Mardi Gras Cupcakes ‘Fit for a King’

Instead of making the traditional King Cake, a colorful braided brioche with a miniature plastic baby baked inside, I chose a perky, playful approach for my contribution to the Fat Tuesday potluck for diocesan employees at the Pastoral Center tomorrow. I created both chocolate and white cupcakes with a bite of cream cheese and candy morsels filling. Another layer of cream cheese flavor was added through the ambrosial frosting which was sprinkled with the customary purple, green and gold sugars. And, inside one white and one chocolate cupcake there is a plastic baby figurine. I hope the recipients of that tiny trinket feel like a “king or queen for the day.” CJK

Mardi Gras Cupcakes ‘Fit for a King’

 (Recipes adapted from All Recipes.com)

Photo by Bill Vossler

Cake

1 (15.25 oz.) package Dark Chocolate Cake mix

Ingredients to prepare cake mix

Filling

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips*

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Adornment and Surprise**

3 oz. green decorating sugar

3 oz. purple decorating sugar

3 oz. gold decorating sugar

1 (1” plastic baby figurine)

Preheat oven to 350°F (or to the temperature recommended on the cake mix package). Line cupcake tins with paper baking liners.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, but do not bake.

In a separate bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended, then stir in the chocolate chips.

Place the plastic baby in the bottom of one of the cupcake liners.

Fill each cupcake liner only 1/4 full with cake batter and then top each about 1 1/2 tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture. Follow with another layer of the cake batter — taking care to fill each paper liner only 2/3 full.***

Bake according to package directions for cupcakes.**** Cool on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Ice cooled cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with decorating sugars.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

 A note from Carol: *Any flavor of morsels would be pleasing — it’s your choice. I chose to use “swirled milk chocolate and caramel morsels.” (Delicious!)

I had the same problem as some of the reviewers as far as the filling sinking to the bottom. One reason could be that it is heavier than the batter. I decided that with cream cheese frosting on top, cream cheese filling on the bottom and a few nibbles of sweet cake in between I could accept this minor problem.

Photo by Bill Vossler

**I was able to find the green decorating sugar at a grocery store but the gold and purple sugars and the plastic babies came from our local bakery. They had the items on hand as they were preparing to make traditional “king cakes” themselves. 

You might also choose to forgo the sugar and simply divide and color the frosting green, purple and gold. Another diminutive trinket, an orange wedge or dry bean or pea could be substituted for the plastic baby figurine.

*** You could use a small scoop to put the cake batter and cream cheese mixture in the cupcake liners. 

Or, put the mixtures into separate “snap and seal” plastic bags and snip off a small corner of each bag to pour the batters into the paper liners. (Actually, I used a Williams Sonoma Pancake Pen to dispense the cake batter — it made the process so easy!)

****We all know that ovens can vary in “true” temperatures so I don’t want to give too much advice in this area. However, just for the record, one reviewer said she only baked her cupcakes for exactly 18 minutes and they weren’t burned on the bottom (which must have been a problem for others).

And, another reviewer said she removed them when they “still seemed a bit jiggly” to avoid burning and she also mentioned that “the cream cheese filling needs time to cool and set up.” So after reading those comments, I chose to bake mine for only 18 minutes, which also worked perfectly for my oven! (They weren’t “jiggly,” but if they had been, I wouldn’t have worried.)

The second batch of cupcakes that I made for the potluck were created with a French Vanilla cake mix, strawberry cream cheese and classic white chips, as one reviewer of the recipe suggested. (Nice combination!)

It’s important to tell those who will be eating the cupcakes that a baby figurine or other trinket (which could be a choking hazard) is hidden inside one of them. That way all the  “eaters of the sweets” will be on the lookout for it and happy to be named the “special person of the day” if it is hidden inside their cupcake.

A Mardi Gras tradition

Tomorrow is known as Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday. It’s the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent for Christians around the world. It’s considered a day of great celebration for some, especially in New Orleans!

Mardi Gras parties in that Louisiana city are not complete without a King Cake — sweet bread dough filled with cream cheese or fruit, braided into an oval ring to represent a crown. It’s topped with a fondant icing and colored sugar: green for faith, purple for justice and gold for power. A small item is baked inside, usually an itty-bitty plastic baby symbolic of Baby Jesus. 

Over the years various duties or privileges have come with being the one who finds the baby in their piece of decorated bread. Nowadays, at many events, the person who found the baby is regarded as the “King or Queen” of the party. CJK 

Happy Valentine's Day!

