Lemon Herb Baked Tofu

I love experimenting with new foods and trying out new things in the kitchen all the time. That's what keeps things interesting and fun. Up until recently, tofu was something I wanted to try (I think I'd had it once, or maybe twice, before), but since I'd hardly ever used it in the past, I just never got around to picking up a package. Finally, I forced myself to buy a pound of it at the store and find something to do with it. 

To start, I wanted to do something simple, and something with which I could really taste the tofu, and get an idea of what its texture was like. I started with some extra firm tofu because it sounded the most versatile to me. After browsing through pages of recipes I settled on baked tofu with a simple lemon herb marinade, I figured this would give me the freedom to use the tofu in many different applications. The verdict? I liked it. Very easy to make and many options once it's done cooking; as a snack, on top of pasta, in a stir fry, on a sandwich, you get the idea. We'll see where this goes in the future, but FYI, I just finished off another package yesterday...

I've always heard that tofu takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it with, and that was certainly true in this case. The dominant flavors in this recipe were the lemon and the soy sauce. I could sense an underlying flavor from the tofu itself, but for the most part the marinade is what really came through.

There are some many different options for marinades floating around online, so if lemon herb isn't up your ally, there are many other combinations to try. But the bake instructions should be pretty much the same. All together a very easy recipe that leaves you with plenty of options in the end. It might be worth a try, if you've never picked up a package of tofu before, I highly recommend at least trying it once. You never know what you're missing until you try!

Lemon Herb Tofu
Adapted from The Gentlemanly Tomato
Ingredients

• 1 cake firm tofu (about 16 oz)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• A couple sprigs each of thyme and rosemary
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions
Press tofu between a couple sheets of paper towel topped with a heavy pan for about 30 minutes. Discard paper towels and cut tofu into bite sized pieces. 

While tofu is being pressed, whisk together all marinade ingredients in a glass dish. Add the pressed tofu and gently mix to cover everything with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes. 

Line a baking sheet with foil. Transfer the tofu and any remaining marinade onto the baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. 

Simple Quinoa and Cheddar Polenta with Kale
From Delectably Mine
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) water
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons (27 grams) cornmeal
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1-2 handfuls kale, ripped or cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese, broken into pieces
• Lemon herb tofu (recipe above)

Directions
Put the water and salt in a small skillet and heat until boiling. Once boiling, slowly pour in the cornmeal while continuously whisking. Turn the heat back on low and cook until starting to get thick, whisking frequently.

Once the cornmeal mixture starts to thicken up, add in the quinoa and torn up pieces of kale and whisk together. If the mixture becomes too thick, add some more water as needed. 

Once everything is mixed together, add in the butter and cheddar cheese, whisking until melted and completely incorporated into the mixture. 

Top polenta with lemon herb tofu and enjoy!

Simple Butter Crackers

Have you ever tried to make homemade crackers? If you haven't I encourage you to give them a shot! I have tried many different recipes for homemade crackers over the past couple of years, some are good and some are not so good. As I've experimented the results have gotten better and better. These simple butter crackers are one of my recent successes. You only need a few ingredients to quickly whip together a batch of dough that you can use right away, or put in the fridge to roll out a little later. While it does take a little time to roll out the dough and cut into shapes, I don't mind taking a little extra time in the kitchen once in a while, especially when it results in something as satisfying as these buttery and delicious homemade crackers, something you can really be proud of!

Some of the problems I've had with various cracker recipes is that they can be bland, and also they can be really difficult to roll out because they are so sticky. This recipe had neither of these problems. I've found, not surprisingly, that in order to get a cracker that is not bland I need a recipe that includes at least some fat, it's essential to the flavor of crackers since there isn't much flavor coming from anywhere else. This recipe includes a little butter, my personal favorite way to add flavor. 

Also, these crackers were a breeze to roll out. I used my pasta machine to roll them out to an even thickness (I rolled them to setting 6 on my Atlas pasta roller), but I have no doubt they would be easy enough to roll out with a rolling pin and some arm muscle if you don't have a pasta maker on hand. 

