Category Archives: baking

Simplifying.

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I have 9 bug bites.

I got 3 hours of sleep last night before my body woke me up.

I am all of a sudden gut-wrenchingly hungry constantly.

My left ear has been plugged up for 2 days.

But none of that matters because I made muffin tops without a fancy pan or even much motivation.

I love my silicon baking liners. I really do.

Super portable (important when you’re 21 and move every 3 months), cheap, and pretty.

But man do I hate cleaning them.

It’s not like it’s that hard. Just a little dish soap, water and elbow grease. But who wants to worry about cleaning when you have warm, delicious baked goods to consume?

Not me.

So here’s what you do:

Pick a muffin recipe. I love this one because it’s quick, easy and super healthy & yummy. Win-win-win.

Make it.

Then, instead of oiling each muffin liner/tin carefully so as to make sure all the edges are covered and the muffins won’t stick to the sides, grab a cookie sheet. Spritz some cooking spray on a piece of foil and cover the sheet. Or use a Silpat or just the sheet without the foil, but come on, we’re being lazy here. Might as well go whole hog.

Oh god, I’ve been in the South too long.

Ahem. Muffin tops. Dump the dough onto the sheet in large but [mostly] even-sized circular-ish shapes. Bake.

Magic. No muffin tin/liner cleanup required. Just toss that foil.

A lazy recipe for a lazy long weekend. Sounds just about right.

What A Drag

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I do believe that for every door that closes, another opens. But these hallways are really a drag.        -The magnet on my aunt’s refrigerator

That about sums up my life at the moment. This whole transition from college – 4 straight years of a steady schedule, living with my best friends, generally having a good time – to the unemployed, schedule/purpose-less state of new college graduate…sucks. Like, a lot.

I am living with my wonderful aunt and uncle for the summer in suburban Georgia, working (interning, I suppose) at a restaurant just down the road from them. I’ve applied to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), but my application won’t be complete until I have six months of twelve to fifteen hours per week of food preparation experience. Sounds easy,  right? Well let me tell, going from the graduate with the highest GPA in the graduating class to the inexperienced girl in the corner who can’t figure out how to chop chives small enough is anything but easy.

The past two weeks have been exhausting, physically, mentally, emotionally. Hell, this whole month has been pretty intense. And of course, what that means is that while I have been writing books in my head, very few of those words have been physically put down in writing. Which is really just bad all around, because writing helps me sort out all my crazy tangled thoughts, and occasionally can be found to be rather entertaining.

But, perhaps luckily for you dear reader, I did not write when I really needed to, when I had a complete breakdown. It was inevitable, and of course, my mother was predicted down to the day when I would crash. For about 3 days, I was an absolute mess. I hated feeling like the idiot in the kitchen (and it does not help that it’s all guys back there, either), I hated the work, I hated the people, and was beginning to believe that I had made the wrong decision. Culinary school could not possibly be the fate of the lefty who took 30 minutes to peel and devein shrimp.

I’m not entirely sure when the slap in the head came. Maybe it was when I memorized the restaurant’s recipe for key lime pie (more on that later), or made one of the sous chefs laugh. Maybe it was when I made a vegan marble cake on a whim, or spent 2 hours in Barnes and Noble staring at the cookbook section. Maybe it was when I reread the CIA’s admissions material and got excited all over again to learn everything I possibly can about baking and pastry. But maybe, it doesn’t matter.

I do know what I’m doing. I love food. So much, it’s slightly ridiculous. To me, there is nothing better than the taste and smell of fresh bread, and the smile that goes with that first bite.

And, I love that I’m going to learn all of it on the other side of the country. I so desperately need another adventure since studying abroad, a change of pace, a new place to call home. I need a little culture shock. And, you know, being right in the heart of wine country ain’t so shabby either.

I promise, I’m back for good this time. With recipes. And pictures. In fact, my brother’s and my graduation party (him from high school, me from college) is this Sunday, and we have a pretty fabulous menu planned. Homemade olive tapenade, anyone?

