Operation Cup Cake

So baking has never been one of my things.   Recently I have been traveling so much for work I have picked up baking to make sure my loved ones have something to remember me by when I am not around.   Happy tummy = happy heart. 

So my first real attempt at this is perfecting some delicious cup cake recipes.   With that said here is some pics of the adventure!

I worked off my recipe from my last cupcake post so I hope you enjoy where I have begun to take it

My intention is to keep learning and keep baking until i have an ARSENAL of cupcake recipes :) xoxo

 

White cupcake with Cocoa & Butter Icing 

 

What to do when you are blue??? CUPCAKES!!! - A Recipe For A Hard Weekend

So the last few days have been a tough couple of days.    I have been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster due to a very close family member going through major surgery to try to make a dent in their stage 4 cancer.  To add to my tiredness and stress I had to work from 9-9 the previous weekend and then red-eye it home to begin helping my family prep for the surgery.   I have been basically going since 2/28 and last night was my first night off.   I had been suffering from migranes since friday due to exhaustion and stress and they were finally getting under control so I wanted to do something to celebrate my night off.

What to do...what to do...

Oh wait I know!  I will make that which has the power to make almost everyone smile :)

CUPCAKES!

So what were the attributes I wanted in my cupcake:

Heavenly Light and Fluffy
Flavorful and Robust Icing without the Fluff Factor

Fundamentally I wanted comfort food not decorative desert.  I looked up a quick recipe from Epicurious for white cupcakes as white cupcakes are light, fluffy and, pillowy cupcake heaven.  For some reason they remind me of being 6 years old and having my hand covered in icing.  haha.  I digress...

Here is a pic of the white cupcakes out of the oven cooling off:

For the icing I wanted to once again make something very comforting.    I thought about comforting and chocolate is about as comforting as it gets.   I mean for reals...they make your body release natural opiates.    That sounds comforting!

One of my favorite simple chocolate icing recipes is the one on the box of Hershey's brand unsweetened cocoa powder.   I mean it is hershey's...Once again I am six years old with my hand in the icing bowl! hehe :) xoxo

So I used the HERSHEY'S "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting Recipe which is on the side of the cocoa box but also online.   I make one modification to the recipe though....  I cut out some sugar because I want the cocoa to be the star.   So my recipe has the following in it for ingredients:

1 stick of butter (mmmm)
2/3 cup of Hershey's Unsweetend Cocoa
2 cups of powdered sugar (recipe says 3 cups)
1/3 cup of WHOLE milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Now Hershey's recipe for "Perfectly Chocolate" frosting calls for 3 cups of sugar but I use 2 cups.   Why you ask?    I want COCOA to be the star NOT sugar.    With 2 cups it is sweet but also nice and choco-licious.  It retains a bitter of bitterness which is what makes chocolate great.

I let someone try my icing and they responded with the following statement:

"My oh my.  I just want to jump head first into that bowl"

hehe xoxo

Ok now given I am usually an ingredient nut I want to address the Hershey's Cocoa component of this recipe.  Some of you might be saying it's not gourmet, it's not organic, it's not this and it's not that.   Well guess what it's perfect.   Read the ingredients....There are only one.  Cocoa.   GO Hershey's the iconic american chocolate brand.  Oh how I love thee Hershey's.  Your taste, your flavor, your super exciting theme park....ALL OF IT.  ICONIC. xoxo

xoxo

So how did it turn out?????????

PURE COMFORT FOOD DELICIOUSNESS!

YUM YUM FLUFFY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES!

Berry Berry Delicious Birthday Meals

So today was a very special day that required me to cook some very special meals for a very special person.    This person happens to also love berries.

So when I woke up this morning I had an idea.   I wanted to make the day a Berry Berry Delicious day by whipping up some Berry Compote centric dishes for breakfast and dessert.

I made a quick and easy Blackberry and Blueberry compote in the morning with the notion of putting it on some buttermilk pancakes and designing a cake around it a bit.

First step was the pancakes and I want to make it absolutely delicious.   I have come to realize that the more care or love you put into the meal the better it comes out.   You need to take your time and do every step with the full focus of your mind and heart.   When you do this things come out so wonderful delicious and uniquely perfect.

I used the recipe from Joy of Cooking for Buttermilk pancakes and I will posts  separate article about all that tomorrow but I wanted to take the time to talk about technique for a second.   What I am beginning to learn about baking is that you need to very careful mix every thing up.

The more care you put to how you mix things together. the more delicious they end up being especially texturally.   So I took great care in whisking all the liquids together.    I started with the eggs and buttermilk and really whisking them to make them nice and airy.   I then slowly whisked in the butter, and then the dried goods an ingredient at a time.  Slow slow slow.    The batter was so fluffy looking and bubbly.  It looked divine before even cooking!   I cooked in some of the compote as well as drizzled it on top.   They were so fluffy and fruity.   YUM YUM YUM!!!!

And Dessert you ask?!????   I whipped up Joy of Cooking's Velvet Spice Cake.   YUM YUM YUMMY!   I also whipped up the Joy of Cooking Chocolate Butter Icing.   Once the cake cooled I layered on the icing and let it get cool again.   I then gave it a healthy coating of the berry compote and of course I spiked the icing and compote mixture with some fresh nutmeg and a pinch of ground coffee.    How did it taste???   I had a piece with vanilla ice cream and some more berry compote drizzle and good lord.   YUM YUM CAKE!

I also cooked bacon for breakfast and shrimp scampi with new york strip steak served with grilled eggplant, zucchini, and red endive along side of cilantro mashed potatoes.  All of which was delicious!    I love putting my love on a plate and making a very special person a very special meal.   :)   Happy Birthday.