Ah...another day, another cupcake recipe. Another red velvet cupcake recipe to boot. The search for the elusive perfect red velvet cupcake continues. The cupcake portion of this recipe I really liked but it fell short on the red colour I'm looking for once again. The taste was bang on though. Well except the frosting. I made the mistake of using cream cheese frosting and we're not huge fans. I forgot that until we all started sampling them and made that "blah" face. Bad Mommy award goes to the Lunatic for thinking maybe we'd all like the cream cheese THIS time. But cupcakes folks, cupcakes! Aren't cupcakes good no matter what.
I attempted to improve my piping technique today. Not sure if I was overly successful or not. I tried though and that has to count for something. I think I need to sign up for some classes. Piping 101 or Piping for Dummies. I keep trying though. If at first you don't succeed make more cupcakes. If at second you don't succeed make more cupcakes. If....okay, okay you get the point.
I actually did not feel like cooking tonight. Like really, really, really did not feel like cooking. Not sure why. Just kind of had a hard, nothing going right and getting nothing done kind of day. So I was feeling a bit blah. Not my usual hyper, chipper, happy go lucky self. Yet I somehow found the ability to suck it up and throw together a quick meal. It's the day before grocery day so the cupboards were a bit empty. The choices were a bit limited meat wise as I had not taken anything out of the freezer. So at the last minute I defrosted some hamburger and made a one pan lasagna. Quick, simple and inexpensive. Not the most gourmet meal but it was certainly yummy. Considering I did not want to cook I think it turned out great.
So tomorrow I get to take my daughter dress shopping for her high school graduation. Okay so you're thinking big whoop right? Well considering she's only had a dress on 3 times in her entire 17 years this is a monumental moment for us. She wore one when she was little and stood in a wedding at the age of 3 I believe. Then she wore one to her grade eight graduation. Most recently she wore one to her senior prom. The downside to the prom dress was that she did not want to "waste" the money on a dress she would only wear once so she borrowed one. I was so disappointed I missed out on prom shopping with her. But she's not a girlie girl. And that's okay. I love her for knowing herself and being who she is. She is the most confident girl I know when it comes to who she is. She is natural and no fuss. Yet she's giving in to my desire to take her dress shopping just once during her high school career. Funny it's the day before her final exam. 6 days before her graduation. Yup, she just squeaked that in there for me just under the wire.
Okay so enough about me. No really, seriously, enough about me. On to the recipes. Enjoy, try them for yourselves and feel free to let me know if you like them. This was dinner:
Skillet Lasagna:
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds of hamburger
2 jars of pasta sauce, I used "classico tuscan style olive and garlic"
4 cups of water
18 lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken into pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
½ tablespoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated or sliced up
Directions:
In a very large pan over medium heat brown your hamburger.
Add your pasta sauce, water, lasagna noodles(broken up into pieces), sugar, garlic and spices. Mix well and bring to a good boil for a few minutes.
Turn heat to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes more. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add mozzarella cheese over pan and keep cooking for another 5 - 10 minutes, covered.
Serve.
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Devil's Food Red Velvet Cupcakes:
Ingredients: (I've kept them separated by spaces according to the order and steps they go in to make it easier to follow along)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup chocolate milk (you can use white)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chocolate milk
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup/1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 large egg whites
Directions:
In a double boiler melt the unsweetened chocolate, chocolate milk,brown sugar and egg yolk (the ingredients in the first grouping) until it is smooth and just starting to thicken. Remove and let cool.
In a bowl whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt.(the second grouping of ingredients) Set aside.
In another small bowl combine chocolate milk, water, and vanilla. (the third grouping of ingredients) Set aside.
In stand mixer or with a hand mixer beat butter until it's creamy.(30 seconds)
Gradually add sugar and beat it together with the butter until it is fluffy.(4-5 mins)
Beat in egg yolks one at a time.
On low speed alternate the flour mixture and milk mixture in 2 parts, adding in slowly.
Stir in chocolate mixture. (must be cool, not scorching hot) Beat until stiff.
Fold in the remaining 2 egg whites lightly and scrape the sides of the bowl. Stir by hand lightly.
Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake/muffin tins. Using paper cups helps.
Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 17-20 minutes.
Remove, cool then frost.
*credit goes to "the joy of cooking". This recipe inspired by theirs, just tweaked a couple things.*
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Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese
8 cups confectioners sugar (also known as powdered sugar)
1 tablespoon milk
red food colouring
Directions:
In a stand mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add sugar and milk, continue mixing for about a minute or so.
Split frosting in half, set aside the white.
Mix in red food colouring and beat until colour is uniform.
Mix both colours in a pastry bag and pipe on cupcakes.
*Credit for this recipe goes to Wilton. There website is amazing and you can find great recipes and tips on it. Check it out.*
Photos missing due to a G+ incident. They will be replace soon.
claudia lamascolo
your instructions are awesome along with this cupcakes!
Kim Bee
Thanks Claudia. I might do another one next week and have the kids tape me actually piping. Thanks for stopping by!
Chef Dennis
what a beautiful cupcake! thanks so much for showing us how to do that frosting, I love it!
Tina (PinayInTexas)
I'm your newest follower from Foodbuzz.
Your skillet lasagna and red velvet cupcakes both look yummy!
Btw, congratulations on your daughter's HS graduation! You must be so proud!
Kim Bee
Chef Dennis- Thanks so much. I am just learning to do it the right way after seeing a video online. So thought I`d share my quest of better piping skills.If I could just learn to do roses and flowers now I`d be all set.lol
Tina-Thanks.I`ve been in a simple cooking mode lately.I have friends and family who asked me to do this to show that anyone can cook.I don`t do fancy but I do tasty.Thanks for the gratz on the grad. We got her dress today but ceremony is next weds. I think I`m going to cry.Pretty much lay money on it.Btw, love you blog as well.Following you now.
Cassie @ Bake Your Day
Love the frosting, those sound delicious!
Jennifer
I need to know how to make one of those lasagne's that don't end up like a pile of mush when you serve them!!! You know, those perfect square pieces you see in cooking books. Mine never looks like that, lol.
Kim Bee
This one is suppose to be mushy cuz it is a one pot wonder. Nice for the ladies who work and do not have more than 30 minutes to an hour to cook. I like the mushy lasagnas. I do my other one like that too just cuz I like a more pizza like lasagna. If you want the perfect ones do thin layers and keep you noodles just barely cooked before you stack. They cook more in the oven. I am trying one when we have a cool day that is a super tall and thick so I will heads up you before hand and you can see if it turns out or not.Ièm terrified to try it. Saw it in a mag, called mile high lasagna I think.As for sloppy ones I have a slow cooker version I will post one day too. Mushy but OMG good.lol