Author Archives: cups + spoonfuls

Cantaloupe, Mint and Smoked Mozzarella Caprese Salad + 5 Caprese Links for Summer!

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I receive two cooking magazines each month: Bon Appetit and Cook’s Illustrated. I look forward to finding them in our mailbox, and I dream about reading them quietly on the deck with a glass of wine in my hands, but in reality I read 1 or 2 pages at night, in bed, before I fall asleep. It takes several days, but I read them cover to cover, turning the corners of the pages where certain recipes have caught my eye. I earmark twenty recipes and maybe make one every other month. Ya, not great, but I am changing that starting today! I pledge to make one recipe, once a month, from each magazine. If they are good; I will share them with you. The fantastic recipe I tried this month comes from the June 2014 Bon Appetit. If you love caprese salad, and you’re a bit adventurous this recipe is for you!

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Cantaloupe, smoked mozzarella and mint make up this fun caprese salad. I can’t say enough about how good the fresh mint tastes with the cantaloupe and smoked mozzarella. The mint makes the salad so bright and refreshing. Since this salad has just a few ingredients, it is important that all the ingredients are super fresh and high quality. I am a firm believer that when cooking, the better the ingredients the better the end product. A drizzle of good quality olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper bring this salad together. Bubba and I loved it. I bet you will too.

Caprese Salad with Cantaloupe, Mint and Smoked Mozzarella

recipe slightly adapted from Bon Appétit

Serves 2 generously, 4 as a light appetizer

Ingredients:

1 ripe cantaloupe, seeded and sliced

1/2 pound of fresh, smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced

1 bunch of mint leaves, thinly sliced

fresh ground black pepper

Sea Salt

Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Slice the cantaloupe in half, seed it and remove the rind. Slice the fruit and set aside.

Thinly slice the mozzarella and set aside.

Remove mint leaves from stem and thinly slice. Set aside.

Find a serving platter and arrange the cantaloupe and mozzarella. Add the mint leaves. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

5 Caprese Salad Links You Should Check Out!

I made this caprese salad with kale pesto last summer and everyone loved it! Head over to Sprouted Kitchen for the recipe. This is by far one of my favorite blogs.

If you love avocado, you should check out Foodie Crush’s Avocado Caprese Salad. Yum!

C’s favorite fruit is watermelon so I am hoping she will eat How Sweet It Is Honey Grilled Watermelon Caprese Salad. This is definitely on my list of salads to make this summer.

This caprese salad served in phyllo baskets looks like the perfect appetizer to serve at your next summer gathering. Head over to Drizzle and Drip for the recipe.

Take advantage of strawberry season and make a strawberry caprese salad. Delicious Happens has the mouth-watering recipe.

Blackberry Shortcake Cupcakes + 5 Summer Cupcake Recipes You Can’t Miss!

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“School is over in one month Mama!” C excitedly announces the other day. “No, you have longer than that until summer break.” I assure her. “No! We! Don’t! Summer is coming!” I hurry over to our calendar, flip to June and realize she is right. School is almost out. Summer is almost here. Oh f%4#2! I’m not ready! I love summer, but after a few weeks of fun in the sun I am ready for a routine. I know: routine and summer just don’t sound right together. Your right. I need to embrace the freedom that comes with summer. No, I need camps. Camp makes everyone happy, including me. A few weeks of camp for C and G mixed in with family beach time and leisurely mornings sounds like a good summer. Right?! Hopefully, baby N will become that go with the flow, mellow third child everyone with 3 kids told me he would be; so far they are wrong. I think he still has a chance to turn it around!

Oh and I need a cupcake, one that celebrates summer. This blackberry shortcake cupcake will get me in the summer spirit…

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Yes, a cupcake does make everything better. This cupcake has a tender, and moist crumb. I mixed fresh blackberries into a basic frosting turning it a beautiful shade of purple. The blackberry flavor is subtle and the single berry on top is a treat, much like summer. Even as I lament about keeping C and G happy this summer, I must remind myself that summer is a short-lived treat. Like everything when you have little people ruling your life, it won’t last. Love it for what it is, now.

Blackberry Shortcake Cupcakes

cupcake recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Frosting recipe adapted from Heather Cristo

makes about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients for Shortcake Cupcake:

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. of unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp.  salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Ingredients for Blackberry Buttercream Frosting:

½ cup butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar (you may want to sift your sugar or at least whisk it a few times to get out any lumps.)

2 tbsp. whole milk

4 blackberries, chopped

12 ripe blackberries for garnish

pinch of kosher salt

Directions for cupcakes:

Pre-heat your oven to 350°.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and kosher salt.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until smooth and thick , about 3 minutes.

Add the butter and oil and beat until combined. Be sure to  scrape the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 batches, mixing well between additions. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan about 2/3 the way full.

Bake the cupcakes for about  20 to 23 minutes. Check your cupcake at 18 minutes.  The cupcakes are done when they are springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Directions for Frosting:

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for a few minutes or until smooth. On low-speed, add the confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the milk and chopped blackberries and beat at medium speed until thick and smooth.

Pipe or spread frosting on each cupcake and add a blackberry for garnish. Enjoy!

5 Summer Cupcake Links You Must Check Out!

When I think of summer food I think lobster salad, fried clams and s’mores. Sally’s Baking addiction has a recipe for s’mores cupcakes: chocolate cupcakes stuffed with marshmallow filling, topped with milk chocolate frosting, crushed graham crackers and a toasted marshmallow. Amazing! I can’t wait to try it.

Last week, I made a roasted strawberry frappe that tasted so, so good. Not up for a frappe aka milkshake ? How about a strawberry milkshake cupcake? Hummingbird High has the recipe for you. Yum!

If you love blueberries, you should make the ultimate blueberry cupcake by Oh Sweet Day! I wish I could eat this cupcake now!

I have a friend who loves key lime pie, but I am pretty sure he hasn’t tried key lime pie cupcakes. Tracey’s Culinary Adventures has the recipe. Next time I head to Duxbury I might just bring a batch.

Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes– sounds like a perfect summertime dessert! Adventures in Cooking has the recipe and Eva’s photos are beautiful!