Sugar Topped Rhubarb Cup Cakes. Now as you know I am high on the rhubarb kick as you can tell from my rhubarb pie. These muffins have a nice flavor of almond as well as the tartness of the rhubarb.

Tell me what you think of these and be honest!  I love them!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1/4 Cup White Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Diced Rhubarb
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Oil
• 1 Tsp. Almond Extract
• White Sugar for Topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.







2. Mix dry ingredients.



3. Beat egg, add milk, oil and almond extract.



4. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients and stir to moisten.



5. Fold in Rhubarb.



6. Bake for 20 minutes.





7. Dip tops while hot in sugar.



8. Enjoy!

Zesty Tip: This recipe is very versatile. Using peaches or other fruit in season are just as delicious.

In honor of all my US readers,  I would like to wish you an early Happy Independence Day.  Have a great weekend and you have the rest of the day until 5:00PM EST to enter the great POM giveaway.  I will announce the winners on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Related posts:

1. Super Star Sugar Cookies
2. Rhubarb - It is Oh So Good!
3. Fruit Filled, Sugar Topped Brie Bake
4. Homemade Rhubarb Pie, Sold and Bought!
5. Vanilla Nut Milk

We did a ton of baking along with a few photos of the event.  We all had a lot of fun and the results speak for themselves.  In the coming days you will see some amazing treats in addition to today’s Chocolate cream cheese cupcakes.  While at their house,  I thought I would take advantage of their gorgeous kitchen and show it off a bit.

So before we begin with the amazing recipe and picture overload, I want to send a big thank you to my family for helping out zesty in transition mode.

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Topping

• 8 Oz. Cream Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Dry Batter

• 1 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Cocoa
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Liquid Items

• 1 Cup Water
• 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
• 1 Tsp. White Vinegar
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees and spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Stir the cream  cheese to a creamy, smooth consistency.  Add egg, sugar and salt and stir  (blend) (cream) to uniform smooth consistency.













3. Stir in the chocolate chips.



4. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl,  form a “well ” and set aside.









5. Combine liquid ingredients  in another  bowl.





6. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.  Be sure not to over mix.





7. Spoon chocolate mixture into muffin tins until about 2/3 full.



8. Top each muffin with a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture (Do note the spoon technique).





9. Bake small muffin tins for  9 -11 minutes and regular muffin tins for 20-25 minutes.





10. Remove from oven and let cool.



11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If you need to take these special treats with you to a party, you can make 1.5 times the batter portion. You will have lots of cream cheese topping.  Also note that these cupcakes freeze well and are good warm or cold.

Some Kitchen Shots

So now after all this, I have to hear what you think about these cupcakes.  When you pop one in your mouth you automatically step away from reality and fall in love with the texture and flavor.

Have a great Thursday and be on the lookout for another great treat from my excursion on Canada Day. Before you go - do not forget to sign up for the POM giveaway.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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1. A Chunk of a Chocolate Chip Muffin
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I was sitting talking with my mother-in-law about what to post as I was late getting home from work.  I really just slapped together some dinner and got back to work on the computer.  We came up with some kitchen tips that are super handy to know.

Over the last few weeks she has shared some really great kitchen tips that I never knew about.  So I thought, well I better share these with you and see what you think.

5 Everyday Kitchen Tips

1.  Use Bread with Hard Brown Sugar - Ever have a bag of brown sugar that gets very hard and compact in your cupboard.  No need to throw it out ever again.  Open the bag and place a piece of bread in the top of the bag and seal it up.  Leave it for two days and then check your sugar.  It will be soft and brand new.  Once you are satisfied with the results - throw away the slice of bread.

2.  Clean your pots with Baking Soda and Vinegar - Leave your sauce pot boil dry by accident as you were in the dining room enjoying your dinner?  Not to worry.  This clean up is a piece of cake with the combination of vinegar and baking soda.  In the burnt pot, add some baking soda and vinegar in the bottom of the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes.  The reaction will start to remove the burnt texture on the pot.  You can then add some hot water and give it a light scrub and you will be very pleased.

3.  How to use Sour Milk - How often do you catch yourself throwing sour milk down the sink.  There is no need to do that!  Use it for baking.  It will make a great batch of biscuits.  So the next time you smell some funny milk - set it aside and whip out your zesty apron and get baking.

4. Egg peeling off - Make a small hole in the egg by piercing with a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove the shell very easily.

5.  Revive your Lemon/Lime - If a lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze and revitalize the juice.

Happy Canada Day for all that are celebrating and I hope you have a great Wednesday.  Before you go, check out some more zesty posts make sure you enter in my latest giveaway and try and win some POM Wonderful Juice.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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Just a recap on my POM post from previous.

