March Birthday # 2

Happy Birthday EB!  This time I needed a dessert that would travel easily, handle well and not require a fork.  EB's favorite type of cake is German Chocolate Cake and last year I made her this Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake, which was pretty awesome(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Inside-Out-German-Chocolate-Cake-103202). This year I thought I would turn this cake into a whoopie pie.  I made Devil's Food Whoopie Pies and took the normal creamy, nutty, coconuty frosting and used it to fill these decedant pies. 

German Chocolate Whoopie Pies:

*Makes 10-12 large whoopie pies.

Just the pies.

Coconut-Pecan Filling:

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

14 oz canned sweetend condensed milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  Spread coconut on a baking pan and the pecans on another baking pan.

3.  Place coconut on lower third oven rack and pecans on top third oven rack.

4.  Toast until coconut is golden brown, stirring occasionally for 12 to 18 minutes.  Remove pans from oven and let cool.

6.  Increase oven temperauture to 425 degrees F.

7.  Pour sweetened condenced milk into a 9 inch pie pan.  Cover tightly with aluminium foil.

8.  Place pan in a water bath. I used a 9x13 inch cake pan and filled the pan 3/4 full with water.

9.  Bake milk for 45 minutes in the middle of the oven. 

10.  Refill baking pan if necessary and bake for another 45 minutes until milk is thick and browned.  (While milk is baking for the last 45 minutes prepare whoopie batter.)

11.  Remove pie pan from water bath.  In a medium sauce pan, pour in the milk and mix in the coconut, pecans and vanilla.  Keep warm on stove while baking whoopie pies.  Stir occationally.

Devil's Food Whoopie Pies:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Then mix in egg and vanilla extract. Set aside.

3.  Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

4.  Add the flour and milk to the sugar-butter mixture, alternating between flour and milk, mixing between the addition of each.  Begin and end with flour mixture.

5.  Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, scoop dough on to parchment paper covered cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.  You can make the whoopie pies as large or as small as you like. 

6.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. You should be able to touch the top of a whoopie pie without creating an indention.  Tester should come out clean.

7.  Let cool on a baking rack and fill with warmed coconut-pecan filling. 

Enjoy!

March Birthdays

With March comes more office birthdays (3 this month), the hope of spring strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, pastel colors and last but not least sandals on those first warm days of spring.  The birthday dessert requested this time around was something combining chocolate and raspberries.  My go to for this mixture is always devils food cake with raspberry sauce and a lite buttery cream cheese frosting. (Thank you Ganache  for introducing me to this combination and for all of the wonderful cake.  http://www.ganachebakery.com/ ) 

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

*Makes 22-24 cupcakes

Raspberry sauce reducing on stove.

Butter, sugar and vanilla creamed together.

Devil's Food Cupcakes:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup strong coffee, room temperature

1/2 cup skim milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake tins with a total 20 cupcake liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well combined.  Add in vanillas and eggs, mix well until combined.

3.  In another large mixing bowl mix together cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

4. Combine milk and coffee in a measuring cup.

4.  Add the flour and milk mixtures to the sugar-butter mixture, alternating between flour and sugar, mixing between the addition of each.  Begin and end with flour.

5.  Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop two tablespoons or scoops into each cupcake.

6.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.  While cupcakes are baking prepare raspberry sauce.

7.  Remove from oven and before cupcakes cool, using a spoon, press cupcake down in center to create a small indentation.

Raspberry Sauce:

2 pints raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Cook raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a sauce pan over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes until raspberries are broken down.  Remove heat and strain through a metal sieve to remove seeds.

2.  Let cool until for 10 minutes.  Prepare frosting.

3. Slowly, pour a spoonful down into indentation of cupcakes.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

1.  Using a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth and well combined.

2.  Mix in vanilla.

3.  On a lower speed, mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  If frosting begins to appear dry, taste.  It is okay to not use full amount of powdered sugar.

A Little Bit of Spring in the Winter

So a co-worker of mine just got married (Congratulations PC!) and we wanted to throw him a little party, cupcakes and champagne, to celebrate.  I wanted the cupcakes to be really special, so like normal I thought of his favorite dessert...strawberry-rhubarb pie (his mom makes him one every year for his birthday) and then wondered if I could turn it in to a cupcake.  With a lot of help from The Dutch Baker's Daughter  and a few tweaks of my own these cupcakes turned out sweet, cakey and delicious.

 Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes with Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cheese Frosting:

*Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling for cupcakes and frosting:

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake tin with 18 cupcake liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, cook rhubarb, strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter stirring frequently until mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let come to room temperature.  (Can be done the night before and stored in the refrigerator).

3.  In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter.  Add in the egg and vanilla until well mixed.

4.  In another large bowl, mix together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4.  In a small bowl mix together milk and strawberry-rhubarb filling, reserving 2 tablespoons of filling for frosting.

5. Add the flour and milk mixture to the sugar-butter mixture, alternating between flour and milk, mixing between the addition of each.  Begin and end with flour.

6.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz 1/2 reduced fat cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons strawberry-rhubarb filling

1 teaspoon milk

2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese. Mix in vanilla, strawberry-rhubarb filling and milk until well mixed.  

2.  Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time until frosting comes together and is desired consistency.  Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.  Enjoy!

(The Dutch Baker's Daughter)

* Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentines Day

I was trying to figure out what to make for Valentine's Day to bring into my office.  I started thinking, chocolate, then red velvet cupcakes in sweet silver liners with bright white frosting and more chocolate.  If you can believe it the original recipe called for twice the amount of red food coloring, but I thought 1 oz of left it them just the right shade of red for Valentine's Day.  These cupcakes turned out moist and fluffy with smooth, whipped cream cheese frosting. 

Red Velvet Cake is something of a mystery and their are several urban legends behind the history of it.  Either way someone has it right.  Enjoy!

*A helpful hint for all those who are busy, as we all are.  If you know in advance that you need to make cupcake say the next day, after an 8-hour work day, go ahead and measure out your dry ingredients (flour, salt, etc in one and sugar in another) the night before and store in airtight containers.

 

Red food coloring and cocoa powder mixed together.

Butter and sugar.

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups cake flour (all-purpose flour will work if it is what you have)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 oz red food coloring

1/2 cup/ 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs (1/2 cup egg substitute) at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake tin with 18 liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a small bowl mix together red food coloring and cocoa powder until there are no lumps, it will be on the thicker side.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.

4.  In another large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar using either a whisk or hand mixer.  Next, mix in vanilla, eggs and cocoa mixture until well incorporated, scraping the bowl at least once with a spatula. 

5.  Alternating between the buttermilk and flour mixture, slowly add each to the butter-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Do not over mix.

6.  In a small bowl mix together vinegar and baking soda.  Add it to the cake batter and mix in.  Using either a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, scoop 2 spoon fulls of batter into each cupcake liner until they are each 3/4 full.

7.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  While baking begin to prepare chocolate.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

1.  With a mixer cream, together cream cheese and butter until smooth and well combined.

2.  Mix in vanilla.

3.  On a lower speed, mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  If frosting begins to appear dry, taste.  It is okay to not use full amount of powdered sugar.

Semi-sweet - White Chocolate Pieces:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1.  Set-up two double boilers. (I just use two sauce pans with about one inch of water in the bottom with two metal mixing bowls on top).  Add the semi-sweet chips to one bowl and the white chocolate chips to the other. Slowly melt over medium high heat.

2.  Once melted spread the semi-sweet chocolate on a baking sheet until it is approximately 1mm thick.  Then pour melted white chocolate on top, mix to form design and spread until entire mixture is 1mm thick.

