Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes (Dairy Free) - Crazy Cooking Challenge

So this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge was Mashed Potatoes.  I wanted to do something different.  Mashed potatoes usually have a ton of sour cream, milk and/or butter in them.  I wanted to do mine without all of this.  I wanted to see if you could really make a good mashed potato with absolutely no dairy whatsoever.  So I decided on a dairy free garlic roasted mashed potato recipe from Heart Hands Home.   This blog has some great recipes on it and I really enjoyed looking around her site.  These potatoes were also really good.  Everyone in my house ate them and I didn't even receive a single complaint.  I think the roasted garlic gave the potatoes such amazing flavor that it was hard to notice you didn't have your normal amounts of butter or cream added.  I'd definitely make these again.    


Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes

1 head of garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. dairy free butter
3-4 medium potatoes
Salt & Pepper



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the bottom off of the whole head of garlic to expose the bottoms of all the cloves.  Place in aluminum foil and add in olive oil and salt and pepper and seal.  Roast for about 45 minutes or until very tender.  Squeeze out the garlic, mash or chop a bit and set aside.  Peel and cube the potatoes and place in a saucepan of cold water and add salt.  Bring to a boil until fork tender.  In the meantime in a small saucepan heat the chicken stock and leave on low.  Drain the potatoes and add in the butter and garlic and mash.  Slowly add the stock in bit by bit so you get the consistency you want instead of pouring it all in at once.  Add salt and pepper to taste and viola! 

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Maple Frosting

Yum!   I found this recipe at House Beautiful.  This is Ina Garten's Pumpkin cupcake recipe.  These were super moist and absolutely delicious.  Believe it or not my 4 year old said she wanted pumpkin cupcakes for her birthday party at school.  Though she is used to eating things like this I didn't think the other kids at school would like them as much as a simple boxed cupcake and frosting mix so I made a batch of these for her and a batch of boxed for her classmates.  My little girl with her sophisticated little palette, made me so proud.  I'm not sure why it has taken me 3 weeks to get this recipe posted but it has.  I will be making these again.  They really were fantastic. 

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting


1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Maple Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.  Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.  Divide the batter among the prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.  Spread the cupcakes with the frosting.

Maple Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon Natural Maple Flavor
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

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Sweet as Sugar Cookies

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

We absolutely LOVE this pizza!  This is a Neely recipe that like everything else I do, I saw on Food Network.  This pizza is awesome.  Normally I add spinach to the pizza too but the store didn't have any decent looking spinach so this night it was without.  But I'm leaving the recipe to include the spinach because it really is amazing with it.  My kids prefer regular old pepperoni pizza but this is definitely one of my husband's favorites.

 

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

1 (3/4 pound) boneless skinless chicken breast
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 pizza dough, store-bought (or recipe below)
2 cups baby spinach, well washed and dried
1 cup grated mozzarella
Olive oil for brushing crust

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Adjust racks to the middle of the oven. Put pizza stone in the oven to preheat while you begin the sauce.  Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the chicken on the grill pan and grill until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and dice. Set aside.


Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the flour and cook until light blonde in color. Whisk in the cream, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste. 


Flour your work surface and roll the pizza dough into a large circle.  Place your dough on parchment paper so you can easily move it into and out of the oven. Ladle the sauce to cover the bottom of the pizza. Evenly top with the baby spinach, grilled chicken and the mozzarella. Brush the edge of the crust with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake the pizza until crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes. I use a pizza paddle to slide my pizza in and out of the oven easily. 

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe:

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp.)