If you've been wanting to try your hand at some homemade crackers, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try, the results are well worth the investment!

Simple Butter Crackers
Adapted from The Washington Post
Ingredients

• 1 cups flour, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons butter, cold from the fridge
• 1/4 cup hot tap water, or as needed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry blender (or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly and well distributed throughout. Add the hot water and mix to form a smooth, soft ball, stopping to check the texture before you add all of the water; you might not need all of it. 

Turn the dough out onto the work surface and knead it quickly and lightly. Return to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Working with one portion at a time, use a pasta maker to roll the dough out very thin, ideally, the dough should be translucent enough so that you can see the work surface underneath it. I rolled my dough out to setting 6 on my Atlas pasta maker and thought it was the perfect thickness (alternatively, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough on a lightly flour work surface). 

At this point you can either transfer sheet of dough to a baking sheet and use a pastry cutting wheel or sharp knife to quickly slice the dough into approximately 1 1/2-inch squares, cutting the whole sheet in one direction first, then the other, or you can use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough into rounds and transfer the rounds individually to a cookie sheet. Use the tines of a fork to prick each cracker several times.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the crackers turn golden and are light brown around the edges. (You might need to bake the crackers on the inside of the sheet a little longer, because they will not brown as readily.) Keep on eye on the crackers towards the end of baking as they cab brown very fast. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cool completely before serving or storing.

Thanksgiving 2015

It's done and over, Thanksgiving 2015 is now nothing but another wonderful memory. This is one of my favorite holidays and so I've been looking forward to it for weeks. This year certainly did not disappoint. In fact, the entire weekend was simply wonderful. Thursday morning consisted of Lara and I in the kitchen, steaming up the windows as we roasted up the turkey for the family and put together a handful of other dishes to bring to my grandparent's place for the midday meal. We tried out a new turkey recipe this year which turned out awesome and received rave review from the family. Since we roasted the turkey at my place, it was quite the adventure getting it over to my grandparent's condo in time for dinner. But we made it, turkey, turkey gravy and all, without any misadventures!

Other menu items included my favorite soft dinner rolls which have pretty much become tradition for winter holiday parties now. They are always met with great celebration. In order to accommodate a few food sensitivities I made them dairy free by just using water in place of the milk and choosing the vegetable oil instead of the butter for the fat. They turned out great, there were none left over by the end of the day. 

We also whipped together a pan of stuffing that was full of my favorite fall vegetables, caramelized onions, butternut squash and kale, all mixed together with cubes of my absolute favorite sourdough bread from the best local bakery. A fantastic combination in my book. (Adapted from this recipe, we just couldn't resist adding some butternut squash).

Finally, we brought a big bowl of a delicious Brussel sprout and brown rice salad with dried cherries, blue cheese, cinnamon almonds and cocoa nibs. This was a new recipe that I wanted to try and I ended up really loving it a lot, especially the blue cheese!! (Adapted from this recipe)

There were a lot of other delicious salads on the menu from various family members, a really yummy caramel apple sangria, and my mom's famous mashed potatoes with butter AND cream. A meal to remember for sure. 

For dessert Lara made a beautiful apple cake that was stuffed full of fresh apples (based on this recipe). I find cake easier than pie, and I love it more anyway, win-win!

 A few of the many farmer's market purchases 

 My nephew Tyce was able to help my mom pick up the turkey from the farmer's market on Wednesday, fun times with grandma

 Going for a little drive!

 Turkey carving time; now that's what I call a leg

 Turkey for all, with some stuffing on the side

The whole gang, this is what I give thanks for the most, my wonderful family

 Leftover sandwiches at night, perhaps my favorite part of the whole day And a few pictures from the rest of the weekend: 

 Dad loves to "help" with Christmas decorations

 Topping the tree is always exciting

♥ Family! ♥

Went to the beach on Saturday, it was an absolutely gorgeous day to walk along the water 

 Peek-a-boo

 Heading to the end of the pier

 Sisters!

