Peanut Buttercup Cupcakes

My family loves peanut butter. So, I had to make this recipe. I really don't think I even had a choice. They are the best. I think if I made these everyday my family would not complain. Can you imagine the conversation: "What are we having for supper?" "PB cupcakes." Since I believe we can't just live off of PB and Penuche, I guess I'll make something else for supper tonight. I have already been asked to make these again. How can I say no?

When my Dad was growing up, he had a gigantic sweet tooth. As an adult, he hardly eats sweets. He would recommend this dessert. I took a photo of him with his cupcake but I am not allowed to post it. I made a peanut butter frosting and drizzled the peanut-penuche icing on top. Please make sure to checkout the other posting for this week at Project Pastry Queen.

Peanut Buttercup Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup peanut butter 
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3.5 oz bar bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine or in chip form

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Line cupcake liners into a muffin tin.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the butter, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute on medium-low speed.
5. Add the eggs and beat for 90 seconds on medium-high speed.
6. Fill the cupcake liners only 1/8 full with the cake batter.
7. Add a few pieces chocolate pieces in the middle of each cake batter.
8. Cover the chocolate and the batter reaches only half full in the cupcake liners. (If you add too much, the batter will overflow over the liners.) 
9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cupcakes are light brown and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out with no crumbs on it.
10. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
11. After removing from pan, allow the cupcakes to cool at least another 5 minutes before frosting.

Peanut-Penuche Icing
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, peanut butter, milk, brown sugar, and salt over medium heat.
2. Bring the mixture to a low boil and cook for 90 seconds without stirring. Take the saucepan off the burner and allow to cool for only 30 minutes. 
3. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar.
4. Beat the mixture on medium speed until creamy about 1 minute.
5. Frost the cupcakes with the Peanut Butter-Penuche Frosting.
6. Drizzle the remaining Peanut-Penuche Icing over the cupcakes.

Recipe adapted from Pastry Queen Cookbook.

Peanut Butter-Penuche Frosting
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz butter, room temperature
3 cups powder sugar
1/4 cup peanut-penuche icing
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, add the vanilla, butter, sugar, peanut-penuche icing, peanut butter, and milk.
2. Mix the ingredients on medium speed. 
3. If the frosting isn't the right consistency, add a little more milk or sugar until the desired consistency is reached.
4. Frost immediately.

Recipe created by Jen of Sweet Morris.

Did you already know...........
-Penuche is a fudge like candy.
-July 22 is National Penuche Day.
-Penuche has been around since the late 1800s.
-Reese's Pieces have a peanut penuche filling.

Sand dollar cookies

I can't wait to head to the beach. I will admit I do not go into the Maine water. Would you? It is just too cold for me. However, my children have no problem. I would rather look for sand dollars. If I find one, I may not be quick enough in grabbing it then I will be hit by a wave but normally I get lucky. I am like the little kids who run away when the wave comes near them.

 Last year, we were at the beach and a sea gull actually swooped down close. It was able to take my oldest daughter's sandwich right from her hand. She screamed so loud. I thought it was so funny. It didn't happen again since she was prepared. The rest of the visit she would just keep watching them. She would just keep scanning the sky. She wasn't going to fall for that again. It didn't help that my son was afraid of birds at the time.

These cookies taste very similar to a snickerdoodle cookie. 

Sand Tarts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (1 egg needs to be separated)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
sliced almonds, for decoration

Directions:

1. In a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
2. Add 1 cup sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add into the butter mixture 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, and the lemon zest.
4. Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture.
5. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
6. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap well in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
9. In a small, whisk together the egg white and the water.
10. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and 3/4 cup sugar.
11. Roll out the dough on a clean, floured surface.
12. With a round biscuit cutter, (glass or other round object) cut round circles in the dough.
13. Place the circles of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. 
14. Brush the dough with the egg white water.
15. Decorate each piece of dough with 3 almonds to look like sand dollars.
16. Sprinkle each pieces of dough with the cinnamon sugar.
17. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate about 5 minutes of baking.
18. Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies.

Did you already know...
 -Sand dollars tend to live for 6 to 10 years.
-Sand dollars can move along the sand or burrow in the sand underwater.
-Live sand dollars can be found below the low tide depths of the ocean.

