December 28, 2010

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Chocolate, Cookies | Tags: , , , , |
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I really tried to do that marathon of cookie baking that bloggers are all about during the holidays.  It started out ahead of pace–making two cookies in the first week.  And well, that was it until the week of Christmas.  What can I say other than it was a lot of poor planning and procrastination on my part. Next year! Next year, I’ll have a whole menu of cookies set up and I too will be one of the awesome bloggers who offer up a handful of cookies for you try BEFORE the holidays end. Well, it’s a good thing these cookies are scrumptious and can be eaten anywhere, anytime, and anyplace.

I will say this first–I’ve never been a fan of chocolate on chocolate cookies such as this one.  It’s always been a death-by-chocolate issue to me. I love chocolate, but a good cookie/dessert has to offer more than just chocolate decadence.  And well, these cookies definitely do.  They’re chewy and soft.  They have an incredibly smooth chocolate flavor.

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that this cookie is deliciously versatile.  Ice cream cookie sandwich, anyone? I know, what cookie wouldn’t pair wonderfully with vanilla ice cream.  I’m just gonna have to ask you to trust me on this one. It’s amazing!  The slight bitterness of chocolate with vanilla ice cream is simple, yes, but still one of the most comforting desserts to serve up on a cold, rainy day.

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes ~20 cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa (I used Dutch-processed chocolate. I’ve also used Hershey’s special dark)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, water and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, blend until combined.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and beat just until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.
  5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake at for 6-9 minutes taking care not to overbake them.  Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to wire rack to cool.
–This is an old recipe I printed off while in college…I have no idea where it originally came from!
 

December 28, 2010

Snowball Cookies

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Cookies, Holiday, Nuts | Tags: , , , , , |
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First things first–Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  I sure did!  Lots of friends and family–and I’m officially tired!  My kitchen is a mess after a week’s worth of baking–but I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas treats!  I wish I could show you how many boxes of butter I went through this Christmas.

Prebaked cookies

 

I love these cookies with a passion.  They’re amazing–and they don’t even have a hint of chocolate in them.  Says something, doesn’t it?  My sister in law first introduced them to me when I was just a kid–a good 15-16 years ago.  (Oh my gosh! That makes me sound/feel so old!  Bygones.)  To this day, they are still one of my favorite wintertime treats.  Call it nostalgia if you want–because it’s certainly 15% of why I love these things so much–but the bulk of it certainly rests on the fact that these are just pure sweet butter balls of goodness.

After rolling in sugar...you can see the warmth turns the sugar into a light shell.

 

I made three batches of this for my coworkers this year for Christmas.  Time consuming? You bet.  Getting to taste test a few cookies while dusting in powdered sugar? Sooo worth it.  And well, I love watching Mike giddily eating cookies with his coffee while flying his modified indoor helicopter.  Oh, and Mike is my fiance–not my son.

Snowball Cookies

makes approximately 12-16 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 milk
3/4  cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cups finely chopped nuts (I like almonds)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (or enough for rolling)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat (I LOVE my silpat!).
  2. In a stand mixer (or hand mixer if you don’t have one), cream butter and sugar until mixture becomes a pale yellow (about 5 minutes)
  3. Add milk and vanilla. Mix well.
  4. Blend in flour, cornstarch and nuts.
  5. Chill dough in fridge for about an hour.  This will make the dough firm enough for you to roll into balls.
  6. Once chilled, you can roll dough in bite-sized balls.
  7. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes.  Cookie bottoms should be golden and cookies will be firm (though still fragile) to the touch.
  8. Carefully remove cookies and transfer to cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool slightly.
  9. Now, roll each cookie in powdered sugar. Make sure cookies are covered well.

When done correctly, once cookie is cooled, the slightly melted powdered sugar will have formed a wonderfully tasty shell.

Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

December 15, 2010

Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Cakes | Tags: , , , , |
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Pound cake, pound cake, pound cake. I bet most of you immediately thought of good ole Sara Lee.  I know I do, because up until a few years ago, it was the only pound cake I’ve ever had.  I know…weird.  Pound cake is delicious but we all know that it’s one of life’s indulgences you can often live without.  Pound cake= pound of butter.   Yeah, work that off your gut!  But alas, this is a baking blog, the heck with fitness.  And well…ahem…I’m the last person in the world to tell anyone what’s healthy and what not. Have you seen the amount of butter in my fridge?

