"Labor Inducing" Lemon Cupcake

There is a resturant in North Carolina (Cappellino's Crazy Cakes) who boasts 124 births from OVER-due mamas after the consumption of their seemingly average 'Lemon drop Cupcake'...

Read about the Cupcake here in an article from Mar. of 2011.


I found TWO recipes suppossedly from the SAME bakery.

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes.
For the Cupcakes

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sour cream

For the Frosting

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well.
3. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick).
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
5. For frosting: Cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel, and milk; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

Recipe TWO:

Triple lemondrop cupcake

Makes 24 servings
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 3 eggs plus 4 egg yolks, divided
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat milk, divided
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat 2 (8-inch) round pans with cooking spray and flour, shaking out excess flour.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar until pale yellow. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and then gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with 1 cup milk.
4. Pour batter into pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool fully before frosting.
5. Combine 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/2 cup lemon juice, cornstarch, 6 tablespoons butter, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves then reduce heat to low.
6. Beat 4 egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk in a small amount of hot lemon mixture, to temper the eggs. Lower heat and whisk egg mixture back into pot, stirring continually. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat until mixture thickens. Pour mixture into a bowl and chill until completely cool.
7. To make frosting, beat confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth and fluffy.
8. To assemble cupcake, inject each cupcake with lemon filling (or use a pastry brush to brush mixture all over exterior or cupcake) place in refirdgerator for 30 minutes. 
9. Frost cake with lemon frosting on top. Chill until ready to serve.

Thanksgiving Menu

What to make? What to eat?

Ingredients

•2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

•5 eggs

•1 tablespoon olive oil

•FILLING:

•1 small pie pumpkin (about 2-1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

•4 teaspoons chopped shallot

•1/3 cup butter, cubed

•2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

•3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/4 teaspoon pepper

•2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

•1 small bay leaf

•1 egg, lightly beaten

•SAUCE:

•1 cup heavy whipping cream

•3 tablespoons butter

•2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

Directions

•Place 2-1/2 cups flour in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Beat eggs and oil; pour into well. Stir together, forming a ball. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes, adding remaining flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute pumpkin and shallot in butter until tender. Add the sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to a food processor; cover and process until blended. Return to the pan; stir in cream and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf.

• Divide pasta dough into fourths; roll one portion to 1/16-in. thickness. (Keep remaining dough covered until ready to use.) Working quickly, place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling 1 in. apart over half of pasta sheet. Brush around filling with egg. Fold sheet over; press down to seal. Cut into squares with a pastry wheel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

• Bring a stock pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook for 1-2 minutes or until ravioli float to the top and are tender. Drain and keep warm.

• In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil; cook, uncovered, until reduced by half. Stir in butter and sage. Serve with ravioli. Yield: 6 servings.

Autumn Butter

AUTUMN BUTTER -

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
* 1/4 cup whipping cream
* 1 cup butter, softened

Directions:
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread onto your favorite muffins, quick bread, sweet crackers, or drop a dollop onto morning pancakes.

CINNAMON BUTTER -

Ingredients:

* 2 sticks butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve over sweet bread, muffins, or morning waffles. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.


Winnie the Pooh's Honey Pot Balls
Ingredients:
1/2 c. Peanut butter
1/2 c. Dry milk
1 T. Honey
2 T. crushed nuts

Directions:
Mix in bowl the first 3 ingredients. Mix well. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Mold each piece into a ball, sprinkle with the crushed nuts.

Ice Cream

Who says it has to be summertime to enjoy ice cream? Not your kids, that's for sure! Everyone loves ice cream, and what better way to beat the cold weather blues than with some cold treats?

Gather your kids around, get out the ingredients and have some fun. Don't forget to pull out all your favorite toppings. You can use anything from sprinkles to crushed candy bars to cookies.

Fresh fruit is an excellent topper for a fresh bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream. Try bananas or strawberries sliced and thrown on top. Or add them to the blender with a splash of milk for a fabulous shake.

Anything is possible. Have fun with it! Let the kids help pick the toppings and make it a fun day for everyone!
Ingredients:

* 1 cup sugar
* 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups milk
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups heavy or whipping cream
* 5 teaspooons vanilla extract

Directions:
In heavy, 3-quart saucepan with spoon, combine sugar, flour, and salt. In medium bowl with hand beater or wire wisk, beat eggs and milk and eggs together until well blended; stir into sugar mixture until smooth. Cook for about 15 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon, being sure that the custard does not boil or it will curdle; allow to cool (at room temperature).

