And another . . .

For those who aren't aware, I'm currently in the midst of a scone obsession. I just can't seem to satisfy my craving for scones; if I could I would have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner--and snacks, duh!



The bad news is I can't do that--my overly conscious runner self won't allow me that luxury. The good news is, however, I've found friends that enjoy scones as much as like I do. This means I now have a justified excuse to plunge into the depths of Pinterest--and the plethora of cookbooks on my shelves--in search of the perfect scone recipe.



Well, turns out my search is going well: see this recipe and this other one. And then there's the following one. It claims to be a copycat Starbucks scone recipe; it's definitely up to par. Enjoy!



PS, keep an eye out for upcoming scone posts!



Healthy Wild Blueberry Scones (adapted from Babble)
Makes 8 scones.
Active time: 30 minutes; total time: 55 minutes.

• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup no fat Greek yogurt
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
• 1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries
• Coconut oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425 F; spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and yogurt until fully combined. Refrigerate mix until ready to use. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Using a large-hole grater, grate the frozen butter and toss with fingers until butter is well coated. 
4. Fold in the liquid mixture until combined. Transfer dough to a well-floured work space and dust with more flour. Knead 6–8 times, adding more flour as needed. Roll out the dough into a 12" square. Fold into thirds as if folding a business letter; fold in the short ends to create a 4" square. Transfer dough to a floured plate and freeze for 5 minutes. 
5. Roll out dough again into a 12" square. Sprinkle with blueberries, pressing lightly so they adhere to the dough. Roll dough into a tight log and lay seam side down; lightly press to flatten into a rectangular form. Cut crosswise into 4 even pieces, then cut each piece diagonally into triangles. Place triangles onto prepared sheet; spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with remaining sugar. 
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool before serving. 

Death by Chocolate

This post is grossly overdue (it was supposed to be written on Superbowl Sunday). But hey, better late than never right?

Truth be told, my mind has been restricted to legal analysis and existential thoughts. I have been focusing on getting back into law-school mode--believe me, it's easier said than done after a month of enjoyable holidays--while at the same time planning for my first summer as a "lawyer." On the one hand, at the end of the day I'm still hungry and inclined to share my thoughts; on the other, I'm still a first-year law student anxious to reach that time of the day/night when I can slump on my couch and watch Netflix. And let me tell you, that time seldom comes as soon as planned for.

That is my lame excuse for disappearing from the blogosphere.

Now moving onto something more cheerful...

I've been thinking (seriously) about getting a dog.

I know what you're going to say, If you don't have time to cook dinner and write about it, how are you going to have time to care for a dog? There's a lot of merit to that question--probably more than I'd like to admit--but at the same time, a dog will bring me something that not even the most delicious piece of my favorite dish can bring me. Yes, I'll probably be extremely stressed and tired for the first few weeks (or months). And yes I'll likely regret my decision once or twice (or thrice). But I'll also have a happy and cheerful companion; I'll have the company of a charming, cute, cuddly friend; and most importantly, I'll have a perfect roommate (provided I pick the right breed!).

Anyways... something to think about.

And now the food. Here is the recipe to quick, yet delicious, chocolate peanut butter chip cookies.  The recipe is very simple and you'll likely have all ingredients--maybe not the peanut butter chips--at home. So they are the perfect chocolate (and PB) fix.

Chocolate Nut Butter Cookies (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
Active time: 20 minutes; total time: 30 minutes + cooling.
Makes about 3 dozen.

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened,
• 1/4 cup smooth nut butter (I used almond butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips (and a few chocolate chips!)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the sugars, butter, and nut butter until well combined and mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg, and water. 
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well. Fold in the peanut butter chips. 
5. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared sheets and flatten each cookie into a 1/2-inch thick round.
6. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Fruity Goodness

These days, I seldom have dessert--or at least compared to my regular dessert-wholfing habits. If you know me at all, you know that I basically live for dessert, which is why cutting it out of my diet (for marathon training purposes) has been so hard. It's been more than three months of intense training and I have yet to go a full week--maybe even a day--without a bite of some kind of sweet.

People said there's fruit; people said I'd get used to fruit as dessert. People said--and continue to say--a lot of nonsense.

No I haven't gotten used to eating fruits as dessert and no I haven't abandoned dessert altogether (nor will I in the remaining week and a half of my training). What I have done, is create scrumptious fruit-based desserts to satisfy my sweet tooth.