POM is the only pomegranate juice that controls its juice from tree to bottle: bottle-to-bottle, batch-to-batch, year-to-year.

They grow and hand-pick our own fruit. And they squeeze our pomegranates using proprietary pressing equipment that we designed ourselves. This stringent quality control process results in 100% pomegranate juice with superior taste and a consistent dose of polyphenol antioxidants.

So with that being said, here it is:

POM Juice Giveaway

How To Enter:

• New and existing email subscribers will automatically get an entry on draw date. Note that only verified subscribers count (you will receive a verification email). (+1 entry)
• Leave a comment about what you think of this idea. (+1 entry)
• Earn an extra chance to win by linking back to this post on your own blog (if you have one). (+1 entry) (please email me if you link back)

The Rules:

• Please only 1 comment entry / person (please enter a valid email address). Your email will be kept private and never given/sold to third parties.
• The winners will receive a 473 ml FREE BOTTLE of POM WONDERFUL

So let me know what you think about this adventure in the comments below! A random generator will be used to pick the two winners. Contest will end at 5pm EST July 3rd, 2009.

I hope you have a great Tuesday and be sure to enter the contest.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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When I walked back in the house, all I could smell was fresh pastry and you could not whip the smile off my face.  It was ridiculously good.  Tart on the inside and flaky on the outside.  Topped with a little Vanilla Ice Cream ( or a lot), I was in heaven.  Remember just the other day when I did a post on rhubarb - it is very good for you!  You have to try it.  Here are the steps to make this treat.

Ingredients

• 2 – 4 tablespoons ice water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• Egg wash of 1 yolk whisked with 1 tablespoon water
• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Sift together the flour and salt; sift again. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
3. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time (approximately 3 tablespoons in all), stirring the dough around the bowl with a fork.
4. As soon as it is moist enough to gather into a ball, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
5. Handle the dough as little as possible. Roll half of the pastry dough out on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness.
6. The pastry should be about 1 1/2 inches larger than the the pie plate.
7. Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate. Heap rhubarb over this mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with top crust.
8. Sprinkle top crust with sugar.
9. Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes.
11. Serve warm or cold.
12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Don’t over sugar the rhubarb as it is supposed to be tart.  Using a little flour in the filling will allow the rhubarb to create somewhat of it’s own sauce and not become too runny or loose.

Saturday afternoon proved to be exciting.  We made a decision on a new truck!  We ended up buying a Dodge Dakota Sport and so far we are very pleased.  Here are a couple of smaller pictures.  I have not had a chance to take any pictures as of yet.

So there you have it.  A zesty weekend summarized in 20 lines or less.  I hope you have a great kick off to your week and I will be back tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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5. Finish the Week with a Cinnabun!

Ice cream!  I love ice cream but I tend to consume it more in the summer than in the winter.  So lets talk about what kind of ice cream you like and in what forms.  I am a huge sucker for ice cream sundaes, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream desserts.  As a kid I used to love ice cream sandwiches at school and I really never grew out of it.

So all I have for today is this “ Tell me you favorite Ice Cream” whether it be flavor, type or style.  I want to know.

Have a great Friday and an excellent weekend.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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Join Jenna, Kath, Tina, Meghann, Heather and Caitlin (and more!) for the Healthy Living Summit at The Radisson Hotel in Downtown Boston.

The weekend will begin with an Official Blogger Kick-Off Cocktail Party on Friday evening August 14. Details TBA!

Saturday’s conference will be held at the Radisson with a Stonyfield Yogurt and Mix My Granola breakfast bar. The day will include seminars, talks, demonstrations and Q&As. Lunch will be provided. We will conclude with a juicy afternoon snack!

Sponsors

Sponsors for the event include Stonyfield Farm and Zestycook.com ( Yes me!! ) as well as foodbuzz and other product sponsors you can see over at the sponsors page.

Site Design

In addition to the sponsorship, I designed and implemented the summit website as a “donation” to the summit committee.  If you are interested in getting some blog work done, contact me and we’ll get the ball rolling.

Registration

Registration for the event takes place tonight at 8:00PM EST so be sure to go over and secure your ticket.

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I thought that this was a fun topic to share with you as I know a lot of people tend not to eat this delicious food.  So I gathered some information both from my head, from family and internet sources to share with you today.

Background

Even though rhubarb is considered a vegetable, it is most often treated as a fruit.  Rhubarb provides a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and calcium. It is usually eaten cooked, and just like fresh cranberries, rhubarb is almost unbearably tart on its own.  It  needs the added sweetness of sugar, honey, or fruit juice to balance out the acidity. Since rhubarb is primarily used for pie, it is also referred to by it’s nickname the “pie plant”.

