Fresh Tomato Sauce Pizza Bread: Back to the grind

It's funny.  I always catch myself wishing for the next moment instead of enjoying the moment where I am.  It's a bad habit I have, always planning, thinking about my next move, and anticipating what needs to happen next.  During the three weeks that Daughters were off, I spent a LOT of time wondering how soon school would start again.  There was a LOT of fighting (between the girls and then with me) and a lot of time management struggles I had, trying to get things done in my normal efficient manner, but having to face the fact that there were two additional people to deal with.

Every morning started out pretty similarly with my barking orders about chores, about piano practice, about extra math.  Invariably mid morning, Daughter #2 would begin whining about how we never ever ever have pizza EVER.  I do have to agree that we don't often have pizza because Son's allergies make eating it hard.    Daughter #2 even went as far as to ask if we could have it while Son was at school since he wouldn't see them eating.

As I've been in "eat everything we have at home" mode, I've been making some crazy things.  At the moment of Daughter #2's timely whine for pizza, I did a quick assessment of my kitchen.  I had about 2 cups of slightly shriveled cherry tomatoes, a tiny bit of fresh basil, two stale pieces of toast (leftover from breakfast) and some mozzarella cheese in the fridge.  It seemed like I might be able to throw something together so I gave it a whirl.  I cooked up the tomatoes with olive oil and garlic, salt and pepper, and make a quick pizza sauce, tossed it on top of the stale bread topped it with cheese and finished it in the toaster oven.

You'd have thought I was some famous pizza maker from some famous Italian town the way Daughters' gobbled down the pizza.  And I was very pleased to use up cheese, slightly wrinkly tomatoes, and the stale toast.  Since I was worried that the popularity of this dish was kind of a fluke, I did go ahead and make it again, this time with fresher, more "presentable" ingredients.  The end result was again super delicious and super worth it.

But as soon as I discovered this fantastic, easy to make at home treat, Daughters have returned to school and suddenly it's packing lunches for them every morning that consumes my mind.  If only I had enjoyed how wonderful it was cooking for them at home (albeit with the incessant fighting) before I sent them back to school.

At least I discovered a great use for cherry tomatoes.

Fresh Tomato Sauce Pizza Bread
Makes 6 to 8 pizza breads

Ingredients
2 cups cherry tomatoes, washed and picked over (Don’t let the shriveled ones scare you - use them too)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
8 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese OR fresh mozzarella, sliced
Bread, sliced according to desired thickness (I’ve used torta rolls, english muffins, french bread, white bread - it all works)
Prosciutto if desired

Method
In a small saucepan, add cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Place saucepan over medium heat and cover, allowing steam to help soften and cook tomatoes. Cook for about 12 minutes and then open lid.  Tomatoes should be watery and soft.  Continue to cook with lid off to help evaporate some of the water and slightly thicken the sauce.  Remove from heat.  Toss in fresh basil and set aside.

Toast bread in toaster oven (if it is fresh - if it is stale, no need).  Remove from oven.  Spread a nice layer of tomato sauce, chunks and all, on top.  Sprinkle cheese and any other desired toppings.

Return bread to toaster oven (or regular oven preheated to 400) and toast/bake, until cheese is melty and the desired color.

Enjoy!!

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Kimchi Dumplings (김치만두): When it is in your blood

To my mom, my aunt, and my two grandmothers.  Thank you for my genetic dumpling making ability.

I come from a long line of dumpling making experts.  My paternal grandmother, my maternal grandmother, my aunt, and my mom are all expert dumpling makers.  They all were making excessive numbers of dumpling even before I was a thought in my mom's dumpling making head.

Having this list of who's who of dumpling makers in my family meant that growing up, we made dumplings.  A lot of them.  As a younger child, after the filling was made, I'd sit down on the floor with my grandmothers and my mom and begin the tedious process of filling the dumplings.  Scoop, wet, seal.  I'd get criticism from my grandmother that the dumplings weren't plump enough and that the ratio of filling to skin had to be a lot more filling to the skin.  "That's how people can tell you're an expert dumpling maker" she'd tell me.  I learned more complicated double folding techniques so that my dumpling looked like a cute little hat.  Again there'd be critique and criticism about the shape and the amount of filling inside.

