Dreamy Peanut Butter Lovers Cupcakes
PIN IT!Guys, I finally have my post written about my time at COSA with the Giving Lens. It only took 3 weeks, but it’s finally done! I was just waiting on a list of names so I could finalize it! Post will be published tomorrow morning! In the meantime, I thought I’d share something a little decadent this Friday, these dreamy peanut butter lovers cupcakes. Because, Friday.
Friday needs to look like this. It just does. Especially after the weirdly emotional and crazy week I had. My friday needs cupcakes, it just really does. And these aren’t low-fat, healthy or anything of the sort, but they are damn delicious, so that’s reason enough to love them.
I’ve had a hard week. Not because I’ve been overloaded with work or slammed with life obligations, I’m just feeling a little lost. Earlier this year, part of the job that I loved more than anything was cut from the budget. I fell so deeply in love with this part of my life that adjusting to it not being there anymore is really, really hard. I’m not very good at being ambiguous, but I’m not 100% sure I’m able to share all of the details. I still have a great job and I’m doing exactly what I was hired to do 3 years ago. But it’s almost like I’ve back tracked because I was flourishing with this new role and now I’m just back to where I started.
In a way, it’s kind of exciting because it gives me the push I need to start pitching to other outlets. But with that comes something I’m not really used to: rejection. There are hundreds of other writers out there who are far more experienced and more talented than I am. Those people have a voice I’m still trying to find. Those are the people these magazines, websites and papers will hire. I know you’re not a real writer until you’re rejected by everyone you pitch to, but I’m not used to it. I’ve been writing for one publication for three years and I’ve never been professionally rejected before. I’ve always been published.
I know how naive that makes me sound, but it’s just the truth. Rejection is a very scary thing. I put everything I have into what I write and to have it rejected is like I’m being rejected. When I’m told it’s not a good fit or I need to diversity my portfolio, that’s like telling me I don’t fit. I don’t belong. I spent my entire highschool years feeling rejected and like an outsider. And this whole pitching process reminds me of that. It brings me back to those lonely weeknights I’d sit in my room and just cry as I stared out the window. Those feelings of “why don’t I fit in?” “Why am I not good enough?”
This is the point where many people give up. They stop sending pitches or stories and they quit doing what they love because they are rejected. They take it all to heart and give up on their dreams. I’m not ready to do that. I don’t like rejection, I don’t like being told I’m not ready, but I’m also not going to let that stop me from trying anyway. My spirit may be damaged and my hope fleeting, but I’m still holding on to that sliver of optimism that someone will say yes. Sometime will give me the green light to write about whatever I’d like. Maybe that yes will come this week, maybe next year, but I’m not giving up until I get it.
So here’s hoping someone says yes soon. I’m sort of tired of this rejection BS.
Dreamy Peanut Butter Lovers Cupcakes
Yields about 14 cupcakes. Inspired by Two Tarts.
Prep time: About 10 -15 minutes
Bake time: About 22 – 23 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup skim Chobani yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dash of salt
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons low fat extra crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup low-fat extra crunchy peanut butter*
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tablespoons skim milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons light cream
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup peanut butter chips (optional)
- Chocolate glaze (optional)
*Sub in creamy if you’d prefer
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, applesauce and sugars until soft and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and yogurt until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda together.
- Add the flours to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. In another bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar together until creamy. Roll the filling mixture into 12 small balls and place on a baking dish.
- Fill the paper liners 1/4 of the way full with chocolate cupcake batter. Place one peanut butter ball into the center of each one. Top the balls with the remaining cupcake batter.
- Bake for about 19 – 23 minutes, or until they bounce back when touched. Let cool completely before you frost.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting. Beat the peanut butter, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and cream together (until mixture is thick and fluffy).
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, put the peanut butter frosting into a piping bag fitted with a flower tip and frost each one. Top with peanut butter chips and chocolate glaze.
Nutritional information per cupcake:
Calories: 398
Fat: 20 grams
Carbohydrates: 40 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 8.9 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 9
Mango and Coconut Ice Cream
This amazing mango and coconut ice cream is the perfect spring and summertime dessert!
