The Charmed Kitchen

Blueberry Cupcakes

I wanted to use some frozen blueberries in a dessert and decided to add them to my cupcake batter. The result was wonderfully moist cupcakes, full of berries. To top them off I made a simple buttercream frosting, but added some orange zest and just a little orange juice. These were a bit hit last night.

Blueberry Cupcakes

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk

Heat oven to 375. Grease 18 muffin tins or line with paper liners. Beat butter until fluffy and beat in sugar until light. Beat in eggs then beat in vanilla, baking powder and salt. Mash 1/2 cup of the berries and stir into batter. Beat in half the flour then beat in half the milk and repeat. Fold in remaining berries and spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes or until springy to the touch. Makes 18. Frost once cooled.

Orange Buttercream

1/3 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 oz. milk                                                                                                                     1 oz. orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
In a bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the milk, juice and zest. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency.

Artichoke and Tortellini Salad

I spent the day cleaning the yard. A friend was helping and we were certainly going to be hungry when finished. I wanted a dish that could be a side salad or a main dish and require little prep time. After checking out my freezer, fridge and pantry I made this artichoke and tortellini salad. I had some frozen cheese tortellini that only required 5 minutes of gentle simmering.  A can of artichoke hearts, garlic scapes and a large scallion rounded it out.  The zest and juice from fresh limes added some extra zip.

Artichoke and Tortellini Salad 

1 lb. cheese tortellini, cooked and cooled

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. chopped garlic scapes*

1/2 c. chopped green onion

zest of 1 lime

juice of 2 limes

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

hot sauce to taste –  I used about 2 teaspoons

salt and pepper to taste

Combine tortellini and artichoke hearts and set aside. Heat oil in skillet and cook scapes and green onion until crispy- about 5 minutes. Pour skillet contents into tortellini mixture, including the oil. Add remaining ingredients. Adjust seasonings,. Chill at least a couple of hours. Serves 8 as a side dish, 4 as a main dish.

*garlic scapes are the stems of garlic plants that are cut off the garlic plants to produce bigger cloves. They taste like garlic and look like curly green onions. If you don’t have garlic scapes add extra green onion and some fresh minced garlic to the dish.

I love kale and enjoy it all year long. Even though it is Spring we’ve had a few chilly days so I decided to use some kale in this hearty and very simple stew.  For fresh herbs I cut some chives from the garden, but use what you like and have on hand. I think the chives gave my stew a little taste of Spring- even if the temps outside are saying otherwise. I know in a few weeks I’ll have kale of my own to harvest from the garden.

Kale and Bean Stew

1½ lb. kale leaves, center ribs removed

3 T. oil

1 c. chopped carrots

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. dry white wine

2 (15 oz.) cans beans, rinsed and drained- I like butter beans

4-5 cups Vegetable or chicken stock

1 t. dried savory or thyme

1 bay leaf

1 T. white balsamic vinegar

2 T. fresh chopped herbs – I used chives

Blanch kale in boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse under cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop kale leaves coarsely. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Cook vegetables and garlic until tender but not browned. Add wine and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add 4 cups of the broth, beans, savory and bay leaf and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes more. Add more stock if stew is too thick. Add vinegar, fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Apple Galette

If you like apple pie  you’ll like apple galette, too. I actually find a galette easier to make. Rather than doing the whole pie pan thing, for a galette you just roll out your dough and then add fruit to the middle. Fold up the sides and bake. Easy as pie, well easy as galette. I made my own crust but you can used pre-made crusts, if you prefer. You can serve with ice cream, whipped cream or dusted with powdered sugar.

Apple Galette

Flaky Pie Crust

2 c. flour

1 t. salt

3/4 c. shortening, chilled

1 T. cider vinegar

4-5 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt and cut in shortening. Toss in vinegar and water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.

Filling:

5-6 medium apples- I used Jonathan, Gala and Macintosh

2/3 c. sugar- plus extra for sprinkling

3 T. cornstarch

1 T. cinnamon

1 T. Lemon juice, plus extra for treating the apples

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

Prepare dough. Roll half the dough into a 10-inch circle- repeat with remaining dough. Keep covered with plastic wrap until ready to use. Peel and core apples and slice thin. Place apples in water with lemon juice added to prevent browning. Drain apple slices well and place in a bowl. Toss with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and seasonings. Place one of the crusts on a baking sheet. Pile half of the prepared apples on the center of the crust. You should have about a 2-inch circle of dough around the edges that is uncovered. Fold edges of the crust up over the apples pressing lightly to hold in place. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Repeat with the remaining crust and apples. You will have a little liquid in the bowl from the apple mixture- save that for now. Place the galettes in a preheated 425 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350 and bake for another 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. While galettes are baking take the liquid left from the apples and cook in a small saucepan until thickened- it will take a minute or two. This will be used to glaze the galettes. When galettes come out of the oven brush the apples with the thickened  glaze.  Cool on wire rack. Makes 2.

