Sparkling Moscato Peach Sangria

With Memorial Day comes the unofficial start of summer, when everything heads outdoors.  Barbecues, picnics and backyard parties abound. Nothing hits the spot in summer’s sultry heat like a cool, refreshing cocktail. But, during those backyard celebrations who wants to spend all their time manning the bar? Creating individual drinks is time consuming, costly and removes you from the action. Big batch beverages are economically feasible and allow you to entertain effortlessly. And there’s nothing more stylish and fun to serve than sangria. Stir up some crowd-pleasing libation with this refreshing blend of Moscato wine, peach schnapps, peach seltzer and white peach slices. This recipe for Sparkling Moscato Peach Sangria is a pitcher perfect summertime thirst-quencher.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find fresh white peaches or Seagram's White Peach Seltzer at any of our local grocery stores, so I had to substitute yellow peach instead. (I found the Golden Peach seltzer at Wal-Mart.)

Slice peaches.

In large glass pitcher, combine chilled Moscato, peach schnapps, chilled peach seltzer and sliced peaches. Stir to combine and serve!

SPARKLING MOSCATO PEACH SANGRIA
Source: The Kitchn
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 to 3 white peaches, sliced (or substitute yellow peaches)
• 3/4 cup peach schnapps (or substitute peach brandy or peach vodka)
• 1 (750 ml) bottle moscato, chilled (or substitute Riesling)
• 1 liter Seagram's Sparkling White Peach Seltzer, chilled (or substitute any peach flavored seltzer*)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients. Stir and serve.

Serves: 4 to 6

*Note: In lieu of seltzer, you can also substitute sparkling Moscato.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

I apologize for being absent from my blog for a few days. Our oldest daughter and granddaughter were visiting from MA. Our granddaughter celebrated her 22nd birthday while here, and she asked grandma to make her some Cookies and Cream Cupcakes for the occasion. I had never made them before, so I had to find a recipe online that I thought would be successful. I chose this recipe for Oreo cupcakes as it had everything I was looking for:  a chocolate cupcake with big chunks of Oreo cookies in it; made from scratch, yet easy to make; a buttercream frosting, that’s not too rich or sweet; and a 5-star rating. These cupcakes did not disappoint. The only hassle I had was decorating them, but that’s an easy fix. The frosting has finely crushed Oreo cookies in it, so you need to choose a larger size decorating tip than I did, so the occasional uncrushed piece doesn't jam up the tip. If you love chocolate and you love Oreo cookies, these cupcakes are fit for a princess….I know, because our princess was thrilled with them!

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Coarsely chop Oreo cookies. I put them in a large resealable plastic bag and pounded with a rolling pin to get coarse chunks.

In medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
 

Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until foamy. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain.

Add the chopped cookies to the batter. Stir to combine. 

Spoon the batter into the liner cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (It took about 22 minutes for mine.)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare Frosting: 

Finely crush the Oreo cookies (to a dust-like consistency). I put mine in the food processor.

Beat shortening (I used Crisco shortening) and butter on medium-high speed of hand mixer for about 5 minutes, until fluffy.

Reduce speed to low. Gradually add powdered sugar until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and milk. Beat on same speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until fluffy. Add the crushed cookie crumbs. Mix well. If needed, add another splash of milk. (I added one splash more.)

Frost the cupcakes. Despite grinding the Oreo cookies to a dust-like consistency, a few larger pieces would show up in the frosting and jam the decorating tip. So, I would suggest using the largest decorating tip you have, to allow for this. Decorate cupcake by inserting a mini Oreo in the frosting.

Note: the recipe below yields 12 cupcakes and more frosting than you will need for 12 cupcakes. I wanted 24 cupcakes, so I doubled the cupcake portion of the recipe and made 1-1/2 times the frosting portion.

COOKIES AND CREAM CUPCAKES
Source: Food.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute almond, chocolate or vanilla)
• 10 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup solid shortening (such as Crisco)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 5 Oreo cookies, ground to a dust-like consistency
• 12 mini Oreo cookies, for decorating (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2.  In medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set
     aside.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
4.  Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until foamy. Gradually add the dry
     ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain.
5.  Add the chopped cookies to the batter. Stir to combine. Spoon the batter into the liner cups, filling
     them about 2/3 full.
6.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a
     wire rack to cool completely.
7.  Prepare frosting: Beat shortening (I used Crisco shortening) and butter on medium-high speed of
     and mixer for about 5 minutes, until fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar until
     incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract
     and milk. Beat on same speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until fluffy. Add the crushed cookie crumbs. Mix
     well.
8.  Frost cupcakes. Note: Despite grinding the Oreo cookies to a dust-like consistency, a few larger pieces would
     show up in the frosting and jam the decorating tip. So, I would suggest using the largest decorating
     tip you have, to allow for this.
9.  If desired, decorate cupcake by inserting a mini Oreo in the frosting.