 Contemplating either life or the mansion on the hill

The three girls

Glazed and Lacquered Turkey
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients

• 1 15-20-pound turkey, neck and giblets removed, patted dry
• 6 dried bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon allspice berries
• ½ cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons dried sage
• ½ cup (packed) brown sugar, divided
• ¼ cup Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
Remove wishbone from turkey by lifting neck skin to expose meat and cutting along both sides of bone with a small paring knife to separate flesh from bone. Pull firmly on both sides to snap out (if bone does not come out in one piece, grip remaining fragments with a paper towel and pull out). This will make carving the breast much easier later.


Grind bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice in a spice mill until very fine; toss with salt, sage, and ¼ cup brown sugar in a medium bowl. Generously sprinkle dry brine inside cavity and rub all over skin, packing on until you’ve used entire mixture. Chill turkey on a large rimmed baking sheet uncovered 8–12 hours. 


Thoroughly rinse turkey to remove brine; pat dry. Let sit on baking sheet 3 hours to bring to room temperature. 


Meanwhile, bring vinegar, soy sauce, and remaining ¼ cup brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened to the consistency of molasses (it needs to be very thick to adhere to the turkey; if glaze is too thin, keep simmering), 5–8 minutes. Let glaze cool.


Preheat oven to 325°. Starting at neck end of turkey, gently slide your fingers between skin and breast to loosen skin. Drizzle olive oil underneath skin, spacing evenly over breasts. Coat a piece of foil large enough to cover turkey breast with nonstick spray. Cover breast with foil, coated side down, avoiding thighs and tucking end inside cavity (foil will protect skin from tearing during first stage of cooking). Place turkey, breast side down, on a V-shape roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan. Roast until back side of turkey is golden brown, 50–60 minutes.


Remove turkey from oven and transfer to a clean rimmed baking sheet with oven mitts or 2 pairs of tongs. Turn bird breast side up and transfer back to rack in roasting pan; discard foil. Pour any juices collected on baking sheet into pan. Roast turkey until breast is golden brown and skin is crisp, 35–45 minutes. 


Remove turkey from oven and brush all over with glaze. Continue to roast, checking temperature every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast near neck registers 150° and no more (temperature will rise as the bird rests), 15–25 minutes. (I honestly pulled mine at 145° after listening to the Bon Appetit podcast when they talked about this recipe, if you choose to do this, which I recommend, do so at your own risk!) Transfer turkey to a platter and let rest 1 hour. 


Increase oven to 450°. Brush another even layer of glaze over turkey. Roast, watching closely in case glaze starts to burn, until turkey is deep golden brown and skin is shiny and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean platter and let rest 30 minutes before carving.


Do Ahead: Turkey can be brined 2 days ahead. Brine on Tuesday, then rinse on Wednesday and chill overnight so you are ready to roast on Thursday.

Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Yes, that's right, I'm not done with pumpkin yet. In fact, I think pumpkin is something we should be using more frequently throughout the year, not just in the fall. It's healthy, cheap, and easy to use in so many different recipes, sweet

and

savory. Today I have for you a whole grain pumpkin muffin that uses whole wheat flour and oats mixed with the pumpkin and a bit of butter for richness. Lightly flavored with all those nice fall spices and a small bit of sugar for a little sweetness. I found these muffins to be a filling way to start my day in a hearty and healthy way and I think you will too.

Made with 100% whole wheat flour and some oats, these muffins live up to their whole grain name. But don't worry, they aren't dense and dry, the pumpkin along with some milk help keep them nice and moist. And there's a good amount of pumpkin in these which is how I like it, 3/4 cup for 6 muffins. If I'm going to add pumpkin to a baked good I want it to be a good amount, not this 1/4 cup for a whole loaf like you see in some recipes. 

There is not a whole lot of sugar in these, so if you like your muffins to be on the sweeter side I would add a bit more, but for me these are perfect. If you mix in a nice sweet add-in such as dried fruit or chocolate you probably won't notice anyway. 

Whole Grain Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Adapted from This Runner's Recips
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (20 grams) rolled oats
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) milk
• 1 c (4.5 ounces) whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (7 ounces) pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
• 1/2 cup add-ins (dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc.)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Place the oats and milk in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to soften the oats. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the butternut squash puree, butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup, if using.