As I got older, my job as a dumpling assistant became more complex.  I'd have to keep the water boiling and get all the vegetables blanched, and then once the vegetables were blanched, I used a food processor to chop them up to just the right size, and then I'd move those chopped vegetables to a bag and would squeeze the vegetables until my mom told me that they were the right texture.  It'd be my mom's ultimate job of seasoning, mixing, and making sure everything tasted good altogether.

It was also through these times that I was instructed on a bit of the wizardry behind Korean dumpling making.  Squeezing the water from the vegetables and tofu ensured a firm yet fluffy texture to the filling of the dumpling.  Seasoning the meat separately from the vegetables was also an absolute must because if you tried to season it all together, you'd get bland dumplings.  My paternal grandmother also had a special ingredient inside her dumpling which was a pinenut pushed into the center of each dumpling before folding it up and sealing it.  It added a special texture and nutty flavor to her dumplings (but is a technique I do not use because of Son's allergies.)  A light hand was also important as you didn't want to make the vegetables too mushy or become watery.

Despite my excessive training and apprenticeship, dumpling making was not a life my own mother wanted for me.  In fact, she wanted our special dumpling making traditions to end with her, and not have me do them.  "It's too much work, too strenuous, and it's not something that I want you to do for the rest of your life."  Instead, she masterfully makes trays and dumplings, freezes them and brings them to me when she comes to visit.  She has no desire to see the repeat of dumpling making pass to her daughter for fear of the lifetime of work it would entail. Truthfully, dumpling making is a lot of work, and don't get me started on the condition of your kitchen after you're done with all the chopping and blanching and squeezing and filling.

However, if you've got dumpling making in your blood,  it's not a life you can escape.  My mother has given me various apparatuses for dumpling making (including a machine that squeezes the liquid out of the vegetables for you) and yet didn't want me to get involved in it.   However, I love dumplings and I love the kind that are freshly homemade.  Because of that, I had no choice.  I had to roll up my sleeves and make dumplings on my own, despite my mother's protests to the contrary. I trained in Korea, under my grandmother (who also insisted that I shouldn't do this) and I came back to the US to practice.  It was my aunt who gave me the wisest words about dumpling making:  "Don't think you have to make a LOT of dumpling mixture, just make enough for your family."

Most recently, it was the sour kimchi and two daughters at home during break that really pushed me to make them, because Family loves the dumplings like you wouldn't believe.  I decided to use the sour kimchi and turn them into dumplings, which is another family dish that I grew up eating.  Sour kimchi actually saves a few steps because you don't have to blanch the cabbage; the kimchi is already tender enough from fermentation that makes blanching unnecessary.  There is less need to season, as kimchi has a lot of the seasoning value for you, and all in all, it's a great way to get rid of some kimchi that you cannot eat otherwise (except in a stew, in a grilled cheese sandwich, or sauteed with pork.  But I digress.)

This time, during this round of dumpling making, Daughters begged to be let in on the tradition of filling and folding dumplings.  I suddenly missed my childhood, sitting on the floor with my grandmothers, filling the dumplings as quickly as I could.  Daughters, as it was their first time doing it, were not skilled, and in fact made some horrible dumplings at first.  But as I coached and instructed, they got better.  They began filling those dumplings full and became faster.  And although it's not a life I want for them either (I really need to show people what happens to your kitchen) I know that once again, dumpling making is in THEIR blood.  They won't be able to stop it either.

As for the actual preparation, set aside a good amount of time, about 3 hours to provide adequate time to make the filling and fill the dumplings.  You'll need a large food processor (not the mini prep type) or really good knife skills, which is not a method I recommend at all. I've actually hand chopped dumpling mixture once in Korea, and it's not something I'll do again.  EVER. If you don't have a food processor, definitely borrow one from a friend.  You'll need a muslin or cloth bag, in order to squeeze your vegetables well.  

