Pumpkin Dip

Part of my job on the cardiology floor was to monitor patients' heart rhythms while they were getting tests done.  It was stressful if the patient's condition was a little precarious, but most of the time it was just a precaution.  I ventured down to MRI one time and noticed that one of the MRI techs had made pumpkin dip for the rest of her coworkers.  I didn't try any but I asked for the recipe since it smelled great.  She graciously printed a copy for me and I made it for my coworkers to celebrate my preceptee's last day of orientation.  My coworkers liked it so much that I ended up printing copies for them, too.

Making sure the cream cheese is softened is KEY.  Microwave it (out of the foil packet, of course) or leave it out at room temperature to get the consistency you need.  I omitted the orange juice and it still tasted fine- I think it's more for color than taste.  I served it with graham crackers, apple slices, and honey wheat pretzel braids.

Thanks to the MRI tech and Sue from Allrecipes!

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and orange juice until smooth and well blended. Chill until serving.

Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes

Yesterday we invited people over for dinner, and I promised dessert.  I was already obligated to make cupcakes for W's coffee break at work, so I tried to find the perfect cupcake recipe.  It was impossible!  There are five hundred billion recipes for cupcakes!!

Finally at 5pm I decided to check one of my favorite websites: Smitten Kitchen.  I looked at a couple recipes and then saw this one: Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes with Mint Cream
Happy Valentine's Day to me!  It was love at first sight.  And at first bite.  *happy sigh*  One friend ate three of them. 

I didn't have enough time to make the mint cream so I served it with Bailey's Whipped Cream instead.  It was delicious, and the extra whipped cream went well with strawberries.  W's work cupcakes were dusted with powdered sugar since he felt funny about bringing in something with alcohol. 

As much as I enjoyed the challenge of finding a great recipe, the best part was sharing dinner and dessert with friends.  Thanks for sharing Valentine's Day with us!  And thanks to Smitten Kitchen and Cupcake Project for posting recipes.


Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes courtesy of Smitten Kitchen
Makes 12 cupcakes

Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) (86 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) espresso or instant coffee powder
3 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons (97 grams) sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9 standard-size (3-ounce) muffin cups with paper liners. Stir chocolate, butter and espresso powder together in heavy medium saucepan over low heat mostly melted, then remove from the heat and whisk until it is fully melted and smooth.  Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer (a hand mixer, rather than a stand mixer, actually works best here because the volumes are so small) beat egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Briefly beat lukewarm chocolate mixture, then vanilla extract, into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and all of the salt, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared cups, filling each three-fourths of the way.

Bake cakes until tops are puffed and dry to the touch (some may crack, embrace it) and a tester inserted into the centers comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a cooling rack, where the cupcakes will almost immediately start to fall. It will be all the better to put your mint cream on them.

From Cupcake Project:
Bailey's Irish Cream Whipped Cream

• 2 C heavy whipping cream
• 2/3 C sugar
• 2 T homemade Baileys Irish Cream (yes, store-bought would work just fine)

1. Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Mix in sugar and Baileys Irish Cream until just combined.

 

thank goodness for rice flour

Last year I trained a lovely new RN who ate gluten-free.  People would bring food and snacks to our unit, but she often couldn't eat them because they had gluten in them.  For her birthday I was determined to bring only snacks that she could eat so she could consume without abandon, and this cake was definitely the star of the snack tray.  Don't get me wrong- people like rice crackers, veggies, hummus, and Pirate's Booty, but nothing says "birthday" like cake.

Like I mentioned above, it uses rice flour for its chewy texture.  A box of it is less than $2 at the Asian grocery store.  I made the cake for guests this past weekend and they liked the mochi-ness of it.

Thanks to Kirbie for the recipe!  Strawberry mochi cake

Ingredients

• 16 oz mochiko rice flour (or can substitute for any brand of glutinous rice flour)
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, cut into small cubes

Instructions
1. Cream the butter with sugar.  It helps to melt the butter a little first.
2. Mix in the evaporated milk to the butter/sugar mixture.
3. Mix eggs into the mixture.
4. Mix in the rice flour, baking powder and vanilla.
5. Stir in the strawberries.
6. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan.
7. Bake for approximately 1 hour at 350 degrees.
8. Let cake completely cool, allowing the mochi to set, before cutting and serving.

***
I've also made a pumpkin version of this for my sister-in-law's birthday from Week of Menus (one of my favorite food bloggers ever!  Expect to see a lot of links to her recipes):
pumpkin mochi cake

Pumpkin Mochi Cake
Makes one 9x13 pan

1 lb box mochiko (sweet rice flour - equivalent to 3 cups)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) melted
14 oz can of pumpkin puree
12 oz can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan. (I find it easiest to just use cooking spray oil like Pam).

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients: mochiko, brown and white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients: melted butter, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla extract.

Carefully pour wet ingredients over dry mixture and whisk until mixture is uniform and smooth. Pour into greased pan. Bake for 75 minutes, until top is golden brown.

Allow to cool 10 minutes and then serve.

***
Best eaten the day you make it, if not store it at room temperature loosely covered with foil.  I usually only make it if there are a lot of people around to eat it.