Tiramisu Cupcakes

Ingredients :

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons rum
• ladyfingers baked in cupcake wrappers 
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• a small amount of dark chocolate for chocolate curls (optional)
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Instructions :

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
2. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.
3. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
4. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
5. Remove from refrigerator and whisk in mascarpone until smooth. Set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
7. In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum.
8. Drizzle approximately 1 tbsp + 2 tsp of the coffee/rum mixture over each pre-baked ladyfinger. Add it a little at a time and wait for it to absorb into the ladyfingers before adding more. When it stops absorbing, stop adding more.
9. Spread the mascarpone mixture over the soaked ladyfingers.
10. Pipe or spread the whipped cream over the mascarpone.
11. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.
12. Optionally, top with chocolate curls. Make the chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler on a piece of chocolate. It works best if the chocolate is slightly warm, but not melty.
13. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.
14. 
    

Notes

- adapted from Tiramisu II on Allrecipes

Cooking Tips :

Heat Up The Kitchen With These Useful Tips

Many folks can view cooking as an annoyance. This article will give you suggestions on how to do that.

You want to make certain you have the prep work for your meals in advance. It is essential to have all prep work finished before cooking commences. You can spare yourself a great deal of hassle by getting all your prep work done early.

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Partially frozen meat makes it easier to slice it into thin strips. This works well when you need to slice meat thinly for Chinese or Thai meals. However, be sure to allow the meat strips to thaw before cooking them, take the time to let it thaw out prior to cooking.

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Quickly cooking vegetables makes them to retain much of their nutritional value. Vegetables which are cooked slowly can lose a lot of their taste and nutrition. These cooking techniques will yield vegetables more healthy overall. Cooking vegetables is all about cooking them for the least amount of time possible.

Sauteing veggies in a bit of chicken broth is very healthy. This technique is a tasty way to cook vegetables.

Measure the oil you use! This will help you lower the fat is present in your foods while cooking.This should enable you to closely monitor the exact amount of oil that you are using.

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Prepare some of your food the day before to save time and headaches. Cut up veggies and make marinades or sauces before so you can save time.You will feel less stressed and a bit more eager to cook the next day.

Storing these items in warm locations will lead them to lose their flavor.

Never throw away your leftovers whenever you have cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving or another meal. Cut the leftover meat and put it away in an airtight containers. The turkey can later be used for making sandwiches or as a salad ingredient.

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Many popular veggies and herbs give off a strong odor which tends to leave your cutting board smelly no matter how hard you try to scrub it off. Use permanent ink to mark so you know which is which.

Replace and refresh your spices every six months at the very least. The flavors of spices diminishes if they sit around for too long.If you purchase a new spice but doubt you can use it before the flavor dries up, give some to a family member or friend.

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Use salt in the water when you are cooking pasta. The salt will hold better while cooking because it is absorbed by the pasta thoroughly. Salting pasta will not have the flavor.

There are a few ways that tortillas can reheat tortillas. One suggestion is to place the tortilla in your oven rack that has been preheated to 350 degrees and watch it closely until it is heated to perfection. You can also heat the tortillas by placing them on a gas stove. Using these methods your tortilla will make for fresher and much tastier tortillas.

Do your prep work to save time when cooking. You can often prepare your ingredients a day or two in advance. There are certain instances in which the flavor of the ingredients is actually improved by early preparation.

Potatoes are divided in different categories, and you can't always substitute one for another.

The high heats in a microwave causes oil to separate from other food ingredients.Baking slowly and consistently can reheat your whole dish and keep the ingredients more cohesive.

Put heavier, then put the lettuce and other ingredients that wilt easily on top.

Avoid adding salt and garlic to dried beans until they have not yet softened.Both garlic and salt can prevent the beans from getting softer while they cook.

You can fix your pie crust! If your dough has been overworked it may crack.Try placing some cold water on cracks and then smoothing them out with your fingers to gently rub the affected area. If there is cracking on the top pie crust, use some milk and sugar. This creates a nice glaze that hides cracks.

As you can see, it's possible to make cooking interesting and less like a chore. Use the suggestions you learned here to help make meal preparation time a chance to show your creativity and enthusiasm.

Food Can Be A Wonderful Adventure

Many people want to learn the culinary arts but are intimidated by various aspects of great cooking success. The great thing about cooking is that you can take it one step at a time, and by following the tips in this article, you will be convinced that you have what it takes to be the next top chef.

Prepare as much of your recipe as possible.It is important to have all the prep work done before cooking commences. You can help lessen the potential stress by getting all your prep work in advance.

