A Cooking Class, A Girl, A Good Day and Basic White Bread

Meet Lilyanna. Lily for short. 

She is as beautiful as she is smart as she is talented. 

One day she wants to be either a chef or a plastic surgeon. She has some time to decide. 

I had the good fortune to spend a day cooking with Lily and her mom, Renee.

Lily loves soup. And bread. And cupcakes.

So that's what I taught her to make. 

Fresh Chicken Stock - that we turned into chicken noodle soup.

Fresh Loaves of white bread.

Classic Golden Cupcakes with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting. 

After we cooked (for 4 hours!) We ate. 

It was a good day with two very nice people. And now Lily, and her mom Renee, know how to make some of Lily's favorite things. 

I do believe I have the best job in the world. And yes, I got hugs from both Lily and her mom when I left. When was the last time that happened to you at work?

Basic White Bread (makes two loaves)

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)

3/12 to 4 cups flour (I like to use ½ bread flour and half all purpose)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 ¼ cups warm water

Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes.

Mix flour and salt together (start with 3 cups)

Add 1 ¼ cups warm water to dissolved yeast and stir.

Slowly, in 3 additions, add flour/salt mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition. If dough is workable…. (it will still be sticky - don't add more flour...)

Turn out on lightly floured board. Have ½ to 1 cup flour measured and knead dough, adding flour by small amounts to board, not top of dough.

Knead about 10 minutes, incorporating more flour until smooth and elastic.

Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a dry towel and let rise 1 hour (minimum) or until doubled.

Punch down. Shape into 2 loaves, rounds, or rolls.

Place on ungreased and floured pans.

Cover and let rise 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a cake pan with 1 inch hot water on bottom rack.

Brush loaves with egg white beaten with teaspoon water OR mist gently with water.

Place on middle rack (above cake pan of water) and bake for 15 minutes.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake 15 more minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding when rapped with knuckles. 

Birthdays and The Perfect Number of Cupcakes

I remember when I was so young (maybe I should say younger?) that I would be out of my mind with excitement for the coming of my birthday. Remember that? 

Or maybe you still do get all excited? 

I remember turning two numbers (10!) and then officially becoming a teenager (13). Getting my driver's license (16) and of course being able to vote (18) and then legally drink (21). 

Then there was turning 30. hmmm... not too bad.

Then 40. umm.. okay. 

Then 50. What?? How on earth did that happen - although the alternative isn't exactly what I want either. 

Time is the great gift and the great thief. It gives us our life and then while we are busy living and celebrating it, it robs us of our youth. 

Although I don't consider 50 old - it is a surprise; it seems like just yesterday I was that excited little girl turning two numbers. 

Yesterday I had the privilege of helping another excited little girl turn 7 with a cooking birthday party. She proudly showed me her missing two front teeth, but wouldn't let me take her picture like that. Instead, we took this picture. The hat says "Le Chef Extraordinaire" which she is. 

Abby and six of her BFF's (yes, they really do use that term) made (and ate):

Ranch Dip for Vegetables

Personal Size Pizzas

Ice Cream Tacos

and Cupcakes which they iced and decorated themselves. 

They all did a great job with a little help from The Good Cook and mommy assistants. Thanks ladies for a fun day.

This cupcake recipe makes only 12 cupcakes and everything you need you probably already have in your cupboard. Twelve is the perfect amount for making and enjoying at home. I mean really, do you honestly need 24 cupcakes?? 

Golden Cupcakes (makes 12 regular size cupcakes)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

½ cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper.

In medium bowl whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set aside

In a mixer beat sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium high speed until smooth and slightly thickened about 2 minutes. Add butter and oil and beat well. Add dry ingredients and milk alternating batches beginning with dry and ending with dry. Carefully scoop batter into lined muffin tins filling them about 2/3 full.

Bake in center of oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack before frosting.

 

Buttercream Frosting

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

In mixer, beat butter until softened. Add sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat until just combined. Turn up mixer and beat until smooth. Add milk or cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

James and The Giant Cupcake

This is James. He is fifteen years old and one of Zach's, my 15 year old son's, best friends.

