Italian Tri-Color Cookies

Not much of a story behind making these. They were way easier to make than I thought they'd be, and they were just as yummy as I expected!

I'm going to apologize ahead of time for my future absence from this blog. We're really starting to make progress at out bakery. Tuesday was our first day of construction. We're knocking down a wall to double the size of the kitchen. It was so exciting to take a hammer to the wall and destroy things! ;D I can't wait until we finish the build-out and get to see the big picture. BTW, there are pictures on my Flickr photostream. Here's a link: Building a Bakery!

And here's the recipe!
Baked Tricolor Cookies (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

For the cookie layers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz homemade or store-bought almond paste (recipe follows)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange (I omitted)
Orange food coloring (liquid or gel)
2 tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

For the filling
2/3 cup apricot jam
2 tbs amaretto liquer (I omitted)

For the glaze
6 oz dark chocolate (60% cacao)
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter three 8-inch square baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour. (I used cooking spray in place of the butter.) Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until small crumbs form. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the orange zest and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.

Divide the batter among three small mixing bowls. In the first bowl, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the batter, and mix well. Continue to add a few drops of food coloring and mixing until the batter is medium orange in color. In the second bowl, add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated. Leave the third bowl plain.

Pour each batter into a prepared pan and smooth the tops. Bake the layers for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the jam and amaretto until warmed through and completely blended, 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the chocolate layer on a serving rack and evenly spread half of the apricot jam over the top. Top with the plain layer and spread with the remaining apricot filling. Top with the orange layer and let the layers sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes (or while you make the chocolate glaze).

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.

Spread the glaze over the top of the bar cookies, completely covering the orange layer (some glaze may spill down the sides of the cake). Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping completely sets (about 1 hour). Remove the tray from the refrigerator, wait 30 minutes for the chocolate to warm up, and cut into 20 individual squares or use a small cookie cutter to cream your own shapes.

The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

Almond Paste
1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Put all the ingredients in a food processor with 2 tbs water and process until a paste forms. Remove from the processor, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use. Extra almond paste, tightly wrapped, keeps well in the freezer.

Kourambiethes (Greek Almond Shortbread Cookies)

On our kitchen counter this morning we have homemade brownies. We have homemade granola. In our freezer we have Häagen-Dazs. In our refrigerator we have Kozy Shack rice pudding. Yet, my dad is still not satisfied with this selection of sweets. He requested that I make some cookies; either Koulouria (Greek butter cookies, which IMHO are bland and gross) or wedding cookies. I compromised and made Kourambiethes, which are Greek cookies sort of like wedding cookies, but with almonds instead of pecans! These are my favorite Greek cookie, and quite frankly, the only Greek cookie I've ever encountered that isn't soaked in syrup or completely dry and tasteless (or topped with sesame seeds, something I'll NEVER understand). The dough for this particular recipe is just a tad difficult to work with because it's slightly crumbly; a "short dough," if you please. But the flavor and texture of the finished cookies is so delightful! They're crumbly, but somehow they still feel moist on your tongue. Definitely something I'll be making again and again! :)
Kourambiethes (Greek Almond Shortbread Cookies) (adapted from "Come Cook With Us: A Thesaurus of Greek Cooking" by The Hellenic Woman's Club, Norfolk VA)
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 egg
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted, ground almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (my own addition)
Whole cloves (my own addition)
Confectioners' sugar

Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and cool. Pour butter into a mixing bowl, being careful not to include the sediment in bottom of pan. Beat butter well. Add eggs and sugar and beat well (about 2-3 minutes on high, or until the mixture looks very pale and creamy). Add flour, vanilla, and almonds, and beat for a minute or two; then work well with hands.

Shape in desired forms (1 1/2" balls or crescent shapes). Flatten balls slightly and press a whole clove in the center of each cookie. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes (Mine only needed about 18-20 minutes, just until the bottoms turn light golden). After baking, let cool and dust with confectioners' sugar (I tossed mine in a bag filled with confectioners' sugar while they were hot, and again when they cooled completely).

