Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

I like the recipe because the zucchini makes the cakes nice and moist. They aren’t that sweet, either. I use a simple vanilla frosting but you could just dust them with powdered sugar or perhaps use a cream cheese frosting.  I have a friend who likes me to leave them plain. She prefers them un-frosted. Frosted or not these are a simple and tasty recipe that can make a dessert even the zucchini haters should love.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

½ c. butter
½ c. oil
1 ¼ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
2 ½ c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 c. shredded zucchini

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 30 muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. In mixing bowl combine butter, oil, sugar and eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture- beating until smooth. Stir in zucchini. Scoop batter into cupcake paper lined pans, filling about 2/3 full. You will get about 30, I sometimes get more. Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost. Makes 30-36.

You can fro st them with the Classic Vanilla Frosting recipe below, but doubled the recipe. Or the boiled milk (Ermine) frosting recipe below, also doubled.

Classic Vanilla Buttercream

3/4 cup butter
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 3 cups of the sifted confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the vanilla, salt, and 1/3 cup of the milk. Gradually beat in the 3 remaining cups of confectioner’s sugar. Beat in additional milk (1 to 2 tablespoons) if needed, to make frosting of spreading consistency. If desired tint the frosting with 6 to 8 drops of food coloring.

Boiled Milk Frosting (Ermine)

5 T. flour

1 c. milk

1 c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

1 c. butter, cubed, softened at room temperature about 30 minutes

In small saucepan whisk together the flour, milk and sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and gets bubbly. Cook over low heat another minute. Remove from heat and cool completely before finishing. I like to put the flour mixture in a bowl and putting in the fridge until cooled down, but not cold. Once flour mixture is cooled to room temperature beat in the vanilla, salt and butter with electric mixer until frosting is creamy and smooth.

Note: If you leave the base in the fridge too long and it gets cold, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes before beating in the butter. If you are tinting the frosting, you can add color after the butter is fully incorporated.

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Savory Zucchini Pancakes

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Zucchini Pancakes

You can never have too many zucchini recipes. Especially this time of year. This simple recipe uses zucchini to make tender and flavorful pancakes.

They aren’t the type of pancake you would pour maple syrup over. They are wonderful topped with some fresh salsa, though. These pancakes make a nice lunch or main dish meal. They can also be served as a side dish. Similar to potato pancakes. I have been known to have them for breakfast.

I think they taste best when golden on the outside, a little crisp. They will still be tender inside.

So if you have more zucchini than you know what to do with, and you don’t want to bake zucchini bread, here is a recipe you might want to try.

Zucchini Pancakes

2 c. shredded zucchini

1 medium onion, diced

2 eggs

1/2 c. flour- you made need a little more or less depending on how moist your zucchini is

2 t. hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 t. baking soda

salt to taste

oil for cooking

Combine all ingredients, except the oil, in a medium bowl. Heat oil in skillet and spoon batter in. I used a little over 1/4 cup for each. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned around the edges. Flip and cook until golden on both sides and pancake springs back when touched lightly. Remove to platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with salsa or sour cream. Makes 8.

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Spelt and Walnut Biscotti

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Spelt and Walnut Biscotti

Biscotti are so easy to make. I don’t know why more people don’t bake their own. They are always nice to have with coffee, tea or a cold glass of milk. These aren’t too sweet, so biscotti make a nice breakfast. They stay crisp for a long time, if stored in an air tight container.

Biscotti are twice baked. First in a loaf shape, then they are sliced and baked again. Most recipes will tell you to bake the slices half way, then turn them over to finish baking. A little time saving trick- just place a cooling rack on the baking sheet, then place the sliced biscotti on the rack. That way, they get crisp on both sides at once and there is no need to turn them.

These biscotti are made with spelt flour. Spelt is an ancient grain that is very closely related to wheat. It does contain gluten, so not an option for people with wheat allergies or Celiac, but a nice way to add a whole grain to your menu if you do eat wheat. Unlike whole wheat flour, which tends to be heavy in baking, spelt has a lighter texture and acts more like white flour. I used it to make these  biscotti and they are crisp, light and very tasty.

Spelt Biscotti – with Walnuts

 1 ¼ c. spelt flour*

⅓ c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

½ c. walnuts

¼ c. golden raisins- I often use dried cranberries or other dried fruit -optional

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients with nuts and raisins in medium mixing bowl. In small bowl combine eggs and vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Stir together to make a slightly sticky dough. With oiled hands shape into loaf (2”x11”) on oiled sheet. Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Slice the loaf thin using a serrated knife and place slices on a rack on a baking sheet then return to oven, reduce heat to 300-degrees bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container to retain crunch. Makes about 16.