And if you don’t like that, you KNOW there will be cake. Really, really good cake. With that white fluffy frosting that I could just bathe in.

Yes. A frosting bath is definitely in order.

Baker’s Confessional I

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It is 1 o’clock in the morning and I have a serious craving for sauteed mushrooms.

peekaboo

I cut off rogue pieces and the ends of the things I bake when I take them out of the oven. Because when you cut things real small, the calories fall out. Right?

IMG_3067

Sometimes, I use applesauce or pumpkin in place of some of the oil in a recipe – not to decrease the fat or calories, but because oil is expensive, and I know I will always buy applesauce or pumpkin on a regular basis.

pumpkin

I probably just gave Paula Deen a stroke.

ferie d'primavera 2011 (23)

I hate the combination of cranberry & orange.

Actually, I don’t really like orange in anything.

ferie d'primavera 2011 (31)

And sometimes, I go home for spring break and neglect any and all responsibilities – including blogging – except for the one that orders me to sleep and eat as much and as often as possible.

ferie d'primavera 2011 (36)

But we all have our secrets.

ferie d'primavera 2011 (63)

Over-the-Humpday Challenge: A Little Rebellion Can Be Healthy

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I love whole grains. I really do. 9 times out of 10, I will pick the whole grain over the simple carb without blinking an eye. The texture is more complex, the flavor heartier, and they are much more satisfying.

irish brown soda bread (14)

But about that 10th time, I get an inner urge to rebel.

Corn muffins were a fixture of my childhood. I have no idea why I remember them so well, but the euphoric feeling when the Jiffy box came out and the first buttery, sweet crumb hit my tongue is still very much with me. Like the Force. Or not.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (13)

So when that very particular craving hit last week, I knew what had to be done. No vegan spin, no whole grain flour substitution – just run-of-the-mill Jiffy-box-clone corn muffins.

Well, alright, I may be lying just a tad. I can’t do anything simple; something in my chemical make-up does not allow it.

Especially since I happen to have some buttermilk left over from last week’s challenge…and even better, a bag of frozen [organic] blueberries happens to be sitting in the freezer just crying out to be used in a recipe. And it’s just best to keep your frozen fruit happy.

So after quite a bit of recipe research – my favorite kind! – I found a simple recipe for strawberry-spiked corn muffins. Corn meal, flour, sugar, oil, egg, milk. Mix, bake, eat. Now that’s a good recipe.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (1)

The original calls for the use of the aforementioned strawberries, which I subbed with the aforementioned blueberries, and regular milk which I replaced with buttermilk. The whole process took about 40 minutes, give or take.

Buttermilk Blueberry-Corn Muffins

(adapted from this recipe by Eating Out Loud)

makes 12 perfectly golden muffins

Ingredients:

1 c. corn meal

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. sugar (I used vegan cane sugar; granulated is fine)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. [sea] salt

1 egg

1/4 c. oil (I used sunflower)

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. frozen (or fresh!) blueberries

Preheat to 400 F. Grease/oil/butter/non-stickify 12 muffin cups.

Combine the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (2)

In a separate bowl, beat the egg. I don’t know why; the recipe said so.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (3)

Then add in the oil and buttermilk – if you’re feelin’ frisky, a little vanilla extract never hurts!

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (4)

Wet –> dry. Don’t over mix.

Fold in the blueberries, or whatever fruit you’re using. Caution: purple-tinted batter may ensue.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (5)

Divide the batter into the muffin cups and throw ‘em in for about 20 minutes – check them then with the toothpick test. I had to keep mine in for an extra 7 or so minutes.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (7)

Now, Spring Break is in 2 days, and here I was with a dozen fresh muffins. I’m sure they freeze well, but this is the time of thing best enjoyed fresh. One of my roommates ate 2, another ate 1 and brought 3 to her class to share with the other student in it and the professor…and BAM! down to 6. Why I am ever concerned about having too much food while living at college, I have no idea.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (14)

The verdict? I like them. Don’t love them – yet. Probably nothing a little butter can’t fix. They were also a tad on the sweet side, and next time I think I will decrease the sugar to 1/3 cup.

