Food.com: Kartoffelklöße (German Potato Dumplings)

When I made sauerbraten last night, I also replicated a side dish that my mom says my grandmother served with her sauerbraten.  They are german potato dumplings with a little surprise of butter toasted bread cubes in the middle.  I couldn't remember hearing about these until my mom mentioned them.  And even then, the recipe was trial and error, trying to get it like the original.

These dumplings basically amount to mashed potatoes stuffed with breadcrumbs.  They're pretty plain on their own, but with sauerbraten gravy drizzled over the top, they're pretty delicious.  And I always like a little surprise in my dinner, especially a surprise that's fried in butter.  I personally think they might need a little bit of finely chopped parsley in the potato mixture, just to break up the never-ending whiteness.

Kartoffelklöße (German Potato Dumplings)
Adapted from food.com

1½ pounds russet potatoes (about 2 large)
1½ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ cup cornstarch
1 large egg
2 slices good quality white bread, such as sourdough
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Trim the crusts off the bread and discard.  Cut the bread into ½-inch cubes and fry them in butter and oil until golden brown, then transfer them to a paper towel to drain.  You need about 48 little cubes.

Cook scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 45 minutes.  Drain and cool slightly.  Peel the potatoes and then cut them into large pieces.  Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Mash the potatoes with a fork or run them through a ricer into a large bowl.  Mix in the salt and nutmeg.  Add the flour and cornstarch.  Using your hands, knead the mixture until a smooth dough forms, adding more flour if the dough is sticky.  Mix in the egg.

Form the dough into 12 large balls, using ¼ cup of potato for each.  Insert 4 bread cubes in the center of each dumpling and close the dough around the bread cubes to form smooth balls.

Working in batches, cook dumplings in a large pot of nearly boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes or until the dumplings rise to the top and remain floating.  Make sure the dumplings do not stick together as they cook.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a large bowl and keep covered with a damp kitchen towel until all of the dumplings are cooked.

Makes 12 dumplings

The Cook's Blessings: Sauerbraten (German Sour Pot Roast)

I seem to be on a kick lately with recipes from my family's past.  Tonight I made something I have never had before: sauerbraten.  This is another recipe that we lost when my grandmother died, and I have been trying to find something to replace it.  I originally saw this recipe in a collection of recipes from a church in Baltimore, so I'm hoping this is pretty close to the original.  My mom says it has been so long though, she doesn't remember if it is the same!

Coming from someone who has never tried it, this roast is something completely different.  You definitely have to like sour things, because it's sour.  Oddly beefy and tender, yet sour.  I'm still not sure what to think. It definitely helps putting the gingersnaps in the gravy, and I'm thinking maybe even some cream wouldn't hurt.  I think I could get used to this...

Sauerbraten (German Sour Pot Roast)
Adapted from the 1965 edition of The Cook's Blessings by Demetria Taylor

1 (3- to 3½-pound) beef rump roast

1½ cups red wine vinegar

1½ cups water

1 large onion, sliced

½ lemon, sliced

6 whole cloves

6 juniper berries

3 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons oil

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

2 teaspoons sugar

8 gingersnaps, crushed very finely

Place the meat in a large deep bowl.  Combine the vinegar and next 9 ingredients; pour over the meat.  Cover; refrigerate 36 to 48 hours, turning meat twice each day.

Lift meat from bowl; pat dry with paper towels.  Rub lightly with flour.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat; brown the meat well on all sides.  Put the meat in a large Dutch oven.  Strain the vinegar marinade and add 2 cups to the meat.  Cover and simmer for 3 hours.

Melt the butter in a skillet; blend in the flour and sugar.  Add the remaining strained vinegar mixture; cook and stir until thickened.  Add the mixture to the meat.  Simmer for another ½ hour or until the meat is tender.  Stir the gingersnaps into the gravy; stir until thickened.  If the gravy is lumpy, run it through a blender to smooth it out.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook: Spanish Tomato Rice

When my maternal grandmother died, all of her recipes went with her.  My mom doesn't remember her ever using a cookbook, and she rarely used clippings from newspapers and magazines.  We're not sure how she learned to cook the amazing things she made, or how she remembered them all, but they were supposedly fantastic (she died when I was 2).  My mom has tried off and on to recreate the dishes she remembers from her childhood, and Spanish rice is one of those things.