Bruschetta

Sometimes the simple appetizers tend to be the best. If I am spending a lot of time preparing the main course, I really don't have time to spend hours to make an appetizer. Why make an appetizer? Well, I really need something to hold the kids (boy) over until dinner is ready.

The best thing about bruschetta is it is just toast. I can even toast the french bread in the toaster oven which clears up even more space. I do recommend slicing your bread thinner than mine.

Bruschetta
1/8 cup of olive oil
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
 8 slices of french bread
1 tomato, sliced in cube pieces
8 leaves of basil, sliced
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, sliced


Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
2. Brush each top of the sliced french bread with the olive oil.
3. Toast the french bread in the toaster oven, oven, or grill.
4. Brush the cubed tomato pieces with some of the olive oil mixture.
5. Mix the basil and tomato pieces together.
6. Top each piece of the french bread with the tomato mixture.
7. Sprinkle each slice with a little cheese before serving.

Recipe inspired by Quick Bruschetta for two in the Food & Family Cookbook best loved: quick & easy recipes. 

Did you already know...
- Bruschetta is an Italian antipasta or appetizer.
-Bruschetta is topped toast.
-Bruschetta is a great way for the growers to sample the quality of the newly pressed olive oil.

Asparagus

Since my son has been asking for asparagus again, I figured I would do a twist on this recipe. My son helped prepare the dish with me. He even recruited my oldest daughter to help. They did a pretty good job. 

I will admit I don't use puff pastry a lot. The kids like it and it is very versatile. It does look fancy doesn't it.

Asparagus Spirals
1 lb asparagus
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 lemon zest, grated
1 tsp dry thyme
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Take one stalk of asparagus and bend it in half until it snaps.
3. Cut the other pieces of asparagus the same length as the snapped asparagus.
4. Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus.
5. Add the lemon zest and thyme. Toss to coat the asparagus.
6. Roll out the sheet of puff pastry.
7. Cut the puff pastry hortizontally in 1/2 inch strips.
8. Wrap the strips around each piece of asparagus.
9. Cook the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 15 or until golden brown.

Recipe aspired from the Pepperidge Farm website.

 Did you already know...
-In 1937, Margaret Rudkin began to experiment with making preservative-free bread because her son was allergic to the commercial breads ingredients. 
-Margaret Rudkin began to sell her bread to local grocers.
-She named her business Pepperidge Farm after her family's farm in Connecticut.

Margaritas

This week's Project Pastry Queen's pick was Guanabana Margaritas by Shawnda of Confections of a Foodie Bride. I looked in four different stores but it isn't popular in Maine. My Dad even suggested I look in the exotic fruit section of our local store but there wasn't much there this week. I couldn't find it so I decided to use guava nectar instead. 

I will admit that I thought I had never had a guanabana before. I was wrong. Over five years ago, my Mom gave me a box of exotic fruit that she received at work. My husband would not try anything in the box but my daughter and I did. I had to look up several fruits on how to eat it. The guanabana was labeled prickly custard apple. We liked it. 

 I will admit this is the first time I have made a Margarita. I invited my favorite person and my Mom to try it with me. They both said I did a good job. My husband decided to pass since tequila isn't his drink of choice. Since I purchased Margarita glasses for this occasion, I will have to try to experiment with other Margaritas. I guess I will be checking our Shawnda's blog more often.

Guava Margaritas
1 lime
1 lemon
3/4 cups Cuervo Gold tequila
3 Tbsp Grand Marnier
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1 (9.8 oz) guava nectar
1 cup crushed ice
coarse sea salt
lime and lemon zest spirals for garnish

Directions:

1. Pour the salt on a small plate.
2. Rub the edge of the Margarita glasses with a lime wedge.
3. Dip the edge of the glasses in the course salt.
4. Add the crushed ice to each glass.
5. Squeeze the lime and lemon into a large cocktail shaker.
6. Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, sugars, guava nectar, and crushed ice. 
7. Put the top on securely.
8. Shake, shake, shake!
9. Pour the drinks through a stainer into each glass.
10. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen. 
Tip: I purchased the Grand Marnier in nips. I didn't even use all of one nip for this recipe.

Coral is very fashionable this Spring!

 Did you already know...
- Guanabana fruit is also called soursop, prickly custard apple, and   
  Brazilian paw paw.
-The flesh and seeds are inedible.
-It tastes like a combination of a mango and a pineapple.