Bacon Cheddar Scones

Bacon and Cheddar Scones (makes 8 large scones)
Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and cut or crushed into small pieces
3/4- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low and mix dry ingredients for 30 seconds. Working with a few pieces at a time, gradually add the butter cubes while the mixer is running. Continue to mix until the butter is pea sized and there are no large chunks. Do not overmix! Add the grated cheese and mix until just blended.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Mix bacon, green onions and ¾ cup of buttermilk by hand until a dough has formed. Add additional buttermilk, 1 Tbs at a time, until dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky. Do not overwork the dough.

Place the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into an 8 inch circle, roughly a ½ inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges on prepared baking sheet.

Beat together egg and water in a ramekin to make an egg wash. Brush scones with egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked throughout the middle.

Recipe from The Pastry Queen

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (makes 3-4 dozen)
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Sprinkling of allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup Craisins

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix together until combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar (white and brown) with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well incorporated. Beat in pumpkin puree. Slowly add in dry ingredients (I did this with a wooden spoon) until just incorporated. Mix in oats, white chocolate chips and oats by hand.

Using a small dough scoop (or a spoon) drop dough onto baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing.

From Annies Eats and My Baking Addiction

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Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble
Ingredients:

Apples:

3 apples, peeled and chopped (any variety really, I prefer gala but choose granny smith if you prefer more of a crunch)
pinch of cinnamon (I use several shakes)
1 tbs flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

Carefully mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place coated apples in an 8×8 pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

Crumble:

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
14 tbs cold butter, cubed

Mix together flour and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or use two forks to incorporate. Stop mixing when butter is roughly pea sized.

Pour crumble over apples and lightly pat down. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Adapted from BBC http://www.cakeandallie.com

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Apple Cinnamon Bread

Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread (makes one 9×5 inch loaf)
Ingredients:

For the bread:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped

For the swirl:
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

For the bread, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric mixture, beat oil and sugar together in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat until smooth and pale. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. With a spatula, fold in apples.

Pour half the batter in the prepared loaf pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the swirl ingredients until combined. Spoon half of the mixture in 5 or 6 circles on top of the batter. With a knife, swirl the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the batter. Pour the remaining batter into the pan and repeat the swirl with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mix.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe from AllRecipes

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Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Muffins (makes 12)
Ingredients:

for muffin batter:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

for topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, very cold, cubed

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 12 muffin wells with papers and set aside.

To make the muffin batter, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix in oil, egg and milk and fold in apples. Evenly distribute batter between muffin wells, filling them 2/3 of the way full.

To make topping, whisk together sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. With a pastry cutter, forks, or your hands, cut in butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Spoon topping over the muffin batter, distributing it evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes http://www.cakeandallie.com

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Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes (makes approximately 16 pancakes- I halved the recipe to make 8.)
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3 Tbs white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat pan or griddle to medium heat. I have a gas stovetop and I put it to marking “6″ if that helps. Lightly coat with cooking spray.

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a medium sized mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together buttermilk, milk, and eggs.

Right before you’re ready to begin mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.

Pour about a 1/4-1/3 cup of batter for each pancake. Add desired amount of blueberries and lightly press them into the batter. Once the batter starts to make air bubbles, flip them over carefully. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

If you’re really fancy, you can keep them warm in an oven at 250F.

Recipe from AllRecipes http://www.cakeandallie.com

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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature if possible
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and add in vanilla. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

Drop about a 1/2 tablespoon (or whatever your desired cookie size is) onto the baking sheets, at least 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms are slightly golden brown. The cookies do not really brown, so don’t overbake them!

Recipe from Ghiradelli

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Chocolate & Nutella Macarons

Chocolate Macarons with Whipped Nutella Ganache
Ingredients:

For the macarons:
110 gm blanched slivered almonds
200 gm minus 2 Tbs powdered sugar
2 Tbs cocoa powder (dark or regular)
100 gm egg whites (took me about 3 ½ large eggs), aged in the fridge for 3-5 days
50 gm granulated sugar

Start by putting the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and give it a few pulses to combine. Set aside.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use an electric mixer), beat egg whites to a foam. It should resemble bubble bath at this point. With the mixer still running, slowly add the granulated sugar and continue beating just until smooth and stiff peaks have formed. Check it often so you don’t over mix. You want to stop right at the beginning of the stiff peak stage.

