Happy Hazelnut Cake

My brother is the type of person that knows how to commit. We're talking 110%. It doesn't matter how big or small the task. If he's invested, you're going to get the optimal results. This puritan work ethic is reflected in his academic and business achievements. There is no middle road- he gets sh*t done- end of discussion. 

Which is why, you can imagine, when he announced his plan to get a masters in Computer Science, none of us batted an eye. Of course he would get it. This is Joey we're talking about. What CAN'T he do? Aside from cutting himself some slack but that's a story for another day. He put his brain into clutch and devoured vocabulary flash cards and practice tests. And what do you know... his GRE scores come out stellar. Ivy league status quite frankly. 

Shortly there after, he called excited to tell the good news with the opening line, "Guess what!" My immediate response was a flat-toned, "you got into the university." Apparently my lack of surprise was noted but seriously... what was there to be surprised about? I tested him on words that I didn't even know existed in the English language! He had worked hard, as usual, and earned his admission. 

In an effort to show love and appreciation for all his hard work, we had a surprise lunch party and I made this humble cake. This cake is no stranger to this blog- it's actually the hazelnut cake I made for my birthday/proposal weekend. It's a delectable confection with thin layer of nutella in the middle. I am ga-ga for this cake's moist, airy texture.

What I really wanted to do was show case the frosting. This is no radical idea but when I saw it online, I was totally smitten. Pastel frosting with a solid white detail. How flipping cute is that? It's your standard issue buttercream with some hazelnut extract for subtle flavor and a few drops of green food coloring. The original recipe uses a Swiss Vanilla Meringue buttercream but as Mike will tell you... something about me and meringue frosting do not get along.  There will be a round 2 my pretty. 

At the end of the day, it was a darling cake that was happily demolished! Mad love to you my dear brother and your persistence. Now all I ask is you learn to bask in your achievements and actually ENJOY the fruits of your labor. 

For the cake recipe, check out my earlier post for Heavenly Hazelnut Cake! Use the buttercream of your choice. In retrospect, I would have liked to use this one by I am Baker. It's great for decorating. 

Crown Royal Cupcakes

As the wedding approaches, the time to blog spreads even thinner than usual. That's right ladies and gentleman. We are 54 days to go! Woo hoo! I am determined to sneak a few posts in here between now and then. So let's all take a deep cleansing breath... and focus on cupcakes.

Recently, we attended a surprise birthday party for an old friend of mine. (Happy Birthday again Tito! I'm sure your birthday wish was to beat me at Smash Brother's one day! It's okay, don't cry- you can't be the best at everything.) I collaborated with his cousin on what tasty treat to bring. Thai Iced Tea Cupcakes? Apple, Blueberry, and Ginger Shortcrust Pie? How about Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes or Blue Moon Cupcakes? At the sound of booze,  his cousin instantly perked up. Booze was one thing this crowd could handle. Apparently the birthday boy has a thing for Crown Royal.  

Crown Royal is a Canadian whisky and quite frankly... I've never touched the stuff. Without a clue of its flavor profile, I turned to ye old trusty internet for a few recommendations. The cupcake of choice is from Java Cupcake! Hooray!

There are three components to the cupcake: cake, filling, and frosting. That being you said, you know it's going to be just a touch time consuming. In these situations, best practice is to make at least 2 of the components the night before for sanity's sake. So much for sanity! Eh, wedding planning already has taken the majority of it anyway!

The cake has a cocoa powder base giving it a light chocolate flavor. There's also a generous 3/4 cups of Crown Royal! Before pouring it in... Mike and I tried a lick of straight whisky. It made the hair stand straight up on the back our necks and we both declared our disgust. Mix it into batter though, and oh my. Chocolate can make anything amazing.

The filling is essentially chocolate frosting with a touch of cinnamon. The cinnamon pairs surprisingly well with the whisky and I think it helped to bring out the flavor. You know that face you make when you have some strong liqueur? The cinnamon tries to replicate that feeling but in a good way.

Last but not least is the frosting. This element, in my humble opinion, is what makes or breaks the flavor of a boozey cupcake. It's the first thing your taste buds experience. Too much, and it's overpowering. Too little, and people have no idea what the flavor is supposed to be. It's a thin line to walk. Tread carefully and use your own judgement as you add the whisky. This recipe is almost a buttercream except there is just a touch of cream cheese to smooth things out. 

Overall, I was pleased with these cupcakes even though I'm not a whisky kinda gal. Java's version used Crown Royal Reserve. I stuck with 2 teensy bottles of the standard issue Crown Royal from the ABC store. Mike said that to get the full effect, you have to eat all three elements together. Whisky lovers, let me know what you think!

For the full recipe, check out Java Cupcake's fun and yummy blog!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

Ah yes... my most guilty baking pleasures of them all: cinnamon buns. I can't put my finger on why I love working with sweet doughs so much. Granted, working with yeast is time-consuming. The end result, however is more rewarding.  There's a sense of accomplishment when you peak in and the dough has doubled inside. Plus, the flavor geared more towards my palette. I would take a cinnamon bun over a slice of cake any day.

