Double Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Like many women, I too have a serious chocolate addiction. I prefer to eat chocolate everyday. I know this is not the smartest thing to do, so I try to restrain myself as much as possible. But there are times when I, like the best of us, cave. Especially when I run into a recipe like Double Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes. It goes without saying that I'm already hooked when reading a title that contains Double Chocolate, but I have to admit that I love the combination of chocolate and raspberry.

So I caved and made these cupcakes. And you know what? I am so glad I did, because these cupcakes are a little piece of heaven! No, I am not exaggerating... they are fluffy, moist, almost light as air, with an amazing chocolate flavour. Inside you find that fresh, slightly tangy flavour of the raspberries and the whole thing is covered with ganache! Like I said... a little piece of heaven....

I know these cupcakes lack the outer display of raspberries, but the reason for this is simply that I didn't have any fresh raspberries on hand. I used frozen for the filling, but they don't look nice enough for the decoration on top, so I decided to just skip that. It's maybe even more fun this way, because people expect to eat a chocolate cupcake and are surprised when they taste the raspberry filling. Makes it a little bit more fun!

If you love chocolate, or have a serious chocolate addiction, go make these! You have my blessing!

Recipe

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Yield: 24-28 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or yogurt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the frosting:
12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and add the hot coffee. Let stand for 2 minutes and whisk until the chocolate is melted and incorporated in the coffee.

In a separate large bowl mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Beat the eggs on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until slightly thickened and pale yellow. Gradually add the oil, buttermilk or yogurt, vanilla extract and coffee-chocolate mixture to the eggs, making sure it is well blended.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling them about 3/4 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans, before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

To make the raspberry filling, puree the raspberries in a blender. If you want to remove the seeds (which I recommend) strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Put the puree in a small saucepan and whisk in the sugar and cornstarch. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture cool before use.

To make the ganache, add the chopped chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl. Combine the cream, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan and heat until it starts boiling. Immediately pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk the mixture carefully until it is smooth and well blended. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until completely incorporated. Let the ganache cool to room temperature to thicken so it can be spread. If you want to speed up this process put the bowl in the refrigerator, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until it has reached the desired thickness.

Once you have made all the elements it is time for the assembly! Put the raspberry filling in a pastry bag, fitted with a plain fine tip or a special tip for filling, if you have one). Just stick the tip of the pastry bag in the top of a cupcake and pipe in some filling. If you're not sure how much to use, go easy and if you have filling left at the end, just make another round. You don't need more than a few teaspoons of filling for each cupcake.

Spread the ganache over the tops of the cupcakes with a knife or an offset spatula. Allow the ganache to set completely before serving.

Source: barely adapted from Annie's Eats

Coffee Chocolate Macarons

I know, I know, everybody has been posting about macarons. I know that it isn't very original to post about it. But I don't care. I love macarons. I really do. So I don't care what you think about this post. Okay, I admit I really do care about what you think, but you gotta cut me some slack. I love macarons and so I am going to write about them.

This is my first time ever making macarons and to tell you the truth....I was scared. Really scared. This summer, while eating my way through France, I bought a beautiful book about macarons. I read the entire book (well, the words I could understand.... my French isn't very good). I read some more on the internet. And then I read some more on the internet. I just love Google!

Every time I thought about making macarons I found an excuse not to make them. But I finally gathered all my courage and just jumped. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. The actual making isn't very difficult, it's just a tricky batter that makes it difficult. Let me put your mind at ease. They weren't perfect.

I overmixed the meringue and I overmixed the batter (hmmm.... am I detecting a patron? Surely not?). When I was baking the cookies I had to let them in the oven for a lot longer. When the cookies had cooled off they were a bit chewy and tough.... not exactly the result I was going for. And of course they didn't have the pretty feet you expect in a good macaron. But despite that they still tasted good, so I decided to finish them with a ganache. No surprises there.

The big surprise came actually the next day. For some mysterious reason the cookies were absolutely perfect the next day. The texture had changed from chewy and tough into crunchy on the outside, but soft and light on the inside. How is that possible? Maybe it had something to do with the ganache? I have absolutely no idea, but I also don't really care.

So all in all I am very pleased with the end result and can't wait to make more macarons. (what? More macarons? Yes, more macarons. Don't hate me for it...). Oh, and I can't really tell you how much macarons this recipe makes, because mine were a bit on the (really) big side. If you need a bit more info on macarons I can recommend the blog of Tartelette, the queen of macarons.

