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the girl next door  Beki Just a second year science student exploring food on her own. |
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gone with the wind September 2009 October 2009 December 2009 |
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Fail Brownies
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The first time I made this recipe I did a weird half/third thing because the amount of certain ingredients were difficult to measure out and although I abhor doing this they were eyeballed. Through some magic they came out as some of the best brownies I had ever made, which was pretty damn lucky wince they were for a friend going through a bit of a rough patch. When I made a full batch, at the request of my roommate, something horrible happened and these were born.What you don't see is that the mini two bite brownies are actually a new invention of mine. These are called "Brownie Tops". Why? Because the tops are the only part of the minis that didn't fall apart directly out of the pan.
Also what you don't see is that the regular size brownies rose abnormally high, higher than they could maintain... they were like balloons on top before I took them out and they fell.
Thank you Buttercream for trying to mask my mistakes... but chocolate buttercream... you are always too stiff -.-
Maple Brown Sugar Cupcakes
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I wanted to make something special for Thanksgiving to bring home to my family. The only problem is... my brother doesn't like anything. So, after asking myself the question "What is it absolutely illegal to hate?" and countless hours perusing Tastespotting and Foodgawker for the perfect idea if came to me... Everybody, even if they don't like anything, likes maple and brown sugar. These turned out beautifully. The brown sugar cake base is a little hard on the top but the centers are moist and fluffy. While I don't care for the maple buttercream on its own it pairs magically with the cake to form something wonderful. The boyfriend loved both, together and separate... he told me he was too busy eating to talk about them... so I guess he really enjoyed them.
Verdict
Me: B+
Boyfriend: A
Roommates:
Friends:
After piping the icing on, and eating several I boxed them up to be given away to my boyfriend, friends and family in these adorable boxes that I got at Michael's.
Brown Sugar Cupcakes
From justJENN recipes
ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1-1/8 cups packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*3/8 cups buttermilk (I used plain yogurt instead)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar.
Slowly add the eggs, then the vanilla.
Alternate the flour mixture and the buttermilk.
Fill each prepped cupcake cup 3/4 full, and bake for 18-20 minutes (I rotate them halfway through). Cool on a wire rack.
Maple Buttercream
From Souvlaki for the Soul
125 grams of softened, unsalted butter
1 cup of pure icing sugar, sifted
4-5 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
1-2 tablespoons of milk
In a large bowl, mix the ingredients form part one of the recipe quite thoroughly.
Add the wet ingredients from part two and mix until just combined.
Spoon the cake mixture into a pre greased muffin pan and bake in a 170 deg C oven for about 20 mins or until a skewer inserted through them comes out clean.
Once cooked invert them onto a cake cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
For the maple buttercream frosting-using a mixer, cream the butter until it becomes completely soft and gradually add your icing sugar and maple syrup until well combined. Add your milk and allow the mixture to become soft and creamy. This can take anywhere up to 10 mins depending on the amount of butter used.
Spread the buttercream onto the cooled cakes and serve. *I piped this using my brand new Wilton cupcake decorating kit - the 1M tip.
Labels: Cupcakes
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes: A Housewarming
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I recently moved in to my first apartment and wanted to make something as sort of a way to break in the kitchen and make it feel more like home. So, when asked what sort of cupcakes I could make for him, Jordan, the boyfriend, requested "Chocolate chip". Having loved Martha's snicker doodle cupcakes I promptly went back to her website to peruse her recipes.
This recipe was born from watching video clips of Martha and uses "Billy's Vanilla Vanilla Cake" and the corresponding Buttercream.
The boys loved them. I loved the cake but the vanilla buttercream was too sweet paired with it so next time I might make chocolate icing or cream cheese to try and make it better.
Or I might just leave them nekkid.
Billy's Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes about 30 cupcakes
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
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Billy's Vanilla Buttercream
Colored Sprinkles, for decorating, optional
Directions
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.
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. Fold in chocolate chips.*
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, 17 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.
* = personal changes
Billy's Vanilla Buttercream
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.
Labels: Cupcakes
Cupcakes for the Early Morning
Thursday, September 24, 2009
This summer I worked at the beer factory as a student laborer. Along with many other things this meant that I was working shifts. Every third week I would work a week of midnight shifts from 11:30 pm to 7:30 in the morning. Most people hate this shift but it was my favourite. Everything runs just a little bit slower and everyone is tired. The world is calm and as quiet as it can be with 10,000 bottles flying past you every minute.
Midnight shift was also my favourite to bake for. Nothing makes you feel better at 3 in the morning like a warm slice of banana bread or this recipe.
I made these for my co-workers in celebration of my final shift which happened to fall on a midnight shift. They were perfectly breakfast like, which is necessary on a midnight shift and also makes a great excuse if you want to have these for breakfast :). My co-workers devoured them, my family loved them and so did the boyfriend. I made a full batch which left me with somewhere between 30 and 40 cupcakes.
Snickerdoodle cupcakes
Recipe from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
-1 tablespoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
-4 large eggs, room temperature
-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-1 1/4 cups milk
-Seven-Minute Frosting (I used Wilton's Buttercream recipe instead)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (Ateco No. 809 or Wilton No. 1A), pipe frosting on each cupcake: Hold bag over cupcake with tip just above top, and squeeze to create a dome of frosting, then release pressure and pull up to form a peak. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.
I used the plastic baggy method to pipe the icing instead. This involves spooning the icing into a plastic ziploc baggy, sealing it and twisting the top around so that it fits nicely in your hand and you can squeeze the icing out more easily. Then you snip off one of the corners and pipe. Also some of my cupcakes were dusted with sprinkles rather than cinnamon sugar.
Wilton Buttercream
Ingredients
-1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
-1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
-4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
-2 tablespoons milk
Directions
1. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.
2.For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
- For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
- For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.
Labels: Cupcakes