Texas Caviar II

I know there is another Texas Caviar post on the blog, but this one is a lot different and we here in Poyfair land LOVE it. You make it, let it sit a couple hours, and the enjoy! It is super yummy and makes a ton so it's perfect to bring to potlucks and summer gatherings along with some tortilla chips. Or you can just keep it all to yourself like we like to do sometimes. And for those of you who do not like cilantro, go ahead and add it. I don't care for it myself, but in this dish you can't really taste but it really makes the dish amazing.

Texas Caviar II

1 can white shoepeg corn

1 can black eye peas
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
**rinse first then throw in bowl

3 avocados - diced
3 tomatoes - diced
1 red onion - diced (amount can be up to you. I only use 1/2 to 3/4)
1 green pepper - diced
1 bunch of cilantro – rinse and chop

Mix everything then squeeze 1 lime and 1 tsp. of vinegar and let sit for a couple of hours. Serve with tortilla chips. We like the small bite sized ones the best but that's just our preference.

**I also add salt to mine. I just toss some in and stir then taste it and add more if I need. I think it needs it but it's up to you.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Unlike Celeste, I am not experienced with baking gorgeous cupcakes. So, in preparation for the wedding I've been experimenting. I found this recipe, but failed at making it the first two times. I was determined and found some tips for baking in high elevation (even though I don't think I've ever really been impacted by it before). The final result was perfection. This recipe is fairly easy to make and feels so gourmet. Hopefully Celeste will frost all my cupcakes if I make the frosting and bag it for her before...please please please!

By the way, when making homemade cupcakes, do not overfill the liners. Just fill a little over halfway. Or just halfway. They overflow very easily!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
recipe by ourbestbites.com

HE will stand for High Elevation. You Washington/Oregon people don't need to worry your little heads about this!

CUPCAKES:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder (HE 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar (HE minus 1 TBSP)
(dark brown sugar is REALLY important!)
1/2 c. sugar (HE minus 1/2 TBSP)
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk (plus 1 TBSP)

Preheat oven to 350 (HE 375 degrees). Using 18 cupcake liners, line muffin tins. I used paper liners, but I think foil would be a better choice.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl (preferably the bowl of an electric mixer), combine sugars and butter together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 1 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

TO GO ON TOP:
Sara's Perfect Cupcake Frosting
About 1/2 c. caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup
12 Werther's soft caramels
Dipping chocolate (just a wee bit), made with bittersweet or dark chocolate; I used 4 oz. of chocolate with 1 tsp. canola oil and had plenty leftover
Kosher or sea salt

Prepare dipping chocolate. Dip the ugly side of the caramel into the chocolate, about halfway down the caramel. Place chocolate-side-up on a plate and then allow to harden.


Prepare Sara's Perfect Cupcake Frosting. This is a really fun way to make frosting. It does turn out fluffy. I've loved making it!

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. I think this is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe. I have a feeling people are under-cooking this part. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.

It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9. I know that seems like a long time, but that's when the magic happens!

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy. Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. You can't go wrong putting this on just about anything :)

One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes with BIG tops. If you're just spreading a little on top, it will do 24.

After trouble-shooting with a lot of people, here are some helpful Notes:

1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.

2. If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can. It should come together, but it takes a little patience!

3. Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.


Very gently mix the caramel sauce or buttermilk syrup into the frosting--you want there to be swirls of caramel visible. Add a little more if you want--this is an art, not science here!

After you've frosted the cupcakes (dollops work fine on these), top each cupcake with a chocolate-dipped caramel and then sprinkle with a VERY scant sprinkling of Kosher or sea salt--it's just a little garnish and a really enhances the flavors of the cupcake.

Chive Biscuits

I made these for Mother's Day. They were so easy and delicious. The family fought over them, and even my non-bread-eater (Hayden) had two. You can substitute parsley for chives.

Chive Biscuits

by Ina Garten

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup chopped chives or fresh parsley leaves

1 egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. With the mixer on low, add the half-and-half and beat until just mixed. Add the chives and mix until just combined.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and knead lightly into a rectangle 3/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter (I'm ghetto, I used a baby bottle!) and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with the egg wash.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are firm. Serve warm.

Lemon Cupcakes

Okay, I know we already have a lemon cupcake recipe on our blog that is amazing. But, this one is different and from scratch. I've been experimenting with different recipes for Brent's brother's wedding. If I wasn't already doing the lime coconut ones, I would definitely do this one. They are so light and so fluffy and so yummy. I could eat them all day (and have been).


Lemon Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) of REAL butter
3 c. cake flour (no substitutions here--you really need the lightness of cake flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons (just zest the other lemons before you squeeze them)
1 c. buttermilk
Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners (I used yellow, although white would also be cute).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Don't go skimping here--you want the mixture to be almost white and super fluffy. This is absolutely essential to the outcome of the cake.
While butter and sugar are mixing, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside. After butter and sugar have mixed sufficiently, With the mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Beat in vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until fully incorporated.

Using a standard cookie scoop, place about 2 scoops of batter into each muffin cup. Fill these almost to the top--due to the final texture (again, think super-moist and light pound cake), these cupcakes won't have a nice, curvy crown, but that's okay--no one will ever know or care.

Bake about 20-25 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. You don't want to overbake these even a bit, or they'll start to lose their delicious moisture. Remove from oven and cool completely. Frost with lemon buttercream and garnish with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or fresh mint leaves.

Lemon Buttercream

1 1/4 c. butter (2 1/2 sticks)
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 c. powdered sugar

Beat butter, lemon rind, and lemon juice in an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating to spreading consistency. Makes 2 3/4 c.

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Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

For Brent & Bryan's brother John's wedding reception, the girls are in charge of cupcakes. It's been so fun trying new recipes and searching for the one to make. I found this one on Nie Nie's recipe blog (linked on our blog below). I made these today and they are worth the time and effort. I may not make them frequently, but when I'm wanting to impress--I'm sticking with these. I think I've eaten 6 already.

Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
{from CuisineNie who adapted it from Food Network}
Makes a whole lot (2 dozen).

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp grated key lime zest
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

* Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined.

Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.


The Frosting:
5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks 1/2 cup
(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup sour cream Fresh lime slices, for garnish

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined.

Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated. Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest.

* If you don't want to place fresh lime slices atop, you can always candy your lime slices so they are more edible. Google "candy limes" to find the how-to.