Benefits

1. Can lower cholesterol - With its sweet taste, rhubarb surely is easy to get down. Along with the bonus of tasting good, rhubarb lowers cholesterol. Because of the vitamins and nutrients, this helps reduce the risk of harmful diseases. Rhubarb is a sure thing to take if you are suffering from high cholesterol.
2. Rhubarb stimulates the metabolic rate - This makes it a great for people who want to loose unwanted pounds. The dietary properties are promoted with the usage of fiber and potassium. With the potassium it is said to speed up your metabolism to help you lose weight.
3. Low in carbohydrates - Everyone is trying to find the latest health benefit for fruits and vegetables. The best health benefit of rhubarb is that it is low in carbohydrates. When you have something that is low in carbohydrates, you can still feel ok when you over consume on occasion.

So there you have my take on Rhubarb.  If you have not yet tried it - you should.  I think you will love it.  If you have any Rhubarb questions by all means let me know and I will try to answer them.  I have grown up with Rhubarb and always look forward to it each year.

Have a great Wednesday and I will talk to you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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5. Grocery Item of the Week - Triscuits

As promised in yesterdays post, I thought I would share with you a baking technique that will make you and your guests quite excited. Take a basic biscuit dough enhanced with buttermilk and turn it into both an amazing biscuit or tasty cinnamon rolls.  All I could say as we set out on this project was ” You are GENIUS“.

The results were second to none.  The texture of both the biscuits and the cinnamon rolls were soft and fluffy. The biscuits, touched with butter, was a melt in your mouth experience.  For the cinnamon rolls - the caramelization of the butter and sugar on the bottom of the pan was amazing.  As we all know they are not the healthiest snacks in the world they should probably be eaten in moderation (if possible).

Ingredients

• 4 Cups all-purpose flour
• 4 Tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
• 1/2 Cup shortening, cut into small pieces
• 2 Cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 Tsp. Cream of Tartar

Biscuit Topping:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon buttermilk

Cinnamon Rolls:

• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp.  Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp.  Butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and sugar.



3. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (use pastry blender, two knives, or fingertips).
4. Add the milk, slightly beaten egg and stir until just combined. (The texture should be sticky, moist and lumpy.)



5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently until it comes together and is a smooth dough.



6. Divide the dough into two pieces and set one aside.



7. Roll out dough to about 3/4 inch thickness.



8. Cut out biscuits with a lightly floured cutter of your choice ( I use a small glass ).
9. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg and milk mixture and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.



10. With the second piece of dough roll 1/2 inch thick.
11. Melt butter, cinnamon and brown sugar in the microwave.



12. Spread the mixture onto the rolled out dough.



13. Roll the dough up into a tight roll and slice into 1 inch thick.



14. In a 9 x 13 pan, add a little butter and brown sugar to the bottom.



15. Place sliced cinnamon rolls to the pan.



16. Bake 18 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and then flip them over on a wire rack.
17. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When working with dough, you do not have to over work the dough, get it together, give it a few kneads and get it on the pan.

So there you have it. A great way to create two different enjoyable treats with one batch of dough. I hope you have a great day at whatever you do and I will be back to see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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On Saturday evening I was treated to a homemade cold plate. It included ham, potato salad, garden tomatoes, cucumbers and homemade bread.  What a treat!  Thanks Nan.

The Black Bomber

In addition, we had a last minute boy/girl wedding shower on Sunday that we had to attend. It was a good time and the desserts were incredible.  I didn’t have my camera which is unfortunate.

So a new week has started and our goal is to make some positive traction on the house.  Survey of the property and soil test is complete.  I am just waiting for the elevation of the plans to be finalized, then move onto the building permit along with temporary electric service.  Once  that is complete, we will be ready to dig the hole a get this party started.

I hope you have a great Monday! I have a real treat for you tomorrow (and Wednesday) so stay tuned for some really creative baking.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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When it comes to candy, we always seem to have a few Swedish berries on hand as we are addicted to them.  My favorite candy would have to be “black babies”.  I tend not to eat them very often but when I get the craving… oh boy look out.

In addition to the traditional sugar candies I do love a hint of chocolate every now and again.  I do not drink any coffee, tea or pop/soda, so I look for a shot of chocolate every now and again as a treat.

So with that being said,

I want to know your “FAVORITE CANDY”.

Tell me in the comments because I am sure there are tonnes of candy I have not even heard of.  I look forward to hearing everyone’s response.