Recipe

Coffee Chocolate Macarons

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
90 grams egg whites (about 3, 1-2 days old, room temperature)
30 grams granulated sugar
200 grams confectioners' sugar
110 grams almonds
1 teaspoon espresso powder

For the filling:

3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 teaspoons espresso powder

Instructions:

Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Whip the egg whites into a foam in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.

Gradually add the sugar so the egg whites turn into a glossy meringue. Don't overbeat the meringue.

In a foodprocessor mix the almonds, confectioners' sugar and espresso powder until the almonds are very finely ground. If you want you can sift the mixture to make sure there are no big pieces left.

Add the almond mixture to the meringue.

Start with a quick mix in, then slow down. The batter should still be thick but should also be able to form a slight ribbon.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds onto the baking sheets.

Preheat the oven to 150˚C (300˚F).

Let the macarons sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes.

Bake the macarons for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan.

Put the chopped chocolate with the espresso powder in a bowl.

Pour the boiling heavy cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes gently stir the mixture until all the chocolate has melted.

Let the ganache cool down until it is thick enough to pipe.

Pair the cookies to make sure they have the same size.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the ganache.

Pipe a big dot of ganache on one cookie and gently press the other cookie on the ganache. Make sure the ganache spreads evenly to all the sides.

 
 Source: adapted from Tartelette

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

About two weeks ago Nikki, my oldest girl, decided she wanted to learn how to cook. She really didn't like it when I was sick, because there was no unlimited supply of baked goodies. I just love the way a child's mind sometimes works.... But despite that it made me very proud when she announced she wanted to learn to cook. It isn't always easy to cook with kids, but from time to time I give it a try.

I asked her what she wanted to make and as she looooves lemons she wanted to make lemon cupcakes. Okay, no problem there. That is simple enough. But then she said she wanted lemon coconut cupcakes. And now I was facing a problem. I had never made lemon coconut cupcakes. I didn't even know if it was a known combination. I really didn't want to disappoint her so we searched for a recipe. Obviously we found one, because otherwise I wouldn't be writing about it.

We had a lot of fun. I let her do all the work (except putting the cupcakes in the oven and taking them out again). And she did a fantastic job. Of course the project took about three times as long to finish but that didn't bother me one bit. She had fun and hopefully she will continue having fun in the kitchen. I hope she will come to love it as much as I do!

The batter for these cupcakes is a little strange because of the coconut milk, but the end result is great. You can taste both the coconut and the lemon, but they are both not overwhelming.

Recipe

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup butter
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup shredded coconut

For the frosting:
1 stick butter
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 3/4 - 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Line a muffin tray with paper cups.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the coconut and set aside.

In a small bowl zest the lemon.

Add the sugar and rub with your fingers so the sugar and zest are well mixed. Set aside.

Beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy.

Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes.

Add the egg and beat for 3 minutes.

In four additions add the coconut milk and flour mixture until everything is mixed well.

Divide the batter into the paper cups. Bake for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes completely cool on a rack before frosting.

For the frosting cream the butter in a large bowl of a stand mixer.

Slowly add the confectioners' sugar (the amount depending on how sweet you want it).

Add the lemon juice to taste. Beat on high speed until fluffy and smooth.

Frost the cupcakes by simply spreading it on top or by piping it.

Top of with a little extra shredded coconut.

Source: adapted from Good Life Eats

Strawberry Cupcakes

The end of summer is drawing near and I find myself unwilling to let it go. These past few weeks the weather has already been rainy and to perk myself up I try to make the most of the summers produce. Knowing it is already a bit late for strawberries, I couldn't help myself and bought a bunch.

The next thing I did was look for a way to turn these strawberries into something yummy. And I found something alright. Strawberry Cupcakes! A lovely cake with the taste of strawberries topped with a strawberry swiss meringue buttercream. It is strawberry-bliss!

The cake is moist and fluffy and the buttercream tastes like strawberry ice cream. If I'm completely honest I think I'd ditch the cake altogether and just eat the frosting, it is so good!

Recipe

Strawberry Cupcakes

Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher or coarse salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2/3 cup strawberries, rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
3/4 cup strawberries, rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Fill a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a foodprocessor or blender and blend the strawberries to a puree until completely smooth.

