Gourmet Grilled Cheese: ep. #3

This week's Gourmet Grilled Cheese is not what you'd typically think of when you think of grilled cheeses. I'm bringing you more of a breakfast grilled cheese if you will.

- Cream Cheese
- Raspberry Preserves

I was walking through the dairy section at the grocery store looking for the next cheese I was going to use when I picked up the little container of Cream Cheese. I figured if it was good enough to go on top of bagels, it's good enough to go inside a grilled cheese.

The preserves added some flavor and sweetness to the sandwich. Without it, it would have been a very bland sandwich indeed. Any preserves would go well on the sandwich, but I prefer raspberry.

Cupcakes this weekend:
I was planning on making some cupcakes this weekend since I'm supposed to do a blog post, but I was asked to travel for work the last part of the week and won't be able to get around to it. So, I apologize for not getting one to you this weekend. First thing next week though, I'll whip up a batch and write something up. I'm really excited for the next recipe I'm going to try out!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese: ep. #2

I'm sorry for not getting a Grilled Cheese to you last Wednesday. It was a hectic week and I just didn't get around to it. I'm back this week though with a good one!

- Granny Smith Apple
- Smokey Sharp Cheddar
- Whole Wheat Bread

Apples and cheese go together almost as well as peanut-butter and jelly. So, why wouldn't they do well on a grilled sandwich? Let's give it a try!

I've recently switched to a smokey sharp cheddar cheese as my go to fruit cheese, so I felt it was required for this sandwich. I was in the mood for a something a little more tart, hence the Granny Smith Apple. Feel free to try it out with other apples if you would like something sweeter.

When I took the first bite of this grilled cheese, it instantly had a place on my favorites list. Everything meshed very well together. I couldn't have been happier with the results. This will be a frequent lunch in the weeks to come.

Nutella Cupcakes

Sorry I that I missed the weekend, I was out of state staying at a place that didn't have free wifi. :( Here it is now without further delay!

One word: Nutella. What more do I need to say. Fine. How about, Ferrro Rocher? Yeah. That got your attention. This cupcake is made up of a delicious chocolate cake and filled and topped with chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness.

Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

- 1 cup all-purpose flour

- 1 cup and 2 Tbsp sugar

- 1/3 cup and 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm

- 2 large eggs

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 2 Tbsp instant coffee

- 1/2 cup hot coffee

- 12 Ferrero Rochero

Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:

- 5 large egg whites

- 1 1/2 cup sugar

- 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup Nutella

Topping:

- 6 Ferrero Rocher, halved

Instructions:

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.

4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the instant coffee and hot coffee. Beat until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour.

5. Divide it evenly among the lined cups.

6. Place a whole Ferrero Rochero in the center of each well. (You heard that right! Put a whole one right in there!)

7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.

8. Let the cupcakes cool.

9. To make the frosting, combine the egg whites and sugar in a metal mixing bowl over simmering water. Heat the mixture to 160 degrees while whisking constantly.

10. Remove from the heat and with an electric mixer, beat on high speed until the mixture cools and forms stiff peaks. about 10-12 minutes. Note: It is important to let the mixture cool to room temperature, otherwise when you add the butter it will melt.

11. Add the butter one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. Note: The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled at first. This is normal. It's just how Swiss Meringue Buttercream works. Just keep mixing and it will become smooth again.

12. Add salt and vanilla. Mix to combine.

13. Set aside 1 cup of frosting for the vanilla portion of frosting.

14. Add Nutella to the remaining frosting combine thoroughly.

To Assemble:

1. Fit the first pastry bag with a large round tip and fill with the Nutella frosting.

2. Hold the Nutella filled pastry bag directly top of the cupcake and squeeze to cover the cupcake.

3. Fill the second pastry bag fitted with a star tip with the vanilla frosting.

4. Put a small amount of the vanilla frosting on top of the Nutella frosting.

5. Top with half of a Ferrero Rochero.

Makes 12 cupcakes



Gourmet Grilled Cheese: ep. #1

 



I'm coming to you today with a simple, but wonderful idea. Every Wednesday (until I run out of ideas), I am going to bring you a delicious Gourmet Grilled Cheese. There are Gourmet Grilled Cheese shops popping up here and there in bigger cities, and that's where this idea came from. I love the idea of taking something simple, something I grew up eating, and elevating it to a classier level. I hope you enjoy what I will be bringing you in the weeks to come. Without further ado, I give you this weeks Grilled Cheese:

- Avocado
- Bacon
- Muenster Cheese
- Whole Wheat Bread

The Muenster and Avocado's mild flavors really let the Bacon shine in this sandwich, and bacon is delicious. I was kind of afraid that the large pieces of avocado would make a large gap and the sandwich would just fall apart, but the muenster cheese melts well to hold everything together nicely. The Avocado adds substance and nutrition (to help you feel better about eating it).



Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

 

Starting this weekend, I am on a Cupcake Quest! I have been tasked with making the cupcakes for my sisters upcoming wedding! That means, I get to try out new recipes until we find her four favorites! My plan is to bring you a new cupcake recipe once every other weekend until we find the chosen 4!

 

This week, I'm bringing you some Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes!

