Pot Roast

And now for something completely different.....Pot Roast!

 I was just in the mood for some good old fashioned comfort food. This is really easy to make you basically throw it in a pot or pan and wait. I used a baking dish covered it with foil, since I dont have a dutch oven and it worked out just fine, actually it was quite delicious. 

Pot Roast

1 pot roast, about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds, chuck or other suitable pot roast

5 medium cloves garlic, halved

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil enough to brown meat 

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced

4 ounces mushrooms, small whole or sliced, optional

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups red wine, such as pinot noir or cabernet

1 cup beef broth

With a small sharp knife, cut 8 to 10 deep slits in the pot roast, spacing them evenly. Push half of a garlic clove into each cut. Heat the oil in a braising pan or large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Sear the roast, turning to brown all sides. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside.

Add butter  or some of the oil to the hot pan and reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until tender and lightly browned. Add mushrooms, if using, and cook for 2 minutes longer

Stir in wine and beef broth. Continue cooking, stirring, until the liquids are thickened and bubbly.

Heat oven to 325°.

Put the roast back in the pan . Cover with a lid or foil and move to the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Add the potatoes, cover, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 hours longer.

Serves 4 to 6.

Bon Appetit!

Hazelnut cupcakes with Nutella filling and chocolate frosting

Well these were a bit of a disappointment because of the extract I used...no flavor, I was surprised because it was a more expensive brand but it was the only hazelnut flavor I could find. The Nutella really saved the day here!

Hazelnut Cupcakes

   * 3/4 cup butter

   * 1 1/2 cups sugar

   * 2 eggs

   * 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

   * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

   * 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

   * 1/4 teaspoon salt

   * 2 1/2 cups flour

   * 1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter at medium speed until smooth, add sugar and beat until well.
Add two eggs, beat until smooth.
Dump in the rest of your ingredients (you can whisk the dry ones together in a separate bowl first as way to "quick-sift" them) and beat until nice and smooth.
Fill cupcake liners (or greased tins) 2/3 full, bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes, depending on your oven).
Makes 24 regular size or approx 10 jumbo size.

When cupcakes are cooled punch out a hole in the middle, there is a handy tool for this I got at Michaels by Cuisipro its about $5.00 and I used a coupon, they always have them. 

Fill in with about a tablespoon or so of Nutella.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened

3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

4 tablespoons milk 

Cream butter and add dry ingredients a little at a time

Add vanilla, salt and milk

If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

I added some gold sparkle sugar on top just for fun.

Apricot cupcakes with apricot frosting

So my next idea was apricot. I see there are not many options with extracts so now I am trying to get flavor into the cupcakes on my own.....hmmm how do I do this? That is my dilemma. Jam...probably not enough flavor. I found apricot spread, it looks like it might work, lets try it!

  Apricot Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups  all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup  granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup apricot spread or a thick preserve

Apricot Cupcakes:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Beat in the vanilla extract. 

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and apricot spread.

Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter .

 Place in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes.

Apricot Frosting

1 stick butter at room temperature

2 cups confectioners sugar

¼ cup apricot puree

vanilla to taste

Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined. Add apricot puree and vanilla and beat again until smooth. 

I sprinkled some sugar crystals on top for some sweet bling! I have been spending too much time in the baking aisle at Michaels :) 

I am happy with my "apricot experiment" lets see what I dream up next!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Penuche Frosting

Well these tasted really good. But when it came to piping the frosting, again not what I had pictured in my head, oh well I am going to keep trying. At least the taste has been consistently good. I guess thats more important. But I do get disappointed when I see the finished product. Why dont they look like the "other" cupcakes. Oh the cupcake peer pressure.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

   * 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
   * 2 tsp. baking powder

   * 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
   * 1/2 tsp. salt
   * 2 Tbsp. ground ginger
   * 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
   * 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
   * 1 (8 Tbsp.) stick unsalted butter, melted
   * 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
   * 4 large eggs
   * 12 Tbsp. molasses
   * 1 1/2 cups water



To Make Gingerbread Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a medium bowl.
Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses in a large bowl until blended. Add some of the water to batter then some of the dry ingredients to the batter. Continue alternating with the water and flour until everything is added and smooth.
Fill each paper liner with 1/3 cup of the batter, about 1/4-inch below the top of the liner.
Place into preheated oven and bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.  Frost with molasses cream cheese frosting.

Penuche Frosting

   * 1/2 cup butter
   * 1 cup brown sugar
   * 1/4 cup hot milk

   * powdered sugar (about 3 cups)

Melt butter in a large saucepan
Add brown sugar and bring to a boil
Continue cooking for 1 minute until thickens
Let set 15 minutes
Mix in hot milk
Add powdered sugar gradually till spreading consistency, if it gets too thick add a little milk.

The frosting was really good, a rich brown sugar frosting, these were some of the favorites of my tester, my nephew Ian and his roommate. I need someone to bake for. I cant eat all these cupcakes! Ok we will see what happens next time, stay tuned.