Cait's Cupcakes

Did You Know? As in the Neiman-Marcus cookie legend, a woman is reported to have asked for the recipe for the delicious red velvet cake she was served at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel restaurant in NYC, only to find that she had been billed $250 for the recipe. Indignant, she spread it to all her friends as a chain letter.

With graduation season comes graduation parties, and usually a few dozen desserts. Caitlin baked up these red velvet cupcakes for her best friend's party last weekend, with no help from me, but I thought they were too cute not to show them off here. After pouring over far too many cupcake decorating books, Cait and I thought a piped icing topped off with rainbow sprinkles would be best for this occasion - fun and not too fancy. And of course they were a huge hit at the party, especially with the guest of honor.

I've never been a fan of red velvet cake. I really only thought girls liked it because it was the cake Jessica Simpson chose for her wedding. But I guess it has a pretty large following, especially down South ("The Chocolate Cake of the South"). The recipe Cait chose turned out quite successful among the devotees, and topped off with the traditional cream cheese frosting, it was the perfect treat to follow the standard cookout eats.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Food Network

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil, butter, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients all at once, and mix until well combined and smooth.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the pans, filling about 2/3 to the top of the papers. Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through cooking time. Remove from the oven and cool for about ten minutes in the pans. Remove the cupcakes from the pans, and cool completely.

When completely cool, frost with the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting, and enjoy!

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Joy the Baker

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened overnight
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablepoons milk, depending on consistency

Cream the cream cheese in an electric mixer for one minute. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter, beating for 1-2 minutes, until well incorporated. Add the brown sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Turn off the mixer and add 3 cups of the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer to low, and slowly add more sugar, alternating with milk, until you have reached your desired consistency.

Sugar-Crusted Fennel & Pear Salad

Did You Know? Today, pears are available in grocery stores 10 months out of the year, but they weren’t always so easy to find. In the 1800s people were willing to pay over $20 for just one pear because they were so rare and delicious.

After a few dozen cupcakes and muffins, I think I'm due for some fresh fruits and vegetables here on Buff Chick. We had my Grandparents and Uncle over yesterday afternoon for a late lunch, and while my Mom simmered away the entree, I worked on a side salad for her. I love introducing new foods to my relatives, and salads are a great way to combine a ton of unique flavors into one satisfying dish. I'm always surprised at the flavor combinations that work in salads. You can basically throw in anything and know it's going to taste good. And no matter what kind of greens I go with, I always add in some type of fruit.

My sister first introduced me to this mix after watching Giada toss it together a few weeks ago. She's made it on many occasions, but each time, we had finished the bowl before I had the chance to photograph any of the remains. Giada used pancetta as the protein, but being vegetarians, we opted for toasted pecans and some feta cheese. And sticking with my 'always throw in fruit' rule, I added some diced anjou pear. This mix has quickly become my go-to salad these days, and even my standard iceberg-and-tomato grandfather went for seconds on this one.

Sugar-Crusted Fennel & Pear Salad
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

1 bulb fennel, halved, cored, and sliced; Reserve about a tablespoon of chopped fronds for garnish, if desired
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons feta
1 pear, cored and diced
10 ounces mixed salad greens
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together fennel, onion, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the ingredients on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook until the fennel is caramelized, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, place the salad greens, caramelized fennel and onion, pecans, pear, and 1/4 cup of feta. Toss the salad with the Red Wine Vinaigrette and garnish with the additional couple tablespoons of feta and the fennel fronds. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Red Wine Vinaigrette

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.