 

The one thing that I will 100% be taking away from this recipe is the frosting. The frosting is a Whipped Cream Cheese frosting that is one of the best things I've tasted. Seriously, it's really good. The cake itself on the other hand was only ok. The flavor was pretty good, but I feel it turned out a little dry, which is a cupcake turn off for me. When I tinker around and find a way to make the cake more moist, I think this will be in the running for a spot at the wedding!

 

Here's how to make it:

 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

- 3 cups all-purpose flour

- 2 cups sugar

- 3 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 6 large eggs

- 2 cups butter, softened

- 1/2 cup milk

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- strawberries (to put inside each cupcake and to decorate on top)

 

Frosting:

- 8 oz cream cheese

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp almond extract

- 2 cups heavy cream

 

Directions:

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl blend butter until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time until well combined.

4. Add the milk and vanilla.

5. Add the dry ingredients.

6. Mix the batter thoroughly. It will be thick. I was surprised at how thick it was.

7. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 full.

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Let the cupcakes cool.

10. Hollow out some of the center of the cupcakes. I used a fork to do this, but a melon baller might work too.

11. Cut the tops off of the strawberries and insert one into each of the cupcakes.

12. Now to make the frosting, use a whisk attachment on your mixer to combine the cream cheese, sugar and extracts thoroughly. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. 

13. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a couple of times.

14. Whip until the cream can hold stiff peaks.

15. Use a piping bag and frost the cupcakes.

16. Decorate the top with strawberries as you see fit. I cut them up into quarters and used 1 quarter per cupcake.

 

Makes 36 cupcakes

 

Note: If you are frosting the cupcakes in advance, make sure to keep them in the refrigerator. The frosting is still made out of dairy products that can go bad.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

My boss who normally works in Chicago came to Pierre to visit us in our office this week, and she brought one of our other co-workers with her. We had started talking about food and we found out that our co-worker can't eat gluten or milk. After talking about what kind of food she had to avoid, she mentioned that he hadn't had a flourless cake in a long time. So, I told her that I'd make her one.

This was my only my second time venturing into the world of flourless baking (the first was the Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies), so needless to say, it was an adventure. I actually ended up making two cakes with different recipes. The first one wasn't appealing at all. I ended up needing to cook it for way to long to get the center done (the first couple of toothpicks I stuck in the middle came out looking like they were covered in chocolate pudding). By the time the toothpick came out clean, the sides and bottom of the cake were burnt to a crisp. So, I threw that one away and started hunting for a different recipe.

This cake (as with most flourless cakes I'm told) turned out to have a consistency more like brownies than cake and slightly rich. I liked that the strawberries added a nice tartness to the rich flavor of the chocolate. All in all, I feel it turned out great. If I meet anyone else who has a gluten allergy, I'd be more than willing to make this again.

Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:
Cake:
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla

Glaze:
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tsp milk (I used Coffee Mate original creamer because my co-worker can't have milk)
- 1 1/2 tsp agave syrup (You could substitute honey)
- 1/8 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a 7-inch spring-form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the paper.
3. To make the cake, melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over medium heat. (If you don't have a double boiler, use a metal or glass bowl on top of another pot with some water in it. Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.)
4. Add in the vanilla, salt, and sugar and reduce the heat to low.
5. When the sugar starts to dissolve, remove it from the heat.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each one.
7. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the batter is smooth.
8. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. About 30 minutes.
9. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes then invert the cake on a plate.
10. To make the glaze, melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
11. When melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the milk, agave syrup, and vanilla. whisk until smooth and glossy.
12. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and spread it around with a rubber spatula.
13. (Optional) Top the cake with your favorite fruit or maybe some whipped cream.

Hawaiian Burger

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a little while, I was busy last week taking some classes to learn how to ride a motorcycle! I didn't fall over or run into anyone, so I think I did pretty well. Anyway, I'm back with a not dessert food like I promised!

The Hawaiian Burger makes a great summer time meal for the grill.When I came across the recipe for this sauce, I thought that it looked interesting. I pretty much want to try anything that incorporates fruit into a meal, so I decided to give it a go. I'll be honest though, while I thought it looked interesting, I didn't think I would I would like it as much as I did. This burger was fantastic. It easily shot up the ranks to be one of my favorites. The combination of all the parts of the burger, the pineapple, the cheese, the beef, and the teriyaki sauce melded together so well to create just the right amounts of sweet, salty, and savory.

Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:
Teriyaki sauce:
- 1/2 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- Juice of 1/4 Fresh Orange
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch; dissolved in 1 Tbsp Water
- Dash of Ground Ginger

Burger:
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 can Pineapple; Sliced and Drained
- Havarti Cheese
- Sesame Buns
- Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions:
1. Season ground beef with salt and pepper.
2. Shape ground beef into thick patties and set aside at room temp.
3. In a medium saucepan, whisk together all ingredients for teriyaki sauce.
4. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, until it just starts to boil.
5. Remove sauce from the heat and set aside.
6. Grill the beef patties.
7. When the patties are almost done, grill the pineapple slices until nice grill marks appear.
8. Assemble the burger. Be sure to use enough sauce, it's what makes this burger great!