This recipe for Chocolate Milk for One makes one cup of amazing, delicious, really good chocolate milk with just four ingredients.
Hey, did you know that (under very specific circumstances) chocolate milk can be considered a “health food”?
A couple summers ago, I was putting on some serious running mileage and struggling with crashing after my long runs. I did a little research and discovered that the most easily accessible recommended recovery drink for distance runners is actually chocolate milk!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! <–That was my reaction.
I added 8 to 12 ounces of chocolate milk to the end of anything over 12 miles and I never crashed again. It was amazing. Plus, my local dairy sells some absolutely killer chocolate milk, so it was fun to have an excuse to indulge.
Two years and an injury later, and my long runs are not all that long anymore, so I don’t have a good excuse to buy a gallon of the stuff. But I still get a craving for some really good chocolate milk every once in a while.
So now I make just one cup.
This recipe makes 8 ounces of really good chocolate milk. And you can make it in your microwave.
There are only four ingredients, milk (the higher fat the tastier), cocoa powder, sugar, and a tiny bit of water. You heat 1/4 of the milk with the rest of the ingredients to make a chocolate syrup and then mix it with the remaining milk which cools everything down so it’s ready within about two minutes.
It’s great if you need a long-run recovery drink–just throw it together while you are shoveling down breakfast, and have it waiting in the fridge for when you can back.
And it’s perfect if you are just craving a glass of chocolate milk, because maybe your long run wasn’t all that long today, but darn it, you still deserve something delicious. 😉
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 5g ) cocoa powder*
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
- ▢ 1 cup milk , divided (any percentage*)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) sugar
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe cup or mug, combine cocoa powder and water. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, until steaming, and stir until very smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and the sugar, and microwave for an additional 15 to 30 seconds, until steaming. Stir until completely mixed. Stir in remaining milk and enjoy.
Notes
This Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes recipe makes six fabulous moist vanilla cupcakes topped with a quick and easy American buttercream frosting.
Happy Friday, friends. How has your week been? Not going to lie, mine has been STRESSFUL. Between all the garbage in the world right now and Baking Mischief breaking itself twice(!!) within 24 hours (Were you around for the site weirdness on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning? It was not pretty.), “chill” has not been a word in my vocabulary this week.
But guess what, the week is almost over, it’s sunny and 70 degrees here in Southern California, and we are all still here. That’s something to be grateful for. I’m grateful for kind popstar quotes , silly unicorn drinks , and all the other small joys in my life, and when I remember that, the world does feel just a little less garbage.
Speaking of small joys, who could go for a cupcake right about now? (Guys, I’m so great at segues.)
These Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes have definitely been one of the small joys of my week. I shot the photos for this post a couple weeks ago–those who follow my Instagram stories might recognize them– but I actually made them again this morning because I felt like this week deserved cupcakes to celebrate its end. And since they are small batch, I can totally get away with that.
This small-batch cupcake recipe makes just six cute little vanilla cupcakes. I like the half dozen count because it’s just enough to share if I have a couple of friends over but not so many that I feel like I have to find homes for all of them if I decide to do some cupcake baking on a whim some lazy weekend.
And these cupcakes are perfect for a lazy weekend because they are super simple to make. You just need one bowl, some baking staples, and a cupcake craving, and you are just a tiny bit of effort away from some seriously yummy little cupcakes.
These vanilla cupcakes are on the moist and heavier side (if you want something super light and airy, I recommend my Small-batch Angel Food Cupcakes ). They are super soft with an incredibly tender crumb and get topped off with a classic easy American vanilla buttercream and of course, some sprinkles.
If you feel like mixing and matching, you can also use the chocolate buttercream from my Small-batch Chocolate Cupcakes –that’s what I did this morning and it was FAB.
And I will totally admit that a cupcake is not going to cure all the world’s ills, BUT, if you need a small joy in your life this weekend, I heartily recommend one of these.
