Challah Back!

Have you ever seen that awesome t-shirt that says "Challah Back?" It's the coolest thing, and I want one so bad, but all the shirts I can find online look super cheesy. And most have a picture of challah looking like either a turd or sometimes even a chunk of an illegal herb we won't discuss here... If anyone ever finds a cute "Challah Back" shirt, let me know!

Anyway! When I made those Margarita Cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo, they left me with 8 egg yolks in the fridge. I'm not a big fan of waste, so I googled "8 egg yolks" and started searching for a recipe. After seeing WAY too many recipes for creme brulee, custard this, custard that, I was SO happy when I found a bread recipe! I found the recipe on Brown Eyed Baker (super cute blog, go check it out). It originally comes from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. I have that book, so I was super excited to make this recipe! AND it's the first thing I get to check off on my 100 list!

I was slightly hesitant about baking this version of Challah, only because all the other Challah I've seen was a nice golden brown. This particular recipe makes a VERY dark loaf because of all the egg yolks in the recipe. I'm not a fan of "dark" baking, but I really wasn't in the mood to make custard, so what else was I gonna do with those egg yolks?? I'm glad I made the bread! It was actually very easy to make, even the braiding was quite simple. It didn't smell so nice in the oven. It smelled pretty much like burning egg yolks. But once it cooled and I sliced into it... Oh boy! It tastes wonderful. I don't like the crust at all. But this bread makes a terrific peanut butter and jelly sammich with the crusts cut off! :D Oh, did I mention that this Challah is MAMMOTH! It's literally about as long as my arm! I have a feeling I'll be making The Pioneer Woman's bread pudding soon! ;D

Getting ready...Nice, round dough ball before the first rise...
Notice the scale... scales are your friend!!!
Is it just me or do these ropes look like the graboids from the movie Tremors??
Before the second rise...
After second rise...
HELLOOOO GIANT CHALLAH!!
Mmmm... doesn't it look yummy?

Challah (from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)
Makes one 18-inch loaf

1 1/2 pounds bread flour (about 4 1/2 cups), plus more for dusting
3/4 ounce fresh yeast (I used 1 envelope rapid-rise yeast)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for bowl, plastic wrap, and baking sheet
1 cup water
8 large egg yolks, plus 1 large whole egg

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, honey, salt, vegetable oil, egg yolks, and 1 cup water. Mix on low speed until the dough is smooth and stiff with a slight sheen, 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead to make sure any loose bits are incorporated. Fold in the following manner: Fold the bottom third of the dough up, the top third down, and the right and left sides over, tapping the dough and flip it over, seam side down. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Brush an unrimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Return the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 18-inch log, and place the logs parallel to one another; pinch the ends together at the top. Weave the three strands into a tight braid, tugging gently as you go. Press the ends together to seal. Place loaf on the prepared sheet. Loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly beat the remaining whole egg and brush gently but thoroughly over loaf, making sure to cover any seams and crevices. Bake until the crust is dark brown, 50 to 60 minutes (Mine was 197°F after only 30 minutes! Watch the bread closely!). The bread should reach an internal temperature of 190°F on an instant-read thermometer, and should have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Bread can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I made these cookies earlier this week to go along with my homemade ice cream sandwiches! The recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cookies. I made all of the dough and baked it off in two batches. I baked some of it immediately for the sugar cookies. The unchilled dough produced flat cookies that became very crispy when cooled. I think that was what the recipe was going for (a thin, crisp cookie), but I prefer mine softer and fatter! To the rest of the dough I added a handful of Reese's peanut butter chips and chilled it for about 30 minutes. The chilled dough baked up a lot nicer. It didn't spread quite as much, and the insides were softer and chewier. This reinforces the New York Times advice to chill your cookie dough before baking it! I bet they'd be 10x better if I let it chill for a day! Overall, these are fabulous cookies, chilled or unchilled, chewy or crunchy... It's totally a matter of preference!

The unchilled dough makes these flat, crispy cookies.Chilled dough makes them chewier!