Almond Joy Ice Cream

While Stephanie was here I showed her how to make homemade ice cream. I let her pick the flavor, but I suggested that we choose something to use up the coconut milk we had leftover from the Piña Colada Cake. Since she LOVES all things chocolate, we both decided to make Almond Joy ice cream. We started with a recipe for coconut ice cream in Williams-Sonoma's Frozen Desserts. To that we added a bit of dark cocoa powder; 3 tablespoons was the perfect amount to deliver a perfect chocolate punch without taking away from the coconut flavor. We mixed cream of coconut with flaked coconut to make that sticky coconut filling you find in an Almond Joy. Then I found some cocoa-roasted almonds in my mom's secret snack drawer. She always hides the good stuff! When the ice cream was complete, it tasted just like an Almond Joy! It wasn't too sweet or too rich, which is a complaint I have with most homemade ice cream recipes. The chocolate flavor was just right, and the random dollops of coconut filling and chopped almonds were perfect! This recipe is a total keeper. Thanks, Stephanie, for helping me make AND eat this ice cream! <33333Almond Joy Ice Cream (based very loosely on the Coconut Ice Cream recipe in Williams-Sonoma’s Frozen Desserts)
Makes about 1 quart

1 ½ cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup whole milk
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 ¼ cups sweetened or unsweetened flaked dried coconut, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cream of coconut
¼ teaspoon coconut extract
pinch of salt
½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of heavy cream, whole milk, coconut milk, sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir in ½ cup of dried coconut and vanilla. Warm over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles form around the edges, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan to remove all the flaked coconut. Press on the coconut to extract as much liquid as possible.

Warm the coconut-milk mixture over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining ½ cup of heavy cream until blended. Whisk ¼ of the coconut-milk mixture into the yolks. Then whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining coconut-milk mixture. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4-5 minutes.

Pour the hot custard into a bowl and cool completely in an ice bath, 30-45 minutes. Once the custard has cooled to room temperature, remove it from the ice bath. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a “skin” from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. While mixture is churning, stir together the remaining ¾ cup dried coconut, cream of coconut, coconut extract, and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate until the ice cream is finished churning. When the ice cream reaches the consistency of thick whipped cream, pour it out of the ice cream maker and into a shallow pan. Dollop the coconut mixture over the top and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Without stirring, transfer the ice cream into a plastic freezer container. Cover tightly and freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Christmas Cookie Caper '08: #3 - Spritz Cookies

We've had our cookie spritzer for who knows how long, and I don't know if it's ever seen daylight before! If you don't know what a cookie spritzer (or cookie press) is, it's this nifty little gadget that presses out cookie dough in neat little shapes. We'll definitely be using it every year now that we know how freakin awesome it is! The cookies almost taste like those buttery shortbread cookies that come in those blue tins around Christmas. Ya know those ones that come in weird shapes like pretzels?? If we had sprinkled ours with coarse sugar before baking them, I bet they would've tasted just like 'em! We decided to make ours festive by coloring the dough. We made regular weird shaped cookies (no clue what that shape is), green Christmas trees, and red flowers that we're gonna pretend are poinsettias. I definitely recommend these if you wanna make something easy! Oh and here's a good tip. Don't try to press these cookies onto parchment paper! We almost threw the spritzer away because the cookies wouldn't stick! Follow the directions and put them on an ungreased cookie sheets. ;)

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens: New Baking Book (2004)

SPRITZ
Prep: 25 minutes Bake: 8 minutes per batch
Makes: about 84 cookies Oven: 375 F

1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, vanilla, and, if desired, almond extract until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
2. Force unchilled dough through a cookie press onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake in a 375 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm but not browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. If desired, dip tops into icing.

Almond Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Mousse Frosting & Cherry "Bang" Cake

HI WORLD! Wow, it's been a while, huh?? I've been SO freakin busy! Between working at the bakery and working with my parents at the Isle of Wight County Fair, I totalled over 70 hours last week! Needless to say I didn't have the time or the energy to bake. But this week, when I actually got home early from work I finally made the cupcakes that won the poll forever ago... Welllll... I didn't actually make the flavor that won. I didn't know it until the cupcakes were already in the oven, but my mom threw away my raspberries when she cleaned out the refrigerator. So instead, I filled the almond cupcakes with ganache and topped them with chocolate mousse. Then with the leftover batter, I made an 8-inch round cake. I poked holes in it while it was still warm and topped it with triple cherry jam. I frosted it with almond buttercream, which was actually delicious (and I don't even like regular buttercream!). Because I'm nice, here's the recipe for the Almond Raspberry Cream Cupcakes that you voted for, plus some pictures. And I'll post the recipe for what I named "Cherry Bang Cake" at the end of this post as well!

Ingredients for the cupcakes AND my beautiful new "tangerine" colored mixer!
Almond cuppies cooling...
Making the Cherry "Bang" Cake!
So I made lemonade from lemons... well no I didn't... but you get my point. Right?

The cupcake recipe is from Favorite Brand Name: 100 Best Cupcake Recipes. I invented the Cherry "Bang" Cake, mostly because I was bored. And because I had some Lollipop Tree Triple Cherry Jam laying around.

MY NOTES: To make the chocolate ganache and mousse topping: Melt 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1/4 cup heavy cream in the microwave for 60 seconds. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Beat 2/3 cup cold heavy cream with a mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold half of the cooled ganache into the whipped cream. Fill the cupcakes with the rest of the ganache.