Yields: 12 cupcakes

Creamy Coleslaw

Although I have already posted several different versions of coleslaw on my blog, they all had added ingredients specifically geared towards the enhancement of the dish spotlighted. If I’m looking for a stand-alone BBQ side dish, or a "must have" accompaniment for fish, this is the classic recipe I count on. Coleslaw doesn’t cut it for me if it’s heavily bathed in vinegar. I’m rarely ever satisfied with this side dish when we eat out, as it never lives up to my expectations. Creamy is dreamy for me. I just love the contrast of the crunchy texture of the raw cabbage dressed in silky, creamy goodness. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that coleslaw still needs some vinegar to balance the flavors. That’s what I love most about this recipe, it uses red wine vinegar, so the end result isn't tangy or sour. Simple to make, with all the taste you would expect from old-fashioned, homemade coleslaw. 

Trivia: Did you know that during Bike Week in Daytona, Florida, there is an annual coleslaw wrestling event? Yes, scantily clad women actually wrestle in this common picnic condiment. This takes place at a local bar, appropriately called, The Cabbage Patch. Although it may not be recognized by the Olympics, this roughage-and-tumble sport is very popular among the biker niche and dates back to 1985. But don’t lose your appetite just yet, they don’t tumble around in creamy coleslaw, they square off in a pit of vegetable oil and shredded cabbage.

If you don't want to shred your own cabbage and carrots, just substitute a 16-ounce bag of coleslaw mix. Otherwise, shred 6 cups of cabbage and 1 cup of carrots.




In large bowl, combine shredded cabbage and carrots. In a smaller bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seed, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and seasoned salt. (I recommend using a good quality imported red wine vinegar.)

Toss dressing into cabbage mixture. 

Let chill for a while so the flavors have a chance to meld. The longer it chills, the creamier it gets. Yummm!

CREAMY COLE SLAW
Source: Robert Irvine, Dinner Impossible
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups shredded cabbage (or substitute a 16-ounce bag of coleslaw mix, and omit carrots below)
• 1 cup shredded carrot (if not using mix)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup good quality imported red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In large bowl, combine cabbage and carrots.
2. In smaller bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, celery seed, sugar, garlic
    powder, onion powder, black pepper and seasoned salt.
3. Toss dressing into cabbage mixture.
4. Let chill for a while before serving

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Whenever I want to make my summer pasta salads just a little more special, I transform it into a seafood salad by adding plump, juicy shrimp. But, I find that just adding shrimp to seasoned mayo and pasta doesn’t elevate the flavors enough.  So, to really pump up the zest, I combine the seasoned mayo with a spicy homemade Thousand Island dressing. Not only does it make the colors more vibrant, but it adds a little boldness to the dish, giving the shrimp the recognition it deserves. Whether serving as a cook-out side dish, or a weeknight main meal, this Shrimp Pasta Salad is sure to become a summertime favorite.

Chop celery and red onion. If using raw shrimp, peel, devein and cook shrimp.

Prepare Spicy Thousand Island Dressing:  In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, Sriracha, ketchup and relish. Chill until ready to use.

Cook pasta according to package directions. The last 3 minutes, add peas to water.

Rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly. Transfer cooked pasta with peas to large serving bowl. Stir in cooked shrimp. 

In separate mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice and all of prepared Spicy Thousand Island Dressing. Whisk well to combine. 

Add as much, or as little, of the mayonnaise mixture to pasta as desired, stirring well to combine. Cover and refrigerate any remaining mayonnaise mixture. Chill pasta salad for several hours. As with any cold pasta salad, the pasta will absorb much of the dressing. Before serving pasta, add additional mayonnaise mixture to desired consistency.


Serve on a bed of lettuce.

SHRIMP PASTA SALAD
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16-ounce) package shell pasta
• 1-1/2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 pounds small shrimp, cooked
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Spicy Thousand Island Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons Sambal Oelek (chili garlic sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 Tablespoon drained relish
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare Spicy Thousand Island Dressing:  In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce,
    Sriracha, ketchup and relish. Chill until ready to use.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. The last 3 minutes, add peas to water.
3. Rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly. Transfer cooked pasta with peas to large bowl. Stir in
    cooked shrimp.
4. In separate mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice and all of
    prepared Spicy Thousand Island Dressing. Whisk well to combine.
5. Add as much, or as little, of the mayonnaise mixture to pasta as desired, stirring well to combine.
    Cover and refrigerate any remaining mayonnaise mixture. Chill pasta salad for several hours. As with
    any cold pasta salad, the pasta will absorb much of the dressing. Before serving pasta, add additional
    mayonnaise mixture to desired consistency.
6. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Lemon Bar Flags