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies (from Martha Stewart’s Cookies)
MAKES 8 (I didn’t make them giant; I got 22 cookies using a #30 disher)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used 1/2 cup white sugar plus 1 cup light brown sugar)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or 1/2 cup unsalted butter), melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in melted shortening (or butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
3. Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart (These cookies will be HUGE! I made normal sized cookies with a #30 scoop). Bake until edges are firm, 18 to 20 minutes (about 11-12 minutes for regular sized cookies). Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes

In honor of January 27 being National Chocolate Cake Day, last week's poll featured all chocolate cupcakes. The winner with 206 votes is Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes! First, I just wanna say THANK YOU to everyone who voted. I'm so glad the majority of you picked this one! Two summers ago, my cousin and I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor. They were freakin awesome. I've been dying to make them again ever since! This time I made the cupcake part from scratch instead of using a box mix. I also wanted it to be chocolate. The batter needed to be thick in order to support the big ball of frozen cookie dough, but all of my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes are really thin. I remembered that the chocolate batter from the Neapolitan Cupcakes was very thick, so I went with that one. Keep in mind that these cupcakes need to be refrigerated. Cupcakes made from scratch, especially those made with butter, tend to become hard when refrigerated. In my opinion these cupcakes are best when they're cold. Just something about biting into that cold, chewy cookie dough sends me through the roof! So if you want your cupcakes to stay soft in the fridge, I recommend using cake mix. However, these cupcakes seemed to work really well with the cookie dough, even when cold. They did become hard in the fridge, but they were still moist. So it was almost like eating a brownie with cookie dough inside! And the frosting... oh the frosting... it's a light, whipped cream cheese frosting with bits of homemade (eggless) cookie dough. This whole cupcake is to die for. The Cookie Dough Cupcake definitely wins my vote as the best cupcake ever invented!

Ingredients...It's so strange how something can go from this...

...To this in 22 minutes! :D

Isn't that just insane??

You know it's good when you sacrifice nutrition to have this for breakfast!

Now for the recipes....
I couldn't find a roll of cookie dough smaller than 1 lb. so I just used half of that. You need 8 oz. of frozen or refrigerated cookie dough. Cut it into 12 pieces. Roll them into balls and freeze them for 1 hour. Then make the cupcakes...

Chocolate Cupcakes (from MarthaStewart.com)
Makes 12
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan (I increased this to 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I reduced this to 1/4 cup; Use original amounts if you want a really chocolatey cupcake)
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

Directions
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.
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. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Place a ball of 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.

Cookie Dough Frosting (I found this recipe on a message board that has since been erased; This makes enough for 24 cupcakes, so I halved it)
For the cookie dough
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup brown sugar, plus 2 tbsp
2 tsp water
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

For the frosting
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
8 ozs cream cheese, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar (I reduced this to 2/3 cup)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

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 1/3 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.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 4
Tenderness: 4 (Before being refrigerated)
Frosting: 5
Deliciousness: 100!!!

Banana Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Remember in my last post about cookies how I said I'd never make another chocolate chip cookie again without refrigerating the dough? Well, that was a total lie. It was true at the time, but once I got the idea of these Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies in my head, there was NO way I could wait. Yes, I could've baked a few right away and saved the rest of the dough for a later date. But I didn't! Oh well... This morning I was making oatmeal for breakfast. It really made me want oatmeal cookies. I had some bananas that were near death, so I thought "how can I use oatmeal and bananas in a cookie?" I immediately went to my go-to cookie book, Martha Stewart's Cookies, and sure enough there was a recipe for Banana Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies. As you can see I changed the name of them in my title. I think the oatmeal needs some recognition! These cookies are SO good. They're what I imagine it would taste like if banana nut bread and chocolate chip cookies went on a date... One thing leads to another, and a cup of rolled oats later, BAM! Banana Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies!

