Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz  is hosting this month's  Food'N'Flix , picking one I'd never seen before: Bridesmaids .  Click to see Evelyne's  invitation . I'll just be honest: I am woefully lacking in the sense-of-humor department. So, definitely take my comments with a grain of salt...maybe a whole salt pig full of salt! While I thought this movie would be funny, at least amusing, it was vulgar and predictable. Think scatalogical and juvenile. I won't spend too much time on the movie because my mom always told me to keep my mouth shut if I didn't have anything nice to say. Good advice, by the way. I'll just say that I considered something Parisian for the bridal shower Helen wanted to throw or Brazilian for the ill-fated lunch during dress-shopping day. But, in the end, I decided to make something that honored a scene that bordered on touching - the scene with the bag of carrots. If you've seen the movie, I hope you know what I'm t...

While most of the time, my posts are about something that I have cooked. But, every now and then, I have to share about a food experience that is incredible. Amazing. A must-try. This is the case with Buttercup Cakes in downtown Santa Cruz. This was a mere mention on a walking food tour we took to celebrate Fathers' Day. Intrigued, we swung by there after our last planned stop. We did not regret it. We tried... A Double-Double (chocolate cake and chocolate frosting); a Fruit Salad; A Raspberry-Rose; and a (mini!) Blood Orange Cake with Earl Grey frosting. The boys went back inside and told the owner that these were the best cupcakes they have ever had! I have to agree. Amazing.

For the first time since Riley started school, he didn't ask me to make carrot cake cupcakes for his class birthday treats. This year he requested zucchini cakes. 2 C shredded raw zucchini 3 eggs 1 C organic granulated sugar 1/2 C organic raw turbinado sugar 1/2 C chunky applesauce 1/2 C olive oil 2 C white whole wheat flour 2 t baking soda 2 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t ground cardamom 1 t ground nutmeg In a mixing bowl, place all of the ingredients and stir until just moistened. I finally got to use Rook No. 17's origami paper -> cupcake liner tutorial . It's been on my list for about two years now. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350°, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out with very little or no crumbs clinging to it.

I love SRC (Secret Recipe Club) reveal day...when I get to see who had my blog, what they made, and if they were inspired. Susie surely was and reminded me that it's almost St. Patrick's Day. Time to make another batch of these - Irish Carbomb Cupcakes. Here's my original post; I made mini-bundt cakes two years ago. Here's her version ...yummy! photo by Susie of SweetiePetitti Susie, I also have never tried to Irish Carbomb cocktail. I might have to remedy that this year.

So, when I was online waaaaay too late last night, I saw this post - Mini Chamomile Cakes with Honey Frosting - pop up from one of my very favorite foodie bloggers - Heather at girlichef . Ummmm. Mini. Cake. Honey. Yes, yes, yes!   I am admittedly not a fan of chamomile. I like seeing them in a dewy meadow; when I have a cold I will breathe in a chamomile-laden mist. But in a teacup, or a cake, no thank you. Since I have had dried elderflower blossoms in my cupboard for far too long - from a Scandinavian liqueur I intended to make but never got around to doing - I decided to go with that. And loving the honey-theme, I added bee pollen for good measure. These were devoured for breakfast this morning. Delicious! Cakes... 1/4 olive oil 1 c white whole wheat flour ¾ c organic raw sugar 1 T organic honey 1 t baking powder ½ t baking soda pinch of pink Himalaya salt 3 T dried elderflower blossoms 1 T bee pollen ½ C organic whole milk 1 large egg 1 t honey liqueur Frosting....

It's time for the February Secret Recipe Club  reveal...and the first reveal of 2012. Happy New Year! What's the Secret Recipe Club? It's a group started by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin' . Each month, every participant is assigned to someone else's blog from which they pick a recipe - or two - to make and post, but it's all a secret until the big day. Today's the day. I always love a kitchen challenge and some culinary adventure. This month I had some help in form of my littlest Baker Mann, Dylan. Here's my source of inspiration: No Reason Needed . Dylan asked if he could make lemon cupcakes for dessert. I said, "you just made fennel pollen-lemon muffins this morning." Mom, I SAID cupcakes, not muffins. "What's the difference between a cupcake and a muffin?" I was genuinely interested in his take on this. The frosting, of course. A muffin is naked. Makes sense. So, after dinner, I let the enthusiastic zester go to t...

At a local organic farm some woman handed Brian a weed and declared, "you know if you tuck this in your bra strap, you don't have to wear deodorant." He was appalled. Do I look like I'm wearing a bra?!?" "No, I mean - here! - maybe you can hang it behind your ear." Do I stink?!? "No...it's just good for you." So, he graciously took the weed, enclosed it in a baggie and [I quote] "brought it to his resident weed expert." That would be me. Lemon verbena. When I searched for recipes, I was drawn to lemon verbena cake. But the resulting cake was too eggy. It was dense, though the lemon verbena flavor was nice. Ugh. I was out of the weed. So, I had Brian go back to the farm, hunt down the woman, apologize, and beg for more. He did and promised her a taste. Here we go for take two. I am glad I attempted this again with some major modifications. Fluffy, light, not too sweet. And the lemon verbena really comes through. The verd...