With Memorial Day coming up, I was so anxious and excited to post this, as it is so festive and perfect for this holiday. But this past weekend, my kitchen turned into a comedy of errors. My go-to recipe for lemon bars failed me big time. For the first time ever, the lemon filling wouldn't set up. So, I thought, "Okay, no problem, I must have misread a quantity, I’ll trash it and start again." The second try was more disastrous than the first. Exasperated, but determined, I gave it yet another shot. Alas, the 3rd try was worst of all. By this point, I was frustrated to tears. What went wrong? I went to the web site where I originally found the recipe to verify the ingredients. Oddly enough, all the quantities under the list of ingredients had question marks instead of numbers.(I've never seen that before.) Needless to say, along with discarding my failed lemon bars, I destroyed the recipe, also. Guess it’s a mystery I’ll never solve. After a good night’s sleep, I felt rejuvenated and went online to find a more reliable recipe. When I came across this posting at Cooking Classy™, I just knew it would work; lots of eggs (unlike my failed version), along with additional egg yolks, which would give it that deep yellow color that's so gorgeous. Woo Hoo! Not only did it work, but it was fantastic! Without a doubt, the best lemon bars I ever tasted. The texture and flavors are everything you imagine a lemon bar to be, and more. Now, for the festive part…..giving it that special patriotic touch, which makes it so fun for this upcoming weekend!  A dusting of powdered sugar over all, some red stripes (via decorator icing) and some blueberries and you’ve got an adorable replica of the American flag. Picnic perfect! And with my new "go-to" recipe for lemon bars (many thanks Jaclyn), preparation is a breeze (once and done, phew).

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 13x9-inch baking dish. 
 

In food processor (or mix in a bowl), pulse together flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add diced butter and pulse until mixtures crumbles (or, if mixing in a bowl, use your fingertips and/or a fork to combine). Press mixture into an even layer on bottom of prepared baking dish (press together any cracks). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

While crust is baking, begin to prepare filling (because you want to pour prepared filling over hot crust).

Zest and juice lemons. Juice orange.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix in lemon juice, orange juice and lemon zest. 

Add eggs, egg yolks and heavy cream. Whisk vigorously to blend well. 

Pour mixture over hot crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Return to oven and bake until filling is just set, about 20 to 25 minutes (I used max time of 25 minutes). Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 

To decorate: 

Note: one tube of writing gel will only decorate 2 bars. To decorate all, use red decorator icing with writing tip.

Generously dust surface of lemon bars with powdered sugar. (This will be “white” part of American flag, so you want a good amount of coating.) Cut into squares. (I cut 9 squares, but they were on the large side, so you can cut them into smaller sizes if you prefer.) Using red decorator frosting with a thin writing tip, draw about 6 lines across the bar (to represent the flag’s stripes).  

Note: I was only able to decorate 2 bars with one small tube of red gel icing. So, you may want to buy regular red decorator icing, instead of dishing out a lot of cash for several of these small tubes.

Wash and thoroughly dry blueberries. For each “flag” place 6 blueberries in upper left hand corner (to represent stars); 3 on top and 3 directly below that. Decorate remaining cut bars in same manner.

Oops! Mike ate one before I was done decorating.

Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator.

Before serving, let refrigerated bars rest at room temperature about 30 minutes, so it’s slightly firm, but just starting to soften.

LEMON BAR FLAGS
Source:  Cooking Classy™ (Lemon Bars)
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, diced into cubes and softened

Filling:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh navel orange juice
• 4 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3-1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Toppings:

• Powdered sugar
• Fresh blueberries
• Red writing gel, or red decorator icing

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 13x9-inch baking dish.
2. In food processor (or mix in a bowl), pulse together flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar and 1/2
    teaspoon salt. Add diced butter and pulse until mixtures crumbles (or, if mixing in a bowl, use your
    fingertips and/or a fork to combine). Press mixture into an even layer on bottom of prepared baking
    dish (press together any cracks). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
3. While crust is baking, begin to prepare filling (because you want to pour prepared filling over hot
    crust).
4. In large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix in lemon juice,
    orange juice and lemon zest. Add eggs, egg yolks and heavy cream. Whisk vigorously to blend well.
5. Pour mixture over hot crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Return to oven and bake until filling
     is just set, about 20 to 25 minutes (I used max time of 25 minutes). Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
    Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
6. To decorate: Generously dust surface of lemon bars with powdered sugar. (This will be “white” part of
    American flag, so you want a good amount of coating.) Cut into squares. (I cut 9 squares, but they
    were on the large side, so you can cut them into smaller sizes if you prefer.) Using red decorator
    frosting with a thin writing tip, draw about 6 lines across the bar (to represent the flag’s stripes).
    Wash and thoroughly dry blueberries. For each “flag” place 6 blueberries in upper left hand corner (to
    represent stars); 3 on top and 3 directly below that. Decorate remaining cut bars in same manner.
7. Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator. Before serving, let refrigerated bars rest at room
    temperature about 30 minutes, so it’s slightly firm, but just starting to soften.

