Elvis Cupcakes

I know it's not Elvis's birthday, but I've been meaning to make this for awhile now and February seems to be a significant month in his life. February was when he was discovered, Lisa Marie is born on Feb. 1st, and February is the month that Elvis and Priscilla separated. Aren't you impressed with my Elvis trivia? I used to be a HUGE fan. Yup, used to be. So in celebration of Elvis's life I've made Elvis Cupcakes. Elvis Cupcakes are a combination of banana, peanut butter, and bacon, but I also added Nutella, because it's freakin' awesome. I've seen many recipes that have a combination of these components so I don't think there's only one way to do this. I went with a peanut butter filled banana cupcake with Nutella frosting and bacon sprinkles. Oh yah.

Elvis Cupcakes (AKA Peanut Butter Filled Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting and Bacon Sprinkles)
Servings: 16-18 cupcakes (I made 12 regulars and 12 mini cupcakes)
Prep & Cook Time:
Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Notes and Your Cup of Cake


Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Filling:
6 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp milk

Cupcake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon (optional)
3 large bananas mashed

Nutella Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup Nutella
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
1. For the PB filling, cream all ingredients together and set aside.
2. Fry the bacon until golden, drain on a paper towel, and chop into tiny pieces when cooled. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
4. Sift flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Set aside.
5. Cream together the sugars and butter. About 30 seconds.
6. Add vanilla and beat in eggs one at a time.
7. Mix in the flour mixture in batches until combined. Stir in bananas.
8. Divide among the tins, filling each about 2/3rds.
9. Place  1-2 tsps of the peanut butter mixture on top of the batter in the middle of each tin.
10. With your fingers push down the peanut butter making sure the batter spreads over the peanut butter mixture.
11. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Let cool
12. While it's cooling start the frosting by creaming together Nutella and cream cheese.
13. Add the powdered sugar in batches. Mix on high until smooth and creamy.
14. You can pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, or just spread them on top.
15. Sprinkle bacon bits on top of each cupcake and then you're done! MMMMM Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Biscotti

Biscotti.  Delicious, Crunchy, Chocolaty goodness biscotti. Dipping biscotti in chocolate is a modern variation of the original recipe. Invented in Italy, this twice-baked cookie originally started out as twice-baked bread used during long trips because of it's long shelf life. Today, I make the ultimate biscotti: chocolate biscotti dipped and drizzled with milk chocolate. I finished these in 2 days. And yes I ate them for dinner last night.

Double Chocolate Biscotti
Serving: 30-36 slices
Prep & Cook Time: About 40 min. + cooling

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 & 3/4 cups flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional- if you want to skip it then you can make Double Choc. Biscotti)

7-8 ounces chocolate (your choice, I used left over Hersey's bars from Christmas)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium for about 30 seconds.
3. Mix in sugars, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
4. Beat eggs in one at a time until combined.
5. Beat in flour slowly on low speed until combined (you may have to use your hands). Stir in choc. chips (optional)
6. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 9 inch long loaf.
7. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with your fingers until about 2 inches wide.
8. Bake for 20-25 min. Cool completely.
9. While biscotti is cooling, start the chocolate on a double broiler.
10. Reduce over to 325 degrees.
11. On a cutting board, cut the biscotti diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Place them cut side down on a non greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until dry and crispy. I did mine for about 15 min to get it extra crispy. (Butter generally makes the biscotti softer, but in some recipes where oil is used, the cookies turn out crispier.) Cool completely.
12. Mix the melted chocolate on the double broiler to smooth. Dip the flat biscotti bottoms one by one into the chocolate and set it on it's side on parchment paper to dry. If you have leftover chocolate, drizzle over the sides of the biscotti.
13. Once dry, transfer to fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
14. Enjoy! I kept these in tupper ware in the fridge for 3 days.

Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Pecans and Oreo Crust in a Mason Jar AKA Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Jar

Happy Fall! It's time for pumpkins :). Although I hate to see summer go, but I'm excited for pumpkin season. So excited that I kicked off the start of Fall with Pumpkin Cheesecake for dessert last night and Pumpkin Pancakes for breakfast this morning. I'm going to have a wonderful Fall season, can't you tell?
This was my first attempt at making pumpkin cheesecake, mush less in a mason jar, and not only did it turn out great but it was super easy! You can use any pumpkin cheesecake recipe you want and simply split it evenly between the jars instead of baking in a spring form pan. I had originally bought ginger snap cookies  for the crust, but the checker forgot to bag them!! I hate when that happens. Luckily I had Oreo, which actually turned out amazing.
This recipe and dessert goes out to me dad, Happy Birthday :)

Pumpkin Cheesecake w/Pecans and Oreo Crust in a Mason Jar 
Serving: 15 8oz. mason jars (there was too much filling to fit into 12 jars)
Prep & Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes + refrigeration time

Ingredients :
Crust:
2 cups Oreo cookies OR gingersnap cookies crumbs (crushed in blender)
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
4 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, room temp.
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 (15oz.) can pumpkin
5 eggs, room temp.
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1/4 tbsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tbsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract, room temp.
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1- Preheat over to 350 degrees
2- Combine Oreo (or gingersnap) cookie crumbs w/ melted butter and mix
3- Split evenly between jars (about 1tbsp each) and press to the bottom to make the crust 
4- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy
5- Add the pumpkin and beat until incorporated
6- Beat in the eggs, one at a time
7- Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla and beat until incorporated, then add flour and incorporate. 
8- Pour the filling evenly into the jars, leaving room on top for the cheesecake to rise (1/2-1 inch)
9- Place the jars in roasting pans and fill the pans halfway with boiling water. Careful not to splash any water in the jars. You can also place the roasting pan on a large cookie sheet to make it easier to move around.
10- Bake 60-70 minutes. They should not jiggle when shaken.
11- Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped pecans evenly on top.
12- Begin placing lids on the jars, and close tightly. The jars will make a popping sound when they seal.
13- Let cool for about 2 hours then place in the fridge. Eat when completely cooled. best on day 2-4.

The Secret to French Toast

I wish someone had to told me this simple trick to making french toast. I came across a Portuguese french toast recipe that included sugar, vanilla and milk. (By the way, french toast is not a French food, neither are french fries, sorry to break it to you.) I had tried french toast variations with milk and vanilla before but why the heck hadn't I thought of sugar? It makes perfect sense; the sugar crystallizes, making a beautiful and delicious crust. Though this is a sweet dessert in some countries, and salty and savory in others (can you imagine topping it with mayo! ew), in America, we top it with syrup, sugar, and eat it first thing in the morning! As it should be... until I'm proven wrong.


French Toast
Serves 4
Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 eggs
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 slices of bread (preferably day old)
butter
dash of cinnamon
maple syrup

Directions
1. Beat together eggs, sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla in a shallow bowl.

2. Heat butter on medium heat in a pan.

3. Dunk each side of the bread in the egg mixture and place on the pan. You'll most likely need to do this in batches if you don't have a pan that can hold 12 slices of bread. Only dunk the bread in the egg mixture just before you place it on the pan.

5. Sprinkle some cinnamon on one side of the bread before flipping.

5. Cook until it's light-medium brown on each side. Add more butter if needed.

6. Top with syrup (and powdered sugar if you like) and serve!

Koreshte Qeymeh

It's time to travel back to Iran. This time to make one of my favorite stews Koreshte Qeymeh. "Koresh(t)" is the Persian name for stews. They usually include herbs, meats, beans, grains, and sometimes dried fruit. This koresht has beef, yellow split peas, and my personal favorite home made french fries! As a kid you would imagine that I was not a big fan of vegetables or herbs, but this koresht has french fries! How it could it be wrong, when it feels so right!? Serve this along side with the recipe for Chelow and you'll have an authentic, fun, Persian dish.

Oh, and don't worry about not being able to pronounce Koresht Qeymeh, the Q makes one of those Q/G noises that come from the back of your throat. Fun to say, but difficult to master.



Koreshte Qeymeh
Adapted from "New Food of Life" by Najmieh Batmanglij
6 Servings
Prep and Cook Time: 2 hours, 15 min.

Ingredients
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound stew meat (lamb and beef are preferred), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 tbsp oil
2 whole dried Persian limes. Can be found in a Persian or International market. You can omit but it's best to
      include at least one
1 tsp  salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp advieh (optional, mix of ground rose petals, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, cumin, and
       coriander seeds
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp saffron dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water
1 pound or 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
1 cup oil for deep frying
1/3 cup yellow split peas
1 1/2 cups water

Directions
1. In a non-stick Dutch oven, brown the onions and meat in 2 tbsps oil.

2. Add dried Persian limes, if desired, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Saute for 2 minutes longer.

3. Pour in 1 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Cover and Simmer over low heat for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the advieh, fresh tomato, tomato paste, and saffron water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

5. During this time fry the potato sticks in the 1 cup of oil. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

6. Cook yellow split peas in 2 1/2 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of salt for 30 minutes. Drain and add to the Dutch oven.

7. Check to see if meat and peas are tender. Taste the stew and add seasoning as desired.

8. Serve the koresht on the side of  or on top of the Chelow and arrange the french fries on top. Nush-e Jan!

More Cheesecake in a Jar!

I fell in love with cheesecakes in jars from the first time I tried the recipe.  Ever since then I've come up with different variations and recipes but nothing beats the original (except perhaps the dark chocolate cheesecake in a jar which is climbing in ranks and soon to be posted!). 
After a few variations of this recipe, I've finally decided that I like it better without the crust. And besides, this cheesecake doesn't need a crust because it's already held together by the jar! (My "duh" moment)
In this variation I've left out the crust and made one batch with berry layers and another with caramel layers. 


Berry or Caramel Cheesecake in a Jar
Servings: 12 Servings (8oz. mason jars)

Prep & Cook Time: 1 hour 30minutes +refrigeration time

Ingredients:

3 -8oz packages cream cheese (at room temp)
1 1/3 cups sugar

5 large eggs (at room temp)

16 ounces sour cream (at room temp)

1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (at room temp)

2 teaspoons lemon juice (at room temp)

1 jar strawberry or caramel topping (even better with your own homemade recipe)

Directions:

1- Prepare your jars as you would for canning mason jars. Set aside being sure they do not become contaminated

2. Preheat oven to 325F

3. Keeping your mixer on a low setting throughout the beating and mixing process, start by beating the cream cheese until light and fluffy.

4. Add the sugar a little at a time and continue beating until creamy.

5. Add one egg at a time and beat after each egg.

6. When eggs have been mixed into the cream cheese add flour, vanilla and lemon juice, mix well.

7. Add the sour cream last and beat well.

8. One jar at a time, begin layering the cheesecake batter and strawberry or caramel topping. Be sure to leave about an inch of space at the top of the jar since cheesecake does puff up when baked. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean paper towel when finished layering.

9. Place the jars in a large roasting pan and fill the pan with boiling water, careful not to splash any water into the jars. (I also placed the roasting pan on a large cookie sheet to make it easier to move around)

10. Place the roasting pan with the cheesecake jars in the oven and bake until they no longer jiggle in the middle, about 1 hour.

11. Once finished baking, turn the oven off and leave the oven door slightly ajar.

12. After 30 minutes take the pan with cheesecakes out of the oven and begin placing the lids on the jars. Be careful to use oven mitts as the jars are still hot and you need to get the tops screwed on nice and tight. You may hear the jars make a pop noise when they seal.

13. Let the jars cool on the counter for about 2 hours, and then place them in the fridge overnight.

14. Open a jar when you’re ready to eat and ENJOY! (I found them to be the best around day 3-5)

Biscuits

My first time making biscuits and unfortunately I forgot to add the baking soda which meant these were pretty flat, but still delicious! The second time around I made sure not to forget this key ingredient. Both times the bf and I ate them in one sitting with jams, so baking soda or not these biscuits are a great way to start the day. You can also add ingredients to the biscuit recipe such as green onions, bacon, or herbs. This recipe is adapted from another recipe I found, but without the green onions.
Interesting factoid, biscuits have been around for centuries, usually made dense, dry, and unsweetened. But around the 7th century AD, the  Persian empire started experimenting with the basic recipe by adding eggs, honey, spices, and cream. Have I mentioned that I'm Persian? Go Persians!
In addition, biscuits were very valuable to travelers and sailors because of it's long shelf life.

Biscuits
Recipe adapted from Baking Bites
Makes 10 biscuits
Prep and Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 cup sour cream


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar

3. Add butter to bowl and rub into flour mixture with your fingertips until mixture resembles very coarse sand. The average piece should be about the size of a pea. 

4. Stir in sour cream until dough is moistened, then turn out on to a lightly floured surface and lightly knead until the ball comes together smoothly. Press dough out until it is 1/2-inch thick.

5. Use a 2 1/2-3 inch round cookie/biscuit cutter to cut rounds, then place on baking sheet. Dough can be gathered and rerolled once. You should get about 10 biscuits, depending on size of the biscuit cutter.

6. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until tops of biscuits are golden and sides are puffed and firm.
Cool on a wire rack before serving.