Black Bottom Cupcakes

My favorite word lately has been BADASS.

These cupcakes are BADASS.

All February I've craved these. Everything about these seems so FEBRUARY. Dark, and chocolaty and very, very rich. They make the horrible dreary days we've been suffering through absolutely bearable. And that's no exaggeration.

Plus, they're BADASS.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
From The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz

Yield: 12 full-size or approximately 30 mini cupcakes

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes:
1. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes.
4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely,** which is fine.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These moist treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

Toothsome Italian Cream Cake

I associate this cake with my Aunt Eileen. Eileen loves making Italian Cream Cake. And my cousin Claire, Eileen's daughter, she loves eating cake especially Italian Cream Cake. That's a lot of love. This is their favorite cake.

I don't know what makes this cake Italian, in fact I've read that it's a Southern invention, and actually has nothing to do with Italian cooking.

This is a mellow, rich, coconutty cake. Luscious. And toothsome.

Italian Cream Cake
From ThePioneerWomanCooks

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

1 stick Butter

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 cup Sugar

5 whole Eggs (separated)

3 teaspoons Vanilla

1 cup Coconut (from PW: If You Think You Hate Coconut, Trust Me: I Do Too, And I Love It In This Recipe)

2 cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 cup Buttermilk

_____

FOR FROSTING:

2 packages (8 Oz) Cream Cheese

1 stick Butter

2 teaspoons Vanilla

1 package 2 Lb Powdered Sugar

1 cup Chopped Walnuts

1 cup Sweetened, Flaked Coconut

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Cake:

In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, then fold in egg whites.

Pour evenly into the three prepared pans, then sprinkle the top of each pan with 1 (at least) tablespoon sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

Frosting:

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chopped walnuts and sugared coconut. Spread between layers and serve.

Note: cream cheese frosting will soften at room temperature, so refrigerate if you won’t use it right away.

Cocoa-Buttermilk-End-of-the-Month-Celebration Cake

I just watched the movie (500) Days of Summer, and while it was an exercise in complete and total wannebee hipster lameness, the "protagonist" wrote cards for a living. There's a scene where all of the cardwriters(?) are trying to come up with new holidays to sell more cards. If I were in that movie, I would have won an academy award for best card concept-- END OF THE MONTH CAKE DAY. To celebrate the end of the month and the start of a new one, bake a cake. And I mean CAKE. A celebration cake.
This cake is way delicious. Dorie Greenspan, aka Goddess of Baked Goods, had malt powder in her recipe, because I had no malt powder I just substituted extra powdered sugar. Relatively quick, and very simple this cake is an excercise in deliciousness.

Cocoa Buttermilk End of the Month Celebration Cake
From Baking:From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9x2 inch round cake pans, dust insides with flour.

To make the cake: Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Working with a stand mixer in a large bowl beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until throughly blended with the butter. Add the eggs one at a time, then the yolks one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the buttermilk in 2 (begin and end with dry ingredients); mix only until each new batch is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl, and if you want, add teh melted chocolate, folding it in with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the cake pans.
Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to racks and cool for about 5 minutes before unmolding. Invert and cool to room temperature.

For the Chocolate Malt Buttercream:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup malted milk powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa power
1/4 cup boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temp
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

To make the buttercream: Melt the chocolate with halft the brown sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the malt powder and cocoa together in a small owl, pour over 3 tablespoons of the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Whisking the melted chocolate gently, gradually pour in the hot malt-cocoa mixture and stir to blend-- it should be daark, smooth and glossy.
WOrking with the stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining brown sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes more, until well blended. Beat in the slat and vanilla extract, then reduce the mixer speed to low. Scrape in the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth. Still working on low speed add the confectioners sugar. When all the sugar is in, increase mixer speed to medium and beat for a few minutes. Lower speed and add remaining tablespoon of boiling water, then increase speed and give frosting another spin. It will be light and thick enough to use immediately. If it doesn't hold shape beat more.

