Easter Cupcakes by Art and The Kitchen

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Noshing with the Nolands

Today we have Laureen from Art and The Kitchen here to entertain you. Laureen is a fellow Albertan with the most beautiful of blogs. I have seen Laureen around for awhile but we just recently hooked up and actually spoke on the phone, lovely chatting with her!! I know you will want to follow Art and The Kitchen and you can on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. She has the most gorgeous of cupcakes to share with you. I just love these, so amazingly creative!! I now give the floor to Laureen.

I was thrilled when Tara from Noshing with the Nolands asked me to do a guest post on her blog. I have been enjoying Tara’s amazing recipes and exceptional food photography since she started blogging. So with the theme to be something Easter or springtime I thought of beautiful springtime colors; thus an assortment of colors in my Homemade Marshmallow Fondant. Usually people love the beautiful look of fondant on cakes or cupcakes but dislike the taste. This recipe is easy to prepare and tastes terrific. My cupcakes consist of Vanilla Bean Cupcakes, Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting, topped with Homemade Marshmallow Fondant.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla bean scraped
• 1 ½ cups flour
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin (12) with paper baking cups.
2. With electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla bean. Stir in flour just until combined.
3. Spoon batter into the baking cups, dividing evenly.
4. Bake approximately 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Vanilla Bean Frosting
Ingredients:
• 1 cup butter
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons cream

Directions:
1. With electric mixer, whip butter until fluffy.
2. Add the icing sugar, beat until well mixed.
3. Add cream and continue to mix until fluffy.

Homemade Marshmallow Fondant
Ingredients:
• 16 ounces white marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
• 4 tablespoons water
• 16 ounces icing sugar
• ¼ – ½ cup Crisco shortening
• gel food coloring

Directions:
1. Melt marshmallows and 4 tablespoons of water in a microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Stir 3/4 of powdered sugar into the melted marshmallow mix.
3. Spread remaining powdered sugar on working surface, then dump the bowl of marshmallow mixture in the middle.
4. Grease your hands GENEROUSLY with Crisco
5. Start kneading like you would bread dough. It usually takes about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing.
6. Add gel food coloring of your choice and continue to knead until color is well blended.
7. Roll fondant to 1/4 inch thickness and press into greased mold, carefully lift out and place on iced cupcake.
8. Fondant can be stored by coating it with a layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in plastic wrap and then put in Ziploc bag. Store in refrigerator.

Boneless Ham with Brown Sugar Pineapple Glaze

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Noshing with the Nolands

Here today is a simple recipe brought to you by Ronco who supply rotisserie ovens. They also include a conventional oven recipe for you to enjoy. You will soon be thinking of putting a ham on your table for Easter. Enjoy!!!

1 (16 ounce) can crushed pineapple

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 4 pound boneless fully cooked ham

In a small saucepan stir together the crushed pineapple, brown sugar and dry mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Insert the spit rods evenly through the ham and brush with some of the pineapple mixture. After 45 minutes of rotating, brush with pineapple mixture again. Rotate an additional 10 or 15 minutes, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Serve sliced ham with some of the pineapple mixture on top.

Conventional ovens using the Ronco suggested glaze:
Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and cover the whole thing tightly with foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for 16-20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees F. Unwrap the ham and apply the glaze; increase the heat to 400 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer until the glaze is burnished.

Mouth Watering Mondays

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Noshing with the Nolands

I thought I would do a special Easter Mouth Watering Monday today. It is so early this year and is only around the corner!! We will be away for Easter, not celebrating like we usually do but a change is a good as a rest. I need some warmth and sunshine in my life right now so a little vacation is what the doctor ordered!! It has been snowing tons of late so a getaway is perfect. I hope you all have a Happy Easter. Enjoy it with family and friends and welcome spring back into our lives!!!

Happy Easter!!

First up is a Braided Easter Bread from Emma Eats and Katie Too! I have never made one of these before but it looks so very good I have to try one.

A Spring Salad caught my eye from Playin With My Food. I love just a simple salad with really fresh ingredients. This screams spring to me and would be perfect for Easter.

To go with that nice simple Spring Salad you could have a Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Warm Mint Caper Sauce by Life is Great. This makes me drool and would be perfect on your Easter Table.

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus are the little decadent part of Easter, no wait, they are not as they are made with egg whites and panko and baked in the oven. Nicely done by How Sweet It Is.

Now a treat for the kids!! Leftover robin eggs??? Now you know what to do with them. Robins Eggs Malted Milkshake by Pass the Sushi. Love it!!

Finally a little Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska by Couldn’t Be Parve will end any Easter celebration perfectly. ENJOY!!!

Lobster Deviled Eggs

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

I came up with this idea to bump plain old deviled eggs up a notch. Either you love deviled eggs or you don’t. We are all a big fan especially Amber. She just plain loves eggs!! These were great at Easter but can be served anytime. Don’t over cook your eggs as they will get that nasty grey colouring around the yolk. If you follow these simple instructions you will have perfect eggs everytime.

12 large eggs
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup coarsely chopped cooked lobster
Lobster pieces for garnish
Smoked paprika
Chopped fresh chives

Place the eggs in a large enough pan that they are not stacked on each other. Fill with water to just barely cover. Gently place on stove top and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and let sit for 10 min. Rinse under cold water and refrigerate until cold.

Peel and cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a bowl. Mash yolks with a fork and then add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Beat on medium speed for 2 min. until smooth. Fold in lobster. Spoon filling into whites and place on a serving platter or egg platter. Place in one piece of lobster for a garnish. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and chives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lobster Devilled Eggs

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

Easter Basket Cake

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

This recipe was from a Woman’s World magazine from 1998. I have had this in my recipe book for 13 years until I finally decided to make it last year. It was fun to make but not so “No-bake easy!” as the title made it seem. The first challenge was finding suitable ingredients. The next was assembly. Here is what I did to create this cute cake.