Well, pound cake just happens to be my mom’s favorite.  She’s not much for sweets, but pound cake has always been her weakness.  And of course, when she’s in the mood, it’s off to Albertson’s for a box of Sara Lee’s scrumptious frozen pound cake.  We were having a few friends over to admire our Christmas tree (it’s the first real tree I’ve ever had and it’s amazing!)  and I don’t know how or why, but I decided pound cake would make for a great tree-loving dessert.  Mike’s reaction?  “Ooohhh pound cake. I’ll pick up Sara Lee’s on the way home.”  In the second of madness, he must have forgotten who he was talking too.

So off to my computer to go through the hundreds of recipes I have bookmarked for a rainy day–and lo and behold–found one in the first 10 minutes.   Met with rave reviews by Gourmet magazine and Epicurious.com subscribers, Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake on the surface was everything I wanted.

And Elvis Presley, you did not fail me.  This oh-so-delicious recipe has an amazing tight crumb.  Tender, buttery, and rich–everything you’d come to expect in a pound cake.   Simply some of the best pound cake I’ve ever had–and if you read anything I’ve written here, I know it’s not much to go on.  I may not have had too much pound cake, but I know my baked goods :)   I really wish I had some berries and simple whipped cream on hand.  What a wonderful pairing that would be!  But I served it at the end of the night with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate sauce.

However you decide to serve this, this is a great dessert that keeps extraordinarily well.   I gave 2/3′s of what was left away and have a few slices left at home. Dangerous, I know. We’re on day 4, and it’s still wonderfully moist.  Just keep in an air-tight container and you will be able to enjoy this dessert for up to 5 days.  And for you Sara Lee fanatics, I’ve read that the cake is wonderful frozen.

Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
3 cups sifted cake flour (sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Directions
Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour. I used a 10 inch tube (bundt) pan.

Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Original recipe from Epicurious (originally found in Gourmet Magazine)

 

December 14, 2010

Alton Brown’s The Chewy

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Chocolate, Cookies | Tags: , , , , , |
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Alton Brown, you can do now wrong. I love all the scientific explanations you provide for almost every step in a recipe.   I think you’re awesome.  That said, I really liked, but didn’t LOVE, your chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe.  This awkward moment will pass…and I still love you and will not hesitate to try one of your recipes, but your recipe just wasn’t THE chocolate chip cookie recipe for me.  Don’t get me wrong…it was delicious…but it just didn’t have the elements that I LOVE in a chocolate chip cookie.  I like my cookies a little thinner and softer.  I don’t know if I’d classify this as a “chewy” cookie, but it had a lovely bite–slight crunch on the outside and softer on the inside.

Alton’s recipe calls for the cookie dough to be chilled before baking–a method that will definitely produce much thicker cookie.  Michael liked this.  He enjoyed the denser and heartier cookie.  He loved the way it softened in the milk.   My friends inhaled them, and I sent the remaining six cookies with them.

These cookies are pretty awesome and were ideal for ice cream sandwiches.  I just happen to have a recipe I love and will turn to 90% of the time ( FYI, that recipe will come soon!)

Alton Brown’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Original Recipe from Alton Brown
 

December 6, 2010

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Cheesecake, Dessert, Holiday, Pumpkin | Tags: , , , |
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Oh, everyone brings along pumpkin pie to every holiday outing.  So, for Thanksgiving I decided to do something a little different.  Nothing too crazy–but how can you resist a pumpkin cheesecake?  Apparently, you don’t.  Mike and I had a few cups before we even headed over to his family’s.  These cheesecake cups were not only delicious–but they were highly addictive.  Everything you love about cheesecake with great pumpkin flavor.   Bonus points?  Top it off with spiced cream cheese frosting.   And yes, I’m painfully aware that I try to weasel cream cheese frosting in when applicable. What can I say, it’s so delicious and versatile.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prep your cupcake pan with liners.  In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Add a tablespoon of crumbs into each cupcake liner.  Press down crumbs to form a firm crust.  Place in oven for 7-9 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Carefully remove cups from pan and allow to cool on rack.