There will be a next time, because this recipe is so easy to play around with! Spices, extracts, fruits, flours, milks…oh, the possibilities.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (15)

And didn’t I promise you a good buttermilk recipe? I always deliver on my promises. The food-related ones, anyway.

buttermilk blueberry-corn muffins (9)

Mmmm. I love a good rebellion.

Spring Forward

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I really love spring.

If you ask, I would tell you I’m more of a summer girl – but there is just something about seeing the first green buds on the trees and hearing birds chirping at ungodly hours of the morning that gets me every time.

It helps that I currently live in South Carolina, where spring means 70 degree weather with sunshine in abundance, instead of, um….

This. I’m a Mass[achusetts] girl born and raised, but I sure as hell don’t miss the never-ending winter.

I celebrate pretty much everything with food. Doesn’t everyone? An A on a paper might mean splurging for sushi, an unexpected award leads to ordering dessert.

Of all things, spring is something to be celebrated. The world is waking up, warming up, and a new energy buzzes in the air like the bees pollinating the budding flowers. Not gonna lie though – the buzzing gets a little obnoxious. Seriously, Darwin – why exactly did bugs have to evolve to buzz.

Ahem.

I highly recommend celebrating the coming of spring with these muffins. They’re super healthy – you could probably bake them into bars too if you doubled the recipe – but first and foremost, they are delicious. Between these and the sun, getting up for class in the morning gets a lot easier.

Flax & Oat Muffins (adapted from this recipe at OhSheGlows)

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients

1/c. oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. flax meal

1/2 – 1 tsp. cinnamon

nutmeg, cardamom as desired

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 ripened banana

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 – 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I’ll bet almond extract would be fantastic as well)

This recipe is so simple and quick, I probably don’t even need to give you directions. But I will anyway. Because I took pictures. And who doesn’t like pictures?

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease up 6 muffin cups/tins.

Throw your dry ingredients (oats, flour, ground flax, baking soda, salt & spices) into a bowl and mix ‘em around. I also like to add dried cranberries to these – only a couple of tablespoons or so. Play around with it – and of course, let me know if you discover a particularly wonderful combination. ;) [Chocolate chips are never a bad idea.]

In a separate bowl, mash that banana – the riper, the better. Then mix in the brown sugar, egg, and extracts (if using).

You know the drill – wet –> dry.

Don’t over mix!

Divide the batter as evenly as possible into the cups. I say “as possible” because most recipes leave that out and I feel slightly inferior to these people who are able to flawlessly divide batter into perfectly even portions. If you know what I’m talking about – don’t stress.

And if you are one of those people with such a gift…don’t tell me.

Pop ‘em in for about 15-20 minutes. Use the toothpick trick – mine always have to stay in a little longer. But there’s nothing wrong with a slightly gooey muffin, either.

 

 

I let them cool and then freeze them in a ziploc bag; you can throw one in the microwave for 15 seconds and it’s good to go. This is one of my favorite things about these – I can sleep an extra 15 minutes knowing that breakfast will only take a few seconds.

 

Oh yeah – they’re delicious, too.

Make these now. Thank me later. And don’t forget to lick the bowl.

Happy Spring!

 

 

Over-the-Humpday Challenge: Luck of the Irish

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St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S. carries a lot of connotations. Green, shamrocks, beer, leprechauns, pots of gold, beer, luck, rainbows…did I mention beer?

I’m not a fan of beer. I’m a bread gal, through and through. And what better time of year to try your hand at making Irish Soda Bread?

Answer: none. Roll up those sleeves and preheat that oven people. We’re goin’ green – and for once, I’m not talking about the environment.

 

This is the first recipe I’ve made from the big yellow food bible, also know as The Gourmet Cookbook.

