White Cherry Chocolate Cups & Peanut butter Cups

I made 2 variations of this recipe.  One I did with cherries and white chocolate and the other I did similar to Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  They were a little time consuming, but worth it and fun to do.

Melt 5 ounces semisweet chocolate in a double boiler.  Paint the insides of 12 mini muffin tins with the chocolate.  Put in the freezer to harden for about 5-10 minutes.  Repaint another layer of chocolate.  Freeze until hardened.

Melt 5 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler.  Paint the insides of 12 mini muffin tins with the chocolate. Put in the freezer to harden for about 5-10 minutes. Repaint another layer of chocolate. Freeze until hardened.

Pit 1 cup of fresh cherries and dice up. 

Using a hand mixer, beat 4 ounces of cream cheese with 1 tsp of vanilla and 2 Tbsp of confectioners sugar.  Fold in the cherries.  Using a pastry bag squeeze into the white chocolate cups.  Top with 1/2 cherry.

Beat another 4 ounces of cream cheese with 3 Tbsp of Peanut Butter, 2 Tbsp of confectioners sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Use a pastry bag to squeeze the filling into the chocolate cups.  Top with 3 chocolate chips.

Refrigerate until serving.

Hazelnut Brownies

I got into a bit of a baking frenzy last night and made these brownies and some other treats that I am going to post today as well.

Brownie Batter:
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 Cup AP flour
3/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13x9 inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Add to the butter mixture and mix well.  Fold in hazelnuts.

Spread into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.  Cool on a wire rack.

While brownies are baking prepare frosting.

Frosting:
2 Cups (12ounces) chocolate chips
1 Cup heavy whipping cream or refrigerated hazelnut non-dairy creamer  (I used the plain cream)
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

In a double boiler melt the chocolate and heavy cream.  Stir in the unmelted butter and mix until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes or until it is spreadable.  Frost brownies and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Makes 2 dozen.

Jeopardy Cake

Randy's Mom loves the game show Jeopardy.  So they asked me to make her a cake.  I had a little help from Alfonso to draw Randy's Mom. I need to work on rolling out fondant, but I think it came out pretty cool looking.  I made a chocolate cake with raspberry curd filling and chocolate icing.

Cake:

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 ¼ cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and put parchment paper on the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool.

Frosting

2-1/2 cups heavy cream

3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating

1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

To make the frosting:

In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Lemon Curd Filling

5.25 oz butter cubed and divided

4.5 oz sugar divided

1 1/2 pints of fresh raspberries

4.5 oz egg yolks

In a blender puree the raspberries.  Run through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Combine half of the butter, half of the sugar and the raspberry sauce in a saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves.

Blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar. Temper by adding 1/3 of the hot raspberry sauce, stiring constantly with a whisk. Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan. Continue cooking , stirring constantly with the whisk until the mixture comes to a boil.

Add the remaining butter

Strain the curd into a large shallow bowl. Cover and refrigerate to cool.

Fondant

1 1/2 oz. water

1 package unflavored gelatin (The store didn't have unflavored so I bought raspberry flavored and use 2 1/4 tsp. This also tinted the fondant pink so I had to add extra color to the completed fondant to get it to change to the color I needed)

4 1/2 oz light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional)

1 lb 8 oz confectioners sugar

Mix the water and gelatin and heat gently to dissove only. Remove from the heat and stir in the corn syrup and glycerin (if using).

Add the sugar and mix until smooth and well combined. Form into a disc, lightly coat with shortening and wrap in plastic if not using right away. Best if used the same day.

I had some trouble getting the sugar to mix into the other ingredients. So I took out of the pan and put into my mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and let it knead together for a minute. It worked perfect.

I used 2 small pieces of fondant to make the picture of Randy's mom and the Question Bar.  I also tinted some fondant orange and cut out the word JEOPARDY.

Lemon Squares

This is my Grandmother's recipe and I've been requested by a Client to make them...soo......

Preheat oven to 300F.

Using your hands mix together:
1 Cup flour
1/2 c butter softened
1/4 Cup confectioners sugar

Press into an 8x8 ungreased pan building up the sides 1/2 inch.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is slightly browned.

While baking beat together until light and fluffy:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Lemon zest of 1 small lemon (about 2 Tbsp zest)
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Turn up heat to 350F.

Pour over hot crust.  Bake for 25 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched.  Cool.  Cut into squares.  Sprinkle with Confectioners sugar.

Spelt Blueberry Muffins

I'm back...I think.  I've been baking just haven't been posting everything. 

Well here's my recipe for Spelt blueberry muffins.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine:

1 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Spelt Flour

1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Whisk together:

1 egg

3/4 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Agave

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients with a whisk.  Do not overmix.

Fold in 1 Cup blueberries.  If you would like some walnuts fold them in with the blueberries.

Line 6 muffin tins with papers.  Scoop mix into tins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes. Will make 6 full size muffins. 

Dark Chocolate Mini cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Icing

After I made the Jeopardy cake I had leftover batter (since I didn't make the 3 round cakes) so I made mini cupcakes.  They were awesome!  I also had 3 chocolate chips to each cupcake after I had scooped the batter into the tins.  This chocolate cake and frosting recipe has now become a staple in my book.  I don't have a picture of the muffins, but will take one next time I make them and post it.

Cupcake Batter
Ingredients:
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 ¼ cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare mini-muffin tins with paper.  In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Using a small ice cream scoop, pour batter about 3/4 the way up in the muffin tins.  Put 3 chocolate chips in each cupcake before baking.

Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Frosting:
If you have leftover frosting simply put it in a container and freeze until you are ready to use again.  It will stay good for a long time

2-1/2 cups heavy cream
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating
1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
To make the frosting:
In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Dark Chocolate Cake

I found this recipe in a magazine while waiting at the airport.  I tried it once as it was written and the cakes fell.  The second time I tried it the cake did not fall.  It is very important not to overmix this cake.  It is delicious!  You can also make marshmallows to top this cake with, but I didn't.  It is a very rich cake that is best eaten with a glass of milk.  Was a BIG hit when I made it.

Cake

6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans
13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
3/4 cup canola oil
4-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups granulated sugar
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Frosting

2-1/2 cups heavy cream
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating
1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

To make the cake:
Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9x2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until melted.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another. Bake, swapping and rotating the pans’ positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment and cool completely.

To make the frosting:
In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. 

Nana's 75th Birthday Cake

We threw Nana a surprise 75th Birthday this year.  It was alot of fun...and of course I made the cake.  Nana loves crosswords, so I found a website that you can create your own crossword puzzle.  I entered in 16 clues/answers about Nana and it created a personalized puzzle.  I then made fondant and drew the crossword puzzle and clues onto the fondat using edible markers.  I had been asking Nana for the recipe for her favorite cake and Uncle Chet told me what to fill it with and ice with.  As usual, I made everything from scratch, even the fondant. (which was a pain in the butt, but I did it and thought it tasted great).

Nana's 1-2-3-4 Cake
1 Cup butter or margarine
2 Cups Sugar
3 Cups Cake Flour (if use presto cake flour omit the baking powder and salt)
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs separated
1 Cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Grease the bottom of a 13x9inch pan.  Line with parchment paper.  Grease the parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour and milk alternating between the two only until incorporated. Set Aside.
Beat egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks. Fold 1/3 into the cake batter and then add the rest gently.
Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Lemon Curd Filling
5.25 oz butter cubed and divided
4.5 oz sugar divided
4.5 oz lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
4.5 oz egg yolks

Combine half of the butter, half of the sugar, all of the lemon jucie and zest in a saucepan.  Heat until sugar dissolves.

Blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar.  Temper by adding 1/3 of the hot lemon sauce, stiring constantly with a whisk.  Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan.  Continue cooking , stirring constantly with the whisk until the mixture comes to a boil.

Add the remaining butter

Strain the curd into a large shallow bowl.  Cover and refrigerate to cool.


Buttercream Icing
2 extra large egg whites (room temp)

3/4 Cup sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 tsp salt
3 sticks butter (room temp - not melted)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in heat proof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until warm to touch - about 5 minutes. Beat with whisk attachment for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

Add 1 T of butter at a time on medium speed mixing until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and add chocolate and vanilla. Mix until blended. If too soft put in refrigerator for a few minutes and beat again.

Fondant
1 1/2 oz. water
1 package unflavored gelatin
4 1/2 oz light corn syrup (I only had glucose on hand so I used that)
1 1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional)
1 lb 8 oz confectioners sugar

Mix the water and gelatin and heat gently to dissove only.  Remove from the heat and stir in the corn syrup and glycerin (if using). 

Add the sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.  Form into a disc, lightly coat with shortening and wrap in plastic if not using right away.  Best if used the same day. 

I had some trouble getting the sugar to mix into the other ingredients.  So I took out of the pan and put into my mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and let it knead together for a minute.   It worked perfect.

Nana's Pinch Cookies

My Nana has been making these cookies for as long as I can remember.  The recipe is her mothers, so I guess that makes me the fourth generation to make this cookie. (I don't remember my mother ever making these though). They are easy enough to make but time consuming.  I'm not going to give the recipe away, but it is a flour/butter cookie filled with apricot jam and chopped up nuts. (or you can use prunes or poppy seeds - which I don't like so I don't make)  I make them every year for Christmas and everyone loves them.  I use the cutter that my Grandfather made to cut them to give them a zig zag edge.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

(I need a better camera to document my stuff)

One of Dac's clients asked me if I could make her Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I know the classic red velvet is with plain cream cheese frosting, but I decidied to divide the frosting and add chocolate to half of it.  It was pretty yummy.  I had to make this recipe twice because the first time I rushed and overbeat the batter and the cupcakes fell.  The second time I took my time and only beat when I needed to.  And they came out light and fluffy.  I did get some feedback from Dac's client that she thought they were great but needed more cocoa and the color could be more intense and she loved the frosting.  I will make them again when she comes back.  

Cake Mix:

1/2 stick unsalted butter softened

3/4 Cup sugar

1 large egg

food coloring (I have food gel that I used and only needed about 5-6 drops but will probably use more next time)

1 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 T sifted cake flour (next time I will reduce this to 1 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 T flour and add an additional 1 T of cocoa powder)

1/2 T vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in egg beating well after each addition.  In a small bowl whisk together the food coloring and the cocoa powder and add with salt to the butter mixture, beating until blended.

In a measuring cup mix the buttermilk and vanilla.  Add the flour to the butter alternating with the buttermilk starting and ending with the flour beating only until combined.  In a small bowl stir together the baking soda and the vinegar (it will fizz).  Pour into the batter and STIR - DO NOT BEAT!

Pour into the muffins tins until they are about 2/3 -3/4 full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Let cool a few minutes in pan on rack and remove to cool completely on a rack.

Frost when cupcakes are completely cooled.

Frosting:

1 8oz package of cream cheese COLD

5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup - 4 cups of confectioners sugar - It all depends on your taste for sweetness.  I only used 1/4 Cup

To make it chocolate - melt 5 oz of chocolate (I used semisweet but you can use dark) let it cool and add to the vanilla cream cheese frosting.  (If you want to do half chocolate and half vanilla frosting divide the frosting after you've made the vanilla and only add 2.5 oz of melted chocolate)