Max's Birthday (Carrot) Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

My son turned one last week! Of course, I felt it was necessary to introduce him to the sweet world of cake. As a protective first-time mom, I also wanted to pretend that I was giving him something somewhat healthy, though, so I used these carrot cupcakes, which contain whole wheat flour and natural applesauce but still taste awesome. :D

Carrot Cupcakes
(Adapted from Food Network's Ellie Krieger - makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
* 1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1-1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 cup natural applesauce
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 3 cups finely shredded carrots

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups (I filled mine a little over 3/4 full). Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.


Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
(Adapted from MultiplyDelicious on Tasty Kitchen - Generously frosts 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
* 32 ounces cream cheese, straight from the fridge (I use full-fat, sorry y'all!)
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar
* 2 tbsp vanilla extract
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese until fairly smooth. Add vanilla and cinnamon, then beat in confectioners' sugar one cup at a time. Beat just until smooth and combined for best texture.

Frost cupcakes and serve to one year old. After a few minutes, this will be the result!

Alton Brown's "The Chewy" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've made these cookies several times now, and they have always been a huge hit. It's hard to even feel motivated to try a different chocolate chip cookie recipe. I also use this dough in the center of my cookie dough cuppycakes now.



Alton Brown's "The Chewy"
(Adapted from Food Network with only minimal modifications.)

INGREDIENTS
* 2 sticks unsalted butter
* 2 1/4 cups bread flour (it's really important to use 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 (I use Ghirardeli)


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. (Note: I usually preheat my oven to 25 degrees lower than what recipes say, because it runs about 10 degrees hot and also I use nonstick bakeware. So I actually baked these at 350.)

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside. (Note: Be careful to melt the butter slooooowly. If you do it too quickly - i.e. on too high a heat - it will separate and you'll end up with greasy cookies.)

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 (I skipped the parchment because my nonstick baking sheets are AWESOME), 6 cookies per sheet. (AB says to use a #20 disher to scoop the cookies. I use a large OXO cookie scoop, which according to the Internets, is the same size.)

Bake for 14 minutes (my cookies took about 14-15 minutes - keep an eye on them or they'll burn) 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.

NOTE: I chill my dough for 24-36 hours before baking the cookies (though AB doesn't say to do this). I find that it really improves the flavor of the cookies. Your mileage may vary.

Chocolate Raspberry Cuppycakes

I made these for a friend's birthday. Only I've been a little behind on things, and so I made her the "birthday" cupcakes about 5 months late. She did say they were worth the wait, though. ;-)





Chocolate Raspberry Cuppycakes
(Borrowed from Sweetest Kitchen - makes 12 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
* 125g soft unsalted butter
* 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
* 300g raspberry jam (I used seedless)
* 150g caster sugar
* pinch of salt
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* 150g self-rising flour


INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350F. (Note: I usually preheat my oven to 25 degrees lower than what recipes say, because it runs about 10 degrees hot and also I use nonstick bakeware. So I actually baked these at 325.)

Melt butter in a double boiler. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the raspberry jam, sugar, salt and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated stir in the flour.

Put batter in lined cupcake pan. Do not overfill! I estimate you want to put no more than 1.5 tablespoons of batter in each cupcake liner. Bake for about 25 minutes (it was 26-28 for me). Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a rack.

Cool cupcakes completely. Fill cupcakes with raspberry whipped cream using the cone method, then frost with the chocolate ganache icing (recipes are below).


Raspberry Whipped Cream Filling

INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup ultra-pasteurized heavy whipping cream
* 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 tablespoon granulated white sugar
* 1/4 cup lightly sweetened raspberry puree (recipe below)

To make the raspberry puree:

Thaw 24 oz (680 grams) of frozen unsweetened raspberries in a large fine-meshed strainer suspended over a large bowl. (This may take a few hours.) Once the berries have completely thawed, force the juice from the berries by gently pressing them with the back of a large spoon. All that should remain in the strainer is the raspberry seeds.

