Thursday, February 3, 2011 Corn Dog Muffin App

These little puppies were the hit of my Baking One final. And it occurred to me people might want to consume these during that Superbowl thing. So here goes -

Corn Dog Muffins

In a bowl mix...

1 ½ cups corn meal

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Then add...

1 egg, beaten

1 ½ cups well-shaken buttermilk

1 ½ sticks (6oz) melted butter

Mix until it's just incorporated. Don't over mix.

Slice up some hot dogs about pinkie width. Fill a mini-cupcake pan up with mini-cupcake liners and, using a cake decorating bag, pipe out the bottoms of the muffins. Just a drop, slightly larger than a Hershey Kiss, because you need to leave room for the hot dog and another layer of muffin mix. Push the hot dog slices into the bottom half of muffin mix, you want it to come up the sides a bit so the hot dog is not exposed. Pipe the top half of muffin mix in a circular motion around the outside of the hot dog slice ending in the center and completely covering and surrounding the slice. It sounds harder than it is. It's just a quick swirl to complete the muffin.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You want them to be cooked and set, but you don't want them to start getting color on them. Because you're going to cook them again.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit. Then remove the liner paper. Wrap a slice of bacon (raw) around the sides of the muffin and stick a skewer, or skewer a stick, through the whole thing.

This is slightly tricky business as the hot dog doesn't really want to slide down the stick. Go easy and take your time.

Bake them for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, muffin top up. The bacon will get nice and crispy and the muffin will soak in all that goodness while it's finishing baking.

Serve'em while they're hot with ketchup and mustard!

Just think - corn dog on a stick in one hand and mac n cheese lettuce wraps in the other! That's my kinda Superbowl.

Go Knicks!

-HH

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 Ahhh AHHH!

Guess who got an A on her Baking final :)

I ran about like the crazy woman that I am for almost three hours, mixing, baking, measuring, bacon wrapping. Yeah, baby! My four-course muffin meal went over like hotcakes. And even though my vanilla muffin cones were a complete disaster I proudly earned my A grade.



My teacher gave me some great pointers regarding the plating and presentation - if ever I am to work as a pastry chef at some place other than my house. The chocolate olive oil bread he suggested I serve toasted with a scoop of rosemary ice cream. Can you say yum?



And what arrived in the mail the other day but a book of muffin recipes. Maybe there's a muffin night in the future. Hmmm....

-HH

Saturday, December 4, 2010 The Pursuit Of Muffin Perfection

This batch of vanilla muffin cones came out much better than the last, not that the last batch was inedible. We ate every last one.

I added a touch of vanilla bean to the batter and some vanilla sugar to the top. Can you see it sparkling? It adds a nice crunch to the top.

I think these have to be served warm - once they cool the cone becomes chewy. Not that there's anything wrong with chewy cones. Convenience store ice cream cones can be chewy and they can also be delicious. Just ask my ass.

Stay tuned for next week's menu!

-HH

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Practicing For My Baking Final

So I'm going with the four-course meal of muffins. You're looking at the salad course - a savory zucchini muffin with marjoram, rosemary and lemon verbena from the garden. Quite tasty, especially with a dash of balsamic. And I have the perfect plate - a fish plate with a built-in depression. It's probably meant for sushi and soy sauce, but I'm going muffin and balsamic. Boo-yeah.

Yesterday I had a very good trial run of my chocolate olive oil quick bread that will be served as the entree like a steak with hot oil from the garden. I had my first trial run on Sunday and it was a disaster. Not really a disaster, but it didn't rise enough, it didn't hold together, it was dry, not sweet enough and generally yucky.

I tweaked it. Apple sauce. Works wonders.

Over the next few days I will be finalizing my other two courses, corn dog muffins wrapped in bacon and served on a stick and vanilla muffin ice cream cones.

Stay Tuned!

-HH

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 Planning My Baking Final

I've just returned from tanking a test. Last time I thought I tanked I got an 88. I'll be happy to end up in that ballpark this time. I'm not really sure how much each test is part of my grade, but I know I'm doing well in the kitchen, or shall I say the bakery.

Our final is practical and he's allowing us to decide what we do...somewhat. I wanted to make a Pumpkin Bacon Quick Bread, but he thought that was too easy for me so he told me I can make 4 different muffins with different presentations.

WOO HOO!

My first thought was to do the four seasons in muffins (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, not the hotel) but I quickly decided that wasn't exciting enough. And thinking about the presentation created all sorts of crazy creative thoughts in my head - different muffin sizes, plating, different flavors and finishes.

AAAHHH!

The menu is still in it's infancy, well maybe it's a toddler, but here's the idea.
A four course meal in muffins. To start, mini corn muffins with a slice of hot dog inside (you know it) skewered on a stick like a corndog. I'd like some sort of bacon streusel or something. Or I can wrap it in bacon and fry it. That might work.

After the appetizer comes the soup or salad course. I'm thinking some kind of savory muffin, maybe with zucchini and herbs. Something like that. I haven't nailed this one down yet, but I want it to be representative of either soup or salad. Because it's for the soup or salad course. Ain't I brilliant? Ha!

Next up for sure will be some chocolate olive oil deliciousness. I think this one I will bake in a loaf pan and serve a slice, maybe with some hot pepper oil. Of course chocolate is not a well known entree, at least not in public, but I think if I top it with some nice sea salt and the pepper oil it will look almost like a nice, square, extra well-done steak on your plate

To finish it off I'd like to make a vanilla muffin in a cake cone - like an ice cream cone. Wafer cones, cake cones, you know what I mean. And I can serve it with whipped cream :)

So does that sound good? I think it does, so far. I'll have to start practicing soon! My neighbors will be happy to eat my homework!

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH