Week 22. Delicious Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

I was running a little late this week, so I looked in my kitchen. I have 3 suuuuper ripe, brown, and mushy bananas. I have left over cocoa powder from the cake. So...chocolate banana cupcakes?



Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
1 3/4 cups (245 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (75 grams) cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium sized bananas)
1 cup (240 ml) warm water
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) canola or corn oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (14 gram) unsalted butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 24 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. Pour or scoop the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Frost with the Ganache.

Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel, or heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let the Ganache cool completely, and then beat until soft and fluffy. With an offset spatula or knife, spread the frosting on top of each cupcake. Can garnish with colored sprinkles. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Bring to room temperature before serving.


**Hannah's Hints**

* This is a great recipe if you're like "oh no! I lost track of my bananas and now they're all brown and icky and I don't want to make banana bread!" You can just plop them in and blend away...delicious!

* These are probably one of my very favorite cupcakes that I've made! The ganache hardens and then just meeeelts in your mouth. DOUBLE-YUM!

* It says to whisk the stuff...but that's weird to me. Just do whatever you like...I sure didn't spend days whisking it all together...

* Yummy, easy, and super healthy for you! #1 Bananas are a fruit and chocolate is a legume. #2 Chocolate increases your endorphins, so you are happy and calm after you eat them. #3 Chocolate and banana is probably the best combination ever. #4 This is a super moist cupcakes...like, moisty moist. Moist doesn't even look like a word anymore, it's so moist. Fo rils.

Week 21. Smith Wedding Cupcakes!

Last week, I made a gazillion (okay, just 130-ish) cupcakes for Alyssa and Josh's wedding... there are some beautiful, professional pictures so I'm going to wait until they are up so you can see them!!

I just wanted to post to make sure you didn't think I was slacking on my one-a-week!

In lieu of those, here is a picture of the birthday cake the boy and I made for Laurie's son!!



Also, my darling boyfriend took me on a wonderful day trip to St. Louis and to see LIZA MINNELLI!! Here's a couple of pictures:


Carrot cake and Red Velvet Cupcakes from The Cupcakery in St. Louis! Yuuummm..


Our beautiful selves by the Arch...


Le Arch! I can be artsy with my iPhone too!


He had never been to the Arch, so I made him take a picture touching it!

Extra! Extra!

A few weeks ago when I was home, I decided to try a few fun, new recipes! Michelle mentioned that I should sing the song "Shoo Fly Pie"... here are the fun lyrics!

If you wanna do right by your appetite,
If you're fussy about your food,
Take a choo-choo today, head New England way,
And we'll put you in the happiest mood. with:
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
Makes your eyes light up,
Your tummy say "Howdy."
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff.
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan dowdy makes the sun come out
When Heavens are cloudy,
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy,
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff!
Mama! When you bake,
Mama! I don't want cake;
Mama! For my sake
Go to the oven and make some ever lovin' Sh,
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
Makes your eyes light up,
Your tummy say "Howdy,"
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff!

Here are some pictures:




Yum yum! If you're really curious, I can post the recipes, too...

Week 20. [Not Like London] Banoffee Cupcakes

I've been missing London, lately...and I ate a LOT of dessert there...I mean, A LOT. And one of my Sainsbury's faves was the Banoffee Dessert...yum!! So, when I saw this cupcake recipe, I thought HOORAY! And yet...not the same...because, well, there's no coffee...still pretty good, though!



Banoffee Cupcakes

Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 4 chewey caramels, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat in butter and sugar together in a bowl until creamy, then beat in egg, a little at a time. Fold in the mashed banana, then sift the flour into the mixture and fold in, followed by the caramels.
3. Spoon the mixture into the paper liners and bake in the preheated oven for about 16 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To decorate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 3-4 tablespoons dulce de leche or caramel sauce
• 1 banana, sliced

To decorate, swirl the cream over each of the cupcakes, then drizzle with a spoonful of dulce the leche or caramel sauce and top with slice of banana.

** NOTE: Dulce de leche is a sweet caramel sauce from Argentina and it is available from larger supermarkets. If you can’t find it, you can make it yourself. Put a sealed can of condensed milk in a saucepan, pour over boiling water to cover, and boil for 3 hours, adding more water as necessary so that the can is always covered. Remove from the pan and let cool completely before opening using a can opener. Stir well to make a smooth sauce before spooning over the cakes.


**Hannah's Hints**

* Ok, I'm too impatient to make dulce de leche, so I just used caramel in a jar from the store...delightful :-)

* Also, this deal with "heavy whipping cream" being good just after you whip it, is a large falsehood...it isn't terribly yummy. So I just used a small dollop and covered it with the caramel...much better.

* Bananas are ridiculous to keep "yummy" looking for more than like an hour once you've sliced them...that's ok, they're equally as yummy without. Or you could store the cupcakes and slice banana just as you get ready to serve them.

My summer job...

weheartit

Any other suggestions??

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!

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...