Throw away the raspberry seeds and and stir in 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar. Sweeten more if necessary, to taste. (For extra flavor you can also add a little raspberry liqueur.)

Store covered in the refrigerator up to a week, or freeze up to a year. Makes approximately 1 3/4 cups (420 ml).

To make the raspberry whipped cream filling:

In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat only until soft peaks form. Add the sweetened raspberry puree a little at a time, and beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Taste and fold in more sugar or puree, if required.


Chocolate Ganache Icing

INGREDIENTS
* 100g dark chocolate
* 100ml double cream
* 12 fresh raspberries, optional


INSTRUCTIONS

Break the chocolate for the icing into little pieces and add them to the cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and then whisk – by hand or electrically – until thick and smooth. Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon, and stand a raspberry in the center of each.



Here's a bonus picture of a whole dozen cuppycakes.

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cayenne Cookies

Taken from here.



INGREDIENTS
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/4 tsp baking powder
* 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
* 8 oz (1 1/3 cups) bittersweet chocolate chips or squares, 63 % to 70% cacao
* 4 Tbs butter, unsalted
* 2 Tbs brewed espresso (I used espresso powder dissolved in boiling water)
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
* 1 tsp cayenne powder
* 2 large eggs
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup dried cherries
* 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1/4 cup chopped pecans


INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven 375°. (Note: I usually preheat my oven to 25 degrees lower than what recipes say, because it runs about 10 degrees hot and also I use nonstick bakeware. So I actually baked these at 350.)

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.

In a double boiler or pot of simmering (not boiling) water with a heat-safe bowl set on top as shown, melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter. When melted, turn off heat and add espresso, vanilla and cayenne. Stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl or standing electric mixer (if you have one use it, I don’t and this saddens me but at least I get a workout) beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high just until frothy about 2 minutes. Slowly add sugar and beat on high until egg and sugar mixture is thick, about 13 more minutes. (Note: I ended up beating the egg and sugar mixture for about 14-15 minutes.)

Gently fold using a spoon or spatula cooled chocolate mixture into egg and sugar mixture. Fold until partially combined. Add flour and carefully fold again until partially combined. Next add the dried cherries, semi-sweet chocolate chips and pecans. Fold until everything is just mixed. Be careful not to over mix and deflate the eggs. If the mixture is a little runny, chill in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place small spoonfuls of cookie batter (I used a small cookie scoop that's about 3/4 of a tablespoon) onto baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie (I put 8 cookies on each baking sheet).

Set in oven and bake for 9 minutes. Oven times do vary. What you are looking for is a shiny brownie-like crust.

When finished, cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack.

Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I stole this recipe shamelessly from Smitten Kitchen, with only a couple changes.



INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 1-1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
* 3/4 cup raisins (I recommend Newman's Own organic)


INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. (Note: I usually preheat my oven to 25 degrees lower than what recipes say, because it runs about 10 degrees hot and also I use nonstick bakeware. So I actually baked these at 325. I also didn't use parchment paper and my cookies were fine.)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins.

Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for at least one hour. Using cold dough helps the cookies bake up thick and chewy.

Roll dough into balls of about 1.5 tablespoons each. I use a medium OXO cookie scoop and put 9 cookies on each cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top (mine took about 14 minutes). Let the cookies sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cuppycakes

I actually made these cuppycakes once back in November but somehow failed to take any pictures of them. Then a friend of mine came in town to visit a couple months ago, so I made them again... only with a fortuitous accidental modification.

My intention was to make the cake part using the dark chocolate cupcake recipe in this post. That's how I did it the first time I made the chocolate peanut butter cuppycakes, and it came out delicious. However, I accidentally grabbed the wrong chocolate from my pantry, and used 60% cacao instead of 85%.

The cupcakes came out good anyway. They didn't taste like dark chocolate, but they were way more moist than the batch I made with the darker chocolate.





