Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Black Bottom Cupcakes Again... and Again!


Yes, this is my third post on the notorious Black Bottom Cupcake. They are, after all, my favorite cupcake of all time! They're laced with sugar and fond memories of studying Health Psychology at Starbucks during college. I love the combination of dark chocolate cake with a swirl of cheesecake; it's such a unique balance of flavors. Plus, how many cupcakes can boast being awesome sans frosting? Oh Black Bottom Cupcake, you make me happy. 

So far, I have tested the same recipe twice (unknowingly). This round, I paid attention and found a version on Group Recipes that is entirely different. Both the cheesecake and batter incorporate sour cream which is generally used to ensure a moist texture. There is an egg white instead of a whole egg in the cheesecake, the addition of butter to the cake, and omission of vegetable oil. 



I ended up having to bake these cupcakes twice because the directions and ingredients are written so poorly. It's very rare to make a blunt negative comment but I found myself keeping track with a pen and paper. Once I got it straightened out, it yielded a true blue Black Bottom Cupcake. The cake is not as rich as the other version; it's a lighter in taste and texture which was the intent with the sour cream. 

There is only thing that I would change about this recipe: do not put salt in the cream cheese filling. Salt is used as a flavor enhancer but in the cheesecake, it came screaming through. I was actually startled that it was so easy to detect. A major issue that's very easy to fix! 

Overall, a solid Black Bottom Cupcake that just needs a few adjustments! See below for my tweeks.

Black Bottom Cupcakes
modified from Group Recipes

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg white, room temp
1 tablespoons sour cream
6 ounces miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Cake

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup sour cream, room temp
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners.

With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in egg white and 1 tablespoons sour cream until combined, about 1 minute.
Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

Whisk sugar, salt, flour, cocoa, and baking soda in large bowl. Make a well in center, add remaining sour cream, water, butter and vanilla and whisk until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among 24 cupcake liners and top each batter with 1 rounded tablespoon cream cheese mixture.

Bake until tops of cupcakes just begin to crack 23 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in tins for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Country Blueberry Pie


The story behind this pie is simply necessity. The office had a power outage and my frozen bag of blueberries for breakfast fell victim. It would have been such a pity to throw away a bagful of mushy but otherwise perfectly fine berries. But what the heck requires three cups of fruit? Mike and I ran through a list of options on the drive home.

Blueberry muffins? Nah. Blueberry crumble? Maybe. Blueberry jam? We wouldn't eat that. What about  pie? In the middle of November?

Sure- whatever gets the job done and tastes yummy in the process. In a pinch, I grabbed a recipe from the Food Network and was pleasantly surprised.



This is the first time that I have made a pie crust with shortening instead of butter (my go-to is Smitten Kitchen's version). While I wasn't jumping up and down at the big difference, the husband complimented the crust for its flaky texture. Point there! The filling is thickened with a little corn starch rather than tapioca pearls which I appreciated as one less thing to grab at the grocery store. My favorite aspect, however, was the hit of lemon juice in the filling- it really makes this pie pop! The citrus really brings out the flavor. I can't wait to make this again with fresh berries in the spring. 

Quick. Simple. Easy. And tasty. Sounds like a winner to me!

For the recipe, check out Cheri Garnett's Country Blueberry Pie

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Rock the Bells... Wedding Bells!



The weeks following our wedding, people kept asking, "So- do things feel different now that you're married?" This question genuinely surprised me; I'm not sure what they wanted or expected to hear. The root of Mike+Michele has always been an uncompromising friendship.  We supported one another's goals, guarded each other's hearts, and shared dreams. (And lots of music.) This may sound strange, but there are things in this world that the soul fundamentally knows to be Truth. Being around Mike feels like home.

Things felt exactly how they should.


This post has been months in the making- I wanted to let everything settle down before sharing a few moments from our wedding. Much love to our friends and family, especially the all-star bridal party who almost entirely traveled great distances, from West Virginia to Japan. And of course, special thanks to our parents for their support and patience. They have taught and given us so much- we will never be able to show our full appreciation. Beijus. 

I hope you enjoy this post and maybe pull some inspiration for your own planning purposes!












Mike and I did our best to personalize this occasion- from hand picking the entire playlist to the quiz pencils inscribed with "thank you" in Portuguese, my heritage, and Hawaiian, his place of birth. Our goal was to have a bit of our personalities shine through. There were several DIY projects and amazing vendors. Heck, even our sneakers were customized from NikeID (we met on the dance floor after all).

Weddings get expensive- cut corners where it makes sense. Get crafty and ask your friends for help! We all have that hipster buddy with a bunch of mason jars that are perfect vases and reduce florist costs! Please feel free to grab ideas and hit me up if you have any questions. 



For the cocktail hour, I wanted something hanging through the terrace but got my socks knocked off when I heard the estimate to string bistro lights through a vendor. An affordable and fun alternative were Pennants! This was a joint effort between myself and a girlfriend who sews on the side. She carried the team and showed me how to shop smart at JoAnn Fabrics! The time consuming part was cutting out the pennants and then she tore through the sewing while watching Downton Abbey! Thank you so much Rhubarb! Who knew triangles could be so much fun?





The Wedding Invitations, Table Numbers, and Couple's Quiz were made by Mike in Illustrator (got to love being married to a Graphic Artist). They were printed on card stock between Kinko's and a family hook-up in Cali. Nothing a little baker's twine and a hole punch can't handle. There are so many online resources these days, no one should pay exorbitant prices for print materials! Plus, if you ever need a custom design, feel free to contract Mike!


The Wedding Address Labels, Guest Seating Assignments, and Wedding Programs were made in Microsoft Publisher by yours truly. I loved this idea for Address Labels but simplified by creating a template similar to these examples. Multiple labels were printed on a single Avery full sheet and then cut with a paper cropper. The Wedding Programs were printed at Kinkos;  the top sheet is vellum paper (which is slightly transparent) and can be found at Paper SourceGuest Seating Assignments were also printed on the home printer with the business card template in Publisher! We hand wrote the names and numbers in case there were any last minute changes.



As much as a Photo Booth tickled us, we knew it was not in the budget. Instead, we borrowed  a Polaroid camera and bought a second as back up. Guests took pictures of one another and signed with sharpies to hang on a clothesline. We threw in a few gag props (stuff lying round the house from past Halloweens etc.) in a cardboard suitcase I got at Michael's. Note: the film was more expensive than anticipated but a lot cheaper than an authentic photo booth!



The bridal party's flowers and boutonnieres were done by Mike's cousin as a wedding gift. Apparently she dabbled in arrangements on the side! She was legit and took us to a flower depot in Maryland to pick out our theme. It was comforting to be holding something so personal throughout the day. Just look at that beast of a bouquet!


There were a few bumps but we got through the day with flying colors! Susana gave me the best piece of advise the night before: "remember- it's a giant party- have fun!" That message didn't hit until the moment right before the ceremony. I was nervous about walking down the aisle... With my luck, I'd trip or lose a heel in the grass. When I looked up, it was sea of smiling faces and the HusBun's big, amazing grin waiting ahead.



Your love is a fundamental Truth of my life. I love you, Michael.

Ceremony: Oxen Hill Manor
Reception: St. Francis Hall
Cake Topper: Custom Order- Sofie Skein
Wedding Cupcakes: Confections
Lace Cupcake Liners: Jen Bailey
Chalk Art: The Watermelon Stand
Goodie Bags: Pedoozle
Inscribed Pencils:  The Carbon Crusader 
Vintage Plates: Something Vintage
Photographer: Cassidy DuHon