Stir in 2 cups heavy or whipping cream and 5 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Freeze until desired consistency is reached.

Yogurt covered Pretzels

10 dozen small pretzels

2 cups vanilla yogurt or 2 cups strawberry yogurt

5 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250°F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the confectioners sugar into the yogurt, one cup at a time with a hand blender. >/br>
Using tongs or chopsticks, dip the pretzels, one at a time, into the frosting and place them on a wire cooling rack (place a cookie sheet under the wire rack to catch the excess frosting that will drip from the pretzels).

Once all pretzels are coated, turn your oven off and place the wire rack and cookie sheet in, leaving the oven door slightly open. The excess heat will help the frosting dry without leaving the pretzels soggy.

Allow frosting to harden for 3-4 hours, remove from oven, and store pretzels in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

* 3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
* 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
* 2 tbsp milk
* 1 tbsp vanilla
* 1 egg
* 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 3/4 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Combine butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into creamed mixture.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 3 minutes for crisp cookies.

* Gift Ideas
Use these treats as gifts! Using plastic wrap, place 2-3 treats in the center and gather the ends at the top. Finish it by securing each bundle with a ribbon. Line a cookie tin with tissue paper, flare out the edges for a decorative look. Then carefully place the goodies into the cookie tins, fold the edges of the tissue paper carefully over the top of the treats and secure with cookie tin lid. Adorn the top with a colorful bow.

Popcorn!

The basic recipe can be found here : I modified it, because I CANNOT physically follow a recipe if my life depended on it.
10 cups freshly popped popcorn
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
3 tablespoons butter
2 and 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups FILL (raisins, nuts, dried cranberries, dried apricots, sunflowers seeds,

Directions:

1 Butter a very large bowl. Add popped popcorn and your selection of the 2 cups of fill.

2 Heat brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and juice until boil. Pour over dry ingredients in bowl.

3 Butter hands with additional butter or cooking spray. Hand mix all the ingredients in bowl and form into tennis size balls. It may be easier to use a LARGE SCOOP (I use the Pampered Chef large scoop because I am an independent consultant and well I LOVE PAMPERED CHEF). With scoop
Compact lightly to get the mixture to hold a ball shape. Set aside. Wrap each popcorn ball in plastic wrap.
4 The balls can be drizzled with melted chocolate for gift giving. I OF COURSE use the Pampered Chef double boiler for chocolate melting! SUPER easy to use, easy to clean!

Hand packed

I like to use white chocolate on the cranberry/cashew ones AND butterscotch on peanut/raisin ones. After wrapping with plastic wrap, I tie with a burgundy colored ribbon.

Soup Month

January is National Soup Month
Soup has been so popular throughout time that it’s actually considered one of the first fast foods. There is documentation that as early as 600 B.C., the Greeks sold soup as a fast food on the street, using peas, beans and lentils as main ingredients.

Before there was soup, there was broth, which people used to pour over a piece of bread in a bowl. That bread was known as sop, and from sop came the word soup.
No matter what you call it, there are lots of variations on the basic theme of soup, each offering a wide range of nutritional benefits.

Together we will make a simple soup for lunch...

Ingredients:
* 1 tbs Olive Oil
* 6 Cups Chicken Stock
* 1 tbs Tomato Paste (optional)
* 1/2 Cup Pastini
* 1/4 Cup Peeled, diced Carrots, Celery, Peas
* 1/4 Cup Diced, pre-cooked chicken

To Cook your soup:

Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan you can use a deep saucepan to start the vegetables off in... Soften the vegetables over the gentle heat on the top of the stove until they are soft but not browned.
Add the stock and pastina to the vegetables. Add tomato paste to the stock if you wish. Add chicken. Continue to cook the soup in a saucepan on a gentle heat on top of the stove until a simmering heat or less is suitable.

Home-Made Bread

What a great reason to celebrate on November 17th. Find ideas for crafts, games, and other activities.

Crafts to Make:

• Make a collage by cutting out pictures of different breads and grains out of magazines.


• Try this Bread Painting Activity.


• Make creations using this Bread Clay Recipe.


• Make a Chef Apron.


• Make a Bird Feeder out a piece of bread.

Other Things To Do:

• Bake Bread!


• Visit a bakery.


• Set up a dramatic play area depicting a bakery.


• Talk about different shapes and textures of breads (for example, bagels, tortillas, bread sticks, pocket bread, etc.)


• Compare the tastes and textures of different kinds of bread.


• Make some Bread Pudding!


• Learn about the kids' food guide pyramid.