Kitchen Blasphemy

My lovely friend Jackie threw a little birthday dinner for Mr. Lawyer the other weekend. Kielbasa and pierogies made an appearance on the Mr. Lawyer-centric menu. She found a pickle cupcake recipe for me to try out. Now I must admit that I was skeptical. While I was making them I felt like I was committing kitchen blasphemy. Pickle cupcakes? So wrong.

I was so sick and stuffy that I couldn't actually taste them but I have it on the authority of three adults and a two year old that they were very good! They decided that "savory muffin" was a better way to describe them than cupcakes. We served them up with some vanilla ice cream.

It's about to get real...

It was certainly a kitchen adventure!

Savory Dill Pickle Muffins 

(A Jackie Find! from the cupcakeproject.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup dill pickle juice (the liquid from the pickle jar)
1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickles
Directions:
1. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, dill, salt, and onion powder in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and sour cream until blended.
4. Alternately fold in flour mixture and pickle juice, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. Fold in the chopped pickles.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
7. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

Oreo Cupcakes!

Before I got sick and died Friday night, which has subsequently ruined my weekend and Monday, I went over to Jackie's to bake some cupcakes with her. We decided on Oreo Cupcakes. I must admit that I have been spoiled by my homemade cupcake. All I could think about when I ate one was "this tastes like cake mix". But they were so easy and tasted fine, if you're not a cupcake snob, it's totally worth keeping the recipe for school parties. We used white cake mix so it wasn't too chocolately and I loved adding the cookie in the bottom! The frosting was a bit of a mess. It was too runny (we should have chilled it) and we didn't crush up the cookies enough and they kept getting stuck in our cake decorating tips!

Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package chocolate or white cake mix (mix according to directions on box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake). Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner. Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.
2. Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well. Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine. Add to frosting. After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos.

Harvest Pumpkin

These cupcakes were satisfactory but they didn't wow me. My co-workers and students raved about them so part of it might just be I'm too critical of something that I made, it does always taste better when someone else makes it! I was excited because the batter tasted so amazing (yes Grandma, I still lick the bowl....haven't died yet.) but a lot of the pumpkin flavor baked off. Once the cream cheese frosting was on it tasted like a carrot cake to me. Sometimes pumpkin cupcakes/muffins get too dense but this cupcake was nice and fluffy. 

Harvest Pumpkin Cupcakes

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel
4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
1. To make cupcakes: Blend the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl; set aside. 

2. Stir together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. 

3. Pour into lined muffin tins. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Cool 30 minutes. Spread with frosting.
4. To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes.

The orangey-brown color looked amazing.

 Fun with Frosting!

 I didn't have enough room in the fridge so I kept them out on the balcony until school the next day....because it's fall now and chilly enough to do that!

Snickerdoodle Update

I made a full batch of the snickerdoodle cupcakes for teacher cleaning day. They came out nice and moist so I think my measuring was a bit off when I halved the first batch. I didn't have any cream cheese to make the original frosting so I found a cinnamon butter cream that worked out well and tasted delicious!

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1. Beat the butter until it's light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Add the milk when it gets thick.
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until just combined.

Snickerdoodle Lovin'

We have been busy, busy, busy and are never, never, home! I made these over a week ago and they were a hit. I'd watch the baking time as I thought they were a tiny bit on the dry side.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

(Pinterest find! From recipegirl.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Icing:
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping:
2 Tablespoons sugar + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 28 muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with additions of milk, beating until combined after each addition.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
5. Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, use electric mixer to blend cream cheese and butter. Add sugars, vanilla and ground cinnamon. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, or scoop into piping bag and pipe on the frosting decoratively. Place sugar-cinnamon mixture in a fine sieve and tap it lightly over the cupcakes to give them a light sprinkle.

I'm loving the swirls. They are super quick.

Cupcakes!

Last Friday was the interns last day so of course they requested cupcakes! I made a batch of my yummy Vanilla Bean Cupcakes for the adults and tried a new chocolate one for the kids. They were very fudge-like but delicious. One kid thought they were too chocolatey and I might agree but they were still delicious! You can tell from the picture that they did collapse a little bit which made them a tad dense compared to the nice and fluffy vanilla ones. No frosting because I frosted them the next day at school.

Chocolate Cupcakes

(from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Vanilla Bean Heaven!