Add the almond mixture to egg whites and carefully incorporate with a spatula. You want the mixture to be thick enough to pipe, but thin enough that it won’t form peaks when piped. I suggest testing the batter by spooning out a small amount on a plate and checking that the batter “melts” into itself. If it doesn’t, give it a few more strokes and try it again.

Place macaron batter into a piping bag fit with a large, round tip and pipe small circles (about 1 inch to 1 ½ inches in diameter) onto your prepared baking sheets. Let macarons rest for at least 45 minutes to an hour, or until a hard shell has developed on the top. You can test this by carefully brushing your finger over a macaron. If it feels dry, you’re ready to go. If not, give it another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 300F.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, one baking sheet at a time. Let cool completely before filling.

For the Nutella ganache:
½ cup of heavy cream
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 Tbs Nutella

Place chocolate and Nutella in a medium sized heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and Nutella and let sit for 20 seconds. Stir to combine until smooth. Place ganache in the refrigerator until thickened, but still pourable. Make sure to stir a few times during the process so the ganache is a uniform consistency throughout. Using an electric mixer, whip ganache until it is a pipeable consistency and light in color. Place ganache into a piping bag and pipe a small circle onto one macaron shell. Top it with a similar sized shell and squeeze together carefully.

Keep macarons in the refrigerator. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Recipe adapted from Annies Eats

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Toffee Pretzel Bark

Toffee Pretzel Bark (Makes 1 1/2 lbs of bark)
Ingredients:

14 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup toffee chips, divided
1 cup pretzel pieces, divided
4 oz peanut butter chips
4 oz milk chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, melt dark chocolate chips until smooth. Mix in 1/2 cup of toffee chips and 1/2 cup pretzel pieces. Spread mixture in a thin layer on the parchment paper using a spatula. Let the baking sheet chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You don’t need to wash your bowl or double boiler before the next step.

For the next layer, melt peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips in your bowl set over simmering water or your double boiler until smooth. Spread the mixture over the chilled dark chocolate layer using a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining toffee and pretzel pieces over the chocolate/peanut butter. Press them down with a spatula to make sure they are stuck well in the chocolate. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. After the chocolate has set, break the bark apart into desired sizes. If the chocolate is too hard to break with your hands, you can aide it by scoring the chocolate with a knife. Store the bark covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

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Fudge

Fudge (makes 1 8×8 pan)
Ingredients:

14-oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup walnuts, dried fruit, toffee chips, or any other mix-in (optional)

Line an 8×8 pan with aluminum foil and spray very lightly with cooking spray.

Place chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter in a double boiler. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is incorporated.

Pour mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Cover and chill until firm, about 1-2 hours. Cut into small squares before serving.

Recipe from AllRecipes

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Oreo Truffles

Oreo Truffles (makes about 40 truffles)
Ingredients:

16 oz package of Oreos, divided (or Joe-Joe’s, or Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse 9 of the Oreos in a food processor (or blender) until finely groung. Place them in a bowl and set aside.

Place the remaining Oreos (36) in the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in cream cheese and processor until a dough-like mixture forms. Form the dough into 1/2 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Heat chocolate in a double boiler until smooth and melted. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator. Using 2 forks, cover each truffle in chocolate and return to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle a bit of the reserved cookie crumbs on top of the truffles and return them to the refrigerator. Let the chocolate set for at least 1 hour before serving. Keep remaining truffles covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe from AllRecipes

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Sour Cream Cookies

Sour Cream Cookies(makes about 60-70 cookies)
Ingredients:

for the cookies:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (beaten lightly)
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream together butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and eggs until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat over to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can grease pans lightly with Crisco or butter.

On a cleaned, floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake until bottoms are a very light golden color, about 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake!

for frosting:
5 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 Tbs vanilla extract
6 Tbs milk (plus more, as needed)
food coloring (optional)

Just mix everything together with an electric mixer and thin down with milk until the frosting is a consistency you like.

