CANDIED GINGER CUPCAKES + CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

 

today i am teaming up with the ontario SPCA to kick off national cupcake day, which takes place february 29th, 2016! national cupcake day is a canada wide fundraiser to raise money for animals in need. if you know me personally or through my social media feed, you probably know that i am slightly obsessed with my dog buddy holly. she.. yes she, is an eight year old pomeranian + chiuhuha mix that i adopted seven years ago! to participate in national cupcake day, you just choose a local participating SPCA or humane society & raise money for them by selling cupcakes. it's kind of like a canada wide cupcake party with family, friends, co workers & animal lovers! there is also an early bird sign up contest where you will be entered for a chance to win a kitchen aid stand mixer if you sign-up and raise $50 online before january 30th! imagine how many cupcakes you could bust out with one of those. i made a candied ginger cupcake with a cream cheese frosting. it is kind of like a gingerbread, but NOT because i know if i call it that, everyone will think of christmas. these are just gingery & wintery! if you need more cupcake inspiration check out my recipe archive! there are peppermint chocolate cupcakes, coconut cupcakes, carrot & apple cupcakes.. yeah i like cupcakes. now get baking, for all the other buddy holly's out there who aren't as spoiled as she is.

ingredients

for the candied ginger cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup candied ginger, chopped

for the cream cheese frosting

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 8oz brick cream cheese, cold
  • raw sugar, for sprinkleing
  • candied ginger, for topping

directions

for the candied ginger cupcakes

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer beat oil, sugar, egg, molasses & vanilla until light/fluffy.
  • in a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves & nutmeg. gradually add this to the stand mixer at low speed.
  • once batter is smooth, stir in candied ginger & evenly divide amongst 12 lined cupcake tins.
  • bake for 15-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. let cool fully before frosting!

for the cream cheese frosting

  • beat butter, sugar and vanilla on high until light & fluffy (about 8-10 minutes).
  • throw in cream cheese one tablespoon at a time until it is JUST evenly combined. the frosting should remain fluffy. if you over mix it will turn runny.
  • pipe or frost cupcakes as desired. finish off with raw sugar & a piece of candied ginger.

thank you to the ontario SPCA for sponsoring this post. to find out who in your area is participating, check out the national cupcake day website here. don’t forget to sign up before January 30th for a chance to win a kitchen aid stand mixer!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

 

last night i attended a william's sonoma french inspired dinner party.. okay it was a virtual dinner party. it was in partnership with le creuset to show off the new (vintage inspired) mix & match dutch ovens, aren't they beautiful? i decided to bring a classic french onion soup as my dish. the perfect warm & cozy meal for a cold winter day! french onion soup is a rather minimal dish, as the soup itself is simply onions & beef stock. therefore, it is important to use a high quality beef stock & be patient while caramelizing those onions! it is a slow process, but the more caramelized the onions are, the better the final soup will be! i topped mine with baked, cheesey croutons made from a french baguette.. BUT you can also drop in cubes of crusty bread, sprinkle it generously with cheese & broil it until the cheese is melted & browned. the more cheese the better!

ingredients

for the soup

  • 2 pounds yellow onions, sliced
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme + 2-3 sprigs
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pinch raw sugar
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 6 cups beef stock (store bought or homemade)
  • 1 cup beer (i used a light beer, can use a dark beer or dry wine)
  • 1 bay leaf

for the croutons

  • 1 french baguette
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup jarlsberg or swiss cheese, grated

directions

for the soup

  • in a large pot on low heat add the onions, butter, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt & pepper. cook for 20-25 minutes, until the onions soften & become translucent.
  • turn heat to medium & add the raw sugar. stirring ofen, cook until the onions have turned a rich caramel brown. this will take another 15 minutes.
  • add the beer to deglaze the pot, scrapping back in all the brown bits of flavour.
  • add the beef stock, bay leaf & additional thyme sprigs. turn heat back to low & simmer for 25 minutes. while soup simmers, prepare the croutons.

for the croutons

  • preheat oven to 400 degrees. slice baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices. brush each side with olive oil & sprinkle with a touch of salt & pepper.
  • bake for 5 minutes, until the bread begins to brown. remove from heat & top with cheese. place back in oven for another 2-3 minutes, until the cheese fully melts.
  • if you wish to brown the cheese, broil the croutons for 1-2 minutes.

to serve

  • when ready to serve, remove bay leaf & thyme sprigs from soup, top with straight from oven croutons & sprinkle with fresh thyme.

this post is part of the williams sonoma 60th anniversary virtual dinner party with le creuset! check out the rest of the menu on instagram using the hashtag #wsglobalflavor & enter williams sonoma's contest to win a trip to france here.

MUSHROOM, HAM + KALE PIZZA

 

okay, okay, i know it's not even close to pizza friday yet.. but i guess i am giving you a head start on this weekends eats! i am cooking with kale, AGAIN. what has 2016 done to me?! but seriously, i cannot believe how good it tasted on this pizza. the sautéed mushrooms, onions, kale, ham & garlic would be a perfect base for just about anything! when i told my boyfriend i was going to sauté in some kale for the pizza he seemed to doubt me. once he ate the final product, he said it was the best pizza we've ever made. that is saying a lot, because we make almost as much pizza as like.. papa johns. this dough can be made the day of, but i highly recommend you make it the night before & let it rest in the fridge in a sealed ziplock bag. something about this step makes the dough so much better. i used a piping hot emile henry pizza stone to cook this up, but a good old baking tray will do the trick!

ingredients

(makes enough for two round pizzas or one tray)

for the dough

  • 1 1/4 cup warm water
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey (optional)
  • 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2.5-3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)

for the pizza

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms (i used white)
  • 2-3 kale leafs, roughly chopped & stems removed
  • 1/2 cup smoked sausage, diced (or ham, pancetta, etc)
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2-3 cups grated swiss or gouda cheese
  • extra virgin olive oil, for pizza

directions

for the dough

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add water, yeast, olive oil, honey and salt. let it stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate and become bubbly.
  • with the mixer on low, add the flour 1 cup at a time until the dough begins to come together. raise the mixer to medium speed to knead the dough for 10 minutes.
  • once the dough becomes elastic and smooth in texture, roll it into a ball on a floured surface. transfer it to a greased bowl and cover with a towel.
  • allow dough to rise for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size. if you are going to let it rest over night, once the dough doubles in size place it into a zip lock bag. seal it tight & let it sit in the fridge till you are ready to use it the next day! otherwise, roll out dough once it doubles in size.

for the pizza

  • preheat oven to 450 degrees. if using a pizza stone, preheat with the stone in the oven.
  • in a skillet over medium low heat add the olive oil, onions & garlic. sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent. add the mushrooms. once the onions have caramelized & the mushrooms have softened, add the kale, smoked sausage, salt & pepper. cook until the kale has wilted down.
  • on a floured surface roll out the pizza dough to the desired thickness & size.
  • brush with olive oil, salt & pepper. sprinkle generously with cheese followed by the skillet mixture.
  • bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is cooked throughout. broil for 30 seconds to crisp up the edges & brown the cheese slightly.
  • optional: finish off with some freshly grated parmesan before serving. i put that sh!t on everything.

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