Have a great Friday and I will see you all on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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1. It takes on flavor easily
2. It cooks very quickly and
3. It is always tender.

For the Pork and Glaze

• 2 Tbsp. mustard
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary sprigs

Method

1. Preheat the barbecue to high heat.
2. Rub pork loin with oil, salt and pepper.
3. Sear pork on all sides on high heat; reduce heat to medium.
4. With 5 minutes left in the cooking process, add the glaze all over the pork and move the pork off the direct heat. Let rest 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and tent with tin foil for 10 minutes; then slice.
6. ENJOY!

Pear Bacon Chutney

• 3 Bartlett pears
• 1 Sweet Onion
• 8 Slices of Bacon (chopped)
• Salt and Pepper
• Sprinkle of white sugar

Method

1. Brown bacon, drain and remove from sauce pan.
2. Chop onion and pears and begin to slowly cook the onion.
3. Add the pear, and sugar and cook over low heat 10 minutes.
4. Add apple juice and continue to reduce.
5. Add bacon back and cook together on simmer for 30 minutes.
6. ENJOY!

One the Side

• Fresh Garden Carrots
• Rosemary
• Snap Peas
• Balsamic Reduction
• Butter
• Jasmine Rice

Zesty Tip: When cooking meat on the barbecue be sure to use the tent technique as mentioned above.  This will allow the juices to travel back to the center of the meat and not dry out.  The meat will continue to cook while tenting so I like to take it off a few minutes before the meat is fully cooked to your desired temperature.

Wow that felt like it took me forever to write all about this meal.  I must say the meal was very tasty with all the different flavors and textures. As well, I enjoyed using the rosemary on the meat, the vegetables and infused in the rice. Well I think that is all I have for today.  Let me know if you have any questions regarding today’s meal plan and I hope you have a great Thursday.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

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These sugar cookies are not difficult to make and I love how chewy they are.  Have these along side a tall chilled glass of milk and you’ll never turn back!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups butter, softened
• 2 Cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
• 5 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tsp. salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
5. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
7. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.
9. Cool completely.

Zesty Tip: When asked to preheat your oven in the recipe, ensure you follow those directions and do not start the baking process before the oven is preheated.

Well it is the middle of the week already - which is crazy. The weather is getting nicer around here so that is exciting. I had a very productive day on the house front. Things are looking up. I hope you have a great day and let me know what you think of these cookies.

Take care

zesty

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On the Menu

• Strip loin Steaks
• Grilled Zucchini
• Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions in a Balsamic Reduction
• Grilled Lemon Rosemary Baby Potatoes

The results were acceptable.  I enjoyed everything overall although I found the steak to be just average.  The meat was a bit tasteless and slightly overcooked (which was my fault).  On the bright side, everyone’s plate was clean after the meal.

On the Steaks

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

On the Potatoes

• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh Rosemary
• 1 Tsp. Butter
• Drizzle of Olive Oil
• Lemon Juice

In the Mushrooms

• Salt and Pepper
• Mushrooms
• Sweet Vidilia Onions
• Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp. Sugar

Zesty Tip: When grilling potatoes, the use of a tin foil plate is a great idea and eliminates the risk of the aluminum foil breaking open and losing your hard work.

I am so tired! I hope you have a great day. On the house front… the survey of the land was delayed for today so Ugh… I am staying positive but why do small things take so long to get accomplished.

Take care

zesty

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The wedding was very nice and the food was really tasty.  As you know I am all about the food.  I was over at my mom’s earlier in the weekend as we made a couple of cookie treats.  One of which is featured here today.

Growing up I always loved Raisin Drop Cookies. In addition to the drop cookies, I have always loved anything with raisins.  Especially raisin bread, war cake,  or raisin pie.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups raisins
• 1 Cup water
• 1 Tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tsp. cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 Tsp. nutmeg (optional)
• 1 Cup Butter
• 2 Cups brown sugar
• 3 Eggs (beaten)
• 1 Tsp. baking soda
• 4 Cups flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Boil raisins in water for 5 minutes.
3. Cool then add baking soda. Let stand then add vanilla cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Cream together butter and sugar then add eggs, baking powder and flour.
5. Add raisin mixture to flour mixture and stir together well.
6. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet
7. Bake for 12 minutes.



8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When baking with raisins, it is a great idea to boil them in water to plump them up and ensure they will be juicy in your baked goods.  You can also do this procedure with any dried fruit.

I have some really great treats for you this week.  Staying at my inlaws and my mother in law is a great baker - I am learning lots of great tips and techniques that I will be sure to share with you.

I hope you have a great day and I will see you again tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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