FAILURE: Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Turned out greasy, crunchy, salty, grainy tops…I was so angry I could have thrown them against the kitchen wall. Which I did not only because I'd have to clean it all up the next morning.

If you ever get the crazy urge to try this again, Remember: no all purpose flour, use unsalted butter or omit the salt, and use whole milk.

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
(reduced from 1 ½ C sugar)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved (or 1 T vanilla extract or 1 T vanilla bean paste)

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

Heat the oven to (325 at Grace) 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line 2 (12-well) muffin pans with paper liners.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until very light in color, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla seeds (if you’re using vanilla extract instead, you’ll add it later), and continue beating until mixture is airy, about 3 minutes.

Scrape down the paddle and the sides of the bowl, turn the mixer to medium speed, and add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add milk (and vanilla extract, if you’re using it in place of seeds), and mix until combined (the mixture will look curdled, but it’s not). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just combined, about 15 seconds.

Fill the muffin wells about halfway, and bake cupcakes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Set the pans on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Makes 24 Cupcakes, from Chowhound.com

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

My first cooking attempt in the Full-Time Training. And to add that extra touch of trainingness, I even used the sack lunch apples!

1 1/4 C diced apples I used a green apple
6 T unsalted butter
1 ¾ C old fashioned oats
1 ½ t ground cinnamon

1 C all-purpose flour
¼ t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ t salt

1 ¼ C packed light brown sugar (the recipe calls for 1 ½ C but I thought it was too sweet)
1 large egg
2 t vanilla extract

Preheat 350 degrees. Prepare 2 parchment lined baking sheets

Toast Oats: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook oats, stirring constantly, until just golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the apples, oat mixture, flour until just combined.

Roll 2 T dough and place 2” apart. Gently press balls with wet fingers until ½” thick. Bake cookies until edges are light golden and centers are just set, about 13-16 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking.

Cool 10 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire rack.

Makes 20-24 Cookies
Adapted from Cook’s Country’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Smothered Chicken at Kristen and Joo’s

Lunch with Kirsten and Joo and the Irvine YP team! Someone said it was true southern hospitality. Someone else said it is only Christ. Probably both, these two are very sweet and know how to fill our tummies with tasty things.

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon olive oil
18 to 20 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge in breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in 1 teaspoon hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until edges are browned. Remove from skillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

Sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. Remove from skillet, and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1/2 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat; add 2 chicken breasts, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan. Keep chicken warm in oven at 225°. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, and chicken.

Stir chicken broth and next 3 ingredients into skillet, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and garlic.

Stir together 3 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup water; whisk into broth mixture over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly, or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

Yield 4 servings

Yogurt Scones by Rebecca Davis

Supposedly light and fluffy? More like dense little biscuits. For our first of several 2120 House meals together, Rebecca did hers with fresh blueberries. The batter turned out a little dry and a lot like a pie crust at first so we added milk until things stuck together. Not sweet at all! Yum yum yum!

1 ½ C unbleached white flour
1 ½ C whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
½ t salt
6 T cold butter
2 T brown sugar (maybe try ¼ C)
1 ¼ C firm yogurt
2 eggs
½ C packed raisins, or 1 C blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Sift together the first 5 ingredients. Cut together with butter and sugar in a food processor or pastry cutter. It should resemble a coarse meal.

Beat the yogurt together with 1 egg. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add yogurt mixture along with the dried fruit. Mix minimally as possible with swift, decisive strokes, until well blended.

Drop by rounded quarter cup measures onto the lightly greased sheet. Beat the remaining egg, brush the tops with the egg.

Bake 12-15 minutes, serve hot or warm with preserves.

Yield 1 to 1 ½ dozen