Some things I learned while making these cookies:

1. I dunno why I never figured this out before, but chocolate chunks taste SO much better than chocolate chips in a cookie. The chips have something in them to help them keep their shape in the oven. But a chopped bar of chocolate gets all melty and gooey in the oven. Yum!
2. Kosher salt is WAY crucial in chocolate chip cookies. If you're as big a fan of sweet & salty as I am, definitely go buy some kosher salt. You can use it in everything, and salt is cheap. You'll be glad you did it!
3. If I don't have time to chill the whole bowl of cookie dough first, I like to scoop it out onto a baking sheet and stick it in the fridge for about 10 minutes before baking. It reduces spreading while baking so the cookies puff up more.

Sorry for making you read so much! Here's the recipe:

Banana Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
MAKES 3 DOZEN (I got about 26-27 (I forgot to count) using a #30 disher)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I just used all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (l 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (for cookies, I like to use butter that’s softened but still cool)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (I used dark brown)
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large) (I used 2 that were kinda small)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together both flours, salt, and soda in a bowl.
2. Put butter and both sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer ­with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in ­banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.
3. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (I used a #30 disher) , drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12-13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cook­ies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Martha Stewart's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I should call these "Cassie's Martha Stewart's Chocolate Chip Cookies." Martha may have written the recipe. But 'twas I who slaved over the hot oven to reproduce said recipe. Therefore I'm claiming these wonderful cookies! However, Martha and I must both give credit to the insightful article written in the New York Times last July that gave away the secret to making perfect chocolate chip cookies. The article states that by refrigerating the dough for 12 to 36 hours you are "allowing the dough and other ingredients to fully soak up the liquid — in this case, the eggs — in order to get a drier and firmer dough, which bakes to a better consistency." I've always been intrigued by the idea that cookie dough could be like a fine wine, getting better with age. I decided to test it out with a recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies (my new go-to for cookie recipes). I used her recipe for Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. I made only half of the recipe, because we still had cupcakes leftover from wing night. I scooped out two cookies from the dough to be baked immediately. I put the rest in an airtight container and tucked it in the back of the fridge (away from hungry eyes).

The first two test cookies were good. How could a homemade chocolate chip cookie NOT be good? They had a slight crispness around the outer edge, but for the most part were very soft. I had no complaints. Almost 48 hours later (yeah I know the article said 36 hours, but I was busy Thursday night), I baked the rest of the cookies. First, I tasted the dough and I could definitely tell a difference. It's hard to describe but it seemed to be a more round flavor. I scooped the dough straight from the fridge, placed them on baking sheets and baked them for 14-16 minutes (about 2 minutes longer than the room temperature dough). The 2 day old cookie dough baked up a little taller and had a slightly softer, cakier (but still chewy) center. The crisp edges extended a bit farther inward. My results were similar to those described in the NYT article..."First there’s the crunchy outside inch or so [1/4 inch on my smaller cookies]... A nibble revealed a crackle to the bite and a distinct flavor of butter and caramel... Then there’s the center, which is soft." I can confidently say I will never make another chocolate chip cookie without refrigerating the dough first!
Read the entire article here OR Conduct your own experiment!


Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Martha Stewart’s Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN (I halved it and got 15 3-1/2” to 4” cookies)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted but­ter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (Mine were a little yellow because I used vanilla butter nut flavoring)
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips, or a combi­nation (about 12 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a bowl. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla, and eggs; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Mix in flour mix­ture. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Drop heaping tablespoons (I used a #30 disher) of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, ro­tating sheets halfway through until edges turn golden but centers are still soft, 10 to 12 minutes (14-16 for refrigerated cookies). Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored between layers ­of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.­

Heavenly Cream Puffs

Guess what! Today, January 2nd, is National Cream Puff Day here in the U.S.! My dad loves cream puffs, so I figured it was my destiny to make cream puffs today! I chose a recipe I came across yesterday while Josh and I were browsing through the copy of Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook that Old St. Nick brought for me. These aren't your everyday, average cream puffs. Noooo, these little babies are topped with a little halo of heaven. A perfect circle of sweet, crunchy tart dough. It took almost all day to make all the components: pastry cream, tart dough, and pâte à choux. My tart dough cut-outs were just a little too small, so they browned before the choux was fully baked. The pastry cream is deeelicious. It's lightened up by some fresh whipped cream. The crunchy tart dough on top lends the perfect amount of that golden pastry flavor, as well as a burst of sweetness. Yum! I'm gonna go have another cream puff just as soon as I click "Publish Post!" What a great way to say "suck it" to the most common New Year's resolution!