Your spices should be stored in a cool place that is dark and cool. Your food will taste better if your spices are fresher.

There is a trick to save your work and be able to use it instantly. Mix two spoons of water with one tablespoon of cornstarch in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture into the sauce to thicken it up. The mixture should be added slowly and constantly stirred so that it does not make the sauce too thick.

Partially frozen meat is easier to slice into thin strips. This works especially useful for the meat slicing styles typically used with Asian cuisine. However, to make sure that the meat cooks evenly, so it cooks evenly.

Try adding cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. The taste of cauliflower will blend seamlessly with the potatoes. Cauliflower is also the same texture and color of potatoes when mashed so it's a great way to add more veggies, offering you a perfect way to add another vegetable to your dish while cutting calories.

You can even put it on foods other than meat. Try using it to season roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled with the seasoning for a tasty snack or mix it in your scrambled eggs. Everyone will wonder what your secret ingredient!

Always use an airtight containers to store baking ingredients such as sugar or flour in the kitchen. Keeping your food in airtight containers will keep them fresher longer as the air can't reach them. These containers can be purchased at almost any store and make a good investment.

Oil or butter both have fat that is often unnecessary. Try cooking spray instead: this product does not contain anything unhealthy and works just like oil.

This will prevent them from burning when you are cooking. Use two parallel skewers instead of one skewer to keep food falling off.

This will keep fruits to stay fresh throughout the year. You will also be able to enjoy fruits even when they are out of season.

If you are serving a salad with a meal where you have guests, do not pour the salad dressing on the salad, allow your guests to put the dressing on themselves. Some people enjoy lots of dressing than others; let guests pour their own dressing. Make sure you have a wide selection to choose from as well.

Prepare things the night before if you cannot handle doing everything in one night. Cut up veggies and make marinades or sauces before going to bed at night. You will feel less stressed and more eager to cook the next day.

Many veggies and herbs have a strong residual odor that can remain on cutting boards well after they are washed. Use indelible ink to mark one end of the cutting board so that you know which is which.

If you plan on using fresh herbs, like parsley or dill in your food, put them together to form bunches and use scissors to cut them. This will keep the herbs drier and lighter than if they are chopped.

One great cooking tips you can find is to use your own thing. You need not have to follow a recipe word for word. That is a true cook!

It is important to take proper care for your wooden cutting boards. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat and dryness.Do not immerse the cutting board in water, just sponge it off using warm, clean it using a sponge and warm water. You can do some restoration to a damaged board by regularly oiling it with a product specifically for cutting boards to maintain yours. Make sure you let your board has completely dried before using.

Learn a little bit about any new foods that you haven't worked with before. You might be surprised how much you can do with that new ways to use the food.

Red or new potatoes contain skins that are too thin of a skin to hold the filling.

Use soft butter instead of melted butter for creaming sugar and butter to make cookies. If it is melted, however, or put the prepared dough in the refrigerator. Your cookies will spread the right amount if you use cooler dough.

You can use leftover vegetables and meats to create a delicious fried rice. Fry the veggies and meats in a little oil, then add the rice and season with soy sauce, ginger, garlic in with it.

Use cooking oil for measuring sticky messes. Before you even measure, lightly coat the spoon with a cooking oil which has little flavor, such as canola, and the thing being measured will fall off the spoon easier, so that way you won't have any waste and cleaning up is easier. This works perfectly for getting just the right amount of everything from peanut butter to jelly.

Shake things up if your family is tired of seeing the same frozen corn on the table at dinner each night. Add some coconut to sweet corn to provide a little Thai cuisine flavor that grown-ups and children will both enjoy.

Put the juiciest ingredients like tomatoes on the bottom, juicier ingredients like tomatoes on the bottom and lighter ingredients like lettuce and croutons on top.

Whatever reason for becoming a good cook, knowing how to cook will always prove beneficial. Every culture in the world values mealtime with loved ones. Using what you've learned through this article will allow you to become a better cook!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes:
Adapted from Martha Stewart, via Brown Eyed Baker
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour *see below for note on subbing all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk, soy milk or rich’s (non dairy) whip
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Decide if you want to make mini or full size cupcakes and line the correct size pan with paper liners. (I made some of each!)
Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Turn the mixer to low, and add the flour 1/3 at a time, alternating with the milk, 1/2 at a time. Mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans, filling them 3/4 full.
Bake in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes for mini cupcakes or 20 minutes for full size cupcakes.
Set aside to cool, then frost cupcakes with marshmallow fluff frosting when they are completely cooled.

*Note: to replace the cake flour with all-purpose flour, use 1 1/2 cups minus 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour. You can use it as is, or you can replace those three tablespoons of flour with corn starch.

Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
adapted from How Sweet It Is
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk or soy milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, vanilla, marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar and milk until smooth, creamy and stiff enough to pipe. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over frosted cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Cooking Tips : 

Simple Cooking Ideas You Can Use Today

Not all people are born with the natural capability to be master chefs. Everyone has the capability to learn how to cook if they want to though.There a few things you must know before beginning your journey in order to cook well. The following article provides you with hints and tips to get yourself going on the path towards becoming a successful cook.

Cut meat thinly across the grain when you are stirfrying. This can take a lot of time and be tricky.

There are ways to fix your work and make it so you are able to instantly use it instantly. Mix 1 tablespoon of starch and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir this solution into your simmering thin sauce and it will get thicker. Make sure to introduce the mix once your sauce looks better.

Never cook your whole meal without testing the full amount after its initial seasoning. Cook a bit of it first.

To make your French fries crisper, let the raw potatoes soak for about half an hour in cold water prior to frying.

Beans and tofu contain a lot of protein if you need to add some to your diet. You can buy these ingredients easily and incorporate them to many different recipes. Try pan-frying tofu with some interesting seasonings and adding seasoning to replace meat. Beans can always be cooked with some spices and herbs for a delicious protein source.

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This will allow your food the maximum amount of flavor possible.

If you are serving a salad with a meal where you have guests, and you are including a salad with the meal, keep it on the side. Some people prefer more dressing when eating salads so it is important that each person add their own dressing.Make sure you have a selection of dressings to choose from.

Prepare things the day before to save time and headaches. Cut up veggies and make marinades or sauces before going to bed at night. This will help you to feel less stressed when you have to cook the next day.

Storing herbs and spices in warm location will cause them to lose their flavor.

You need to stay organized when you are cooking, which could be costly.An organized cooking station is a much more productive kitchen. If you are unorganized, you will start to forget what you buy and that will make you spend too much money that could have been spent on something you would have eaten.

Save approximately 1/4 cup of water and put it aside. When the time comes to add the sauce to the pasta, add the water as well. The pasta water's starch adds a "creaminess" to the sauce and make it creamier.

Impress your friends with great sandwiches by spreading the mayo evenly on the entire surface of the bread slices. An even spread helps keep the taste consistent from bite tastes as it should.

It is important to take proper care for your wood cutting boards. A cutting board made from wood can crack and warp if it is exposed to excessive moisture, heat or dryness. Do not submerge the board to clean it, but instead, clean it using a sponge and warm water. You can find oil designed for this purpose.Be sure to let your cutting board dry it off completely before you use it again.

A meat thermometer should be used to check that the meats properly.All of meat have a certain internal temperature in order for it to be safe consumption. Bacteria can easily survive in meat, and unless the meat is properly and thoroughly cooked, these bacteria can remain and cause you sickness if consumed.

Fresh herbs and different types of natural seasonings can add a kick to the simplest dish. Dried herbs aren't quite as conspicuous in complex dishes. Fresh herbs have a better flavor.

There are a vast array of potato varieties, and they are not always adequate substitutes for each other when cooking.

Don't try out a new recipes when you are cooking for someone you want to impress. Whether it is for friend, that special someone or your in-laws, you want to present your best effort. Impress these people with a meal you already know you are good at making.

Red potatoes have very thin skin and are not ideal for a dense filling.

A stir-fry is a great way to use random vegetables in your refrigerator is to make some fried rice. Fry the meats and veggies in a bit of oil, then add the rice and season with soy sauce, soy sauce, garlic in with it.

Dark, leafy greens are super healthy, but they can be tedious to prepare. It can be tedious work to eliminate the tough stems of leafy greens. Make it easier by folding the leaf and then break out the stem. You could also cut the stems of the folded leaves with a knife.

Use cooking oil to measure sticky foods! Before you measure, lightly coat the spoon with a cooking oil which has little flavor, such as canola, then the sticky substance you are measuring will glide off much easier, preventing waste and making clean up much easier. This works for things like peanut butter too.

Shake things up if your family is tired of the same frozen corn on the table every night. Add some coconut flakes to the dish a very exotic flavor.

Put the juiciest ingredients like tomatoes on the bottom, juicier ingredients like tomatoes on the bottom and lighter ingredients like lettuce and croutons on top.

Not everyone was born to be an executive chef. However, if you can read a recipe, you can become a culinary connoisseur in your own kitchen before you know it. It's not as difficult as you might believe. You will be on your way to better kitchen skills and unlikely to put a foot wrong when you make use of this article's advice.