In a bowl attached to stand mixer, Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Replace cups into cupcake pans.   Now, pour batter into cups.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheesecake sets.  Take out of oven before cheesecake cracks.   Allow cheesecake to sit for 10 minutes. Then gently and carefully remove cups from pan and allow cheesecakes to cool on rack.  When cool, place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours (at the least) before serving.   Before serving, top off cheesecake with spiced cream cheese frosting.

Adapted from Food Network

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese
1- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add and beat  vanilla extract, cinnamon, and all spice until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth and fluffy.
 

November 30, 2010

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Dessert, Holiday, Pie, Pumpkin | Tags: , , , , , |
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I LOVE pumpkin anything…because really, the holidays just aren’t the same without it.  So, since the season of thoughtless indulgence is here before us, I decided to find something new.  Traditional pumpkin pie is great and pops up at every holiday meal and I was sure that someone would pop by Marie Callendar’s or Costco and bring by a pie.  Yum!  So, I thought I’d look around and offer up a more  unique dish.  Step in the Pioneer woman with a drool worthy recipe. Pumpkin Cream Pie?  How can you go wrong if you pair pumpkin with decadent cream?  You don’t.  It’s fabulous! Now I won’t lie–I’ll take a helping of traditional pie over cream pie 8 out of 10 times.  I’m a Thanksgiving purist. I love all the traditional dishes. BUT–if you’re not big on the pumpkin (these people exist.  My sister for one, can’t stand pumpkin pie), then give this a shot.  It’s definitely delicious and I will definitely make this again!

Oh…and one of the best things about this dessert?  It’s rich, but not overly sweet.  So you can sit back and truly enjoy a slice without a sugar high fifteen minutes later.  Bonus?  Turn it into a Ice cream cake by throwing it in the freezer for an hour or two!  Now we’re talking…

Pumpkin Cream Pie

FOR THE CRUST:
1-½ package Graham Crackers (about 15 Cookie Sheets)
½ cups Powdered Sugar
1 stick Butter, Melted

FOR THE FILLING:
1 box (3 Oz. Box) Vanilla Pudding (Cook And Serve Variety)
1 cup Half-and-half
½ cups Heavy Cream
Pinch Of Cinnamon (1/4 tsp)
Pinch Of Nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
Pinch Of Ground Cloves (1/4 tsp)
2 Tablespoons Whiskey (optional–I omitted this from my pie)
½ cups (plus 3 Tablespoons) Pumpkin Puree
½ cups (additional) Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Extra Graham Cracker Crumbs, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grind graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don’t have a food processor, place them in a large ziploc and pound ‘em with a rolling pin.) Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and “set.” Remove from oven and allow crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in whiskey, if using. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Place lid on pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely.

When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
 

November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Turkey

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Holiday, Protein, Turkey | Tags: , , , , , , |
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I love Thanksgiving…I love this holiday season!  I thoroughly enjoy cooking and baking for everyone. I like to sit back, catch up on some rest, and watch people enjoy their food.  And that’s why–every holiday season–I become a pain in the butt for my poor Michael.  I run around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, I’m always out of something I have to ask him to run off and buy, and my small dining area is a mini grocery store itself.  I’m unorganized.  I’m a mess…and I admit, I sometimes give him a dirty look as I stress and run around to cook, bake, or clean and he’s enjoying himself in front of the television. That is, until he tells me something smells “wonderful” and I can look at him with loving eyes again.

Well, this year will be the third time I make Turkey for Mike’s family.  I’m excited, but  a little nervous. Yeah, I’ve done it before–but it’s a whole lot of pressure!  Oh did I mention, Mike’s family gathering is so large this year that his mom would like me to make 2–that’s right–2 turkeys.

So, without a doubt–I will be turning to my go-to-food techie, Alton Brown for task as I have in the past. As beautiful as a roast turkey may look, most of the time, it’s pretty darn dry.  Protein of choice, but generally speaking, not the best tasting thing at Thanksgiving. That is, until I was introduced to BRINING.  Brining is key.  I bet you thought you’d never hear the following term again after finishing school–but OSMOSIS, you make my turkey damn tasty. If you’re interested in the science of it all, check out wiki.

Mike carving his FIRST turkey during Friendsgiving 2010

Ummm...yeah, and don't forget to remove the bag of gizzards BEFORE roasting. In my defense, I searched the main cavity...and couldnt find it!

