Archives for April 2020

Small Batch Funfetti Cupcakes

April 30, 2020 by Heidi Clark 4 Comments

Question: What’s your favorite cake? I’m enamored with baking cookbooks. I earmark pages showcasing a glossy chocolate-covered tower—my mouth waters looking at the perfectly stacked layers born of butter, flour, and sugar. But when there are only two people that live in the house… Well, sometimes I just want a morsel of moist, rainbow-speckled, if-this-is-wrong-I-don’t-wanna-be-right frosted yumminess. You too? Well, say hello to Small Batch Funfetti Cupcakes! Perfect for celebrating even the little moments! Oh, you remembered to take the garbage out before the collection truck showed up this week? You deserve a cupcake! You scrubbed the door handles with Clorox for the umpteenth time today? Girl {or guy} have a freakin’ cupcake!!

close-up view of a funfetti cupcake with large dots of white frosting dotting the top and multi-color sprinkles the cupcake rests on an upside down ribbed metal cup on a marble counter a cu pcake rests to the right in the left corner is a vintage metal cake stand with more frosted and sprinkled cupcakes and a small glass holding wooden forks with an aqua criss cross pattern

I actually made these to celebrate seeing another human being, besides Jeff!

We live out in the country. Our road is not heavily traveled. Our neighbors are kind of far from us, and social distancing isn’t too much of a problem. Sunday, we had some crazy guy at the road in front of our house, beeping his car horn non-stop. Of course, we went outside, and it was Jeff’s brother! He missed us and wanted to visit! Let me clarify. By visit, I don’t mean he came in and shared a meal with us. Nope. We stood halfway down our drive, and he stayed in his car on the road. We yelled our conversation back and forth for about 30 minutes, and then with dry, scratchy throats, we went back inside. It was the best visit ever! I was so happy to see him! I could have cried! He’s never been to our house and we didn’t feed him. It’s our ritual. If he comes for a visit, we feed him. My heart hurts. I can’t wait until that happens again! A small batch of funfetti cupcakes will definitely be on the menu!

overhead view of a dark grey metal muffin pan filled with funfetti cake batter resting on a marble counter a white linen towel a broken egg shell a scattering of multi-colored sprinkles and a metal ice cream scoop with a bit of batter in it surround the baking pan

Things to love about Funfetti Cupcakes:

The recipe makes eight cute little cupcakes! A perfect size recipe if you are feeding a small family!
They have sprinkles!
They bake up in 25 minutes! They cool down pretty quickly! While they cool, whip up the frosting. In no time, you’ll be sinking your teeth into a moist, sweet, sprinkle-filled, rich vanilla cream cheese slathered nugget of decadence.
Want to save some of the goodness for later? No problem! Place the cupcakes on a small sheet tray in the freezer for an hour. Remove and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Slide them into a Ziploc bag and return to the freezer. When a serious funfetti craving hits, you’re set! You baking genius!
Did I mention there are sprinkles?

three unfrosted baked funfetti cupcakes on a crinkled small piece of wax paper resting on a small rectangular metal cooling rack with a handle on top of a small light wood cutting board a small white ramekin and wooden measuring spoons filled with multi-color confetti-style sprinkles rest to the left of the unfrosted cupcakes a large metal mixing bowl with freshly whipped frosting with the mixing paddle resting off the the left of the bowl is in the left corner a white linen towel with a small offset metal spatula turned upside down is on the right side of the cupcakes

A day without sprinkles is like a day without sunshine!

Don’t you agree? Another ingredient that has brought sunshine to my treats lately is this. I picked up a bottle to try and I don’t regret it one bit. It really kicked up the flavor in the cupcake batter! Like going to the bakery, but even better! {Not an affiliate link or an advertisement! Just like to share things I use and love!}

an assortment of funfetti cupcakes topped with multi-colored confetti style sprinkles rest on a marble counter the front cupcakes has a bite taken out of it with a wooden spork resting next to it in the background is a bouquet of daffodils and a glass filled with milk with two multi colored striped straws sticking out of it a white linen towel rests in the right corner

If you make a batch of Funfetti Cupcakes I would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment, rate, and review this personal-size sweet treat! What else do you have to do right now? LOL!
Love you guys! Stay healthy!

overhead view of an assortment of Funfetti Cupcakes some are resting on small round white plates with multi-colored sprinkles around them a few birthday candles and wooden utensils rest next to them a vintage metal cake stand holds a few more cupcakes with one wooden spork with an aqua crisscross pattern on the handle a white linen towel rests in the upper right corner of the frame

Looking for more sweet treats?