After hours of online research in a quest for the ideal soda bread recipe, it finally hit me: go to Gourmet. You can’t go wrong there. True story. They have not one, but two recipes for this particular kind of bread – I went with the Irish Brown Soda Bread. Love me some whole grain action!

Irish Brown Soda Bread (ever-so-slightly adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. oats (not instant – but I don’t have to tell you that, right? ;)

1/4 c. toasted wheat germ

1 tsp. sea salt (scant tsp. unless using table salt)

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 stick or 4 T. cold unsalted butter

1 1/3 c. buttermilk

If your wheat germ needs toasting:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Spread 1/4 c. wheat germ on a silpat or baking sheet (it shouldn’t stick much, so don’t worry about greasing the pan yet) and stick it in for about 2 1/2 – 5 minutes, depending on the intensity of your oven. Mine, for example, is a beast and in 3 minutes my wheat germ was a little well-done. Moral of the story: watch your wheat germ.

On to the good stuff:

Now preheat your oven to 425 F.

Cut the butter into bits and set aside or back in the fridge – you want it cold. Ireland-in-January-cold.

Get all the dry ingredients mingling together in a large bowl and whisk it all together.

Throw in the butter bits and toss the mix around to coat – don’t get too intense about this. We’re talking seconds here.

Ok, now you want to work the butter into the mix with your fingertips. You can use a pastry blender too, but if you actually have a pastry blender, I probably didn’t even need to tell you that.

Anyway, you want to get the mix to look like a “coarse meal.” I’ve never done this before, so I was a little anxious. Don’t worry – it’s pretty hard to eff-up butter. You basically want to massage the butter into the dough. It takes a bit of elbow grease, and if your counters/working space is a little on the high side, you may want to do this at a table that is hip-height. Or just flex your marching band backstep muscles and stand on your toes like me.

Now measure out your buttermilk and stir it in. I started with a spoon and switched to my hands after a while – sometimes messier = easier.

 

At this point, your dough [and hands] will be quite sticky and dare I say, gloppy. That’s ok! Just make sure you have floured the heck out of your work surface – and keep that flour canister handy. Knead the dough for about a minute and try not to get frustrated with its stickiness. This might be the most difficult step of the entire recipe. I promise you the result is worth it!

Your oven should be ready and rarin’ to go! Plop that dough on a silpat/greased/lined & floured baking sheet and form it into a 7-inch-wide round. Use a knife to mark a shallow X in the top.

It’s completely acceptable to pretend you are Zorro when you make the X. [Xorro?]

Now bake that dough-baby for 30-40 minutes or more – it should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. It took my loaf a looooong time to get close to that, probably closer to an hour, and I even think I took it out a little early. But I’m a big fan of doughy bread, so I had no problem with this. Personal choice.

Sit it on a rack – not a sheet or cutting board because the bottom will get soggy (yes, I did learn that the hard way) – and let it cool for about 2 hours before cutting it. That’s what the directions told me, anyway, although I don’t think the world would stop spinning if you cut into a little early.

Holy Saint Patrick, this bread is SO GOOD. It tastes incredible – crusty, dense, doughy, with the subtlest hint of sweetness from the buttermilk. I just had it plain today because I think fresh bread is best eaten naked, but I’m pretty sure this is going to make some epic toast and grilled cheeses in the incredibly near future. And it didn’t take that long to make – we’re talking half an hour prep time tops.

Mission: Irish Soda Bread Accomplished. Move over, Guinness. This is officially the best way to celebrate this holiday. Ever.

Oh, and about the luck? Tonight I also poached first egg ever with great success, and created a pretty awesome roasted chickpea recipe off the top of my head in minutes. This bread is better than pot of gold any day.

I know what you’re thinking – that stupid leftover buttermilk. Stay tuned, my friends. I’ve got you covered.

College-age Nonmutant Perhaps-Ninja Turtles

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No turtles were hurt during this process. Well, no live turtles, anyway.

