Really Raspberry

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm still learning a few things about baking.  And I'm not very graceful.  But, I'm a lot of fun to watch! 

Tonight was no exception.  I had decorating tips and bags flying while working on these beauties!

I've been swamped all week with school but am never too busy to whip up some birthday cupcakes!  My friend, Lauren, moved away from Santa Fe (to Jemez Springs) a few months back and I miss her.  She comes to visit periodically and we have been to see her once (she did our amazing pictures for last year's Christmas card).  Today, is her birthday and tomorrow I get to visit with her.  Her request was chocolate with raspberry. So, off I went to Annie's eats after scouring through Pinterest and finding nothing that sounded good enough.  Here's what I came up with:


Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
9 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup strong coffee (or water)
1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk

For the filling:
Seedless raspberry jam
For the raspberry truffles:
2 pints fresh raspberries
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

For the frosting:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Pink icing color (optional)

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the coffee and milk.  Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Stir in the coffee-milk mixture and mix until combined.  Add in the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, heat some raspberry jam just enough to allow for easy stirring and smooth texture (I do about 20-30 seconds).  Transfer the jam to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, poke into each cupcake and pipe a small amount inside.

To make the raspberry truffles, rinse fresh raspberries and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Gently shake the berries around to remove excess water.  Place the chocolate and jam in a small heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and jam.  Let stand for about 3 minutes.  Whisk together gently until smooth.  If any unmelted lumps remain, microwave a few seconds and whisk again.  Let the ganache cool a bit until it has thickened slightly (enough to be piped through a pastry bag).  Once it has reached the right consistency, transfer the ganache to a pastry bag and pipe into the center of the clean raspberries.  Refrigerate at least 15 minutes to set.

To make the frosting, place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Cream on medium-high speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.  Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  Tint with icing color as desired.

To finish the cupcakes, frost with the raspberry jam buttercream and top with a few of the raspberry truffles.  

I don't know what went wrong, but i have this sneaking suspicion that I over mixed the batter.  The centers were a little limp and even though I didn't over fill the cups, the cake spilled over onto the pan.  None the less, I filled, frosted and ganashed those puppies.  Oh and don't substitute any shortening in this recipe.  I managed to make a STIFF frosting.  That all tastes AMAZING!  And I'm not really such a huge fan of raspberry but, boy, oh boy does this work!

Mmmmmm, Bread!

I was afraid to make bread bcause it takes a long time!  But, a few months ago some friends had a playdate where we learned how to make bread.  It's easy, does take some time, but tastes so fabulous.  It's totally worth the time.

I usually bake bread on the weekends.  This last weekend was no exception.  The results: a broken cutting board. 


Ingredients:

6 + 1 cups flour (I suggested 4 whole wheat, 2 all purpose, though all whole wheat or all all-purpose would be fine. My flour was from Trader Joe's.)
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs. millet flour
2 Tbs. sesame seeds (mine were hulled, either hulled or unhulled is fine)
2 Tbs. sunflower seeds
2 Tbs. ground flax seeds (Store them in the freezer.)
1 Tbs. active dry yeast (buy in bulk if you can, and keep it in your freezer)
1- 1 1/2 Tbs. salt (we used a tiny bit more than 1 Tbs. of sea salt)

1/4 c. + 1 tsp. honey (we used the desert honey from Trader Joe's)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil or butter)
3 + 1/2 c. warm water
3 1/2 Tbs. yogurt

Day 1:
In a large bowl, mix 6 c. four, oats, millet flour, salt, 1/4 c. honey, oil, 3 c. water and yogart.  Mix with hands until all flour is incorporated.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap so it is air tight.  I place a towel on top just to weigh it down.  You want to soak the flour 12-24 hours.  If you go over, it doesn't hurt.  Soaking the flour allows it to fully expand and leads to fluffier bread.

Day 2:
(Here's what I forgot to do today)
Proof your yeast: add yeast to 1/2 c. warm water (no warmer than 110 degrees...it will kill the yeast) and 1 tsp. honey.  Mix and let the yeast rise for 5-10 minutes.  It's gonna stink but that means the yeast is alive and well!

Add proofed yeast, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, to soaked flour.  Mix by hand...it's gonna get messy and sticky.  At this point your dough will be really sticky and wet.  Add more all purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough is not sticking to your hands as you kneed it.  Oh yeah, dump dough onto a floured counter and begin kneeding and adding flour as needed.  If it gets too dry (doesn't get moist again after a few turns of kneeding) add more warm water 1Tbs at a time.  Better to be a little sticky than too dry.  Kneed (fold and turn and push, fold and turn and push, and on and on) until sesame seeds start popping out or it gets kinda sweaty.  This takes some time, like 15-20 minutes.  BE PATIENT and enjoy the forearm work out!

Once kneeded, a lot, pour some oil in big bowl and coat sides.  Put dough in bowl and turn to coat.  Place towel over bowl and set aside (in a warm place) to rise.  This rise is complete when dough top is flat or it starts to fall.  It should have doubled in size.  1-2 hours is needed.

Punch the dough down.  Turn it over in the bowl.

Replace towel and set aside to rise, AGAIN.  Another 1-2 hours.  It's tempting to put dough in oven but that will kill the yeast before it's done its job completely.  Now, if your house is cold, you can place dough in a preheated oven (preheat to 170 degrees and then turn it OFF).  This still takes time.