Most of the rice served at Tex-Mex restaurants here in Texas is pretty dry, with some peas and carrots occasionally thrown in the mix.  My mom remembers her mother's rice being rice and moist, with bacon on top.  Sounds amazing, right?

Well, we finally decided that this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens is probably as close as we're going to get.  It meets all of the requirements and is pretty darn tasty.  I mean, how can you go wrong with bacon sprinkled on top?  If you're a Texan, you might need some additional spice (cayenne pepper maybe?), but since my grandmother lived in Maryland, I have a feeling this dish is just right.

Spanish Tomato Rice

From the 1974 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

In a 10-inch skillet, cook 8 slices of bacon till crisp; remove.  Pour off half the fat.  In remaining fat, cook 1 cup finely chopped onion, and ¼ cup chopped green pepper till tender but not brown.

Add one 1-pound can tomatoes, 1½ cups water, ¾ cup uncooked long-grain rice, ½ cup chili sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and dash pepper.  Cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes.  Crumble bacon on top.  Trim with parsley.

Makes 6 servings

Family Circle: Carrot-Zucchini Bar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

There are always recipes that you eat as child that you associate with comfort and love.  Things your mom makes for you that show you just how much she cares.  And when you're an adult, just one bite of these things can bring you right back to those days.  You can remember what it was like to sit down at the table and have a plate put in front of you with something delicious on it.

My mom was pretty big on cutting recipes out of the magazines that she subscribed to, mainly Family Circle, Woman's Day, and Southern Living.  She was always finding amazing new things to try.  And as much as I bugged her when something didn't turn out or just wasn't a good recipe (like the spoiled brat I am), I have to admit now that I'm proud she had the nerve to try new things with three little kids at her knees.

One thing I really remember about my childhood is the sweets.  It seemed like my mom had a never-ending treasure trove of amazing sweet things to tempt us with.  Some of these she got out of her old standby, the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (with the plaid cover, I'm sure your mom had one, too!).  But this amazing recipe she got out of Family Circle magazine many years ago.  I don't see it around the internet for some reason, but it's delicious.  Moist, sweet, and tangy.  And it's a perfect way to get some extra nutrition into active children.  Still makes me nostalgic.

Carrot-Zucchini Bar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
From Family Circle magazine

⅔ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
⅔ cup coarsely grated carrot
⅔ cup coarsely grated zucchini
½ cup golden raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9x9x2-inch square baking pan.

Beat together the brown sugar, butter, and cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended.  Stir in carrot, zucchini, and golden raisins.  Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Invert the cake on the wire rack; cool completely.  Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

¼ cup unsalted butter
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese
1½ cup confectioner's sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla.

Cooking My Way Back Home: Peach-Blueberry-Brown Butter Crisp

With all the fabulous produce out on the market right now, I decided to try another recipe from Cooking My Way Back Home that had caught my eye.  It's a fruit crisp, and it uses some fruits that are at their peak right now: peaches and blueberries.  I haven't really tried anything with that particular combination, but it sounded delicious.

When I went shopping for the ingredients, I had quite a bit of trouble finding tapioca flour.  The only place that carried it sold it in a big bag, and with only 1 tablespoon required, I certainly wasn't going to shell out $5 for just one ingredient.  Cornstarch worked just fine.

While the ingredient list doesn't seem very long, it seems like it took forever to bring together the ingredients for the topping (and about a million dishes).  And then when I went to put the whole thing in a casserole dish, I realized exactly how much topping that was...  It was so much topping that I almost thought I had done something wrong.  It was mounded over the top of the fruit so high it was several inches deep.  I wasn't even sure the darn thing would cook.  I can't believe this recipe was actually tested, because unless you love the crunchy topping ten times more than the actual fruit, this is not a good ratio.  If I make it again, I'll cut back the topping by at least half, possibly more.  I have left the recipe below as is.

