Vanilla-Rum Frosting

This round of cupcakes was not as pretty as they could have been - I was using up the last of a bag of 'natural' (read - 'no anti-caking agent') powdered sugar, and as it turns out, I don't actually own a flour sifter.  So, the icing's a bit lumpy, but still extremely tasty!



After the last batch, I had several requests for the icing recipe, so I made careful notes this time.

Vanilla-Rum Frosting:
Enough for 2 dozen cupcakes iced with a spatula, or one dozen piped.

1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 stick softened butter
1 teaspoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon spiced rum
food coloring (keep in mind that the icing will start off slightly yellow from the butter when choosing a color)

(I was amused to see that the alcohol content on the rum was actually less than that of the vanilla extract, but I suppose you could use rum flavoring if it's an issue for you)

Microwave the bowl of powdered sugar for 30 seconds. It sounds kind of weird, but since the frosting itself isn't cooked, microwaving the sugar on its own will get rid of that weird metallic taste the corn starch in the powdered sugar sometimes has. Add all other ingredients and mix well.  If the icing seems a bit too stiff, add milk in small amounts until it reaches the right consistency.

 

I like to let the icing rest in the fridge for a bit if I'm going to be piping it, as my hands are very warm and otherwise I can only do about 3-4 cupcakes at a time before I melt the icing too much to get any real definition.

Best Cooking Accident Ever!

I had some leftover rice from making chicken fried rice for dinner, so I thought I'd whip up a little rice pudding as an evening snack. I had just dumped in a couple of big spoonfuls of ginger and was reaching for the cloves, when I saw, sitting on the shelf proud as you please....the jar of ginger...

I looked at the jar on the counter, and realized that I'd actually just added garlic powder to my rice pudding. A less extemporaneous cook might have just muttered a few swear words and dumped the whole thing. However, all I'd added so far was rice and milk, so I thought I'd just try making a savory rice pudding. Ended up with a VERY tasty cheesy tomato risotto-like substance that will make a marvelous lunch tomorrow (the mouth is still in the mood for something a bit sweet to go with all this tea, will just have to make do with toast and jam...) Thus, I present:

Cheesy Tomato Rice Thingy

2 cups rice
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons powdered garlic
1 chicken-tomato bouillon cube
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
handful of shredded cheese (let's call it a 1/4 cup)
black pepper to taste

cook until pudding-like consistency and cheese is thoroughly melted.
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Now playing: DeVotchKa - Queen Of The Surface Streets
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Fresh Out of Armageddon...

Neil Gaiman asked the people following him on Twitter to tweet pics of ourselves with tea and armageddon, but all I've got is a stockpot full of tea:



Hopefully, someone has some leftover armageddon they'll be willing to share in exchange for the recipe:

2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 heaping tablespoon of loose black tea
1 heaping tablespoon of whole cardamom pods
1/2 tablespoon whole cloves

Toss everything into a stockpot, fill with water, and bring to the boil. Keep it boiling for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, strain and serve with milk and sugar. I like to keep the pot on the stove all day, just ladling it out straight through the strainer into the cups and adding more water to the pot as needed to keep the tea level up. The leftovers are also good cold.

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Now playing: Depeche Mode - Martyr
via FoxyTunes

Recipe: Caprese Salad Extreme

A deli near my house makes a truly awesome caprese salad, but it doesn't seem to be something they make every day, so as my contribution on the Fourth, I sort of reverse-engineered it and added a few touches of my own:

1 1/2 lb mozzarella (the nice fresh squishy stuff or the little balls)
3/4 lb cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
6 whole sundried tomatoes, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or about one-third to half the tube if you buy the stuff I always get)
1/4 large onion, very thinly sliced
2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped (or a big heaping spoonful of the pre-chopped stuff)
1 teaspoon"Italian Seasoning" (I like the Paul Prudhomme Pizza and Pasta Magic)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Oregano and red pepper flakes to taste

Whisk together everything except the onion, cheese, and cherry tomatoes in a large NON-METALLIC bowl (found that out the hard way with previous tomato-based salads). Cut the cheese into cubes and stir in thoroughly, letting rest for a moment. Cut the stems out of the cherry tomatoes and add (if that hard little stem part doesn't bother you like it does me, just stab them a couple of times before tossing them in), followed by onion. Mix thoroughly. For best flavor, cover and let it rest in the fridge overnight before serving.