S'mores Cupcakes

YUMMY!  I have been reading the Pastry Queen's party cookbook and loving all the recipes and family stories that center around Texas cooking.  We have an abundance of influences here in the Lone Star state, which was my inspiration for the "Six Flags over Texas" cooking class.  I just found this cookbook and I actually read through it like a novel.  So many of the recipes are on my list to try, but yesterday I finally made the S'more Cupcakes for our church small group.  They tasted great (almost like chocolate pie) with the graham cracker base, chocolate-chocolate chip cake and homemade marshmallow frosting that you toast on top.  We enjoyed them with homemade vanilla ice cream!  This is a must-try for chocolate lovers.

S,mores Cupcakes

Graham Cracker Base
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup brewed coffee
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flower
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (12 ounce) bag of Ghiradelli large milk chocolate chips

Marshmallow Topping
8 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar

TO MAKE THE GRAHAM CRACKER BASE:  In a bowl, stir together the crumbs, the 1 cup melted butter and the 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Set Aside  **I had to make another half batch of this to make enough for all the cupcake batter.

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line Texas or standard-size cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners.  For the crust, press the graham crackers base into the bottow of each well: about 3 teaspoons for a Texas-size cupcake; about 2 tablespoon for a standard size cup.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth.  Add the coffee and whisk until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Pour into mixing bowl.  Add the 2 cups sgar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth.  Add the flour, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt and whisk until incorporated/  Stir in chocolate chips.

Evenly divide the batter to fill each cup to the top of the muffin papers.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cupcakes feel firm when lightly pressed in their center, 20- 25 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes before icing.

TO MAKE THE MARSHMALLOW TOPPING:  Set a large, perfectly clean metal or pyrex bowl over a pot filled with 2 inches of lightly simmering water.  Add the egg whites and 1 1/2 cups sugar and heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar melts and there are no visible sugar grains in the meringue.  (Rub a little bit between your fingers to make sure all the sugar has melted).  It doesn't take long.  Remove the meringue form the heat and beat it with an electic mixer on high speed until the meringue is stiff and shiny, about 5 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES:  Spoon the marshmallow topping into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip.  Pipe the topping onto each cupcake in a circular motion, starting at the outside and working toward the center piling in high in the center.  Or pile the topping on the top of the cupcake, swirling the center into a peak with your fingers. 

Using a kitchen torch, brown the marshmallow by moving the flame slowly around the cupcake.  You can brown the cupcakes under a broiler just be VERY careful.  Watch the cupcakes closely, as they can go from browned to burnt in seconds.

Blackberry Honey

Blackberry Picking

In June, I took the kids blackberry picking at a local blackberry farm.  It was fun but hot in the afternoon sun.  The problem with picking blackberries is that not everyone likes the seeds.  We usually pick blueberries too and all the kids like those, eating most of them before we get home.  I love blackberries and so does my oldest, but little children may find the seeds unpleasant.  So, even though there are numerous recipes that use up those yummy blackberries like pies and cobblers, consider this recipe for blackberry honey. 

Remember, patience is a virtue...in the bucket not in your mouth!

You actually cook the blackberries with the honey and strain them through a sieve.  The kids will love this concoction spread on toast for breakfast.  It is also delicious over pancakes or waffles. This recipe makes enough to fill one 2 cup wide-mouth Ball jar. 

If you want to store the honey long term, you can certainly follow all the steps to canning jams, like sterilizing the jars, lids and seals and sealing the jars in boiling water. I find that a single jar will keep in the refridgerator for several weeks without all the fuss and it doesn't last that long anyway.  Make some yeast biscuits to go with the honey and it might not even last that long.

Blackberry Honey

Blackberry Honey Recipe

2 pints fresh blackberries
2 cups honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In large saucepan, combine blackberries and honey. Crush slightly. Let stand 20 minutes to release juices. Add lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook 10-15 minutes or until thick.

For younger kids, strain the contents through a sieve.  Ladle into hot sterilized jars. (I run the jars, lids and seals through the dishwasher on high heat.)   If you want to store in pantry, process according to manufacturer's directions.  If not, honey will keep in refrigerator for several weeks.  Makes 2 cups which will fill 1 wide-mouth Ball jar.

No Time for Posts!

Puerto Vallerta

Thought I would share the reasons for my lack of posts in June.  First, a family vacation to Mexico, which no decriptions will do justice.  The pools were so fun...I want this one in my backyard (palm trees, hut and drink service included).  What do you think?

The kids loved swimming with the dolphins and sea lions. OK, even the adults had a great time!

Alexandra had to put her hands on that sweet, slick face

(even though they recommended no hands). 

We will just call her the "dolphin whisperer"

Sam getting double attention from the sea lions.  Boy, those whiskers are ticklish.

Cameron kissing a dolphin.  It's hard not to smile. :)

But, of course, delicious food was part of the vacation (even in the pool). Plenty of inspiration with every meal...

But as you can see, summer fun didn't end with vacation. We have been celebrating holidays, visiting libraries and museums, reading books, swimming at the pool, going to movies, grilling out and generally having a relaxing time. Throw in a few cooking camps and you can see why the blog has been sitting idly by without any exciting summer posts.

Can you forgive me?  I have been saving up all my ideas.  Coming soon, we went blackberry picking and I have a tasty recipe for blackberry honey.  We've also made some homemade popsicles, fried our own corndogs and tried out a chocolate mousse icebox pie.  So, come back and visit soon.  There is still plenty of summer left to enjoy and I look forward to sharing the rest of ours with you!