On Wednesday I mentioned a certain turtle-y challenge. On Friday, TGIF took on a whole new meaning.

You see, I showed my friend these adorable turtle pretzels on Kirbie’s Cravings (via Tastespotting, as per usual) and it was all over after that. We had to make them.

Now, yeast is on the ingredient list – but don’t let that deter you. I was a little anxious during the entire prep process because I don’t have a whole lot of experience with yeast – at least, not any recent experience. Unless eating my mom’s yeast rolls at Christmas counts?

Ahem. Alright, take off your rings, don your aprons, and tie back your hair. Let’s do this thing.

I followed the recipe exactly (except for one thing, but I’ll get to that later), so I won’t repost it here. Besides, a picture is worth a thousand words!

It calls for 4 1/2 cups of flour, so if you’re low, you might hop to the store. We did!

To begin, mix 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons salt in 1 1/2 cups of warm water. I didn’t have a thermometer, so I just figured out the water tempt he old-fashioned way – stuck my hand under the faucet and waited until it felt like bath water.

Sprinkle a packet (2 1/4 tsp) of active dry yeast on top and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Tick tock, tick tock…

While you waiting, melt 2 oz of butter in the microwave. Please use butter – we want these turtles gross-margarine-chemical-free and not resembling the turtles from the Gulf.

When the 5 minutes are up, add in the butter and flour. You can try to mix it with a spoon, but after about 5 seconds I saw that it was time to go Ms. Frizzle on this dough – get messy!

Knead, baby, knead!

I had to add a little water when it got on the tough side. I really had no idea what I was doing, because the original recipe only has directions for a stand mixer, so I just guessed. After about 5 minutes, I figured it was good enough. Place it in an oiled bowl and let it rise for about 55 minutes.

While you’re waiting, I highly recommend following our lead and making grown-up animal mac & cheese. No, that is not an oxymoron.

 

More turtle love!

The very cute mini cheese grater I bought in California as a joke ended up coming in handy. Worked pretty well, too!

We used a combo of parmeggiano (the good kind – no Kraft here, thankyouverymuch) and this Amish Colby Jack cheese. No idea how much we put in. All I did was cook the pasta (salt your water!!) until slightly undercooked, drain it, and then return it to the still-hot pot on low heat. Add in the cheese – reserve some of the parm for topping – a little milk (we had skim), and some garlic salt and pepper. The garlic salt makes this go from “good” to “we are making this again. soon.” Don’t forget it! We also threw in some frozen broccoli. Hence the “grown up” mac and cheese.

I served mine over some arugula with extra parm on top. Seriously, make this. It was so good. Next time, we’re adding tomatoes and red onion. Maybe some spinach.

Hungry hungry hippo!!

Ok, so your dough is probably about done rising now. I have no real spatial abilities, so I trusted my roommate when she said it looked about double in size.

I cut the dough into 16 “equal” pieces – they weren’t very equal, but we were fine with having a few babies. So, roll each piece out long. It will help if you do this on a floured surface! Then spiral them in to look like snails, like so:

You’ll want a cup of water on hand to make the layers stick. Just don’t drink it.

Now, pinch a head, feet, arms and tail out of the dough.

Mine.

Emily’s.

For obvious reasons, she was in charge of the turtle-forming after that.

Right about here you should get your oven preheating to 450 F and start some water boiling. If you remember to read things, you will put 2/3 cup of baking soda in the water. I did not, and there is a bowl of baking soda in a drawer under our counter feeling quite unhappy and useless. Oops.

Basically, you’re gonna blanch the turtles before baking. When your water is boiling, drop them in for 30 seconds and use a slotted spatula/flat spoon to get them out. I had to do one at a time because our pot is small and I’m not good at multi-tasking, but if either or neither of those is true for you, I’m sure you could do multiple at a time.

Swim towards the light, little guy!

This maybe because I forgot the baking soda, but they expand like WHOA in there! I ended up baking six at a time because that’s all that would fit on my Silpat (aka, the fancy French reusable silicone nonstick baking sheet. You see why it’s just called ‘Silpat.’).

