Red Wine Mini-Cupcakes

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of these like I thought I did. I used the basic Wilton buttercream frosting I usually make, but used purple and red coloring for a burgandy color.

The cupcakes were very moist, perfect consistancy. But I'm not a big red wine drinker (even with chocolate!) Otherwise, pretty good :)

Recipe from http://dulcedoblog.blogspot.com/

I didn't use the glaze listed. I also used Little Penguin Merlot

Red Wine Cupcakes
with Chocolate Glaze and Salted Caramel Dollops

Yield: 30 shallow cakes (I used mini-cupcakes instead)

CupcakesAdapted from Cooking With Wine by Anne Willan, via Bon Appétit October 2001
-2 cups flour
-1 scant cup unsweetened cocoa
-1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 cup unsalted butter, softened
-1 3/4 cup sugar
-2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 1/4 cups red wine

*Chocolate Glaze
-2 cups (6 ounces) semi or bittersweet chocolate, chopped**
-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1/4 cup light corn syrup
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Dollops
-1 cup cream
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/8 cup water
-Pinch salt
-1 tablespoon butter
-Fleur de sel (sea salt) for garnish

To make the cakes:
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
-In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
-In bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
-Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each.
-Mix in the vanilla extract.
-Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the red wine and beginning and ending with the flour.
-Mix until thoroughly incorporated (because you don't want any white, buttery chunks in your dark batter).
-Bake in your cupcake containers of choice for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
-Let cool in pan for 5 minutes or so, and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the glaze:
-Heat the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over very low heat until shiny and smooth.
-Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
-Spoon over cupcakes.

To make the caramel:
-Warm the cream in the microwave or a small saucepan until heated through, but not boiling.
-In a separate pot with very high sides (this is important!), heat the sugar and water over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
-When the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
-When it reaches a medium brown shade, remove it from the burner. (The mixture will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat, so if you wait to see the dark amber color while it is still on the stove, you will run the risk of burning it.)
-Wearing oven mitts for protection, CAREFULLY and SLOWLY pour in the cream, whisking constantly.
-The cream will cause the mixture to seize and bubble up violently, so don't just dump it all in at once!
-Return the pot to the burner, add in the butter and salt, and continue to whisk over low heat until smooth.
-Allow the caramel to cool and then refrigerate or freeze until it is thick enough to drop by dollops onto the glazed cupcakes.
-Sprinkle with fleur de sel. (Any remaining caramel will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.)

Pretty Flowers

Just showing off the pretty royal icing flowers I've made. Now I have to stick them on some cakes!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So, along with my resolution to be more organized (if you know me, please stop laughing - I'm going to try!!), I hope to be a little more up to date with this blog. I still have a few more entries from 07 to catch up on first.

I got a daily calendar this year - The Cupcake Calendar. It gives a main recipe one day, then the next few days are variations. One resolution this year is to try a recipe weekly, and post on it. January 1st's recipe was "Spanish Orange Syrup Cupcakes," which sound interesting, but I'm going to see what the next few days hold before I decide what this week's cupcake is. I'm trying hard not to peak ahead! (Today's variation is adding lemon juice to the orange flavor).

Happy new year's everyone! Hope your 2008 is fabulous :-D

New family favorite

I love love love the sweet potato casserole at Damon's, and even more when I order it for dessert with vanilla ice cream. However, trying to save money and not eat out so often, I haven't gotten my fix in a while. But I found this recipe, which is *almost* as good as eating out. In the future, I will chop up the pecans (bought chopped pecans at the store, but they were still too big) and spread the topping more. It didn't quite spread all over like I wanted.

I doubled the recipe, which ended up being too much even for a big family get together. I don't have the source, so I will add that when I find it!


Sweet Potato Casserole
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

PREPARATION:
Combine first 6 ingredients.
Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish.
Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top.
Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.
Serves 6 to 8.

Cake Decorating

In November, I started the Wilton cake decorating classes through Michael's. I'm really enjoying the classes, and am about to start Course 3 - tiered cakes and fondant :)

Below is my first decorated baked good. I tried writing on it, but I need more practice with that. I might invest in stencils to keep it even.

I didn't keep the cake recipe (I'm not too good with cakes from scratch yet!), but it was a basic white cake recipe found online. I used butterscotch pudding for the filling, and for the frosting, I used Wilton's buttercream recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened I used 1 cup of vegtable shortening and omitted 1/2 cup of butter - Crisco sells premeasured sticks of shortening in 1 cup measurments
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract I used regular vanilla extract instead of Wilton's clear extract, which didn't change the color
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk I used water, which stores better.

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Black Bottom Mini-Cupcakes

I got this recipe at http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blc96.htm. They were pretty good, and very straightforward to make.

Ingredients
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/3 cups sugar
Cupcake Batter:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.
In a small bowl, blend cheese, egg and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth. Set aside.
In a nonreactive large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and 1 cup sugar.
Stir in water, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla.
Beat until smooth.
Fill paper-lined cups about 1/2 full.
Top each with about a half teaspoon cream cheese mixture.
Press 2 chocolate chips into cream cheese on each cupcake.
Bake in center of oven 14 minutes, or until firm. Cheese filling will still be a bit soft.
Cool completely before serving.

Yield: about 60 mini-cupcakes
For standard cupcakes:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare filling and batter as above. Fill paper-lined cups about 1/2 full. Top each with about a tablespoon cream cheese mixture. Press 3 to 4 chocolate chips into cream cheese on each cupcake. Bake in center of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm. Cheese filling will still be a bit soft.
Yield: 24 cups (or cupcakes)
CreditsRecipe revised from an heirloom recipe by: Peggy Trowbridge

(Ignore the pumpkin cake in the background - can't take credit for that!)

Happy Halloween!

Only a few months late, right? :) I made mini-cupcakes for a work Halloween party. I'm in love with mini-cupcakes now!

I used the recipe for Birthday Cupcakes, both the cupcake and frosting recipes. Not too much success looks wise. I also tried to sprinkle after the frosting was set, which obviously didn't work.

For the orange frosted cupcakes, I added cocoa powder to the batter. For the other batch, I added cocoa to the frosting.