I'm baaaaaaaack....
Dear Readers, I'm just finishing off a bowl of a personal guilty pleasure -- fresh raspberries with sugar and a sweet shot of creme de framboise, stir together to just bruise the berries so they yield up a little juice -- while considering my birthday cake.
My birthday is Saturday. I will be going out to dinner, so a cake isn't strictly necessary in the sense of needing something to finish off the meal, but it is essential -- no birthday is complete without one. When I was little, I was allowed to ask for one thing for my birthday. It would magically appear on my desk in the night, wrapped and waiting. I would wake before it was light, see the gleaming package sitting there, and torture myself for hours before I'd let myself open it. A cake is another kind of present. Enrobed in frosting, buttercream or fondant, fragrant and inviting, it breathes "birthday" like nothing else.
I've received, and baked, a lot of birthday cakes. Golden cakes, chocolate cakes, raspberry, burnt sugar...pretty much anything other than plain vanilla. In case I haven't mentioned, I worship chocolate in almost all of its manifestations. I also love caramel (and please, it's car-A-mel, NOT kar-mel.) Caramel + chocolate = a state of bliss, add toasted nuts and you've achieved nirvana. Two years or so ago, I was messing around with recipes for caramel sauce, and was inspired to make myself what turned out to be the ultimate caramel chocolate birthday cake. I went with a golden cake, soaked with lush caramel sauce, filled with dulce de leche and dark chocolate and frosted with a dark chocolate butter frosting. It takes some time to make, but this is a truly delicious cake, and it only gets better over the next couple of days (but seriously, you won't have it around for long.) Toasted pecans or walnuts and good coarse sea salt make a delicious garnish.
My Caramel Chocolate Birthday Cake
You will need:
Two 9” butter cake layers
@ 1 cup chocolate sauce
@ 1 cup dulce de leche
@ 1 cup caramel sauce
chocolate frosting
(Recipes follow)
Assemblage:
Note: Dulce de leche and chocolate sauce MUST be room temperature, or they will tear up the cake when you try to spread them on the layers.
Split each cake layer. Place four strips of wax paper on cake plate, then sandwich the layers back together with chocolate sauce. The sauce will work best if you drop tablespoonfuls over the surface of the bottom half, then spread the spoonfuls very gently together. Place first reassembled cake on cake plate, top side up. The top side of the cake, having a crust, will be slightly easier to work with when applying dulce de leche; follow same method as with chocolate sauce to make application easier. When all layers are assembled together, use a chopstick to poke holes down through the entire cake, @ 1 to 1-1/2 inches apart. Pour spoonfuls of the caramel sauce over the cake, and allow to absorb, @ 1 – 3 hours. (Feel free to swipe up samples from edges of cake to test for quality control.) Frost cake sides, then drop tablespoonfuls of frosting on top and smooth together. This cake is best made at least a day ahead to allow the flavors to develop. I recommend making the sauces and keeping them in the refrigerator for special (read, any) occasions. Naturally, you may buy all the elements. But if you do, I can’t make any promises as to the results.
For the cake:
2-1/2 cups cake flour
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of coarse salt, or ½ teaspoon table salt
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9” round cake pans, then line bottoms with wax paper or parchment. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter until soft, add sugar in stream and cream until thoroughly combined. Add eggs one at a time and mix until each has been absorbed completely, then add milk and dry ingredients alternately. Add vanilla. Transfer to pans, making sure the batter is distributed evenly (I weigh mine, but I’m compulsive). Bake in the center of the oven for 35 – 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place pans upside down on racks until cool enough to touch, then empty out the layers (you may want to run a knife around the edge first to ensure that they come out neatly. (The layers may be wrapped up well in plastic wrap and stored for a day if necessary.)
For the chocolate sauce:
1-1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 stick of butter
6 oz heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place butter and sugar in heavy saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted and combined. Add cocoa powder, stirring until blended, then add cream very gradually, stirring until incorporated. Turn heat down to lowest setting and allow to thicken, stirring occasionally (you may want to use a flame-tamer if you cannot achieve a very low setting). Turn off heat, allow sauce to cool for 10 minutes, then add the vanilla and stir to combine. The sauce should be room temperature to use as filling, or may be heated and spooned over ice cream.
