Bake up Thanksgiving stuffing, sides, appetizers in muffin tins
01.01.70
Good things come in small packages, an especially entertaining notion on Thanksgiving. On the day of excess, the word "small" fits about as well as the belt around your middle.
But when the packages are breads, side dishes and desserts made in muffin tins, it all starts to make sense. You're using every other pan and bowl you own to make the annual feast, so why not haul out the muffin tins? They are good for plenty beyond cupcakes and muffins, including side dishes special enough for the holiday table.
Besides adding whimsy to the plate, foods prepared in muffin tins cook faster than they do in larger pans. Quick-cooking diva Rachael Ray is a vocal cheerleader for meatloaf made in muffin tins. The standard loaf needs about an hour in the oven; the individually sized versions take about half that time.
We've tinkered with Ray's Stuffin' Muffin recipe to create a simpler version. Her stuffing is made from scratch; ours is a doctored mix. Still, delish, as she would say.
Source: ABC Action News
Kitchen Mailbox: You ever have a cupcake hangover?
01.01.70
The holiday season is just around the corner so now is the time to begin planning those parties.
After glancing through the new "Intoxicated Cupcakes: 41 Tipsy Treats" cookbook by Kate Legere (Running Press, $15), I knew I would be making a few of these cupcakes for the holidays. It's different from a lot of the cupcake cookbooks in that the recipes are basic: flour, sugar, and egg recipes with little or no special ingredients -- except alcohol. They're perfect for a party -- adults only, of course.
You can make the cupcakes in traditional cupcake pans or use mini cake pans. You will find that the yield for the cupcakes vary from 12 cupcakes to 16 or 18.
For traditional cupcakes, you will need two pans, but one will be only partially filled. Years ago, I read that the empty cups should be filled with water before placing the pan in the oven. I was never sure why, so I asked the expert, Chef Jeffrey Ward, executive pastry dean at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts, Downtown. He told me, "You can leave the unfilled cups empty. There is no need to fill them with water." Thank you, Chef Jeff.
Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette