Let the Marathon Begin!!

First things first, I apologize for my recent absence from SSEN... What with final papers and exams and a trip to CA (!!!), I have hardly had time to sleep.

Much less bake.

But, as Christmas is swiftly approaching, so is an immense amount of baking and cooking...

Here's how it happened:

Setting: Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt's house with my entire extended family.

I just finished a five-hour long shift at work, and I was beat... So, on my way to Thanksgiving, I picked up a bottle of my favorite Rose.

If you don't know me and my wine tolerance, it's very low.  I mean, very low.  One glass and I am a giggling fool.  Ask anyone.  It's amusing.

Well, I arrive to Thanksgiving and everyone else seems to have had the same idea -- bring a bottle of wine. Not wanting the wine to go to waste, I proceeded to consume 3 (!!!!) glasses of my wine and very little food.

Next thing I know, we are sitting around the dining room table with my mom making the Christmas menu and assigning family members to bring various dishes.  I am a little tipsy at this point, and I pipe up and agree to bring ALL of the appetizers and desserts.

No, not just one appetizer and one dessert... Not just the appetizers, not just the desserts.  ALL of it...

After weeks of poring over recipes and food websites, I have finally come up with a menu.  And now, ten days from Christmas, I have started the preparation...

I would love for you join me on the crazy culinary adventure... It is sure to be filled with laughter, tears, frustration, and LOTS of food.

Before you agree, though, let me give you a sneak peek at the menu:
Appetizers
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Pizza Buns (oh, just wait for these...)
- Chipotle Chicken Cups
- Southwestern Dip with Chips and Veggies

Desserts
- Red Velvet Brownies
- Coconut Cupcakes
- Caramel Pecan Bars
- Apple Fritters
- Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Cookies for the Kids

Ready to come along? I sure hope so...

Tonight, I made the dough for the pizza buns.  I am going to freeze it and make them the day of, but it never hurts to get ahead...

Maybe I should apply that philosophy to my schoolwork?!?!

Pizza Bun Dough
adapted from KAF
hopefully enough for pizza buns...

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup water

Mix and knead ingredients together into soft, slag dough.  Let rise for 45 minutes.  Then, wrap well and freeze or roll out and make pizza (buns).

Red Bottom Cupcakes

Growing up, my sister had this horrid stuffed monkey, named (what else) Monkey... The monkey was short, fat, and had a red butt that squeaked.

We would sit around our room as kids and smack the monkey, making this horrendous noise.  My sister cherished this monkey.  She never went long periods of time without it.

Once the arm got ripped off... I thought she might die until he got mended.  She was so attached to that monkey that she still has it. Now, it has one eye, no nose, and barely squeaks (thank goodness...).

The name of these cupcakes reminds me of my sister's Monkey... Only they are WAY more tolerable.

They are a cross between the Southern red velvet cupcake and a black bottom cupcake.  Sweet, rich, and beautifully colored, they are a lovely way to kick off the holiday baking season.

Red Bottom Cupcakes

inspired by two different cupcakes

makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

5 Tbsp cocoa powder

3 Tbsp red food coloring

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp white distilled vinegar

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Line or grease cupcake tins.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, egg, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla extract and egg.  

In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder, red food coloring, and vinegar into a thick paste.  Add to butter mixture and mix well.

In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking soda.  Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until well combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix well.  Add another 1/3 of flour and mix. Repeat with remaining buttermilk and flour.

Scoop batter into cupcake tins.  Place 1/2 Tbsp of cream cheese mixture on top.  Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Brownie Bites with Candy Canes and Hugs

It's getting that time of year...

The temperature is dropping more and more everyday. It is getting dark before I get out of class.

Campus is incredibly empty all the time.  That can only mean one thing -- FINALS!!















And the pressure can be felt everywhere.  Papers to be written, tests to be taken, presentations to be presented... =/

Everywhere except our suite. No, our suite is the epitome of happiness right now.  Maybe it is the Christmas decorations Kathleen hung over the weekend.  Maybe it is the never-ending Christmas music coming from Pandora on my computer.

But we are all relatively civil and peaceful... Tonight, for example, we all sat around the common room and hung out with one another.

Grace baked cookies for her students and made them goodie bags.

Anna made a pinata for her class to bust open tomorrow.

Kathleen worked on her super-cool theater project.

Ryan came into the suite and started throwing fruit snacks at Grace.

The Christmas spirit (well, some spirit, anyway) has invaded 604, and I am baking holiday-inspired brownies...

Because baking is what I do best.  I have been wanting to make something peppermint and chocolate for several days now, and Grace's leftover candy has provided me with the missing ingredients.

I think I may be growing out of my Scrooge phase...

Brownie Bites with Candy Canes and Hugs
inspired by holiday baking everywhere
makes 12 little bites

2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
12 Hershey hugs
4 crushed mini candy canes

Preaheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12 mini muffin tin.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; cool.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture.  Add the egg and beat with a wooden spoon.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda.  Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon into mini muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  While cooling, melt Hershey hugs in microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power.  Dip brownies into melted chocolate, then dip into crushed candy canes.

Mmmm.... Peppermint and chocolate.  Sounds like Christmas.