To assemble cake: Place one layer top side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Frost top of the layer, cover with second layer, top side down. Frost the sides and top of the cake, either smoothing teh butter cream for a sleek look or using a spatula, knife or spoon to swirl it for a more exuberant look.
Refridgerate cake for at least 1 hour to set frosting, then bring to room temp and serve. (Lies. Who can wait ONE WHOLE HOUR?)

GUESS WHAT?

i like beets.

Peanut-Butter Blossoms

These are cookies for your soul.

I made these around Christmas time. I had had a voice lesson, and my adorable teacher Suzi, forced me to take some Christmas cookies. And among the cookies were the dinky little peanut butter ones. And they were OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD. Then I saw this recipe in the New York Times. I decided things had been fated, I HAD TO MAKE THESE BABIES. The story behind these cookies is really cool:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/dining/16cookies.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=peanut%20butter%20cookies&st=cse

The gist of the story if you're too lazy to read the whole thing, is that in some parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio, at weddings people NOT ONLY HAVE A CAKE AND ICE CREAM BUT ALSO HAVE A COOKIE BAR WITH THOUSANDS OF COOKIES.
I'm not even kidding.

This recipe is from one of the families the Times interviewed for the story. The point is, these little peanut-butter blossoms are delicious. They're one of the best comfort, soul-foody, cookies of all time.
So so so good.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
From The New York Times, December 15, 2009
Adapted from the Gerrero family
Time: 35 minutes, plus 1 hour’s refrigeration if needed

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar, more for rolling
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Nonstick spray or vegetable oil for cookie sheet, optional
5 dozen (one 11-ounce package) Hershey’s Kisses, foil removed.
1. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing thoroughly. If the dough is very soft, refrigerate for about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray, oil or line a cookie sheet with nonstick liner and set aside. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (For a precise number of cookies, divide the dough into 5 pieces, and shape each piece into 12 balls.)

3. Roll cookies in sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake until very light brown and puffed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and lightly press a candy kiss into center of each cookie, allowing it to crack slightly. Return to oven until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Yield: 5 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Can you say "pound-cake"?

Okay.

Now can you say "Chocolate-Chip Pound-Cake"? (Question: Is pound-cake hypenated?)

I made this the other day for a party. This recipe is a killer. It is SO good.

Chocolate Chip Poundcake
from The Moosewood Cookbook

1 pound buter, at room temperature
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Grease and flour four small loaf pans, or a full sized bundt or tube pan.

Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, on at a time, beating well after each. Remove from electric mixer.
Sift together dry ingredients. Mix together milk and vanilla extract. Add dry and wet to butter mixture alternately, beginning and ending with dry. Add chocolate chips. Mix by hand, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, after each addition. Mix thoroughly, just enough to blend, without excess beating.
Pour into loaf or bundt or tube pan. Bake 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. After the cake cools ten minutes, turn it out onto a plate. Let cool completely before slicing.

Cinnamon Swirl Buns

So I made the cinnamon buns. yes. Those cinnamon buns.
What?
You don't know the ones I'm talking about?

I'm talking about the cinnamon buns that had me drooling from the first glance.

Yep. I'm talking about these babies:http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/cinnamon-swirl-buns-so-much-news/

I finally made them.

Boy were they good. Muy delicioso.

Granted, anything with cream cheese frosting is bound to be pretty delicious.

Cinnamon Swirl Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze
Adapted SmittenKitchen who adapted it from Molly Wizenberg’s recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2008,

Makes 18 buns.

Dough
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt

Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For dough: Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. (You may also use a KitchenAid’s dough hook for this process.) Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in medium bowl.

Press down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly over butter. Starting at the longer side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, trim ends straight if they are uneven (we baked them in a ramekin, incapable of discarding such deliciousness) cut remaining dough crosswise with thin sharp knife (a good serrated worked well here) into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes (an 8-inch square metal pan worked just fine, too) with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes, though yours, like mine, may take longer. Don’t skimp on the double-rising time.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: These buns were best the day they were baked. The second day, they were on the tough side. If you anticipate wanting them over a few days, glaze them to order, heating the buns beforehand to soften them up.