Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes are delicious dessert topped with the popular cream cheese frosting or any frosting of your choice. 

Buttermilk is essential in baking red velvet cupcakes as it adds the tangy flavor to the cupcakes and also makes them moist. The additional vinegar makes the batter color brighter and when reacted with baking soda makes the cupcakes super light and fluffy.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Sugar - 1 1/3 cups
• Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 cup
• Egg whites - 2
• Red food coloring - 1 tbsp
• White vinegar - 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Red colored sugar for decorating (optional)

    To make buttermilk

• Milk - 1 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice/White vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and keep aside.
3. To make buttermilk, in a small bowl stir lemon juice into milk. Allow it to stand for 5 mins or until thickened and slightly curdled.
4. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and keep aside.
5. In another bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, egg whites, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract together until combined.
6. Make a hole in the middle of dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture. Mix until combined.
7. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with few crumbs, not wet batter.
9. Cool in the muffin tins for 5 mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Frost the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting and sprinkle with red colored sugar, if using. Enjoy!

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Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are popular delicious treat consumed on different occasions. They can be cut and decorated for any season or holiday. It's a perfect snack for both kids and adults. Let the kids get creative and have fun decorating the cookies. These cookies contain lots of sugar and are not good for health if consumed regularly.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tsp
• Egg - 1
• All-purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
• Salt - 3/4 tsp

    For the frosting

• Powdered sugar - 3 cups
• Milk - 3-4 tbsp
• Light corn syrup - 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
• Food coloring (optional)
• Sprinkles or colored sugar crystals for decorating (optional)

Method

1. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk/sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the cream mixture and mix well until combined.
5. Divide the sticky dough in half. 
6. Cover each dough ball in a clear plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours/overnight or until firm.
7. Take one cookie dough and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to 1/4"or 1/8" thickness (optional but recommended - refrigerate for at least 1 hr)
8. Preheat oven to 350F.
9. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
10. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer the shapes to the lined tray using a spatula.
11. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown.
12. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

   Sugar Cookie Frosting

1. Mix sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl until combined.
2. Add more sugar or milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
3. If coloring the frosting, divide into bowls and add color. Mix well.
4. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag/ziplock bags and pipe on the cookies.
5. If using, decorate the cookies with sprinkles and colored sugar crystals.
6. Allow the frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.

Notes

- If not frosting the cookies, sprinkle with sprinkles and colored sugar crystals before baking them.

- The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

- Instead of piping the frosting, the cookies can be dipped top side down into frosting.

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Avocado Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This sandwich is delicious, nutritious, quick and makes a perfect breakfast. It is stacked with layers of pesto, avocado and cheese. I have used Artisan bread in this recipe but you can use any bread you like. 

Avocados are high in healthy fats and loaded with fiber, potassium and antioxidants. They are weight-loss friendly, heart healthy, tastes delicious and could go with many types of food.

Ingredients 

• Bread slices - 4
• Pesto sauce - 4 tbsp
• Avocado - 1, mashed
• Cheese slices - 2
• Butter - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Spread the butter on one side of a bread slice and place it buttered side down.
2. Spread the top of the slice with 1 tbsp of pesto sauce, half of mashed avocado, and place a slice of cheese.
3. Spread the butter on one side of the second bread slice and spread 1 tbsp of pesto sauce on the other side.
4. Place the pesto side down onto the sandwich.
5. Heat a pan and grease with butter.
6. Place the sandwich in the pan and toast until both sides of the bread are golden brown.
7. Repeat for the second sandwich.

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Chicken Mayo Sandwich

Chicken mayo sandwich is easy to make and loved especially by kids. This delicious sandwich filling is made by mixing mayonnaise with boiled and shredded chicken.

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 cup, boiled and shredded/chopped
• Bread slices - 4
• Mayonnaise - 4 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper powder - to taste
• Butter - 1 tsp

Method

1. Boil the chicken with little salt and cook for 15-20 minutes or until done.
2. Take out the chicken and shred it or chop into smaller pieces.
3. Combine chicken, mayo, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
4. Butter the bread slices and toast them in a pan.
5. Add 2-3 tbsp of chicken mixture over the toasted bread and spread it evenly. Cover with another slice and press down. Cut the sandwich diagonally.
6. Repeat with remaining slices and chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

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