tiramisu cupcakes
Posted by: dalynnf on: 06.11.2009
- In: Cupcakes | Sweet | Uncategorized
- 1 Comment
nom nom nom
That’s right. Tiramisu cupcakes. Not cake. Not individual martini glasses with tiramisu. I bent the rules and took the cake to the cup. Of course, it’s not the first time it’s been done, but it’s the first time I did it.
The last time I made tiramisu was years ago for a birthday. The cake was amazing, but I lost the recipe. I think it was a recipe from a Williams Sonoma book that I borrowed from a friend. I spent the last few years trying to find this recipe with no luck. Every other recipe used ladyfingers. NO thank you. Ladyfingers disintegrate when you drizzle the syrup on them. I wanted a good delicious cake. Fortunately, I had the patience to wait until I found something. Lo and behold I open up Food Gawker one day and it’s a Tuesday’s with Dorie tiramisu celebration. I think I literally ran to the store to make it happen. Not only was the recipe a good excuse, but it was good friends birthday and she deserved some cupcakes.
These were very fun to make. I have to admit that I haven’t tried them yet. When I made them I was on a crash diet before our vacation to Puerto Vallarta Mexico. I stuck through the diet, a whole 7 days, and it was rough. I never dieted before. I am not a fan of not eating what I want to eat. I will say that it prepped me for a week of beach bikini sun and fun. I have two of the cupcakes sitting in the freezer waiting for taste-buds gone wild.
Cupcake reviews: coworkers came back for more. They talked about it for days and people wanted the recipe. I think I need to get those little treats out of the freezer and embark on some nom nom nom.
*I’m cutting and pasting this from the Tuesdays with Dorie recipe guest at My Baking Adventures. She did such a great job. The changes were from cake to cupcake. I also substituted a few things and it still turned out great.
This made about 36 cupcakes.
Ingredients for the cake:
2 cups cake flour (substitution: 1 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch)
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk (substitution: pour just under one cup of milk, fill to 1 cup line with vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes, use 3/4 of a cup of the substitution)
Ingredients for the espresso extract:
2 tbs. instant espresso powder
2 tbs. boiling water
Ingredients for the espresso syrup:
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs. amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy (I used kahula, yum)
Ingredients for the filling and frosting:
1 8-oz. container mascarpone cheese
½ cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbs. amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 ½ oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about ½ cup store bought mini chocolate chips
Ingredients for presentation:
Chocolate covered espresso beans or shaved chocolate, for decoration (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your muffin tins with butter and flour or muffin liners.
Directions for the cake:
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in three additions and the buttermilk in two (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter.
Fill your muffin tins and bake for 12-15 minutes. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack.
Directions for the extract:
Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.
Directions for the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.
Directions to make the filling and frosting:
Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and liqueur (to taste) in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth. Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch. Add a little of the espresso extract to taste.
little centers
When the cupcakes are cool, use a small knife to cut out the centers. Drizzle in a little syrup with melted or shaved chocolate. Place the little cut out centers back on the muffin then drizzle a little more syrup on them. Frost the cupcakes and dust with cocoa powder and or chocolate shavings.
Keep these babies in the fridge. The frosting needs it and you don’t want it to start getting sloppy. Mine held up great but you never know.
*I want to take the 2 left in the freezer out on a sunny day so I can take some improved pictures.
birthday cupcakes. oh my!
Posted by: dalynnf on: 05.31.2009
- In: Cake | Cupcakes | Sweet
- 2 Comments
bite size bliss
The actual name of the cupcakes is too long for a headline because I made two variations. Both use a lemon cake but the lemonade drizzle and the buttercreams made them incredibly different. The first is lemon cake with chocolate buttercream and the second is lemon cake with strawberry lemonade glaze and strawberry buttercream to top it off. Of course, Damien preferred the chocolate but he still ate both of them like they were going out of style. Fortunately, there was enough to deliver for the birthday cause. The birthday girl favored the strawberry lemonade cupcakes (me too) because they were tart. I used various recipes and made some good changes. This was also the first time I used my mini-cupcake pan. I have to admit that I prefer the mini bite sizes. It kind of makes you feel less guilty when you eat two of them in one sitting.
strawberry delight
Adapted from Annie’s Eats and Martha Stewart
Lemon cake with chocolate buttercream and lemon cake with strawberry lemonade glaze with strawberry buttercream
Makes about 36 to 40 mini-cupcakes
Lemon Cake Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. lemon zest
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
For extra lemon kick I added about a teaspoon of lemon extract
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. You can make regular sized cupcakes or mini.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir together with a fork and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy.
