Whimsical Cookery is a site for adults who prefer to eat like children, or perhaps just need to cook for some children. This site contains an aversion to vegetables, a love of fried food and cupcakes, lazy shortcuts, some disturbing creations, and an ignorance of proper culinary practices...
Tuesday 26 July 2011
Noelle's Bake Shoppe and Cupcakery's Chocolate Eclair Cupcake
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Desserts, What's for Dinner?
I loved this cupcake!!! Therefore, halfway through my feasting, I stopped in my tracks to take a photo of it so you too could view its yummy chocolate cake and creamy/fudgy ganache insides. But what I felt made this cupcake superior to other cupcakes was its 'frosting'. I'm not a huge fan of gobs of overly-sweet frosting, especially if it is not buttercream. BUT this cupcake's 'frosting' was apparently conceived to mimic eclair filling, causing it to be less tongue-numbingly sweet. Beautiful!
W62N608 Washington Avenue, Cedarburg, WI
Thursday 21 July 2011
A Rather Traditional Pavlova
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Desserts, Vegetarian, Whimsical Recipes
I was inspired to make a pavlova by the incredibly intense heatwave that is currently suffocating the midwest and my parents desire for lighter desserts. Check out the recipe below for mixed berry sauce, perfect for drizzling over this summertime treat!
1 Cups mixed berries
3 Egg Whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
8oz. Cool Whip lite or fat free OR make your own whipped cream using heavy cream/whipping cream, sugar, and a bit of clear vanilla or almond extract.
1. Separate egg yolks from whites, adding whites to a mixing bowl.
2. Mix egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy (medium speed).
3. Once frothy, mix in sugar, cream of tartar, and salt, adding just a bit at a time.
4. Continue to beat, this time on high, until mixture becomes stiff and peaks of egg white stand up on their own.
5. Spread into a 9 inch circle on parchment paper (or an equivalent), leaving an indent in the top for cream/fruit later.
6. Bake at 225F for approx 70 minutes. At this point, the pavlova should be dried/firm. Quickly close oven door.
7. Turn off heat and leave the pavlova in the oven for an additional 90 minutes.
8. Once cool, spread whipped cream over the top and add berries. Drizzle with mixed berry sauce (recipe below) if desired.
Uncooked pavlova
Mixed Berry Sauce (Optional)
2 Cups mixed berries
1/3 cup sugar
1Tbsp corn starch
3 Tbsp water
1. Food process/blend 2 cups mixed berries and press through a sieve, careful to retain as many seeds in the sieve as possible.
2. Add 1 cup of the strained berry mixture to a small saucepan.
3. Dissolve corn starch in water and add to berry mixture.
4. Add in sugar
5. Heat sauce to low boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Allow sauce to cool.
6. Drizzle over pavlova just before serving, or serve on the side.
Sunday 17 July 2011
Cranberry Cupcakes w/ Orange Buttercream Frosting
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Desserts, Quick N Easy, Vegetarian, Whimsical Recipes
For the cranberry cake you will need:
1 package white cake mix (+egg whites, oil)
1 1/4 cup cranberry sauce (approx 20 oz. canned)
Red food dye
For the Orange Buttercream Frosting you will need:
1 1/2 unsalted butter
1/3 cup orange marmalade, bits removed
3 cups powdered sugar
1. Heat up cranberry sauce and run through sieve, careful to keep as many seeds as possible in the sieve to promote a smoother cake texture. Measure out the amount of cranberry sauce according to how much water is called for in your white cake mix directions. (My cake mix requires 1 1/4 cup water, so this will be replaced with 1 1/4 cup cranberry).
Place cranberry sauce in the freezer if still warm.
2. Line approximately 22 muffin tins with cupcake liners and preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on cake mix.
3. Prepare cake mix according to package, substituting the water for strained cranberry sauce. Add in a few drops of red food dye for extra color.
4. Bake according to mix directions.
UNTESTED ALTERNATE PREPARATION: Prepare cake mix without approx 1/2 of water required in directions. Once mixed, fold in cranberry sauce for a swirled effect.
Sweet Orange Marmalade Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 unsalted butter
1/3 cup orange marmalade, bits removed
3 cups powdered sugar
1. Press marmalade through a sieve to remove orange peels, set peel aside
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and 1/3 c. marmalade.
3. Mix in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.
4. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with pieces of orange peel if desired.
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Leftover Taco "Salad"
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Main Courses, Quick N Easy, Recipes for Picky Eaters, Vegetarian
Another non-recipe, so is the student life. I used my Taco leftovers to make a "salad". I use the term "salad" loosely, as I'm imagining broken Doritos and taco shells to be lettuce (if only!). If you wish to make this less death-defying, add in some actual salad, i.e. lettuce/tomato.
My bowl consists of leftover:
Quorn vegetarian chicken pieces, having previously been sauteed in taco seasoning
Broken corn taco shells
Broken cheese Doritos
Sour Cream
Spicy taco sauce
Double Gloucester cheese
I also suspect that refried beans would be a nomtastic addition.
I feel like I should start a 'student food' section. Hmm...