Stir the oat and milk mixture into dry ingredients. Form a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredient mixture. Lightly mix together being careful to not overmix. (If the batter seems too thick, you may add an additional tablespoon of milk to the batter.) 

Grease or line the cups of your muffin pans and divide the batter evenly amongst 6 tins. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the domes are peaked and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

Spicy Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

It's squash season at the farmer's market and grocery store, I just wanted to let you know in case you've missed the giant piles of butternut, spaghetti, acorn, delicata, hubbard and other squashes that seem to have taken over everywhere produce is to be found. I don't know about you, but I never tire of delicious winter squash, never. I love the sweet and creaminess of this extremely versatile vegetable. You can eat it on it's own, sweet or savory, you can add it to salads, soups, stews, chili, pasta, or you can add the mashed flesh to baked goods, smoothies, oatmeal...the list just goes on and on.

I have been baking up squashes left and right over the past couple of weeks. I love having already cooked squash sitting in the fridge, ready for whatever I feel like making. One of my recent creations was this delicious soup. With a couple of cups of cooked butternut squash hanging out in the fridge and some red lentils that have been trying to make an appearance for some time now, I knew a simple soup was just the thing. The perfect thing to sit down to on a cool autumn afternoon.

The inspiration for this soup was a recipe I found on Food52 for a sweet potato red lentil soup. I took the idea and made it my own, substituting butternut squash for the sweet potato and a chipotle pepper for the harissa since I didn't have any harissa on hand. For the spices, I just threw in a mix of some of my favorites such as cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, you get the idea. I didn't measure them. When you're making a quick soup for yourself on a chilly day there's no need to measure or worry about exactly which spices to add. Just pick some of your favorites, add in whatever seems like a good amount and go from there. It's not an exact science, that's what makes cooking so fun, it turns out different every time, but always tasty!

Spicy Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup
Heavily Adapted from Food 52
Ingredients

• 1/4 onion, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 1 small chipotle chili
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1-2 cups cooked, cubed butternut squash
• A few shakes each of your favorites spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, etc.)
• Cilantro, for garnish

Directions
Heat a small amount of oil in a small saucepan. Once hot, add the onion and saute for 5-10 min, until translucent and just starting to color. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, a minute or two. Then add the carrot and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, let cook over medium heat, covered, until carrot begins to soften. Then add chipotle, stock, lentils, butternut squash and spices. 

Cook until everything is soft and cooked through, 20-30 minutes, adding water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Transfer soup to blender and blend until smooth. Return blended soup to pan. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth.) Add water more water if needed. Taste for seasoning and serve, garnishing with cilantro if desired. 

Yields: 2-3 servings

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries and Pecans

Scones are one of my absolute favorite breakfast treats, but they are one of those things I just don't seem to get around to making very often. I'm not really sure why, they are so easy to throw together. Truly, they come together in just minutes, and usually with just a few ingredients. So last week I finally managed to get my act together and whip up a batch of scones, and since it's November I decided on pumpkin scones with some cranberries and pecans. They came together in a jiffy and baked up beautifully. A perfectly delicious fall breakfast. 

Whenever I make scones I make sure that I have time to freeze the cut, unbaked scones for at least an hour or two, preferably overnight. I've found that this ensures the tallest, prettiest scones. To me a scone should rise nice and tall, I really do hate it when scones spread out and flat. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure some people out there like a flatter scone, to each their own.

Like I said, I filled these scones with dried cranberries and pecans but you can change that up if you'd like. Some dark chocolate would be wonderful, pumpkin seeds would be very fitting, or some other nut, walnuts or almonds maybe. Whatever you decide on you shouldn't be disappointed with this tasty fall treat. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries and Pecans
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients

• 1 3/8 cup (5.75 ounces) flour
• 3 tablespoons (1 ounce) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter
• 1.25 ounces dried cranberries
• 1 ounce raw pecans
• 1/3 cup (2.75 ounces) pumpkin
• 1 egg

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Work in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's okay for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated. Stir in the cranberries and pecans.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and egg till smooth. Add the pumpkin/egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together, trying not to overwork the dough.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter and shape into a 5-6" circle approximately 3/4" thick.

