Food for the Spring Season

Spring, summer, fall, winter – everyone needs to eat. Most people have a favorite season.But why have a favorite when talking about food?

The second season of the year is spring. Spring is Easter time. Easter time is when people decorate eggs and write Easter poems. But, after all that work people will be hungry. So, they will most likely buy foods that represent Spring.

So, here is a spring food that comes to mind. This spring dessert is called a “Chick and Egg Cupcake” and it represents spring so why not make these for yourself or someone else?

Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients:

·        2 ⅔ cups of sugar

·        2 sticks of butter cut into at least 16 pieces per stick

·        2 large eggs

·        2 egg yolks

·        ⅔ cup of milk

·        ⅔ cup of water

·        2 ½ pure vanilla extract

·        2 ⅔ cups of all-purpose flour

·        1 ⅓ cups of cake flour

·        4 teaspoons of baking powder

·        ½ teaspoon of salt

Directions:

·        Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

·        Get two 12 cup cupcake tins with paper liners

·        Put both tins on a baking sheet and set them aside.

·        Put the butter and sugar into a food processor and mix until very creamy.

·        Add the egg and the egg yolks to the batter one at a time. Pulse after each addition.

·        Add the milk, water, and the vanilla extract. Blend for each addition.

·        Whisk the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

·        Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Pulse the ingredients. Then scrape the batter off the sides of the food processor. Process until the batter is smooth and pourable like pancake batter.

·        Evenly pour the batter into the cupcake tins ¾ full.

·        Bake the cupcakes for 18-25 minutes until the cupcakes are golden brown. To make sure all cupcakes are done get a knife or a toothpick and stick it in the center of the cupcake.

·        If no batter comes out on the knife or toothpick then the cupcakes are done.

·        Cool cupcakes for at least 15 minutes so when the time comes to frost the cupcakes it won’t slide off.

Frosting Ingredients:

·        1 /4 cup whole milk

·        2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·        10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·        5 cups sugar

·        1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

·        fine salt

Directions:

·        Whisk the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.

·        Slowly beat the butter and sugar, in another medium bowl, with an electric mixer until incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.

·        Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.

·        Add the fluff and salt and reduce the speed to low.

·        Add the milk and vanilla mixture, scrape the bowl down, and mix until fully incorporated.

·        Raise the mixer to high and beat briefly until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Frost cupcake immediately.

Coconut Grass Ingredients:

·        2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

·        2 tablespoons of liquid green food coloring

·        1 tablespoon of yellow liquid food coloring

Directions:

·        Note: Food coloring can be messy and can stain your skin. To prevent this, wear latex gloves. You may find it easier to color the coconut in a large ziplock plastic bag, tossing it to color evenly.

·        Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

·        Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

·        Place a mesh rack on top, if available.

·        Put coconut in a shallow bowl. While tossing with a large spoon, add food coloring drop by drop until the desired color is reached.

·        Add a few tablespoons water to moisten the mixture and help disperse the color evenly. If the color is too dark, add additional water, as needed, to dilute to the desired color.

·        Carefully drain coconut in a strainer.

·        Spread the coconut in an even layer on the rack after draining, or place directly on the lined baking sheet.

·        Place in the oven until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Use immediately, or store in covered container for up to 3 days.

Recipe from the Food Network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chick-and-egg-cupcake-recipe/index.html

Recipe selected by Elliya George.