Mocha Buttercream Cupcakes

Mocha Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes Baking Time: 17-20 minutes

1-1/3 all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
½ cup strong brewed coffee
1½ teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature

1. Mix the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until dissolved; set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.

3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners. Baking for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

(Cupcake recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons espresso powder

1. Mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.

2. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about a minute or two. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary.

*Note: To make the swirls on the cupcakes, I used a 1M decorating tip.

 

 

Santa’s Fairies Make Candy Cane Dust!

Candy Cane Dust.  Minty, pink fun!

Imagine, sprinkled on hot cocoa, coffee, ice cream, cuppycakes, candy.

Just take some peppermint candies or candy canes and crush them finely in a blender or food processor.  Just be sure to store in an airtight container so the dust does not stick together.

Not a Creature Was Stirring… Not Even a Guinea Pig

Egg’n’Grog

Holiday Eggnog (Spirited)

1 dozen eggs

1 pound powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vanilla

8 cups evaporated milk

3 cups water

1 quart spiced rum (optional)

Nutmeg, to garnish

Beat eggs until light in color, gradually add sugar, salt and vanilla. Then add milk and water. Stir in rum (brandy, bourbon or rye may also be used). Cover the nog and ripen for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Stir again and garnish with whipped cream, a cinnamon stick and sprinkle with nutmeg.

My What Big Eyes You Have! Little Red Never Looked So HOT!

Super SEXY, Super SASSY, Super SWEET!

This Jumper is a variation of our classic red Jumper but a little longer and a wolf pocket. It is inspired by a grim fairytale twist. Little Red riding wolf doesn’t need to be afraid of anything while she is walking through the woods;)

**tail not included

—If you see this dress on any other site that is not a KMK site, such as etsy or KMKdesigns.org it is a scam.

Made from a medium-heavy weight woven polyester cotton blend of bright maple leaf red and adorned with a matching red ruffle along the bottom. The JSK is detailed with a wolf pocket with black button eyes.

This JSK is made with multiple elastic waist for a snug fit. It zips up in the back with a zipper and the straps have three adjustable lengths, adjustable with a two black button in the back.

Shown with our peter pan collar blouse and black cotton petticoat.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/59005962/gothic-loltia-petticoat-black-cotton
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62293817/lolita-blouse-victorian-with-peter-pan

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66824403/little-red-riding-wolf-gothic-lolita

Scottish Cullen Skink Soup ~ Smoked Haddock Soup

This is a traditional Scottish smoked haddock recipe.  It is a fine Scottish soup of great taste and
simplicity.  This Cullen Skink recipe was provided by Kris Burrin, the exceptional English Chef of The
Seasons restaurant in Stonington.

Preparation time:
About 30 minutes

Ingredients: (4 servings)
1 lb Finnan Haddie
2 pints full fat milk
2 oz. butter
85 ml double cream
2 cloves
1 fresh bay leaf
12 oz potatoes cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 medium onions
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method:
Peel one of the onions, cut in half and stud with the cloves.  Put into a pan with the milk and bay leaf,
bring just to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the Finnan Haddie and simmer for 4 minutes.  Lift
the fish out onto a plate and strain the liquid through a sieve into a jug.  When the Finnan Haddie is cool
enough to handle flake into large pieces and set aside.

Peel and finely chop the remaining onion.  Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onion and cook over a
gentle heat for 5 minutes, until softened but not brown.  Add the reserved milk and diced potatoes.
Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked but still just firm.
Blend half the soup in a liquidizer until smooth.  Return to the pan with the double cream and Finnan
Haddie flakes, season with a little salt and pepper and warm through for 1-2 minutes.

Serve in a warmed soup tureen, scattered with the chopped parsley.  In the picture above – taken at the
Seasons Restaurant in Stonington, Kris Burrin also added a few flakes of crisped parsnip to garnish.

Julehjerter ~ Danish Heart Baskets

My dear grammy Kelly (maiden name of Jorgenson) was of Danish descent.  Apparently in her household growing up, the primary language spoken was Danish.  It’s unfortunate that by the time she got around to being married and raising her own kids, the language had been long tucked away and now lost.  I imagine caring for a husband, five children and a farm did not leave a lot of time to teach the wee ones a second language.

While I’ve always been very proud of my Irish heritage, I’ve recently become quite fond of discovering more about my other roots.  So I’ve been researching Denmark and Danish traditions.

I came across these lovely ornaments today and while I’ve seen them before, I did not realize until today that they are common in Danish households around the holidays

Here is a good tutorial I found on how to make Julehjerter.

http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/28

TO MAKE PAPER HEARTS YOU WILL NEED:

Wrapping paper or letter weight crafting paper in two colors

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil

Elmer’s or Aleene’s Tacky glue

Select two pieces of paper in contrasting colors. Although white and red is traditional in Norway, I am using colors that will show up better in photographs.

Measure and cut a strip 3″ wide and 9″ long from each piece of paper.

