AMERICAN LIFESTYLE
THE MAGAZINE CELEBRATING LIFE IN AMERICA
ISSUE 67
Building Memories - pg. 24 | California Cheer - pg. 44 | To Dessert and Beyond - pg. 16 | Painting with Embroidery Floss - pg. 38
ISSUE 67 $5.95 US
CANADA/FOREIGN $6.95
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FOOD
red velvet cupcakes
WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
ingredients:
for cupcakes:
¼ cup butter
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
½ cup applesauce
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons
unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
cooking instructions:
1. To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter by placing it in the mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar slowly, and cream together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and red food coloring. Add applesauce, and mix another 20 seconds.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar. It will fizzle, and when it stops fizzling, mix into batter.
3. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and mix into batter. Scoop into cupcake tins, and bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 10–12 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.
4. To make frosting: Cream butter by placing it in the mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream
cheese, and mix well until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar, and beat until well blended and no lumps.
for frosting:
¼ cup unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese 5. When cupcakes are cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
To Dessert and Beyond
O U T- O F - T H I S - WO R L D S W E E T T R E AT S
text: HEATHER SAFFER
photography: MATT WITTMEYER
Inject a bit of sweetness into your day with four dessert recipes excerpted from
The Dollop Book of Frosting by Heather “Cupcakes” Saffer (Adams Media, 2013).
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AL 17
frosted popcorn
WITH TOFFEE HONEY FROSTING
ingredients:
cooking instructions:
for popcorn: 1. Pop a bag of your favorite microwave popcorn.
1 bag microwave popcorn 1 handful mixed nuts 2. To make frosting: In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir all ingredients continuously until mixture starts to thicken, boil, and become slightly sticky. It will be bubbly and thick, but remove from heat before it browns.
for frosting:
½ cup unsalted butter
3. Drizzle Toffee Honey Frosting over popcorn in bag, add nuts, and shake,
½ cup unsweetened condensed milk
shake, shake!
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon toffee bits 4. Store leftover frosting in airtight container in fridge, and reheat for just 30 seconds the next time your frosting craving strikes.
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AL 19
coffee toffee ganache frosting truffles
W I T H TO F F E E G A N AC H E F R O S T I N G
ingredients:
cooking instructions:
for truffles: 1. To make frosting: In a large bowl, mix the milk chocolate chips and toffee bits. 1 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans, ground Chill bowl in freezer until it begins to thicken, about 45 minutes. for frosting:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup toffee bits
1 cup heavy cream
2. Next, in a saucepan over medium heat, simmer heavy cream until it just begins to boil, then remove cream from heat, and slowly pour over chocolate and toffee,
whisking continuously until chocolate is fully melted.
3. Once cool, whip mixture in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment until it
fluffs up and becomes lighter in color, about 7–8 minutes.
4. Using a mini ice cream scoop, make chilled Toffee Ganache Frosting into balls, and drop on wax paper on a baking dish. Place dish in freezer to firm the balls for about 20–30 minutes.
5. Remove balls from freezer, and roll in a bowl of crushed espresso beans. Place on a wax paper­–lined dish, and return to freezer to set, about 15 minutes.
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AL 21
rosemary sea salt shortbreads
WITH FIG AND HONEY BRIE FROSTING
ingredients:
for cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup white sugar
½ egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons dried rosemary plus ½ teaspoon to
press into cookies
3½ cups flour
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¼ cup fig preserves
for frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces Brie, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons honey
cooking instructions:
1. To make cookies: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, and continue mixing for another 1–2 minutes. Add vanilla, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and flour, and mix until a thick dough forms, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half, and roll into 2 logs, each about 3 inches in diameter. Freeze the logs for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove logs from freezer, and slice in ¼-inch-thick round slices. Lay the cookies flat, and press a very tiny pinch of rosemary and a very tiny pinch of coarse sea salt into the tops of each cookie. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 8–10 minutes, or just before they barely start browning on the edge. Remove from oven.
3. To make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add butter, and continue mixing, about 3 minutes or until smooth. Add Brie, and whip about another 3 minutes, until smooth. Add sugar, and mix until smooth. Add honey, and mix for about 2 minutes, until creamy
and smooth.
4. Allow cookies to cool, then frost with a dollop of Honey Brie Frosting, and garnish with a smidgen of fig preserves.
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AL 23