Sugar Plum: February 2009

King Cake

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! I wish I could be in New Orleans, celebrating, but I'm not. I have to work. Bah. I'd love to get my hands on some of those beads. (I'd do what it takes, if you know what I mean. Heh heh heh.)

Maybe next year, right? Anyone want to come with? We can have a food blogger conference there. We wouldn't actually work, of course, but eat Gumbo, Jambalaya, Étouffée, Red Beans and Rice, Bananas Foster, Beignet and Coffee with Chicory. Yes, we'd eat all of that. Then go dance in the streets to some jazz, and burn off all the calories we just consumed.
Then go back to our hotel room and blog about all of it.

Since I have to work today, I made this king cake last night, along with some gumbo. The gumbo was very good, and I've only made it once before. I stirred the roux for about thirty minutes over medium-low heat, letting it brown slowly. I love the smell of the roux cooking. It made me think thoughts of gravy and past Thanksgiving dinners.

Then I added the trinity, with spices, gumbo file’ and hot sauce, and let it cook down for a while before adding some garlic. Then I added chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and black-eyed-peas for some southern charm. My protein that I added was smoked sausage and grilled chicken. I guess I should have added some seafood in there, but I wasn't feeling it.
I served it over basamati and garnished with some cornmeal-battered fried okra.

It was goooood, but had a serious amount of heat. Not that there's anything wrong with that. My secret was using Frank's Red Hot. I suppose I should've used Tabasco, but Frank's is the best in my opinion.

Served with a hurricane and Andrew Bird.

No, I didn't make the hurricane. I was going to, but it was going to be expensive to buy three bottles of liquor, so I just bought a mix that Bacardi makes. It was under fifteen dollars... and I didn't have to make it. So I'm pleased.

But back to the king cake. I made this cake last night, so I didn't have daylight to take pictures in. I wanted to post the recipe early, though, so people could make it today. I'm going to take some pretty pictures and put them up later.

Have you had king cake before? This is my version: it's a sweet yeast bread flavored with a little bit of lemon zest and nutmeg. The filling contains brown sugar, toasted walnuts, bourbon-soaked raisins, orange zest and cinnamon. Then a frosting/glaze is spread on top, and colored sugar is sprinkled on top of the glaze.

We can't forget the most important detail, can we?? You have to hide a little plastic baby inside of the cake. The person that gets the piece with the baby has to make the cake next year and host the party. That's kind of lame. No one should want the piece with the baby in it!

I went plastic baby shopping and I couldn't find one. I ended up sticking a Swedish Fish inside of the cake. Kind of a strange choice, I suppose. I was trying to think of a candy that wouldn't melt.

I'll be back later with more pictures. Email me if you have questions about the recipe.

King Cake (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in 2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, plus an additional tablespoon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Plastic baby

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Purple, gold, green sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup melted butter, granulated sugar, yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, lemon zest and nutmeg until well combined. Stir in flour until well combined; turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly (dough will be sticky, but resist from adding extra flour) for about 2 minutes. Place in a large buttered mixing bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm area for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together brown sugar, nuts, raisins, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, orange zest and juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, until well combined.

Butter a large sheet pan.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a rectangle (using a floured roling pin) with about a 1/4-inch thickness; spread nut-raisin mixture evenly onto dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Place the baby randomly somewhere. Roll up the dough lengthwise, jelly roll style; place on sheet pan and form into a ring. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm area for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown.

When cool, prepare the frosting: in a medium sized mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well combined. Spread frosting over king cake.

Sprinkle with colored sugar.

Makes 10-12 servings

Chocolate Cream Pie with a Thin Mint Crust

We've always been a mint-lovin' family. I don't think any of us would argue with that. We've always been that way, and we always will be. Mint is by far not our favorite flavor, but we've always had a special appreciation for it. Our family would have thin mint cookies during the spring, mint chocolate chip ice cream cones during the summer at Silver Dollar City, and peppermint ice cream and Andes mints around Christmas. And fresh breath year round.

I think you had to be raised with mint to love mint. If you didn't have any of the former items growing up, I doubt you're a mint lover. And then it's not your fault, but totally your parents' fault.

