Margarita Cupcakes - Mother's Day Desserts

Everything's better in cupcake form!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Juice of 3 limes, plus zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 c. milk (preferably whole or 2%)

For the frosting

• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 5 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 c. tequila
• Coarse salt, for garnish
• Lime zest, for garnish
• Small lime wedges, for garnish

Directions
Make Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line two muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lime juice and zest and vanilla and mix until combined.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until just combined. Pour in milk and mix until fully incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter.
3. Bake until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted into center of each cupcake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Frosting

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, half of powdered sugar, lime juice, and tequila until light and fluffy. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with coarse salt, lime zest, and lime wedges and a cut decorative straw before serving.

 

Chocolate Pudding - Mother's Day Desserts

Homemade chocolate pudding has been forgotten about and we have no idea why. Sure, instant is EASY, but is it best? Definitely not. Making pudding from scratch is surprisingly simple and so satisfying. With little effort you'll have a smooth, creamy, and rich pudding. It's the perfect make ahead dessert for dinner guests or just to have in your fridge on a Wednesday night.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Whipped cream, for serving
• Chocolate shavings, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour in milk, whisking to combine. Place saucepan over medium heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil, 6 minutes.
2. Place egg yolks in a medium heat proof bowl and beat until light and frothy. Slowly pour in about 1/2 cup hot cocoa mixture, whisking to combine. Slowly pour egg mixture back into sauce pan, whisking constantly.
3. Return to medium heat, whisking, until thickened to a pudding-like consistency, about 3 minutes.
4. Take off heat and whisk in chocolate, butter, and vanilla until smooth. If mixture looks lumpy at all, strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
5. Pour into a large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.
6. When ready to serve, spoon into individual bowls or ramekins and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

 

Oreo Sunflower Cupcakes - Mother's Day Desserts

For the succulent cupcakes you hold the tip at a slight angle, but for these sunflower cupcakes be sure to hold the tip completely horizontal to create sunflower petals.

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 6 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• Yellow food coloring
• 9 mini Oreos, cremes removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Prepare vanilla cake batter according to package instructions and divide between cupcake liners. Bake according to package instructions. Let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile make buttercream: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined, then add vanilla, heavy cream, and salt and beat until combined. 
3. Divide buttercream into two separate bowls and using yellow food coloring, dye one bowl yellow. Add white buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe buttercream onto cupcakes then top each with an Oreo half.
4. Add yellow buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a small leaf tip. Starting slightly off the the edge of the Oreo, pipe petals around the Oreo. Move to the edge the Oreo and pipe a second layer of petals, slightly overlapping the first layer.

 

Chef John's Chicken Marsala - Mother's Day Recipe

Certain dishes have a special place in my heart and this is one of them. The first real restaurant job I had in San Francisco was at a small place called Ryan's Cafe. It was run by a husband and wife team, Michael and Lenore Ryan. They were true 'foodies' before that term had even been coined. This chicken Marsala dish was the most popular dish on the menu and the first one that I was taught.

Ingredients

• 2 skin-on, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Marsala wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon cold butter

 

Directions

Step 1

Season chicken breasts all over with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts, skin-side down, in hot butter and oil until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until breasts are almost cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate.

Step 3

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper in hot butter until mushrooms are golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add minced shallot; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the top and cook and stir until the bitterness of the flour cooks off, 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 4

Pour wine into skillet and bring to a boil; cook and stir until wine reduces and sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken stock; bring to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Step 5

Return chicken breasts to the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook chicken, turning once, until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from heat.

Step 6

Move chicken to one side of the skillet and tilt the skillet so that the sauce pools at the bottom. Stir parsley and 1 teaspoon cold butter into the sauce, stirring constantly, until sauce is shiny and butter is completely melted. Transfer chicken breasts to plates and spoon mushrooms and sauce over the top. 

Shrimp Scampi with Pasta - Mother's Day Recipes

Well-rounded seafood and pasta dish. Good with any pasta; angel hair is less filling.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (Optional)
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste

 

Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook linguine in boiling water until nearly tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the hot butter and oil until shallots are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Season shrimp with kosher salt and black pepper; add to the skillet and cook until pink, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from skillet and keep warm.

Step 3

Pour white wine and lemon juice into skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet, stir 2 tablespoons olive oil into butter mixture, and bring to a simmer. Toss linguine, shrimp, and parsley in the butter mixture until coated; season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil to serve.