What’s cooking?
Recently we celebrated my husband’s birthday. He’s quite the
foodie. We watch several cooking shows together and he had a subscription to
Food Network Magazine, which he loves!
When I asked him what cake he wanted for his birthday, he
grabbed the magazines, picked half a dozen contenders (not just cake but pie
and crumbles, etc) then asked me to surprise him.
After going through the recipes, and based on the look in
his eye as he was pointing them out, I chose a peanut-butter-cream-filled
cupcake with a chocolate ganache frosting and topped with a salty peanut
garnish. A bit labor intensive...as compared to a plainer cupcake but oh-my-gosh
so worth it.
I totally cheated with this one. It really couldn’t be easier. I blended box and
homemade but if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t be able to tell. Serious yum!
So what's cooking in your home? Any recipes you'd like to share?
So what's cooking in your home? Any recipes you'd like to share?
Holy smokes, those sound so good!!!! I think I want one. Or a dozen. LOL. Now if I only had some time to bake some myself!!!
ReplyDeleteDelicious post.
:)
Thank you, Dee! They really were good. I think the next time I make the chocolate, I'm going to make some whipped cream to swirl on top... just to add some lightness. Thank you for your post.
ReplyDeleteOMG These look divine! You MUST share the recipes. I've just re-found my Gran's Northumbrian Rice Cake and it's DELISH!!
ReplyDeleteRachael, will you share the recipe?
DeleteThe raspberry lemonade ones look fabulous - yes, I'm with Rachel, please share the recipe!!! Really enjoyed this post, even if it did make me hungry!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'll give up my secrets. ; ) Thank you so much for visiting and posting!
DeleteI'm loving the rasberry lemondae ones! I may have to try that one with my limited skills at home. Sadly I do mean limited - how do you get filling in?
ReplyDeleteHi Lilly!
DeleteIt's pretty easy. Once the cupcake has cooled, scoop or cut out a divot from the top. I use an old apple corer. It works beautifully. Then with a pastry bag and a larger tip, I fill the hole up. I also have a long skinny tip you can use but I prefer the apple corer. If you need the number of the tip I used, I'll go look, but I generally just find a big one. ; )
I have to have the peanut butter filled ones. I haven't made anything from scratch in so long I'm not sure I could, but those look soooo good!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. I posted the recipe. : )
DeleteHere is the recipe for the chocolate cupcakes. It's from Bobby Flay. The man can cook. ; ) I'll post the lemonade ones myself...That one is semi from scratch and I have to remember exactly how much of what I put in, or rather how to relate it in a way it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteIngredients
For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch- process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot strong coffee
For the filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
For the ganache:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line one 12-cup and one 6-cup muffin pan with paper or foil cupcake liners.
Make the cupcakes: Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together three times. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed for 15 seconds until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 6 more minutes. With the mixer at its lowest speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla, then another one-third of the flour mixture. Beat in the coffee and then the remaining flour mixture. Fill the muffin cups halfway and bake for 25 minutes, or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Set the pans on a rack to cool.
Make the peanut butter filling: Beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Insert the tip into the top of each cooled cupcake and squeeze approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons filling into each cupcake.
Make the ganache frosting: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until scalding. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Let sit 10 minutes, until thick but still pourable. Dunk the tops of the cupcakes into the frosting to coat, then place on a rack and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Transfer to the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set.
Okay.. here goes. The recipe for the raspberry lemonade cupcakes. I pants these so... ; )
ReplyDeleteFilling:
Take 6 oz (one small package) of fresh raspberries. add 1 TSP of sugar and smash them with a fork. Set aside. (Taste this, if you want it sweeter, add more sugar. The sugar will make it juicy too. That's okay)
Mix one package of lemon cake mix (your choice) per package directions except replace two tablespoons of water with lemon concentrate. Add the zest of one small lemon.
Bake cupcakes as directed.
Frosting.
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
4 cups (about) powdered sugar
1 T lemon concentrate
Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth add the powdered sugar and lemon concentrate. Whip until fluffy.
(Here's where I get honest. I am not sure on the exact proportions. It might be 1 1/2 T lemon concentrate. Butter cream usually calls for milk, I didn't use use it. Cream cheese for vanilla. Didn't want to use that either. I wanted the frosting not too sweet (like butter cream can get.)
Once cupcakes are done, let them cool. Cut/scoop or use a apple corer to make a hole in the top of the cupcake. With a spoon, fill the holes with the raspberry mixture. Some juice is okay because it will seep into the cake. Too much will make the cake soggy.
Fill a pastry bag--fixed with a larger tip--with the frosting and swirl it over the cupcake.
If I'd been doing this for home consumption, I would have added a sugared raspberry at the top of each cupcake as garnish...and a mint leaf if they were in season.
Feel free to ask any questions. I know this wasn't the clearest recipe ever. ; )
I can neither bake nor cook, but these cupcakes look delish. Perhaps someday I will give them a try!
ReplyDelete