My sisters and I would always fight over the thin mint girl scout cookies when they were delivered. I believe mom had to divvy them out to everyone. Along with the Tagalongs, Samosas and Shortbread cookies. Man, I've getting hungry just thinking about them.

At four dollars a box, they better be good. I want to say they're not worth the money, but they kind of are. They're very tasty. And the money goes to the girl scouts, and that's like charity, right? You can't feel bad about buying boxes and boxes of girl scout cookies, because really you're just giving money to charity and nature and stuff.

With the exception of Oreos, Nilla Wafers and Nutterbutters, I'm not a fan of store-bought cookies. But girl scout cookies don't count as store-bought cookies. You're buying them from girl scouts.
And you can only buy them once a year. Yeah. That makes them even more special. People don't like the idea that they can't buy them anytime of the year, so they always have to stock up. That's where this keeping thin mint cookies in the freezer idea was born. I have not actually tried it; our cookies have never lasted that long.

If you can bear to part with some of your thin mint cookies, consider making this pie because it is spectacular. It's exactly what you'd expect: a thin mint cookie crust topped with a delicious chocolate pudding-like filling, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. These pictures were taken the day after, so the whipped cream had melted down and settled into the filling, so it looks like it's all whipped cream - but it's not. The pictures don't do it justice.

Chocolate Cream Pie with a Thin Mint Crust (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

1 1/4 cups finely ground thin mint cookies
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus an additional tablespoon, divided use
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons, divided use
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter until well combined; press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven and cool.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Whisk the eggs together in a medium bowl, and gradually whisk in half of the hot milk mixture until combined; whisk the egg mixture back into saucepan containing remaining milk. Heat mixture, whisking frequently, until it starts to thicken up and coat the back of a spoon.

Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate chips, additional tablespoon butter and vanilla. Cool saucepan over an ice bath for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour filling into pie crust and cool completely in the refrigerator, about 1 hour. (You could probably speed this process up by placing it in the freezer.)

To make the whipped cream, combine heavy cream and additional 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl, using a mixer on high speed, and beat until stiff peaks form - about 1-2 minutes. Spread whipped cream evenly on pie and sprinkle with chocolate shavings if desired.

Makes 8 servings

A Duo of Two Cheesy Breads

I really like putting cheese in pretty much everything I cook. I hate how expensive it is, but it's worth the money, don't you think? I'm not about to start buying Velveeta or American cheese. I don't understand why cheese is so expensive. Please someone explain that to me.

When Food Network came to film me in November, they wanted to film a scene of me shopping in a mom & pop store, to show that I live in a (fairly) small town. I usually shop at Price Cutter and Wal-Mart, because that's all we have here. The only small store I could think of was Osceola Cheese, which is a store that sells locally made cheese and other products.

So anyway, we go there to film. They film me picking up different cheeses and browsing through the store. I also have to punch up different cheeses into the camera lens. Then they wanted to film me chatting with the owner of the store.
I REALLY do shop at Osceola Cheese, but I'm honestly not familiar with their staff.

As we were leaving, the (very nice) woman that was the owner of the store, rushed up to me and gave me a gift certificate to use there. I was like, yaaaay, free cheese. I was very, very happy, and couldn't wait to use it. I guess she was thrilled because they'd be receiving free publicity when the show aired in January.

Fast forward to January. The show airs, and none of the Osceola Cheese footage is shown. Oops.

I can just picture the whole crew of Osceola Cheese sitting around in someone's living room, eating popcorn, eagerly waiting to see their footage.
Then... nothing.

Poor Osceola cheese people. I'm so sorry! I didn't know they weren't going to use your footage. If it makes you feel any better, Food Network didn't use any footage of me playing tennis, or of my family (much to their relief).

Now I don't feel like I can use my gift certificate! I can't show my face in Osceola Cheese anymore. Or at least when the owner is there.

The other day I drove to the store and peeked in the windows, but spotted the owner. I quickly peeled out of the parking lot as fast as possible.

SO guess what? I had to buy the cheese for these breads. Grrr.

I wasn't planning on posting and taking pictures of these recipes, but they were so good, I had to. Today we have a duo of two cheesy breads.