Small Batch Funfetti Cupcakes

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Heidi Clark~Yums & Kisses
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 8 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

Small Batch Funfetti Cupcakes make every day a celebration! The perfect size recipe for a small household! Super yummy and easy to make!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes:

3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cake batter flavor

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

5 Tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature

3 Tablespoons full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

3 1/2 Tablespoons confetti sprinkles

For the Frosting:

4 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°
Place eight cupcake liners in a muffin pan.
Place the oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Scrape the bowl.
Add the egg and extracts. Beat two more minutes on medium speed.
Scrape the bowl down once more.
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a measuring cup, whisk the milk and sour cream together.
Add half of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl. Begin mixing on low speed.
With the mixer running, slowly add in the milk/sour cream.
Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth.
Fold in the confetti sprinkles.
Divide the mixture among eight lined muffin compartments. Each muffin cup will be 3/4 full. Lift the pan slightly off the counter and drop it. {This rids the batter of excess air bubbles.}
Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven.
Turn the pan halfway through the bake time. The front of the pan should now be facing the back of the oven and the back facing the front. This ensures the cupcakes bake evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cupcakes are finished baking when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan to continue cooling. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.

For the Frosting:

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
Add the cream cheese and mix until combined.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, the extracts, and sea salt.
Continue mixing on medium speed until frosting ingredients are combined and creamy.
Frost the completely cooled cupcakes.
Garnish with additional sprinkles.
Enjoy!!

Notes

I used confetti sprinkles in this recipe because they don’t bleed their color into the batter.
If you don’t have cake batter flavor, no worries! Omit the flavoring and use 1/2 tsp almond extract + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. I tested the recipe both ways, and each version was delicious!
Pull the egg, milk, and sour cream from the fridge about an hour before you are ready to make the cupcakes. They’ll be at room temperature when it’s time to bake!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: funfetti cupcakes, sprinkles, small batch baking

Sourdough Cornmeal & Thyme Crackers

April 22, 2020 by Heidi Clark 1 Comment

Have you done it? Have you dipped your measuring cup into the sourdough baking pool that has taken over pretty much every cooking/baking media outlet recently? If you made a starter, these Sourdough Cornmeal & Thyme Crackers are a great recipe to use the discard up! These crackers are slightly tangy, ultra-crunchy, and SUPER easy to make!! I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t love! And these crackers are a match made in heaven when it comes to dipping them in a steaming bowl of soup or spreading them with a rich, creamy cheese! And, did I mention this recipe uses just a smidge over a cup of flour? If you’re one of the many of us who is having trouble finding flour and you want to join in the baking fun, this easy recipe is a great one to try!

overhead view of a dark wood cutting board with an oblong blond wood vessel lined with a creamy colored flowy fabric a wine cork with cursive writing a small round dish of a creamy cheese spread with two vintage metal spreaders and several oblong everything spice dusted crackers are in it a sliced red apple and a grey plate with a vintage metal measuring cup filled with almonds and a candle resting on it surround the cheese and cracker board

Sourdough Baking is Fun!

I’ve had so much fun “distractibaking” with sourdough during this whole social distancing thing. There’s a tub practically overflowing with all of the Sourdough Cornmeal & Thyme Crackers I’ve made! The freezer is full of mini loaves of tangy and chewy french bread. There was that one sandwich loaf I made, but we won’t talk about that. It was a recipe that bombed miserably! The dough decided it wanted to rise rapidly at the end of the bake time. It grew so high it baked into the upper rack in my oven, and when I tried to pull it from the oven, the whole top half of the loaf ripped off! Thankfully, the crackers and french bread were a success!

overhead view of a ball of sourdough cornmeal and thyme cracker dough resting on a wooden cutting board dusted with flour a white linen towel a metal bench scraper and a metal measuring cup filled with flour surround the cutting board

Can we talk about the whole flour shortage?!?!

Have you had trouble finding flour??? Me, too! Gee Whiz!! I can’t imagine where people are storing all of the flour they are hoarding! Inside the toilet paper forts, they’ve built? Perhaps! An article {So sorry! I can’t recall who wrote the article!} I read suggested calling a local bakery to buy flour, which is totally genius! It helps out a local business, and our baking supply dilemma is solved!

sourdough cornmeal & thyme cracker dough being rolled out on a wooden cutting board dusted with flour that rests on a marble counter a few pieces of dough surround the rolled out dough a wooden rolling pin a black and white striped towel along with a square white ramekin filled with flour surround the dough

I’m so excited for you to try this recipe! If you don’t have dried thyme on hand, no worries! Use dried rosemary or your favorite herb, instead! This recipe is completely customizable! Part of the fun of making these are the endless toppings you can sprinkle on before baking!

Here are some yummy ideas!!