"The answer can be 'no'," said my friend as she flagged me down on campus, but with me, it's usually 'yes'. And she knows it! So, they were planning a party for the last day of school and thought that my muffins would be a healthier option than cupcakes in a clamshell. Would I? Could I? Of course I would bake two dozen cupcakes for her... 2 C white whole wheat flour 2 t baking powder 1-1/2 t baking soda 1 t ground cardamom 1 t ground ginger 4 eggs 2 C organic raw sugar 1 C unsweetened applesauce 1/2 C olive oil 2 C sliced strawberries 1 C dried cranberries Preheat oven to 350. Whisk all wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in strawberries. Fold in dry ingredients until just moistened. Scrape batter into cupcake liners, sprinkle with raw sugar, and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

What's the difference between a muffin and a cupcake?!? They are shaped exactly the same; they are made with the same ingredients. So...here are some of my favorite answers for the difference: "Cupcakes have frostings. Muffins are naked." "If you throw a cupcake against a wall you get a sound like "poof"; if you throw a muffin against a wall you get a sound like "thud." "Muffins are simply ugly cupcakes." "Muffins are to bread what cupcakes are to cakes." Whatever you want to call these, they are delicious - and gluten-free. I started with a recipe on the Gluten-Free Goddess blog by Karina Allrich  and tweaked a bit. 1 C blanched almond flour 1/2 C oat flour 1/2 C chestnut flour 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda Pinch of pink Himalaya salt 1 C organic raw sugar 5 medium free-range organic eggs 4 oz. light cream cheese, softened 1/2 C organic plain yogurt 2 T fresh lemon juice Lemon zest from 1 lemon ...

Treats for Riley's birthday celebration at school. This is my solution for kids in the class who are gluten-free and nut-free: flourless chocolate cupcakes. 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped 1 C butter, cubed 1 C raw sugar 6 eggs 1 C unsweetened cocoa powder 1 T organic whipping cream 1 T honey 1/4 t pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl over a medium saucepan of water. Over medium low heat, stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in whipping cream, honey, and vanilla extract. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended. Pour batter into prepared hollows and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cupcakes have risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cupcakes should be just firm in the center when done. When cooled...

Though we already did a 9th birthday celebration with a cake ( Inky Chocolate Cake ), the kid has to bring treats to school on his birthday. Do you remember my Valentine treat quandry?!? Well, I'm playing the same logic game with Riley's birthday treats for his classmates... If I make the carrot cakes with chestnut flour, then Sophia can't have one. If I make the carrot cakes with wheat flour, then Danya can't have one. If I make top the carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting, then Joshua can't have one. If I make a flourless chocolate cake - with butter - then Sophia and Danya can both have that, but not Josh. My solution: carrot cakes without nuts and without butter (substituting oil and applesauce) for everyone except Danya. And then a flourless chocolate cake for our favorite gluten-free girl! Now I just need to bake them all.

Knowing my aversion to foods wrapped in cellophane, two of my best friends decided that they were going to make Hostess cupcakes for my birthday dinner. Trouble-makers. Yes, I was amused; no, I didn't eat the one in the wrapper. But I did indulge in their homemade version and it was yummy. Jenn's mom found this recipe for her. Homemade Hostess Cupcakes For the cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup oil 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup hot coffee Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, Dutch process cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla and then add into the dry ingredients. Whisk in the hot coffee. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. For the filling: 4 t...

This afternoon I received a short text message from my husband: "Irish. Carbomb. Cupcakes." Sadly, I am just that predictable.  All he had to write were those three little words and I picked up the ingredients for these treats on my way home from work.  I have to admit that I have never tasted them; the two times I've made them, they disappeared before I could really indulge.  I didn't make that mistake tonight.  And, yes, now I get it.  It was very tough to stick to my one-bite taste.  Wow. In spite of their gruesome name, these are a St. Patty's Day tradition for us.  I mean, how can you go wrong with a Guinness chocolate cake filled with a Bailey's-marscarpone filling, topped with a whiskey buttercream?!?  You can't. Guinness Chocolate Cake 1 cup stout (Guinness), 2 sticks butter, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups all-purpose white whole wheat flour, 2 cups organic cane sugar, 1½ tsp. baking soda, ¾ tsp. sea salt, 2 large eggs, 2/3 c...

If you frost a muffin, it transforms into a cupcake, right? 1/2 C butter 1/4 C organic granulated sugar 3 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 t salt 2 t ground ginger 1 t cinnamon 1 t nutmeg 1 t all-spice 1 egg 1 C hot water 1 C unsulfured molasses 1 1/2 t of baking powder Cream sugar and butter, add dry ingredients, add egg, molasses and water, stir until completely moistened. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Frosting: 1 container of marscarpone cream, 1 brick of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, 2 C powdered sugar, freshly squeezed juice from one small lemon. Blend all together with a hand mixer. Spread evenly over muffin.