Almond Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups milk
Raspberry Cream (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 standard (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper baking cups.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter, almond extract and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating well after each addition (Eff that! Beat just until the flour is incorporate unless you want hockey pucks instead of cupcakes!). Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling three-fourths full.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes (Mine were done at 19 minutes) or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Prepare Raspberry Cream. Cut tops off cupcakes; spread with Raspberry Cream. Replace cupcake tops; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Raspberry Cream: Beat 1 cup cold whipping cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at high speed 5 minutes (It only takes about 2 minutes with my hand mixer) or until cream is thickened and almost stiff. Place 1 pint fresh raspberries in small bowl; mash lightly with fork. Gently fold raspberries into whipped cream mixture until well blended and evenly colored. Makes about 3 cups.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 4
Frosting (Chocolate Mousse): 5

Cherry "Bang" Cake
1 (8-inch) round cake (You can bake the whole recipe above as 2 (8-inch) rounds, OR make 12 cupcakes plus 1 round like I did)
1/2 cup cherry jam
1-2 tablespoons hot water

Almond Buttercream
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon almond extract

Make 12 cupcakes and pour the rest of the batter into a greased 8" round pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove pan from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place it on a serving dish. Poke holes in the warm cake with the end of a wooden spoon. Dilute 1/2 cup of cherry jam with 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot water. Spread over cake. Lift the cake plate up and bang it on the table a few times until most of the jam seeps into the holes. Cover tightly and refrigerate until cool. To make frosting, beat butter, sugar, and extract for 3 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy. (Makes enough to frost a 2-layer cake).

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 4
Frosting: 4 (I prefer it less sweet)

Tastefully Simple® Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix

I'm not really sure how this box of Tastefully Simple pound cake mix came into our house. I've had it in my room since uhh... last November?? Last Tuesday I was anticipating my Daring Bakers challenge, so I was trying to throw something together quickly for "wing night." I went to my room, closed my eyes, and reached into my box of goodies. Pound cake mix is what I pulled out. I added some melted semi-sweet chocolate chips to about 1 cup of the batter. And of course I made little pound cake cupcakes out of it! They smelled soooo good, almost like a Tootsie Roll. I topped them with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. They were sooooo delicious! According to their website, the mix costs $5.99. If I see this in any store, I'd probably pay that much for it.

Ingredients Plain and chocolate pound cake batterAdd a spoonful of chocolate batter ontop of plain cupcake batter.I tried to marble it with a toothpick, but it didn't work.So I ended up with blacktops... :)Yum!!!

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: [none]

Daring Bakers Challenge - Opéra Cake

All I have to say about this challenge is... I tried. It tasted good, but I didn't go back for a second piece. Maybe I just don't dig on French desserts with fancy French names... Or is it Italian? Blah, who cares. I don't like desserts I have to think about! On the bright side, I'm happy this month's challenge was a cake. The frosting recipe was awesome. I'll definitely use the frosting again! Thanks to Lis, Ivonne, Fran & Shea for hosting! PS: Check out the new Daring Bakers' forum!

Ingredients!Butter the corners of the pan to help the parchment stick.

With 6 eggs in the cake, it's no wonder it smelled like an omelette while baking!

Wrapped and ready for the next day.

Melting white chocolate in a double boiler.

Whipped cream with soft peaks.

Soupy "mousse"...

TRASHED! Hahaha oh well...

The butterscotch buttercream was the best part! It should look like this when finished (no need to refrigerate it to make it thick). It's the texture of very soft butter.

Frosting the layers...

1/4 of the doubled recipe on each layer...

Then the other 1/2 of the doubled recipe covers the whole cake!

Finished product! Let this baby come close to room temp before eating,

unless you like the texture of cold butter...

Recipe (see other people's creations at Daring Bakers' Blogroll):
Opéra Cake (My adaptations are in ORANGE!)
This recipe is based on Opéra Cake recipes in Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty’s Chocolate Passion.

For the joconde
(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperature)

What you’ll need:
•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans (Note: If you do not have jelly-roll pans this size, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 10 x 15-inches.) (I used a 10x15 pan)
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)

Ingredients:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds (Note: If you do not want to use almond meal, you can use another nut meal like hazelnut. You can buy almond meal in bulk food stores or health food stores, or you can make it at home by grinding almonds in the food processor with a tablespoon or two of the flour that you would use in the cake. The reason you need the flour is to prevent the almonds from turning oily or pasty in the processor. You will need about 2 cups of blanched almonds to create enough almond meal for this cake.)
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs (at room temperature)
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).
3. Line two jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.
5. If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).
7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
8. Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. (The cake in the top 3rd of the oven was done about 1 minute before the other)
9. Put the pans on a heatproof counter (or cooling rack) and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.
10. Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

For the syrup
(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)

What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan

Ingredients:
½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.) (I used 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to enhance the flavor of the almond meal)

1. Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream (Double this if you plan to frost the whole cake)
(Note: The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.)

