OREO CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

A fun departure on the classic chocolate cupcake, I added some crushed Oreos to a favorite recipe of mine, and some also went into the buttercream. If there was any doubt about the nature of these babies, I dealt with the issue by sticking half an Oreo on top. The drizzle of ganache is optional, but why would you skip it?

OREO CUPCAKES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

for the cupcakes:
120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
50 grams (1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons) natural cocoa powder
225 grams (1 + 1/8 cups) granulated sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
85 grams (about 1/2 cup) grapeseed oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
75 grams (1/3 cup) milk, room temperature
170 grams (3/4 cup) very hot water
4 Oreo cookies, crushed

for the Oreo buttercream:
1 cup (227 g)) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 + ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 to 2 tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

for the ganache drizzle:
¼ cup (42 g) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp heavy cream

Makes12 cupcakes

Heat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk very well to fully combine the dry ingredients.

Add the oil into the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and continue mixing until smooth.

With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the milk and then the hot water. Continue mixing until everything is evenly incorporated, the batter will be super thin, do not worry about it. Fold in the crushed Oreos. Place the batter in cupcake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. This will take 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the ganache and allow it to cool. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In another small bowl, heat the cream in a microwave for about 30 seconds, or until bubbling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and allow the mixture to sit for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir the mixture until smooth and shiny. Use it when barely warm, so that you won’t melt the buttercream.

Make the buttercream. Whip the softened butter for 5 minutes with a paddle attachment. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated, in low-speed. Add the heavy cream to adjust consistency, then the crumbs of Oreos. Mix at medium-high for a minute or so until smooth. Frost the fully cool cupcakes. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to set. Then add the drizzle, and a half of Oreo on top. Sprinkles are optional.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Most Oreo cupcakes call for black cocoa, but I prefer a less intense version, so I used a considerably milder recipe. The addition of crushed Oreos was my way to amplify the chocolate taste. Because these cakes rely on oil, they are super moist to start with and stay this way for a few days. Crushed Oreos in the buttercream give a super pleasing texture. Make sure they are finely crumbed. And yes, you crumble the cookie and the filling. Easy!

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20May2025

AIR-FRIED EGGPLANT STICKS WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Posted in Air-Frying, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

No air-fryer? Just use a very hot oven, preferably with convection. But I cannot tell you how much I adore my fryer and how often we put it to use. This preparation could not be simpler and I have made it three times, always starting with two eggplants for our meal, which will provide me with the leftovers I crave so much.

AIR-FRIED EGGPLANT STICKS WITH TAHINI SAUCE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

for the eggplant:
2 eggplants, cut in sticks (see comments)
1/4 cup olive oil
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
drizzle of hot honey
salt to taste

for the tahini sauce:
½ cup tahini
juice of one large lemon
½ teaspoon za’atar
water to adjust consistency
black or white sesame seeds to serve (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic and hot honey. Add the eggplant sticks and mix well, seasoning with salt. Add to the air-fryer set at 400F and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, adding water to make it into a pouring consistency. Once the eggplant sticks are done, place on a serving dish, drizzle the sauce all over, and sprinkle sesame seeds.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I do not like the skin of the eggplant very much. I do eat it, but prefer not to, so when I cut it I usually leave the skin behind. It does waste a bit of eggplant but that does not bother me. We compost it anyway. If that bothers you, by all means keep the skin on all pieces. Tahini sauce will harden as you mix it, so the water is very important to turn it into a smooth sauce. The amount will vary depending on the brand of tahini you use. This is a super tasty side dish, and it will definitely be in our rotation. Hot honey is a fantastic ingredient, by the way. I use this one.

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15May2025

STRAWBERRY LOVE

Posted in Cake, macarons by sallybr

Strawberries are delicious right now, so I share two ideas to put them to great use (apart from just grabbing the fresh fruit and taking a nice juicy bite). Cake or macarons? You decide. You can always make them both!

STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

This cake was described by Helen as “a little slice of heaven”, and judging by the feedback I got, it is highly appropriate. For the full recipe with step-by-step photos and detailed explanations, visit her blog with a click here.

My only modification was in the technique, not the recipe. I used the food processor to make the whipped cream, as I was very intrigued about it and have been meaning to try it for the longest time. Basically, add the ingredients (exact amounts Helen used) to the bowl of a food processor and process for a full minute. Stop, check consistency. You may need a few more cycles of processing, each one no more than 20 seconds long. For me, nice piping consistency was achieved with 1 min + 3 cycles of 15 sec. I really like the way it piped.

I got slightly carried away with the sprinkles, as the lid of the bottle malfunctioned on me. There are worse problems in life, so I went with the flow. Literally.

STRAWBERRY MACARONS

For the shells, I used my default recipe, separated in two portions, most of it dyed with a mixture red and orange, a small amount dyed green. I piped the shells improvising a strawberry shape, waited five minutes and piped the leaf area with green. The filling was exactly the same buttercream from Helen’s cake, using freeze-dried strawberries. I made half the amount listed in the cake (so I started with 1/4 cup butter and scaled it all down).

“Seeds” were added with a brown food pen. However, I was not too happy with the look of the greenery on top. I skipped that for some shells and added Royal icing with a leaf tip after baking. I liked that a lot better, so I added the same detail to all shells.

Next time I won’t bother dividing the batter into portions. Will simply pipe all shells with strawberry color, and use Royal icing for the tops.

I hope you liked this duet of strawberry recipes, and in case you’ve missed it, check out my most involved baking project ever, which also centered on this wonderful fruit.

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8May2025

THAI-STYLE GROUND CHICKEN WITH GREEN BEANS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

If you have Thai basil – which is slightly more pungent than the regular kind – use it here. If you don’t, just go for the humble basil and call it a day. I am usually more of a ground turkey person, but lately I’ve been really enjoying ground chicken. It seems to retain moisture better and the flavor is just a tad milder. This type of recipe is one of my favorite lunches. High in protein, low in carbs, full of flavor. I change the veggies around, going from carrots to shredded cabbage, or snow peas. They all work, although the shredded cabbage tends to almost disappear, especially if you shave it super fine.

THAI-STYLE GROUND CHICKEN WITH GREEN BEANS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
1 Serrano pepper, very finely chopped, remove seeds if you prefer less heat
1 shallot, finely minced
green beans, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces
Thai basil, chiffonade (or regular basil), amount to taste
cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, amount to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the coconut aminos or soy sauce with the oyster and fish sauce and reserve.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the Serrano pepper and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it up into small bits, until it begins to brown on the outside, about 3 minutes. Add the green beans, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Open the pan and check to see if the green beans are cooked to your liking. If not yet ready, cover and cook a couple of minutes more. I like mine really ‘al dente’. Stir in the reserved sauce and cook until the chicken is well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in the basil.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you use regular soy sauce (instead of low-sodium), it might be best to omit the fish sauce, as that is quite salty. I find the small amount when using coconut aminos is ok. As I mentioned, I do this basic recipe changing the veggies around. I also love to add chili crisp sauce, which is highly addictive. Love the sharp flavor it imparts to almost anything. I enjoyed it over shirataki noodles, but it is also perfect over steamed white rice. I have been known to enjoy leftovers on a corn tortilla… Don’t judge me, I can always call it fusion cuisine…

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