The good news is that 1) I'm back in the Bay Area, eating with reckless abandon and soaking up quality time with my family and friends, and 2) I have a backlog of baked goods to write about, including chocolate cupcakes, thin mint cookies, pumpkin muffins, and an earthquake cake (more on that later).
Three of the four were baked for birthdays, which is both a fun coincidence and a nagging reminder that time keeps on ticking, no matter how far behind you are on your blog. That said, I don't have the attention span to blog about all four of these projects now, so I'm going to do my best to write about each one in turn. Since I'm now technically on winter break, I am optimistic about the likelihood of completion by the time 2012 rolls around. I'll keep you posted. (Get it? *wink*)
Three of the four were baked for birthdays, which is both a fun coincidence and a nagging reminder that time keeps on ticking, no matter how far behind you are on your blog. That said, I don't have the attention span to blog about all four of these projects now, so I'm going to do my best to write about each one in turn. Since I'm now technically on winter break, I am optimistic about the likelihood of completion by the time 2012 rolls around. I'll keep you posted. (Get it? *wink*)
First up: Chocolate Cupcakes with Crispy "Magic" Frosting.
The Monday before Thanksgiving was my classmate's birthday, and while I couldn't care less about my own birthday, I really love commemorating other people's birthdays. Go figure.
I'm not usually a fan of cupcakes, and I don't really "get" the whole cupcake craze -- I usually find them to be dry and half as flavorful as a real cake... but I thought I would give these a whirl, since everything I've made from the Flour cookbook has been spectacular, and it's the only cupcake recipe in the book. That must mean these were the only ones good enough to pass her quality test, right? (Is it annoying that 90% of my blog posts are about that one book? Don't worry, I asked for another one for Christmas, so you'll have something to look forward to in the new year.)
Turns out it is possible for cupcakes to be delicious. The only trouble is, as with most things, you get as much as you put in. As far as cupcakes go, these were a bit labor and time intensive, but I would absolutely make them again... provided I had enough time to complete the whole thing. I also had to let the batter cool in the fridge for an hour, which was a real test of wills for me.... But, of course, the result was a delicious thick, fudge-y batter that looked good enough to eat raw.
The other "you get what you put in" discovery I made with this recipe is that buttercream frosting does, in fact, contain COPIOUS amounts of butter. I actually couldn't bring myself to put all the butter in the recipe into the actual frosting, but no one seemed to care -- there was plenty of delicious fat in there to please a crowd. The recipe actually called it "magic" crispy frosting, but I didn't have time to let the frosting become crispy... Again, it didn't appear to be a problem.
So without further adieu, here is the recipe that made me believe in cupcakes again: Flour Bakery's Chocolate Cupcakes with Crispy Magic Frosting.
The Monday before Thanksgiving was my classmate's birthday, and while I couldn't care less about my own birthday, I really love commemorating other people's birthdays. Go figure.
I'm not usually a fan of cupcakes, and I don't really "get" the whole cupcake craze -- I usually find them to be dry and half as flavorful as a real cake... but I thought I would give these a whirl, since everything I've made from the Flour cookbook has been spectacular, and it's the only cupcake recipe in the book. That must mean these were the only ones good enough to pass her quality test, right? (Is it annoying that 90% of my blog posts are about that one book? Don't worry, I asked for another one for Christmas, so you'll have something to look forward to in the new year.)
Turns out it is possible for cupcakes to be delicious. The only trouble is, as with most things, you get as much as you put in. As far as cupcakes go, these were a bit labor and time intensive, but I would absolutely make them again... provided I had enough time to complete the whole thing. I also had to let the batter cool in the fridge for an hour, which was a real test of wills for me.... But, of course, the result was a delicious thick, fudge-y batter that looked good enough to eat raw.
So without further adieu, here is the recipe that made me believe in cupcakes again: Flour Bakery's Chocolate Cupcakes with Crispy Magic Frosting.
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 C Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 C granulated sugar
1 stick butter, cut up
1/3 C water
1/2 C milk
1 egg plus 1 extra yolk
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 C granulated sugar
1 stick butter, cut up
1/3 C water
1/2 C milk
1 egg plus 1 extra yolk
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
Frosting:
2/3 C granulated sugar
2 egg whites
3 sticks butter, at room temperature, cut up
1 2/3 C confectioners’ sugar
1/4 t kosher salt
2 T milk
1 T vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a heatproof bowl, combine chocolate and cocoa powder.
In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the granulated sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Pour the butter mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
Whisk the milk, egg, extra yolk, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until combined.
In a bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until blended. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
Let the batter sit at room temperature for 1 hour or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Set the oven at 350°
Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops spring back when pressed lightly. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg whites. Fill a saucepan half full with simmering water. Set the bowl over (but not touching) the water. Whisk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is hot to the touch. It will thin as the sugar melts.
Remove the bowl from the heat. Tip the mixture into an electric mixer fitted with a whip. Beat at medium-high speed for 6 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and white like a meringue and is cool to the touch.
Turn the mixer to medium and add the butter a few chunks at a time, beating for 3 to 4 minutes or until it is all incorporated. Add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla. Continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and satiny.
Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tins and arrange on a platter. Fit a pastry bag with a star or round tip. Fill the bag halfway with frosting and pipe the frosting onto to the cupcakes or use an offset spatula to spread frosting onto cupcakes.
Whisk the milk, egg, extra yolk, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until combined.
In a bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until blended. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
Let the batter sit at room temperature for 1 hour or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Set the oven at 350°
Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops spring back when pressed lightly. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg whites. Fill a saucepan half full with simmering water. Set the bowl over (but not touching) the water. Whisk for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is hot to the touch. It will thin as the sugar melts.
Remove the bowl from the heat. Tip the mixture into an electric mixer fitted with a whip. Beat at medium-high speed for 6 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and white like a meringue and is cool to the touch.
Turn the mixer to medium and add the butter a few chunks at a time, beating for 3 to 4 minutes or until it is all incorporated. Add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla. Continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and satiny.
Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tins and arrange on a platter. Fit a pastry bag with a star or round tip. Fill the bag halfway with frosting and pipe the frosting onto to the cupcakes or use an offset spatula to spread frosting onto cupcakes.
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