For the caramel sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup heavy cream, heated @ 2 minutes in microwave on 80% power
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
In a heavy 4-quart or larger saucepan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring and allow it to boil undisturbed until it turns a deep amber color (keep a close eye on it, this happens fast). Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously. Using a high-temperature, heat-resistant rubber spatula, or a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until smooth, scraping up the thicker part that settles on the bottom. If any lumps develop, return the pan to the heat and stir until they dissolve. Stir in the butter. The mixture will be streaky but will become uniform after cooking slightly and stirring. Allow to cool for 3 minutes and then gently stir in the vanilla extract. This, too, is amazing over ice cream. If you would like a thicker caramel, more like a spread, reduce the cream by half.
For the dulce de leche:
Take one can of sweetened condensed milk, remove label, and drop into a stockpot of cold water deep enough to cover the can by 3 – 4 inches. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and cook for @ 3-1/2 hours. Remove from water and allow to cool before opening, then transfer to airtight container and store in refrigerator until needed. Try not to eat all of it from your finger in dollops.
For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1-1/2 cups cocoa powder
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Cream butter, sugar and cocoa together; add egg white, pinch of salt and vanilla extract and cream until combined. IF the frosting is stiff, add a tablespoon of cream or evaporated milk and blend in until it reaches spreadable consistency.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
And Last But Not Least -- Red Velvet Cupcakes
Dear Readers, I know I promised you the recipes for all three of the cupcakes from the wedding, so I owe you Red Velvets. I happen to love making these, because they are so delightfully simple to do, and yield such a gratifying result. You sift together all the stuff that feels dry, whisk together all the stuff that feels wet, and add the dry to the wet gradually, mixing constantly until all the ingredients are blended together. Easy-peasy!
Also, you may have noticed that all three of these cupcake recipes use vegetable oil as the shortening. Ordinarily, I would use butter in cake batter, but I have found that when baking cupcakes, oil works better: the crumb is finer, and they dome up nicely.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups (@ 1 lb) sifted confectioners' sugar (plus additional if frosting seems runny)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. Place the butter and cream cheese for the frosting in a bowl to soften.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a pastry bag or Ziploc with a corner cut off. Garnish with chopped pecans if desired.
Also, you may have noticed that all three of these cupcake recipes use vegetable oil as the shortening. Ordinarily, I would use butter in cake batter, but I have found that when baking cupcakes, oil works better: the crumb is finer, and they dome up nicely.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups (@ 1 lb) sifted confectioners' sugar (plus additional if frosting seems runny)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. Place the butter and cream cheese for the frosting in a bowl to soften.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a pastry bag or Ziploc with a corner cut off. Garnish with chopped pecans if desired.
Now that the wedding's over....
I am feeling less than inspired. I still hate my @#$#@$%&!! stove, and it hates me back, so nothing new there. My dream stove is the Blue Star, which is basically a Garland stove for home use. One day, my prince (stove) will come -- until then it's me and the evil Jenn-Air. I fantasize compacting it into a foot-square cube and send to the chairman of Maytag with a few suggestions regarding what he can do with it.
Meanwhile....
I had absolutely no thoughts for today beyond vegetating on the sofa and watching food porn (a/k/a Food Network and Cooking Channel) but it occurred to me that I was getting peckish. I'm watching an ice cream challenge and they are simply killing me. So, feeling hungry AND lazy, I oozed into the kitchen to see what I might chomp.
I am not the biggest fan of eggs, but I wasn't really feeling like going crazy, and decided instead to challenge myself with an omelet. Basically, scrambled eggs taken to a higher level. Omelets can be fiendishly difficult, and it takes practice to get really REALLY good at them, but I wasn't that picky, and you shouldn't be either.
Basic Cheddar Omelet
2 extra large eggs
2 tablespoons water
@ 2 oz shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the water and whisk with a fork. Drop the butter into a 10 inch frying pan and set over high heat. Swirl the pan to make sure the butter coats the bottom and about an inch up the sides. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and allow to cook for a minute or so, then swirl the pan gently; the eggs should be firm enough to move freely around the bottom of the pan. There will be some runny uncooked egg mixture: swirl that up the sides a bit. Reduce heat to medium and drop the grated cheese over the eggs, allow to melt for a minute or so, then head over to your plate with the pan and, using a fork, gently roll the omelet out of the pan and onto the plate. I hold the pan in my left hand, so I use the right to ease the eggs into a roll starting from the left side of the pan. One of the secrets to success is DON'T OVERFILL. A little filling goes a long way.