Ingredients + my new cookbook stand...
PS: You gotta get that vanilla extract! Sooo good!! Whisking cornstarch and egg yolks for the pastry cream
Waiting for the pastry cream to thicken...
Mmmmm... butter makes it better!
Vanilla brains!
The tart dough
Making the pâte à choux
They remind me of short, chubby snowmen!
Pâte à choux topped with tart dough
Cooling.....
The finished cream puffs!
Well worth an entire day's work!!

Recipes from MarthaStewart.com and Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
(I halved the recipes and got 14 puffs and just the right amount of pastry cream!)

Cream Puffs
Makes 3 dozen

All-purpose flour, for marking (I skipped this part)
Pâte à Choux (recipe follows)
1 cup granulated sugar, for sprinkling (You won't need 1 cup; I only used 3/4 cup and it was a lot)
1/2 recipe Tart Dough (recipe follows)
3/4 cup heavy cream
Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
It doesn't say this anywhere, but here's the best way to take this on. Make your pastry cream first. It needs to chill for about 2 hours. As soon as you get the pastry cream in the fridge, get started on the tart dough. It also needs to chill for 2 hours. During the last half hour of the chilling process, go ahead and start the pâte à choux.
Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or with nonstick baking mats, such as Silpats. Dip a 2-inch round cookie cutter in flour, and mark circles 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Transfer pate a choux to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip (such as an Ateco No. 808), and pipe puffs to fit in flour circles. Smooth peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Freeze pastry puffs on baking sheets until firm, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, sprinkle a clean work surface with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and place tart dough on top of sugar, patting it into a round. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup sugar over dough, and roll to a scant 1/8-inch thick, coating both sides of dough with the sugar to keep it from sticking. Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 36 rounds, and place a round on top of each frozen puff. Return to freezer until firm, at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds.
Bake puffs until pale golden brown all over, 25 to 30 minutes (Mine took almost 35 minutes) . Let cool completely on baking sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.
Put heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Whisk the pastry cream to soften. Working in 2 batches, fold whipped cream into pastry cream. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as an Ateco No. 806). Insert tip into bottom of each puff, and fill. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cream puffs are best eaten within a few hours; refrigerate in an airtight container.

• Pastry Cream
  Makes about 2 1/2 cups
  
  2 cups whole milk
  1/2 cup sugar
  1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  Pinch of salt
  4 large egg yolks
  1/4 cup cornstarch
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  
  Directions
  Bring milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisking, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Slowly add remaining milk mixture until incorporated. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until it begins to bubble in center and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean.
  (No need to dirty another bowl, but if you want you can follow this next direction) Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter; beat on medium speed until butter has melted and mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed or whisk by hand until smooth.
  
• Tart Dough
  Makes enough for 3 dozen cream puffs (I dunno why it says this; You only need 1/2 this recipe)
  
  6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  2 large egg yolks
  1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  2 teaspoons heavy cream
  
  Directions
  Put butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup flour, and mix just until flour is incorporated. Add remaining 3/4 cup flour, the salt, and cream; mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
  Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
  
• Pâte à Choux
  Makes enough for 3 dozen cream puffs
  
  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  1 teaspoon sugar
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white
  
  Directions
  Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes (It only took about 15 seconds for me) .
  Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Raise speed to medium; add whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg white, and mix it into batter a little at a time until it does. Use immediately.

Mocha Spice Cupcakes

This recipe was sent in by Kim Plank. It's from MarthaStewart.com and it's for Mocha Spice Cake with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Thanks Kim!

