Saturday, October 29, 2011

Pumpkin Squares Win!

What do you get when you smash a pumpkin? Oh come on now... you have to at least try to solve it. Here's a hint: it's a food family.


Pumpkin is without a doubt one of my favorite nom nommables. I love the smoothness and subtlety. It's  hard to explain the flavor, but it's the perfect canvas for cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg- spices that I love. Even the color appeals to the senses! That rustic orange defines the fall season.. I could see it all around us during a recent trip to Wintergreen Mountains.


These Pumpkin Bars are old school! I have no idea where they come from- they were scribed in a recipe book my mom got me as a surprise on August 12, 2003. It's scribbled down in my hand writing with very little direction. Thank you mom for the book and patience. I burnt a LOT of pancakes as a kid trying to surprise my family with breakfast.


Even in 2003, these squares were an instant win! I remember my sister's now husband asking me to make a batch for a family dinner. We never ate a lot of pumpkin- just the standard issue store bought pumpkin pie at thanksgiving. Pie pie pie. I think this cake opened a new door to my conception of pumpkin. 


The trademark of these squares is the ludicrously moist texture. They're so damn fluffy! And simple. This isn't some gourmet fancy dish. It's comforting pumpkin goodness. The flavor isn't like spice cake... it's more of a fluffy pumpkin pie. You be the judge! 



I have experimented with swapping out different kinds of sugars (brown sugar, cane sugar, turbirando, etc) and flour (half whole wheat). Honestly- it made no major difference to the flavor, just the color. So go ahead and experiment- it comes out delicious either way!



You can use cream cheese frosting if you so desire. I modified the original version with some cinnamon mixed in and a dash of maple syrup.

Man... now I am tempted to try these as cupcakes!

Pumpkin Squares

1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil or unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ginger (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
 Handful of hazelnuts (optional)

Set oven to 350 and grease a 8x8 baking pan.

With an electric mixer, blend sugar and eggs for about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and oil and beat on a low speed for another minute.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix for another minute, until combined.

Pour into baking pan and sprinkle hazelnuts on top (optional). Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
optional

3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1-2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or maple syrup
Cinnamon to taste (optional)

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter. Gradually add sugar until well incorporated. Add vanilla or maple syrup. Cinnamon can be added to taste.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Rolls

As I sit here whining, "I don't know what to say" for this post, the boyfriend chimes in with the appropriate response:



"It's f*cking delicious."

Thanks babe.

We are literary geniuses.


But that's the beautiful simplicity of the truth. These are delicious. I want to make them for everyone I love. It's a cinnamon bun gone rogue. Replace the cinnamon with raspberries and the cream cheese with lemon. And there you have it... a breakfast roll. It is truly sublime. They are perfect at any hour of any day of any season. No joke.


The texture is soft and fluffy; they are tons of fun to pull apart; and they are wicked gorgeous. I added extra raspberries because I just couldn't get enough of them... granted it looks like a hot mess when you roll them up on the counter. Make sure you have some elbow room! I threw some fresh berries on top for breakfast.


As always, the only catch about making dough that rises is the extended time factor.  Like all empires, it must rise and fall. Only then can you appreciate its goodness. Get it? Cause it's yeast... and it makes things rise? Oh shush. I never said I was a comedian.


So should you have the time... make these breakfast rolls because as the boys says.

They're f*cking delicious.

PS. I'm really feeling this track for some reason. Hard to explain the attraction.


Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Rolls
from Joy the Baker,
adapted from Food and Wine

makes 12 rolls

Dough

1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted buttered, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for kneading, plus more for sprinkling the counter

Filling

1 heaping cup fresh raspberries (if using frozen, do not thaw)
1/3 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar for dusting
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, browned and slightly cooled

Glaze

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk to about 95 degrees. Pour the warm milk into the bow of an electric stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm milk and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes. The yeast will foam and bubble. That’s how you know it’s alive. After frothy, add the butter, eggs, lemon zest, and sea salt to the yeast mixture. Add 4 1/4 cups flour. Beat on low speed with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and replace the paddle with a dough hook. Beat dough with the dough hook on medium speed for about 10 minutes.

