My grandma and grandpa had their 60th wedding anniversary at the beginning of the September. With the help of their church, my family orchestrated a successful surprise party. We had around 50 friends and family attend the event. Luckily the surprise was kept a secret for this occasion. I was assigned baking the cookies and cupcakes for the milestone endeavor.
I wish I would have known what flavor cake my grandmother and grandfather had for their wedding all those years ago. I did not learn about their special day wedding cake until after the party. My great grandmother “little Lee” as I grew up calling her, prepared their wedding cake. The cake was a white cake as my grandmother told me the story.
I wanted to go with a fall flavor but not quit pumpkin just yet since it was Labor Day weekend. My sister described these cupcake as cinnamon toast crunch cupcakes after she took the initial bite. No wonder my 5 1/2 year old nephew had two. Afterall Cinnamon Toast Crunch is his favorite cereal.
Yields: 56 cupcakes standard size using a 16 scooop
Ingredients:
3 cups of all purpose flour
3 cups of cake flour (usually comes in a box)
2 Tablespoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 tablespoons of ground Vietnamese cinnamon (DO not skip this; recommend Penzey’s)
2 cups of butter (4 sticks), unsalted and room temperature
3 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
8 large eggs at room temperature
4 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract (high quality; recommend Penzey’s)
2 1/2 cups of buttermilk, room temperature
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper-liners. No need to spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Mix very well together in a large bowl, first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
With a stand mixer & paddle attachment (with silicon scraper) on medium high speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, mix after each addition. Add vanilla into the batter, and mix to incorporate.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low, add flour blend in three separate sections, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix on low until combined. Be cautious not to overmix the batter.
Divide the batter evenly using a size 60 scooper in prepared muffin tins. Bake rotating halfway through. Mine were about 16-18 minutes to perfection. Test the cupcakes at about 15 minutes using the toothpick method. Transfer the baked cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely. After cooled I generally freeze the cupcakes right away until I am ready to frost.
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting:
I made about 3 batches of this frosting. It really just depends on how generous you are with the piping.
Ingredients:
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon of ground cinnomon
Directions:
On medium to high speed cream the butter with a standing mixer with paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy. Reduce speed, and gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar & cinnamon until fully incorporated. Once fully blended beat in vanilla extract.
Lastly add in half and half and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Decorate as you wish, I enjoy the standard ice cream swirl look for these cupcakes.
Remove cupcakes from freezer and pipe. Store in sealable containers to maintain freshness.
There is just something about chicken noodle soup that cures just about anything. It seems like with the change of seasons among us, several people are catching a cold or their allergies are in full swing. I prepared this remedy for a sick friend. It is a very simple recipe and nothing says get well like a homemade dish.
Recipe yields: approximately 3 quarts, 8-10 Servings
Ingredients:
1 Table canola oil
2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1 extra large (2 inches in diameter) carrot, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 # (uncooked) Lemon chicken breast (cooked), coarsely chopped (yields about 2 1/2 cups) (RECIPE BELOW)
10 cups water
7 teaspoons Penzeys chicken base
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon pasta sprinkle
3/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups of dry egg noodles
Directions:
On medium to high heat, prepare a 6 to 8 quart stock pot.
Once the vessel is ready, add the canola oil to the pan. Add the carrots, celery & onion. Allow the ingredients to cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir often.
In the meantime prepare the base, boil the 10 cups of water and add the base and stir vigerously with whisk to blend until no signs any clumpy residue.
After the vegetables have softened.Add the prepared base along with pasta sprinkle and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook for 12 minutes. After the time has elapsed add chicken and fresh parsley. Heat the meat through and enjoy.
Lemon Chicken:
Tip: I prepared the chicken a day in advance.
Ingredients:
1# (thawed) Chicken Breast (about 2 breasts)
1/2 fresh lemon (juiced)
1 teaspoonGarlic Salt (freshly ground)
1 teaspoon Pasta Sprinkle (Italian seasoning from penzeys)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take a large piece of foil and spread out on the counter. Place the chicken breasts on the foil. Sprinkle evenly both sides of the breast with the pasta sprinkle and garlic salt. Add the butter and juice of the 1/2 lemon. Fold the chicken in the foil and crimp to seal. Place the foil packet in the prepared oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until temperature of the chicken yields 165 degrees.