Beat an egg as your roommate continues transforming snails to turtles, and brush some over the pre-baked turtles. (They should dry relatively quickly after their, um, bath.) A brush would be great, but we didn’t have one so I just used my fingers. You’re gonna bake ‘em anyway, germs schmerms.

The directions said to bake them for 6 – 7 minutes. We had to keep them in there for at least double that time  - I’m thinking the lack of baking soda in the blanching water had something to do with that.

A little too blonde after 6 minutes.

But definitely tasty!

Once they’ve cooled, you can use a toothpick, fork tine, etc to poke little holes for eyes. We had some cupcakes sprinkles hanging around…

Red eyes = tired turtle?

This one was looking right!

Tell me this is not the cutest turtle you ever did see!

I did the first batch plain, but in the second and third I tried some toppings. Because it’s me and I have to play with my food.

Coarse sea salt

Rosemary

Brown sugar & cinnamon

The brown sugar definitely won our hearts over – but all of them were absolutely delicious! And really pretty easy – in fact, if you have a fear of working with yeast, this would be a great intro recipe. Trust me, I have no idea what I was doing and they are better than edible! We are definitely making these again – I did NOT measure out 2/3 cup of baking soda to just let it sit in a bowl under our counter. Nope.

Moral: Make these, because they will make you smile.

And don’t forget to spring forward!


A Cookie to Rely On

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One of the [many] things I love about baking is how wonderfully reliable it is.

Now matter how gray the sky is, or how tired I feel, or how many times I dropped my pen in a 10-minute period, I know that I can mix butter, sugar and flour together in a very specific combination and it will make something wonderful. I love that.

It is that passion, in fact, that is what got me interested in vegan baking. Just because someone exercises their personal right to not consume animal products do NOT mean they shouldn’t experience that same reliable joy that a cookie or cupcake can bring. It just shouldn’t.

And so as I tiptoed into the realm of vegan baking, I came across Dreena Burton, author of three quite successful vegan cookbooks and a fantastic blog. I made her chocolate cake and fell in love. But what drew me to her first were these.

Super-Charge Me! Cookies.

Sick and tired of the hydrogenated-oil filled, high fructose corn syrup-ridden, over-processed cookies that are all the rage on grocery store shelves, she got down to the business she knows so well and created a cookie as delicious as it is healthy.

For me, it was love at first bake. The recipe involves OATS, one of my favorite foods, and yet was still adaptable in terms of flavor combinations and add-in variety. Most importantly, they taste.so.good. I kept a constant stash in the freezer and looked forward to whipping up a new batch when the last one disappeared. They made a perfect pre-gym snack, early morning my-stomach-is-not-awake-yet bite, accompaniment to tea. And I can’t remember how many times I would finish a batch and have to make another after the plate of fresh cookies “mysteriously” disappeared when a wanderer happened by the kitchen.

I played around with the recipe a lot, but here is my basic go-to mix when my stash starts to get low. I always play around with the spice combination, add-ins, and nut/seed butter, and every batch turns out just a little differently. You can make them wheat-free (with spelt flour) if you’d like – this recipe actually introduced me to spelt flour and I’ve kept some around ever since!

Ingredients:

1 c. rolled oats

2/3 c. spelt flour OR scant 2/3 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 – 1 tsp. cinnamon (I always use more like 1 tsp because I’m a cinnamon addict)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cardamom

3-4 Tbs chocolate chips (I use vegan chips because they taste the exact same and are cheaper at Whole Foods)

1/4 – 1/3 c. dried fruit (cranberries are my fave, but anything will work – you don’t have to add any at all, if you’d prefer!)

1/3 c. ground flax

1/2 c. maple syrup (or any kind of liquid sweetener; maple seems to have the best texture)

3 Tbs. nut/seed butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (can also do combinations of vanilla + almond, vanilla + rum, etc)

2 Tbs oil (olive, canola, sunflower…walnut oil makes one amazing cookie!)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. I always forget that part, and then I have to use all of my will power to not eat all of the dough…don’t do that to yourself.