Dust a clean counter with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the work surface. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of flour and knead for about 2 minutes. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and place in a slightly warm place to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While dough rises, grease a 9×13-inch pan with butter. Set aside.

To make the filling:

In a medium bowl toss together raspberries, sugar, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Crush the raspberries just slightly as you stir. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter until it is browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble the rolls:

When the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured work surface and gently knead for 1 minute. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a roughly 10×20-inch rectangle.

Spread the butter over the dough. Spread the filling over the dough. Raspberries will be here and there across the dough. Sprinkle the dough and fruit with 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

Working quickly, tightly roll up the dough into a 20-inch long log. Cut the log into quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. Carefully and quickly lift the rolls into the prepared pan. The rolls will release juice into the bottom if the pan. That’s fine! Cover pan with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 1 hour, until puffed.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

To make the glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, and water. Drizzle glaze over cooled rolls and serve. Rolls are best served the day they are made but will last up to 3 days well wrapped at room temperature.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Apple Bran Muffins

Food is bribery.


I don't know how it happened, but I was deemed project manager for the production of a video for the company. It was an in-house endeavor and we were given little direction. Nothing overtly complicated, until we started writing the scripts and planning logistics. Seriously, some days I work for the coolest office. Some days.

The entire process was a blast. It required creativity and thinking outside the box- two things which come naturally. But what really made this amazing was the team: young gentlemen with digital art and videographer backgrounds. These guys are awesome!! Everyone is so positive and fun, it's like someone called recess!


The best time for filming is as early as possible for the natural light. I cringed realizing what that meant- but not too many people get to say, "sorry guys- I gotta go in early for the shoot." To soften the blow, I told them I would make muffins which, to their surprise, I did. There was much rejoicing! That morning, they were quickly destroyed and puppy dog eyes were made for more. Seriously... greatest team to work with. I heart you guys.

This was the end product: super moist, healthy-ish, delicious apple bran muffins. I wanted something that would give us pep- not a sugar rush. These really are yummy and have a nice balance of nutrition and flavor. They make a fantastic snack or breakfast. I made the larger sized muffins (6 tin tray) to get the full muffin effect. They're really easy to make! Mix dry and wet ingredients. No rocket science here.


Note: I had to get the what bran at Whole Foods.

PS Sorry for the lack of pix but like I said... it was an early video shoot!!

Apple Bran Muffins
slightly adapted from Obsessed with Baking

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 cup of chopped apple
1 tablespoon oats
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
Sprinkle tops lightly with brown sugar or maple sugar for additional crunch (optional)

Preheat oven to 375, grease or line muffin tins. I used 6 large muffin tins but it works in the regular muffin tins as well.

Mix flour, wheat bran, baking powder, spices, and salt in a bowl.

Whisk applesauce, egg, oil, brown sugar until combined. Add chopped apples and raisins into wet mixture.

Fold wet mixture into dry mixture until combined. Divide evenly among tins.

Sprinkle  tops lightly with brown sugar or maple sugar for additional crunch (optional) and the oats.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean. Keep and eye on them!

Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool on an oven rack.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Caramel Banana Cake

This goes out to my sister from another mister, Ashley!


I saw this recipe for Caramel Banana Cake awhile back and was fiending to make it. Caramel is not my favorite but it looked so beautiful swirled into a banana cake. Always open to new ideas- and maybe the banana would tone down the caramel. Now. I just needed a reason to make the cake.


As fate would have it, Ashely's birthday was coming up. She's the dear friend I visited in Costa Rica when volunteering with Peace Corps.  Lord that is a terrible early post- I was determined to focus solely on food and not life which is impossible as the two are intertwined. I should have told you about the beautiful mountains, green forests, bumpy roads, and late night conversations on a random hammock in front of the midnight sea. If you ever have the good fortune of meeting Ashley, it will leave an imprint on your heart. She is one of the easiest people to talk to and can find the silver lining in any situation- or at least make you laugh at how god d@mn awful it is. 

That being said. I sent an innocent text asking if she liked bananas and caramel. She knows me too well.

Sqrl: Do u like bananas and caramel?

Ashely: 2 of my favorites!! yay!