I’m so glad I live in a place that has clear seasons. Like, for instance, when spring started earlier this week and we were showered with…SNOW. And now, the sun is shining, a bird is chirping and I’m freezing my balls off because it’s 28 degrees. Dear spring, you’re looking a little bit like your bitchy sister winter and let me tell you, it’s not a good look. Put down the eyeliner and take off those holey jeans. You belong in sundresses, aviators and pastel cardigans.
I don’t mind winter, when it’s, you know, WINTER. In December, I’m all about the cold weather. I stare outside as the snow falls down with a romantic grin on my face. I snuggle up by the crackling fire wearing a large, oversized sweater and fleece lined leggings. I’m all about that shizz. But when it’s late March and technically spring? I’m not all about it. Not one bit.
In fact, in excitement for the impending spring, I unloaded all of my warm weather clothes from the attic and shoved my sweaters, boots and long sleeve shirts in their place. Of course, I did this before the snow storm so I was slightly ill equipped to deal with the cold weather without proper shoes or a coat. And no, I did not dig out said clothes out of principle. When it’s MARCH IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE SEMI-WARM. I’d rather freeze than unpack my stupid sweaters when it’s practically Memorial Day.
This is also why I made coconut ice cream amidst the storm so I could further pretend it’s actually warm outside. Plus, this creamy ice cream tastes exactly like the mango sticky rice I had in Thailand almost every day. Except this is even better because it’s low-carb. Which I did on purpose and NOT because I couldn’t find sticky rice for the life of me.
For some reason people think I’m stubborn and I have no idea why.
Mango and Coconut Ice Cream
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 8. Recipe inspired by All Recipes.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: About 2+ hours
Ingredients:
- 1 mango
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 14 ounce can light coconut milk
- 3/4 cup light cream
- 1/2 cup sweetened coconut for garnish
Directions:
- Open the mango and remove the skin from the flesh. Scoop out the flesh and place into a blender. Blend until thick and smooth, about pureed. In same blender, add the milk, brown sugar, coconut milk and light cream. Blend until mixture is thick and creamy. Cover with the top of the blender and chill for about 2 hours.
- Once chilled, pour the mixture into the frozen banister of an ice cream maker. Turn on the ice cream maker and blend until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. The ice cream will be rather soft, so you may want to place in the freezer to chill more. Serve with sweetened coconut.
Nutritional information per serving (about 1/2 cup)
Calories: 139.5
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 9.75 grams
Fiber: >1 gram
Protein: 2.65 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 4
Claire
Tags:coconut recipes, creamy coconut ice cream, easy ice cream, ice cream recipes, mango recipes
Swiss Chard, Salami & Ricotta Pizza
This swiss chard, salami and ricotta pizza will turn your normal pizza night into an extraordinary one!
No matter what you do for a living, Mondays are never easy, especially if you have a great weekend. Instead of snoozing past 7am, you have to wake up, shower, answer emails, go on conference calls, deal with coworkers you can’t stand and try not to stab your jackass boss in the neck when he pisses you off. We’ve all been there. Even though I love my job, Mondays are still stupid.
Even though I don’t love Mondays, today is a little bit special. It’s the 3 year anniversary of our wedding rehearsal! I can’t believe we’ve been married for almost 3 years. It doesn’t seem real.
It hasn’t been an easy 3 years, let me tell you that. We’ve gone through some major bumps in the road (like a fire, death of a grandparent, major health scare with parents), gone through many marriage growing pains (including a few not-so-pretty fights) and have dealt with 4+ new job changes and 4 moves. It hasn’t been easy. But you know what? Even with all of those hardships, I wouldn’t trade a single second with Elliot. The incredible moments we share and our love for eachother overshadows all of that. Every time he’s made me laugh, hugged me when I’ve cried and surprised me with his compassion and love has outnumbered the times he’s royally pissed me off. The best times trump everything, and that’s exactly why I think we’ll be celebrating 60 more of these anniversaries.