Kimchi Dumplings (김치만두)
Makes 85 to 100 dumplings, depending on your wrapper size and how full you are stuffing them

Ingredients
4 cups well-ripened kimchi (sour), drained in a colander (but not washed)
1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
16 oz mung bean sprouts
14 oz soft tofu
1 lb boneless pork loin chops
5 garlic cloves
1 inch piece of peeled ginger, sliced into pieces
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons crushed sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

2 packages of gyoza wrappers (I prefer Dynasty brand because it doesn’t use egg)

Special equipment
Food processor (large capacity, not mini prep)
Muslin bag or cheesecloth bag (I love these dried food bags from Whole Foods.)  You can also use a clean dishtowel.

Method
Bring a pot of water to boiling.  Blanch mung bean sprouts for about 2 minutes, and then remove from heat and drain.  Set aside.

In a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, begin processing all the filling.  Chop the mung bean sprouts.  A couple of pulses, totaling no more than 30 seconds should be enough to get them small enough.    Remove blad from food processor.  Remove chopped bean sprouts from processor and place into muslin or cheesecloth bag.  Squeeze mung bean sprouts until volume is reduced by about half.  Remove squeezed bean sprouts from bag and place into a large bowl, large enough that you will be able to make your filling in it.

Replace blade on food processor and process onions, once again a few pulses to get fine pieces, but not mush.  Remove blade from processor.  Remove onions from processor, place into bag, and squeeze until volume is reduced by about half.  Place onion into same bowl as mung bean sprouts.

Replace blade into food processor.  Add 4 cups of kimchi.  Once again process kimchi until it is in small pieces, but not slush (about ¼ inch pieces).  Remove blade.  Remove kimchi and place into bag, and squeeze until volume is reduced by about half. Add kimchi into same bowl as mung bean sprouts and onions.

Take tofu and place into bag and squeeze until the volume is reduced by about half.  Add to bowl with the rest of the vegetables.  Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon crushed sesame seeds and mix together, using your hand gently.. This means do not squeeze too hard but rather lightly incorporate all the ingredients together.  After all the ingredients are distributed, taste.  This portion (since it’s all cooked) should allow you to check the seasonings.  It should be well seasoned, not bland and not salty.  If needs salt, add a pinch of salt and mix again.

To the food processor, add pork, sliced ginger, and garlic cloves.  Pulse pork until all pieces are cut into a fine mince.  Add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and mix together.  Add pork mixture TO vegetable mixture.  Once again, using a gentle hand, mix ingredients together.  This is the dumpling filling.

Fill a small bowl with water.  Taking one dumpling wrapper, scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper.  Dip your finger in water and wet the outer edge of one half of the wrapper.  Fold wrapper over and using a bit of pressure, seal the dumpling shut tightly.  Lay dumpling on tray, and continue until filling is all gone.  This is where employing child labor comes in very handy.

After the dumplings are wrapped (or in process of being wrapped) there are two cooking methods you can employ - boiling or frying.  Both are delicious, but boiling allows you to really appreciate the dumpling filling while frying makes you appreciate the crispy dumpling skin.

Boiling
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once water begins boiling, add dumpling to water, just enough so that there is room for the dumplings to swim around.  Dumplings are finished when they float to the top and the skin is translucent and wrinkling over the top of the filling.  Using a slotted spoon, remove from water.  Bring water to a boil again and repeat with additional dumplings.

Frying
Heat a medium pot with at least 3 inches deep of oil. Heat oil over medium high heat.   Place a rack over a paper towel lined cookie sheet.  When the oil begins to shimmer, add a test dumpling to the oil.  The dumpling should immediately sizzle and begin cooking.  Dumplings cook quickly in the right temperature oil, about 4 minutes and they should be golden brown.  Move dumplings to rack and allow them to drain and cool.

Printable recipe

Delicious any way you have them.

