Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These are so yummy and great for a party! One batch makes about 72 mini-cupcakes. They can be made ahead and frozen until you're ready to frost.  It's actually easier to frost them when they're frozen and they will thaw very quickly. Keep the leftovers refrigerated. 

For the cupcakes: 

I converted this recipe to cake flour from all purpose, as the original called for.  And I always weigh my flour, especially when making cakes, so they're light and fluffy. If you don't have a scale, use 2 cups plus one heaping 1/4 cup of cake flour.

10.3 oz cake flour (I use King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour)

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

2 tbs. dutch process cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbs. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. red gel food coloring (or 2 tbs. regular liquid)

12 tbs. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I substituted organic evaporated cane juice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a mini cupcake pan with paper liners.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. (Make sure you sift to get the clumps out of the cocoa!) 

In a large (4 cup) glass pyrex measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer to low speed. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix about 30 seconds. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, mix another 30 seconds. Repeat with the flour, buttermilk, then ending with the flour mixture, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the food coloring and mix until well blended, making sure you scrape down the bowl very well and mix again so all the batter is red. 

Spoon 1 even tablespoon of batter into each mini cupcake well. Bake for 11 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

The cupcakes keep their "rise" only if you don't open the oven while baking, this can take some trial and error to know how long it will take in your oven. Mine takes exactly 11 minutes.  If your cupcakes sink, don't worry about it. The frosting will cover it up anyway! 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz unsalted butter, softened

9 oz cream cheese, softened

12 oz confectioners sugar  (2 3/4 cup)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and cheese until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add sugar in 3 batches, mixing until well blended and scraping the bowl as needed. 

Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. 

Refrigerate until ready to frost the cupcakes. 

Let the frosting sit at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading on each cupcake. You can also frost using a piping bag fitted with a large tip.

Stuffed French Toast

There are no words.... 

French Toast bread (Big Y sells their own brand of french toast bread, nice and thick!)

fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

cream cheese, slightly softened

eggs (usually about 1 egg per 2 slices of bread)

about 1 tablespoons milk per egg

splash of vanilla
pinch of cinnamon

real maple syrup

Heat a griddle to 350 degrees. (you can use a large non-stick skillet if you don't have a griddle).

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside

Using a paring knife, slice a pocket into the side of each piece of bread. It's ok if you tear the bread, it will stick back together with the egg mixture. 

Spread a tablespoon or two of cream cheese inside the bread. Stuff with sliced strawberries. 

Dip each piece of stuff bread into the egg mixture, let it soak in for a few seconds on each side. 

Rub griddle or skillet with butter to avoid sticking. Cook french toast until golden brown on each side and heated through. Some strawberries may soak through and burn a little, they're fine. 

Drizzle with real maple syrup

"Kofta" Mini-Burgers and Couscous Salad

This is so yummy, light, and easy! I made the mini-burgers with ground lamb for Jon last time, but I wasn't a fan. Next time, I'll make half using lamb and half using ground beef or ground turkey. The couscous salad makes a lot for just the 2 of us, but I like taking it for lunch after. Serve this meal with hummus and pitas. I also make tzatziki to serve with it also.

For the Kofta style mini-burgers

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

3 Tbs grated onion

3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbs ground coriander (I couldn't find this and left it out)

1/2 Tbs cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pound ground lamb/beef/turkey

Mix all dry spices together. Add spice mixture and remainder of the ingredients to the ground meat. Mix together thoroughly. Shape into 16 mini-burgers. Grill, about 4 minutes per side for medium. 

For the couscous salad: 

10 ounces couscous

1 1/2 cups water

6 scallions or a large bunch of chives

4 Roma tomatoes (I used a pint of "mini-romas" and halved them)

1 hothouse cucumber. sliced into half moons
couple of handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed

3 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil

crumbled feta cheese

Bring the water to a boil, add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Pour the hot couscous over the spinach to wilt it a pinch. Add the remainder of the veggies. Toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with feta. 

For the Tzatziki:

I don't really have "measurements" for this, just mixed everything together and added more to taste. I used an individual serving size container of Chobani plain Greek yogurt. I'll do my best but change the recipe for your taste. 

1 container plain Greek yogurt

about 1/3 cup shredded cucumber (peel, remove seeds if any, shred on box grater, and squeeze out liquid in a dishtowel)

couple cloves garlic, pressed and mashed

couple tablespoons olive oil

couple tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon of fresh dill (more or less to taste)

salt and pepper

Mix everything together and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made a day ahead.