Source: http://www.cakeandallie.com

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Hot Onion Dip

Hot Onion Dip (serves 4-6, appetizer portions)
Ingredients:

1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs butter
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Saute onions in butter over medium heat until soft and golden brown. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400F.

In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, mayo, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. Stir in onions. Place the dip into oven safe ramekins or a small oven safe dish. Bake for 30 minutes and serve hot.

Adapted From AllRecipes

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Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch (makes 48 mini rolls, or 24 regular rolls)
Ingredients:

For the egg rolls:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of filling onto the wrapper. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two side and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the egg roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.

Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.

For avocado ranch:
3/8 cup mayonnaise
3/8 cup sour cream
3 Tbs buttermilk
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use immediately.

Adapted From Annies Eats and Confections of a Foodie Bride

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Tuxedo Cake

Tuxedo Cake makes a three tiered 8 or 9 inch cake
Ingredients:

For the cake:
2 sticks of unsalted butter
2 cups water
1 cup canola oil
4 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour three 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan.

Place butter, water and oil in a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and flour. Pour melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated and smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, incorporating eggs between each addition. Whisk in buttermilk. Add baking soda, salt and vanilla and give it one more whisk to combine all the ingredients. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in their pans for about 20 minutes. Invert them onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
4 cups heavy cream, chilled thoroughly
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Place heavy cream into a large mixing bowl and whip on medium-high power with an electric mixer. Once soft peaks have formed add powdered sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks have formed.

Frost cooled cake and chill in the fridge for at least a hour before glazing.

For the chocolate glaze:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

Place chocolate in a small heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering. Immediately pour cream over the chocolate and let sit for at least 20 seconds. Whisk together mixture until chocolate and cream are completely incorporated. Add in corn syrup and vanilla. Pour glaze into a liquid measuring cup, small pitcher, or anything with a pouring spout. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Remove the cake from the fridge and pour chocolate glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Move quickly because the frosting will start to melt a bit. Immediately return the fridge to set, at least an hour. Top with chocolate covered strawberries if desired.

Recipe from The Pastry Queen

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Smoked Salmon Tartare and Cucumber Appetizer

Smoked Salmon Tartare and Cucumber Appetizer
(Makes 12)

You will need:
4 oz smoked salmon, finely chopped
2 tsps fresh chives, finely chopped, plus more stalks for garnish
1 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 avocado, peeled and mashed
1/2 of long cucumber, sliced into twelve 1/4 inch thick round slices

Directions:
In a bowl, combine smoked salmon, soy sauce and lemon juice. Let stand for a minute, then mix in sesame oil and chives. Adjust ingredients to taste, as suitable for your own palate. To assemble, place cucumber slices on a serving platter and spread a small amount of the mashed avocado on each slice, enough to cover it. Carefully spoon the salmon tartare on top of each slice. Top with chive stalks for garnish. Serve or refrigerate up to one hour until serving.

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Sour Cherry Tartlets

Sour Cherry Tartles
(Makes 8 tartlets)

You will need:

Shells:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for dusting
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
10 tbsp butter
3-5 tbsp ice-cold water, plus more if needed
8 tartlet molds with removable bottoms (about 2 1/2 inch diameter)

Filling:
2 lb pitted sour cherries, or two 14.5 oz cans of same (no sugar or other additives), drained
1/2 cup agave syrup
3 tbsp corn starch

Directions

Make the dough:

1. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Slice butter into 1/4 inch cubes and add to the flour mixture. Working quickly with your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture, breaking the butter into smaller pieces until the entire mixture has a sandy, crumbling texture (similar to granola). Add 3 tbsp of water to the mixture and mix swiftly with your fingers. The dough will begin to stick together. Add 1-2 tbsp more water, until you can form the dough into a ball (if the dough is too sticky, add a sprinkle of flour; if it flakes, add a few more drops of water). 

2. Separate the dough into 3-4 pieces and form each into a ball. Taking each in turn, place on dusted wax paper and, with the heel of your hand, press down and smear the dough across the wax paper. This process blends the butter into the flour. Repeat with remaining dough, then form it back into one piece. Place in a bowl, dust with flour, cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Pre-bake the shells:

3. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter each tartlet mold. On a dusted counter or wax paper, with a dusted rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 13 inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. With a cookie cutter slightly larger than the diameter of the molds, cut out the dough into about 8 rounds (you can also use an inverted glass). Place each round inside the mold, pressing it to conform to its shape. Fold in any dough remaining over the top and press it into the sides. Roll the rolling pin over each mold to flatten the tops. 