Finely grated Parmesan cheese and coarsely ground black pepper
Everything Seasoning {one of my fave ways to top this cracker!}
Grated Aged Cheddar with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
Za’atar
A combination of coarse sea salt, poppy, and sesame seeds
Montreal Steak Seasoning

overhead view of rolled out cracker dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet with a bit of everything spices sprinkled on one of the crackers the sheet rests on a marble counter with a black and white striped linen towel a dark grey plate holds two small scalloped dishes one is filled with coarse sea salt the other is filled with everything spice mix

Whether you are working-from-home or you just need a quick lunch idea, these crackers are fantastic to keep on hand! I store mine in a Tupperware container on the counter so we can grab ’em and munch when hunger strikes!

These crackers are ideal for more than pairing with cheese! Some of my favorite ways to enjoy them are:

Top them with guacamole and thinly sliced tomatoes for a cracker tartine
Pile leftover roasted veggies and some grated cheddar and broil until the cheesy is bubbly!
Smear with that last bit of marinara sauce that may be hanging out in the fridge. Top with some grated mozzarella. Bake for a few minutes, and now you have a delicious personal-size pizza cracker!!

overhead view of sourdough cornmeal & thyme crackers on a marble counter a small grey plate with a bulb of roasted garlic and a few almonds with a piece of crackers being smeared with the garlic rest in the lower left corner in the upper right corner is a white scalloped dish filled with salted almonds and a black and white striped napkin

Now, go turn on some music! Tie on an apron and get the flour out! If you enjoy this recipe, forward it to a friend! Because, now more than ever, it’s nice to know someone is thinking of us! Can’t wait until we are dancing in the sunshine together again! Take care and happy baking, friends!

❤️~ Heidi

Sourdough Cornmeal & Thyme Crackers

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Heidi Clark~Yums & Kisses
Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Yield: Serves 12 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

Sourdough Cornmeal & Thyme Crackers! Slightly tangy, ultra-crunchy, and oh-so-simple to make! Elevate your cheeseboard with these homemade crackers! The perfect recipe for those new to sourdough baking!

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup sourdough starter discard

1 1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

optional garnishes:

coarse sea salt

everything seasoning, such as Trader Joe’s brand

Instructions

Make the dough at least one hour before rolling and baking:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, thyme, garlic, and sea salt.
Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until incorporated. Coating the flour with olive oil creates a SUPER crunchy, yet flaky, cracker!
Add the sourdough starter and stir until a moist shaggy ball forms. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. The rest time allows the cornmeal to absorb any excess moisture. Therefore, when it comes time to knead the dough, you’ll use less flour!
Dust your counter with a bit of flour. Dump the dough onto your work surface and knead until a smooth ball forms. Add the least amount of flour you can while kneading.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Roll it & Bake it!

Preheat the oven to 350°
Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper {if you only have two trays, no worries! Use two and allow them to cool completely before baking the remaining crackers.!}
Divide the dough ball in half. Wrap the remaining half in plastic wrap and return to the fridge while you roll out the other. Divide each dough half into six pieces.
Lightly dust the counter with flour. Using a rolling pin {or empty wine bottle!}, roll each piece of dough into a thin rectangle. Don’t get hung up on the shape! You are aiming for uniform thickness, so the crackers bake evenly. The thicker they are, the longer they take to bake!
Transfer the unbaked crackers to the parchment-lined sheets.
Using the tines of a fork, prick each cracker several times. Doing so prevents them from puffing during the baking process. If you forget, it’s not a catastrophe! Your cracker will just have a bit more personality!
Brush each cracker with a smidge of water. Sprinkle with the toppings of your choice.
Place one sheet on the top rack of the oven and the second sheet on the bottom shelf.
Bake for 24-32 minutes. {the baking time varies depending on how thick or thin the crackers are}
Halfway through the baking time, rotate each cookie sheet, so the front is facing the back of the oven. Trade the sheets between oven racks as well. The top moves to the bottom shelf and vise versa.
When the crackers are golden brown and firm remove from the oven. Transfer from the cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough.

Notes

The dough needs to chill in the fridge for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. I usually make the dough the day before I am going to roll and bake them. It adds a bit of a tangier flavor, the longer the dough rests!
You can easily substitute dried rosemary for the dried thyme. Or, create your own flavor creation! This cracker dough is easily customizable!
If the dough starts to shrink, when you roll it, let it rest for 30 seconds and continue. Because of the olive oil, this dough is super forgiving!
If you want to create smaller crackers instead of the sheet-style, the baking time may need to be adjusted. When the crackers are golden brown and firm, they’re done!
Store baked crackers in a sealed container on the counter for up to one week.