When dough has doubled again, punch down and take out of bowl.  Divide into two even pieces.  Roll each piece out flat (work it with your hands) to a rectangle.  Start on one short edge and roll into a loaf.  Place in two greased loaf pans.  Let it rise, yet again.  This time only 35-45 minutes.  Again, covered with a towel. 

Once the third rise is complete, I spread some extra olive oil on tops since bread will continue to rise as it begins to bake.  Bake at 350 degrees until top browns and bread pulls away from sides of the pan, about 40 minutes.  You can smell when it's done.  Or you can insert a meat thermometer...you want the center to get to 200 degrees.

When it's done take them out of the oven and let them rest in pan for a short amount of time: 5-60 minutes.  Personally, I don't wait longer than 10 minutes.  Too much time in the pan and the bottom gets mushy.  EEEWWWWWW!  Spread butter over warm top and dump onto wire rack to cool.  When the bread is almost completely cooled, I put into a plastic bread bag to steam away.  It makes for more moist bread. 

Mmmmmm, fluffy, yummy bread

A big thanks to Sarah-Anne for her recipe and help!

Takes some time but it's so yummy, unless you don't add yeast or the seeds or anything else listed on day two.  Technically, I could have flattened the yeastless dough and made crackers.  I didn't really feel like it.  Instead, I placed my measuring cup (ok, placed with frustration or dropped with force) into a sink where my cutting mat was.  And broke the mat.  I'll try again next week.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

I read somewhere about getting your picky eater to eat more veggies.  I have a picky, finicky eater.  Some days he wants chicken and rice, while other days I can barely get him to eat spagetti-o's.  I also like to bake with honey so I did a search for honey recipes and came across this jewel!  The first time I made it according to the recipe and O ate 4 mini-muffins!  Maybe that's because I forgot to grease the pans before putting his in and then I added chocolate chips to the adult sized muffins.  I like to think it was the pumpkin that he liked so much!  The next time I made them, I added cocoa powder and pecans to the grown up sized muffins while leaving his according to the recipe.  He still ate them, just not as quickly.  Every time I make this recipe I change something: add 1/4 tbs. flax seed meal, chocolate chips and pecans, just pecans and on and on.  Take it, tweak it, LOVE IT!!!

One Bowl Pumpkin Bread/Muffins
3/4 c. honey
2 eggs
1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 T. molasses (Optional)
1 2/3 c. whole wheat or sprouted flour
1/2 c. melted butter or coconut oil (I like the coconut oil to cook with and then butter to eat it with!)
1/4 c. cold water
1 c. pumpkin

Mix all ingredients together.  Put in greased loaf pan or muffin tin.  Bake at 325 degrees until a tooth pick comes out clean.
Bread = 65-80 minutes
12 muffins = 35-40 minutes (I've not found this to be the case.  At my house it's more like 25 minutes)
24 mini muffins = 25 minutes (again, at my house this is a lie...12ish minutes does the trick)

Also, I go check on my muffins when I start to smell them.  I'm excited that Owynn loves these muffins...I love EVERYTHING pumpkin!!!

Enjoy!

Softened butter means:

That your frosting won't slide off the cupcake, as mine did.

*If you are a professional/semi-professional baker/decorator and you know what I did wrong, keep it to yourself for the moment!  READ ON!!!

What decorating tip did I use?  Why the star of course, can't you tell?! 

These red velvet cupcakes are for my friend Hilary, whom I adore and in turn she adores me and my baking.  She also REALLY likes red velvet anything.  She is hosting a Pampered Chef party, which I am the consultant for.  My gift to her is a dozen cupcakes. 

So, I went to my favorite site, Annie's Eats to find her fabulous recipe.  Which I've made before and had no problems with.  I baked away and let the cupcakes cool while I prepared the frosting, which I've also made before.  I prepared my piping bag and started frosting away noticing that my icing was drooping.  I blame the butter.

I was also working on Salted Caramel Mocha Coffe Frappuccino cupcakes but decided to frost those in the morning.  I went to bed blaming the butter.

My son and I go up this morning and followed our usual routines: diaper, breakfast, sign language videos and some zombie-like time for mom.  I started thinking about the caramel cupcakes and pulled out the butter to warm, reminding myself not to let it get to room temperature.  We played for a while and then I figured the butter was warm enough. 

So I got on with completing the cupcakes and made my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, substituting 1/4 cup of shortening for some of the butter (makes the frosting a but stiffer without having to add more sugar).  I had used my sifter the night before, washed it by hand and set it to dry.  Or so I thought.  When I started sifting the powdered sugar I noticed the top was going down but nothing was coming out of the bottom.  except some sugary paste.  GRRRRRR!  So I dumped the rest of the sugar into the bowl, mixed it up and finished the caramel cupcakes. 

And as I was spreading caramel and sprinkles on these fantastic looking cupcakes, it hit me.  LIKE A TON OF BRICKS!  It wasn't the butter's fault.  The cream cheese frosting didn't have enough powdered sugar! 

But they still taste amazing!

Droopy frosting and all!

In the Beginning...

Someone at church mentioned that I needed to start sharing my delicious recipes and I agree!  So this is my place to share the successes and failures that my baking entails! 

Stay tuned and you might be delighted!

XXOO
A