grated, cinnamon, walnuts

i use a 3 1/2 to 4 lb chuck roast, well marbelized with fat, and if you can find a bone-in roast, that s better yet (but it s almost always boneless chuck that you find at the grocer). i like to quickly rinse the roast in cold water just before i lay it on the cutting board to coat it with seasoned flour. place the following ingredients in a small baggie and shake the closed bag to mix it up, flour, salt, garlic salt, crazy mixed-up salt (if you can tsp get this seasoning, use seasoned salt instead, but jane s is by far the best), pepper, use your hands to generously pat the seasoned flour into the roast, on both sides, flipping the roast a couple times and repeating the process., in a dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold the roast, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat - you want your pan and oil to be hot enough to sear the roast well when you put it in the pan. when the oil is just about to the smoking point, put the roast in and cover the pan. let the meat sear until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip the roast. let it sear for a minute or two on the second side, then add, beef stock (i much prefer the boxed stock to the canned broth - it just seems to give the gravy a much richer taste in the end), cover the roasting pan and place it in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. roast for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falls apart easily. i check the roast each hour, quickly opening the lid, just to make sure the stock has not evaporated. as long as your pan has a good seal on it, this shouldn tsp happen. but if necessary, add more stock to the pan., an hour before the roast is done , prepare the mashed potatoes. peel 6 large red potatoes (these work better - at least for me - because they are much moister than the russets, so the mashed potatoes are creamier); cut into 1/4th, and place them in a large saucepan - rinse the cut potatoes 2 times in cold water, then cover them in fresh cold water and place the pan over medium high heat; boil until tender. this is usually about 30 minutes, but it depends on the size of your cuts, so just cook them until you can easily insert a fork into a potato. drain potatoes well, reserving 1 cup of the water for the gravy. add the following to the hot potatoes, butter, sour cream, milk, salt, crazy mixed up salt (use regular salt or garlic salt if jane s salt is not available), pepper, i use a hand masher , but you can use an electric mixer or however you chose to mash the potatoes into a creamy yet firm texture. add more milk if potatoes are too stiff. place the mashed potatoes in a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy., prepare the gravy, melt 2 tbsp butter, stir in 1/4 cup flour to make a paste, stir in enough beef stock to thin the paste enough to pour., finished roast from the pan and place it on a plate; cover meat with foil to keep warm., place the roasting pan over a medium flame and bring the liquid to a gentle boil (i usually seem to have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups liquid in the pan when the roast is done - if you have less, just use the beef stock to increase your liquid)., use a whisk to gradually whisk in the butter/flour/stock liquid., add 2 tbsp beef base - i use tone s (i prefer beef base to buillon - has a richer flavor and is really worth having on hand, but if you can tsp find this, try knorr s beef buillon extra large cubes), add the 1 cup of reserved potato water, add 1/2 cup beef stock, taste the gravy and see if you want more seasoning. i usually find i don tsp need to add anything at this point, since i have the seasoning from the flour coating and the stock and the beef base. if you think you need more seasoning, add salt and pepper to your taste. beef base will also give you more saltiness., keep the gravy warm while you uncover the meat and use 2 forks to pull the meat apart into small to medium chunks., you are now ready to assemble...

angel food cake, cream cheese, softened, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, cornstarch, strawberry gelatin (recommended : jell-o), water, fresh strawberries, cut in 1/2 (if berries are extra large, they can be cut into quarters), whole fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish

ricotta cheese , not skim, mozzarella cheese , not skim, shredded and divided, egg beaters egg substitute, parmesan cheese, frozen spinach, thawed and wrung dry (or 1/4 cup parsley, flat leaf, chopped), cracked black pepper, lasagna noodles (i use the trader joe no boil brand and they are perfect for an 8-inch brownie pan), spaghetti sauce (or your favorite sauce) or 28 oz alfredo sauce (or your favorite sauce), chiffonade basil (to garnish )

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

shrimp, white pearl onions (frozen are perfect, they are soft, easy to skewer and cook quickly, 2 boxes will be around 24 onions), unsalted butter, mango, pureed, fresh minced ginger, cilantro, fine chopped, kosher salt, ground black pepper

olive oil, chopped onion, chopped garlic cloves, stalks chopped celery, chopped green peppers, chopped mushroom, chopped eggplant (2 if they are small), chopped zucchini (2 medium sized), tomato paste, tomato sauce, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lasagna noodles, mozzarella cheese , sliced fairly thin, ricotta cheese or 1 1/2 lbs cottage cheese, grated parmesan cheese, sesame seeds (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional) or sunflower seeds (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional) or celery salt (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional) or diced almonds (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional)

angel food cake, cream cheese, softened, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, cornstarch, strawberry jell-o gelatin dessert, water, fresh strawberries, cut in half (if berries are extra large, they may be cut into quarters), strawberry, for garnish, mint leaf, for garnish

cps flour, baking powder, salt, cp sugar 2 eggs, egg yolks, melted butter, shredded orange or lemon peel, cp chopped almonds , hazelnuts or pistacios, preheat oven to 325, place dry ingredients in large bowl and mix, make well in center of flour mixture and add eggs, yolks, butter and peel, stir til dough begins to form a ball, add nuts and mix well, turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and devide into three pieces., shape each portion into a 14 inch log and place on lightly greased baking sheet, bake for 30 minutes or untill firm and light brown, oven and cool about 15 minutes, place on cutting board and carefully slice diagonally., place slices on cookie shhe and bake 10 minutes, turn over and bake another 10 minutes, these will be very crisp and a beautiful golden brown. they are definitely worth the work. taste great with a good cup of tea.