Chocolate Peanut Butter Cuppycakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:
* 3 to 4 oz. good-quality 60% cacao chocolate (I used Ghirardeli)
* 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter
* 1 1/8 c. sugar
* 4 eggs
* 5/8 c. flour
* 1/8 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
* 3/4 tsp. baking powder
* Pinch salt

For the peanut butter filling (adapted from here):
* 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 tbsp. butter
* 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract


INSTRUCTIONS

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 F (I actually preheated mine to 325F).

Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for 10 seconds between each.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, return to the electric mixer, and mix until blended.


To make the peanut butter filling:

In bowl, with mixer on medium speed, mix confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until blended. Shape mixture into 12 balls. (Balls will be sticky and don't need to be perfectly shaped.) Place balls on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; set aside.


To assemble and bake:

Scoop batter into cupcake cups (I filled mine pretty full - 2 level scoops with my small cookie scoop, which I think holds 3/4 tbsp). Roll peanut butter filling into balls and place one ball atop each cupcake (do not press down into the batter). Cover with a small amount of batter (I used a small "eating" spoonful).

Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops look cracked and brownie-like and a toothpick inserted in the side (not the center) comes out clean.

I baked these cupcakes for about 25 minutes. Given the fact that they were soft and falling apart, I think they could have stayed in another minute or two but they tasted AWESOME.

Wait until cupcakes cool completely. Then frost with the peanut butter frosting recipe from here.

Paula Deen's Monster Cookies (Rawr!)

Apparently, monster cookies are well-loved by a lot of people, but I had never heard of them until recently when I found the recipe on Paula Deen's website. Now I've made them twice in the past month or so just because they are so easy to make and people always seem to love them.



Monster Cookies
(makes 36 cookies)

INGREDIENTS
* 1/4 cup raisins, optional (I recommend Newman's Own organic raisins)
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
* 1 stick butter, softened
* 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 3 eggs
* 2 teaspoon baking soda
* 4 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)


INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

(Note: I usually preheat my oven to 25 degrees lower than what recipes say, because it runs about 10 degrees hot and also I use nonstick bakeware. So I actually baked these at 325. And I did not use the parchment paper for these cookies and they were fine.)

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets (I actually used a medium OXO cookie scoop, which is 1.5 tbsp).

Bake for 8-10 minutes (my cookies were a little larger and took 14-15 minutes to bake). Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags (or an airtight container like the one I use, pictured below).

Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies

This was my first time making peanut butter cookies. I lovingly borrowed this recipe from here.



Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 eggs (room temperature)
* 2 tsps vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 cup powdered sugar (or more as needed for rolling)


INSTRUCTIONS

The original recipe says to preheat your oven to 350. I usually preheat my oven to 25 degrees lower than what recipes say, because it runs about 10 degrees hot and also I use nonstick bakeware. So I actually baked these at 325.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper (I skipped this step).

Place powdered sugar in shallow bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Once combined beat in the white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently add to creamed mixture and mix until almost combined. Chill dough for 10-20 minutes.

Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Gently roll the dough balls into powdered sugar and place dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets. Carefully press down on each ball with a glass to flatten tops slightly. (NOTE: The cookies that turned out the best for me were the ones I pressed into thick disks (almost like a round Tinker Toy piece shape.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes (it was actually 16 minutes for me) in the preheated oven, or until top is crinkly and edges are set. Cool on sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to baking rack to finish cooling.

Chocolate Cuppycakes with Coffee Cream Filling

I'm so behind on posting things to this blog!



I made these cuppycakes back in October, after a friend of mine found the recipe for me on Food Network. They were yummy, but I think they could have been more coffee-y. I think this is because I used instant coffee. Next time, I will use espresso powder.



Chocolate Cuppycakes with Coffee Cream Filling

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled (I recommend instant espresso powder dissolved in boiling water)
* 3 large eggs
* 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Chocolate covered coffee beans, for garnish, optional (I didn't use these)

For the coffee cream filling:
* 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
* 1 (8-ounce) container frozen chocolate flavored whipped topping, thawed


INSTRUCTIONS

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, coffee, and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla.

Spoon the batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, for 16 to 18 minutes. Let them cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.


To make the coffee cream filling:

In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly add the liqueur and fold in the whipped topping. Cover and chill.