This one in particular was a friend's request. It turns out my mom's variation of this raspberry crumble from six years ago turned into an all-time favorite. And even though this was my first time making it, baking it once is enough to vouch for the taste and easiness of the recipe.

Boysenberry Crumble (adapted from Gourmet)
Active time: 30 mins. Total time: 3.5 hours
Makes about 10 servings

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5-7 tablespoons ice water
• 3/4 cup chopped almonds
• 3/4 cup sugar
• About 6 cups frozen boysenberries (or fresh if available)

Dough

1. Pulse flour, butter, shortening and salt in a food processor (or mix with your fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse meal with small pea-sized lumps. Transfer 2 cups mixture to a bowl; and reserve the rest.
2. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water evenly over the 2 cups mixture; stir gently with a fork until incorporated. Squeeze a handful of dough, if it doesn't hold together, add more ice water (1/2 tablespoon at a time), stirring until incorporated. Be careful not to overwork dough or pastry will be tough. 
3. Turn out dough onto work surface and divide into 4. With the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice to help distribute the fat. Gather all dough with pastry scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. If dough is sticky, dust lightly with additional flour. Wrap dough in plastic and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. 

Pie

1. To make topping, add almonds and sugar to remaining dough mixture and rub together to form some large clumps. Set aside.
2. Place a large baking sheet on the lower third rack of the oven and preheat to 375F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out disk dough into a 13-inch circle. Fit into tart pan and trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under pastry and press against rim to reinforce edge. 
3. Fill pie shell with berries and sprinkle evenly with topping.
4. Place tart on the baking sheet and bake until topping and crust are golden and the filling is bubbling, about 1hr. Loosely cover with a foil sheet after 30 minutes to prevent dough over browning.
5. Cool in pan on a rack 30-40 minutes and serve warm.

Let Me Try This (Marathon Training) Again.

Well hello there blogosphere! It feels good to be back.

In case you were wondering, I've been absent due to moving, travels and endless meals cooked for me (instead of by me). Nonetheless, I've missed the kitchen and it was just a matter of time until I returned.

Once again, I'm training for a marathon--hoping to complete the training this time sans injury--and trying to eat better in the hopes that I'll achieve my "racing weight" (see Matt's book for reference). For that reason, I've found myself scouring the interwebs in search of healthy, yet yummy, recipes. Keep in mind that I'm back in Mexico (see previous posts about moving away from Boston), so some ingredients listed in the multiple recipes I've pinned are hard to find. For instance, unsweetened applesauce. Don't ask me why, but us Mexicans apparently don't consume unsweetened applesauce--maybe that's why we top the fat countries list? So, for recipes like the one below, I had to make my own applesauce.

Regardless, I'll keep searching for healthy recipes and post experiments from my runner's diet. I hope you enjoy my journey (for the second time) into marathon training nutrition (sort of).

Peanut & Almond Butter Protein Muffins (adapted from Veggie and the Beast)
Makes 12 muffins.
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes + cooling

• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup oats
• ¼ cup flaxseed
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup natural unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 3 packets Stevia
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 375F (180 C); line (or grease) a 12-muffin pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, stir together the applesauce and peanut butter. Mix in the honey, sugar, egg, and vanilla, and then stir in the greek yogurt.
4. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet mix and stir to combine. Divide batter among 12 muffin holes.
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool completely before storing and store in airtight container. 

Here's to Boston

So this is it. The moment I've been reluctant to picture for years--about four to be exact.

It's not that I'm unhappy to be moving back to Mexico City, because believe me, I'm ecstatic about that; it's that I hate being in this inevitable spot where I have to abandon one of the greatest cities in the world. Boston has been my home for almost four and a half years, but it feels like I've lived here for a lifetime.

When I first arrived in the Bean, I was a timid high-school grad looking for a place where I could find the extrovert in me (which is still quite muddled by my true introvert) while fulfilling my dream of attending college in the United States. I was searching a new group of friends, an additional layer of independence in my life and above all, the opportunity to grow as much I could. Now, looking back at my time at Boston University and the following months as a young professional in Boston--and yes, I did go through my albums in Facebook to reminisce about all the stupid/dorky/amusing, albeit fun times I had--I realize that in a sense, I'm a new person.