Meanwhile....
I had absolutely no thoughts for today beyond vegetating on the sofa and watching food porn (a/k/a Food Network and Cooking Channel) but it occurred to me that I was getting peckish. I'm watching an ice cream challenge and they are simply killing me. So, feeling hungry AND lazy, I oozed into the kitchen to see what I might chomp.
I am not the biggest fan of eggs, but I wasn't really feeling like going crazy, and decided instead to challenge myself with an omelet. Basically, scrambled eggs taken to a higher level. Omelets can be fiendishly difficult, and it takes practice to get really REALLY good at them, but I wasn't that picky, and you shouldn't be either.
Basic Cheddar Omelet
2 extra large eggs
2 tablespoons water
@ 2 oz shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the water and whisk with a fork. Drop the butter into a 10 inch frying pan and set over high heat. Swirl the pan to make sure the butter coats the bottom and about an inch up the sides. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and allow to cook for a minute or so, then swirl the pan gently; the eggs should be firm enough to move freely around the bottom of the pan. There will be some runny uncooked egg mixture: swirl that up the sides a bit. Reduce heat to medium and drop the grated cheese over the eggs, allow to melt for a minute or so, then head over to your plate with the pan and, using a fork, gently roll the omelet out of the pan and onto the plate. I hold the pan in my left hand, so I use the right to ease the eggs into a roll starting from the left side of the pan. One of the secrets to success is DON'T OVERFILL. A little filling goes a long way.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Party's Over -- I'm So Relieved!
Dear Readers, I apologize for the past days I haven't written. It's been pretty hectic.
First, a note re: the devil's food cupcake recipe -- if you have small-ish muffin or cupcake tins, the recipe will make more than two dozen cupcakes, unless you overfill the cups and get those flat muffin tops, which I usually try to avoid because they are fragile and make decorating difficult. Don't fill the cups more than about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Moving right along....
I spent last Thursday shopping and then baking the approximately 250 cupcakes for the festivities on Saturday. Friday, I prepped fillings and frostings, and filled the cupcakes. Note: if you need to take a lot of cupcakes somewhere, the easiest way is to put them in pizza boxes UNFROSTED and then frost when you get to your destination. If you AREN'T taking 250 cupcakes somewhere but instead only need to tote a couple of dozen, I highly recommend the Cupcake Courier, which I ordered online from Montgomery Ward (Amazon now has it.) It is the Rolls-Royce of cupcake carriers. In short, it is awesome. It will transport up to three dozen cupcakes securely, and keep them beatifully fresh.
In any event, I managed to achieve batch after batch of devil's food, lemon and red velvet cupcakes, and transported the entire kit and kaboodle to the venue, or at least an apartment in the building on whose rooftop the nuptials were to take place. My nieces cracked on preparing the frilly wrappers while I got busy with frosting and decorating. I got the cupcake tower together, managed to find a section of the rooftop where the breeze wasn't blowing a Category 5 hurricane, and with the invaluable assistance of my loving husband, who carried box after box of cakes to the roof, got the whole lot organized into a tower of yummy sugary buttery goodness.
The ceremony was funny and touching, and concluded with the assembled throng loosing enthusiastic cheers, which frankly is how I think every wedding ceremony should end, and we all attacked the food, of which there was a TON.
And dear Readers, I know I promised to turn loose the recipes for all of the cupcakes, so here is the deal on the lemon raspberry beauties.
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Yield: 2 9-inch rounds, or 2 dozen cupcakes
Special equipment: if filling the cupcakes, you will need a pastry bag (or Ziploc) and a plain decorating tip @ 1/4 inch in diameter
fine sieve for straining the raspberry filling
I recommend you take out the cream cheese and butter for the frosting before you start on the filling, so they have time to soften
For the cake:
4 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour (do not use self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, blend 1/2 cup yogurt and 1-1/2 cups milk)
@ 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest (1 - 2 lemons depending on size)
Preheat oven to 350 F. If baking cupcakes, drop cupcake liners into the cups and hit each with a quick spritz of baking spray. If baking a layer cake, cut rounds of wax paper or parchment to fit bottoms of two 9-inch pans, grease pans with butter or cooking spray, and insert your paper rounds.
