buttered up with lurve

V-Day (not this one though it would be much better to have something donated to this than a box of chocolate donated to my hips) is approaching. It is difficult to avoid the onslaught of chocolate, hearts and unnaturally winter-grown  flowers. Valentine's Day is a nice reason to have something to look forward to in the oppressive static of winter (have I complained about this enough yet?) and it doesn't have to be some massive smorgasbord of diamonds and puppies and retail therapy. I would like to say that I ignore it altogether and my husband would be thrilled that the "corporate holiday" did not manage to grasp me in its clutches. However, as mentioned numerous times, my family celebrates everything and my parents always seized an opportunity to include us on this day of lurve. From a mini My Little Pony with a heart on its bum to a sweet sentiment of a heart-shaped box that was my mother's, the day was marked as something special for everyone, not just the couples. This year I am most looking forward to being at an elementary school during the festivities. Remember the days when you would make a giant heart envelope and taped it to the end of your desk to receive valentines with Transformers or Care Bears on them? When I was in first grade I even got one with a phone number on the back, quite daring for even some people I know now...

It cannot be denied that sweets are as much a part of this day as the hearts. As a little precursor I whipped up this batch of pink peppermint to spread on dark chocolate cupcakes and am sending a batch out to some much-loved people who have had a bit of a rough start to the year. I think Torren would rather I showered the love of the Hallmark holiday elsewhere anyway.

Boiled Buttercream

Yield: 24 servings
*Warning: this is not a frosting that will hold up well on hot days.

INGREDIENTS
1 C milk
1/4 C all-purpose flour, sifted this is important or it will be lumpy!
1 C unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 t vanilla extract for altering the flavor to mint almond or otherwise, I reduce the vanilla to 1 t and add in 1/4 t of the additional extract

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, continually whisk together the sifted flour and milk on medium heat until the mixture thickens to a spreadable paste. Stir in extracts. Let cool completely.
2. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fully combined.
3. Beat in cooled flour mixture starting on medium speed. Then beat on high until the frosting is light, almost like a whipped cream, about 3-5 minutes. Decorate to your liking.

Just to know, this frosting is less sweet than buttercream with confectioners sugar and has a slightly more granulated texture due to the sugar used.

Nutrition: 117 cal, 7g fat, 0mg sod, 13g carb, 12g sugar, 0g fiber, 0g protein

...and to all a good night

I'll spare you the blathering as a holiday present. Let's get to the point. You will definitely scream "whoopie!" and spew red and white winterfulness after taking a bite of these. A light hint of cocoa paired with the biting peppermint is pretty close to perfection. Merry, happy and peace to all.

Peppermint Red Velvet Whoopies

adapted from Paula Deen
Yield: 24 pies

INGREDIENTS
pies
3 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C shortening
One 1-ounce bottle red food coloring
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk

peppermint filling
5 T all-purpose flour
1 C milk
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C confectioner's sugar
8 T (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 C solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t peppermint extract
crushed peppermint candies

DIRECTIONS
pies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets.
1. Sift the flour, baking soda, and cocoa together. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, shortening, food coloring, and vanilla.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together until they turn pale and double in volume.
3. Add the oil mixture and beat to combine.
4. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in five small additions, starting and ending with the flour.
5. Drop the batter by teaspoons onto the baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between drops, as the cookies will spread. You’ll be making 48 cookies. Bake until the cookies are firm but not crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer immediately to racks to cool.

filling
1. Put the flour into a medium saucepan and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until very thick, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
2. Cream the sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and peppermint extracts with an electric mixer.
3. Add the cooled flour mixture and whip until fluffy.
4. Spread onto one cookie and top it with another to make a sandwich; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Roll edges in crushed peppermint. Cover the filled whoopie pies with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition: 297 cal, 17g fat, 74mg sod, 34g carb, 20g sugar, .3g fiber, 2.5g protein

twelve cookies of christmas

Actually, it's more like seventeen- I made ten varieties and my mother made seven.  If you are receiving a cookie plate from us, I hope you like to shake it up a bit.  I am going to do my best to post the cookies I made to contribute to our annual plates before the stockings are hung by the chimney with care.  For the most part, I went a little crazy this year and tried out six new recipes. The only negative was that they were not original concoctions of my own. Maybe next year I will get it together and invent some new cookies. Overall, I was pretty happy with the majority and will decide which will reappear in the future after the initial cookie plate attack occurs at Grandma Suedy's house after Christmas dinner.  Now, I do not want to see another cookie for at least three months.  Maybe I'll make ice cream (my other love) instead...

