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Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Week 19. Experiment: Find the best chocolate cupcake!
I was desperately scrambling for a chocolate cupcake...I wanted to find a REALLY good one for Alyssa's wedding and hadn't been having much luck. Then I found this cupcake...
One bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Makes 18 to 24.
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
**Hannah's Hints**
* Thank goodness for Martha Stewart!! I've never been a big follower/fan of hers, but after tasting this cupcakes I'm re-thinking!
* The fact that this only uses one bowl is like a miracle sent from the baking Gods. One bowl means I can just re-fill when I'm attempting to make 150 of these babies...thank you thank you Cupcake Gods!
* They're delicious, moist, perfectly chocolate-y, not too sweety sweet. Perfect.
* Mission: Accomplished!
One bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Makes 18 to 24.
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
**Hannah's Hints**
* Thank goodness for Martha Stewart!! I've never been a big follower/fan of hers, but after tasting this cupcakes I'm re-thinking!
* The fact that this only uses one bowl is like a miracle sent from the baking Gods. One bowl means I can just re-fill when I'm attempting to make 150 of these babies...thank you thank you Cupcake Gods!
* They're delicious, moist, perfectly chocolate-y, not too sweety sweet. Perfect.
* Mission: Accomplished!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Week 18. Double Chocolate Cupcakes
I wasn't sure what to make this week, but I'm trying to find good chocolate cupcakes to make for Alyssa's wedding. This was a very interesting recipe... especially chilled.
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
6 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 2/3 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Icing:
8 oz white chocolate, broken in pieces
2/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two 12-hole muffin pans with 18 paper liners. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Add the milk, then fold in the chocolate chips. Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners and smooth tops.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins or until well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make frosting, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and heat until melted. Let cool slightly. Place the cream cheese in a separate bowl and beat until softened, then beat in the slightly cooled chocolate.
When cupcakes are cooled, spread a little of the frosting over the top of each, then let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
**Hannah's Hints**
* These come out a little dense and don't rise a lot. They're not terribly sweet. But they'd be an interesting morning treat!
* The white chocolate topping is SO good because it hardens a little after you chill it. Yummmmm...
* These might have been less dense if I actually folded in the flour and cocoa, instead of mixing it. Haha, oh experimentation...
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
6 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp milk
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 2/3 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Icing:
8 oz white chocolate, broken in pieces
2/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two 12-hole muffin pans with 18 paper liners. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Add the milk, then fold in the chocolate chips. Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners and smooth tops.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins or until well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make frosting, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and heat until melted. Let cool slightly. Place the cream cheese in a separate bowl and beat until softened, then beat in the slightly cooled chocolate.
When cupcakes are cooled, spread a little of the frosting over the top of each, then let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
**Hannah's Hints**
* These come out a little dense and don't rise a lot. They're not terribly sweet. But they'd be an interesting morning treat!
* The white chocolate topping is SO good because it hardens a little after you chill it. Yummmmm...
* These might have been less dense if I actually folded in the flour and cocoa, instead of mixing it. Haha, oh experimentation...
Week 17. Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Cupcakes
We had the UP picnic this week, and I wanted to make something festive and interesting. I've had this recipe all year- just waiting for the Kentucky Derby! I wish I'd had a cute little edible hats to decorate with.
Mint Julep Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
4 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup bourbon (or whiskey)
1/2 cup Creme de Menthe
Icing:
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mint extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
milk
Directions:
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350ยบ F, and grease or line 30 cupcake cups.
Combine salt, baking powder, and 1 3/4 cups of the flour. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour (1 cup). Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.
Icing
Combine the powdered sugar, salt, extracts and melted butter and beat until creamy. Gradually add milk until the texture is right for piping. When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the icing on top. Garnish with cake sparkles or sprinkles, a straw (trimmed to size), and mint leaves.
**Hannah's Hints**
* Don't forget to add everything...it's kind of ridiculous when you're like "Wait, I never used the _____" So pay attention.
* This makes a ridiculous amount of icing, as per usual. It's good icing, though.
* If you only want to make a certain amount, you can easily put the rest of the batter in the fridge and make it at a later date!
* Use fresh mint as a garnish (or flourish, as a friend of mine used to call it). Mint is so fun! I love that you can eat things like plants and flowers.
Mint Julep Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
4 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup bourbon (or whiskey)
1/2 cup Creme de Menthe
Icing:
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mint extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
milk
Directions:
Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350ยบ F, and grease or line 30 cupcake cups.
Combine salt, baking powder, and 1 3/4 cups of the flour. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour (1 cup). Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.
Icing
Combine the powdered sugar, salt, extracts and melted butter and beat until creamy. Gradually add milk until the texture is right for piping. When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the icing on top. Garnish with cake sparkles or sprinkles, a straw (trimmed to size), and mint leaves.
**Hannah's Hints**
* Don't forget to add everything...it's kind of ridiculous when you're like "Wait, I never used the _____" So pay attention.
* This makes a ridiculous amount of icing, as per usual. It's good icing, though.
* If you only want to make a certain amount, you can easily put the rest of the batter in the fridge and make it at a later date!
* Use fresh mint as a garnish (or flourish, as a friend of mine used to call it). Mint is so fun! I love that you can eat things like plants and flowers.
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