1/2 cup white chocolate
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
6 cookies, they said Nutter Butter but we don’t get these so anything that resembles that body shape
6 round pink sprinkles
6 strawberry flavoured fruit chews, such as Starburst
Tube black icing
3-16 oz. cans vanilla frosting
Red and green liquid food colouring
4 packages pound cake
Pastel coloured M&M’s, about 80
2 packages of luxury chocolate filled tube wafers
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 pkg. multicoloured marshmallow rope
12 candy eyes
One wooden skewer

Melt white chocolate and shortening over a double boiler or in a microwave on medium for 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between. Dip one side of the cookie in the chocolate and press in candy eyes and round pink sprinkle for the nose. Repeat with remaining cookies. Place them in the refrigerator to quicken the time needed to set. Roll out Starburst to 1/8″ thick. With clean scissors cut out 1 3/4 inch bunny ear, repeat to have 12 ears made. Dip the end in white chocolate and place two on the back of each bunny cookie to make the ears. Let set in the refrigerator again. With the black icing and a small tip pipe whiskers on each cookie. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Tint the frosting with the red food colouring until you get the desired colour. Place 2 cups into a piping bag with a desired tip and set aside. Ice the bottom of one of the cakes and place in on a serving platter. Attach another cake to the first cake with icing on the vertical side and bottom. Ice the top of both cakes. Attach the next two cakes with frosting on the vertical side. Frost top and sides with the remaining frosting.

In a bowl toss coconut and food colouring to desired colour. You can add a few drops of water to help get better coverage, set aside. Press M&M’s into the bottom of the cake and place the tube wafers up the sides. Leave a 1 1/2″ gap on either side of the cake for the handle. Press M&M’s around the top of the wafers. With reserved icing pipe alternating horizontal lines over the cookies to make the basket weave. Press marshmallow rope into sides. For extra support insert a wooden skewer to prop up handle until ready to serve. Insert bunny cookies bunny cookies into cake and surround with the green coconut. Have a Hoppy Easter!!

Easter Basket Cake

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

Carrots and a Topiary

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

Here are two last minute Easter ideas that have easy to find materials and are easy to make. First off for the carrots I used icing bags that when bought in bulk are very inexpensive. Fill with your favourite jelly bean, these are done with Jelly Belly so they are more expensive. Tie off with your favourite green ribbon. It makes a beautiful addition to your Easter table. I know three lucky girls that will be seated at our table!!!

The little topiary was also easy to make. All the materials can be purchase at your local craft store. I actually dismantled a small bird house to get the spindle and painted it with some yellow spray paint. While that was drying I took chocolate Easter eggs and hot glue gunned them onto a Styrofoam ball. I had to use three of the little bags as I ran out of certain colours. Don’t use too much glue. They stick quickly and easily to the ball. I left a small space for the spindle at the bottom and with some glue on the spindle I inserted it into the Styrofoam ball. Let this dry while you assemble the base. For the small pot I cut off some floral foam, there are two varieties and I used the stronger stiffer of the two. Insert this into the pot making sure it is a tight fit. Insert the spindle into the foam making sure it is in the middle of the pot and surround it with the Easter grass. Tie a pretty coordinating ribbon at the top of the spindle. Children can eat the chocolate eggs off the topiary after dinner. Much fun!! Have a Happy Easter!!!

Carrots and a Topiary

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

Vegetable Terrine

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

I have loved this recipe for a long time now. I have seen Laura Calder make this many times. She used to be on TV in the morning when I was getting ready and I so enjoyed watching her. My girlfriend Karen so graciously met her at a book signing and got a signed copy of her latest cookbook for me for Christmas. I was thrilled. Here is her beautiful and delicious vegetable terrine recipe. I thought this was ideal for Easter. This is a great make ahead recipe that I would substitute for a soup or salad course.

4 large swiss chard leaves or 8 large beet greens
Salt and Pepper
4 oz. cauliflower florets
4 oz. green peas
4 oz. carrots
4 oz. red pepper, seeded
1 1/2 oz. grated parmesan cheese
5 eggs
2 1/4 cups heavy cream

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the swiss chard for one minute. Remove the leaves and immediately rinse under cold water to set the colour. Lay out on tea towels and pat dry carefully. Butter a terrine or I used my Pampered Chef 10×6″ loaf pan. Neatly lay out the swiss chard into the dish to cover the dish completely and let excess over hang.

Cook the cauliflower, peas and carrots one at a time until well done in salted boiling water. They should be very tender. Drain and run under cold water to set the colour. Roast the pepper under the broiler until the skin is blackened and the pepper is cooked. Remove the skin and seeds and cut into pieces.

Individually blend each vegetable with one egg, 1/4 cup cream and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to a smooth puree. Pour into a small bowl. Rinse out blender and then do the next vegetable, pouring it in a bowl and continue until all vegetables are done. Lastly blend the cheese with an egg, 1/4 cream and salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the carrot into the terrine first. and smooth out to the edges. Then spoon in the cauliflower carefully. Don’t pour them in as they will all blend together. Smooth cauliflower out to the edges. Next spoon in the peas, then the parmesan mixture ending with the red pepper. Fold the overhanging leaves over and bake in a water bath at 350F for one hour and fifteen minutes until set.

Remove the terrine from the bath and let cool completely on a wire rack. Chill overnight in the refrigerator so that it sets well. A half an hour before serving take the terrine out of the refrigerator. When ready to serve turn the terrine out onto a cutting board and slice. Serve instead of a soup or salad course.