I filled the cupcakes using the cone method. The original recipe suggests using a squeeze bottle to "inject" it into the cupcake.


Coffee Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 3 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee (as above, I recommend espresso powder dissolved in boiling water)


INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth, then beat in the coffee.

Spread the Coffee Buttercream frosting evenly over cooled cupcakes and garnish with chocolate covered coffee beans, if desired.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Filling and Peanut Butter Frosting

I originally made these cupcakes because I had some leftover bananas I wanted to use up.



I found the recipe on the blog 6 Bittersweets. However, I substituted my own favorite peanut butter frosting recipe for the one the original blogger used (because I love it so).




Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Filling
(makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:
* 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
* 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1/3 cup yogurt and 3 tablespoons milk)
* 2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 large egga, room temperature
* 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate filling:
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips


INSTRUCTIONS

To make the cupcakes:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Peel your ripe banana and mash it very well until there are no large chunks remaining. Add the buttermilk to the bananas, mix well, and set aside.

Using an electric or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and then the vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture, the banana mixture, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 25 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, cut a cone in each cupcake and spoon in 2-3 teaspoons of the chocolate filling. Replace the cone and frost as desired.


To make the chocolate filling:

Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Try to submerge the chocolate as much as possible, but it's okay to have some above the cream. Microwave the mixture on medium for 1 minute. Stir and heat again in 15-second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted. Let this cool and thicken (in the fridge if needed) before using.


Peanut Butter Frosting

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
* 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
* 4 tablespoons milk


INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined.

Alton Brown's Beer Cheese Bread

I love Alton Brown, and this bread was easy and delicious!



INGREDIENTS
* Nonstick spray
* 8 ounces all-purpose flour
* 4 ounces whole-wheat flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
* 4 1/2 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
* 12 ounces cold beer, ale or stout
* 1 to 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, optional


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the inside of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with the nonstick spray and set aside.

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and dill in a large mixing bowl. Add in the cheese and stir in the beer just to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds, if using.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cookie Dough Cuppycakes, Part Deux

I've made cookie dough cupcakes before, but this time I decided to try a different recipe. This recipe was shamelessly stolen from the blog "How to Eat a Cupcake."



I've never made whipped cream frosting before, so I was quite proud that I succeeded in making it without collapsing my whipped cream. The reason these cupcakes are a little uglier than usual is that I wasn't sure that whipped cream frosting could be piped without destroying it.




Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(Adapted from Chocolate Cupcakes at MarthaStewart.com - makes 12 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs, room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup whole milk


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined.

3. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

4. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Place a ball of frozen cookie dough (I used 1-oz pieces of pre-made, pre-sliced frozen cookie dough) on top of each cup (do not push it in). Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cupcake (but not in the cookie dough) comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



The cupcakes, cooling on my baker's rack.


Cookie Dough Frosting

INGREDIENTS

Eggless cookie dough:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tbsp
4 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

Whipped Cream Frosting:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
16 oz cream cheese, softened
2.5 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla


INSTRUCTIONS

For the cookie dough, cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in 2/3 cup Mini Morsels. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Break dough into 1/4 teaspoon sized chunks and place the chunks on a plate or in a plastic container, separating layers with waxed paper.
Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the frosting, in a medium bowl (a cold bowl with cold beaters) beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat); set aside. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. Fold the frozen cookie dough chunks into the frosting and immediately frost the cooled cupcakes.

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

Someone posted this recipe on LiveJournal, and I just had to try it. It's a Martha Stewart recipe. Martha is my hero, and I don't care who knows it.




INGREDIENTS
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 cups sugar, plus more for dipping (the "dipping" sugar should be the raw kind)
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, 2 cups sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and combine with mixer on low speed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of each ball into sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

(I have nonstick cookie sheets, so I preheated my oven to 325 degrees and I believe the cookies stayed in the oven for 10-11 minutes. Also, I did not use the Silpat baking mats.)