In a small bowl mix together the vanilla, strawberry puree and milk and set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Slowly add egg and egg whites and mix on medium speed until well blended.

Put the mixer on a low speed and add half the flour mixture until just blended.

Add the milk mixture and mix until just blended.

Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just blended. Scrape down the bowl to make sure the entire mixture is smooth.

Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake cups and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are just dry to the touch.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before taking them out of the tin.

To make the frosting blend the strawberries in a food processor or blender until you have a completely smooth puree.

Put a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and combine the egg whites and suger. Whisking frequently, heat the mixture until it reaches 71°C (160°F) and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

Put the speed on medium and start adding the butter, about 2 tablespoons at a time. After each addition has been completely incorporated, add more.

It might take a while before the frosting looks good. If it looks soupy or curdled just continue to beat for about 3-5 minutes (or longer). It can be that the butter was to soft, so it sometimes helps to put the mixture briefly in the refrigerator.

Add the strawberry puree and blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a tip of your choice with the frosting and frost away!

Source: cupcakes slightly adapted from Sprinkles on Martha Stewart, frosting from Annies Eats

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes

After my birthday party I found myself with a couple of left-over ingredients from the Chocolate Raspberry Cake and really wanted to use them. I concentrated on the fresh raspberries and the raspberry frosting and remembered a recipe by Ainsley Harriot. This particular recipe was about a muffin with white chocolate and raspberries, but as I am incapable of producing a normal muffin, I decided to adjust this idea into a cupcake.

And I have to say that I'm quite pleased with the end result. Big chunks of white chocolate and the juiciness of the raspberries make this a great cupcake, but the adding of the raspberry frosting elevates this into a great cupcake. Even my husband, who usually doesn't really like sweet and sugary cupcakes, loved this one!

Needless to say the cupcakes were gone all too soon....

Recipe

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
125 gram (1 stick and 1 tablespoon) butter, room temperature
125 gram (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
125 gram (1 cup and 2 tablespoons) self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla-extract
2 tablespoons milk
125 gram (about 4 oz.) fresh raspberries
100 gram (3.5 oz.) chopped white chocolate, not too finely chopped

Raspberry frosting (this renders a lot of frosting, for a huge cake, so adjust to how much you need):
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
21 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup strained raspberry purée
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 200˚C (400˚F).

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla.

Add one egg at a time, followed by a tablespoon of flour, beating until the egg is completely incorporated before adding the next.

Stir in the rest of the flour.

When everything is mixed well, you can add the milk, as much as you think you need, I usually add 2 tablespoons, but you can use more or less.

Add the chocolate and the raspberries and very gently fold them into the batter.

Fill your muffin tray or just paper liners about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting with the raspberry frosting.

Raspberry frosting:
Combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.

Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches about 70°C (160°F) and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes (the bowl should be cool to the touch).

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated and just keep going.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer).

Blend in the raspberry puree and vanilla until smooth and completely incorporated.

Self-frosting Nutella cupcakes

I'm gonna be really honest with you.... I'm not particularly taken by these cupcakes. Why do I post the recipe  you ask? Because from the moment I baked these all I've heard is: "Mommy, can I have a Nutella-cupcake? Mommy, when are you gonna make those Nutella-cupcakes again? Those were reeeeaaally yummy." Yep, that's right... these cupcakes were an instant hit with my girls and that is why I'm posting the recipe.

It's basically a vanilla cupcake with a swirl of Nutella on top. I have to admit that I had a lot of trouble with swirling in the Nutella. The Nutella was much thicker than the batter. It was a bit too cold. So instead of self-frosting it became self-filling... Some of the Nutella stayed on top, but most of it just sunk into the batter and stayed there... hence: self-filling. But I guess that's what made this cupcake so popular with my girls. You start eating a cupcake and then suddenly there is a lovely filling of Nutella, what kid can resist that?

The next time I'm making sure the Nutella is softer so I can actually swirl the Nutella in!

I found this recipe over on Baking Bites, it is an adaptation of a recipe from Donna Hay.
Oh, in the comments over on Baking Bites, some people found the cupcakes to dry. There was some discussion over the amount of flour. In order to make sure I had the right amount I sifted the flour above a scale until I had the right amount. Works great! If you want to use cups, there is a big difference between 1 3/4 cup flour before it is sifted and 1 3/4 cup of sifted flour, so it works better to sift and then measure.