Whether you understand the scientific process or not–you need not worry. Follow the directions and you can’t go wrong.

Good Eats Turkey

Ingredients

1 Turkey*

For the brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries (I did not include this in my brine)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you’d like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in the brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack  inside a half sheet pan  and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey’s cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil (or any other neutral flavored oil).

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

* I prefer to buy a fresh turkey.  Yes, they generally cost a little bit more but I’m convinced they taste better and they’re well worth the money.  BUT if you opt for a frozen turkey, the first part of the directions are applicable to you. 
 

November 16, 2010

Banana Nut Bread makes me weak

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Bananas, Bread, Breakfast, Nuts | Tags: , , , , , |
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I LOVE banana nut bread and I’ve accepted that banana nut bread will never be healthy.  Yeah, it’s dark brown–makes you think of wheat bread–and it somehow registers that its healthy.  No? Not you?  The things my mind will resort to make rationalize my baking.

Either way, this recipe is sooooooooooooo good.  I always have a pile of ripening bananas in my apartment.  I buy tons of them hoping Mike will actually eat some fruit, and they always end up ripening faster than I can eat.  I suppose this is one  way to get him to eat some fruit.  Works out just fine for my mom, who asks for banana nut bread every other week.  This recipe gives you 2 huge loaves of banana nut bread–and if you have no plans of giving the other away, it’s probably a good idea to cut the recipe in half–eating too much is detrimental to your waistline.   I have a good system going on here–we go halfsies with Mike’s mom.

Enjoy!

 

Banana Nut Bread

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter, partially melted and cooled
  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups white sugar (Depending on how sweet you like it. I keep mine steady at 1 1/4)
  • 2  1/2  cups mashed super,overripe bananas
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.
  3. In a microwave safe bowl, cut each stick of butter in half.  Throw in microwave and partially melt butter for about 30 seconds. Allow to cool–3-5 minutes.
  4. Now in the bowl of your electronic stand mixer, blend the butter and sugar until smooth. On low, stir in the bananas, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla,  and walnuts until well blended.
  5. Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix on low until combined.  Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
  6. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for at least 5 minutes,
  7. Transfer to rack to cool completely.
  8. Slice when ready to serve.
  9. Tastes fantastic at any temperature!
 

November 11, 2010

Scrumptious Candy Bar Cupcake

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Chocolate, Cupcakes, Dessert, Peanut Butter, Vanilla | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Even though the wedding is two years away, I can’t help myself.  I’m all over Style Me Pretty and Oncewed looking for ideas and hoping to find a way to put together a wedding that speaks to who Mike and I are—without having to financially handicap ourselves.  DIY projects? Yes please.  I wish I could bake up all the cookies and cupcakes needed for such a fête, but I’m sure  I’ll end up being the most stressed out and mean spirited woman on the planet should I be responsible for such a feat.

Vanilla Cupake

Anyhow, as I scour these sights, I’ve noticed that my local bakery—Sweet & Saucy—is quite the hotspot.  Melody’s work is not just scrumptious—it’s breathtaking.  I love that she’s able to create elaborate and unique cakes and I love it 10 times more that she’s also able to make impressive understated cakes.  I love, I love, I love!

So I know exactly where she’s located and I also know that by the time I get off work she’s always closed.  So while her bakery is only 6 minutes away from where I live, I’ve been there only twice in the last 3 years.  I love her shop nonetheless.   Her shop is incredibly chic and all to fun.

Her most popular cupcake?  The Candy Bar cupcake.  Yes, my friend.  Think of your typical candy bar—caramel, peanuts/peanut butter, and chocolate.  Yeah, it’s decadent and yeah, it’s not on my “Get crazy skinny, but keep my boobs wedding diet,” but neither has anything I’ve been eating the last two months.  Yeah, I’m kinda screwed…but I’ll make it work.  I will. :/

Moving on, I’ve only had this cupcake once.  Why? Outside of her hours, it’s simply always sold out by the time I get there.   Boo! But, I do remember how fantastic they were and how great it was to have something so different.

So, after coming across her famous cupcakes at yet another featured wedding, I decided—why the heck not?  I’ll make those suckers.  And I did.  And you know what?  They were pretty darn tootin’ good.  If you have time and you’re looking to impress, I would definitely give these a shot.