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies: Making room

Since children have begun their progress towards adulthood, it seems that the stuff of babyhood has fallen by the wayside, and by stuff, I actually mean THE PHYSICAL stuff that babies need.  I've been fortunate to have two younger brothers on whom I can unload many of the trappings of babyhood like clothes, toys, furniture and books, and what has long been in storage in our random "spare room" has slowly, but surely, been taken to Brothers' homes for use by their children.

The space where much of this stuff has been stored is slowly opening up.  It is a really random room in our house, originally designed to be some sort of open landing called a "library" but the previous owner decided to close it up and create an actual room.  I use the term room, quite loosely for it is a strangely shaped room,  much longer than it is wide and the kicker of it is that there is no heat in this room.  There is, however two beautiful windows, one which overlooks into our neighbor's backyard, and the other which looks out onto the street.  

As I began the insane process of sorting through clothes, organizing books, and folding bedding, it became clear to me that this space DESERVED to be used for something more than random storage.  In a lightbulb moment, I decided that this space should be an office for Husband, that the natural light and space would be a welcome, cozy (albeit cold), space for Husband to spread out and do his manly things like work.  Suddenly in a fit of activity, with Daughters' help, we began the process of super organization and I soon could envision this wonderful room for Husband.

When Husband heard of my plan on the phone, he didn't seem all that happy.  His exact words were, "You hole yourself in your office all the time and now you want me to hole myself up in a separate space?"  I tried to explain to him the importance of his space, with his files, and his stuff, and how awesome it would be for him to have a room where he could snack by the computer (I hate the snacking he does in bed as he works) and maybe we could put up a flat screen TV in the new office that only he could watch.  Husband continued to protest that he didn't need his own space, and that in fact, he'd much prefer to be with me in my office, if that is where I would hole myself up at the end of the day.

Truthfully, I love my messy office/classroom.  It's messy with the activity of students; my desk is always covered with some sort of something that I'm working on and there are books everywhere. However, my comfy office chair and this chaotic space is where I like to be.  At the end of the day, after pushing and fighting and teaching and mothering and cooking, I like my own private space.  I like to be alone. I like to stare into the computer and just be solitary.  I like to unwind here.  But upon hearing Husband's protests of not needing his own space, I realize that maybe I just need to make room for him in my space.  I shouldn't be in a hurry to enclose him in a separate space just so I can have my own (which by the way, was not my original intent) and instead, I should find a small corner, in my already too crowded office for him to have space.  I need to learn to make room.

If you think you've had every single cookie recipe that there is to have, I beg to differ.  Make room.  This cookie deserves a spot in your rotation.  The texture is something unique and different and the flavor - it's a bit of retro with the caramel and the apple.  

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 5 dozen

Ingredients

2 sticks of butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup rice crispies (I like Trader Joe’s brand)

1 ¼ cups chopped dried apples

1 ¼ cups caramel bits (Kraft brand)

Method

Combine the butter and both sugars in the bowl  (either in a stand mixer or in a bowl where you can use a hand mixer) and cream on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes.   Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla and beat until all ingredients are mixed together, another 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, and add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Beat until just mixed, about 1 minute.

Add oats, crispies, apples, and caramel bits and mix until just blended.  

At this point, you can simply wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until need.  OR you can go ahead and bake them off.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 375.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop tablespoon scoops and lay them about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are golden and firmed up.

Allow cookies to cool in pan for 5 minutes, before removing them to a cooling rack.  Enjoy.  

Printable recipe

I'm making room in lots of different ways.

I bought mine at Target.  One bag was 96 cents.  This is WAY MORE expensive.

