Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes")

Yesterday was Joef's and my one-year anniversary (!). Celebrations included running a 5K (you'll know why when you read this recipe), dinner at Pacifico (raw bar platter, shrimp ceviche, plantains, and duck quesadillas, mmmm), an upcoming stint in Cape Cod - and, these cupcakes.

Most people know how I feel about cakes and cupcakes, etc. I generally prefer, say, some ceviche or duck quesadillas, if they happen to be around. But I gotta say, there's a big difference when sweet things are made right - and (thanks to Martha Stewart), these were.

A shout-out to my other inspiration for the cupcakes - my mother-in-law, Betty - who makes a mean Boston Cream Pie that is pretty much one of Joef's favorite things in the world. I'm not sure these can top the actual "pie", but they're a fun alternative.

So, to make 20:

CUPCAKES
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for tins
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for tins
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pastry Cream (see below)
Chocolate Ganache Glaze (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease muffin tins with butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and set over very low heat.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs and sugar into thick, fluffy, and pale yellow - about 5 minutes. (The mixture should be able to hold a drop of itself on its surface for a couple seconds when you lift the mixer.) Reduce speed to medium, and gradually add the flour mixture, whisking just until it combines.

3. Bring the milk and butter just to a boil. With mixer on low, add the hot milk to the batter in a slow, steady stream, and mix just until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. (Note - the recipe says to fill the cups halfway; I ended up the first round with cupcakes that were too small and went for 3/4 full the next time around. Use your judgment based on the kind of muffin or cupcake tins you have.) Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden and a cake tester comes out clean - about 15 minutes. Let tins cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the tins and let them cool completely.

5. To finish, use a serrated knife to split the cupcakes in half horizontally. Spread about 1 tbsp pastry cream on the bottom half of each cupcake. Spoon about 1 tbsp chocolate glaze over the top of each cupcake. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving, if you can wait that long.

PASTRY CREAM
(Two notes: one, Joef and I agreed that while this filling was delicious, if you were strapped for time, you could probably use a mix. Two, I just realized that I used egg yolks and whites by accident when I made mine. Hmmm. Well, they turned out fine - but you, you follow the recipe, gosh darn it!)
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl.
2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. (Be patient.)
3. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks (you do this first to prevent curdling). Now pour this into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough to hold its shape. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (gets rid of any pieces of egg white). Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right onto the surface to keep a skin from forming. Directions say to refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours - but who has time for that? I popped it in the freezer until the cupcakes were ready to go, but I found it a little too stiff. I'd probably just go with the fridge next time.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup

1. Place chocolate in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl.
2. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Let it stand without stirring until the chocolate begins to melt.
3. Use a flexible spatula to gently stir the chocolate and cream together until totally combined. It helps to begin near the center of the bowl and slowly work your way out. Don't overstir. Will be smooth and glossy. And delicious.

Archana's Apple Brownies

(from Archana, who got it from Jessica, who got it from...)

My friend Archana was generous enough to share this delicious recipe with me after our apple-picking excursion. I loved this recipe not just because it tastes amazingly good, but because it's simple. And my experience with baking to-date has been complicated and time-consuming. Don't get me wrong - it's still fun, and the results are worth it, but it's also nice to know you can whip up something sweet without too much effort.

I'm going to give it to you just as she gave it to me. Pass it on!

"1 C. softened butter
1 3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. chopped apples (i have done them by hand or in a cuisinart)

combine butter and sugar. add eggs and vanilla. in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. mix with wet ingredients until just moistened. fold in apples. bake in a greased pan at 350 for 45 minutes. can put a glaze on it made of 1/2 C. powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp. vanilla.

they are magical."

Yes, yes they are.

Risotto with Arugula and Parmesan

(adapted from Loukie Werle's "Italian Country Cooking")

I love risotto. I just do. It's the ultimate comfort food. And even cooking it is vaguely comforting, as you add the broth ladle by ladle and watch the rice soak it up. Maybe that part's just me. In any case, eating it is good. I really enjoyed the arugula in this (surprise) - the rice is savory, the arugula a little bitter, and it all works out.

The original recipe calls for taleggio rather than parmesan, but seeing as how I not only didn't have taleggio, but had to look up what the heck taleggio is, parmesan worked just fine.

Here we go:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small/medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups chicken broth, simmering, with a few tablespoons reserved
1-2 handfuls arugula, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine the olive oil and onions in a large, deep saute pan, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and stir one more minute.

Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated. Then add the wine and stir over medium heat until the wine absorbs into the rice. Then, add a ladle of the simmering chicken broth and stir it in until the broth is absorbed into the rice. Keep doing this until the rice is al dente and the broth is used up. If you run out of broth before the rice is cooked, you can use a ladle or two of simmering water.

When that process is complete, add your cheese, the reserved broth, and the arugula, and stir it into the rice. Reduce the heat to low (or turn it off entirely), cover, and let sit for three minutes. Season with salt as needed, and serve!

400 Visitors and Facebook Page

La Piccina Cucina hit 400 new visitors this month, and I decided to celebrate by making it its very own Facebook page. At facebook.com/piccinacucina you can become a fan, browse pictures and watch for new posts, share your own recipes or tell me how to improve mine, and easily link to this blog to find recipes.

Of course, you can always follow the blog directly - or you can just check in from time to time as the mood strikes!

To food!