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones

I make scones pretty often. There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh baked scones. Plus, baking them makes the house smell wonderful. These scones are baked in round cake pans. They come out looking great and tasting great, too. If you don’t have buttermilk just add a little lemon juice to regular milk. Perfect breakfast for this weekend.

Cranberry-Buttermilk Scones

3 c. flour
¼ c. plus 2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
1 ¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) chilled butter, cubed
3/4 c. dried cranberries
½ c. buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 t. water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour with ¼ c. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Rub in butter with finger tips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cranberries. Combine milk with 2 of the eggs and beat together. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture and stir until dough begins to form into a ball. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 stokes until dough holds together. Grease 2 nine inch cake pans. divide dough in half and place one piece in each cake pan. Press dough out evenly. Combine remaining egg with 2 teaspoons water and beat until well mixed. Score top of loaves with sharp knife into 8 wedges each. Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle with reserved sugar. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, turn onto plates and cool right side up. Cut along score marks. Serve warm. Makes 16.

Cream Scones

I must admit that for me, the difference between a scone and a biscuit is sometimes hard to see. Both use the same ingredients, for the most part. They can be rolled and cut out the same way, too. I often say that scones are like biscuits, but with more stuff in them. Scones are often sweeter, too. This recipe is a tough call for me. I was given the recipe by a friend a long time ago. She called them Cream Scones. I could easily see calling them Cream Biscuits, instead. Whatever you call them, these little gems are tender, flaky and super easy to make.

Cream Scones

2 c. flour
1 T. sugar
½ t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 c. heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add cream to form soft dough. Knead lightly on a floured board until dough sticks together. Roll to ½ – ¾ –inch thickness and cut with 2-inch biscuit cutter. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting, handling dough as little as possible.* Place on baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes 8-10.

* Instead of rolling them out and cutting into rounds, I pressed the dough into an 8-inch square. I cut the square into 4 smaller squares. I then cut and “x” across each of the four squares, making 4 triangles ( 16 in all). Bake as directed above.

Peanut Butter Pancakes with Red Grape Syrup

I wanted to make peanut butter pancakes the other morning. I really like the whole pb&j flavor combination but I didn’t have any grape jelly.  I did have some red grapes in the freezer and I decided use them to make a syrup. The combination was really good. I started by making the grape syrup. I took 2 cups of frozen grapes and set them in a small skillet with about 1/4 cup of sugar, a little cinnamon and some fresh grated nutmeg. I let this mixture cook over medium high heat until the grapes were tender and the liquid in the pan had created a syrup. I didn’t need to add water as the frozen grapes gave off their juices as soon as they started to heat up. With fresh grapes you might want to add a little water to get the whole process going. It took about 15 minutes in all. While the grapes were cooking I made the pancake batter and began cooking the pancakes. When the pancakes were done I topped them with a few grapes and a drizzle of the pretty grape syrup. Not a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – but something so much better.  Sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

Peanut  Butter Pancakes

1 c. buttermilk baking mix, like Bisquick or Jiffy mix, I make my own

2 T. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. peanut butter

2/3 half and half

1/4 c. water

Combine baking mix and sugar and set aside. Whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth and add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Heat and lightly oil skillet and use 1/4 c. of better for each pancake. Cook over medium heat. Turn when edges appear dry. Makes 8.

Strawberry Cupcake

I was making cupcakes for a program with kids and I decided to make some with strawberries. As you might expect, they were a big hit. The berries add sweetness and color in a delicate, natural way. I used frozen berries I had gotten in season last year. It was the last of my berries so I am really looking forward to strawberry season later this year.

Strawberry Cupcakes

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing. Makes 12.

Strawberry Frosting

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

Pinch of coarse salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over-mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.