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

I had high hopes for these cupcakes, and I was not disappointed. Please note that the frosting needs to "set" in the fridge for a while, so you'll want to make it first and then bake the cupcakes afterwards. Also, if you're like me and find baking to be easy but cooking to be a bit of a challenge, you may have trouble with the caramel. The first time I tried to make it, I burned it and had to start over. But all's well that ends well.


Salted Caramel Frosting
(adapted from here)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 8 tablespoons water
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 3 cups confectioners' sugar


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. To avoid weird chunks or crystallization, I recommend that you only stir for a second or two and then just swirl the pan periodically as it's heating to dissolve the sugar.

2. Once the mixture is clear, bring heat to high. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color. My recipe said it would take about 6 to 7 minutes to get to dark amber, but I think it actually took considerably longer.

2. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. (NOTE: The last time I made these, I poured the cream and vanilla in very, VERY slowly and stirred with a plastic whisk as I was adding it. I got a lot less chunking that way. Voila, you have caramel! Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

3. Combine butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add confectioners' sugar, and mix until completely incorporated.

4. Turn mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add caramel. Beat frosting on medium-high speed until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until stiff, about 45 minutes, before using.


Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
(Stolen from Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup Guinness stout
* 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
* 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 2 cups sugar
* 3/8 cup sour cream
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 24-inch muffin pans with paper liners. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into cupcake pans (about 2/3 full), and bake until risen and firm.

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

Everything I Need to Know About Life, I Learned From Cupcakes

In most groups of friends, each individual tends to have a specific role. There's the one who is known for kindness, the one people go to when they're in a bind, and the one who can always make you laugh. In my circle of friends, I am known as the one with the cupcakes.

My obsession with cupcakes started out innocently enough. A little over three years ago, a friend gave me some silicone baking cups as part of a wedding shower gift. Although I hadn't baked anything (not even cookies from pre-made dough) since high school, I gave them a try. The next thing I knew, I was hooked. I thought I could keep it under control – after all, it was just a box of cake mix and a can of frosting every now and then, right? Before I knew it I was using a pound of butter a week and everything I owned was covered in white powder.

I realized while my husband and I were scrambling to buy a new house, pack everything up and rent out the old one that baking had become much more than a hobby. It had become part addiction, and part coping skill. And more than that, it had become a great teacher. Here are some of the lessons I have learned from baking, so that you can benefit from my experience.

The first lesson I learned from cupcakes is never to take the easy way out. When I first started making cupcakes, I used mix from a box and frosting that came in a can. The silicone baking cups made them taste a little extra moist, and people loved them. Every time I brought some to a party, everyone told me I made the best cupcakes, which made me feel a little ashamed. Once, someone even asked me for my recipe! Then I made cupcakes from scratch one time. I have never been able to stomach using a mix or canned frosting again. The taste difference is so enormous, I don’t know how anyone could mistake cupcakes from a box for the real thing.

The second lesson is a corollary to the first. Nothing worth having lasts forever, and the best things in life are gone before you know it. Back when I was making boxed cupcakes, I could keep them in the fridge for a week or even longer without a noticeable decline in taste or quality. But a homemade cupcake tastes best for two or three days after baking, at most. After that, it’s more or less inedible.

A third lesson that I have learned from cupcakes is that no matter how much you think you know, you should always keep an open mind. After I’d been making cupcakes for a while, I started browsing the Internet for recipe inspiration. On one website, I found a recipe for French toast cupcakes with bacon. You may be thinking, “Cupcakes with bacon? That’s disgusting!” I know I was. But once I’d seen them, I had to try making them. They turned out to be some of the tastiest cupcakes I’ve ever made. Everyone who tried them seemed to agree. Who knew?

Another thing that cupcakes have taught me is how much you can do with a few basic skills learned well. The first cupcake recipe I made from scratch had a really delicious buttercream frosting that almost everyone loved. I loved it so much that I learned how to use it as a basis for building other frosting recipes, experimenting with a variety of flavors and ratios. I’ve since tried other frosting recipes, and some of them have been great. But when all else fails, I can make almost any flavor of frosting I want without even having to think too hard about it.

