ENJOYing cupcakes and wine tasting

On the way to our second annual camping trip, we took a little detour to do a cupcake and wine pairing/tasting in Los Olivos, CA.

First of 6 mini cupcakes: Blueberry Chardonnay (Chardonnay cake, filled with a blueberry center, topped with lemon frosting and a Chardonnay soaked blueberry)


The others (left to right, top to bottom): Whipped Peanut Butter (Chocolate cake, filled with peanut butter mousse, topped with whipped peanut butter frosting & a peanut butter cup), Chocolate Blackberry Syrah (Chocolate, syrah infused cake, filled with dark chocolate Belgium fudge, topped with blackberry frosting and a wine soaked blackberry that's rolled in sugar crystals), Chocolate Bailey's & Cream (Chocolate cake, with a creamy chocolate bailey's filling, topped with chocolate frosting & chocolate sauce), Sugar Daddy (Vanilla cake, filled with vanilla bean caramel, topped with cream cheese frosting - swirled with caramel) and Chili Mango (Vanilla bean cupcake filled with chili mango curd, topped with mango frosting and sugared ground chili).

Tart tarts

Shortbread Tarts with Cream Cheese filling
recipe from joyofbaking.com, introduced to me by Jess

INGREDIENTS

Shortbread Tarts:

1 cup (227 grams) (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (65 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour

2 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch or rice flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Filling:

1-8-oz. (227 grams) package cream cheese - softened

1-14 ounce (396 grams) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup (80 ml) lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

Garnish:

Any combination of berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) or other fruit such as slices of kiwi.

DIRECTIONS

Shortbread Tarts: Lightly butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, 36 miniature muffin tins (approximately 2 inch (5 cm) in diameter). Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together (approximately two minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix just until incorporated.

Divide the dough into 36 even pieces and place one ball of dough in the center of each muffin tin. With your fingertips, press the dough up the sides of the individual muffin tin so there is an indentation in the center. Once filled, place the tart pan, with the unbaked shells, in the freezer for about 10 minutes so the shortbread can become firm. (This will help to prevent the shortbread from puffing up during baking.)

Bake for approximately 18 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned. About halfway through the baking time, lightly prick the bottom of each shortbread, with the tines of a fork, if they have puffed up. Check again after another five minutes and prick again if needed. Once they are fully baked, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When completely cooled, remove the tarts from the pan. (These may be made in large quantities and frozen.)

Cream Cheese Filling: In your food processor or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the condensed milk, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla and process just until smooth. (Do not over process or the filling will be too runny.) Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving time. (It is best to make the filling at least a day in advance to give it time to become firm and for all the flavors to mingle).

To serve: Using two small spoons, fill the tart shells with the cream cheese filling. The filled tart shells can be made several hours in advance and refrigerated. Just before serving top with fresh berries or cut up fruit.

Makes about 36 - 2 inch (5 cm) miniature tarts.

Put the lime in the...cupcakes

Key Lime Cupcakes
adapted from several recipes I found online

INGREDIENTS

• 1- lemon or yellow cake mix [I used yellow]
• 1-4.3oz. instant lemon pudding mix (dry) [largest instant/cook & serve box)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners (makes ~24).
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Pour into prepared cupcake cups until 2/3 full.
4. Bake cupcakes for ~20min, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. (I like to rotate the pans in the middle of baking.)
5. Cool cupcakes before frosting.

Cream Cheese and Graham Cracker Frosting

INGREDIENTS

• 8oz softened cream cheese
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1-1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 4 pieces of honey graham crackers
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Whip cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup portions, mix well. Repeat until all is added.
   
3. Cream mixture until smooth.
4. Crush graham crackers until you have smooth crumbs. You can use a food processor, though I used a mortar and pestle, which was easy and fun. If you don't have either, place the crackers in a plastic (ziploc) bag and crush them with anything handy.
   
5. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, then roll cupcakes (frosting side down) in graham cracker crumbs.
6. Cupcakes can be kept in the refrigerator for storage. I enjoyed them cold and at room temperature.
   

Maggie-cally delicious

Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse Cake
Maggie's birthday cake (2011)
adapted from www.epicurious.com

Mousse

• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

Whisk eggs and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) and whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 60°F, about 5 minutes.

Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and very thick, about 10 minutes.

Place chocolate in top of another bowl over simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Cool to lukewarm.

Combine cream and Irish cream liqueur in medium bowl; beat to stiff peaks. Pour lukewarm melted chocolate over egg mixture and fold together. Fold in cream mixture. Cover and chill until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Cake

• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom with parchment paper. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, espresso powder and salt in large bowl until mixture thickens and slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 8 minutes. Sift 1/3 of flour over and gently fold into egg mixture. Repeat 2 more times (do not overmix or batter may deflate).

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Turn out cake. Remove pan bottom. Peel off parchment. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cake in plastic and chill.)

Syrup

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Combine sugar and water in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in whiskey. Cool. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Assembly
Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom cake layer on platter. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 2 cups mousse over. Top with second cake layer. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 2 cups mousse over. Top with third cake layer, cut side down. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread remaining mousse over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake while preparing chocolate bands.

Chocolate Curls

• 12 1-ounce squares semisweet baking chocolate (I just bought a giant bar of Dark Chocolate from Trader Joe's, didn't microwave it like the directions said and just made curls until I had enough to cover the entire cake)

• Powdered sugar (I didn't add this)
  

Line baking sheet with foil. Unwrap 1 square of chocolate. Place chocolate on its paper wrapper in microwave. Cook on High just until chocolate begins to soften slightly, about 1 minute (time will vary depending on power of microwave). Turn chocolate square onto 1 side and hold in hand. Working over foil-lined sheet, pull vegetable peeler along sides of chocolate, allowing chocolate curls to fall gently onto foil. Form as many curls as possible. Repeat process with remaining chocolate squares. Place curls decoratively atop cake, mounding slightly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate cake.) Sift powdered sugar over chocolate curls before serving cake.

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Caramel Pecan Pound Cake

I saw. I wanted. I baked.

I heart sweets

Rice Krispie treats for Valentine's Day.

Are you ready for some football?

Football Cocoa Rice Krispie treats
Recipe adapted from www.ricekrispies.com

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Cocoa Rice Krispies®
• 2 Tbs white chocolate for frosting*

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Cool slightly. Using buttered hands shape mixture into sixteen 3-inch footballs.

4. Melt white chocolate and transfer to small sandwich bag.* Decorate footballs. Best if served the same day.