* If you can’t find spelt flour you can use 3/4 c. all purpose flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour instead or substitute the entire amount of flour with whole wheat pastry flour.

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Rainbow Ravioli

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Rainbow Ravioli

You are sure to get a smile when you serve rainbow ravioli. These colorful ravioli are made with vegetable-based dough. Recipes for all the pastas and the filling follow below. Unused dough can be frozen and used later. Extra ravioli can also be frozen, so you can make a big batch and enjoy them for several meals.

To make the rainbow effect just grab a piece of the plain dough and add a few pieces of each of the veggie pastas. As you roll out the dough the colors will begin to spread out and blend. I fold and re-roll the dough a few times to get the colors to blend a little more. Every batch is a little different.

I often use a food processor to make pasta dough, especially the vegetable pastas because I use vegetables that need to be pureed. I have a small processor which is perfect for small batches using no more than 1 cup of flour. I often use my stand mixer for larger batches and for plain dough. Always best to make pasta dough at least 30 minutes ahead and let it rest. You can even make it the day before and chill until ready to use.

 

Assorted pastas 

Assorted pastas

Cooked beets and flour 

Cooked beets and flour

Process until dough forms 

Process until dough forms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freshly rolled sheets of dough 

Freshly rolled sheets of dough

Simmer ravioli 3-5 minutes 

Simmer ravioli 3-5 minutes

Ready to enjoy 

Ready to enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Homemade Pasta

 3 c. flour

1 1/2 t. salt

4 eggs

Water, if needed

 

Mix flour and salt and stir in eggs, kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be very stiff. Add a little water if needed to hold dough together. You may wish to mix the dough in a mixer or food processor. Cover dough and let rest 15-20 minutes before rolling. Under kneading your dough will result in coarse, crumbly pasta. This batch makes about 1 pound. Serves 4-6.

Roll dough out on well floured board or in pasta machine (non-electric) until desired thickness in reached. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut into strips or whatever shapes are desired. You might want to let the noodles dry 1-hour or more before cooking, but this is not necessary. Pasta can be hung to dry or separated and allowed to dry flat on a table. When pasta is not hanging to dry it must be turned occasionally to dry evenly.      Although you may hear otherwise, homemade pasta, even when dried, should be frozen for long term storage. Storing at room temperature can lead to spoilage. Fresh pasta can also be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two.

 

These are smaller batches which can be mixed in a processor or by hand. If you want to mix a vegetable based pasta by hand, puree the vegetables first.

 

Carrot Pasta

 1 c. flour

1/2 t. dried dill

1/3 c. carrot puree

1-2 T. water, if needed

   Beet Pasta

1 c. flour

1/2 t. dill

1/3 c. beet puree

1-2 T. water, if needed

Spinach Pasta

2 c. flour

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, cooked, drained, reserving some of the liquid

Mix this dough as for other pastas, but don’t be too quick to add reserved liquid. While kneading you’ll get water out of the spinach. May require more kneading and rolling than other pasta doughs. Be patient, it’s worth the work.

Broccoli Pasta

1 c. flour

1/2 c. broccoli puree

 Ravioli Filling

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2/3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

2/3 c. ricotta cheese

1/3 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Combine all ingredients well and chill until needed.

Roll a batch of dough into  a rectangle, 18×12 inches and 1/16 inch thick. Arrange well rounded teaspoonfuls of the  cheese filling two inches apart on the pasta sheet. Roll out additional dough into an 18×12 inch rectangle. With a pastry brush moisten bottom sheet of pasta around edges with water. Place second sheet of pasta on top, using fingers to seal the dough around the edges of the filling. With a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut between the ravioli to separate them. You should have 24 ravioli.

To cook the ravioli- just drop them into simmering water and cook 3-5 minutes. If using frozen ravioli increase cooking time by about 2 minutes. Time will differ depending on how thick you rolled the dough and how many you are cooking at one time.

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Fresh Tomato Pasta

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Fresh Tomato Pasta

I really enjoy making fresh pasta. I often use vegetables and herbs in homemade pasta for added flavor. I decided to make a fresh tomato pasta today, using, well, a fresh tomato or two. You could use tomato juice in this recipe, but since I had fresh tomatoes, I just used fresh tomato. I also use tomato powder in this recipe sometimes. I make tomato powder out of the skins of the tomatoes I canned. I put them in the dehydrator and powder them up once dried. Any dehydrated tomatoes could be used.

