Meet Jill Drury - winner of our 2010 Easter Recipe Competition

Jill, originally from Milwaukee, currently works as a pharmacist in Chicago.

Jill Drury is "Compounding In The Kitchen"

The idea behind the cupcakes - "I came up with them one morning when I was craving breakfast and dessert at the same time. I was dreaming of French Toast only to then start thinking of cinnamon, apples, maple syrup and smoked bacon! I tried to think of a clever delicious not-to-overwhelming way to combine them all. And...voila...the BMC2 was born!

"From an early point in my life, I have had two overriding passions: pharmacy and cooking. Pharmacy became my chosen career and intellectual outlet. Cooking is my hobby and ultimate stress-reliever. Recently, I've been able to blend my two loves together. Let me tell you how.

"First, you should know a little about my jobs. I am currently a full-time pharmacist at a oncology/hematology clinic in Chicago. I also work part-time as a community retail pharmacist. As a pharmacist, I regularly measure, compound, pour and check a variety of drugs. In my positions, I am able to talk to and help people from all walks of life. The ability to help people with their medical needs is an immense responsibility and continually provides me with honor and satisfaction in my job. But, like most jobs, I was still hungry for excitement. Something outside my box of comfort. Then, I realized that the professional skills I had honed as a pharmacist could be applied to my love of food! Indeed, as you'll see, a delicious combination.

"My love of cooking started at an early age. I acquired my cooking gene from my Mom and Grandma, who are both great cooks. As the demands of school mounted, however, I found myself drifting away from the kitchen. Committed to getting my hobby back, I began collecting new cookbooks from my favorite chefs -- anything that made me salivate. I started grocery shopping at local fresh markets and speciality stores. I updated my cooking utensils, buying as much that would fit in my tiny studio kitchen and help me whip up tasty dish after tasty dish. I also dusted off family recipes from the "old" country.

"Then, I began to blend my two loves together. I started to experiment. I explained to my colleagues that we should apply the same skills we utilize behind the counter to the stovetop and oven. I like to call my culinary methods "compounding in the kitchen." During the day, I measure, grind and pour chemicals for the benefit of our patients. After hours, I use those same skills to dazzle in the kitchen. The same patience and care necessary for pharmacy also is necessary for precision (and taste) in the kitchen. By applying my care to pharmaceutical compounding to any detailed recipe, I am able to ensure great dishes time and again. Checking and double-checking your final drug product helps you apply the same care in cooking your favorite casserole or pastry.

"Cooking has become a natural outlet and extension of my job. What's more, cooking brings my co-workers closer together and helps us create a better working environment. Making mistakes, sharing our successes and tasting the results is rewarding for both ourselves and our patients (who often get to sample our after-hour masterpieces). As much as I love my pharmacy career, I would like to take my cooking hobby to another level, catering to my patients in and out of the pharmacy. Ideally, I could take my dual skill-set and embark on a career behind both the counter and the apron!"

Recipe

makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini-cupcakes

1/2 c butter
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 3/4 cup sifted white or whole wheat flour + 1 Tbsp reserved for filling
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c milk (skim milk works great)
1 Tbsp cinnamon for filling
1/2 c packed brown sugar for filling
1/4 c melted butter for filling

topping: sauteed apples (3 medium sized Granny Smith apples, 2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar), maple cream cheese frosting (8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup), and cooked bacon pieces/bits

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Beat shortening and granulated sugar in medium sized bowl. Add vanilla and egg. Beat well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with milk to the sugar mixture. Dough will be sticky.
Filling:Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter and flour until a grainy paste is formed.
Fill cupcake liners 1/4 full with cupcake batter. Pipe in an index-sized finger amount of cinnamon filling and top with remaining cupcake batter until 3/4 full. Repeat.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool.
Mix all frosting ingredients and frost cupcake. Top with sauteed apples and bacon pieces.

________________________________________________________