Dandelion Gravy

It’s funny when you think about it. People spend tons of money to eradicate dandelions from their lawns but will go to an upscale restaurant and pay good money for a salad with mixed greens including dandelions. Dandelions were not considered a weed at one time. In fact, immigrants brought the seeds to America as a vegetable. While the greens can be bitter they can also be tamed when paired with certain ingredients. Combining dandelions with tomatoes, vinegar, cheese or other dairy products and bread or cereal products will make them less bitter when eaten. They are also packed with nutrients and if you don’t spray your yard with herbicides you can likely find them under your own feet. Free, tasty and nutritious. Sounds like a win all around. The plant is pretty much edible from top to bottom. The leaves for salads, soups and other dishes. The flowers are used for wine, jelly and the “burger” recipe at the bottom of this page. The roots are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee. If you haven’t eaten dandelions before my only question is, what are you waiting for?

A classic dish using dandelions is dandelion gravy. Some versions use bacon, others not. This one uses bacon, sour cream and is served with boiled potatoes.

Dandelion Gravy

4 strips bacon
3 T. flour
1 c. water
1 lb. dandelion greens, washed and chopped
½ c. sour cream
1 T. sugar
1 T. vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot boiled or baked potatoes
Fresh chopped parsley, optional

Chop bacon and cook in skillet until crisp. Leave bacon in the pan. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat and stir in the flour until smooth. Add water and dandelion greens and cook over medium heat until greens are tender- about 5- 10 minutes. Add more water if mixture is too thick. Turn off heat. Combine sour cream with sugar and vinegar and stir into dandelion mixture. Adjust seasonings. Spoon gravy over potatoes.
Serves 4.

Note: If you want leave out the bacon instead add 3 tablespoons of oil to skillet along with the flour.

My friend, Mari Keating, sent met his recipe for a frittata.

Mari’s Dandelion Frittata

Mari Wrote: I sauteed greens in olive oil and garlic, poured scrambled eggs over, sprinkled with feta cheese, let it set over low heat, then popped it under the broiler to “poof” – an amazing frittata. Amounts are variable to taste, as is cheese used (or not). The greens are a wonderful addition to salads, raw or wilted with a hot vinaigrette and today I’m making dandelion pesto.  Google abounds with recipes. My variation is that I use walnuts instead of pinenuts, because I’m cheap.

She said it was wonderful.

The next 2 recipes come from Dr. Peter Gail my mentor and dearly loved friend.

Dandelion Pita Pizza

Pita bread, toasted English muffin, or toasted bread
Spaghetti or pizza sauce
Fresh dandelion greens of any age, chopped fine
Grated cheese (any kind)
Cover bread with sauce, add chopped greens, top with cheese, and toast in oven until cheese
melts. For a more sophisticated treat, chopped dandelion greens may be sauted in olive oil with
onions, mushrooms and several cloves of crushed garlic, and then spread on the pizza and topped
with cheese.

Dandy Burgers

1 cup dandelion flowers, green removed
½ cup flour, any kind
1/4 cup onions, chopped fine

½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp pepper
enough milk to make thick batter.
Peel dandelion flowers and put in 4 quart mixing bowl. Add onions and mix together. Blend
flour and seasonings together, add to the flowers and onions, and blend thoroughly. Add milk
slowly, blending it in until you have a thick batter.
Heat Olive Oil in frying pan to cover bottom. Make batter into golf-ball-sized balls. Place in
oil, and squash down flat to make a 2″ diameter patty. Fry till brown on both sides. Remove and
serve on rolls as you would hamburger patties.

Ham with Mustard Sauce

It is important to listen to your friends. My friend Kat kept telling me about her Grandmother Dienhart’s mustard sauce. She said it was a tradition in her family to always make it with ham. She told me how wonderful it was. She even sent me the recipe. We had a ham dinner last night and Kat made the mustard sauce. She was so right. This stuff is amazing. Sweet, sour, creamy and just the right balance of flavors to pair up with the smoky flavor of ham. I could see this sauce becoming a tradition in my family, too.

Kat’s Extra Wonderful Mustard Sauce

3 large eggs
½ c. sugar
4 T. dry mustard
½ c. half and half
½ c. cider vinegar, warmed
4 T. butter

Off the heat, whisk eggs in the top of a double boiler. Sift in sugar and mustard powder. Whisk until smooth. Add half and half and place pot over simmering water. Heat mixture until it starts to bubble and thicken, while constantly whisking. Whisk in warm cider vinegar very slowly and stir until thickened. Stir in the butter until melted. Serve warm with ham. Makes 2 cups.