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Category: Appetizers
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

Keywords: sourdough cornmeal and thyme crackers, sourdough discard, flatbread

The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

April 16, 2020 by Heidi Clark 1 Comment

Well, Hello! I know. It’s been more than a minute since I’ve shared a recipe with you! I’m hoping The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup will grant forgiveness for staying away for such a long time! It’s what the world needs right now! A giant steaming bowl filled with fresh veggies floating in a rich and cheesy {but not tooooooo cheesy} broth makes everything a little more tolerable! It’s a giant hug in a bowl from me to you!

overhead view of two bowls of broccoli cheese soup each with a soup spoon resting in it or next to it a few dishes are resting at the top of the photo with salt pepper shredded cheddar cheese and minced chives

Not only is this broccoli cheese soup quick and easy to make, but it’s also forgiving as to what you put in it. No fresh broccoli on hand? No problem! Use frozen! The base for this soup is so flavorful you could pretty much use a variety of vegetables in place of the broccoli, and this soup will still be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Going to the grocery store is stressful, and by no means do I want to encourage anyone to go there! Use what you have on hand. Stay home. Pour a GIANT glass of wine! Light a candle. Take a deep breath. Get the soup pot out!

overhead view of ingredients used to make The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup broccoli, a carrot with a vegetable peeler a chefs knife salt and pepper a chunk of cheddar cheese onion wedges a few cloves of garlic and chives rest on a marble counter

Jeff made a grocery run for us a few weeks ago {Sorry, Jeff!}. Thankfully, he came home with a couple of bags of broccoli! Honestly, at that moment I felt like we had won the freakin’ lottery!! We happily used them in place of lettuce for a salad. We roasted them with onions and mushrooms and served them alongside pasta with alfredo sauce. And then, halfway through the second bag, the florets started to look a little blah. I knew it was time to make some broccoli cheese soup! Our taste buds were happy and our bellies were full! In these moments, we can’t ask for anything more!

Overhead view of a pot of soup with a white ladle resting in it a stack of white bowls with soup spoons a dish of salt and pepper and a black and white striped napkin surround the pot

While we’re sheltering-in-place I have two things I look forward to every day.

First things first! I must have coffee! Mmhmm, I am a girl that cannot form a complete sentence without it! Sometimes, under the influence of caffeine, I still have problems!
Happy Hour!!! Also, non-negotiable! Anytime between noon and 4 p.m. is completely acceptable. In case you were wondering, my drink of choice is a Spicy Mexican Mule { reposado tequila, Q ginger beer, lime juice, and a sprinkle of chipotle powder on top~ delish!}

Now that this broccoli cheese soup is in heavy rotation at our house it gives me one more thing to look forward to! What are the treats you look forward to these days? I’m thinking about ordering a jigsaw puzzle. I saw this one and loved the soothing subject. Besides, I could finally (!!!) display a plant that our cat, Cabernet, couldn’t eat! Ha! Well, unless she stole one of the puzzle pieces… Yes, she will steal the pieces, and I’ll find them months from now under the couch or in some other random location. Okay, maybe the jigsaw puzzle isn’t a good idea after all!

overhead view of two bowls of soup topped with grated cheddar cheese dishes of salt and pepper and minced chives rest at the top of the photo with a few scalloped edge crackers resting by each bowl of broccoli cheese soup

For now, I’ll stick to tinkering with recipes and enjoying a drink or two with my own personal Instacart {AKA Jeff!}! Let me know in the comments what type of recipes you would like to see here on Yums & Kisses! Be safe! Stay healthy! I’ll be back soon! I have more delicious recipes I can’t wait to share with you! Take care! ❤️Heidi

P.S. The links I promoted are not affiliate links. I receive no compensation from the parties I promote. I just like to share the things I love! 💕

The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Heidi Clark~Yums & Kisses
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

This broccoli cheese soup truly is The Best!! It’s a hug in a bowl! Full of fresh {or frozen} broccoli, spices, and a velvety cheesy broth! It’s delicious, budget-friendly, and freezes beautifully!

Ingredients

Scale

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

1 cup water

3 cups whole milk

4–5 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup minced red, yellow or orange bell peppers

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Tablespoon hot sauce {I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce}

2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar, plus more for serving

1/3 cup grated carrot {about one carrot}

garnishes:

more shredded cheddar cheese

minced chives or scallions

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the diced onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute the onion for 4 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and continue to cook for a minute longer.
Stir in the flour and continue to stir, cooking the onion/flour mixture over medium heat for two minutes.
Add the milk, water, broccoli, spices, hot sauce and a sprinkle of salt. Bring the mixture to a slight boil and turn the heat to medium-low. Stirring frequently, simmer the soup, uncovered, for 20 minutes. The soup will thicken during this step.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese and carrot.
Return the pot to the stovetop and continue to cook over medium-low heat until the cheese is completely melted and the soup is hot. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve garnished with minced chives and more shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: broccoli cheese soup, broccoli, cheese, soup