3.  Place in freezer to harden approximately 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature for 1 minute.

4.  Using a pizza cutter, cut chocolate into desired shapes and place on cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Fever (continued)

These remind me of being a kid.  In seventh grade home ec class one of the few things we made, other than from the bag strawberry muffins (gross), were flaky biscuit cinnamon bites.  These monkey bread "muffins" remind me of those.  They are little bites of cinnamon-maple gooey deliciousness.  If they hadn't been proportioned to me muffins, I probably could have eaten a whole pan full.  Seriously... So I hope you enjoy and maybe these will launch you back to your childhood or put you into a cinnamon induced haze.  If you want to turn these into a dessert, serve warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

I didn't bake my muffins in the liners, but transferred them after baking for serving.

Mini Monkey Bread Muffins: (recipe adapted from http://www.ericasweettooth.com/2010/12/monkey-bread-muffins.html)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Move oven rack to bottom third of oven.  Preheat to 425 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with with 9 cupcake liners.  Make sure to place a baking sheet one rack below the muffins once placed in oven.  They may ooze over if over-filled.

2. In a microwavable bowl, place 4 tablespoons butter and maple syrup. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine 2/3 cups sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, blend together flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar. (This can also be done in a bowl and the contents can then be transferred to food processor.) 

4. Once well blended, cut in remaining 8 tablespoons of butter pre-cut into small pieces. Pulse until mixture resembles bread crumbs.  I recommend taking lid off and carefully running hands through to ensure there are no butter pieces larges than a pea size.

5. Place lid back on food processor and slowly pulse in buttermilk until dough comes together.

6. Place dough either back in mixing bowl used to mix dry ingredients or on a floured work surface.  (A bit more buttermilk can be added if dough seems dry.) Form dough into 1" balls and set aside.

7. Microwave butter syrup mixture until butter is completely melted.

8. Dip balls in butter-syrup mixture, then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place in cupcake pan, 4-5 balls per liner and press down.  Do not overfill each slot.

9. Tent the muffins with aluminium foil so they do not get burnt or hard on top.  Bake for 15-17 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.  Serve warm and enjoy!  If you have left overs, microwave for approximately 10 seconds and they return to their delicious gooey state.

Cinnamon Fever

Something has come over me and for the past three weekends I have been on a breakfast and cinnamon baking kick.  It all started with Maple Cinnamon Scones that had a delicious flavor, but was missing the scone texture (I definitely over kneaded the dough).  The following weekend I tried my hand at Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins.  I actually was making two batters at once with these; one standard muffin batter all flour and no filler and one gluten-free muffin batter.  It is continuing this weekend with mini monkey bread muffins. 

Maple Cinnamon Scones:

Wet ingredients added to dry ingredients.

Mixture coming together before being kneaded.

Dough formed into scones before baking.

Scones ready and waiting to be eaten.

Maple Cinnamon Scones:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose floor

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

splash of milk

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda, then add to a food processor.  Using chop, mix in cold butter in small pieces until butter is incorporated and mixture has a sandy texture.

3.  Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and continue mixing with hands until all butter pieces are smaller than a pea.  Fold in the yogurt, milk and syrup until mixture is mostly combined.

4. Roll mixture out on to a floured cutting board and knead 2 or 3 times until mixture comes together a bit more.  Make sure to not over knead, this will make the scones have more of a bread texture.

5. Pat the dough into a round that is about 1 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into wedges and place on a cookie sheet.  Brush tops of scones lightly with milk and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Maple Frosting:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1.  Mix two ingredients together.  Using a spoon drizzle over slightly warm scones.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup vegan butter at room temperature such as earth balance

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pealed apples

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line cupcake pan with liners and spray with cooking spray.  Recipe should make approximately 12 muffins.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together vegan butter and sugars.  Then mix in the egg substitute and vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the two flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking until just combined.  Fold in apples.
5. Divide the batter among the liners.

For Streusel:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 table spoon flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cold butter

1. Mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.
2. Using a fork cut the butter into the sugar-flour mixture until it is a sandy consistency. Sprinkle over muffins.
3. Bake Muffins for 16-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Enjoy!