Sift together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately until all the ingredients are combined. Drop into the cupcake liners, being carefully not to fill more than @ 3/4 full and bake @ 10 minutes, then rotate pans and bake another 12 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the center of a middle cupcake comes out clean.
For the filling:
@ 12 ounces of raspberry jam (I used Bonne Maman)
1 pint of fresh raspberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons creme de framboise (raspberry liqueur)
@ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
A mouthful of raspberry seeds inside a deliciously tender cupcake does not equal good eats. Put a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl. Dump the jam into a saucepan and set over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally until it is loose and runny. Add the raspberries and the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to bubble at the edges. Continue cooking for @ 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and spoon @ a third of the jam mixture into the sieve and push it through with the back of a wooden spoon, using a spoon or spatula to scrape the pulp off the underside of the sieve into the bowl. By the way, if some well-meaning friend at some point gave you a mortar and pestle as a housewarming present, now's the time to break out the pestle and put it to use pressing those lovely raspberries through the sieve and breaking up their inappropriate relationship with all those pointy little seeds.
Return the now-seedless raspberry mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Mix together the framboise and cornstarch (this is called a slurry,) and when the raspberry mixture starts to bubble, pour in the slurry while stirring constantly with the other hand to avoid the cornstarch turning to gummy little lumps. Raise the heat to medium and continue to cook until the raspberry filling has thickened, about the consistency of thin mayonnaise, and thickly coats the back of a spoon. When I say "coats", I mean: dip the spoon in, let the filling run off, and drag your fingertip down the back of the spoon. A nice thick coat on either side of the finger track is what you want. AND now you get to savor the raspberry loveliness on your finger, unless you have helpful types lounging around your kitchen just waiting for the opportunity to help you with bothersome tasks like finger-cleaning. Cool the filling completely before using. This is also a delicious little treat to drop on icecream or slabs of plain cake just crying for that something extra.
For the frosting:
2 sticks sweet butter, softened
2 8 oz bricks of cream cheese, softened
4-5 cups of confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted
Zest of 2 lemons
Combine the cream cheese and butter together, add the lemon zest and mix on the lowest speed until well combined. Add 4 cups of the sugar gradually, beating slowly, until it is fully combined. The mixture should be fairly thick: you should be able to pick up a heaping spoonful and have it hold shape strongly when held upside down. If the frosting is still too soft and runny, add the remaining cup of confectioner's sugar gradually until you get that nice thick consistency.
To fill the cupcakes, place a plain 1/4 inch decorating tip in a pastry bag and fill with the raspberry mixture, twisting closed. Push the pastry tip into the center of each cupcake @ a 1/2 inch, and squeeze gently, until the cupcake just swells slightly.
Once filled, frost the cupcakes, using a pastry bag and decorating tip or a knife. These could be decorated with a little curl of candied lemon zest or a single candied mimosa blossom, but honestly, they are so delicious they don't need anything. For the wedding, I just placed a single 1/4 inch silver dragee on top of each one.
First, a note re: the devil's food cupcake recipe -- if you have small-ish muffin or cupcake tins, the recipe will make more than two dozen cupcakes, unless you overfill the cups and get those flat muffin tops, which I usually try to avoid because they are fragile and make decorating difficult. Don't fill the cups more than about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Moving right along....
I spent last Thursday shopping and then baking the approximately 250 cupcakes for the festivities on Saturday. Friday, I prepped fillings and frostings, and filled the cupcakes. Note: if you need to take a lot of cupcakes somewhere, the easiest way is to put them in pizza boxes UNFROSTED and then frost when you get to your destination. If you AREN'T taking 250 cupcakes somewhere but instead only need to tote a couple of dozen, I highly recommend the Cupcake Courier, which I ordered online from Montgomery Ward (Amazon now has it.) It is the Rolls-Royce of cupcake carriers. In short, it is awesome. It will transport up to three dozen cupcakes securely, and keep them beatifully fresh.