The first, Applewood Smoked Bacon & White Cheddar Cornbread; a moist cornbread flavored with creamed corn, honey, applewood smoked bacon and sharp white cheddar cheese. It's almost too moist to be considered a cornbread. It's like a cross between cornbread and spoonbread. It's kind of interesting because I used polenta instead of cornmeal.

The second recipe is for Chipotle-Cheddar Biscuits; buttermilk biscuits with sharp cheddar cheese and chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. These were incredible! They tasted like a kicked-up version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Don't pretend you don't love those - EVERYONE loves those biscuits.

Applewood Smoked Bacon & White Cheddar Cornbread (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup polenta
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup canned creamed corn
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cooked applewood smoked bacon
2/3 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch square baking dish.

Stir together milk and polenta in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened. Remove pan from heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, creamed corn, brown sugar, butter, honey and polenta, until well combined; whisk in flour mixture until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle bacon and cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

Chipotle-Cheddar Biscuits (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided use
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined; whisk in 1 1/4 cups cheese. Knead the butter in, using fingertips, until mealy and butter is well incorporated. Stir in egg, buttermilk and chipotle, until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, just until dough comes together. Roll into a 3/4 inch-thickness; cut rounds out using a floured biscuit cutter and place in prepared pan. Brush biscuits with a little milk if desired, and evenly sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the tops. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt and fresh pepper if desired.

Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and well risen.

Makes 10-12 biscuits

At Last

I received a very special present on Valentine's Day... but I bought it for myself. Isn't it handsome??
I'm in love...

It's a KitchenAid Professional 610 Stand Mixer from Williams-Sonoma.

I know what you're thinking, you're thinking, shouldn't you be saving your money for culinary school? Why did you buy a $400 mixer?!

Well, I didn't buy the mixer using my own money. I won a gift card in a contest and used that. I've wanted one of these for a very long time. I don't use a stand mixer for my baking, I use two mixing bowls and a hand mixer from 1990. So this is a major upgrade for me.

This model has a lever to raise and lower the bowl, which is nice so I don't have to tilt the head back when I need to add ingredients. It also has a large bowl which is nice if you're wanting to make large batches of a baked good.

Now you'll be seeing me crank out more baked goods than ever. I made pizza dough the other night and the mixer worked beautifully. It didn't jump across the counter like a lot of them do.

Anyway, just thought I'd share cause I'm so proud. I'm a little teary right now.
Heh, not really.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I had a really good Valentine's Day - I hope you did too. My valentine and I decided we wanted to do the opposite of what everyone else was doing. That means no stuffed animals, no flowers, no cards, no steak and lobster dinner, no chick flicks... you know what I mean.

We had a scheme involving fireworks and booze, but that didn't work out.
Too bad. We still had a very nice evening that we planned mutually, which is how it should be.

I really like my valentine... especially since he came through with Russel Stover's chocolates for me.
I don't like to see him troubled.

I saw him troubled last week as we sought after pumpkin cake mix from store-to-store. He was craving some pumpkin muffins. Apparently he makes pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips out of this cake mix. It must be a seasonal item available in the fall, because we couldn't find it.

I don't buy a lot of cake mix, so I had no idea you couldn't buy pumpkin cake mix anytime of the year. I know most of the baking involving pumpkin is done in the fall, around October and November, but aren't we restricting ourselves a bit? Pumpkin is a wonderful ingredient for baking, and as long as it's cool/cold out, it should be allowed. I think pumpkin baking should be allowed from September to May. That's my new rule.

At least Starbucks agrees with me; I think they sell pumpkin loaf year-round. I always peek into their glass case to see what they're selling. I can never bring myself to buy anything because I feel sick after spending four dollars on coffee.

You don't need pumpkin cake mix to make pumpkin muffins. Muffins are so easy to make, why not make them from scratch using real pumpkin? I developed this recipe the other night, and I think they were good. They were scrumptious hot out of the oven - so very moist, and the melty chocolate chips made them extra delicious. I wasn't a believer in pumpkin and chocolate together, but I think I've crossed over.

This post doesn't fit in with Presidents' Day at all... why didn't I bake cherry pie or something? Do you think Lincoln and Washington liked pumpkin muffins?

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 cup milk
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 muffin cups with liners.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, pumpkin, milk and brown sugar until well combined. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet, until just combined; whisk in chocolate chips.

Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and cake springs back when center is touched.

Makes 18 muffins

Oreo Truffles

I think it was last year when I finally threw away my Valentine's Day box from sixth grade. A giant model of the Titanic stuffed in my closet for years. Think of how much closet space I have now! It's embarrassing that I kept it for that long.

It was a contest in my class for who could make the best Valentine's Day box.
(I won) Of course it was a contest. Geez, I'm starting to see a pattern here.
I'm really competitive! I like to win stuff.

I was realllly into Titanic that year when the movie came out. Really into it. I'm embarrassed by this, actually. I had so much Titanic paraphernalia all over my room. I was in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm still a little in love with him...
but my heart will go on. Ahahahah.

It took me a week or two to construct the ship, diligently working every night to make it look as realistic as possible. I handpainted all of the tiny windows, I shaped the smoke stacks out of toilet paper tubes, I cut a gash into the side of the ship where valentine cards could be inserted... (how clever)
It was the best Valentine's Day box ever.

I think I always gave away scratch-n-sniff valentine cards, and back then I thought they were pretty amazing. Now I'm not so sure. I mean, come on. Aren't the best valentines the kind with candy in them?

I'm going to answer that for you - YES. Who wants a lame-ass Superman (is it just me or did you always end up with about ten Superman valentines??) valentine when you could have Lifesavers, suckers, or boxes of Nerds?

Ahh, those were the days when simple, fruity candy was enough to satisfy.

Not anymore. I'm grown up. I need buttery toffee, decadent caramels and rich chocolate truffles.

These truffles are rich and chocolatey - perfect for satisfying adults, but also a little playful for the kiddies, because they are encrusted in Oreo cookies. And who doesn't love Oreos? Make them for your sweetie, your kids, or yourself!
I'd make them for yourself.

These are so easy to make, I don't really need to post a recipe. I will anyway.

Who's sick of listening to me ramble? I am! Have a good Valentine's Day everyone.

Oreo Truffles (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup very finely chopped Oreo cookies

Bring cream and butter to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Cool saucepan in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until firm enough to shape into balls.

Roll chocolate into 35 balls, place on a small sheet pan, and freeze for about 5 minutes. Place Oreo cookie crumbs in small bowl and roll chocolate balls into the mixture, coating completely. Drizzle melted white almond bark on top, if desired.

Makes 35 truffles.

Frozen White Chocolate Cherry Mousse

I have a confession.

I really hope my high school French teacher isn't reading this.

There was this one time when we had a chocolate mousse (mousse au chocolat) making competition in French class. Everyone had a partner and we had to go home and make an authentic chocolate mousse together. Meaning, we couldn't use instant chocolate pudding and Cool Whip. There were two judges that would taste everyone's mousse and then pick a winner. The winners received a gift certificate to the mall.

My partner was sick or busy or something, so I had to make it myself. I had a lot of homework, and assigned my mom to the mousse-making. She picked out a recipe from a cookbook for a white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate layered mousse, went out and purchased all the ingredients, and made the most perfect looking mousse in the world.

I took it into class next day, and sure enough, my partner and I won the contest with Mom's gourmet three-layered chocolate mousse. Oh là là! My partner got a gift card (that doesn't seem fair!) and so did I.

I think I gave the card to my mom, if I recall correctly. I can't remember. I hope I didn't spend it myself! Anyway, I've been guilty ever since that day. I would be ashamed if my French teacher found out my mom made the winning mousse.
I'm ashamed that I was French club president.

My parents got me interested in cooking, but taking four years of French influenced me as well, because we often had cooking labs where we made French food. Using only one hot plate was tricky, but we made crepes, panini, omelettes and more.
Those cooking days were always my favorite. That, and the days we watched Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) and Funny Face.

I had never made chocolate mousse before, I guess because it brought up that memory and made me feel guilty, but I decided to create a recipe for Valentine's Day: Frozen White Chocolate Cherry Mousse.

So why white chocolate? And why frozen? I grew up on TCBY's White Chocolate Mousse. It's simply the best. So that's what I was thinking when I came up with this recipe. And i guess the cherries make it a romantic dessert for Valentine's Day. And they were leftover and I needed to use them.