Vegetable Lentil Soup: The "benefits" of language school

For YK, who enjoys with me all the side benefits of Korean School

Every Saturday, I rouse the kids up early, get them changed and washed up, feed them breakfast, and load them in the car so that I can drive 30 minutes to their Korean school.  It's a lot of work and the whining and general unhappiness that accompanies this trip down is not entirely easy but I carry on and push through and get Children to Korean school without fail, every single Saturday.  This isn't even counting the stress I undergo receiving countless emails regarding homework (three different kids in three different classes just means a lot of emails) and having to actually SUPERVISE and have Children COMPLETE the homework.   A lesser mother might quit taking their kids, given the sheer resistance that Children put up, but I can't give up Korean school and it's not for the reasons that you think.

Of course there are tremendous benefits to Children in learning a foreign language, and the mother tongue that both Husband and I speak.  We want Children to be able to read and write in Korean and be able to communicate with Grandparents easily in Korean.  We wish and hope for them to be bilingual and comfortable speaking more than one language.  That's a compelling reason to send Children to Korean school, but on many days, like today, it's not the driving force behind why I get behind the wheel and grit my teeth against the complaints and get Children to Korean school.

On a day, like today, the reason I could bear all the noise on the way to Korean school is because I knew that once they were in Korean school, I would have time.  FOR ME.  And while time for me can look like a variety of things like time in front of the computer, or time blogging, or time organizing the house and cook, time for me on Korean school days is different;  I'm far enough away from home that going back doesn't make sense, which means that for almost three hours I HAVE to find something to do.  Something that I want to do.  Something for me.

Sometimes best friend YK (whose child also receives the tremendous benefits of Korean school) and I get a pedicure.  Sometimes we grab brunch.  Sometimes we get errands done, but today was not about any of those things.  Today was about time for us.  We went to a cafe, got a coffee, cozied down on a table; she on her laptop, I with my book and we settled in for two and a half hours of uninterrupted quiet time.  I did not answer the phone; I did not look at the computer. I actually had time to sit and read straight through a novel I'm planning on teaching my students next.  I took notes, had time to reflect, and I got to enjoy sitting outside in the sun with best friend and not having to talk or do anything except just be.

Now, I'll never let Children know that I send them to Korean school so that I can benefit, but I assure you, if you don't have your kids in some sort of Saturday language program, they (ahem - YOU) are really missing out.

After Korean school today, after Children's torture and my mini-vacation, I came home and fed Children this soup, steaming and perfectly in line with fall.  With crusty pieces of bread, or a warm sandwich, it signaled the end of both their schooling and my respite.

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups diced onions
3 cups diced carrots
3 cups diced celery
½ cup white wine (optional)
14 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock or vegetable stock
⅔ cup dried lentils (I used red split lentils from Trader Joes)
1 cup chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese for sprinkling as garnish (optional)

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat.  Add onions, carrots, and celery all at once.  Add a good pinch of salt and pepper to season the vegetables.  Saute until onions are translucent and carrots and celery are beginning to become tender, about 6 minutes.  Add wine and cook for an additional minute until wine has evaporated.  Add tomatoes, chicken stock and lentils all at once.  Bring to a simmer and reduce heat, cooking until lentils are tender.  The tenderness of the lentils WILL depend on the type of lentils you use.  Split lentils cook the fastest, and will be tender in about 20 minutes.  Whole lentils will take much longer to become tender, closer to 40 minutes.

Printable recipe

And with a bite of this, I'm thinking about next week's class.

Blueberry Lime Cupcakes: On taking drugs

I've been suffering these past six weeks with a massive attack of eczema, probably having to do with something that is in the air combined with intense stress.  This eczema has literally led me to scratch wildly at my skin during inappropriate times and caused me to scratch myself up so badly that I have scabs and raw patches all over.  It's not pretty.  The itching gets so frenetic at night that Husband has to shake me awake and tell me to stop.  But I can't.  I have to scratch where it itches.  It's compulsive and it's necessary.  I suddenly have a whole lot more sympathy for Son and other babies with eczema as it is just so completely frustrating to live this way.