Sqrl: Moo hahaha

Ashley: Sounds like an edible michele milagro's comin on!!

Seriously, It was a bit of a milagro (miracle) that this came out right at all. I was fumbling the ball in the kitchen pretty bad! I tried to cheat and skimp out on making the caramel sauce that is swirled into the cake. Substituted it with the "caramel topping" (the stuff they put on sundaes) used in the frosting. That was a mistake. 


The cake is on the thicker side of the spectrum due to the mashed bananas. This is meant to help the caramel keep its design. Look at the cake above... do you see a beautiful swirl? Negative. That's because caramel topping is a LOT heavier than caramel sauce. Slick.


The other negative of using the caramel topping instead of sauce is again... it's heavier. It sunk slowly- but not entirely- to the bottom of the pan. This is where I was ready to spasm because I did not line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. When it came to flip the cake... it was gooey and sticking to the pan. Note the texture in the above photo of my poor cake. That is now how it's supposed to look like.  LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!


At this point I was ready to walk away from the cake. There are very few things I get type A about... birthday cakes are one of them. Took a few minutes to cool down and returned to Kitchen Stadium.  Nothing a little frosting and good intentions couldn't hurt.


Patched down the sticky parts of the cake with the back of a spatula and whipped up the frosting. Did the crumb coat and my best to to make the sides pretty. Added sugar pearls around the bottom. Okay... getting better.


There was leftover cake in the pan- it was mostly caramel topping- and I tried to do something with it. The result was this little cake balls adorning the cake. Sprinkled the top lightly with powdered sugar and voila... the birthday cake was complete.



So it looks cute. But how does it taste? Well. The cake itself is not light and fluffy- it's got a lil substance thanks to the banana but it's not bread like. Pretty nice balance. The frosting is not necessary, I think it's sweet enough with the caramel sauce mixed in but it does add a nice touch. Overall, it was mighty tasty and a well paired combination of flavors. I just wish I hadn't been lazy and made the caramel sauce to get that beautiful marble effect. Another day!

 

PS. When serving, feel free to drizzle some of the leftover caramel sauce on top.

Caramel Banana Cake
from the kitchn


Banana Cake

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups caramel sauce (see below or use store bought)

Caramel Sauce

1 cup cream
3/4's cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup water
pinch of salt
1/8 cup unsalted butter

Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease 2 9-inch layers cake pans.

Make the caramel sauce first, just to get it out of the way or make it ahead of time. Warm the cream in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. While it's warming, add the sugar and water to a large, heavy, high-sided pan over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then leave it alone to boil until it reaches a deep amber color. You are looking for a dark caramel here, because you will be adding cream, so don't flinch and take it off the heat when it's still just pale gold!

Remove from heat and whisk in the cream. Be very careful and add the cream slowly - the caramel is going to bubble up! Add the pinch of salt and butter and whisk smooth. Simmer until slightly reduced. This will keep in the fridge for at least two weeks.

Now the cake. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the eggs and beat until silky and lightened. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt.

Whisk the milk and mashed bananas in a separate measuring cup and add to the eggs and butter, alternating with the flour. Beat just until smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Pour half the caramel sauce into each pan, and swirl with a knife. The pans will be quite full. Put in the oven carefully and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the centers are set and a knife comes out clean.

Cool completely before serving.

Caramel Buttercream 
from I am Baker
(optional)

4 cups powder sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 tablespoon caramel topping (Hershey's or steal some of the caramel sauce from above)
1-6 tablespoons of milk to reach desired consistency

Cream shortening, milk, and caramel together on low speed and slowly add in sugar until fully incorporated.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Apple Braid Bread with Salted Carmel Glaze

It's already October and all I can think about is baking. This really is the season for oven fresh nom noms and hugs. I love the crisp air, vibrant colors, big comfy sweaters, and pumpkins! Especially those tiny pumpykins. If finances permitted, I would keep buying them until they were spilling out the front door. Not very practical... but you get the idea.



Contrary to my usual screaming desire to make all that is pumpkin... quite a few apples recipes have caught my eye this year. If you're a pumpkin lover, you must make pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin poptarts. They truly are two of the best recipes I've come across.