The taste of the fruit was actually pretty good, all things considered.  And I really liked the graininess that the cornmeal brought to the topping.  Pretty delicious once the topping was scraped down to a reasonable level.  Oh, and you HAVE to top it with vanilla bean ice cream.  That is required.

Peach-Blueberry-Brown Butter Crisp
From Cooking My Way Back Home by Mitchell Rosenthal

6 to 8 peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced
1 pint blueberries
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca flour
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Topping:
1 cup (½ pound) unsalted butter
¼ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups yellow cornmeal
¾ cup coarsely ground toasted almonds
¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Have ready a 2-quart baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the peaches, blueberries, sugar, tapioca flour, and lemon juice and stir gently to combine thoroughly.

To make the topping, in a small saucepan, melt half of the butter with the vanilla bean over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the butter is browned and has a nutty aroma.  Remove and discard the vanilla bean and set the butter aside to cool.

In a second small saucepan, heat the remaining butter over low heat just until melted, then set aside to cool.

While the butters are cooling, in a bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, almonds, both sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

When the butters have cooled, drizzle both of them over the flour mixture, then toss lightly with a wooden spoon, being careful not to overmix.  You want to have small clumps.

Distribute the peach and blueberry mixture evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.  Spoon the topping evenly over the top.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling along the sides of the dish and the topping is browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

To serve, spoon the crisp onto individual plates and top with ice cream.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Cooking My Way Back Home: Creamy Stone-Ground Grits with Vermont Cheddar

There have been a couple of cookbooks that I've had my eye on for a while, and Cooking My Way Back Home is certainly one of them.  A quick flip through in the bookstore was all it took to sell me on the darn thing.  Heck, just the picture of the meatballs in the green peppercorn sauce was enough to sell me on the book.  Luckily I was able to get a copy through my cookbook testing.

Cheese grits are something very homey and comforting and incredibly Southern.  Everyone makes them, everyone except for me.  I'm still searching for my cheese grit nirvana.  Will these be it?  I certainly liked the look of the long cooking time with lots of milk.  That certainly signaled creamy to me.  I must admit that I did not go to the trouble of ordering Anson Mills grits.  Sorry, but Quaker has to cut it.  I'm tired and low on funds for the moment.

Since I have an aversion to using a double boiler unless absolutely necessary, I had to keep a close eye on these babies to make sure the bottom of the pot didn't scorch, but with the heat set on the lowest setting, I managed okay.  I certainly loved the little browned bits on the top after a run under the broiler.  But the cheese flavor was...underwhelming.  I want bold cheese flavor, not meek cheese hiding in the creaminess.  I would use around double the cheese next time.  I've kept the original amount in the recipe below, so be warned.

Creamy Stone-Ground Grits with Vermont Cheddar
From Cooking My Way Back Home by Mitchell Rosenthal

4 cups whole milk
4 cups water
2 cups stone-ground grits
1 cup grated sharp Vermont Cheddar or other sharp Cheddar cheese
¾ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine the milk and water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Slowly add the grits in a steady stream while whisking constantly.  Continue whisking for about 8 minutes, or until the grits thicken.

Meanwhile, pour water into the bottom of a double boiler, place over medium-low heat, and bring to a simmer.  When the grits are ready, transfer them to the top of the double boiler and place over (not touching) the simmering water.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 35 minutes, or until creamy.

Add all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese, the salt, and a few grinds of pepper and stir until the cheese melts and is well combined.  Just before the grits are ready, preheat the broiler.

Transfer the cheese grits to a flameproof gratin dish and sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon of cheese evenly over the top.  Broil until bubbly, then serve at once.

Serves 6

The Viennese Kitchen: Lachsfleckerln (Baked Noodles with Salmon)

Sooo....tuna noodle casserole, Vienna-style?  You've got me.  I didn't know they made things like this in Austria.  I thought it was all beef and pork and noodles and desserts that make you want to skip dinner.  But I'm open-minded.  I'll give a Viennese salmon noodle casserole a try.  Here's what I think: it's too dry and it needs some green like I need to stop making bad casserole recipes.

Lachsfleckerln (Baked Noodles with Salmon)

From The Viennese Kitchen by Monica Meehan and Maria von Baich

Butter, for greasing
1½ tablespoons fine breadcrumbs

7 ounces extra-broad egg noodles (or Fleckerln if available)
¾ pound poached boned salmon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, separated
½ cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with butter and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, then tip out the excess breadcrumbs.

Break the noodles in half and boil in salted water for 7-10 minutes, until al dente, then drain. In the meantime, coarsely chop the salmon in a food processor and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the sour cream and the salmon. Season with salt and pepper.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.  Mix the noodles into the creamed mixture and fold in the egg whites. Transfer to the baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve with a green salad.

Note: Square egg noodles (or Fleckerln) can be purchased in kosher delicatessens. Otherwise, standard egg noodles are a fine substitute.

Makes 4 servings

Saveur: Chocolate Cream Pie

When my mom said my dad wanted a chocolate cream pie for Father's Day, I wasn't sure what exactly to make for him.  I knew he probably technically wanted this elusive strawberry pie that I swear only exists in his mind (plain crust, pastry cream, sliced strawberries, whipped cream topping), but would settle for a good slice of chocolate cream.  This is basically the scenario at every homey restaurant we ever visit.  Looks for strawberry, settles for chocolate.  Well, I didn't want him to settle.  I wanted him to love that darn pie.  So of course I had to find the most over-the-top obnoxious chocolate cream pie ever.  And boy, did I pick well.

The recipe originally comes from Saveur magazine, but I found it on their website after googling "best chocolate pie ever".  Seriously.  It's that good.  How could it not be after a chocolate cookie crust, two sticks of butter, and 11 ounces of Ghirardelli chocolate?  I mean...that's just plain sinful.  Oh, and a foamy halo of thick whipped cream on top.  Gah.  Don't even want to imagine what kind of caloric damage this monster can do.  But it really does live up to its name.  It's thick, rich, satiny, and yes, the best damn chocolate pie I've ever tasted.  I'm not 100% in love with the crust, as it tends to turn into a chocolate brick after a trip to the oven, but that's a simple fix.  The chocolate pudding is perfection.

Chocolate Cream Pie
From Saveur magazine, March 2010

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½
-inch cubes and chilled, plus more for pie plate
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafers,
 such as Nabisco, finely ground
 (about 2¼ cups)
3½ cups half-and-half
⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
9 egg yolks
9 ounces semisweet chocolate,
 finely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
 finely chopped
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
Dark chocolate, for garnish

Heat oven to 375°. Grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch glass pie plate with butter; set aside. Heat 8 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a 1-quart saucepan until sugar dissolves. Transfer butter mixture to a medium bowl; stir in ground wafers. Transfer mixture to pie plate; press into bottom and sides, using the bottom of a measuring cup to compress crust. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake until set, about 15 minutes; let cool.

Heat half-and-half in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until it just begins to simmer; remove pan from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup sugar and cornstarch; add egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Drizzle half-and-half into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until bubbles rise to the surface and mixture is very thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add remaining butter and chocolates in small batches, whisking until smooth; stir in 1½ teaspoons vanilla. Set a sieve over a medium bowl and strain chocolate mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing plastic onto surface; refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Remove plastic wrap from chocolate filling and, using a rubber spatula, stir mixture until smooth. Spoon mixture into reserved crust, forming a dome, and smooth surface with the spatula. In a large bowl, whisk remaining sugar, remaining vanilla, and heavy cream until stiff peaks form; spread on top of filling, forming a dome. Using a peeler, shave some of the dark chocolate onto top of pie. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.


Makes 8 to 12 servings

Gourmet: Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Spices

I'm trying to be healthier about what I eat.  After so many years of just indulging where I wanted and when I wanted, I'm having to pay the price with restrictions and exercise.  But that doesn't mean that everything I eat has to taste like used-up cardboard.  It's still possible to have something delicious that doesn't have 1,000 calories and make your arteries scream for mercy.