Today's guest visited our kitchen for only a brief while. Introducing, Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns by Good Life Eats!  They made their entrance quietly in the night and were gone in such haste, the frosting never left the bowl! Yes yes yes... the "quest" for the perfect Pumpkin Cinnamon continues! Having any left over pumpkin in the house is dangerous because it always ends up in some flour!

This version of Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns did not disappoint. I would have to try them back to back with the Amish Girl's version to assess whose cuisine reigns supreme. Delicious fall flavor- check! Beautiful rolls- check! Soft texture- check! Truth be told, I prefer my filling to have a higher brown sugar than granulated sugar which is an easy enough adjustment. 

As for the cream cheese topping, it was used more as a dip because we were too busy eating the fresh rolls to pour it on! I do love, however, when cream cheese frosting calls for a little bit of lemon juice; it balances the sweetness and adds a hint of something special. As you can see above, our sad attempts to slather it on after the buns had cooled. 

There was one tiny detail about this recipe that had me cussing. In addition to using all purpose flour, this recipe requires whole wheat pastry flour. I didn't have this ingredient on hand and overlooked it on the ingredients list. Why whole wheat pastry flour? It has a finer texture then regular whole wheat flour. You don't want grainy bread. Plus, it helps to yield a softer dough. You could probably substitute with straight all-purpose flour, but I do love the earthy flavor of whole wheat. 

For the full recipe, check out Good Life Eats!

"Make it Again" Chocolate Pudding Pie

Never underestimate the power of pie.

The other night, Mike and I went out to dinner with hopes of scooping up some teensie pies from the Pie Sisters on our way back home. My favorite is their mixed berry rendition while he surprised me with Chocolate Pudding pie. Alas, it was too late and the store was closed. Mike had been really stocked too... I did not realize that this was a thing for him! 

A week later, the pudding craving set in again. This time, the sheer thought of driving in Northern VA on a weekend that deterred us. (Seriously- it's that traffic that's going to make us move in a year or two.) It's a little extra work... but I much rather bake a pie from scratch than deal with 395. Besides. I couldn't have my man... liking somebody else's confection! 

I jest. Heaven help the person that tries to take away my mint milanos. 

I took my favorite elements from recipes past and combined them into this lovely luscious treat. The crust is my go-to recipe from Smitten Kitchen; the pudding is my own concoction; and the topping can be basic whip cream or cool whip. Simple elements that create a simply wonderful pie!

There were a few lessons learned the first round

1. Grease the pie dish before putting the dough in. You don't want to find some tiny section that doesn't want to let go of the pan after it's been in the fridge!
2. There's no such thing as too much pudding. I doubled the amount to make sure I used the entire dish and had just enough for a little cup on the side.
3. I used a 9"inch round- but I think a 10" inch would have worked just as well. 

Needless to say, it was a smash hit. Mike was very much in love with this recipe. When we went to visit his parents, he declared, "make it again!" How on Earth could I ever say no to that sweet mug of his? He gives me a honey glow something awful!

This time, I got it 100% and used the spare dough to cut out some pastry hearts as decoration. I have a feeling that is going to be a weekend staple!

"Make it Again" Chocolate Pudding Pie

Step 1: Make the Crust

The Pie Crust is from Smitten Kitchen and I strongly recommend rolling it out the night before to save time. I halved the recipe for a single pie crust.

Once you have made the dough, you must chill it, roll it out (remember to butter the pie pan before setting in dough), place into a 9"inch round pie pan, crimp the edges, and chill again. If you have any hanging left over pie dough, roll them out and make some shapes to decorate the final product! 

Now that the dough is ready and in the pie pan, grease a sheet sheet of aluminum foil and gently mold to the uncooked pie crust. Fill crust with pie weights to make sure it doesn't puff up. You can also use dried beans or coffee beans. I like dried coffee beans for the fragrance!

To fully blind bake, bake it at 425 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until the sides begin to brown. Remove the pan from the oven. Gently remove your pie weights. Reduce oven to 375 degrees and continue to bake the crust for several minutes until it's golden.

Step 2: Make the Filling
The filling is my Choco-Coco Latte Puddin, but doubled (see below)

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup coconut sugar 

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 cups milk

7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (60% and higher)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 teaspoons instant espresso (how strong you want it? I used 1 teaspoon) 

Heat the water of your double boiler. If you don't have one (like me), heat about an inch of water in a small pot just to a nice simmer.

Combine the cornstarch, coconut sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl. Slowly whisk in both milks. Place over gently simmering water and give a it a good whisk occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated. After 10 to 15 minutes, the mixture will being to thicken. Add the chocolate and espresso. Continue whisking just a few more minutes, until the pudding is smooth, thick, and all the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. 

Allow the crust too cool to room temperature. Pour into fully cooked pie crust and place in fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes.

Step 3: The Topping

For the topping, use a basic whip cream recipe or some store bought cool whip! Honestly, all whip cream recipes are made up of the same ingredients: sugar + heavy whipping cream. 

Step 4: Make it Pretty

Garnish with any leftover pie crust cut outs, shaved chocolate, or fruit!