If you’re lucky enough to have a man (or woman) who supports you through everything, the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, you are lucky enough. I think. Especially if said person goes to a job they don’t love just so you can do what you love.
And for me, that often involves taking photos of vegetables. And making crazy pizzas with 15 ingredients on top because I can’t seem to make up my mind.
Elliot eats almost all of the food I make, but he just couldn’t wrap his head around this one. “Claire, exactly how many things are on this pizza?” he asked as he stared at it with confused eyes. And my response took about 5 minutes because I had to remember everything I put on it. So I just said “It’s a supreme. You love supreme!” and then he said “Not when 75% of the things on it are green!”
And that’s my life. But it all works out because it leaves me with more delicious pizza.
Swiss Chard, Salami & Ricotta Pizza
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6 -7.
Prep time: About 10 minutes
Cook time: 18 – 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm (110 degrees F) water
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Cornmeal for dusting
For the toppings:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch swiss chard, thick stems removed
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, thick stems removed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- About 9 – 10 slices salami
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a pizza pan or stone with olive oil and then sprinkle with cornmeal. Add the yeast, sugar and water to a large boil. Let sit for about 10 minutes (or until it bubbles up).
- Add the flours, olive oil and salt. Stir the mixture until a dough forms. Let sit for about 5 – 10 minutes. Liberally flour a hard surface and knead the dough until smooth, soft and elastic. (About 5 minutes).
- Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness onto the pizza stone or pan. Bake for about 18 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the pizza dough bakes, prepare the topping. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, asparagus and swiss chard stems. Cook until just softened, about 4 -5 minutes. Add the swiss chard leaves and cook another 4 – 5 minutes or until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- While pizza dough is still warm, top with ricotta cheese, 1 ounce of the fresh mozzarella cheese slices and salami. Add the swiss chard mixture to the top. Add the remaining 1 ounce of mozzarella to the top. Bake for about 3 minutes to soften the cheese. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
Nutritional information per serving (one slice):
Calories: 229
Fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 24.2 grams
Fiber: 4.5 grams
Protein: 10.2 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6
Pulled Pork Baked Ziti
This creamy pulled pork ziti is the ultimate comfort food dinner recipe! Plus, it can be made in one pot!
I am officially old enough to be invited to a 10 year high school reunion. If that’s not reason enough to drown oneself in wine and massive amounts of melty cheese, I don’t know what is.
Whenever I watched those high school reunion movies, like American Pie, I always thought they looked so old. I mean, part of this could be due to the fact that the actors playing the 28 year olds were actually 38, but that’s neither here nor there. When I was 18, 28 seemed like the farthest place away. That, and I had all of these grand plans for my 28 year old self. I’d be a successful writer living in NYC like Carrie Bradshaw. Or I’d be this amazing PR/ad exec with a private office and a company car. It’s funny because I guess one of those dreams came true.
It’s weird, I’m actually looking forward to attending my reunion. Not because I loved high school so incredibly much, but because I’m old enough to really appreciate how much I’ve grown since then. In addition, I’ve sort of formed an “online” friendship with some of the people I went to highschool with, but never really knew. And now that we’re older, wiser and so much cooler, it’ll be nice to re-meet them and form an actual friendship. It’s so funny how outside of a high school setting, you realize how much you had in common with people you never gave yourself the time to know.
Unless I’m, you know, in like Africa (which I will be in the fall), I can’t imagine I won’t be there. Now it just gives me the push in the butt I need to get in better shape. And get my life together just a smidge.
Pulled Pork Baked Ziti
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 10.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 18 -22 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups ziti pasta
- 3/4 pound cooked and shredded pulled pork
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 cup spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the ziti pasta and a dash of salt. Cook until softened, about 8 – 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the pulled pork, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, basil, red pepper flakes and italian seasoning. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix in the pasta and stir to coat.
- Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, salt, pepper and Greek yogurt in another bowl. Add the ricotta mixture, by a spoonful, to the top of the pasta mixture and add more chopped basil and pepper. Layer the thinly sliced mozzarella cheese over the top of the ziti. Cover the mixture with a lid.
- Bake for about 23 – 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 310
Fat: 13.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 27.2 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 20.4 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 8
Claire
Tags:baked ziti recipes, cheesy ziti recipes, pork recipes, pulled pork recipes, quick and easy baked ziti, ziti recipes
Taste of Singapore: The Hawker Centers
Whenever I get home from one of my trips, the first thing people always ask me is “How was the food?!” Which, given my culinary background and penchant for all things cooking and eating, that question is totally appropriate. Even though I live, breath and dream food, I don’t always know quite how to answer it. I smile and say “oh it was amazing!” Which, as a writer, is a total cop out. But in all honesty, it’s hard to sum up a culture’s food in one reply over dinner or drinks. If I said what I really thought, which was the food evoked feelings of complete and utter ecstasy for me, that each bite of this or that made me feel like I wasn’t a stranger anymore, that I was somehow apart of where I was just by eating the food that makes it up. That I felt closer to each chef, each mother, each father and daughter who made my meal and I could almost taste the love and tears they put into it.
Because really, if I said that, I’m pretty sure no one would ever talk to me again. That’s the type of thing one of those guys at Starbucks says when people ask him about the screen play he’s writing. I may think a little outside of the box, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to talk like I belong at some obscure NYC coffee shop wearing a beret and smoking long cigarettes.
So, when I was asked “how was the food?” after my week in Singapore, I responded with my usual “it was amazing!” But I did that because I knew I would write a post about what I ate. I knew I would weave my stories of my visit with the incredible food I consumed at each point. So, friends, here’s what I ate, in a few more words than “it was amazing!”
Now, I could probably talk for 15 blog posts about the incredible food in Singapore, but that’s the blogging equivalent of giving a long lecture on the lifespan of ants, so I’ll skip that. Instead I’m breaking my experience up into two posts, starting with (arguably my favorite food culture in Singapore) the Hawker Centers.
I ate at some very incredible restaurants in Singapore, but the meals I most remember are the humble ones I enjoyed at one of the many bustling Hawker Centers of Singapore. Hawker Centers are semi-enclosed buildings that are home to hundreds of small (1 – 2 people inside) food stalls, putting out everything from tofu noodle bowls to pigs head fried rice and durian candies. You won’t pay more than $10 for a meal at any one of them and most are open all day long. At first glance, the stalls seem overwhelmingly cluttered, with teetering towers of pots, pans and utensils and people yelling orders to each other in different languages. Your first time ordering from one will be scary, but as soon as you sip or bite into the dish they created, you’ll know why millions of people go there every year.
Like the food truck culture in the US, there isn’t just one Hawker Center to choose from. There are a ton, ranging in prices and the type of cuisine they serve, like Malay, Singaporean,Thai, Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern, among others. Hawker Centers are Singapore’s version of street food and, honestly, they make it easier to get a true taste of Southeast Asia in one foul swoop. The most popular hawker center for tourists (and some locals) is the Maxwell Road in Chinatown. Here you’ll find the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice, which has been rated the best chicken in rice in Singapore. If you don’t mind really long lines, I’d highly recommend going there. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my favorite, but it’s worth a try. Plus it’s right across from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, so the views are pretty stunning.
The first Hawker experience I had in Singapore was on my second day there. Purely by accident, I stumbled into People’s Park Food Center and was immediately shuffled among thousands of hungry Singaporeans looking for lunch. Everyone from businessmen in 5,000 dollar suits to teenagers to elderly women were in line waiting for a bite of their favorite cuisine.