“Love is always the perfect gift.”

— Author Unknown

Almond Cheesecake

The “Cooking School” Collection 2012

Former Principal Sheila Seelhammer

Sacred Heart Area School

Staples, Minnesota

Cheesecake has gained the reputation of being the “ultimate dessert”! A lot of people endorse that point of view. Oh sure – there are crème brûlée, pot de crème, truffle and baklava devotees — and those, of course, enamored with countless other desserts. (And, honestly, I don’t have an argument with any of them — desserts are good — why banter about this wonderful “food group”?) 

But, let’s say you have to stand up and be counted. What then? OK. I’ll do it — yes, for me, cheesecake is the ultimate dessert.

Sheila Seelhammer is a fellow home economics teacher (a subject now called Family and Consumer Sciences) who later became a principal. She’s sharing an over-the-top recipe as far as I’m concerned — Almond Cheesecake. CJK

Almond Cheesecake

(Sheila Seelhammer)

Crust:

1 1/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers

3/4 cup finely chopped almonds

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Filling:

4 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese

1 1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

Top layer:

2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1/8 cup toasted almonds

Mix the ingredients for the crust and press into the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the ingredients for the filling, adding the eggs one at a time, and pour it over the crust.

Bake cheesecake at 350°F for 55 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for five minutes.

Combine the ingredients for the top layer and spread over the baked cake. Return to the oven for five minutes.

Cool the cheesecake overnight. Sprinkle with toasted almonds just before serving.

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

A note from Sheila: This recipe is one of my all-time favorites! I’ve made it for years and it’s always a hit! For a party this past Christmas season I made it in individual servings starting with mini cupcake liners, placing a vanilla wafer in each. I added a dollop of the cheesecake filling and baked them for about 15 minutes or until the top was set. Then, I crowned them with a spoonful of the top layer mixture and baked for another three to five minutes. Instead of the almonds, I garnished each with a raspberry. They were beautiful and truly delicious!

A note from Carol: Sheila was the principal at Sacred Heart Area School , a pre-kindergarten through 6th grade elementary school, in Staples, Minnesota, for five years before she retired in 2007. (The current principal is Jim Opelia, who has been at the school since 1998 — 10 years as a fourth-grade teacher and four as principal.)

Sheila’s husband, Jim, is a building contractor and owner of Slammer Construction in Deer Creek. Sheila and Jim have four grown sons — all married — and five grandchildren (with another blessing on the way). The Seelhammers are members of St. Edward Parish in Henning.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

The “Cooking School” Collection 2012

Principal Jason Smith

St. Henry’s Area School

Perham, Minnesota

Jason Smith admits he’s not much of a cook. But, this “Buffalo Chicken Dip” is one recipe he does have in his cooking repertoire. He often brings it to gatherings for an appetizer.

“It tastes like buffalo wings so it’s hot and spicy and it’s an easy thing I can throw together in a ‘crockpot’ and go,” Jason explained. “I plug it in when I get there and it’s ready to go in no time. It’s a great recipe for the Super Bowl!” CJK

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

(Jason Smith)

4 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken breast, shredded

1 (12 oz.) bottle of hot sauce*

2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 (16 oz.) bottle of ranch dressing

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (or a combination of both)

Spray stoneware crock of slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine ingredients in slow cooker. Heat on “low” until bubbling. Serve with celery sticks or other vegetables, tortilla chips or crackers.

Yield: 20 to 30 servings

A note from Jason: **I like to use Louisiana Hot Sauce®.

A note from Carol: A native of Perham, Jason returned after college to teach at St. Henry’s Area School there 12 years ago. He is in his fourth year of serving as principal at the school while continuing to teach fifth and sixth grade language arts as well.

Jason and his wife, Lisa, who teaches kindergarten at Frazee Public School, have three sons: Andrew (8), Morgan (5) and Isaac (3). They are members of St. Henry’s Parish in Perham.

Potluck Peanut Butter Oat Bars

 The “Cooking School” Collection 2012

Principal Paula Becker

Christ the King School

Browerville, Minnesota

  

These peanut butter oat bars can be “ready in a snap” for potlucks, as their name implies. But, I wouldn’t stop there — they would be most appreciated for any occasion.

Paula Becker has been baking them for events of all kinds for the last 18 years. “This is an ‘old faithful recipe’ for me because I always have the ingredients for it on hand,” she said. “Every time I take them somewhere I get asked for the recipe. It is so easy that it is almost embarrassing. People think the recipe is going to be more complicated than it is.”