Gingerbread Waffles with Apple Compote and Whipped Cream

We made this delicious recipe for our "Mother's Day Brunch" cooking class.  These waffles were just incredible.  Just too good to describe.  No waffle iron?  No problem.  Add a little flour to thicken the batter and make pancakes instead!

Gingerbread Waffles

3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoon (3/4 stick) butter -- melted

Preheat waffle iron to medium.  In a small bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, molasses and buttermilk, then beat.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add to batter and stir until smooth, then add butter and combine.

Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into very hot waffle iron and bake for four to five minutes. Serve hot.


Apple Compote

2 medium green apples, diced
1/4 cup sugar
3/4-1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt

Place apples in a saucepan. Add all the other ingredients and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer until the mixture becomes thick and the apples are soft.

Add water, as much as needed, to make sauce the right syrupy consistency which will flow over the waffles.

Maple Ham and Egg Cups

Maple Ham and Egg Cups

We made these simple and delicious Maple Ham and Egg cups in our Mother's Day Brunch class.  They are fun and easy to make for a quick, protein-filled breakfast.  The kids can make the egg cups and you can put the muffin tin in the oven for them.  Fifteen minutes later and voila... a breakfast you can practically eat with your hands!

Pop them in your mouth while they are still warm!

Maple Ham and Egg Cups

6 slices of Maple-glazed Ham (I used Boar's Head)

6 eggs

salt and pepper

non-stick cooking spray

Optional toppings:

shredded cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese
cherry tomatoes
green onions or chives
red or green peppers

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cooking oil in all the cups of a large 6 cup muffin tin.  Line each cup with a slice of ham.  Crack an egg in each ham cup.  Salt and pepper and top with your favorite toppings.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is set; depending on how you firm you like your yolk.  Remove from oven and twist the ham cups out of the tin.  Serve with toast and fruit.

Summer Cooking Camps are Back!



Join us for a week-long course designed for kids with a unique and exciting theme that offers hands-on participation, detailed cooking instruction and their very own notebook full of recipes to take home! Plus, every day the kids get to eat what they create! The camps will run Monday through Thursday during the months of June and July at my home in Fairfield. Your kids are invited to join the fun as I look forward to teaching them the art of cooking.



Six Flags Over Texas
June 7-10
Mon.-Thurs. 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year old
$70

 Six Flags over Texas is the slogan used to describe the six nations that had sovereignty over the current territory of the US state of Texas. We are going to take a culinary tour through Texas history and explore how the cuisine of each nation is reflected in the foods we love today. We will travel through history creating and tasting recipes from the past. We’ll include a day for pioneers, eating like cowboys on the trail, and exploring the cuisine of the French, Spanish, Mexican (even German and Czech) immigrants who influenced our current culinary tastes with dishes like homemade tortillas, kolaches and pailla. Join us for the best tasting history lesson you’ve ever had!






Sizzling Summer
July 12-15   (Please note the new date)
Mon.-Thurs. 10 am-12 pm
5-8 year olds
$70

Summertime in Texas is HOT! So, the best recipes for summer are light, yummy and keep you cool. Sizzlin' Summer Fun will include all the elements of a great summer soiree as we make our own frozen treats, learn how to pack the perfect picnic and enjoy fun and safe ways for kids to help with the barbeque grill. A summer isn’t perfect without a day at the fair, so homemade corndogs, Belgian waffles and strawberry lemonade are sure to be included!



Manners Matter: Traveling in Style
July 19-22
Mon.-Thurs. 10 am-12 pm
8-12 year olds
$70

Having good manners are important every day, not just when we sit down to dine at a fancy restaurant. This four-week session will focus on etiquette, setting the table and good table manners as we cook recipes that test even the neatest and most polite child!



Please don’t think this is a “stuffy, boring” class…for we will use our etiquette expertise to “travel” to exotic lands and have…high tea in England…pastries on the sidewalk cafes of Paris…fondue on the long voyage aboard the Orient Express from Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam to Turkey…and a fine dining experience at the Plaza in New York.

TO REGISTER: EMAIL ME AT ROBIN@SUSSIEBOX.COM

Peach Praline Bread Pudding

Peach Praline Bread Pudding

I combined several recipes to create this Peach Praline Bread Pudding.  Serve it with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream for a yummy dessert or decadent brunch.  The whole family will enjoy this recipe and if you have guests, they may never want to leave!

Peach Praline Bread Pudding

Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Bread Pudding

1 bag of frozen peaches or 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh peaches

1 loaf of brioche, sliced and cubed into 1 inch pieces

7 eggs

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Praline Topping

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/c cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

To make the caramel sauce, melt the butter, corn syrup, almond extract and brown sugar in a small sauce pan over low heat until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is dissolved.  Pour into the bottom of a casserole dish.  Place  the sliced peaches over the caramel sauce.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, vanilla and cinnamon to make the custard for the bread pudding.  Whisk until combined.  Toss the cubed brioche bread pieces with the egg mixture until all the liquid is absorbed.  Layer the wet bread mixture over the peaches and caramel inthe baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans.  Mix until combined.  Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the sugar mixture until it forms a crumbly texture.  Sprinkle the praline mixture over the bread pudding.  Bake in the oven, uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until bubbling.  Spoon onto plate and top with cinnamon whipped cream!

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

In a large bowl, combine the whipping cream, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar.  Whip with an electric beater until soft peaks forms. Serve with Peach Praline Bread Pudding.