October’s issue of Martha Stewart Magazine had a whole article on miniature cakes – I tried out one of the recipes and made some pretty cute treats…

Recipe:

Cakes:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Simple Chocolate Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a miniature muffin pan with cooking spray. Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk. Begin with the flour mixture and mix well after each addition.

Fill pan halfway and bake until golden around edges, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Transfer cakes from pan to a wire rack.

To make glaze, shift together sugar and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until smooth.

When cupcakes are completely cool, drizzle with chocolate glaze.

Okay, here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for…Desserts and Winners!

Dessert was definitely the most interesting course of the night because we all had to be extremely creative to be able to come up with a dish that incorporated asparagus but also tasted like dessert. Here’s what we came up with:

Team Spargel went with a light and fresh dessert: Asparagus Mint Fruit Cups. The dessert was definitely a refreshing end to their delicious Italian themed meal.

Team Asparagus stole the dessert round with their sweet and rich Asparagus Panna Cotta with a Raspberry Reduction Sauce. It was amazing that a that tasted dessert so good could have asparagus as a main ingredient!

Team LAM Chop was deemed by the judges as “taking the biggest risk” with their Asparagus Berry Crisp and Asparagus Pistachio Ice Cream. The ice cream was garnished with Candied Asparagus.

After an intense deliberation, the judges finally settled on a winner our competition: Team Asparagus. Their dessert helped put them over the edge, but throughout the competition Team Asparagus made some truly delicious dishes that expertly highlighted the secret ingredient.

All teams did a fantastic job and we all left the party feeling pleasantly sated and happy. Stay tuned for the next competition, scheduled for December 12th!

I’ve kept you all in suspense long enough (it was a busy week!!)…

Ready to hear what entrees followed Team Spargel’s Bruchetta with Roasted Asparagus and Shaved Parmesan, Team Asparagus’ Shaved Asparagus and Fennel Salad with Pomegranate Dressing and Team LAM Chops’ Asparagus Guacamole?

Here you go:

Team Spargel started the entree round off with Asparagus Prosciutto Ravioli topped with Goat Cheese:

Team Asparagus followed with Pan Seared Sea Bass over a Stir-fry of White and Green Asparagus and Mushrooms:

Team LAM Chops ended the entree round with their version of “Fish and Chips” – Salmon Asparagus Cakes and Beer Battered Asparagus Spears with two aioli dipping sauces:

As you can see, the three teams took three very different approaches to an asparagus themed entree – Team Spargel decided to incorporate asparagus into a classic Italian dish, while Team Asparagus really highlighted the asparagus by pairing it with a light fish. Team LAM Chops knew the judges had all gone out drinking before the competition, so they catered to the men doling out the points by asparagus-ing up a traditional pub dish.

Stay tuned for the Asparagus-themed desserts and the winners!!

We’re heading in a slightly different direction for the next couple of blog posts, as I have to give proper attention to the first ever Monell Cooking Club Iron Chef Competition.

Three teams of three Monellians got together this past Sunday for the friendly competition. Here was the set-up:

We met Sunday afternoon at our respective cooking houses and anxiously awaited for an email from the director of our center with the secret ingredient. We then had 4 hours to plan, shop, cook, and transport an appetizer, entree, and dessert, all of which featured the secret ingredient, to the judging house. The judges, our husbands, entertained themselves with site-seeing and beer while we frantically prepared a meal that would make them swoon. Lucky guys.

The secret ingredient? Asparagus, green or white.

Our reactions?

- Asparagus Appetizer? No problem.

- Asparagus Entree? Easy.

- Asparagus Dessert? What?!? Gross! How???

So, how did everything turn out? Let’s start with the Appetizers. Entrees and Desserts will be featured in the next two posts, so stay tuned…

Team Spargel (German for asparagus) made a delicious Bruchetta with Roasted Asparagus and Shaved Parmesan.

Team Asparagus dished up a beautifully plated Shaved Asparagus and Fennel Salad with Pomegranate Dressing.

Team LAM Chops created a unique Asparagus Guacamole.

All of these dishes were very different, and each was a unique take on Asparagus as an appetizer. Above all, they were a great start to the phenomenal meal to follow…