Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I'm thankful for...


... THE BEST cupcakes I've ever made/eaten. Fluffy cake batter, strong coffee, a dash of liquor and a lot of cream. What more can one ask for? I made a slight modification to the existing recipe, so ask me what it is, if you're interested.

Tiramisu Cupcakes
recipe from marthastewart.com

Ingredients

Makes 18

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
  • 3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Coffee-Marsala Syrup
  • Mascarpone Frosting
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.
  2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.
  3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.
  4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
  5. To finish, brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

I heart fruit tart

Iolo's Halloween birthday cupcakes

Bourbon Steak-a real San Francisco treat

Fries

18oz Bone-in Rib Eye

chocolate cake- chocolate brittle- chocolate malt

chocolate bourbon balls

Paris, for me

Roasted Chicken with salad and pommes frites

Ile Flottante: "Floating Island"- a meringue floating on creme anglaise

beignet au chocolat

macarons

hotel breakfast

weird pig thing (filled with some sort of chocolate-like stuff)

munching on some pain in front of the Arc de Triomphe ready to take on Champs Elysees

cafe au lait

fried marinated sardines

puff pastry with escargot and mushrooms

steak with cream sauce

chocolate torte with vanilla cream sauce and chocolate crunch balls

steak and pommes frites

plums (prunes)

pain au chocolat (x 10)

croissant, pain, brie, jambon et cafe au lait