Peach Hand Pies

(filling and concept adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

I've been wanting to make hand pies ever since the first time I heard the phrase "hand pie". There is something incredibly appealing about that term - it just sounds so comforting and delicious. So when I found myself with more fruit than I could possibly eat before it went bad after a fruit-picking (apples, peaches, and asian pears!) trip to a local orchard, it was time to fulfill the dream, as it were. And this time, I remembered to use my mom's much-easier-and-equally-delicious crust recipe, this time. Bonus!

FILLING
2 pounds of peaches
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus - I used more because my peaches weren't quite ripe
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon bourbon, if you have it - I used drambuie
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and chop the peaches into small chunks. Mix them with the flour, sugar and pinch of salt, and add the drambuie and vanilla. Add more sugar to taste. Set aside for awhile if you have the time - I let them sit for about an hour plus.

CRUST
1 1/2 cups flour
1 stick butter, cut roughly into tablespoons
1-2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup cold water

EXTRAS
1 large egg + 1 tbsp water, beaten - to act as the glaze
Extra sugar for dusting

The less you handle the crust mixture, the better - it makes for a flakier crust. Combine the flour, sugar, and butter in a bowl, and mix with your hands until fluffy and combined. Add the cold water, and again mix with your hands until you have dough that you can roll out. Add flour if it's getting too sticky.

Place floured wax paper on your counter and roll out the dough on the paper (lightly flour the rolling pin, too) until it's about the thickness you want for your crust. Use a bowl to cut out circles of dough. My first roll-out made about three rounds - I prepped those, then rolled out the dough again and repeated the process. Do this until you've used all your dough. I had seven and a half pies by the end; I also had leftover filling. (If you want a bigger filling-to-crust ratio, you might make them larger so as to fit more filling.)

The filling process works this way: place your rounds of crust on an ungreased baking pan/sheet. Brush the circumference of each with your egg mixture, then spoon in some filling on one side of the round. Fold the other side of the round over the filling, and press the edges of the crust together. Use the back of a fork to make a design on the edges, and poke a couple of holes in the crust with the fork. Then, lightly brush more egg mixture over the top of the pie, and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Once the pies are filled, place them in the fridge for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375. Then place the baking sheet with the pies in the oven and cook until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Then enjoy - eat them right from your hands!

Sauteed Pork Chops and Chickpea Salad

(Chops from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything: Quick Cooking)

I don't think I've ever cooked pork chops before. But I couldn't resist Mark Bittman's foolproof recipe, nor could I resist two pork chops for $2.78. The chops were easy, juicy, and delicious, and I made up the salad using whatever we had in the house - turned out great, and a nice complementary side to boot. We'll definitely be making pork chops a major part of our menu these next couple years!

PORK CHOPS
Here is Mr. Bittman's recipe:

2 center-cut loin pork chops, about 1 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock (you can use water as an alternative)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Parsley leaves for garnish

Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil; as soon as the first wisps of smoke rise from the oil, add the chops and turn the heat to high. Brown the chops on both sides, moving them around so they develop good color all over. This whole process should take four minutes or less.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the wine and the garlic and cook, turning the chops once or twice, until the wine is all but evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of stock or water, turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the chops once or twice, until the chops are tender but not dry. When done, when you cut into them, the color will be rosy at first glance but quickly turn pale.

Remove the chops to a platter. If the pan juices are very thin, cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. Then stir in the butter over medium heat; add the wine vinegar, pour over the chops, garnish, and serve.

SALAD
1 can chick peas/ceci beans/garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, chopped
Handful of green beens, cooked or blanched, and chopped
4-6 baby carrots, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1 spoonful balsamic vinegar
2 spoonfuls olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all your ingredients in a bowl, mix, and serve!

Toasted Vegetable Frittata

I've been wanting to make a frittata for awhile, and lunch today was a great opportunity. Cooking for lunch feels like such a novelty. This was fun and really could take on tons of alterations - different cheeses, different veggies, different herbs, etc. Had it with a little arugula/balsamic/olive oil salad on the side. Here's what I used for one (and half of it filled me up):

4 eggs
Salt
Pepper
A pinch of dill
A pinch of paprika
A splash of half-and-half
Half an orange bell pepper, halved again and sliced
1/4 a white onion, halved and sliced thinly
1-2 tbsp olive oil
A few leaves of arugula
A few thin slices of cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese

Combine the eggs, a little salt, a little pepper, your pinches of dill and paprika, and a splash of half-and-half in a bowl and whisk together, then set aside. Put a small frying pan over medium-low heat and place a square of aluminum foil in the plan, then put your onions and bell pepper on top of the foil and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to get brown around the edges. Then, in another larger (but not too large) frying pan, drizzle just a little olive oil and add the onions and pepper to that, over medium-high heat. Stir it around once or twice and add your egg mixture evenly around the pan. Place your arugula on top of the egg mixture in the pan, then arrange the cheddar slices evenly on top of that.

Watch for the edges of the egg to start to set, then lift up a side and tilt the pan to let the yolk run under the part that has started to cook. Do this on several edges, several times. It's OK if you don't cook all of the yolk during this part.

Turn down the heat just a little, sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese, and put a lid on the pan. Allow to cook until the top of the egg gets puffy (the bottom will brown, but don't let it burn). Transfer to a plate and serve!

(Alternately, if you have an oven-proof frying pan, you can put the egg in the oven briefly rather than covering it with a lid on the stove. Again, you'd wait until it got puffy - and in the over it would probably nicely brown a bit on top.)