Probably the most important lesson I’ve learned from cupcakes is that life truly is what you make of it. One of my favorite resources for new recipes is the Food Network's website. I like this website because not only do I get the benefit of a variety of professional bakers' work, I also get to see how well the recipes have worked for other bakers. Before making any new recipe, I will read the review section to see how it worked for other people. And it's inevitable... no matter how many people have posted raving, 5-star reviews for a recipe, at least one or two unfortunate souls will post, "Worst recipe ever. Didn't work at all."

In baking, there are a lot of reasons that you can fail even if you’re working with a wonderful recipe. Maybe you don't have the proper tools. Your oven might not be calibrated correctly, or perhaps you're using a hand mixer when a stand mixer would be more appropriate. Maybe you didn't follow the directions properly. This is more common than you think - the simple mistake of not letting your butter come to room temperature can completely change your results. It’s also possible to overbeat, underbake, use baking soda instead of baking powder, and the list goes on and on. I once completely destroyed a batch of cupcakes because my oil was too old. It smelled fine in the bottle, but my cupcakes came out tasting like petroleum.

Even if you’re working with the proper tools and the best raw ingredients, many circumstances can affect the outcome of your baking endeavors. If you live at a high altitude, your bake times and the amount of leavening agent you use need to be modified. If you live in an area with high humidity, you need to store your ingredients differently.

I think it’s pretty easy to see how these lessons can be applied to life. There’s no substitute for the good things in life, and when you have them, you never know when they’ll be gone. Don’t be afraid to try new things – you might like them more than you expected. Don’t assume that you have to be the best at everything. A thorough understanding of one or two things can go a long, long way.

Last but not least, if you’re not successful, don’t assume that you never will be. Life is a delicate balance. Sometimes you’re working with the best tools you know to use, but it’s not enough. It’s important to seek guidance from others when your own experience and knowledge aren’t getting you to where you want to be.

For me, cupcake-making (and baking in general) has become more than just a way to pass the time. It’s given me an outlet for some of the stresses of my everyday routine. And more importantly, it’s shown me some interesting truths about life in general. I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about them.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream

I made these cuppycakes the same night that I made the already-posted Red Velvet Cuppycakes. What happened was that I was going on a trip with two friends and asked each one for a request.



Magnolia's Famous Vanilla Cupcakes (with a little help from me)

This has become my default vanilla cupcake recipe. I substitute heavy cream for the milk that the original recipe calls for. This makes the cupcakes nice and moist and a little richer. This time, I only made half a recipe.

1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 if using nonstick pans). Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk cream and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Cocoa Buttercream Frosting

I stole this recipe from here. If you are like me and want tons of frosting per cupcake, you should double the recipe below.

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk (plus a few tablespoons to adjust consistency)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes.



Here are the cupcakes in one of my cupcake containers.


More cuppycakes!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red velvet is one of my favorite types of cake. Despite what some people may say, it is NOT just a chocolate cake with red food coloring added. I firmly believe that red velvet is a classic example of a whole that is more than the sum of its parts, because seemingly small modifications (adding vinegar and buttermilk) make it much different (to me) from a chocolate cake.

Because I lovelovelove red velvet, I am painstakingly picky about it. As a result, I have always been afraid to attempt baking it myself. However, last week I finally sucked it up and gave it a shot.

I was making these cupcakes for a friend, so I did a trial run first (not pictured). For my trial run, I used this recipe. I chose it because it used a traditional cooked-flour frosting that I was curious to try (even though I was planning to use cream cheese frosting on the final batch, at my friend's request). I loved the frosting (though I think I need to mix the flour and milk together more before cooking next time because there were a few lumps). However, the cupcakes were a little on the dry side.

For my second and final run, I used a recipe adapted from the above recipe and this other recipe. As you can probably tell, the two recipes are very similar, but the first one has more cocoa and uses butter, while the second one has less cocoa and uses oil. I wanted the moistness of an oil cake recipe while keeping the slightly dense texture that comes from using more cocoa.