4. Place the shells on a baking sheet, and in order to prevent the sides from shrinking and the bottom from bulging, line each shell with foil (additionally, you can weigh them down with baking beans). Bake the shells for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, remove the foil, and prick the bottom of each shell with a fork to prevent it from rising. Replace the foil and bake 2-3 minutes more, until the sides start to separate from the mold slightly and the shells begin to change color. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Make the filling and bake the tartlets:

5. To make the filling, whisk together agave syrup and corn starch in a bowl, add the cherries and toss until combined. Spoon the filling evenly into the pre-baked tartlet shells. Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, then remove the molds. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

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Mini Mojito Cupcakes

Mini Mojito Cupcakes
(Makes 24 minis or 12 regular cupcakes)

Rum Cupcakes

You will need:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lime zest
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two miniature 12-muffin pans with fluted cups. 
2. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy and the mixture forms ripples, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the lime zest and rum and beat until combined. Then, with mixer on low speed add in alternate batches the flour mixture and apple sauce, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. 
3. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a rich golden brown, 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan slightly then place the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Mint and Lime Buttercream Frosting

You will need:
2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime), or to taste
1 tbsp freshly grated lime zest
1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1 1/2 tsp Triple Sec (optional)

Directions:
1. Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. In batches, gradually add confectioner's sugar, and beat until well blended and the consistency is smooth and somewhat stiff, about 3 minutes. Add lime juice and beat well to combine. In a food processor, combine lime zest and mint leaves and pulse a few times until the mint leaves are very finely chopped. Add to the frosting and beat until combined.
2. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes (rounded and petal tips were used in the photos). If not using immediately, cover the frosting with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.

gooseberrymooseberry.com

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Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail

You can serve this appetizer as an ordinary shrimp cocktail, with shrimp and sauce on the side (or in a martini glass). However for most efficient and effective delivery of this sauce, porcelain Chinese soup spoons are best. They're perfect for single servings, avoid the issue of double-dipping, and can hold a sufficient amount of sauce to allow it to fulfill its promise of going straight to your head.

As always, feel free to adjust the proportion of the vodka to the sauce to suit your own preference for a stronger taste or one with less bite.

Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail
(makes 16 single servings)

You will need
16 medium to large shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
1 oz (30 ml) vodka
2 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp horseradish
1/8 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste 
jalapeño slices (optional, for garnish)

Directions:
Whisk tomato paste and water in a measuring cup until smooth (the mixture should be of a somewhat thick consistency). Add vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, and sugar. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Place in a small serving bowl and serve as a dipping sauce for the shrimp; alternatively serve individually in porcelain soup spoons by adding about 1/2 tbsp of sauce into each spoon, topped with a shrimp and a jalapeño slice. Serve chilled.

gooseberrymooseberry.com

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No-Bake Cocoa Cookie Balls

No-Bake Cocoa Cookie Balls
(Makes 18 to 20 1.5 inch cookies) 

You will need:
7.2 oz (200 g) graham crackers (about 13 1/2 whole)
4 oz (100 g) butter, sliced into chunks
1/3 cup (90 g) sugar
1/8 cup (15 g) dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (113 g) chopped hazelnuts, divided 
2-3 tbsp soy milk 
1 tsp rum (optional)

Directions:
1. Using a food processor, process the crackers into crumbs (yielding about 1 1/2 cup crumbs). Add butter, and process until the butter is fully incorporated. Add sugar and cocoa and process until well blended. Scoop out into a bowl. The mixture should have a consistency of moist sand. Stir in 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Mix in soy milk and rum. Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow the mixture to solidify slightly.
2. Scoop a small amount of the mixture with a rounded tablespoon and form it into a 1 1/2 inch ball (3.75 cm) by rolling it between the palms of your hands. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Grind the remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts in a food processor or an electric mill and roll the balls in hazelnut crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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