These are James' giant cupcakes.

Recently, my son's friends have been eating dinner with us on a Saturday night.

Typically, it starts like this; around 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon, the phone rings.

Me: Hello? Zach?

Zach: Hi mom.

Me: Where are you?

Zach: In my room.

Me: In my house?

Zach: Yeah. In my room.

Me: Have you fallen and can't get up?

Zach: No, it's me Zach - I'm in my room with Sal.

Sal is another one of my son's friends he "hangs" with. There is Tom and Sal, and Mark, and Ryan, and James. They are very nice boys from the neighborhood and all 15 years old.

Me: You are in your room with Sal? Has Sal fallen and can't get up? Did a dresser fall on you? Are you engaging in CPR on Sal that prohibits you from coming out of your room, walking the 10 feet to the kitchen and conversing in person with me?

Zach: no, we're playing video games, can Sal eat over?

Me: Sure

That's how it typically starts. Five or ten minutes later, another phone call:

Me: Hello Zach?

Zach: Yeah, mom... can Tom eat over too?

Me: Did Tom fall down and can't get up?

Zach: Oh mom...

Me: okay.

This will go on for sometime. This past Saturday, Zach did eventually emerge from his room to ask if James could also eat over. James was coming from a fresh haircut appointment and wanted all his friends to see his new "do" (my words, not theirs)

When James came in the door - I was shocked.

James, for as long as I have known him, has had very long hair that he wore tied back in a pony tail; which in itself is funny. Let me explain. I grew up in the 70's - where long haired "hippies" were the norm. These kids have absolutely no clue that they are imitating a style from the 70's. It would be like me wearing saddle shoes and poodle skirts. But they don't get it. They believe they are the fashionistas and and on the cutting edge. hee-hee. If they would only take a glance at my high-school yearbook how mortified would they be???

Anyway, James came in - another dinner invitation was extended and like so many Saturday night dinners I found myself cooking for 4 to 5 teenagers, my husband and myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I have always tried to have an "open door" policy when it comes to our home. Better to have the kidadults congregate here than elsewhere and besides, it is amazing what you can learn over a table of shared food.

What I learned that night:

James had been growing his hair for a couple of years in order to donate it to Locks for Love; an organization that makes wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy. There is no charge for these wigs. It was finally long enough and in one fell swoop he had it all cut off to benefit children with cancer.

Sometimes kids can amaze us.

So that's why I made James a Giant Cupcake. Because James, in my eyes, has a giant heart.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze and Cream Cheese Swirl.

Makes 6 jumbo (muffin size) or 12 normal size cupcakes.

Paper cupcake liners (jumbo or regular sized)

1/2 cup whole grain pasty flour (I like Hodson Mills whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon slat

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup reduced fat yogurt (I like Face 0% fat Greek yogurt)

1/4 cup skim or 1% milk

1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon nonfat milk (plus more if needed)

2 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Squiggle:

2 tablespoons cream cheese (I like neufchatel; light cream cheese)

2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Place rack in in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pan with liners. Whisk together flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add yogurt and stir to combine. Add vanilla. Set aside.

Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of mixer and mix on high speed until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Add egg and egg white and beat another minute.

Add 1/3 of cocoa/flour mixture, then 1/3 of milk/yogurt mixture, mixing well after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are combined.

Distribute among cupcake liners.

Bake for 22 minutes for jumbo muffin size or 15 minutes for regular cupcake size or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on rack.

Glaze:

Combine confectioner's sugar and milk in small saucepan and heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate and and stir until melted and smooth. Add milk by 1/2 teaspoons if too thick. While still warm, frost cupcakes.

Squiggle:

2 tablespoons cream cheese. Microwave for 10-15 seconds.

2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar. Stir into cream cheese.

Place in small plastic bag, snip off corner and squiggle on cupcakes.

Don't tell the 15 year old's these are low fat, low calorie, high fiber. They are loaded with love and that's the only thing anyone needs to know; just like Locks for Love and fifteen year olds.