Now I need to get to TCBY because I haven't been there in years, and they've got all kinds of flavors. Caramel Fudge Éclair? Cake Batter? Hawaiian Coconut? Wow.

Frozen White Chocolate Cherry Mousse (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

12 ounces white chocolate chips
6 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup halved, pitted dark sweet cherries

Melt white chocolate in a medium sized bowl in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted, about 1-2 minutes; set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Divide the eggs by placing whites in a large mixing bowl, and the yolks in a small saucepan. Using a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes; set aside. Beat egg yolks until thickened and lightened in color, about 4 minutes.

Place the saucepan over medium heat, whisk in white chocolate, and continue to whisk until mixture barely starts to bubble and thicken slightly. Remove pan from heat and scrape mixture into a large mixing bowl and cool for a few minutes.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, using a mixer on high speed, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute; gently fold cream into egg whites until combined. Gently fold mixture into white chocolate mixture until combined.

Divide mousse into 6 ramekins or dishes. Evenly divide cherries between each ramekin. Cover ramekins and freeze for at least three hours. To unmold, dip bottom of ramekins into hot water for about 20 seconds, run a knife around outside edges, and invert onto plates.

Makes 6 servings

S'mores Truffles

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and do you know what that means?

No, not love, silly. Oversized stuffed animals, heart shaped jewelry, four dollar Hallmark cards and conversation hearts.

I'm not really a fan of any of those things. Don't you think all that stuff is a waste of money? And tacky? That's what I think. But then again, if I didn't see those items in the store every year, I think I would miss them.

Except the stuffed animals. I could do without stuffed animals for the rest of my life. Please, please no one ever give me a stuffed animal for a present. Especially a Vermont Teddy Bear. Because I would kill you.

I hate this commercial! I HATE IT. Not all women like teddy bears! Do you think we're stupid?! If a guy sent me one of those I'd think he was a sick, pervert freak.
I can't say I respect these women in the commercial.
Also, their wardrobe doesn't seem appropriate for the office.

But anyway, did you notice what Valentine's Day item I left out?

Chocolate. I think all chocolate is acceptable for a Valentine's Day gift. Along with flowers. Booze, too. The way to my heart is not a Vermont Teddy Bear, but a bottle of Grey Goose and a Whitman's Sampler.

I'm a big fan of the Whitman's Sampler. It's traditional, and you get to.. well, sample. Some personal favorites? So glad you asked.

I like the coconut chocolate; that's the only I always go for first. Any of the nut clusters are good, chocolate messenger boy, toffee, caramels, truffles...

Cherry cordials are NOT acceptable. Or anything with a creamy-whipped fruit flavored filling. Those are the chocolates you bite into and put back in the box.

How do we feel about the molasses chew? I forgot about that one.
I think I eat it if I'm desperate.

But back to truffles. If you want to give your loved one a homemade gift, you could make these s'mores truffles. I don't know anyone that doesn't love s'mores, so it's a perfect flavor for a truffle.

I think I invented these, because I Googled s'mores truffles and nothing came up. It's creamy milk chocolate wrapped around a mini marshmallow, then rolled in graham cracker crumbs. Simple but delicious, right?

S'mores Truffles (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk chocolate chips (12 oz.)
24 mini-marshmallows
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers

Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat; whisk in cream and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Chill saucepan in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until chocolate is solid and rollable; roll into 24 balls, stuffing a mini marshmallow into the center of each. Chill truffles a few minutes before rolling in graham cracker crumbs; chill for a few minutes again so they solidify a little more.

Makes 24 truffles

Cherry Chocolate-Sour Cream Muffins

I'm feeling particularly uninspired today. Everything seems kind of dull. I suppose this is how we all feel on some days. I'm even struggling writing this post, and I love writing nonsense.

I'm never uninspired by food, though. I always think it's so interesting, and I could talk about it for days. Really. Doesn't matter what it is, I'll find it fascinating.
Glazed donuts. Malted milk shakes. Garlic-stuffed olives. Marbled rye bread.

Not only food, but of course, cooking, baking, food history, food science, food techniques... how to smoke a perfect turkey breast. How to make the fluffiest frosting for cakes. How to braise meat properly.