Slice the circle into 6 wedges and arrange the wedges on a parchment lined sheet pan. Brush each scone with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar if desired.

For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bake the scones for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they're golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, with no wet crumbs. 

Remove the scones from the oven, and serve warm. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature. Reheat very briefly in the microwave, if desired.

Yield: 6 Scones

Pumpkin Oat Cookies

The other week I grabbed a large can of pumpkin while at the grocery store with no specific purpose in mind. It's fall, so I knew I would have no problem finding something to do with it. One of my favorite things to do with canned pumpkin, which I have been doing all week, is to throw it in my morning breakfast smoothie. Add a couple shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg and it's pumpkin pie for breakfast - but healthy! I love added vegetables to my breakfast and not even noticing. 

As soon as I got home with the pumpkin though, the baking bug hit. I just needed to bake something pumpkin-y! After a little browsing I finally decided on this pumpkin oat cookie recipe. The oats with the pumpkin seemed like the perfect combination. I added in some pecans and dried fruit and the whole thing came together to create a soft and buttery treat, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up or after dinner snack. 

The original recipe for these cookies was described as being crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. I actually did not find this to be the case. However, that's is not necessarily a bad thing. My cookies ended up being very soft all the way through. I did like that they didn't spread too much while baking, ending up quite puffy and beautiful. 

Had I had the choice, I would have added chocolate chips to the cookies as the original recipe called for, but since I didn't have any chocolate in the house I had to go a different route. I threw in some chopped pecans and dried fruit which did not disappoint either. I loved how the nuttiness of the pecans mixed with the toasty oats. Dried fruit for sweetness helped finish them off. A comforting fall cookie for any occasion. 

Pumpkin Oat Cookies
Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron
Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) canned pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup (3.5 ounces) flour
• 3/4 cup (60 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 cup of add-ins (chocolate, nuts, dried fruit, etc)

Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter with the brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the pumpkin, and vanilla.

In another bowl stir together the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry to the wet and mix until just combined. The mixture should pull away from the edges once all the flour is added. Stir in whatever add-ins you are using. Cover the dough and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferable overnight.

On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until very lightly browned at the bottom/sides.

Remove from the oven and allow to set for another 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a wire cooling rack.

Yields: about 1 dozen cookies (I got 13)

Funfetti Cucpakes

Last month, one of my good friends threw a golden birthday party for her husband. I offered a helping hand, and so was asked if I could make some cupcakes for the party. Funfetti was the request which got me excited, I had never made a funfetti cupcake before, but have always been a big fan of sprinkles! I used my trusty go-to butter cupcake recipe and threw in a half a cup of sprinkles. Voila, funfetti cupcakes! Super easy and super fun! I frosted them with a basic American buttercream that is always a hit. As far as cupcakes go, it doesn't get much simpler than this. So if you're looking for a fun and easy way to add homemade cakey goodness to your next party, look no further. 

I believe this is the third time I've used this cupcake recipe this fall now, and all three times it has turned out wonderfully! It's a great recipe that turns out 24 perfect cupcakes. And although I love a pure white cake, sometimes I just don't want to deal with separating egg whites and yolks and then whipping the eggs whites. This recipe just used 4 whole eggs that go straight into the batter, no separating, no whipping, nice and easy. 

Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients

• 3 cups (14 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1¾ cups (12.25 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, cut into small cubes
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (8 ounces) milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup colored sprinkles, plus more for decorating

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Add the butter and mix on low speed, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well-combined.

Combine the milk, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Beat half this mixture into the flour/butter/eggs. Beat on medium speed for 1½ minutes, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture, and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the sprinkles and gently mix into the batter until well combined.

Fill paper liners ⅔ full with batter, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely before topping with buttercream frosting (recipe follows) and sprinkles. 

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients

• 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or 1-2 tablespoons of milk if you don't keep cream on hand, I've done this many time)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream (or milk) and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Increase the mixer speed and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4-5 minutes.