What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan
•a candy or instant-read thermometer
•a stand mixer or handheld mixer
•a bowl and a whisk attachment
•rubber spatula

Ingredients:
1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) water
seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract (Note: If you are flavouring your buttercream and do not want to use the vanilla, you do not have to. Vanilla will often enhance other flavours but if you want an intense, one-flavoured buttercream, then by all means leave it out!) (I used 1 tbsp butterscotch liqueur)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, citrus zest, etc.) (I used 1 teaspoon butterscotch liqueur)

1. Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract (or liqueur) in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.
2. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) [*Note: Original recipe indicates a temperature of 255◦F (124◦C), however, when testing the recipe I found that this was too high so we heated to 225◦F and it worked fine] on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.
3. While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.
4. When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden! (After this, get that saucepan in some hot water, because that sugar syrup dries hard as a rock!)
5. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).
6. While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass. (This step isn't necessary)
7. With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks (Wait about 10 seconds between each addition). When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.
8. At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.
9. Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes). (If you make the buttercream properly, it does not need to go into the refrigerator. It thickens up just like Swiss meringue buttercream. If it's too soft you haven't whipped it long enough on high speed.)

For the white chocolate ganache/mousse (this step is optional – please see Assembling an Opéra Cake below)
(Note: The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.)

What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan
•a mixer or handheld mixer

Ingredients:
7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.)

1. Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan. (I did this in a double boiler because I've always heard not to put chocolate in contact with direct heat.)
2. Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form (You should probably whip it almost to stiff peaks, but be careful not to over mix or it will become butter).
4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5. If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable. (I refrigerated mine for 1/2 hour and it never thickened. I might not have whipped my cream enough.)
6. If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

For the glaze (I skipped this)
(Note: It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.)

What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan or double boiler

Ingredients:
14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

1. Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2. Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.
3. Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Assembling the Opéra Cake
(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
2. Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.
Option A (if using buttercream only and not making the ganache/mousse):
3. Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
4. Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.
5. Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
6. Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
Continue to #8.

Option B (if making the ganache/mousse):
3. Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
4. Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.
5. Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
6. Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
7. Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.

8. Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.
9. Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

Rocky Road Cupcakes

It’s Cupcake Hero time again. This month’s theme was marshmallow. Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll. The winner by like 25 votes was Rocky Road. These cupcakes are fantastic! The devil’s food cake is p-e-r-f-e-c-t, yes I said it. The cake recipe is definitely a keeper. And the frosting…. Ooohhhhh the frosting…. It’s so sticky and ooey gooey, and with all the stuff mixed in it’s like eating a candy bar on top of a cupcake. I used the recipe for Sticky Fudge Frosting from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans, and I just added traditional Rocky Road stuff to it. It is so indulgent! Make these right now!

Devil's Food Cupcake ingredientssmooth yummy batter

using my favorite kitchen tool, the ice cream scoop, to fill the cups

ready!

I get bored waiting, so I scooped some leftover batter into a pan.

Get it? Pan-cake? Yeah.

Well, duh it didn't work.

Devil's Food cuppies cooling

Rocky Road Frosting ingredients

melting everything over a double boiler (glass bowl over saucepan)

It's all smooth and ready to be whipped up!

Mmmm... doesn't this look tasty???

TADA! The Rocky Road Cupcake!

Devil’s Food Cupcakes (doubled from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski)
Makes 24 cupcakes

2 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup buttermilk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper or foil liners.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the water and buttermilk, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium-high speed just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 16-18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Rocky Road Frosting (adapted from Sticky Fudge Frosting in Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans)
Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup mini marshmallows
½ cup chocolate covered or plain almonds, coarsely chopped
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Put the chocolate, butter, condensed milk, and salt in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touch­ing, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Cook, stirring constantly, until the chocolate and butter have melted and the frosting is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from the water and stir in the vanilla.
Scrape the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until the frosting thickens further and cools to lukewarm (so it won’t melt the marshmallows), about 3 minutes. When thickened, the beaters should form lines in the frosting. Fold in marshmallows, almonds, and chocolate chips. Allow the frosting to thicken until it’s a spreadable consistency that won’t run down the sides of the cupcakes. (Just play around with it, you’ll know when it’s ready.) Let the cup­cakes sit uncovered until the frosting firms up, about 1 hour.
These cupcakes are best stored in a covered container to protect the frosting; store for up to 3 days at room temperature.