Small-batch Vanilla Cupcake Recipe Notes
- Be sure to use properly softened butter where called for. Butter that is too cold could result in your cupcakes sinking and melty butter can result in flatter, possibly oily cupcakes.
- For the best cupcakes, use a kitchen scale (my preferred choice) or the Spoon and Sweep Method, spoon flour into your measuring cup and sweep excess off with the flat of a knife, to measure your flour otherwise your cupcakes will be too dense!
- If you plan on spreading your frosting with a knife rather than piping, cut the buttercream recipe in half.
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Handheld electric mixer optional but helpful
- ▢ 6-cup cupcake pan full size works too!!
Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 1.5oz ) unsalted butter softened
- ▢ 1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons ( 87g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg white
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 60g ) all-purpose flour measured using the spoon and sweep method and divided
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon milk any percentage
Vanilla Buttercream
- ▢ 4 tablespoons ( 2oz ) unsalted butter softened
- ▢ 1 cup ( 120g ) powdered sugar sifted
- ▢ 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ Pinch of salt
- ▢ Sprinkles optional
Instructions
Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line your cupcake pan with 6 liners.
- In a medium bowl combine butter and sugar and using a handheld electric mixer, cream together until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add egg white and vanilla . Beat on medium until smooth.
- Add 1/4 cup ( 30g ) of the flour , baking powder , and salt . And mix on low until incorporated.
- Mix in milk on low. Add remaining 1/4 cup of flour and mix on medium until well-mixed and smooth. Divide batter between prepared cupcake cups, filling just under 2/3 full. This should make exactly 6 cupcakes. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean or with just a couple dry crumbs.
- Transfer to a cooling rack when the cupcakes are cool enough to handle and cool completely before frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In a medium bowl, combine butter , powdered sugar , milk or cream, vanilla, and salt . Beat until frosting comes together, adding milk by the 1/2 teaspoon as necessary.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag and pipe over cupcakes or use a knife to spread frosting. Top with sprinkles if desired, and enjoy!
This creamy cheesy Potato Gratin for Two makes an easy meal or perfect side dish!
Hey! It’s May! And if you’ve been following along with Baking Mischief for a while, you’ll know that May means it’s Nerd Month here on the blog!!!
Nerd Month = my favorite month because it’s a month-long excuse for me to create recipes based on my favorite nerdy things and try to convince you to read/watch/listen along with me (you can see all of last year’s nerdy recipes here ).
It won’t be ALL nerdy recipes this month, but a big chunk of the posts will be, and I’m so excited to share them with you because spoiler, this year’s recipes (and the things they are based on) are GREAT!
To start, we are taking a little trip back in time and down under for Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries !
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries via Den of Geek
Miss Fisher , which is available on Netflix, might be the most charming murder-mystery show you’ve (n)ever seen (okay, maybe it’s tied with Pushing Daisies ). As much as I love dark and twisty television, sometimes you just want a bit of sunshine with your entertainment, and this show has that in spades.
The incomparable Essie Davis (HAVE YOU SEEN HER IN THE BABADOOK?) plays Phryne Fisher, a private detective in 1920’s Australia who, along with her trusty companion, Dot, a ragtag gaggle of staff, and reluctantly charmed Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, solves crimes, wears fabulous clothes, and generally has a grand old time.
It’s a very fun and breezy show that is also quite conscientious about its portrayal of women and social issues. If you’ve been feeling like you’re getting a little too much Man Pain in your TV diet lately, this is a pretty delightful counterbalance.
I’ve been rewatching episodes of this show quite a bit over the last few months, so I knew I wanted to include it in this year’s nerd month, and when it came to the recipe, there was one clear choice: Potato Gratin!
In the third episode of the series, Phryne uses some of Dot’s gratin to bribe Jack for information on their case, and since potato gratin is one of the best foods known to man, I had to make for the blog. Plus, how cute is this exchange? I really wanted an excuse to share it.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries via Tumblr
This recipe makes Potato Gratin for Two, which means it makes just enough for you and the handsome Detective Inspector in your life. 😉
Not only is Potato Gratin great for bribing police, it’s also a tasty and versatile recipe to have in your back pocket. You can pair it with a salad for a simple vegetarian main or serve it as a carbolicious side dish with something meaty.