Tuesday evening, I got home late from work. I almost didn't make these cupcakes, but when I looked at the recipe again, I realized how easy they were. Not to mention they were paired with chocolate SMBC (which I LOVE!!). I didn't have any fresh ginger, so I omitted it and just used the dry ground ginger. I accidentally forgot to 1/2 the spices when I halfed the recipe. I didn't notice until I'd already put double the ginger AND cinnamon. When they were all done, you could definitely taste the ginger, but it wasn't overpowering even with the extra teaspoon. The coffee flavor was definitely unnoticeable though... maybe because of the ginger overload? Anyway, the cupcakes were definitely a hit. Someone at wing night even asked if he could order 20 of them for a football party he's going to. Sweet! These are definitely a great idea for the Fall and Winter months!

Sorry the photo isn't great. I didn't have a lot of time. :(

Mocha Spice Cupcakes (recipe from MarthaStewart.com)
Make enough for 12 cupcakes and one 8x4 loaf cake

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (I omitted)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot coffee

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
In bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter on medium until light. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, cocoa, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
With mixer on low, add a third of flour; mix just until combined. Add half of sour cream; mix. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream, ending with flour. Pour coffee into batter; mix until smooth. (It will be VERY thin.)
Pour batter into pans. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a few crumbs remain on a cake tester that has been inserted in center and removed. Let cool slightly in pans on wire rack. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (my own recipe)
3 egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (You can use 4 oz. of bittersweet chocolate altogether, I just didn't have any)

Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl on high-powder for 45 seconds. Stir and microwave for an additional 10 seconds, if needed. Set aside.
Combine sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer (or top of a double boiler). Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until the mixture feels hot to touch and the sugar is completely dissolved (Mixture should read 160 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high until cooled, about 6 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium speed, add butter a few tablespoons at a time. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add melted, cooled chocolate, and stir until blended.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5

Autumn Baking: Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

After making the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies earlier this week, I had about a cup of pumpkin puree sitting in the fridge waiting to find out it's destiny! I wanted to make something other than the pumpkin pancakes I usually make with leftover pumpkin. I was craving chocolate, and there's nothing better to quell a chocolate craving than a warm gooey brownie. I googled for a recipe for pumpkin brownies and found this one on Marthastewart.com. These brownies are SO good, I had one for breakfast yesterday morning and TWO for dinner last night! :D They are really gooey and delicious. It's like a wonderful cross between a fudgy brownie and yummy pumpkin pie. Soooooo terrific!! I made mine in an 8x8 pan so they'd be thick and tall. Of course they took a little longer to bake, and I still took them out before they were done because I like my brownies REALLY gooey (i.e., I'd pretty much eat them raw)! Here's a photo, followed by the fabulous recipe. Enjoy!


Recipe from Marthastewart.com

MY NOTES: If you make these in an 8x8, you should bake them for about 1 hour.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies
Makes 16

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted this because I didn't have any, but I'd love to know how they taste with it!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts (I used pecans)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.
Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.
Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.
With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Martha's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

One of my mom's co-workers is joining the military, and today was his last day at work. He really loves when my mom brings my cupcakes on Wednesdays, so she asked me to make him a batch before he left. I gladly accepted! I didn't want to use cake mix, because I'm drowning in it at work all day. But I wanted something quick and easy. My mind went straight to Martha Stewart's famous "One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes" I've heard so much about. People, people, people! I'm hear to tell you it's not hype. These cupcakes are INSANELY good. Actually let's just call apples apples. These cupcakes are PERFECT! They're soft. They're chocolatey. They're moist. I topped them with more of the chocolate mousse from the last post. I say this all the time about a gazillion recipes, but these are my new "go-to" chocolate cupcakes!


MY NOTES: I halved the recipe and got 11 cupcakes. I made my own buttermilk by adding a tiny bit of white vinegar to the whole milk.

Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; mix batter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about one-third full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5!!
Tenderness: 5!!
Frosting: 5