Box Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I’m about to share a deep, dark secret with you…sometimes I cheat on my baking. I know, I know, I’m despicable. But what’s worked for Mom for 30+ years certainly can’t be wrong, right?

We’re hosting a gamewatch today (GO IRISH!), and I wanted a no fuss dessert for our fellow ND fans. I don’t know how that box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix got onto my pantry shelf, but it was a good find this morning. As you probably already guessed, I don’t make many things that come out of a box — especially not when I’m baking. I blame/credit my mother today.

For easy piping of the frosting, cut the tip off the end of a gallon plastic bag and add the tip.

Hold the bag near the tip, then fold the top down over your hand to add the frosting without making a mess.

Gently fold up the top of the bag and twist just above the frosting, so you can easily maneuver the flow of frosting as well as the tip.

She still makes our birthday cakes every year using exactly the same “recipe”: a box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix baked in a 9×13-inch pan and the recipe for chocolate frosting from her Betty Crocker cookbook. It’s a-ma-zing. I can’t imagine a more perfect birthday cake. I love you Mama!

You can see how sad and runny the frosting is here — there’s no definition from the tip’s design.

But I was still able to have fun with my writing tip:)

For some fun today, I made the cake mix into 24 cupcakes, then piped the frosting onto them. However, the baking gods didn’t seem to like my decision to bake-from-a-box, and the frosting came out too runny. This is also punishment for not making the frosting the way Mom does with melted chocolate. I used cocoa instead. They still taste good, which is why I’m posting the “recipe” anyway – though I’ve modified it to prevent you from dealing with runny frosting:)

P.S. GO IRISH! Did I say that already?

Box Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

brought to you by: Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker

Cake

Box of Duncan Hines yellow cake mix.

• Follow the directions, but only cook for 16 minutes to prevent the cupcakes from drying out.
• Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine (Mom always uses Blue Bonnet and promises it’s the trick), softened

2 tsp. vanilla

3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled OR 1/3 cup baking cocoa

3 to 4 tbsp. milk

• Beat powdered sugar and butter until blended. Mix in vanilla and chocolate.
• Gradually beat in milk one tablespoon at a time — to avoid my mistake, add it one tablespoon at a time and stop with the frosting is just smooth and spreadable!
• Use a knife, offset icing spatula or fun icing tips (that’s how I got all the writing and silly designs) to frost the cupcakes.

Banana Bread

When I first moved to NH to begin my graduate school career seven (yes, I said 7) years ago, I lived with a fantastic family. I learned many things in that glorious neighborhood — how to appreciate bourbon, how to build a fort using a clothesline, how to love your children without smothering them…too much, and what great dads are made of. Like most of the other dads on the street, the father of the family I lived with did most of the cooking. Luckily, he liked company in the kitchen, so I sat and chatted with him about teaching and literature while he taught me to love food. He also taught me a heap of kitchen tricks that I still use today. (Mark, if you’re reading, I think of you every time I chop onions and smash garlic…which is just about every day.)

One of the simplest and most rewarding tricks I learned was to freeze mushy bananas. I think it’s pretty common practice for the last banana or two to get pitched after being ignored for a day too long. Fortunately, if you eat bananas you probably also like banana bread, so instead of tossing those too-ripe fruits throw them in the freezer until you’ve collected 4-5. Then, make this simple, but delicious banana bread recipe.

Let the frozen bananas thaw for a couple of hours (beware, they will be slimy and a little gross looking), them open one end, squeeze out the fruit, and continue as directed below. I assure you the bread tastes just as delicious with these bananas!

Banana Bread
adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens’ New CookBook

2 cups flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups mashed ripe banana, 5 medium
¾ cup granulated sugar, scant
½ cup melted butter or margarine
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped, optional

Optional Streusel Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp room temperature butter

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir until moistened – batter will be lumpy. If using walnuts, fold them in.
• For an added crunch and sweetness make the streusel topping! Combine brown sugar and flour, then cut in the butter using a pastry blender.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle streusel topping over batter.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely.

Ina’s Chicken Pot Pie

There’s a chill in the air and I can think of no better way to welcome Fall than cooking up some piping hot comfort food. And I can’t think of many dishes more comforting than chicken pot pie. This recipe is a classic from the kitchen of one Miss Ina Garten – an idol of mine worthy of her position atop the domestic culinary world.

While these pot pies can be time consuming when done all in one day, they are totally worth it! I usually shy away from any dish that takes more than 45 minutes of attention, so I’ve found ways to put these together without committing an entire afternoon to their construction.

For instance, instead of roasting chicken breasts just for this recipe I will sometimes plan (you can see how I meal plan here) to make a dish early in the week that requires cooked, cubed chicken – like chicken quesadillas or penne alla vodka – and just cook up some extra meat. It’s amazing how much time this saves in an otherwise long process. However, if you have the time roasting keeps the chicken moist and flavorful, so roasting extra breasts early in the week to use for those other dishes is a great idea, too.

No need to be perfect with the pastry – rustic-looking edges are good!

Additionally, I will often double the pastry recipe and freeze the extra dough for quick assembly the next time. And because I’m often cooking for two, I usually only make four pies and freeze the extra filling as well. This gives me a quick go-to meal for impromptu dinner parties.

I use 8oz ramekins and can get 8-10 pies out of this recipe.

One more note: this recipe is THE ABSOLUTE BEST WAY TO EAT LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY. I’m not kidding. Ask my family. I made two large (about 1&1/2 quarts each) turkey pot pies on the day after Thanksgiving last year and everyone was in heaven. I’m convinced that what makes this great is that my family only eats white meat, so all of the tender, juicy, most flavorful meat is left for a decadent pot pie. And, of course, the amount of butter in this recipe also gets credit:)

The hubby wanted to be involved, but remain anonymous…that and he’s just a silly kind of guy.

Chicken Pot Pie
from Ina Garten

Filling
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
5 cups good chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 tsp “Better than Bouillon”
12 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 medium onions)
¾ cup flour
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups carrots, medium-diced and blanched for 2 minutes or microwaved for 1 minute (4 medium carrots)
10 oz frozen peas
1½ cups frozen small whole onions (optional)
½ cup fresh parsley, minced
Pastry
3 cups flour
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup cold butter, diced
½ – ⅓ cup ice water
1 egg
1 tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roast the Chicken
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of chicken.

Mix the Pastry
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, pulsing in between each addition. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Create the Filling
In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce (or vice versa). Simmer over low heat for 1 minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken,carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

Construct and Cook the Pies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix egg and water in small bowl for egg wash and set aside. Divide the filling equally among ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into the same number of pieces as bowls and roll each piece into a 6-8 inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Press the dough to fold over the side and make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper (optional). Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.