How do you accomplish such a feat?  Make a batch of your favorite vanilla cupcakes, some chocolate ganache, peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and some salted caramel syrup.  Yeah, that’s badass alright.  It’s also time consuming. Be forewarned.

I’m still on the hunt for the perfect vanilla cupcake by the way, so pass some recipes my way if you have something awesome.

Candy Bar Cupcake

Part 1: Billy’s Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (original calls for just 1 tsp.)
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
  2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
  3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 18 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Part 2: Whipped Chocolate Ganache

  • 5 oz bittersweet chocolate
  • 5 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  1. To make the ganache, break chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
  2. In a sauce pan, heat the heavy cream on medium high until it comes up to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let sit for about 2 minutes to warm up the chocolate. Now stir mixture until completely melted and glossy. Allow ganach to cool completely.
  3. To achieve a lighter texture for whipped ganache, whip mixture on medium low with a hand mixture.  If you like the ganache a bit denser, just let it cool and spoon.

 

Part 3: Peanut Butter Frosting

Adapted from Annie’s Eats
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/2-2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup cool whip
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth.
  2. Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and well blended.  Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy.

Part 4: Salted Caramel Sauce

Adapted from Chow
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  1. Stir together sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Let boil until amber in color, about 3 minutes.
  2. Immediately add butter and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat, add cream and salt, and mix well. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.
  3. Will keep for 7 days in fridge.

AND–FINALLY…to the last part…yeah, did I mention this is a bit time consuming?

Part 5: Assembly

  1. Once cupcakes have cooled completely, use the cone method to remove cupcake tops.
  2. Pipe or spoon chocolate ganache into the cavity of the cupcake.  Replace cupcake top.  It won’t look perfect, but you’ll be covering the cupcake with frosting anyhow.  You can elect to not replace cupcake top as well, if you want the whole cupcake to be less “cake-ish.”
  3. Pipe frosting onto cupcake.
  4. Top off with some caramel.  Would also taste delicious if have some fleur de sel to sprinkle on top.

 

October 18, 2010

Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Posted by itsmeangie621 under Chocolate, cream cheese, Cupcakes, Peanut Butter | Tags: , , , |
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It was Boss’s Day–and you got it–I was going to bring in something sweet.  Afterall, I don’t think they’d expect anything else.  But it had been a long week and I wasn’t feeling quite 100%.  So, I opted for a simple One-Bowl recipe and I thought I’d step away from my typical cream cheese frosting.  After looking thru my cabinet and staring at the jars of peanut butter, I couldn’t think of a better combination.  Chocolate and Peanut Butter?  Mmmmnnn…I was officially exited.

Sadly, I’m on a bit of a diet so I didn’t have any.  Yeah, I didn’t think I had it in me either–not because I can’t pass up sweets (okay…that’s just 15% of it), but because I NEVER give out sweets without making sure it passes my taste test.  Could it be?  I’m building more confidence in my baking.  Ehh…on second thought, it’s probably because I knew I was going to have a really unhealthy weekend .  I was going to meet friends up for beer and fried deliciousness that night, meeting another friend for some seafood and fries Saturday for lunch, and it was date night for the me and fiance.  Thank you Groupon for our dinner at Border Grill (which sadly screamed mediocrity).

Either way, judging from everyone’s reaction, these were definitely a hit.  All cupcakes were claimed by the time I was done for the day.  I suppose when it comes down to it–how can  you beat a pb and chocolate combo? Oh–and it probably didn’t hurt that I stuffed bits of milk chocolate in each piece for some extra chocolatey goodness.

Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter frosting

Recipe yields 18-20 cupcakes

Cupcakes

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
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar

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.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Now take the Hershey bars and break them into smaller pieces.  Stuff each cupcake well with a few pieces.
Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once . Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, softened
3-4 tablespoons milk (heavy cream if you’re brave), or as needed
1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Place the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in.  Frosting will be start to get thick.  Beat for about 4 minutes until all ingredients are well combined and frosting gets fluffy.  While my recipe does say 3-4 tablespoons, I might of lost count.  I added milk 1 tbsp at a time, until I reached a consistency I was happy with.  do quick tastes tests to get the consistence you want.
If you want to use this recipe for brownies, you can certainly have them a bit thicker.  But because these were for cupcakes, I wanted them fairly light. To each their own!
 

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