I whipped up a batch last week and definitely agree with Paula that they are not only a cinch to make but also very tasty! CJK

Potluck Peanut Butter Oat Bars

(Paula Becker)

(Photos by Bill Vossler)

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. vanilla

4 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/3 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9 by13-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and oats together in a stand mixer or by hand. Press into prepared pan and bake at 400°F for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes.

Heat the chocolate and butterscotch chips and peanut butter in the microwave for two minutes and mix until well blended. Spread on top of warm bars. Cool before cutting. 

Yield: 36 bars

A note from Paula: My sons all love these bars — they are a family favorite! Over time I’ve tried both creamy and crunchy peanut butter for the recipe and have found that I like the texture of creamy peanut butter best.

A note from Carol: Paula Becker has been the principal at Christ the King School for eight years. She teaches pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes there as well. She formerly taught at St. Mary of Mount Carmel School in Long Prairie for one year and St. Andrew School in Elk River for four and a half years.

Paula and her husband, Chad, president and CEO of MetaFarms Inc., an agriculture technology company, attend Christ the King Parish in Browerville with their family. They have four sons: Nathan (19), Nicholas (15), Noah (14) and Nye (9). Chad, Nicholas and Noah are all alumni of Christ the King School, where Nye is a fourth-grader. Nathan is an alumnus of St. Andrew School.

The Potluck Peanut Butter Oat Bars are one of the more than 450 recipes featured in the “Christ the King Family Recipes” cookbook, which can be purchased for $12 each (plus postage and handling) from the school. Contact Roxanne Determan, school secretary/bookkeeper, at 320-594-6114 or ctkoffice@embarqmail.com to buy one.

Grilled Baby-Back Ribs With Birmingham Barbecue Sauce

The “Cooking School” Collection 2012

Assistant Principal Mary Sowada

Mary of Lourdes Elementary and Middle Schools

Little Falls, Minnesota

  

Yummm!!! Talk about finger lickin’ good! Mary Sowada and her husband, Gary, found this exceptional recipe for pork baby-back ribs in Joe Famularo’s “The Joy of Grilling” cookbook about 15 years ago. It is their all-time family favorite.

“Everybody loves these ribs,” Mary said. “This is our kids’ favorite meal and what they always request for their birthdays or other special occasions! Whenever we’ve made them for friends, they want the recipe.”

These ribs sound so tempting and mouthwatering that I can hardly wait for Minnesota’s snow to melt and our grilling season to return. I’ll be dreaming about trying them until then! CJK

Grilled Baby-Back Ribs 

With Birmingham Barbecue Sauce

(Mary Sowada)

5 to 6 lbs. pork baby-back ribs

3 tbsp. peanut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, minced

2/3 cup tomato catsup

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Trim the ribs, including fat and membrane, leaving the rack of ribs whole and at room temperature.

Combine all other ingredients, except the honey and brown sugar, to make a marinade. Lay ribs flat in a glass or ceramic dish and pour marinade over them. Allow ribs to marinate at least four hours. (Or refrigerate overnight to gain maximum flavor. Bring to room temperature before grilling.)

Remove the ribs from marinade. Scrape marinade from ribs with a rubber spatula and reserve. Grill ribs over a slow fire for about 40 minutes, turning every five minutes. (Take care to not let the fire flare up and burn them.)

Place reserved marinade in a saucepan and add sugar and honey. Heat only until the sugar is dissolved. Brush on ribs and continue grilling about 20 minutes more, basting as often as necessary to keep ribs moist.

Slice ribs just before serving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

A note from Mary: Gary grills the ribs while I prepare other dishes for the meal. He would tell you to watch them carefully and to keep a spray bottle near the grill to put out any flames. Flare-ups occur and you don’t want to burn the ribs.

My recommendation is to have lots of napkins on hand.

A note from Carol: This is Mary’s first year as assistant principal for Mary of Lourdes Elementary and Middle Schools in Little Falls. (Maria Heymans-Becker is the principal for both schools.)

Mary has taught in a number of locations over the years — a majority of those positions were overseas in international schools or language schools in cities where the couple was living. Gary’s work as a computer programmer for the airlines took them to Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Mexico City, Mexico; Helsinki, Finland; France; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Mary and Gary are the parents of three children: Sebastian (16), Sophia (12) and Katherine (8). The Sowadas live on the family farm near Little Falls where Gary grew up. They are members of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Little Falls.