This second batch came out almost exactly the way I hoped it would. I still think I could increase the amount of cocoa slightly, which I may try next time.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 ounces red food coloring
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 degrees if using a nonstick pan).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Line two cupcake pans and fill about two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.


Cream Cheese Frosting (I made a double recipe)

1 pound cream cheese (I always use it straight from the refrigerator)
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cuppycakes

I made these cuppycakes about 2 or 3 weeks ago for a community theme. However, having just moved to a new house, I have been crazy busy and never got around to posting them here. So here I am, squeaking in (hopefully) just before the theme deadline.



I stole this recipe from here, but modified it so that the jelly was baked into the cuppycakes rather than injected afterward. I stole that idea from another blog, which is here.

These cupcakes came out great! Mike says that they may be the best ones I have made yet. I personally think they could have used more jelly. I'd have to fill them a little less full to make that happen, because a few of them did explode a little bit.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Insert 24 liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Mix in the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 - 2/3 full, and make an indentation in the center of each one. Drop jelly onto the indentations (I used 1/2 tsp per cupcake). Then drop a little more batter on top of the jelly pocket.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops start to crack like peanut butter cookies (you can't really insert a toothpick in the center, but you can try to get near the center, I suppose). Cool cupcakes in the pan.


Peanut Butter Frosting

3/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons milk

Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined.



The cupcakes before they were frosted.


One of the "oops" cupcakes that exploded a little.


A full tray of fully frosted cuppycakes! Nom nom.

Paula Deen's Spinach and Bacon Quiche

I have always seen myself as a good baker and a hopeless cook. However, joining some new baking communities recently has made me realize that I can use my baking skills to make meals sometimes, too. This weekend, I made my first attempt at a quiche. This is actually the second attempt because my husband liked it so much that I made another one! (The first one failed to get photographed because we had friends over).

I was so proud! I like baking because you put the ingredients together and then you're done. Whereas with cooking, you're standing there over the burner with your food about to turn into a blackened lump (if you're me) and wondering what to do right now.



Anyway, here is the recipe I used, courtesy of the Food Network and Paula Deen. No butter, but lots of eggs, cheese, bacon and heavy cream. Hmmm, wonder why I never seem to lose that extra 10 pounds. ;-)

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. Cut into 8 wedges.

Cookie Dough Cuppycakes

I made these cuppycakes as a theme post on a baking community. They turned out yummy, but I think I can tweak them and make even better ones next time.

For this recipe, I had to prepare some cookie dough balls in advance. I bought a roll of pre-made cookie dough, divided 8 oz of it into 12 balls, and stuck them in the freezer for a couple hours. Next time, I will probably make my own dough from scratch because I have gotten to the point where using pre-made anything in baking makes me feel bad.

I used this recipe that I found on Lovin' From the Oven for the cupcakes. She says she found it at Cupcake Bakeshop, but I wasn't able to find the original post there.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar (I packed mine)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
6. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
7. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
8. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
9. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
10. Place previously prepared frozen cookie dough ball (mine were fairly big) into cup liners, then fill about half to three-quarters full of cupcake batter.
11. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when lightly touched. (Testing by using a toothpick would be insufficient because of the gooey cookie dough in the center).

For the frosting, I adapted a chocolate frosting recommended on The Cupcake Review. Then I made the eggless cookie dough recommended by both of these two blogs and (stupidly) tried to mix it in with my Kitchenaid mixer. What I got was a VERY delicious chocolate mousselike frosting that was completely not obvious it contained cookie dough.

Cookie Doh! (I guess next time I need to just stir the chunks in myself. It was late at night and I blame that for my stupidity. I spent all day packing and appliance shopping.)

Chocolate Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes.

And here's the eggless cookie dough recipe...

Eggless Cookie Dough - from How To Eat A Cupcake

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in mini chocolate chips (optional).
   
2. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
   

I personally thought that the eggless cookie dough tasted a little weird, but it was fine once it was mxed into the frosting. If I do this again, I might try another recipe.


A cuppycake in all its glory!


The inside of the cuppycakes. I think they need more cookie dough next time.