 

Mix the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium-large bowl.

Then add the chocolate chips (or butterscotch, or peanut butter…) and the dried fruit and mix it in.

Next in a smaller bowl, mix your wet ingredients: flax meal (yes, I know, not really ‘wet’, but it has just enough moisture that it works better mixed in here), maple syrup, extracts (vanilla and whatever else – I’m a fan of rum extract myself ;) , nut butter, and oil. Not gonna lie – I’ve used half oil/half applesauce before for various reasons (walnut oil is, um, a tad pricey), and it works [almost] just as well.

I highly recommend experimenting with different nut butters – even the brand makes a difference in flavor. I’ve used different peanut butters, almond butters, and most recently sunflower seed butter (one of my roommates is deathly allergic to nuts). Nutella is next on my list…

Looks weird, tastes great. Go with it.

You probably know where I’m going with this: wet —> dry!

Mix it all together, put it on a silpat mat/parchment papaer/aluminum foiled/greased baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes – check it then. They can dry out, but in my experience they need more time in the oven rather than less.

And while you’re waiting….lick the spoon.

These freeze really well, and I’ve found they last longer if I freeze them after letting them cool for about an hour.

And by “last longer,” I mean it becomes slightly more difficult for me to eat 4 in one sitting.

Do let me know if you make these and come up with a particularly amazing combination – I’ll do the same.

Marbled Velvet Cupcakes

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One of my roommates was just in Missouri, auditioning for a post-graduation internship. When my roommates and I heard that she was offered the internship on the spot, we knew what we had to do.

Cupcakes.

After one or two rather sketchy text messages, we confirmed her favorite cakes were red velvet and marble. I dutifully began researching to find the best recipe I could – aka, what recipe had the most ingredients I already had on hand – and lo and behold, what did I find but red velvet marble cupcakes. Done and done.

I made a quick trip to the store for the necessary buttermilk and red food coloring, but alas, the dye was not to be found. Hence, they became simply “Marbled Velvet Cupcakes.” Feel free to add in the color if you make these!

Marbled Velvet Cupcakes

adapted from this recipe from Baking Bites

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners, or just throw your shiny brand new silicone cupcakes liners on a cookie tray.

You will need 3 bowls: a small-medium bowl for dry ingredients, a larger one for creaming, and a small one for the marbling.

In the small-medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and the tsp. of vanilla extract.
Either using a hand mixer on low speed or just with a spoon and your yoga muscles, gradually incorporate one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk.
Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining buttermilk and the last of the flour.
Stir just until mixed. Be careful not to overmix!! I fail at this (although not having a hand mixer might not have helped either?), but it can really make the cupcake tough and not as fluffy and delicate.
Take about a cup of the batter and put it into your small bowl. Add the tablespoon of cocoa powder and mix (gently). [If you'd like to add the coloring, here is where you would mix it in.]
Spoon the batter evenly into the cupcake liners and then spoon the chocolate batter on top.
Now take a knife and swirl, baby swirl. Go easy – you don’t want it too well-mixed or the marbling effect will be lost. Just a couple seconds of swirling should do.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. While you’re waiting, may I recommend playing with your camera’s self-timer?
Be sure to check them after 20, sticking a toothpick into the center. When it comes out clean and batter-free, they’re ready!
Let them cool, and frost as desired. Be sure they are completely cool – you don’t want your frosting melting all over the cupcake!
To frost, I went with Betty – girlfriend knows her frosting. That, and because of said lack of hand mixer, I was unable to make buttercream from scratch.
I used the classic Ziploc method – cut the tip off of a corner and use that as a makeshift pastry bag. It works pretty well, but like everything else, it takes practice. I guess I’ll just have to make more cupcakes…
Don’t forget to lick the spoon.