Kelsea's Shower

This morning was my sweet friend Kelsea's bridal shower! My contributions were cranberry orange scones, Italian chicken sandwiches (minus the bacon and just on whole wheat dinner rolls from Albertsons) and per Miss Kelsea's request, Red Velvet cupcakes.

Cranberry Orange Scones (Taste of Home)

10 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 15 min.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 10 teaspoons sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 
  GLAZE (optional):
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 
  ORANGE BUTTER:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 to 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
  

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, 7 teaspoons sugar, orange peel, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, orange juice, cream and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
• On a floured surface, gently knead 6-8 times. Pat dough into an 8-in. circle. Cut into 10 wedges. Separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with milk; sprinkle with remaining sugar.
• Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack.
• Combine glaze ingredients if desired; drizzle over scones. Combine orange butter ingredients; serve with warm scones. Yield: 10 scones.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 331 calories, 17 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 65 mg cholesterol, 396 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.


Italian Chicken Salad from The Kitchn
makes enough for six sandwiches

3 medium (or 2 large) bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion (about a quarter of a medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery (2 medium stalks)
1/2 cup thinly sliced roasted red pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
handful of chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
12 slices bacon, cooked
12 slices hearty Italian or peasant bread

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rub some olive oil over the chicken breasts and season them with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, depending on how thick the breasts are. The skin does not need to brown; you just want the meat to cook through. Let cool slightly, then peel away the skin and shred the meat. You should have about 3 1/2 to 4 cups. Drizzle the chicken with a bit of the juices from the pan, just to keep it moist.

Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stream in the olive oil, whisking vigorously, until combined.

Combine the onion, celery, red pepper, almonds, parsley, and shredded chicken in a large bowl. Pour in the vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Make the sandwiches, putting two slices of bacon on each, topped with one-sixth of the chicken salad.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

From Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor

24 pan liners for cupcakes

1 package plain, German Chocolate cake mix

1 package vanilla or chocolate pudding mix (use chocolate if you want a stronger chocolate flavor)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 vegetable oil

1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring

3 large eggs

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again as needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 quarters of the way full. You will get between 22-24 cupcakes. Place the pans in the oven.

4. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your fingers, 18-20 minutes. Remover the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.

5. Place on a wire rack to cool 15 minutes before frosting.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 ounces cream cheese or reduced fat cream cheese at room temperature

4 tablespoons butter at room temperature

2-2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it's smooth. Set aside the chocolate to cool.

2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until well combined 30 seconds. Stop the mixer, add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds.

3. Add 2 cups of confectioners sugar and blend on low speed until sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium speed and beat frosting until fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.