 So how did apples suddenly come into play during pumpkin season?


It all started with this beautiful apple braid bread. I've always wanted to make braided bread... it looks so intricate and elegant, a trick of the trade best left to the pros.



Or so I thought. Much to my delight, it's super simple to make. If you can thread shoe laces, you can braid bread. Use this recipe as a secret weapon to win over your significant other's parents or get brownie points at the office. People will think you're a baking master.



The first time I made this bread- my kitchen sense was tingling. The instructions made no sense. Why add yeast if you're not going to even allow the bread to rise? Seriously- is this something you've seen in a recipe before because I certainly have not. I went against my better judgement and followed the directions to the letter.

 
The result was a beautiful... and hard loaf of bread. The filling was scrumptious but the outside left much to be desired. It was thin, hard, and chewy. My friends said hey- it's not bad. It certainly wasn't good either! It was eaten by pack of starving bboys after Crafty Bastards while playing Marvel vs Capcom. That really doesn't say much- they would eat cardboard at that point.

So the next day... I tried again. The ingredients are simple enough and there was an entire bag of apples that needed to be finished from the boy's mom.


This time, I did things my way and made a few modifications. Added some spices to the actual dough, raisins to the apple mix, customized the caramel glaze, and let the dough rise twice. This increases the cooking time (about 2 hours) but like any good risen bread- perfection takes some time. Plus- the loaf itself was twice as big! Hell yes.

The dough transformed into entirely different creation: soft, pull apart, and lightly spiced. Egg wash ensured the brown color and crispy first layer of bread. The raisins complemented the apple and added dimension to the cinnamon flavor. The caramel sauce was thickened with the addition of powdered sugar with the perfect sprinkling of sea salt. This sauce was made for this bread dude. 


This time. The bread was wrecked appropriately. The boy and I had a really hard time controlling ourselves. I was so impressed- I invited my mother over for a slice. She was my role model in the kitchen as a child- so the highest compliment is her approval. Her eyes lit up on the first bite and I felt my imaginary tail wiggle.



Make somebody's tail wiggle with this bread!

Apple Braid 
adapted from La Fuji Mama

Apple Filling

3 medium-size Honey Crisp apples
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. fresh nutmeg

Dough

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (one packet) instant yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp. Vegetable oil
1 egg white (egg wash)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Toss the apple pieces with the sugar, raisins, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bake the apple filling in an 8-inch square baking pan (or 9-inch pie tin) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Note: Do not turn the oven off at this point. You will be using it to bake the finished braid.)

While the apple filling is baking, begin preparing the bread dough. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and oil and mix the dough for 6 minutes using the dough hook of an electric stand mixer on medium-high speed. 

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Roll dough into a ball and place in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm place for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.

Spray a smooth clean surface with cooking spray and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead the dough briefly to give it a smooth surface (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish). Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12-inches by 16-inches in size. Lift onto a greased baking sheet.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide down each side, leaving the center third of the dough uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle third of the dough. Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten. 

Wrap braid in plastic wrap and place in warm place for another 40 minutes to an hour to let the dough rise again. 

Beat egg white till foamy and brush with baster all over bread. This will give the bread a nice, brown color.

Bake the braid in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes.

Salted Caramel Glaze
adapted from David Lebovitz

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
1/2- 1 cup powdered sugar (how thick you want it)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spread the sugar in an even layer in a small sauce pan. Set over moderate heat and cook without stirring, until the sugar near the edge just starts to liquefy.

Using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, begin gently stirring, encouraging the melted sugar around the edges toward the center and delicately stirring up any sugar melting on the bottom as well. The sugar will start to look pebbly as it cooks, but keep going; it will melt completely as it turns amber.
Continue to cook until the sugar turns deep brown and starts to smoke. (Don’t worry about any large chunks of caramel.) The darker you can cook the sugar without burning it, the better the final sauce will taste. It’s ready when it’s the color of a well-worn penny, and will smell a bit smoky.
Remove from the heat and quickly stir in about a quarter of the cream. The mixture will bubble up furiously, so you may wish to wear an oven mitt over your stirring hand. Continue to whisk in the cream, stirring as you go to make sure it’s smooth. Stir in the butter and salt. Serve warm. If you like your sauce a bit thinner or less rich, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) water.