Crunchy Taco Wrap

The other day I had a craving for tacos. But, I didn’t want them on a crunchy shell with watered down ground beef, and messy salsa. I started thinking, “how can I incorporate those flavors into a wrap?” Inspired by my Southwest Chicken Burrito, I came up with the idea for this Crunchy Taco Wrap. When I think of wraps, I think of crispy fresh vegetables. So, instead of using bottled salsa, I made fresh Pico de Gallo to top the seasoned ground beef. I even made my own taco seasoning mix. To give the meat a little creaminess, I drizzled the beef with a home-made nacho cheese sauce and added a couple of dollops of sour cream. The wraps were rolled (burrito style) and browned in a skillet to give them a crispier texture. This recipe is kind of a cross between a taco and a Crunchwrap Supreme, but the fresh ingredients makes it so much more flavorful and a much healthier option. Despite the fact that everything was made from scratch, this was still on the table in less than 30 minutes.

The Pico de Gallo needs an hour of refrigeration to give the flavors a chance to meld, so you may want to prepare this earlier in the day. After that, everything comes together in no time.

To prepare Pico de Gallo: Seed and finely chop tomatoes. Finely chop 1/2 of a red onion. Chop cilantro. Seed and finely chop jalapeno peppers. Juice limes. In bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and lime juice. Stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To prepare taco seasoning mix:  

In small re-sealable plastic bag (or airtight container), combine chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano and paprika. Shake well to thoroughly combine.

In large skillet, over medium-high heat, add ground beef. Season with 1-1/2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning mix. Brown, stirring occasionally to break up beef.

Meanwhile prepare nacho cheese sauce:  

In medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt butter. Whisk in cornstarch and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Sauce will be thick, so add more milk to thin it down. Simmer about 2 minutes, then add cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, hot sauce and 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning mix. If still too thick, add more milk until the sauce is of desired consistency.

To prepare wraps:  Scoop a generous portion of browned beef down center of tortilla. 

Top with a heaping helping of Pico de Gallo. Drizzle with nacho cheese sauce. Then top with 2 or 3 small dollops of sour cream. 

Tuck in ends and roll burrito style. 

Spray rolled burritos with non-stick cooking spray. Brown in preheated skillet.

Flip to brown other side.

Serve warm with additional Pico de Gallo.

CRUNCHY TACO WRAP
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Pico de Gallo:

• 4 ripe Roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
• Salt, to taste

Taco Seasoning Mix:

• 2 Tablespoons chili powder (preferably hot Mexican chili powder)
• 2 Tablespoons cumin
• 1/2 Tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (reduce amount if you want less heat)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons paprika (preferably Spanish paprika)

Nacho Cheese Sauce:

• 1-1/2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup milk, plus more to get desired consistency
• 3 Tablespoons cream cheese
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix (recipe above)

Wrap Ingredients:

• Large (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix (recipe above)
• Prepared Pico de Gallo (recipe above)
• Prepared Nacho cheese sauce (recipe above)
• Sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:
1. To prepare Pico de Gallo: In bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and lime juice. Stir
    well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. To prepare taco seasoning mix:  In small re-sealable plastic bag (or airtight container), combine chili
    powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano and paprika.
    Shake well to thoroughly combine.
3. To prepare nacho cheese sauce: In medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt butter. Whisk in
    cornstarch and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Sauce will be thick, so add more milk to thin it
    down (if desired). Simmer about 2 minutes, then add cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, hot sauce and 1
    teaspoon of taco seasoning mix. If still too thick, add milk until the sauce is of desired consistency.
4. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, add ground beef. Season with 1-1/2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning
    mix. Brown, stirring occasionally to break up beef.
5. To assemble wraps: Scoop a generous portion of browned beef down center of tortilla. Top with a
    heaping helping of Pico de Gallo. Drizzle with nacho cheese sauce. Then top with a couple of small
    dollops of sour cream. Tuck in ends and roll burrito style. Spray rolled burritos on both sides with
    non-stick cooking spray. Brown in preheated skillet. Flip to brown other side.
6. Serve warm with additional Pico de Gallo.