Fold each strip of paper exactly in half crosswise, as shown.

Place a 3″ diameter biscuit cutter on the OPEN end of the folded papers. Use a pencil to trace the outline of the biscuit cutter onto the paper to create a half circle. (Or, you can draw the half-circle freehand.)

Normally, I would draw my lines very lightly, but for this tutorial I am drawing them dark so you can see them! Cut along the curved lines you have drawn. Again, be sure you are cutting the curve on the open end of the paper.

In the steps that follow, you will be dividing each folded piece into three 1″ strips. You’ll be cutting these strips most of the way across each piece, leaving those rounded ends un-cut. To help you gauge how far in to cut your strips, place one piece over the other, as shown. The cut lines you’ll be making in the coming steps should be 3/8″ longer than the point where these two pieces overlap. (When you’ve read the rest of the steps, this should make more sense.)

So, as we just discussed, mark three 1″ strips on each piece of paper, and draw them on the paper. See how these lines begin at the fold and end in the curved edges? Now you are ready to cut! Reminder: The curved edge is on the OPEN end and the lines are drawn from the FOLDED end.

Cut through both layers of paper along the lines you drew, beginning at the fold and cutting toward the curve.

For your first basket, you may want to number the strips as shown above. (Once you have made your first basket, you will not need to number the strips again – it just helps you with learning the process.) Lay the two folded paper pieces in front of you on the work table in the position shown above. (Don’t worry if those numbers are hard to see here – they’ll be clearer in the coming photos.)

Slip strip #1 between the top and bottom layers of strip #4.

Now, slip strip #5 between the top and bottom layers of strip #1.

When you have completed the first two weaving steps, your “heart” will look like this.

Now slip strip #1 in between the two layers of strip #6.

Congratulations! You have completed the first row! And it should look like this!

To weave the second row, begin by slipping strip #4 between the top and bottom layers of strip #2. (See how I had to slide the two halves of the heart into different positions so that I could manuver my second row of weaving in?)

Now slip strip #2 between the top and bottom layers of strip #5.

Slip strip #6 between the layers of strip #2. Your “heart” will now look like this. (And the weaving pattern begins to emerge!)

Now that you have finished weaving the second row, slide the woven strips down toward the curved ends of the heart until they can go no further. This will give you some “wiggle room,” which you’ll need in order to weave the last row. Weaving the last row can be a little “fiddly,” but just go slowly and be patient while you get the feel of it.

Slip strip #3 between the layers of strip #4. You will need to gently bend the strip in order to do this. As you can see, the first two rows of weaving are being held in place by your other hand.

Pull strip #3 through strip #4 and flatten it back out. Your heart will now look like this.

Place strip #5 between the layers of strip #3. Stay with me! You’re almost done!

Finally, slip strip #3 between the layers of strip #6. This is probably the most fiddly step, so it may feel a little awkward. Keep working with it until it falls into place.

TaaaaaaDaaaaaaa! You did it! All the strips are woven together. A couple more little steps and you are done.

Holding the curved tops of each side of the heart, gently pull them outward so that the edges of the heart become nice and even.

Now to add a handle. Cut a strip of paper about 8″ long and between 3/4″ to 1″ wide. Glue each end of this strip to the inside of the woven heart, as shown. If you are thinking of putting little treats inside, then you may want to also tape down each end of the handle on the inside of the basket with some clear tape.

Make a couple more three-strip baskets to get the process down, and then you’re ready to make a four-strip basket, like the one on the right. It is constructed exactly the same way, except that you divide those initial pieces of folded paper into four strips instead of three.

You can make hearts that are smaller or larger by using a copier to enlarge or reduce the template in this tutorial.

Try making heart baskets with patterns and different colors if you wish. Craft stores and scrapbooking outlets have so much to offer as inspiration. (Just be sure to stick to lighter weight papers.) Embellish with whatever your heart desires – from sequins to buttons, to beads….. Fill your baskets with cookies, candy, small gifts, baubles, or even dried flowers.

And a blessed Winter Solstice to all and to all a good night…

Celebrate the Winter Solstice With Your Family
by Wendy Priesnitz

The winter solstice provides a great opportunity for our families to share the principles behind our lifestyle and beliefs with others, especially with our children. Solstice celebrations can attune our family to Nature’s cycles, while strengthening bonds within our immediate families. And, if we’re not religious, it can provide us with an alternative celebration to share with extended family and friends who are.

Many of the religious holy days celebrated by people around the world are linked in some way to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and have ancient roots in pagan celebrations. The term solstice means “sun stands still” and, indeed, this is a time when the sun appears to halt in its apparent journey across the sky. The Roman feast of Saturnalia, honoring the god Saturn, was a week-long feast that included the observance of the winter solstice. Parties took place and houses were decorated with boughs of laurel and evergreen trees, and lamps remained lit to ward off the spirits of darkness. Much visiting took place, along with gift giving, and processions of revelers took to the streets. Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule or jul. Many of our Christmas traditions were inherited from these celebrations and you can incorporate them into your own solstice celebrations…along with creating your own personal traditions.