I've learned to laugh in ways I never knew existed at things I never would've even thought of discussing in Mexico; I've learned to live with others and coexist to the point of fights and immediate reconciliation, followed by inebriation; I've learned to manage my time in order to juggle classes, extracurriculars and work, or at least learned to function on a few hours of sleep, several ounces of RedBull and multiple cups of coffee; I've learned to like and dislike an array of foods (mainly because of obsession followed by overdose and ultimately a complete aversion to such foods) and to make a proper meal for myself both in and out of the dinning hall; I've learned to share personal details and turn them into overly dramatic yet funny stories, but also to keep to myself and listen to others while they pour their minds out; I've learned to duck around people to walk as fast as I my legs allow and to duck the curve-balls that continue to be thrown at me as I move into my young adulthood. But most importantly--and this is where I get really corny--I've learned that I'm capable of accomplishing my goals and surpassing those expectations that I once considered platonic.

And I must say, I owe this all to Boston. To this great city and the even greater people that inhabit it.

Here's to Boston, and to the friendships I developed in my years as a Terrier.

And now onto the food portion of this post... here's a recap of the dishes I served at my party last weekend. It was an early birthday and farewell birthday party and I decided to go all out since the people attending were those who made the above paragraphs possible.

**I will provide the recipes for these in following posts.

• Peppermint Meringues
• Dark Chocolate Mocha Mini Cupcakes
• Pepperoni Pizza Bites 
• Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts 
• Mini Caprese Sticks
• Funfetti Cake Balls
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Corn Guacamole

... And then there were the drinks...

Rainy Day Pound Cake

As I was uploading my photos from this weekend's post, I realized I had a batch of lost pound-cake photos on my memory card. So I decided tonight's post could use them--since instead of cooking I will be attending trivia!

Hopefully my team won't be the worst this time. I can't say for sure, but I'm almost certain that we came in last two weeks ago; so here's to getting more than half the questions right tonight!

I made this pound cake for my family about a month ago. Turns out despite its not-so-pretty appearance, it is quite delicious. To all of you who have never checked out Epicurious' Blue Ribbon recipes, do so ASAP. But seriously though, the ones I have chosen from their list have all been tasty.
Anyways, the cake was moist and flavorful. I had no blueberries, so I didn't serve it with fruit, but I'm sure any berry would complement it nicely. It's the perfect cake to savor while sipping on a cup of earl grey tea--bonus points if it's raining/snowing outside. Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Pound Cake (adapted from Epicurious)
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time:
Makes 8 servings.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature (at least 30 minutes)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

For the glaze

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 4-6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Place oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour 9 by 5 by 3 inch metal loaf pan, tapping out excess flour.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in zest and vanilla. 
3. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternating in five batches, beginning and ending with flour; mix until just incorporated.
4. Spoon batter into loaf pan and bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out with crumbs, about 60 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack and cool for 30 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely.
5. In the meantime, whisk confectioner's sugar and 4 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix until thick but pourable. If too stiff, add up to another 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and continue whisking; keep adding small amounts of confectioner's sugar and/or lemon juice until you get the right consistency. 
6. Once cake is completely cooled, pour lemon glaze over the top and let drip down the sides. Sprinkle with more confectioner's sugar (optional)

48 Cupcakes & My Summer

Let me recap this summer.

I started by taking two clases at BU: American Pop Culture and History of Rock'n'Roll. Don't ask me to choose between the two because I'll smack you! Really though, one was based on Rock'n'Roll which meant that each lesson was paired with great music; the other was a brief history of comedy in American culture so every other class included a movie--some more funny than the others, but all interesting.

Following my month in Boston, I shortly visited Mexico and then hopped on a plane and flew to Europe. Not long after, I was partying in the land of red and white mayhem, Pamplona. I visited the city for three nights during San Fermin, which is a week-long festival that entails drinking, socializing and watching bull runs/fights. It was a bit too much for me, but the experience was unique.

Around the 9th of July I embarked on a cruise around the Mediterranean. The itinerary included parts of Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia. It was a m a z i n g. Beautiful sights and delicious food to say the least.

Towards the end of July I came back to Mexico. Almost everything stayed the same, but a very important person, my grandmother, left my life. Even though I wasn't ready to say goodbye, the image of her clapping at the mariachis on her 88th birthday (four days before she passed away) brought joy in time of grief.

Anyways, now it's been almost a month since I arrived back in Mexico and I can't say that I'm ready to leave but I also can't say that I want to stay longer. I've had some fun times at home, but I think I function better on a set schedule. I feel like I've had a lot of free time, but at the same time my stress level is off the charts.

But enough of me, let's talk food. I made 48 cupcakes for my sister's goodbye party two weeks ago. They were not the easiest to make--especially the frosting--but in the long run they're worth it. I received great feedback, so I'll be making these again.