Let's start this madness with something really akin to wintry flavors and colors.

Peppermint Crescents

from Southern Living Incredible Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen

INGREDIENTS
1 C unsalted butter, softened
2/3 C sifted confectioner's sugar
1 t peppermint extract
1/8 t salt
2 1/2 C flour
2 C sifted confectioner's sugar, divided
2 1/2 T milk
1/4 t peppermint extract
coarsely crushed hard peppermint candy

DIRECTIONS
1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, and salt; beat well. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Divide dough into thirds; cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, divide each portion into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 2-inch log; curve ends of each log to form a crescent. Place crescents 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
3. Bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets. Carefully roll warm cookies in 1 cup confectioner's sugar, and then cool completely on wire racks. After speaking to wise Mommy Dearest about this, she said that the confectioner's sugar may have a more consistent appearance if I wait to let the cookies cool completely.
4. Combine remaining cup of confectioner's sugar, milk and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, stirring until smooth. Drizzle icing over cookies; sprinkle with crushed peppermint, pressing gently. Let icing set before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Nutrition: 117 cal, 5g fat, 13mg sod, 17g carb, 10g sugar, 0g fiber, 1g protein

wee bit o' green for luck

After my math skills improved as a child, I realized that the Irish percentage of my mutt-like heritage was one of the smallest at less than 25% of my genetic makeup. If you saw how my family celebrated St. Patrick's Day, though, you would agree I had earned the mass of freckles over tan-resistant skin. Any excuse for a food celebration truly brings out the best in my fam but this day is practically as big as some people's Thanksgivings. Several corned beefs, loaves of soda bread and pounds of potatoes and cabbage are consumed on the 17th. The boiled food somehow strikes a chord in our bellies.

This day is even more significant now that I have "diluted" my husband's pure Irish gene pool. You don't marry someone named "Torren Doherty" and live down the fact that you are not even a "halfie." I have managed to make up for the lack of red hair by dutifully preparing variations of corned beef and cabbage over the past six years. Moreover, I have learned how to incorporate the lovely Irish pastime of alcohol into my meals. A few Irish cream and stout-tinged recipes will be making their debuts on this holiest of months.
Sorry, Dad, every day's Italian Day, right?

Irish Stout Brownie Cups with a Wee Bit O' Green

Yield: about 4 dozen
INGREDIENTS
1/2 C unsalted butter
6 oz. bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate
1 C granulated sugar
8 oz. Irish Stout, room temp. (chocolate or cream stout would be AMAZING, too)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 bag of Creme De Menthe Hershey's Kisses (interchangeable with other Kiss creations, obviously!)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini cupcake/tartlet pan thoroughly or use mini cupcake papers.  Unwrap four dozen Kisses and set aside.
Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat until combined (they can also be melted in the microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds).  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine sugar and vanilla.  Add in melted chocolate until fully incorporated.  Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add to chocolate mixture, stirring to get rid of any white streaks.  (OK, I am going to tell a little secret here and say that it is rare that I actually mix the flour/leavening agents in their own bowl because I am lazy and hate to have extra dishes to clean...moving on!)  Pour chocolate stout into the batter and stir to fully combine.
Spoon batter into mini tins filling about halfway.  This should yield two batches of twenty-four each.  Place a Kiss in the center of each brownie cup and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature and carefully twist out each brownie.  You may need to go around the edge with a butter knife to loosen them up a bit.  Perfect little leprechaun proportions.

Nutrition per each: 79 cal, 3g fat, 9mg sodium, 12g carb, 8g sugar, 1g protein