Easy Chocolate Truffles (made with cocoa powder)

Recipe for Easy Chocolate Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

Please visit my new website, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the Easy Chocolate Truffles recipe. 

NOTE: To toast the coconut, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place desired amount of sweetened flaked coconut in a baking pan and spread it evenly over the pan. Place the pan in oven & cook for  about 15 minutes, or until coconut is lightly browned. 

Spicy Sesame Noodles

Last week I was feeling overwhelmed in the evenings because I was trying to juggle my work, school, home, and social responsibilities all at once. In the coming months, I am going to be looking to make more quick and easy weeknight meals (someone please tell me why I decided to go back to school...). These spicy sesame noodles are one of my go to meals when I am feeling pressed for time. They are really easy to make, and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. Another great thing about this meal is that it barely makes any mess and it is ready to eat within 20 - 25 minutes from start to finish. This recipe was passed on to me 2 years ago from a friend/coworker, and it was passed on to her from her mother.  I love the flavors of the sesame oil, honey, and spicy red pepper flakes. It is so good! If you are afraid of spice, make sure to really cut down on the amount of red pepper flakes that you use in the recipe. The recipe makes at least 8 generous servings of noodles. The noodles can be enjoyed hot, warm, or cold. Make sure to top each serving with toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts. Enjoy!

Recipe for Spicy Sesame Noodles 

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup of corn oil
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1 Tbsp. of chili oil (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. of dried onion flakes
5 Tbsp. of honey
3 Tbsp. of soy sauce
1 tsp. of salt
1 16-ounce package of spaghetti noodles
3 Tbsp. of toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts

DIRECTIONS:
Put a large pot of water on the stovetop and set on high to bring to boil (for the spaghetti noodles).

Put the corn oil, sesame oil, and red chili oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes and onion flakes, stir. Let the oil, pepper flakes, and onion flakes cook for about 2 minutes (make sure to watch the pan while the oil is cooking - you don't want the oil to get too hot). Remove the saucepan from heat. Add in the honey, soy sauce, and salt and mix well. Set aside.

Once the water begins to boil, add some salt to the water. Add the spaghetti noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain noodles well and then put them into a large bowl. Pour the oil and honey mixture over the noodles and mix. Serve the noodles hot or allow them to cool to room temperature. Top each serving with crushed peanuts or toasted sesame seeds. Eat with chopsticks, if desired!

To toast the sesame seeds: Scatter the sesame seeds in an even layer on a toaster oven baking pan. Toast in the toaster oven for 5 - 7 minutes. This can be done before you begin making the meal, or it can be done while the spaghetti is cooking.

Recipe Adapted from: Cathy Holcombe (this may be my friend's mother...or it is the 
person my friend's mother got the recipe from)

COMMENTS:
I know we all have busy schedules. Would you like to share your favorite quick & easy weeknight meal? If so, please leave a comment on this post! Thank you.

*Are you looking for more tasty noodle meals? Check out the recipes for cilantro-peanut pasta salad and soba noodle salad. Both recipes are easy to make & they are delicious!*

Lemon Cupcakes with a Lemon Buttercream Frosting

My friend said the lemon buttercream frosting is "ridiculous in a ridiculously good way!"

Who loves lemon? I love lemon, and I also love this recipe for lemon cupcakes. The cake of the cupcake uses cake flour, which is an absolute must in this recipe - so no substitutions. Cake flour makes these cupcakes light and airy. You can find cake flour in the baking section at most all grocery stores. I use the Softasilk brand of cake flour. The flour is fine, silky, smooth, and perfect for this tender cupcake. Not only is the cake good, but the frosting on these cupcakes is also pretty incredible. Due to popular demand, I took these cupcakes to work last week, and one of my coworkers described the frosting as "ridiculous in a ridiculously good way!" 

I think you will really enjoy these cupcakes. The cake is amazing, the lemon buttercream frosting is ridiculously good, and the candied lemons add a nice touch. The candied lemons are edible - they taste like lemon candy! Yum. 

Recipe for Lemon Cupcakes with a Lemon Buttercream Frosting

For the cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

3 sticks of unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)

2 cups of granulated sugar

3 cups of cake flour (no substitutions)

1 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 tsp. of salt

1/2 tsp. of baking soda

5 large eggs

2 tsp. of vanilla extract

Zest of 2 lemons (save lemons to juice them)

4 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 cup of buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin/cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners.

Add the softened butter and sugar to a large bowl. Beat the butter and the sugar together with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and very fluffy (about 5 minutes or so).

In a medium bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda). Sift the ingredients together and set aside.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure to beat egg into the mixture on low speed after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. 

Now beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in alternating additions to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture. First add about a third of the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Then add about half of the buttermilk to the mixture and mix on low speed. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the mixture, ending with the dry ingredients. Make sure that all of the ingredients are well incorporated and that the mixture is fluffy.

Using a cookie dough scoop or small ladle, scoop the batter into each cupcake liner. Fill the liners with the batter almost to the tops, because the batter does not rise much.

Bake cupcakes for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled, frost with the lemon buttercream frosting and garnish with the candied lemon slices, if desired. 

(Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes)

For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)

2 - 3 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp. of lemon zest

3 cups of powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Put the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer set on medium-low speed, beat together until the butter is smooth and creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on low until the frosting is at a good consistency for spreading. 

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting Recipe from: Our Best Bites

Recipe for Candied Lemon Slices

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of water

1 cup of granulated sugar

2 lemons 

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and dry the lemons. Slice the lemons very thinly, and cut into halves or quarters. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon slices to the pan in a single layer and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, then use a fork to gently flip the lemons over. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Pour the lemons and syrup into an airtight container and store until ready to use.

Love Cupcakes? Love Coconut? You'll love the recipe for coconut cupcakes!

Chocolate Egg Cream

Just like you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you shouldn't judge this recipe by its name. There is no egg in a chocolate egg cream. If you are wondering what this mysterious chocolate egg cream is, it is a delicious chocolate beverage that I just discovered. I was flipping through a cookbook devoted to ch
ocolate (lots of great recipes), and I came across the chocolate egg cream recipe. I made it & loved it. What I loved about the egg cream was that it fulfilled my chocolate craving, but it did not seem too rich or indulgent. So, here is what it is - a chocolate egg cream is a fountain drink made of chocolate syrup, milk (I used cream in this recipe), and seltzer water. It originates back to the late 19th century, and it has been a very popular drink in Brooklyn, NY. Now it is a popular drink in my house! I think you will also really enjoy this tasty chocolate treat.

Recipe for Chocolate Egg Cream

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp. of chocolate syrup (see recipe below)
2 Tbsp. of cream or half and half
Cold Seltzer water (the fizzier the better)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the chocolate syrup and cream in the bottom of a tall glass. Stir the syrup and cream together until it is smooth. Top the glass off with seltzer water. Best when sipped with a straw or spoon.

Recipe for Chocolate Syrup

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
4 - 5 Tbsp. of very hot water

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, sift together the cocoa powder and sugar. Add in 2 Tbsp. of the water and mix until very smooth. Add in the rest of the water, one tablespoon at a time, until a good consistency is reached. Whisk until all of the cocoa powder and sugar are fully dissolved. Store chocolate syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks (like it wouldn't be gone by then...).

Recipe for Chocolate Syrup and Chocolate Egg Cream Adapted from: The Essence of Chocolate

NOTE:
For a really quick chocolate egg cream fix, use bottled or jarred chocolate syrup. However, the homemade chocolate syrup only takes a few minutes to make.