Vanilla Cupcakes (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 24 cupcakes
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes + frosting

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• Frosting (I used this one)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 12-cupcake pans with liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until incorporated; scrape down sides of bowl, and add vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl to ensure batter is well mixed.
4. Divide batter evenly among liners, fill each about three-quarters. Bake until tops spring back when touched and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes

So here I am laying on my bed trying to enjoy every last minute of this do-nothing (or almost nothing) Sunday. The only reason I'm allowing this state of vegetativeness is the fact that I'm five weeks into my half marathon training and I ran a well-paced 10k today. I've done 10ks before, but this one feels better since it showed me I can stick to a training--or at least I've been able to do so for 35 days.

Anyways, cooking/baking has been at a minimal this summer, but I still have a ton of recipes lined up to try out. So once I'm back at college I plan to return to a three-to-four times-a-week blogging routine. But for the mean time, here is the recipe to a dozen delicious cupcakes that pack a ton of flavor into one small cake.

Like I've mentioned before, I'm not the cupcake fan myself, but I tried these because they looked so cute and they made my whole house smell like chocolate. Turns out they're quite good; chocolatey and cookie-doughy to the max. Oh and the frosting is lick-your-fingers delicious! So so good.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes (adapted from Recipe Girl)
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Active time: 40 minutes. Total time: 1 1/2 hours + cooling

*Filling:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips

1. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and beat until just combined. 
2. Stir in dry ingredients and beat until incorporated. Fold in chocolate and stir. Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
3. Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place on prepared cookie sheet; freeze for 30 minutes.

*Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. 
2. Transfer batter to a small pitcher and divide between the 12 cupcakes liners. 
3. Drop a frozen cookie dough ball into each cupcake and push slightly (if you want the top to bake, leave as is) so that the batter begins to cover the dough.
4. Bake cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted right beside the cookie dough comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

*Icing

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: garnish such as mini chocolate chips, chocolate pearls or a mini chocolate chip cookie.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Add flour, milk and vanilla extract and beat until just combined. 
2. Frost cupcakes and garnish with desired topping.

Color Craze

I have a feeling this post is going to be one of my all-time favorites. Maybe it's the bright colors in the cake or the sweetness of the frosting; maybe it's the fact that I finally baked a tall layer cake; or maybe it's that I got compliments from a lot of friends.

I don't know the exact reason, but yes, this is post will be in my top 10--that is whenever I start that page.

Anyways, I baked a five-layer color cake for my sisters goodbye party. She is off to college in NYC next week, so I thought it adequate to make her a treat. At the same time I got to try out a recipe that's been on my mind for months.

Before I get to the details, let me tell you this is a complicated cake. It takes quite a while (including prepping, baking, cooling, building and icing), but the end result is worth it. Not only did I get great satisfaction in realizing that I can bake such cake, I also loved the compliments--in this post there is no space for modesty, whoever bakes this cake deserves the recognition. Many friends and tasters approved of both the appearance and taste. And with each comment my excitement grew; the hard work and long hours in the kitchen paid off.

Colorful Layer Cake (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Active time: 3 hours. Total time: 6 hours/overnight
Makes one 8-inch cake

• 3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature + more for pans
• 6 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour + more for pans
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 10 large egg whites
• Gel food coloring
• Creamy Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter five 8-inch round cake pans (I used 3 and baked in two batches). Line pans with parchment paper and butter again; dust with flour and tap out excess. 
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine milk and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer beat butter with one medium speed until very smooth, about 5 minutes. With machine running, gradually add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with milk mixture (beginning and ending with dry ingredients). Beat until just combined; don't overmix.
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form, about 4 minutes. Gently fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions.
5. Divide batter among 5 bowls and tint each with food coloring; mix well until desired color is achieved. Spread each colored batter into prepared pans and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes completely in pans and on wire racks.
6. Invert cakes onto pans and let cool for about 1 hour, or overnight. Trim the top of each cake to even the surface. Spread about 1 cup buttercream onto the top of 1 cake; top with another cake. Repeat the process, spreading buttercream between each layer. Frost cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and frost with remaining frosting.

*Cakes can be made ahead and stored unfrosted for up to 2 days at room temperature.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting (adapted from Epicurious)

• 2 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 sticks butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In medium saucepan, whisk flour into milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with waxed paper; cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and beat well. 
3. Continue to beat on medium high speed as you add the cooled milk mixture. Beat for 5 more minutes until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes exactly. Use immediately.