4. Add the sugar and beat until well combined.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
6. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
7. Add in the milk and mix until smooth.
8. Add in the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the paper liners, filling them about 3/4 full.
10. For large cupcakes bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For mini-cupcakes try between 12-18 minutes. I think mine were perfect around the 14-minute mark but my oven isn’t the brightest.
11. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemonade Strawberry Syrup:
1 cup strawberry lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
(This made way too much for mini-cupcakes. Feel free to halve this recipe.)
Directions:
1. Once the cupcakes have cooled, whisk together the lemonade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lemonade syrup.
2. Poke several holes in the top of each cupcake with a skewer and pour the syrup over the cupcakes, allowing it to soak in. (Place wax paper underneath your cooling rack so you don’t make a mess!) I only syruped half my cupcakes and left the other half plain.
Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed (I used fresh strawberries and they worked fine)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. Filter through a sieve if you want to get the seeds out.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined.
4. Add vanilla.
5. If you want to make two flavors of buttercream now is the time to split the buttercream into two bowls.
6. In the first bowl add 1 to 2 tablespoons of melted chocolate. (to taste)
7. In the second bowl add 1 to 2 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended.
8. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.
Top your lovely cupcakes with the buttercream and enjoy. If you wish, garnish with strawberries. The chocolate buttercream held out pretty well but the strawberry wanted to slide off the cake. The strawberry buttercream paired really well with the lemonade syrup and the chocolate was perfect with the lemon cake. Don’t be surprised with the tartness of the lemonade syrup. Yum, yum.
molten choclate cake
Posted by: dalynnf on: 05.31.2009
- In: Cake | Sweet | Uncategorized
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molten chocolate cake
So, Damien loves chocolate. I mean he would run through highway traffic to get to a bar of Scharffen Berger Chocolate. As I’ve gotten older choclate has started to take its hold on me. Generally my buds don’t salivate for it because I’m a fan of tart-y sweets and things that make you pucker up. Alas, I’m beginning to succumb to chocolate’s seductions. My knees go weak when I think of this delicious molten chocolate cake. The best part about this recipe is that it’s perfect for only 2 molten cakes. Feel free to make this ahead of time, pop in the fridge and then bake when ready. This perfect gem of a recipe comes from The Bite Site.
Molten Cake Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
cocoa powder, for dusting molds
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp all-purpose flower
Confectioners sugar, if desired for dusting finished cake
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Butter the 2 – 4 ounce ramekins and lightly dust the inside of each with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
3. Heat butter and chocolate in heat proof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water until chocolate is almost completely melted.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg, egg yolk, and sugar until light and thick.
5. Slowly add butter mixture to mixer, add flour and mix until combined.
6. Divide batter between ramekins. Place on a baking sheet and transfer to oven.
7. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes – sides should be set and center soft.
We’re suckers for warm and ooey gooey paired with something cold and creamy, so we used ice cream instead of whipped cream. If you prefer whipped cream try The Bite Site recipe.
Whipped Cream Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbs sugar
Directions:
1. Take whipping cream and whip it using an electric mixer until firm and creating peaks. 2. Add the sugar and continue beating until desired stiffness.
3. Serve whipped cream aside the warm cake.
I’ve made this molten cake twice in the last month and it really is something delicious. It takes 20 minutes from start to finish and it’s worth every bite.
lemon blackberry custard cakes
Posted by: dalynnf on: 04.29.2009
- In: Cake | Creamy delights | Sweet
- 2 Comments
To quench your curiosity I’ve not given up the blog. I know it seems that way because my posts are few and far between but lately that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. I know the rules. All this time between posts is the opposite of what attracts people to a blog. In order to keep people interested or even entertain the prospect of getting visitors one must by vigilant at updating. I shall prevail and document!
Even if I can’t update the blog I still obsessively bookmark recipes and check Food Gawker about 10 x’s a day. I had to stop bookmarking for a while because my list was growing exponentially. At this snail’s pace I’ll never make them all, especially because I keep adding to the list. There are just so many wonderful and delightful recipes to try.
Now that I made your eyes bleed from excuses, I’m going to tell you that I’m really excited because there are two birthdays coming up in the next few weeks. I already prepped one of the birthday girls with “I need a challenge in the kitchen, so lay it on me.” 
She’s excited! (as am I). I have some ideas cooking (ha) but the final decision is up to the birthday girl.
As for the sweets in this post I’ll start with Lemon Blackberry Custard Cakes that nearly died a horrid runny death. Yay for spare time and perseverance. I should first tell you that I have an affinity for lemons. No, strike that—I have an obsession with lemons. Sometimes I get crippled with a craving for a delicious lemon and proceed to hunt one down and eat the whole thing (sometimes with a little salt). I know what you’re thinking. Are you a crazy mad woman? Who in the heck can pucker up enough to eat a whole lemon? I don’t have an answer for you except—yum.