Storage: The sauce can be made up to one month in advance and kept refrigerated. Rewarm the caramel in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave.
Pour over top of braid.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Green Tea (Matcha) Cream Cheese Icing

Flourless chocolate cake is no stranger to the world of delicious. It's a gluten-free dessert, which is all the rage in grocery stores and bakeries. What's the big fuss about gluten? Gluten is a natural protein found in wheat products (like flour). A limited intake for certain consumers has proven to have health benefits. Note: for certain consumers. Don't go crazy and start cutting it out!

 

Aside from the potential health benefits, flourless chocolate cake is nothing short of amazing. I've made it before and was in awe at the rich chocolate flavor. It's almost like a fluffy brown... the texture is hard to explain. Maybe spongy is the best description? Blame it on the 6 eggs that go into this bad boy!


Bottom line: rich chocolate flavor. That being said- buy some quality cocoa.


And don't mind the crackly, soft texture. That's perfectly normal. 


Generally, I don't repeat recipes unless they're really that popular like the Monkey Bread. I can't eat an entire cake by myself! And the boy's sweet tooth is geared towards icecream and oreos. Then I saw three (well four) words that sold me entirely on making another flourless chocolate cake:


"Green tea (matcha) frosting." On a chocolate cake? Say what now? Okay- maybe not the most radical idea ever but "green tea" is an automatic win.  

The frosting alone is crack. It's a cream cheese base- always a good sign- with the usual powdered sugar. Add a little bit of matcha powder and it becomes something else entirely. Add as much as you want, taste it as it's incorporated. 


The beauty of the matcha is it tune down the sweetness of the cream cheese. I was expecting to be overwhelmed with heavy flavors but that was not the case. Between the texture of the cake and green tea in the frosting... I was having some self control issues.

Note, it's not the easiest thing in the world to frost a flourless cake because the surface is to soft. The frosting was barely clinging on so i stuck with outer ridges. Next time I do this, I'm going to simply pipe lines across it. No need to make it fancy. 


Just eat it fancy. After work. When you're burnt out and wanna bask in soothing candle light, mellow out to some chill music.


Flourless Chocolate Cake with Green Tea (Matcha) Cream Cheese Icing

from Raspberri Cupcakes (adapted from Martha's Flourless Chocolate Cake)

serves 8-10

85g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
225 (8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 50% cocoa chocolate)
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated or caster sugar

For the icing (feel free to double these amounts to get a nice thick layer of icing):

125g cream cheese (can use light cream cheese)
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp matcha (green tea) powder

Preheat the oven to 135°C (275°F) degrees with the rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 20-22cm springform pan (I also lined the bottom with baking paper, so I could transfer the cake to a different base after baking).

Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Gradually add sugar, and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then gently fold in remaining egg whites. Make sure there are no visible clumps of eggwhite remaining in the mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack; remove sides of pan.

Prepare the cream cheese icing; remove cream cheese from fridge 30 mins before starting. Beat cream cheese and sifted icing sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add matcha powder and beat until combined. You can adjust the amount of matcha to your own taste. Gently spread over the top of cooled cake using a spatula and serve at room temperature. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days, but it will get eaten up a lot faster than that!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes

My eye twitched reading the name of this cupcake. How is it possible to combine so many delicious things into a single dessert? This is such a sinful idea that for a split second, I felt dirty and in need of church. That moment was short lived. I began to eye the pantry. Moo ha ha ha....

 

The original recipe calls for organic ingredients. It's from the book, Organic and Chic. I have learned that "organic" and "vegan" don't automatically make food any "healthier" per say- but I do feel less guilty eating it. Over the past month, my diet has become increasingly organic not necessarily out of choice, but by location. My office is right in between a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. You can make this recipe without all the organic stuff though- substitute with your standard kitchen stock.


Before we get any farther... take a moment to scroll down to the ingredient list and directions.  Done? Okay. Don't be discouraged. Yes, that's a lot of words to make a cupcake. But it's worth it. Oh-em-gee it's worth it. Plus- it's nothing new. No fancy ingredients. Let's break it on down...