In any event, I managed to achieve batch after batch of devil's food, lemon and red velvet cupcakes, and transported the entire kit and kaboodle to the venue, or at least an apartment in the building on whose rooftop the nuptials were to take place. My nieces cracked on preparing the frilly wrappers while I got busy with frosting and decorating. I got the cupcake tower together, managed to find a section of the rooftop where the breeze wasn't blowing a Category 5 hurricane, and with the invaluable assistance of my loving husband, who carried box after box of cakes to the roof, got the whole lot organized into a tower of yummy sugary buttery goodness.
The ceremony was funny and touching, and concluded with the assembled throng loosing enthusiastic cheers, which frankly is how I think every wedding ceremony should end, and we all attacked the food, of which there was a TON.
And dear Readers, I know I promised to turn loose the recipes for all of the cupcakes, so here is the deal on the lemon raspberry beauties.
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Yield: 2 9-inch rounds, or 2 dozen cupcakes
Special equipment: if filling the cupcakes, you will need a pastry bag (or Ziploc) and a plain decorating tip @ 1/4 inch in diameter
fine sieve for straining the raspberry filling
I recommend you take out the cream cheese and butter for the frosting before you start on the filling, so they have time to soften
For the cake:
4 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour (do not use self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, blend 1/2 cup yogurt and 1-1/2 cups milk)
@ 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest (1 - 2 lemons depending on size)
Preheat oven to 350 F. If baking cupcakes, drop cupcake liners into the cups and hit each with a quick spritz of baking spray. If baking a layer cake, cut rounds of wax paper or parchment to fit bottoms of two 9-inch pans, grease pans with butter or cooking spray, and insert your paper rounds.
Sift together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately until all the ingredients are combined. Drop into the cupcake liners, being carefully not to fill more than @ 3/4 full and bake @ 10 minutes, then rotate pans and bake another 12 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the center of a middle cupcake comes out clean.
For the filling:
@ 12 ounces of raspberry jam (I used Bonne Maman)
1 pint of fresh raspberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons creme de framboise (raspberry liqueur)
@ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
A mouthful of raspberry seeds inside a deliciously tender cupcake does not equal good eats. Put a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl. Dump the jam into a saucepan and set over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally until it is loose and runny. Add the raspberries and the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to bubble at the edges. Continue cooking for @ 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and spoon @ a third of the jam mixture into the sieve and push it through with the back of a wooden spoon, using a spoon or spatula to scrape the pulp off the underside of the sieve into the bowl. By the way, if some well-meaning friend at some point gave you a mortar and pestle as a housewarming present, now's the time to break out the pestle and put it to use pressing those lovely raspberries through the sieve and breaking up their inappropriate relationship with all those pointy little seeds.
Return the now-seedless raspberry mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Mix together the framboise and cornstarch (this is called a slurry,) and when the raspberry mixture starts to bubble, pour in the slurry while stirring constantly with the other hand to avoid the cornstarch turning to gummy little lumps. Raise the heat to medium and continue to cook until the raspberry filling has thickened, about the consistency of thin mayonnaise, and thickly coats the back of a spoon. When I say "coats", I mean: dip the spoon in, let the filling run off, and drag your fingertip down the back of the spoon. A nice thick coat on either side of the finger track is what you want. AND now you get to savor the raspberry loveliness on your finger, unless you have helpful types lounging around your kitchen just waiting for the opportunity to help you with bothersome tasks like finger-cleaning. Cool the filling completely before using. This is also a delicious little treat to drop on icecream or slabs of plain cake just crying for that something extra.
For the frosting:
2 sticks sweet butter, softened
2 8 oz bricks of cream cheese, softened
4-5 cups of confectioner's (powdered) sugar, sifted
Zest of 2 lemons
Combine the cream cheese and butter together, add the lemon zest and mix on the lowest speed until well combined. Add 4 cups of the sugar gradually, beating slowly, until it is fully combined. The mixture should be fairly thick: you should be able to pick up a heaping spoonful and have it hold shape strongly when held upside down. If the frosting is still too soft and runny, add the remaining cup of confectioner's sugar gradually until you get that nice thick consistency.
To fill the cupcakes, place a plain 1/4 inch decorating tip in a pastry bag and fill with the raspberry mixture, twisting closed. Push the pastry tip into the center of each cupcake @ a 1/2 inch, and squeeze gently, until the cupcake just swells slightly.