I put a medium sized tomato in the blender and pureed it until smooth. I left the skin on and the seeds in. I didn’t have quite enough liquid, so I added a couple cherry tomatoes and blended again.

The pasta might look a little pale to you. I assure you, it was made with tomatoes. The pasta color fades a little when cooked. I also used an orange tomato, so it was never going to be a bright red color. The flavor, however is quite nice. Subtle, but definitely tomato. Here is the recipe.

Fresh Tomato Pasta

2 c. flour

1 t. salt

½ -2/3 c. tomato juice- I just pureed a fresh tomato in the blender, seeds, skin and all. You might need a little more.

Fresh minced herbs, like chives, basil, parsley, rosemary, optional

Place flour and salt in bowl and stir to blend. Start adding the tomato juice, stirring to form a firm dough.  Knead until smooth and cover dough, allowing to rest at least 20 minutes. I like to mix the dough in a food processor. Just mixes faster. You can also mix in a stand mixer using the dough hook.

Once dough is rested, roll out to desired thickness and cut into noodles or use as the base for ravioli.  Fresh pasta cooks in just a couple of minutes. Watch carefully.

Serves 3-4.

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Fresh Peach Scones

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Fresh Peach Scones

I’ve really been in the mood to make scones lately. Since I had some beautiful peaches, I decided to use them in this recipe.

They worked out even better than I had hoped. I added cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into the dough, for a little extra flavor. Nicely complimented the sweetness of the peaches.

These are wonderful for breakfast, brunch or with tea or coffee. They would also make a nice base for shortcake. I could see them with berries and whipped cream for a perfect dessert.

I used a 2 oz. cookie scoop and got 25 scones. You could make them bigger, just increase the baking time a couple of minutes. I also placed only one baking sheet in the oven at a time. You could put both in at once, but reverse the rack you have them on- half way through baking- so they bake more evenly. Also, if both trays are in the oven at once, increase baking time a couple of minutes.

Peach Scones

3 cups flour

½ c. sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

Pinch of cloves

½ t. salt

10 T. cold butter (1 stick plus two tablespoons)

¾ c. half and half or milk

1 egg

1½ t. vanilla

1½ c. peeled, chopped peaches – about 3-4 peaches

Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar

About 2-3 T. half and half

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 425. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone liners. In a bowl, place the dry ingredients and stir to mix. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center and stir in half and half, vanilla and egg. Stir to make a soft dough. Fold in peaches.  Use ice cream scoop to make scones, placing scoops of dough onto baking sheets.  Bake until browned – 14-16 minutes. Cool on a rack. Make glaze and dip tops of scones in glaze  or drizzle it over them.  Makes  22-25 depending on size.

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Plum and Pomegranate Sauce

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Pulled Pork with Plum and Pomegranate Sauce

For a recent dinner I wanted to use a pork shoulder. I had plums and wanted to use them, too. I like pairing fruits with meats and other savory ingredients. I pureed the plums, then used them as the base for a sauce I needed for pulled pork. One of my dinner guests was not a big fan of tomato based barbecue sauces, so I  figured plum sauce might be a better option. I added pomegranate syrup for more tang- and for its pretty color, along with a handful of other ingredients. I let it simmer down until nice and thick, then stirred it into my pulled pork. Even the guest who said she is not normally a fan of pulled pork liked it with this sauce. It would also go well with poultry and lamb.

Plum and Pomegranate Sauce

3 T. oil- you could use butter or bacon fat, if you like
1 medium onion, minced
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 c. plum puree*
½ c. pomegranate molasses**
½ c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. honey- or a little more to taste
2 t. hot sauce- or to taste
1 t. grated ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan and cook onions until very tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add remaining ingredients and cook until sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. I simmer the sauce and stir more often as it reduces to avoid scorching. You should cook it down to around 2 cups. Adjust seasonings once it is cooked down. Use with pulled pork, on chicken or as a glaze for duck or even lamb.
* To make the plum puree- dip plums in boiling water for 30 -60 seconds. Remove them to a bowl with ice water to cool. Slip off skins and discard. Remove pits and discard them, too. Place plums in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. You’ll need about 1½ pounds of plums for 2 cups of puree.
** Pomegranate molasses can be found in some grocery stores and in specialty stores. It is pomegranate juice that is boiled down until it becomes thick and syrupy. You can just boil down pomegranate juice to make your own pomegranate molasses, if you can’t find it.

