puppy cupcakes

 

angeletti or anisette cookie

I am quite fond of this soft pillow-ey Italian cookie.  I made them last Christmas and decided to make them again this year, but when I started out to make the recipe I did not have enough baking powder.  This recipe calls for a wopping (no pun intended) 6 tbls of baking powder!!  So instead, I found another recipe as a substitute. Not as good!!   So I am going to share with you my favorite recipe for angeletti.   I believe the  transaltion is “little angels”.

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs, large

6 tbls baking powder

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 tbls anise extract

Icing:

1 tsp anise extract (and hot water as needed) to 1 cup confectioners sugar to make icing smooth.

yield: 40 cookies or so

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and add the oil milk anise and eggs  Mix together with a wooden spoon.  With oiled hands roll into 1″ balls and slightly flatten top.  Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.  Dip cookies into icing while still warm.  Buon Natale!

my very first buche de noel

I have always wanted to make a bouche de noel and every christmas my mom and I agree to make one, and then chicken out.  so this year I decided I would give it a go.  I think I did ok.  I made a few mistakes that I will share with you.  First, it really helps to watch a few videos (youtube has many).  I watched several.  I chose to use  a recipe from marthastewart.com compliments of Johnny Iuzzini from Jean Georges in NY.  http://www.marthastewart.com/recipes/buche-de-noel

I changed it a little..I  did not make the chestnut cream filling, I used chocolate mousse instead.  Johnny’s genoise recipe is great and easy to roll, the ganache is great too.  You might want to double the ganache recipe, it makes it easier to have extra.  OK, so here is where I screwed up, my mousse was too soft and oozed out a bit, next time I will pop it in the freezer to really thicken it.  Also, after filling and rolling do the following :

1) pop it in the FREEZER for 1 hour.

2) then slice the ends…

3) pour ganache over cake-roll over a sheet pan with rack,

4) adhere stump ends

5) more ganache over cake-roll over a sheet pan with rack,

5) then decorate on serving platter with meringue mushrooms.

I also did not use his swiss meringue recipe.  I whipped up 6 egg whites in an electric mixer (whisk attachment!!) added 1 cup sugar and about 4 tbls of meringue powder…whipped until stiff peaks form.  Use a piping bag and tip #12 to make mushroom caps and stems.  Bake on parchment at 200 for 1 hour.

Happy Holidays!!

mini vanilla cupcakes with chocolate ganache center

I love Mrs Millmans recipe for chocolate ganache or frosting:

This will last in the fridge for about 5-6 days in a plastic container.  I had some leftover so I decided to inject my vanilla cupcakes with it.  I used my piping bag.  Use a tip that you can easily pierce through the cupcake with.   You want a decent size tip opening to allow the ganache to flow… don’t go too small, it will take you forever.  I used a #21 star tip. They do make a tip for this very purpose(# 230).

Makes 6 cups

• 24 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Directions

1. Put chocolate and cream into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat; stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until thick, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in corn syrup. Transfer to a large, wide metal bowl. Refrigerate until frosting is cool enough to spread, about 2 hours, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. Use immediately

pumpkin cupcakes for halloween

i made martha stewart’s pumpkin cupcake recipe this morning to bring to my daughters class party.  they are very light and tasty.  i made minis.  i just find that the mini cupcakes are better for the little ones.  they can have just one, or 2 if they like.  one batch made about 48 minis AND one small loaf pan of pumpkin bread.  i was going to use my mom’s banana bread recipe (which i LOVE and the kids just adore!!) just substitute the bananas with pumpkin (or zucchini, sweet potato…whatever) but I thought i would try Martha’s new recipe…  it’s definitely good.  and maybe it would have been better with cream cheese frosting.  but I do think i like my moms better.  much better.  my best, and most sincere recipe taster,  my 6 year old agreed that grandma’s “pumpkin bread” is better!!  again, Martha’s is not a bad recipe, by any stretch…my husband and myself have had about 5 so far and it’s only 2:00 pm

martha’s:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pumpkin-cupcakes

moms:

https://butterygoodness.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/never-get-caught-without-a-banana/

easter

i am feeling so badly that I have not blogged…it’s been 2 months!!
i just want to feel that i am “up-to-date”, so I am filling in the gaps with photos…

valentine party cake

these pink little princess cakes were made for, well.. a little princess! again, vanilla/vanilla…sorry but it is really my favorite and most commonly enjoyed, so i feel it is a safe bet for kids…

with each batch of cupcakes I make, i learn something new…this time, I learned that i like to fill the cupcake papers a little bit less…i do not care for a big popover on my cupcake, it looks so much more delicate when the cake rises just to about the top of the paper. this time I filled the liners by using an ice-cream scoop, i usually pipe the batter into the papers, it’s more time consuming but much more accurate and very neat. i think that i prefer the latter method…

I am making another batch (2 dozen) bright and early tomorrow morning for another friend…

mini me!

i never really think to make mini cupcakes, but I have to say that I am becoming a convert! they are just so cute, compact and clean looking and…they are only one bite!

what a fun concept for a cocktail party! cocktails and mini cupcakes! we could call it… cuptails! (better than cockcakes!!) i love it…you can have just one teeny itty bitty cupcake for only about 50 calories? maybe less? you can do an evening of all different cupcake flavors and frostings paired with cocktails and coffee! and of course it’s great for kids, so much easier for their little hands to handle…I think that I will make the minis for my daughters valentine’s day party at school this friday…

valentine in blue

these cute little “egg-free” mini’s were baked by a friend for her little guy who has an egg allergy.  she whipped them up first thing in the morning from an allergy free mix from cherrybrook kitchen. they were actually pretty good! chocolate with little chocolate chips. she brought them over to my house baked and ready to be dressed…we piped on a blue buttercream swirl and dusted with pink sanding sugar and pink and red candy hearts…

strawberry cupcakes

i made strawberry cupcakes yesterday… used the cupcake recipe from sprinkles (just changed one thing…instead of using 2 eggs and one egg white, I opted to use 3 whole eggs)  I used fresh/frozen strawberries for both the cupcakes and frosting.  they came out pretty yummy…  i want to start learning some different frosting techniques both by hand and with the piping bag…  i took a very basic cake decorating class this weekend, but I am thinking of upping the standards a bit and looking into culinary school perhaps?  or maybe just a short-term non-pro series…don’t know, just an idea…i enjoy the kitchen so much!  

so here is the recipe for the cupcakes and the frosting…

 

Makes 1 dozen  Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes:

(courtesy of marthastewart.com)

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• Sprinkles’ Strawberry Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

 

Ingredients

Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes

• 1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
• 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  Sprinkles Strawberry Buttercream

1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.