Planning your Celebration

First of all, decide whether your solstice celebration will be focused on the exact time of the solstice, or at twilight, later in the evening or during the day. That, and other details, will, of course, depend upon the ages of the attendees. Then, decide on whether you’ll be outdoors – in a park or your backyard, for instance – or inside your home.

Food is the focal point of many celebrations. You might want to prepare a feast of favorite foods (or have a pot luck), topped off with a cake decorated with a sun. One family we know puts candles on the cake and each family member lights one while making a wish. Then the whole family blows them out together. (For good indoor air quality, use beeswax candles.)

Because they symbolize light, candles are important to solstice celebrations. You can decorate outdoors by making luminaries – or candle holders – and spacing them about a foot apart…along the sidewalk to your home, for instance. Place candles inside dollar store glass holders or canning jars, punch decorative patterns in tin cans or use flat-bottomed paper bags. If you use bags, fold over an inch or so of the top to help hold their shape and place a few cups of sand inside to weigh them down. Twist a votive candle into the sand in the middle of each bag and light the candles as dusk falls. (Don’t use indoors!)

Create your own family tradition by gathering in a circle around candles. Each person can light a candle and talk about something they’re grateful for or something they wish for another person in the coming year. Or you could tell or read legends about the winter solstice, or sing appropriate songs. (You might want to record this part of your party for future enjoyment.) You would, of course, adjust the ceremony based on the ages of any children involved.

Feeding our friends in Nature can be a part of a solstice celebration too. You can erect a bird feeder or fill an existing one, or venture into a neighboring forest and create a ceremony around placing seeds or nuts in a place where wild animals will find them. You might want to talk about how this connects us to and makes us grateful for our place in Nature.

Yule wreaths, logs and trees are other familiar aspects of solstice celebrations. Wreaths can represent both the family circle and the cycle of seasons. Making one from natural materials that you collect can be a meaningful and enjoyable family activity. While you work, you can discuss the meaning of the various customs, or each family member can share something they appreciate about each other or about winter.

If you have a fireplace or a space outdoors to light a bonfire, you can gather around it in the dark and tell stories. One ancient tradition has each family member throwing a holly sprig onto the fire to usher out the old year, then saving some of the charred wood to start next year’s Yule log burning.

Since solstice is a celebration of Nature and of light and living, your Yule tree should, ideally, be a living one. It can be growing in your yard or you can purchase one in a pot to plant in the ground later. Each family member should add an ornament that is meaningful to them and many families enjoy limiting the decorations to representations of the sun in honor of the solstice. (Moons and stars are other suitable decorations.)

There is a long-standing tradition of gift giving at solstice. You could have a unique and Nature-themed gift for each person present. Or you could dispense with gifts altogether and just enjoy the companionship.

It’s always good to end by holding hands in a circle focusing on the joys of friendship and family.

http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/0912/celebrate_the_winter_solstice.htm

 

Million Dollar Macaroni and Cheese

There are two things that anyone who knows me and my cooking, always, always ask me to bring to their party.  My Cilla’s Sassy Salsa and my mac and cheese.  What they don’t know if that my macaroni and cheese costs a small fortune to make due to the large amount of expensive cheeses in it.  But, I have to say… it is THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE I’VE EVER HAD. Just be forewarned that it will be the dish that everyone asks you to bring to family gatherings from here on in!

Note, you can add your leftover baked holiday ham to the recipe, quite nicely.  However, I then found the recipe left as is, became way too salty for my tastes.  Ham has so much salt in it already. I would half the salt at the very least or omit it almost entirely.

• Yield Serves 12

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces or 2 cups of panko bread crumbs
• 5 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Cook’s Note

You can divide this recipe in half; use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. It also freezes well.

Creamy, Dreamy Corn and Chicken Chowder

Corn Chowder

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

5 strips thick cut bacon; sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon chipotle seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like some heat)
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
6-8 ears corn
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken; I use rotisserie chicken from the local market
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
green onions; sliced for garnish

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon and allow to drain and reserve for garnish.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, jalapeno and thyme to the bacon drippings and cook until the vegetables are soft; about 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour, chipotle seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and stir to coat well.

3. Cook vegetables, flour and seasonings for 2 minutes; stir frequently.

4. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a rapid boil. Allow soup to boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down. This process will help thicken the soup.

5. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the cooked chicken. Simmer until the corn is soft and chicken is heated through; about 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Stir in the parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon and green onions.

Notes:

– If you are not a fan of heat, eliminate the jalapeno. Personally I would not omit the crushed red pepper or the chipotle seasoning. It adds a smokiness and depth of flavor that is truly magical in this soup.
– If you like heat, definitely toss some more spices in and even leave a few jalapeno seeds hanging around.
– This soup is perfectly delicious without the addition of the chicken, but is definitely more of a meal with it.