Pulled Pork with Plum and Pomegranate Sauce
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Fresh Plum Torte

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Fresh Plum Torte

I got this recipe from a friend a couple of years ago and then somehow lost track of it. With Italian plums at the market this time of year I wanted to share this recipe with you. It really is one of the best plum desserts I have ever had. Plenty of plums that give the torte a wonderful flavor and texture, too. Fine on its own, or even better served with a scoop of ice cream. So here is the recipe.

Enjoy.

Fresh Plum Torte

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. plus 1-2 T. sugar

1 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

 2 eggs

dash salt

24 halves pitted Italian prune plums (or 6-7 larger red or black plums, pitted, quartered)

1 t. cinnamon

ice cream, optional

Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Add flour, baking powder eggs and salt and beat to mix well. Spoon batter into 9- or 10-inch ungreased springform pan. Place plums on top, skin side down. Combine remaining sugar (add what you like based on taste and sweetness of plums) with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the torte.

Bake 40-60 minutes, or until pick tests clean. Serve at room temp or a little warm. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Serves 6-8.

Plum Torte right out of the oven
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Green Tomato Pickles

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Green Tomato Pickles

The garden season is winding down around here. A number of friends have posted pictures of their last ripe tomatoes of the year. That is a sad time. But, don’t forget about those green tomatoes. You can make fried green tomatoes, which are great. You can also make these pickles. That way, you can enjoy those home grown tomatoes a little longer.

The recipe is pretty simple. I sometimes add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to each jar for a spicy version. The hardest part is waiting. Once the tomatoes are canned, you have to give them 4-6 weeks for the pickling to finish. Trust me, it is worth the wait. While the recipe calls for using quart jars, you can use pints. Process for the same time as the quart jars. I like to use pints for the green cherry tomatoes.

Just because your ripe tomatoes are done for the year, harvest those green ones and get a little something more from your garden.

Green Tomato Dill Pickles – Kosher Style

Green tomatoes
6 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces
6 Sweet green peppers
6 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 quarts water
1 quart vinegar- 5% acidity- you can use white or cider vinegar
1 cup canning or pickling salt
Dill, optional

Use small firm green tomatoes. Pack into hot, clean canning jars. Add to each quart jar a clove of garlic, 1 piece of celery, and 1 green pepper cut into fourths. Make a brine of the water, vinegar, and the salt. Boil with the dill for 5 minutes. Pour the hot brine over the pickles to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. These pickles will be ready for use in 4- 6 weeks. Yield: About 6 quarts. Source: NCHFP

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Beet Greens Gnudi ( Dumplings)

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Beet Green Gnudi (Dumplings)

 

I was lucky enough to get a large bunch of beets recently. I wanted the beets for another dish. I saw the fresh greens as an added bonus. I wanted to use them in something different.

I decided to make little dumplings, or gnudi, with it. When done right, gnudi are tender and delicate. Kind of like gnocchi, but made without the potatoes. The picture does not do them justice. They taste great, but look plain. I sometimes call them my ugly dumplings. 🙂

I served mine tossed in butter and topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. We also added some of them to vegetable soup last night. If you are trying to get your family to eat more greens- try making these. You could also use spinach, Swiss chard or other greens, if you prefer. When using greens like kale or collards, cook the greens a few minutes longer to be sure they will be tender.

Beet Green Gnudi

1 bunch beet, stem ends trimmed
1 c. whole milk ricotta
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for sprinkling
¼ c. dried minced onion
1 egg
½ t. salt
¼ t. fresh ground pepper
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
¾ c. flour, plus extra for rolling
Butter
Grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the beet greens in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; cool. Squeeze leaves until very dry; place in processor. Using on/off turns, finely chop chard. You can also hand chop them fine for more pieces of the greens in the finished gnudi.  Remove to a bowl. Add ricotta, ½ cup Parmesan, onion, egg,  salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir to blend.  Add ¾ cup flour; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate dough overnight, or at least an hour. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon some flour onto a cutting board. Working in batches, place a handful of the dough on the floured cutting board and roll into logs. Cut into 1-inch long pieces. Continue with reamaining dough until all the dumplings are cut. Tap off excess flour; transfer to prepared baking sheet. They can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Bring large wide pot of salted water to boil. Slide dumplings into pot; cook until they float to the top, about 4-5 minutes. They are very tender so remove from water gently. Toss in butter and sprinkle with cheese. Serves 4.

 

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