Once filled, frost the cupcakes, using a pastry bag and decorating tip or a knife. These could be decorated with a little curl of candied lemon zest or a single candied mimosa blossom, but honestly, they are so delicious they don't need anything. For the wedding, I just placed a single 1/4 inch silver dragee on top of each one.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Why I {STILL} HATE JENN-AIR
You're still there? Good. Pull up a chair and a glass.
So today, the technician came to install the arcane, much-sought-after part which would bring my stove back from the underworld.
Lovely guy; he hated like hell to break the news: he opened the factory-sealed box containing the replacement part that would restore my languishing range, only to find the goddam thing had arrived broken. Useless. He called in an emergency re-replacement while I called Jenn-Air directly and recounted the foregoing saga. Jenn-Air promised to rush overnight another part, but the soonest another tech can be scheduled is one week from today. As you, my dear readers, already know from yesterday, I am committed to bake @ 200 cupcakes in the next couple of days, so this isn't likely to fly, is it?
I believe I'm experiencing a foreshortened, black-hole-induced version of the stages of grieving, and have now reached (or am closing in on) acceptance. I have accepted that this stove is an irredeemable pile of waste. When the new part does arrive, I think I will ask my DDSO to just plug the beastly article in and either the stove returns to working order or it remains a useless hulk, and I will arrange to bake and fill the cupcakes offsite.
So now: I am guessing you've heard so much about these ruddy cupcakes you're thinking "Are you going to actually come across with a recipe, or just keeping whining about your soul-sucking homewrecker of a stove? Dear Readers, your point is well taken, I have indeed been remiss. I will post the recipes of the cupcakes, over the next couple of days. Since I'm biased towards all things chocolate, here is the first. If possible I will post pictures, but meantime here's the goods.
Devil's Food Cupcakes with Dark Mocha Filling and Vanilla Swiss Buttercream Frosting
Yield: Makes Two dozen cupcakes
Special equipment needed? If filling the cupcakes, you'll need a pastry bag
and a smooth decorating tip @ 1/4 inch in diameter.
For the Cupcakes
8 oz cocoa powder (use the darkest you can get: I like Ghirardelli for flavor + affordability)
4 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup sour cream
2 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the Frosting (makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes)
4 egg whites, yolks reserved for another use
1 cup sugar
26 tablespoons (3 sticks + 2 tablespoons) of sweet butter, well softened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
For the Filling -- Dark Chocolate Mocha Sauce
1 stick sweet butter
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa powder (see note above)
6 ounces of evaporated milk
1-1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
Start melting the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the sugar and stir until the butter is entirely melted. Add the cocoa and coffee powder and stir until completely incorporated. Add the evaporated milk a little at a time, stirring until incorporated. Place in jar and allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the cups of two muffin tins with liners and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot coffee, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Gradually whisk in the eggs, then stir in the chocolate. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are smoothly blended.
Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake approximately 12 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake another 13 - 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool completely. It is easier to fill the cupcakes if the filling has been chilled in the refrigerator for about a half hour, so now is a good time to make the frosting and set it aside.
When the cupcakes are cool, put the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a medium smooth tip (use a nice 10" or 12" high vase or something similar, drop bag in and invert the "cuff" over the top of the vase to hold it whille you fill it) and twist the open end closed close to the filling in the big, and take that twisted part in your fist, squeezing gently until the filling starts to flow. Push the tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze filling in until you feel the cupcake swell just a bit. Once you've filled all the cupcakes, you can wipe off the tip and squeeze any remaining filling back into the jar. Or your mouth. Or your SO's mouth, and you can get really inspired and totally distracted from the matter in hand, so let's focus for a little longer.
Make the frosting: set a saucepan on the stove, fill 1/3 with water and bring to a simmer. Place the egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl over the water and whisk occasionally, until the sugar is totally dissolved: dip a (clean!) index finger into the mixture and rub between finger and thumb. Once all the sugar's dissolved, transfer the bowl to the mixer stand or to countertop, being very very careful not to get any water into the bowl, and beat on high speed until the mixture has doubled in size. At this point, start adding the softened butter 6 - 8 tablespoons at a time and beating just until each batch of butter is incorporated. When the butter's all in, add the vanilla and beat for a couple of seconds. Note: if you're beating it by hand, this frosting can look as though it won't come together, but it will: press on, keep beating the egg white/sugar mixture and it will come together. You can frost the cupcakes with a knife or spatula, but I find I prefer to use a pastry bag and decorating or piping tip, or just a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. The cupcakes look beautiful decorated with sanding sugar, or just the lightest dusting of cocoa.
