Mint!

Last time I went to Vermont, Luann gave me this beautiful bunch of mint from her garden. Confession: I bought myself a little ice cream maker earlier this summer. So, when I saw the mint, I knew ice cream was inevitable. The finished product will be documented later--I promised to save it for a special upcoming occasion...


Still, I'll leave you with a couple photos of the process. Boiling mint leaves with cream and sugar...


Eggs waiting to turn into custard...


So why no ice cream posts yet? Mostly because I've eaten all of it too fast. There's some coffee frozen yogurt in the freezer now, though, and maybe I'll manage to photograph a couple scoops before it's all gone...

Early Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze

Last weekend I had an absolute craving for the Earl Grey cupcakes that I had posted previously. I changed the recipe slightly from before--I was looking for a denser cake, so I adjusted the butter and baking powder proportions a bit, but otherwise it was mostly the same. In the past I had frosted these with both chocolate and vanilla frostings, but both of those overpowered the tea flavor a bit too much. This time I thought a glaze would be ideal--particularly a citrus-flavored glaze to complement the bergamot in the tea. I think it worked! I had always shied away from glazes prior to this because of the uncontrollable dripping, but enough paper towels can make me comfortable with almost any mess, I suppose...

Lemon Glaze
-the juice of 1 lemon
-1-2 c. confectioners' sugar

1. Whisk the lemon juice with quarter cup additions of confectioners' sugar until it is the thickness desired. (Very difficult to be exact with this--just wing it until it looks and tastes right.)
2. Dip the cakes into the glaze, let most of the excess fall off, and let them rest upright on racks over paper towels until the glaze has set.

Summer Squash Cupcakes

July was a very warm month--so much so that I had (sadly!) minimal desire to bake. I made a couple batches of cookies, sure, but nothing new, and nothing that was very labor-intensive. There have been little breaks in the heat since August started--enough for me to want to try making these cupcakes, at least. I probably won't get back into a full-baking swing until next month, but hopefully I'll have a couple things to share this week.

We have been getting a LOT of zucchini and squash from the farm lately--I think all of us are running out of creative ways to cook them. I had 3 small summer squash, and decided cupcakes might be fun. I suspected it would be feasible to substitute grated squash for grated zucchini, and it definitely is. Couldn't tell the difference! Hence, squash cakes...

Summer Squash Cakes
-3 c. flour
-1 t. baking soda
-1/2 t. baking powder
-1 t. salt
-2 t. cinnamon
-1/2 t. nutmeg
-1/2 t. cloves
-1/2 c. vegetable oil
-1/2 c. olive oil
-2 eggs
-2 t. vanilla
-2 c. packed light brown sugar
-3 c. grated summer squash, some of the excess water removed

1. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat together the oils, eggs, and vanilla. Add the sugar and beat until smooth, then stir in the squash.
2. Gradually add the flour mixture, taking care not to over-beat.
3. Pour the batter into lined baking cups. Bake 20 minutes at 350* F, rotating the tins halfway through.
4. Let cool. Top with cream cheese frosting.