I originally found this recipe at Patent and the Pantry, and I instantly fell in love with the blog, but I didn’t make the custards at the time. Months later I came across a similar recipe at The Boastful Baker and this is the recipe I worked from. I swapped out raspberries with blackberries and had to bake mine for almost an hour longer than what the original recipe called for.
The disaster I alluded to earlier started when I took the custards out of the oven after 25 minutes and let them cool. A few hours into cooling Damien got uber excited and started eating one of them. A few bites in he looked up at me and said; “this is kind of runny” and boy were they runny. Who knows if it was my oven or if the water wasn’t hot enough, but I threw them back in the oven and hoped the raw eggs in the recipe didn’t make Damien sick. After all that heart-sinking torment of feeling like nothing could salvage the cakes, they turned out creamy, lemony and delicious.
Right before popping them in the oven
The recipe is pulled from The Boastful Baker:
Ingredients:
1. Unsalted butter, room temperature, for custard cups
2. 3 large eggs, separated
3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5. 3 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest
6. 1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from the same 2 lemons)
7. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
9. 1 cup milk
10. 1/4 teaspoon salt
11. Approximately 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or anything your heart desires)
12. Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a pot to boil water and butter eight 6-ounce custard cups. Line a pan (I used a 13×9 inch cake pan) with a dishtowel.
2. In a large bowl whisk egg yolks and sugar until light. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice. Whisk in vanilla and lemon extracts, milk and lemon zest.
3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk. The batter will be quite runny.
4. Place blackberries in the bottom of each prepared custard cup. (I managed to get 4 or 5 in each cup)
5. Divide batter among custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom) 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
My custard don’t look as lovely as The Boastful Baker’s because I baked mine for so long. The top is a little too brown because I put foil on too late (when I popped them back in the oven after 20 minutes I lightly laid foil on top).
The custards were delicious. I hope you try them. I think you’ll have better luck than me because I think my finicky oven caused the trouble.
I wish this pic was little more appetizing but it tasted much better than it looks
crème fraîche panna cotta with strawberry purée
Posted by: dalynnf on: 04.12.2009
Okay, I went on a hiatus from the blog but not from baking. In my last post I hinted at something completely new. Well, I created that something new but I have zero proof. I have no pictures to prove that I “been there, done that.” So, the least I can do is post the recipe and tell you about the experience.
The idea for this dessert came from a business trip to Dallas. Usually when we go to Dallas we stay at the W Hotel and the restaurant in the hotel just so happens to be Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Craft. I never go to the restaurant and usually order room service or get out of the hotel but this time a colleague and I decided to make it a Craft night. From start to finish the meal was out of this world. I’ve been fortunate to eat at some fantastic restaurants and Craft is no exception.
We started with the Beet & Roquefort salad, which was the most colorful salad I’ve ever laid eyes on. After the salad they served the main course, Scallops and Beef Short Ribs with a side of assorted mushrooms. Each bite melted in our mouths. The final plate was a chocolate dessert that I believe was a molten lava cake with a side of whipped cream. I walked away from the meal with guilty taste buds from sinfully delicious food. What I didn’t mention are the two amuse bouches they served between plates. After the salad was a tasty French onion soup in a shot glass. But, the amuse bouche that made the ENTIRE meal out of this world for me was the crème fraîche panna cotta with an icy grapefruit topping. I could hardly contain myself when I took the first bite because it was so creamy and amazingly delicious. I wanted more but refrained from asking and so decided that I would attempt to recreate this little dessert on my own. Needless to say my first attempt was decent but there is still work to be done.
Thank you Craft for enlightening my taste buds. My creation was delicious but I will continue until it’s close to the Craft creation.
I started by whipping up the crème fraîche. Since this was my first attempt making crème fraîche I had no idea what it should taste like or even how thick it should be. I went with a recipe from Joy of Baking, which I think is a great recipe but now that I know what it could/should taste like I’ll improve it in the future. It was good but a bit too nutty and sour for my taste. With my next attempt I’ll sweeten it up a bit. I’d post the recipe but I didn’t change anything from her post. The only thing to note is that mine was too soupy and milky after 24 hours so I fridged it after 30 to 32 hours.
After the crème fraîche was ready I got to work making the panna cotta. I used Chef Tom Valenti’s recipe and the only change is an extra dash of vanilla.
The third and final part of the recipe is the Strawberry Purée. Adapted straight from the same panna cotta recipe.
Overall, the dessert was delicious and delightful. Despite the taste it was too gelatinous and Damien agreed. The next time I recreate the dessert I plan to sweeten the crème fraîche and use less gelatin in the recipe. It was still creamy but not the luscious creamy, melt in your mouth, divine in heaven I was looking for. Enjoy!