So today, the technician came to install the arcane, much-sought-after part which would bring my stove back from the underworld.
Lovely guy; he hated like hell to break the news: he opened the factory-sealed box containing the replacement part that would restore my languishing range, only to find the goddam thing had arrived broken. Useless. He called in an emergency re-replacement while I called Jenn-Air directly and recounted the foregoing saga. Jenn-Air promised to rush overnight another part, but the soonest another tech can be scheduled is one week from today. As you, my dear readers, already know from yesterday, I am committed to bake @ 200 cupcakes in the next couple of days, so this isn't likely to fly, is it?
I believe I'm experiencing a foreshortened, black-hole-induced version of the stages of grieving, and have now reached (or am closing in on) acceptance. I have accepted that this stove is an irredeemable pile of waste. When the new part does arrive, I think I will ask my DDSO to just plug the beastly article in and either the stove returns to working order or it remains a useless hulk, and I will arrange to bake and fill the cupcakes offsite.
So now: I am guessing you've heard so much about these ruddy cupcakes you're thinking "Are you going to actually come across with a recipe, or just keeping whining about your soul-sucking homewrecker of a stove? Dear Readers, your point is well taken, I have indeed been remiss. I will post the recipes of the cupcakes, over the next couple of days. Since I'm biased towards all things chocolate, here is the first. If possible I will post pictures, but meantime here's the goods.
Devil's Food Cupcakes with Dark Mocha Filling and Vanilla Swiss Buttercream Frosting
Yield: Makes Two dozen cupcakes
Special equipment needed? If filling the cupcakes, you'll need a pastry bag
and a smooth decorating tip @ 1/4 inch in diameter.
For the Cupcakes
8 oz cocoa powder (use the darkest you can get: I like Ghirardelli for flavor + affordability)
4 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup sour cream
2 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the Frosting (makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes)
4 egg whites, yolks reserved for another use
1 cup sugar
26 tablespoons (3 sticks + 2 tablespoons) of sweet butter, well softened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
For the Filling -- Dark Chocolate Mocha Sauce
1 stick sweet butter
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa powder (see note above)
6 ounces of evaporated milk
1-1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
Start melting the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the sugar and stir until the butter is entirely melted. Add the cocoa and coffee powder and stir until completely incorporated. Add the evaporated milk a little at a time, stirring until incorporated. Place in jar and allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the cups of two muffin tins with liners and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot coffee, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Gradually whisk in the eggs, then stir in the chocolate. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are smoothly blended.
Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full. Bake approximately 12 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake another 13 - 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool completely. It is easier to fill the cupcakes if the filling has been chilled in the refrigerator for about a half hour, so now is a good time to make the frosting and set it aside.
When the cupcakes are cool, put the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a medium smooth tip (use a nice 10" or 12" high vase or something similar, drop bag in and invert the "cuff" over the top of the vase to hold it whille you fill it) and twist the open end closed close to the filling in the big, and take that twisted part in your fist, squeezing gently until the filling starts to flow. Push the tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze filling in until you feel the cupcake swell just a bit. Once you've filled all the cupcakes, you can wipe off the tip and squeeze any remaining filling back into the jar. Or your mouth. Or your SO's mouth, and you can get really inspired and totally distracted from the matter in hand, so let's focus for a little longer.
Make the frosting: set a saucepan on the stove, fill 1/3 with water and bring to a simmer. Place the egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl over the water and whisk occasionally, until the sugar is totally dissolved: dip a (clean!) index finger into the mixture and rub between finger and thumb. Once all the sugar's dissolved, transfer the bowl to the mixer stand or to countertop, being very very careful not to get any water into the bowl, and beat on high speed until the mixture has doubled in size. At this point, start adding the softened butter 6 - 8 tablespoons at a time and beating just until each batch of butter is incorporated. When the butter's all in, add the vanilla and beat for a couple of seconds. Note: if you're beating it by hand, this frosting can look as though it won't come together, but it will: press on, keep beating the egg white/sugar mixture and it will come together. You can frost the cupcakes with a knife or spatula, but I find I prefer to use a pastry bag and decorating or piping tip, or just a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off. The cupcakes look beautiful decorated with sanding sugar, or just the lightest dusting of cocoa.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Why I Hate Jenn-Air
Alright, I have taken the plunge and joined the millions out there recounting their experiences online. My maiden voyage is a tale born of my hate/hate relationship with my stove.