It was a coworker's birthday today which was the perfect excuse to try a new cupcake recipe! This was also the perfect recipe to use some of my yummy vanilla bean paste in. Oh my goodness, the actual cupcake was divine and unless I have to make a ton of cupcakes I will never make box cupcakes again. It was so soft, light and fluffy. Combined with the buttercream? Vanilla Heaven. I used some store bought chocolate to accommodate the chocolate lovers and while it was good, it overwhelmed the luscious vanilla flavor. If you melt the frosting in the microwave you can dip the cupcakes in and get that smooth glossy finish (I learned this in my Christmas Cupcake Book!).
I gave one to Banks (our doorman). He had it with his coffee and when I came home he said it was the highlight of his day and if I ever started my own bakery he wanted to be number one on my client list. Plus he always asks about how my kids were so he wins in my book.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes 

with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
seeds scraped from one vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients: 
1.5 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Directions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a separate bowl.
3. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract and beans until light and fluffy. Slowly add a little of the flour mixture, then add a little milk mixture. Keep alternating slowly until both are fully incorporated. Make sure it is mixed well.

4. Fill muffin tin, 2/3 way full. Bake for 20-24 minutes.

Directions for frosting:

1. Cream together butter and vanilla bean paste. Slowly add confectioners sugar.

2. Add vanilla and milk and mix until incorporated and fluffy!

Go Orange and Blue!

Cupcake Contest!

The first friday of every month my kids have a Home Ec type class that involves food. Today I got to help out and put together a cupcake decorating class. Because decorating cupcakes is an important life skill. I baked 50 cupcakes and each kid received two: one they could eat right away and one to enter in the cupcake contest (and then eat after lunch). It went really well and it was exciting to see some of the creativity come out!

Gathering up the supplies: a variety of colored frosting, sprinkles, oreo cookies, chocolate chips, almond slices, shredded coconut and M&Ms. All useful decorating things.

The Cupcake Contest!

Some up close shots. I made the bee.

I love it!

Hoot Owl Hoot!

It's my birthday weekend, woo! Or should I say hoo?! I promised my kids I'd bring in cupcakes on Friday, I think these will blow their socks off. Special thanks to Christine for my cupcake decorating book and pen! These were fairly simple to make and required the least amount of ingredients and effort/talent out of the whole book. I love that you can change the personality of each owl just by the placement of the eyes or ears. Adorable!

There's a whole bunch of pictures! And 43 cupcakes....yikes!

Early Thanksgiving!

I did not make this recipe but I was lucky enough to consume it for both dessert and breakfast. It's marvelous and I'm keeping the recipe for future use. Last night we had early Thanksgiving with Mr. Lawyer's family and everything was amazingly delicious. From one Thanksgiving to another...I sense that I will not be cooking this week. A big shout out to Mrs. T for a ton of yummy food, thank you! We were also sent home with this:

Is this not the most glorious tupperware container of food you have ever seen?! There were also rolls and dessert which brings us to the recipe. These cupcakes were divine. Nice pumpkin flavor, maple frosting (right?!) and a heath bar crunch. All the elements were good on their own but when you got a bite of all three....oh my. It was even better for breakfast.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

(made by Mrs. T, adapted from Ina Garten) 

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Maple Frosting Ingredients:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

5. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Happy Halloween!

We had a party in school today. I brought cupcakes. All you need to jazz up your mini cupcakes are cinnamon candies, marshmallows, and twizzlers.

French Breakfast Puffs

I jumped up early this morning to make a surprise breakfast treat for Mr. Lawyer today. Ashley's mother-in-law always made these for us whenever I stayed with them and they're pretty fabulous. I made half a batch which fills one mini muffin tray almost perfectly. Behold the french breakfast puff! And no, it's not just a mini cupcake as the lawyer so obviously pointed out. They're way better than that.

French Breakfast Puffs

(from the kitchen of Mrs. Dermitt)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flours
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Melted butter and cinnamon sugar
Directions:
1. Mix shortening, eggs, and sugar.
2. Stir in dry ingredients and add milk.
3. Pour into greased muffin tin (2/3 full)
4. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes at 350.
5. Immediately roll in melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar.

SU and Birthdays and a Dinner Party oh my!

Happy Dinner Party/Birthday Amanda/Go SU! We certainly had lots to celebrate Friday night. For my birthday I couldn't decide which cupcakes to make: Irish or S'mores? Obviously I went with the Irish ones and had to wait for an opportunity to make the S'more ones...enter Amanda's birthday! They were a bit messy to eat but they certainly tasted like a S'more.