The cupcake. Simple. Your usual mix the wet, mix the dry, and combine. These are not overly sweet which works out perfect for the peanut butter cookie part. It's a fluffy, moist cake that doesn't crumble. An excellent choice for this cupcake combo.


The cookie dough center is the key to this recipe. This is the sweet part that blends everything together- especially when they are fresh out of the oven. It's just like eating a super soft cookie, warm and gooey, and dripping with deliciousness. If you're allergic to peanuts, you can substitute with yogurt.



Last  but not least is the toasted marshmallow frosting also known as meringue. I am going to be completely honest with you... the first time I attempted making this frosting, I messed up. Real bad. No amount of beating was going to salvage this poor frosting. I stared at the hot mess in the bowl and hung my head. Defeat?

Never.

I tried again as guests arrived at my brother's house. Everyone knows my kitchen obsession and cheered from the side lines, asking questions, and tilting their heads. Thanks guys!  This time- the frosting came out perfect. I think it was the heat in the double boiler so keep an eye on it! You don't wanna over heat  Make sure you have a good mixer too!

All that remains is the assembly portion and toasting it in the oven. It's easy as 1-2-3! When you cook it in the broiler, don't get distracted as anything burns easily in a broiler. 


Now the important part: how do they taste? For all that effort- they're more than worth it. You probably should remain seated for the first bite. Everyone ranted these smoked Georgetown Cupcakes. I saved a few for my office and was told they were the best cupcakes they ever had. Wow! That's quite a compliment for an office surrounded by so many bakeries.



These are best served warm, fresh out of the boiler. Cake and cookie dough balls can be made a day in advanced. Makes 24 cupcakes. Cupcakes will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.  


Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes
from Joy the Baker

Cake
2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
2 cups organic cane sugar
1 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
2/3 cup organic canola oil
2 teaspoons organic white vinegar
2 cups cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.  Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, water, vanilla extract and vinegar.Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to overmix.  The mixture will be quite wet.

Pour the batter until the cups are two thirds full and place in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cup comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack until completely cool before topping with cookie dough ball.


Cookie Dough Balls
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (i know we’re not baking them, it’s for flavor)
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons natural peanut butter (if you have a nut allergy, 2 tablespoons of yogurt will work as a binder as well)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment (or with a large bowl and a wooden spoon) cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes in the machine.  Beat in peanut butter (or yogurt if using) along with the vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add all at once to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon a scant tablespoons size amount of dough in your hand.  Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Make 24 little cookie dough balls, and refrigerate until ready to top the cupcakes.


Meringue Frosting
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
large pinch of salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.

In a large, heat-proof bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and salt.  The mixture will be grainy, because of the sugar.

Place bowl over simmering water and whisk as it heats.  The sugar will dissolve after about 5 minutes.  Keep and eye on the mixture, it shouldn’t get warm enough to cook the eggs

Transfer the egg white and sugar mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  With a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, on high, until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).  The mixture will be fluffy and glossy and look like melted marshmallows.  It’ll be sticky too.  Beat in the vanilla extract last.   Cover, and set aside until ready to frost cupcakes.

Assembly!

Use a small paring knife (or apple corer, or melon baller) to cut a 3/4-inch hole out of the top/center of the cupcakes.

Don’t cut the whole center of the cupcake out… just make a little hole for the dough ball to rest without rolling off.

Place dough balls on top of cupcakes.

Place meringue frosting in a pastry bag (or large Ziplock bag) fitted with a medium-large tip.  Any size (star or round) medium tip will do for frosting these cupcakes.  Pipe frosting around the edges of the cupcake and over the dough ball in a circular motion.  Frost all cupcakes.

Turn on oven broiler.

Place 12 cupcakes on a baking sheet.  Place cupcakes under the broiler for about 1 minute.  Don’t even close the broiler door.  Keep an eye on them as they toast.  You may need to remove the cupcakes and rotate the pan to ensure that they cook evenly.  Once toasted, remove cupcakes, and toast the remaining 12 in the same fashion.

Serve cupcakes!