Get Better In The Kitchen With This Set Of Rules

Cooking is something you can always get better. Even an experienced cook can learn new tips that will make their time in the kitchen more enjoyable. New cooks should know the little tips that make cooking easy. This advice will help you more about how to cook.

Keep all dried spices in a location that stays room temperature. If light, humidity or heat, they will lose much of their flavor. Ground herbs and spices retain their flavor for around a year. Spices that come in the potential to last upwards of five years. Storing spices in glass containers with a

If you are just beginning to cook more of your meals, go straight to the nearest bookstore or library to find a cookbook that has simple, basic recipes that you will enjoy preparing. Try different recipes and be patient as you come up with something that works for you.

Quickly cooking vegetables makes them to retain much of their nutritional value. Vegetables which are cooked slowly lose their taste and valuable nutrients. These speed-cooking techniques make the vegetables that are more nutritious overall. Cooking better vegetables is all about cooking them for the least amount of time is essential.

When burgers and other foods become stuck to the grill grates, they sometimes lose their shape when they stick to your grill and become hard to remove. Try brushing vegetable oil on the grill or pan to keep food from sticking.

Plan to make a big pot of stock so that the excess can freeze and store it. Good homemade chicken stock is a wonderful base in soups, casseroles, casseroles and more.

Sauteing vegetables in a small amount of chicken broth is a healthy and delicious way to cook them. This is a great and delicious way to prepare veggies.

This will allow your fruits to stay fresh for much longer. This is also advantageous for those seasonal fruits that are out of season.

Always make sure you measure cooking oils! This will help you lower the fat is present in your foods while cooking.This technique gives you the ability to know exactly how much oil you want to use.

If serving salad, and you are including a salad with the meal, allow your guests to put the dressing on themselves. Some people enjoy lots of dressing than others; let guests pour their own dressing. Make sure you have a wide selection of dressings to choose from.

Leave the bone in a roast if you are cooking and pressed for time.The bone carries the cooking process by distributing the heat right to the interior of the roasting pan.

You can make your own dried tomatoes yourself. Cut Romas tomatoes in lengthwise halves, depending on their size.You can also pack dried tomatoes in a jar with herbs and olive oil. The jar can be kept in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Make the most of any leftovers after your Thanksgiving dinner. Cut the leftover meat and freeze it in an airtight containers. The turkey meat will keep its freshness and can stay fresh for weeks this way.

Always clean your utensils that are spotlessly clean. Any leftover food matter missed during washing can ruin whatever you plan on cooking next. This can allow bacteria to easily spread.

Use salt liberally in the water when you are cooking pasta. This will help season the salt to be absorbed by the pasta. Salting cooked pasta will not have the same effect of absorption.

Do prep work first to save cooking time. Many recipes include ingredients that can be prepared a few days before you actually cook the meal for which they're needed. There are certain instances in which using this method can help you create a more flavorful touch to your meal.

There are a wide variety of potatoes, and they should not be substituted.

Brine is a method that is great cooking method. Soak any poultry in the brine water for at least an hour before cooking it.

Stacking cooling racks can be a baker's best friend. Stackable cooling racks are very efficient ways to use of your space. Stacking in vertical layers opens up instead of out makes sure you need to work in.

Bouillon cubes can also add flavor when mixed with the right amount of water. This is a good way to moisten your food you are cooking the necessary amount of moisture while adding more flavor.

Fruit tastes great when cooked on the grill. Slice peaches, melons and peaches and then thread them onto a skewer. Place the fruit directly on a grill that has been cleaned until grill marks. Serve on top of ice cream or a pound cake.

Dark, leafy greens have tons of healthy nutrients, but preparing them can be a pain. Removing the stems can be difficult. Make it easier by folding the leaf lengthwise in half and breaking the stem. You can also cut the stem from the folded leaf using a knife.

Try experimenting with saffron when you are all about trying new spices. Saffron has a very unique and sunny flavor that no other spice can. Saffron is an incredibly old herb which has been adored for hundreds of years.

Buy fish or meat on the bone.

Always remove the extra fat from soups and soups. Place some ice cube onto a spoon and run it over the surface. The fat will be attracted to the ice on the spoon. You can also use paper towels to absorb the fat.

One effective way to cook some new tasting food is to change the spices and marinades you will use. One way to get unique sauces and spices that isn't well known is shopping at the foreign food stores.

Even an experienced cook could stand to pick up a few handy culinary skills to improve upon their signature dishes. It is important that you have access to detailed information when you wish to try something new. Try out the tips you have read in the article in order to see how much your cooking skills will improve, and how enjoyable a kitchen experience can be.