Mint Julep Meringues

Confession.   I don't know why the Kentucky Derby is a big deal.  I'm sure I'd enjoy it- as I like to party.  I get down with the drinking, the eating, then the drinking some more.  Hanging out outside.    Drinking.

Don't think I'd glance in a horse's direction though.   I mean, if everyone else looked I wouldn't intentionally NOT look.  Alright, maybe I'd glance.  But I'm just not that interested.  

But any excuse to cook.. 

          and drink...

                     sounds pretty good.  

Why I chose to make these little guys on such a goomy/wet/humid day, I'll never know. 

Everyone knows that the humidity will make meringues crisp exterior a little soggy!

                              (maybe everyone but me.... )

Anyway, I took the plunge, and they turned out pretty good, despite the humidity. I modified Emeril Lagasse's recipe for meringue cookies, by adding the mint julep ingredients: mint and bourbon!

Mint Julep Meringues

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar    (Important! Do not use regular sugar)

1/2 tsp mint extract

2/3 tsp bourbon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy.
3. Add the cream of tarter and beat until fluffy but not dry.
4. Add the sugar in batches, about 3 tbsp at a time.  When halfway through sugar, add the mint extract and bourbon.
5. Add the remaining sugar in batches. Beat until sugar is dissolved and meringue is shiny and bright.  It should be fluffy and sticky to the touch.  If it is runny or liquid-y, something did not work.  Start over.  (I had to do a do-over! Didn''t beat the egg whites until foamy enough, and added too much bourbon the first time.  Big surprise, trying to booze my recipes up..

Next we will put the meringues in the oven.  If you don't need the green stripe for decoration, you can use a tsp to scoop meringues onto your baking sheet.  They will not change size, so scoop them as prettily as possible.

If you want the green stripe- grab a pastry bag and green food coloring.  On one side of the pastry bag, drop 4 or 5 drops of green food coloring on the side, letting it run all the way down in as straight a line as possible.  Carefully fill the pastry bath with meringue batter, a tablespoon at a time.  If you just shove it in, the green food coloring will make your meringues green all over. 

Then pipe out the little guys on you baking sheet, put in the oven and TURN THE OVEN OFF.  Leave, undisturbed, for 2 hours or until dry and crisp.  

Store in an airtight container.

Oh, Fiddleheads!

Fiddleheads, fiddleheads, roly poly fiddleheads...

In case you didn't know, fiddleheads are a type of fern the grows in the New England area (as well as other areas worldwide.  They are the unfurled fronds of a fern.

Don't eat them before cooking!  They will make your tummy hurt.

I prepared them for an appetizer yesterday, and upon presenting them to The Boyfriend he looked at me like I had lost my mind.  'Am I supposed to eat that?' he says.

Of course!  And they were so good!  

They are extra-special because they are only available once a year for a couple weeks ONLY.  And that's it, they're gone!

They have a 'grassy' taste and texture- think asparagus or artichoke.   They're delish with something fatty/salty- like prosciutto di parma!

I got a super-simple recipe from MSNBC oddly enough.

Fiddlehead Ferns with Brown Butter and Prosciutto

1 lb fiddle head ferns, washed and trimmed (cut off  a couple centimeters of the cut end)

12 paper thin slices of prosciutto

3 tbsp brown butter (recipe follows)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

pinch salt

1. We are going to boil the fiddleheads. Add about 1 quart of water to large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Grab a large bowl and fill it halfway with ice water. Set aside. 
3. Place a colander in sink.
4. When water is boiling, add fiddleheads.  Cook one minute (do not overcook!).
5. Remove fiddleheads.  Pour in colander to drain.  Then pour the fiddleheads into the ice water, submerging completely.
6. While they are in ice water, brown butter. Add the 3 tbsp of butter to a saucepan over med heat.  
7. The butter is going to start to turn a brownish color.  Start to stir constantly.  We are looking for the butter to turn a brown color and have a nutty aroma.  Once the butter begins to froth at the edges, keep stirring for about one more minute, and remove from heat. The butter will keep cooking in the pan.
8. Grab the plates and arrange a slice of prosciutto on each one.
9. Add the fiddleheads to the pan with the butter, and toss gently.  Add pepper and salt.
10. Top the slices of prosciutto with the fiddleheads, and voila!  Spring's finest. Serve at once.

Double Orange Goat Cheese Cupcakes!

A little tart, a little tang...

I've been nuts for cupcakes lately.  Looking through my pantry, I didn't see many good cupcake ingredients.

I did see oranges in the fridge that will never get eaten.
I saw goat cheese leftover from failed appetizers this past weekend.
And of course my favorite ingredient that must go in everything I create lately (including the failed goat cheese appetizer- Jasmine Blossom Honey!

Hmmm.

It all worked out!

These little mini cupcakes are delish!

The frosting is not too sweet, it's light and fluffy. 

The goat cheese center complements the orange honey cupcake- this is not an overly sweet cupcake. Good for breakfast?  Why the heck not?!

Double Orange Goat Cheese Cupcakes

Recipe modified from Half Baked- the Cake Blog

You will need:

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

Goat Cheese Topping:
6 ounces goat cheese, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Frosting recipe follows.

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 2, 24 muffin pans with cupcake liners
2. In a medium bowl, mix together all dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl mix together the wet ingredients- buttermilk, honey, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until combined.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Gradually alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
7. Using a tablespoon fill the cupcake liners a little over halfway full, not quite 2/3 full.
8. Now make the goat cheese topping.
9. In a mixing bowl, mix the goat cheese and sugar until well combined.  Mix in the egg.
10. Using a teaspoon (or the same tablespoon, but I found a teaspoon easier to use) top the already filled muffin liners with a dollop of the goat cheese topping. Use the tsp to press the dollop down into the batter a bit, but not so much that it reaches the bottom.
11. Bake both sheets 8-10 minutes, switching the position of the two baking sheets halfway through.
12. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
13. Once completely cooled, frost with the frosting.

Frosting:

8 ounces goat cheese, room temp

1/4 cup butter, room temp

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp orange extract (or if you don't have, substitute 1 tbsp orange zext and 2 tsp orange juice)

1. Cream goat cheese and butter in large mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing to combine.
3. Add whipping cream and orange extract.  Whip on high speed for several minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.

I must admit my measurements on the frosting are approximate- I added and tasted, until I got the consistency and taste I was looking for.  

Yes, there is a large amount of whipping cream in this frosting, (who doesn't love whipped cream?!)  I was looking for a really light, airy frosting, as a typical buttercream frosting sounded too heavy for these little bites of bliss. 

Enjoy!

A couple other favorite recipes:

Red Chili Honey Butter Shrimp

Mango-Chorizo Stuffed Pork Chops