Full-size gratins are a little time consuming to put together since there’s a fair amount of chopping involved, but since this recipe is for two, it’s actually quite fast to prepare. You just slice a quarter of an onion and one or two potatoes, grate a little cheese and throw everything together in a casserole dish.
The only downside to this gratin is that it does require nearly an hour of baking time, BUT it’s a low-maintenance hour, so you can just pop it into the oven and let it hang out for the first forty minutes while you go about your life.
By the time the potatoes are finished, the cheese on top is all bubbly and a little crispy and the potatoes are creamy and perfect. Honestly, you will be so glad that this is a portion-controlled recipe for two because you will never want to stop eating it!
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ 7x5-inch baking dish
Potato Gratin
- ▢ 1 large russet potato (about 12oz ) thinly sliced and divided
- ▢ 1/4 onion halved root to tip and thinly sliced
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt divided
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper divided
- ▢ 1 heaping teaspoon all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cold butter diced and divided
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 2oz ) shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- ▢ 1/3 cup milk
- ▢ 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and lightly grease your casserole dish. Layer half of the potatoes in the dish and top with the onions. Sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper, all of the flour, and half of the butter and cheese.
- Add remaining potatoes and top with remaining salt, pepper, butter, and cheese. Pour milk and cream over the top.
- Place a sheet of foil or baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any milk or cheese that bubbles over. Bake gratin on the center rack for 40 to 60 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Cool for five minutes and enjoy!
Adapted From AllRecipes
This recipe for Chocolate Milk for One makes one cup of amazing, delicious, really good chocolate milk with just four ingredients.
Hey, did you know that (under very specific circumstances) chocolate milk can be considered a “health food”?
A couple summers ago, I was putting on some serious running mileage and struggling with crashing after my long runs. I did a little research and discovered that the most easily accessible recommended recovery drink for distance runners is actually chocolate milk!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! <–That was my reaction.
I added 8 to 12 ounces of chocolate milk to the end of anything over 12 miles and I never crashed again. It was amazing. Plus, my local dairy sells some absolutely killer chocolate milk, so it was fun to have an excuse to indulge.
Two years and an injury later, and my long runs are not all that long anymore, so I don’t have a good excuse to buy a gallon of the stuff. But I still get a craving for some really good chocolate milk every once in a while.
So now I make just one cup.
This recipe makes 8 ounces of really good chocolate milk. And you can make it in your microwave.
There are only four ingredients, milk (the higher fat the tastier), cocoa powder, sugar, and a tiny bit of water. You heat 1/4 of the milk with the rest of the ingredients to make a chocolate syrup and then mix it with the remaining milk which cools everything down so it’s ready within about two minutes.
It’s great if you need a long-run recovery drink–just throw it together while you are shoveling down breakfast, and have it waiting in the fridge for when you can back.
And it’s perfect if you are just craving a glass of chocolate milk, because maybe your long run wasn’t all that long today, but darn it, you still deserve something delicious. 😉
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 5g ) cocoa powder*
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
- ▢ 1 cup milk , divided (any percentage*)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) sugar
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe cup or mug, combine cocoa powder and water. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, until steaming, and stir until very smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and the sugar, and microwave for an additional 15 to 30 seconds, until steaming. Stir until completely mixed. Stir in remaining milk and enjoy.
Notes
Chocolate Milk for One
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ( 5g ) cocoa powder*
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup milk , divided (any percentage*)
- 1 tablespoon ( 12g ) sugar
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe cup or mug, combine cocoa powder and water. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, until steaming, and stir until very smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and the sugar, and microwave for an additional 15 to 30 seconds, until steaming. Stir until completely mixed. Stir in remaining milk and enjoy.