The moment I stepped into the packed center, I was bombarded with an incredible array of smells. The tangy aroma of spicy BBQ sauce being brewed on the stove. The familiar scent of pork being seared on an open flame. The natural sweetness of the sugar cane and the thick spice of roasting chili peppers. It was, without sounding corny, a symphony of incredible flavors being thrown at me at once. In addition to smells, I noticed all of the different sounds and sights. The clamoring of pots and pans on the stove, the clink of silverware hitting the plates and bowls, the laughing of people as they told stories about their day. The loud and bustling sounds only showed me that I was exactly where I needed to be. Even though I was slightly out of my element, I walked around to take heed of the different stalls. Some had really long lines, some had no lines at all. After doing a full circle, I decided to go with my gut and stand in a rather long line for what appeared to be differing bowls of spicy soup.
I had no idea what to do, so when it came my turn, I ordered a number off the menu and moved aside. The women behind me took notice of my “deer in a headlights” look and offered me a tray and a spoon. I thanked her and waiting patiently for my soup. It was a crazy experience. As I waited people blurred by me, some with trays filled with incredible looking food and some with wide eyes (like mine), in search of their next meal. When my soup came out, it looked nothing like I thought it would but smelled absolutely heavenly. I grabbed a beer, sat down at one of the remaining tables left and dug in. Sweet and sour with the perfect amount of spice, that tofu noodle bowl was even better than I expected it to be. After I ate, I just sat and watched the people buzz on around me. In thirty minutes I knew exactly why people rave so much about the Hawker Centers in Singapore.
In addition to hundred of food stalls, many of the Hawker Centers are home to wet (fish and meats) and dry (fresh fruit, vegetables, breads and sweets) markets too. These are usually right in front of the actual food stalls and create a different level of foot traffic to an already busy area. In these markets is where you’ll find a Singapore favorite fruit, the durian. I won’t talk much about this pungent fruit, but I’ll just tell you this. There’s a very good reason why this particular produce is illegal in America and I hope that law never, ever changes.
After trying a handful of Hawker Centers around Singapore, I have to say my favorite is Tiong Bahru. Not only is the market home to some of the most popular food stalls in Singapore, the actual area of Tiong Bahru is really incredible. It reminded me of a less pretentious Williamsburg. There are trendy book stores, homemade pottery studios, low-key coffee shops and quiet cafes. It was definitely far less overwhelming than Chinatown, which is where we stayed.
I think what made our experience so pleasant here was the fact that we went during an off peak time (it was around 3pm) so we didn’t have to stand in line or dodge people to order our food. Even though it was fairly empty, a few stalls still had lines, which helped a non-local like me figure out which place was worth visiting. While there, we stopped by the Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice, Tiong Bahru Lee Hong Kee Cantonese Roasted, Teochew Fish Ball Noodle and the Kampong Carrot Cake stand.
Probably my favorite meal of these was the chicken and rice. It sounds bland, I know, but the chicken is slow-roasted to perfection and is served with a warm, decadent gravy which has a ton of flavor. Another front runner was the slow roasted pork from the Cantenese Roasted stand. The pork was melt in your mouth tender with just the right ratio of fat to meat. Plus, the spicy sauce it’s served with had just the right amount of kick. After our meal, we cooled down with a sugarcane juice. This stuff is no joke. The stall owners use a machine to manually extract the juices from the sugar cane plants every single day. Could you imagine?
It’s not very pretty, but it’s pretty incredible to watch them do this by hand. The juice is sweet, but not processed sweet. It tastes natural and fruity. The perfect after spicy food sip, if you ask me.
Another center worth checking out is the Makansutra Gluttons Bay, which sits right across the bay from the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel. It’s been curated to be more upscale so it caters to the elite visiting the Marina Bay district, but you’ll still find incredible deals on traditional foods here for less than $5. The Lau Pa Sat Festival Market is another great one to visit if you’re in the Business district. Just do not go during lunch time or you’ll be stuck in lines for hours between fast talking businessmen. The best time to go is right before the lunch rush (around 11) or right after (2 – 3). The only downside of this is many of the stands may be closed.
I’m already working on a visit back to Singapore so I can try every single Hawker Center the city has to offer. Each center is so different, so full of unique and incredible flavors. And the food is just so good. Every stall has something fresh and authentic to try. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Singaporeans have eating, or makan, down to a beautiful science.