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. warm water

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

3 c. flour, plus more for dusting

Add yeast and sugar to warm water and let stand 5 minutes.  Add flour and salt to food processor. Add oil to yeast mixture, stir and then slowly pour into flour mixture in food processor.  Use plastic blade on food processor.  Once dough ball forms, knead a few times onto lightly floured surface.  Place in well oiled bowl and let rise 1 hour.   Divide in half and cover the half you aren't working with.  Place flour on your work surface and roll out the dough into a large circle.  I like to tuck my edges under to form the crust.  I then poke holes with a fork to prevent bubbles and I always bake on a preheated baking stone at 500 degrees.  (Makes 2 large pizzas)

Halloween Macaroon Cookies w/ Chocolate Filling

This is the first time I've made macaroons and these were really really good.  I loved the taste and texture that the ground almonds gave to the cookie.  We turned them orange for Halloween.  My daughter had a lot of fun spooning the mixture onto the baking sheets, making the filling and spreading it over the cookies by herself.  I will definitely be making these again and probably really soon.   This is a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe that I saw on Food Network recently. 

Macaroon Cookies with Chocolate Filing:

Plex the Robot & Captain America

1 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Zest of 1 medium orange
Orange food coloring, as needed, optional
1 cup powdered sugar

Filling:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli
1/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

I'm a Gypsy!

For the macarons: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a food processor, blend the almonds until finely ground.  In a large bowl, using a hand mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating constantly, until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Beat in the almond extract, orange zest and food coloring, 1 drop at a time, if using. Using a spatula, fold in the ground almonds and powdered sugar until combined. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop eight to twelve 2-inch-diameter circles of batter onto each baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly puffed. Cool completely on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes.

The spoils.

For the filling: Place the chocolate and cream in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until thick enough to spread, about 25 minutes.


To assemble: Spoon the filling onto the flat side of half of the cookies and gently press the remaining cookie on top. Allow the filling to set at room temperature, about 1 hour. 

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Sweet as Sugar Cookies

Poviticia - Daring Baker's Challenge

 The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is an Eastern European Dessert Bread that is rolled paper thin, spread with an English walnut filling and rolled before baking in a loaf pan.  This was my very first time doing the Daring Baker's Challenge.  I was in need for some inspiration and to do something a bit different and fun.  I'm so busy being a mom that I sometimes don't have time left for some of the other things I love.  So I was determined to making some new and fun this week even if I had to do it with kids screaming at my legs!  This bread was pretty simply to make and turned out really pretty.  I would have preferred it a bit sweeter though.  I only made a quarter batch of the dough though, enough for one loaf so that is the recipe I posted was for one loaf.  

Quarter Batch Dough Ingredients (Makes one loaf)

To activate the Yeast:
½ Teaspoon Sugar
¼ Teaspoon All-Purpose (Plain) Flour
2 Tablespoons Warm Water
1½ Teaspoons Dry Yeast

Dough:
½ Cup Whole Milk
3 Tablespoons Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg
1 tablespoon (1/4 stick) Unsalted Butter, melted
2 cups All-Purpose Flour, measure first then sift, divided

Topping:
2 Tablespoons Cold STRONG Coffee
1½ Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
Melted Butter

 

Filling:

1¾ Cups Ground English Walnuts
¼ Cup Whole Milk
¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Egg Yolk From A Large Egg, Beaten
¼ Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon

 
Dough:


In a small bowl, stir 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon flour, and the yeast into 2 tablespoons of warm water and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Set aside. 
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk up to just below boiling (about 180°F/82°C), stirring constantly so that a film does not form on the top ofthe milk. You want it hot 
enough to scald you, but not boiling. Allow to cool slightly, until it is about 110°F/43°C.
In a large bowl, mix the scalded milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the salt until combined.  Add the beaten egg, yeast mixture, melted butter, and 1 cup of flour.  Blend thoroughly and slowly add remaining flour, mixing well until the dough starts to clean the bowl.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead, gradually adding flour a little at a time, until smooth and does not stick.  Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with a layer of plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel and let rise an hour and a half in a warm place, until doubled in size.


Filling:
 
In a large bowl mix together the ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cocoa.  Heat the milk and butter to boiling.  Pour the liquid over the nut/sugar mixture.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Allow to stand at room temperature until ready to be spread on the dough.  If the mixture thickens, add a small amount of warm milk.