Ingredient/Technical Difficulties: Marshmallow Fluff is harder to find around here then I thought. The local stores had all sorts of peanut butter, jam and jellies but no fluff! Just as I was mentally preparing to make it from scratch Mr. Lawyer found some Ricemallow Fluff from Whole Foods. It tasted fine, a bit sweeter maybe but it did not hold it's shape which posed a problem with making the garnish. It oozed all over the place and didn't harden up. I charred up some mini marshmallows which worked wonderfully and looked more visually pleasing (you can see both toppings in the photo). I would recommend using fluff for the filling but going the normal marshmallow route for the topping. Either way prepare for a mess, I was very angry at marshmallows while making these (who on earth would ever make something so sticky and messy!! Grrr...). However I thought that the toasted marshmallow on top added some of the best flavor, nothing like nice toasty caramelized sugar to zing up a cupcake. Also, Cupcake Corer.  Best five dollars I ever spent.

S'more Cupcakes

(Bon Appétit Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 packet)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup plus one 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme (Or 7oz of marshmallows)
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
12 1-inch pieces broken graham crackers (for garnish)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk graham crumbs, flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in vanilla. Add graham-cracker mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with graham-cracker mixture. Divide batter among muffin cups.
2. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center come out clean, about 22 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack; cool completely.

3. Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream just to boil in small saucepan; pour over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute; stir until smooth. Cool ganache until lukewarm.
4. Core cupcakes with a  cupcake corer, apple corer, spoon, etc. Spoon 3/4 cup marshmallow creme into resealable plastic bag, pushing into 1 bottom corner. Cut 1/2 inch off corner. Pipe into holes in cupcakes. Spread 2 teaspoons ganache over each cupcake.

5. Preheat broiler. Coat rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spoon dollops of marshmallow creme on sheet (or marshmallows!). Broil until slightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon dollop of charred creme over each cupcake; garnish with piece of graham cracker.

Poorly behaving Ricemallow Fluff and well behaved but messy mini marshmallows.

Final Product? Amazing.

There's a bunch more so I will use a super obnoxious page break. Read on for the rest of our goodies!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I seem to have an obsession with alcoholic cupcakes. These Irish Coffee Cupcakes are more mellow than the Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes in both alcohol content and sweetness but still pretty amazing (although not as much fun?!?....). Both cupcakes are best the day they were made and okay the next day as the alcohol begins to evaporate from cake and frosting so it loses a lot of the flavor. I can't pick a favorite between the two recipes because they are both amazing! But this is obviously the sophisticated adult cupcake while the Irish Car Bomb Cupcake is the drunken college kid cupcake.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

(Martha Stewart Magazine)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
1/4 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon whiskey
Instant-espresso powder, for dusting
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

2. Pour hot water over espresso powder; let cool. Combine espresso with milk. 

3. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with espresso-milk mixture.
4. Fill about 15 cupcake cups and bake 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
5. Make the frosting: Whisk together cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form. Add whiskey; whisk until slightly stiff peaks form.
6. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting; dust with espresso powder.

mmmm...Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Last week was my birthday and there was a lot of celebrating and eating out. This week I was sick and started work so there was chinese food and Mr. Lawyer cooking. So there has been a lack of experimenting in the kitchen. However, for my birthday I did make some delicious Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, or if you're being politically correct Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Frosting. But since it's named after the drink, I'm sticking with the original name. These cupcakes were amazing but really rich. I have a huge sweet tooth but could only eat one at a time. The Baileys Buttercream Frosting is an amazing gift to mankind! Sadly, it looses it's flavor after a day so if you make the cupcakes ahead of time, don't make the frosting until right before your gathering. My Pancake Pen was extremely useful and amazing at filling the cupcake pan since I always make a mess and can never keep them even.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients:
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Chocolate Whiskey Ganache Filling Ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

Baileys Buttercream Frosting:
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperate)
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys

Cupcake Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.


Ganache Filling Directions:

1. Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth.  

2. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.

Assembly Required!:

1. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. (Or your sweet, sweet cupcake corer!) 

2. Put the ganache into a piping bag (or a baggie with the tip cut off) with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Baileys Buttercream Frosting Directions:

1. Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

2. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

3. Frost your cookies!

YUM!