Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

One of favorite cookies is snickerdoodles, so when I saw a snickerdoodle cupcake recipe, I knew I had to try it. The batter was delicious, but honestly, the cupcakes didn't do much for me, or Joe. We generally eat our cupcakes without icing, and these definitely needed the icing for extra sweetness. I used vanilla bean icing, and, well, see that post for how delicious it was! I was too lazy to take a photo, so just imagine.

Recipe from Annie's Eats, who obtained it from Martha Stewart's cupcake book.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Yield: about 28 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour - 6.38 ounces
1½ cups cake flour, sifted - 6 ounces
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ cups sugar 12.25 ounces
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.

Vanilla Bean Icing

MY NEW FAVORITE ICING! Enough said. Seriously, the vanilla bean flavor is amazing. Scraping the vanilla beans take a little extra time, but OMG, it was so good!

Recipe copied from Brown Eyed Baker who obtained it from Cooks Illustrated
Yield: 3 cups (Enough for 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS

2½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar (10 ounces)
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.

2. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 20 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Work Out Commitment

It's hard to believe in high school I used to work out at least 2 hours a day for 5 days a week. Yes, I felt amazingly fit, but I know adult schedules just can't incorporate that commitment right now.

Up until I started residency, I was pretty good with doing some form of activity at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week. Residency sucked all energy out of me, well at first. I feel like I've adapted to the hours better now, and my body's craving physical activity. I'm realistic and realize I can't do as much as I used to, but I want to/need to do at least something.

Yesterday I decided to make a goal to work out 3 times a week over the next 4 weeks. It's hard to believe that means only 12 workouts, or approximately 6 hours of my life for the next four weeks. I've tried this before, and haven't been very successful, so I'm going to give myself a reward. I haven't decided what I want my reward to be. I'm thinking about a piece of Belleek Pottery or a new fun apron. I don't want to buy a new cooking tool because then I'll be tempted to use it and I'm trying not to gorge on sweets, and I'm sure that's what I'd make.

Hopefully posting this will make me more accountable.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Photo from Cooking Light

I'm always game to try a new banana bread recipe, and I love peanut butter, so when I saw this reipe in Cooking Light I knew I'd eventually have to give it a try. Overall, the bread is very enjoyable. I like the nutty flavor and it is SO moist! I doubt this will be my go-to banana bread recipe, but it was definitely worth making. I opted to forgo making the glaze.

Recipe originally in Cooking Light, found online at My Recipes

Ingredients

* Bread:
* 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana - 4 bananas
* 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
* 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted
* 2 large eggs

* 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3.5 ounces
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar - 3.75

* 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 1/4 cup ground flaxseed 1. 25 ounces
* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
* 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts (omitted)

* Glaze: (Did not make)
* 1/3 cup powdered sugar
* 1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
* 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Just as enjoyable the second time around!
View all my reviews

Irish Stew

I have a slight obsession with anything Irish or Celtic and wanted to try something new for St. Patrick's Day. Dear hubby said it had too many vegetables, so he didn't try it. However, Dad was at our house over the weekend helping mount hubby's TV, so I rewarded him with some homemade stew. He definitely enjoyed it as well. There isn't anything special to this stew, but it tastes oh so delicious.

Recipe adapted from Your Irish

INGREDIENTS
2 large onions - quartered
4 large Carrots - peeled and cut in large chunks
1 pound of stew beef
5 large potatoes - I could have used less - peels and quartered
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
32 ounces of beef stock
1 cup of water
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Wash and cut onions into moderate size chunks and add to the pot.
• Wash carrots and cut into chunks, some prefer thicker chucks for taste.
• Wash and peel the potatoes, cut each one in quarters
• Place meat and potatoes in large pot, cover with beef stock and 1 cup of water.
• Bring to boil then start adding the carrots and onions, keep on a low boil.

Cooking time for the Irish stew should be approximately 60 minutes or when the meat is fully cooked and the potatoes are soft inside (check using a fork).

Deceased Patients

The majority of my posts is recipes or book reviews, but I sometimes need to use this blog as an emotional outlet too, so I apologize in advance for the sad subject.

My hospital has a system set up to notify any provider who's taken care of a patient in the past two years if the patient has passed. While I appreciate the knowledge, it pains me every time I see one of these notifications. Today I received one on a patient I helped care for several months ago. At that time I knew the prognosis was poor, but looking at the patient, I only saw hope. The patient had made so much progress, the patient had good spirits, and I could only hope this patient would be the one who defies the odds. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

I appreciate knowing the ultimate fate of the patients, but it pains me every time I receive one of these notifications. I think about how their lives were cut short. I think about how their parents and families have an amount of grief I can't even imagine. I think about how life is unfair. I think about what I learned from each patient and how I can carry that with me. I remember their names, their smiles, their pain.

I don't understand why horrible things happen to people, and I don't think I ever will.