Five years ago I finally was able to rebuild my kitchen into something resembling a useful space, and after consulting Consumer Reports (a topic for another time) I purchased a Jenn-Air stove, or "gas range" as they are known in the trade. Shortly after I bought it, I decided to self-clean it. I read all the instructions, set the stove to clean, and sat down on my sofa to read, and was interruped by a WHUMPF!!!! from the kitchen, where I discovered to my chagrin that the glass window in the door of my brand-new oven had exploded. It took a month and a half to get new glass installed.
Fast forward to present day -- a dear friend got engaged, and I was happy to offer to make the wedding pastry, in this case, three different cupcakes and two flavors of brownies. My Jenn-Air, apparently miffed at not being consulted ahead of time, proceeded to refuse to comply with my requests to set an oven temp, responding to each beseeching request with a sullen *beeep beeeep* and a scrolled message "F1-8 -- call service center." So I called. An appointment was set for August 9, some time between 12 and 5 p.m., and a lovely woman at the service center arranged to put a rush on the parts so they could arrive in time for the service person. Aha, I thought, the last time was just an unfortunate happenstance, Jenn-Air and its parent Maytag really DO have their act together, the stove will get repaired, the cupcakes will get made, we'll all live happilly ever after!
August 9 arrived. I arranged to work from home, so that I could be handy for the repair person. As promised by the lovely woman at the service center, the parts arrived (and, btw, thank you FedEx, you were splendid!) All was in readiness.
And then....
At @ 4:30, I received a call from someone at the service center, informing me that they would NOT be coming today. So sorry. Not our fault. We're not responsible. The technicians get overbooked all the time, but it's not our fault. We're sorry for the inconvenience.
Never mind that I can't disappoint the bride by not producing the promised baked delights. Never mind that I had to spend time waiting. Never mind that you committed to provide a service -- not our fault, we don't have time, you'll just have to understand, we'll come tomorrow. So, now we wait. I'll update you tomorrow on the further misadventures of me and my miserable stove.
Five years ago I finally was able to rebuild my kitchen into something resembling a useful space, and after consulting Consumer Reports (a topic for another time) I purchased a Jenn-Air stove, or "gas range" as they are known in the trade. Shortly after I bought it, I decided to self-clean it. I read all the instructions, set the stove to clean, and sat down on my sofa to read, and was interruped by a WHUMPF!!!! from the kitchen, where I discovered to my chagrin that the glass window in the door of my brand-new oven had exploded. It took a month and a half to get new glass installed.
Fast forward to present day -- a dear friend got engaged, and I was happy to offer to make the wedding pastry, in this case, three different cupcakes and two flavors of brownies. My Jenn-Air, apparently miffed at not being consulted ahead of time, proceeded to refuse to comply with my requests to set an oven temp, responding to each beseeching request with a sullen *beeep beeeep* and a scrolled message "F1-8 -- call service center." So I called. An appointment was set for August 9, some time between 12 and 5 p.m., and a lovely woman at the service center arranged to put a rush on the parts so they could arrive in time for the service person. Aha, I thought, the last time was just an unfortunate happenstance, Jenn-Air and its parent Maytag really DO have their act together, the stove will get repaired, the cupcakes will get made, we'll all live happilly ever after!
August 9 arrived. I arranged to work from home, so that I could be handy for the repair person. As promised by the lovely woman at the service center, the parts arrived (and, btw, thank you FedEx, you were splendid!) All was in readiness.
And then....
At @ 4:30, I received a call from someone at the service center, informing me that they would NOT be coming today. So sorry. Not our fault. We're not responsible. The technicians get overbooked all the time, but it's not our fault. We're sorry for the inconvenience.
Never mind that I can't disappoint the bride by not producing the promised baked delights. Never mind that I had to spend time waiting. Never mind that you committed to provide a service -- not our fault, we don't have time, you'll just have to understand, we'll come tomorrow. So, now we wait. I'll update you tomorrow on the further misadventures of me and my miserable stove.
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