Dough Assembly: 

Spread a clean sheet or cloth over your entire table so that it is covered.  Sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons to a handful of flour (use flour sparingly).  Place the dough on the sheet and roll the dough out with a rolling pin, starting in the middle and working your way out, until it measures roughly 10-12 inches (25½ cm by 30½ cm) in diameter.  Spoon 1 to 1.5 teaspoons  (5ml to 7 ½ ml/4 gm to 7 gm) of melted butter on top.  Using the tops of your hands, stretch dough out from the center until the dough is thin and uniformly opaque. You can also use your rolling pin, if you prefer.  As you work, continually pick up the dough from the table, not only to help in stretching it out, but also to make sure that it isn’t sticking.
When you think it the dough is thin enough, try to get it a little thinner. It should be so thin that you can see the color and perhaps the pattern of the sheet underneath.  Spoon filling evenly over dough until covered.  Lift the edge of the cloth and gently roll the dough like a jelly roll.  Once the dough is rolled up into a rope, gently lift it up and place it into a greased loaf pan in the shape of a “U”, with the ends meeting in the middle. (See picture here The Daring Kitchen.  You want to coil the dough around itself, as this will give the dough its characteristic look when sliced.  Brush the top of each loaf with a mixture of the cold STRONG coffee and sugar. If you prefer, you can also use egg whites in place of this.


Cover pans lightly will plastic wrap and allow to rest for approximately 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to moderate 350°F.  Remove plastic wrap from dough and place into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Turn down the oven temperature to slow 300°F and bake for an  additional 30 minutes, or until done. Remove bread from oven and brush with melted butter. Check the bread every 20 minutes to ensure that the bread is not getting too brown. You may cover the loaves with a sheet of aluminum foil if you need to. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes.  It is recommended that the best way to cut Povitica loaves into slices is by turning the loaf upside down and slicing with a serrated knife.

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Happy Birthday Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

My baby girl just turned 4!  I can't believe it!  She is growing up so fast and as wonderful as it is to see her growing and exploring the world and making friends, it is bittersweet as she isn't my itty bitty tiny baby anymore.  She is a bit spoiled I must say.  We brought cupcakes and party stuff to her school for a party, the next day we went to Disneyland Tokyo, and the following day we invited her best friend over and did cake and presents.  

She wanted a pony cake and requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  That's my girl, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.  I made the cake up and thought it was too plain so decided to make some pink and purple splatters to give it more color.  Not the best idea, especially last minute.  My splatters melted because it was too hot and humid here and they were a bit runny but in my head it seemed like such a cute idea.  But the cake tasted amazing and she loved it.  That's all that matters.  This frosting is probably the best chocolate frosting I've ever made and I think this cake recipe will be my new "go to".  It was unbelievably rich and that's what I like.  I did double the recipe when I made it because I needed 4 cakes for the cake I was making but this recipe below makes two standard 9-inch cakes.   

Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Birthday Girl!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by rubbing with butter, sprinkling with flour and tapping out extra. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then set aside. In small bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer. Slowly add boiling water and mix. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and fold and stir until smooth. Pour batter into pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove cake from pans and cool on racks.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Peyton in front of Goofy's house.

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
3-4 tablespoons milk

Makes about 3 c. frosting 

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

This is a Wilton frosting recipe and I believe an Ina Garten chocolate cake recipe but I had it written down from a while ago so can't be positive. 

My Cinderella

Whisking Wednesday

I would just like to thank everyone that participated in all past Whisking Wednesday parties.  I have decided to stop hosting them as I find I just simply don't have the time.  I rather put a little more time and effort into getting my recipes posted which seem to sit here for a week or two at a time before I get to them.  My wonderful children keep me very busy which I quite enjoy and I never seem to remember to do this.  Everyone have a great Halloween!