I knew that if I took antihistamines I would probably find some measure of relief as I was fairly certain it was an allergic reaction.  Only I couldn't take antihistamines because they destroy me.  They literally leave me too groggy to function (all antihistamines, even those touted as being "non-drowsy") and I've fallen asleep standing up, the effect is so strong.  Husband begged me to take something and my response was, "If I take something I can't do what I have to do and that is be a mother who is on top of everything and a teacher who gets the teaching done."  Antihistamines would cause me to destruct and leave me non-functioning.

I promised Husband however, that once Daughters were on break, I'd try taking some, if only at night, if only to help me sleep.  He gave me many exasperated looks not understanding WHY I had to wait six weeks to treat my problem, and my answer?  I can SLEEP IN when Daughters are on break. I don't HAVE to be awake at the crack of down.  I can be conked out in the bed until 8 and not have to dash around so maniacally in the morning.

Even with those crazy reassurances to myself about how the antihistamines were going to be okay, it took a few days before I would allow myself to take it, even once Daughters were on break.  The first day I decided to take them, my desire to scratch myself to death was so strong that I took it mid-afternoon.  It began affecting my teaching so that I taught standing up for two hours, chewing wildly at several pieces of gum that I shoved into my mouth.  Students told me that I was talking more wildly and more animated than usual, and I attributed it to the gum.  Really it was my insane desire to stay awake and not come crashing to the ground.

The next day, I woke up so groggy, but discovered that I was knocked out enough NOT to scratch.  The next evening I took another and slept in a bit the following morning.  It appears that my body does like the antihistamines; I just don't like the way I feel on them.  It also has shown me that I really do need to take better care of myself.  If only cupcakes could cure my ills the way the antihistamines try to, I'd be a lot happier.

These are a blueberry lime cupcake - the cake itself is light and fluffy, filled with blueberries (fresh or frozen) and the hint of lime in the cake and sprinkled on top means that these are not your average cupcake.  The color is striking and the flavor is enough to convince me that I'm not itchy right now.

Blueberry Lime Cupcakes
Makes 30 regular cupcakes, 60 mini cupcakes

Lemon Cake
Ingredients
2 cups regular sugar
2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs (taken out of the fridge the same time as the butter)
1¼ cup buttermilk
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup washed fresh blueberries

Method
Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a food processor, pulverize together lime zest and sugar.  (Doing so releases the lime oils.)

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, blend softened butter and lime sugar until thoroughly combined.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well mixed, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is well blended.

Add half of flour mixture and mix until just combined. and add half of buttermilk and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl.  Add remaining half of flour mixture, mix until just combined and then add remaining buttermilk.  Mix until just combined.again.  At this stage, the less you mix the better for your cake.  (too much mixing makes for a tough cake.)  Remove mixer blades, and gently fold in blueberries with a spatula.

Divide cake into prepared muffin pans.  Bake for mini cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes, regular cupcakes for 22 to 24 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently pressed with fingertips.  Cool for 20 minutes, then remove cake from pans and cool on wire racks until completely cool.

Blueberry Frosting
Ingredients
Makes enough to frost 30 regular cupcakes, or 60 mini

1 cup of butter, slightly softened (room temperature for about 20 minutes)
8 oz of cream cheese (room temperature for 5 minutes)
1.2 oz (34 grams) freeze dried blueberries, pulverized in a mini food processor (but not too far ahead of time, otherwise they will begin to absorb moisture) ** Freeze dried fruit has a silica gel packet - do not pulverize this!
5-6 cups of confectioners sugar

Lime zest for garnish

In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix butter until it is softened and uniform. Add cream cheese and beat together until it is uniform. Add pulverized blueberries. Add 3 cups of sugar to the mixture and mix. Add 2 more cups of sugar. Mix again until mixture is creamy and spreadable. Add more sugar if necessary, otherwise prepare to frost cupcakes.

You can frost with a knife, or you can using a pastry bag and a 1M Wiltons star tip to make the rosettes.  Start in the middle of the cupcake, hold the tip perpendicular to the cupcake (pointing straight down) and swirl outwards.

Garnish with a sprinkling of lime zest.

Printable recipe

If only they made medicines like cupcakes.