You name it - I'm interested in it.

Cooking is a subject where you're constantly learning new things, and that's why I love it so much.

(Here's an example of something I learned recently: Did you know that when you cook sage into sauces, you're letting the flavor bloom?
Did. Not. Know. That.)

I feel like maybe I talk about food too much. I'm starting to wonder if my friends and family around me are getting bored with all my food talk. If I find something in a recipe that's particularly interesting, or a unique flavor combination in a dish, or something new and intriguing with a certain food item, I want to share it with someone.

But then they just look at me, bored and uninterested. I think they've stopped listening. Thank goodness I have my food blogging friends to talk to. I don't know what I'd do without you.

I told my sister the other day about how I was making oatmeal with peanut butter, honey and banana, and that it was sooo good, and she didn't even respond.

I tried sharing my new technique for roasting garlic with someone, and they were unimpressed.

I found the most gorgeous tangerines in the store the other day, and I had no one to share it with. I wanted to grab a hold of someone, give them a shake, and yell, "Just look at these tangerines! Just look at them!"

Sometimes I think I'm such a food genius, and no one appreciates it. Of course this isn't true; I know I'm not a food genius. But come onnnn, you know what I'm talking about. Sometimes you think you're incredibly brilliant when it comes to cooking.

Like when I created this recipe for Cherry Chocolate-Sour Cream Muffins. I felt like a genius when this vision popped in my head. I definitely had Valentine's Day in mind when I created it. These muffins are luscious, rich and tangy from the sour cream. Then when bite into one and taste the dark sweet cherries and warm-melty chocolate chips, you'll fall hopelessly in love.

Check back this week for more Valentine's Day treats!

Cherry Chocolate-Sour Cream Muffins (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pitted, halved dark sweet cherries
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 muffin cups with liners, or spray with cooking spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk in sugar until combined.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, oil, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract until well combined; stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in cherries (I like to coat mine with a little flour and sugar) and chocolate chips until combined. Divide batter into muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently touched in the center.

Makes 16 muffins

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat Pops

Here's another peanut butter recipe for you that I typed up last night, instead of watching the game.

I'm not into the super bowl or football. I feel very un-American. I should've been swiggin' back some beer, eating buffalo chicken wings, and watching the Steelers fire that pigskin around the field while yelling at the top of my lungs.

Instead, I went for some Chinese food and watched Predator Bowl on MSNBC, which is a marathon of To Catch a Predator.

Mmm, sesame chicken, fried rice, and Chris Hansen luring sexual predators into a kitchen with cookies and lemonade.

Now that's my kind of night.

Sure, go ahead and call me un-American if you want. You know who I think is un-American? The people who don't like peanut butter. You run into them every once in a while, but not often. I don't understand how you could NOT like peanut butter. It's one of the world's most delicious foods.

I guess it's fine if you don't like peanut butter because you're allergic, but other than that - there's no excuse. Even if I were allergic, I'd eat it anyway. I'd deal with the consequences later.
Unless death was one of the consequences, because there's nothing I could do about that. I think dying for peanut butter is a noble death. I would walk up to those pearly gates with a smug smile and peanut butter breath.

Peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter crackers. Peanut butter cups. Peanut butter Captain Crunch. We are a peanut butter nation, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Peanut butter rice krispie pops are something I invented when I was bored. Has anyone thought of this yet? Taking rice krispie treats and putting them on a stick? Surely someone has. Mine have peanut butter and melted peanut butter chips mixed in with the cereal, then they are molded into balls, placed on a skewer and drizzled with melted chocolate.

People love food on a stick, so I think these would be fun for parties. You could make them look a lot cuter than I did. I'm lazy and didn't work on the presentation very much, but you could use nicer sticks and tie on ribbons and crap like that.
You could do a chocolate Valentine rice krispie pop. Ooooh, now that's a good idea.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat Pops (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup peanut butter chips
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups crisp rice cereal
3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted; stir in peanut butter chips until melted. Stir in marshmallows until melted and combined. Stir in cereal until combined. Shape mixture into 24 balls and place a skewer through the center of them. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave, with a little pinch of shortening, and then drizzle over the balls.

Makes 24 pops