I'm not sure where the idea for cooking a spaghetti squash came from.  I remember my mom getting some dish at Pappadeaux that had spaghetti squash as a side, and it always seemed tasty to me.  I figured it couldn't have too many calories in it, and it probably has a whole lot more nutrition than a french fry.  So, I searched the internet for something that sounded promising (and hopefully didn't involve spaghetti sauce), and what I came up with is a recipe from Gourmet magazine.  I actually saw it first on Smitten Kitchen, but I went back to the original source to double check for alterations.

The squash was really easy to cook in the microwave, even if at one point it sounded like it had exploded despite my preventative knife pricks.  I only used a 2 pound squash, and it took about 12 minutes on high in my microwave.  Then I mixed up the butter sauce and dumped everything together in a bowl.  Dinner doesn't get any easier than that.

The spice level is good, I think, unless you're a bit jaded by too much fast food.  If so, you might need to fiddle with the amount of cumin and ground coriander.  I think the cayenne adds some needed heat, and the cilantro adds freshness.  And you just feel so....healthy eating it, even though it's smeared in butter.  Only 180 calories per serving, assuming you get about 7 cups of squash from the cooked (4-pound) shell.

Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Spices
From Smitten Kitchen blog and Gourmet magazine, February 2002

1 (3½- to 4-pound) spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting. Cook in an 800-watt microwave oven on high power (100 percent) for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn squash over and microwave until squash feels slightly soft when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool squash for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.

Carefully halve squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from skin. Toss with spiced butter and cilantro.

Makes 4 servings

Cupcake Project: Ultimate Vanilla Cupcakes

I've always been a chocolate girl.  If I'm in a restaurant or a bakery or pretty much anywhere ordering something sweet, 90% of the time it's going to be chocolate.  Heck, I even order my coffee from Starbucks with chocolate in it.  I'm very dedicated as you can see.

So, I'm sure you're wondering why I made a vanilla cupcake.  Good question.  I don't think I've ever had a good vanilla or yellow cupcake.  They always seem to be a tasteless sponge covered in frosting.  The cupcake becomes just a vehicle to get the frosting to your mouth.  Which I guess is fine, but why can't the cupcake taste good, too?  So, I pretty much set my money on chocolate every time.

These cupcakes are totally different.  They not only have the seeds of an entire vanilla bean in the cake, but also a whole tablespoon of high quality vanilla extract.  Yes, they actually have flavor.  Good flavor.  And there's something about the butter/oil/sour cream mixture that makes the crumb incredibly tender and moist.  Gosh, I'm drooling just thinking about them.

The frosting on the top has another vanilla bean and another teaspoon of vanilla extract, so you basically are just slapping fabulous vanilla taste on top of more vanilla taste.  Which makes a pretty amazing cupcake, considering how...plain it looks.  Chocolate may actually have a run for its money.  I suggest you make some NOW.

Ultimate Vanilla Cupcakes
From Cupcake Project blog

1 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean

1¾ cups cake flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

⅓ cup sour cream

¼ cup canola oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

⅔ cup whole milk

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and seeds from the vanilla bean.  Using the back of a spoon, move around the bowl and apply pressure to break up any clumps of seeds and to better infuse the vanilla flavor into the sugar. Set aside.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the vanilla bean sugar and mix until well combined.  Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes.  You'll end up with a very fine crumb texture.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.  Slowly add the milk and mix on low speed until just combined.  The batter will be liquidy.

Fill cupcake liners just over ½ full.  Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. They are done when a toothpick comes out without wet batter stuck to it.  The cupcakes should appear white with specks of vanilla bean. They should not turn a golden brown.  If they are not done, test again in two minutes.  If they are still not done, test again in another two minutes.

When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack to cool.  Frost with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting.

Makes 16 cupcakes

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

1½ cups powdered sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or the seeds of 2 vanilla beans

1 tablespoon whole milk

Mix together the sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy.  Add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds and milk and continue to beat for another minute.  If desired, add more vanilla extract to taste, or more powdered sugar to make the frosting stiffer.