Recipe

Self-frosting Nutella Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

140 gram (10 tablespoons) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gram (1 3/4 cup) sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
About 1/3 cup Nutella

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 170ºC (325ºF).

Fill a tray for 12 muffins with paper liners.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.

Add the vanilla and stir.

Add the flour, salt and baking powder and stir until well combined.

Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoon on top of each muffin. With a toothpick swirl in the Nutella, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the Nutella.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. But if you can't wait that long....remember that the Nutella will be very hot! So try to keep it away from your kids.

Madeleines

For years we've had a Madeleine tin lying in a kitchen cabinet, but I never used it. While looking through a cookbook of Donna Hay I read a recipe for Madeleines and thought: Why not?

It is a simple recipe, but one which no sane person would like to make using an electric handmixer. Or shall I say that when reading the recipe I was very glad I had a standmixer. The reason why I was glad, was because you have to mix the eggs and sugar 8-10 minutes. Like I said....I was very glad I had a standmixer I could use...

Also the recipe is for 24 Madeleines, but my tin is for 12 pieces. I decided to just make the mix and bake in two batches. I wouldn't do that again. The baking powder had already started working, so the second batch tasted not as good as the first. It might be handier to just use half the recipe.

That being said, the end result was very good. It tasted just like the ones we usually eat in France, so an instant summer/vacation feeling is at hand!

I made plain Madeleines, but you can easily adjust the recipe. It can be very versatile. You can simply add cocoa powder to the mix, or dip the Madeleines in a chocolate ganache. You can add raisins or raspberries. Whatever tickles your fancy!

Recipe

Madeleines

Yield: 24

Ingredients:

4 eggs
3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
180 gram (6 oz) butter, melted and cooled

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Mix the eggs and sugar with a standmixer for 8-10 minutes until very pale and thick.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and continue to beat at low speed until smooth.

Add the butter and beat until combined.

Grease two Madeleine tins with 12 x 1 1/2 tablespoon capacity holes. Spoon in the mixture and bake for 8-10 minutes until risen and golden.

Miniature Gooey Chocolate Stacks

While looking through "How to be a domestic Goddess", I saw the recipe for the Gooey Chocolate Stack. I had read this recipe quite often but somehow never made it. Then suddenly it hit me. I could make this in miniature, so everyone has his/her own miniature gooey chocolate stack! So when my sister came over for dinner I immediately got to work!

The recipe is really quite easy and everything worked great. I decided to use half the recipe, because there were only five of us and the original recipe is for 10-12 people. I also used cornstarch instead of flour in the creme patissiere, because my sister is allergic to gluten. On the sheet of parchment paper I drew 15 circles for which I used a glass. Luckily for me this turned out to be perfect! I kept the original baking time, because I didn't have enough time to let it cool down in the oven, as our dinner still had to be prepared in the oven....

This is a great dessert and one you can easily prepare ahead of time. Just don't assemble the cake ahead of time, I think it will become soggy.When it's time for dessert all you have to do is spread the creme patissiere onto the meringue discs, sprinkle over some nuts et voila!  It is impressive to see and fantastic to eat. Though if there are children involved it might get messy!

I completely forgot to take pictures, but then again.... I probably would not have survived the lynch that would have followed had I kept this dessert from my eaters that long...

Recipe

Miniature Gooey Chocolate Stacks

Yield: 5 miniature Gooey Chocolate Stacks

Ingredients:

For the meringue discs:
3 large egg whites
50 gram sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar (I didn't have this, so I used ordinary, which worked great)

For the creme patissiere:
3 large egg yolks
50 gram sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon flour (or 1 1/2 scant teaspoons cornstarch)
100 millilitre whole milk
200 millilitre cream
50 gram good quality dark chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 140ºC (275ºF).

Line a big baking sheet or several baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw 15 small circles on the paper using a glass, or drinking cup.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each tablespoon. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar and fold in gently but firmly (meaning don't stir).

Divide the egg whites mixture over the circles, spread evenly. If you're up for it you can even use a piping bag.

Bake for 1 hour, turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven until cool. Or you can just take them out after the hour.

Beat for the creme patissiere the egg yolks and sugar together, add the cocoa and flour (or cornstarch), stirring well.

In a saucepan warm the milk and cream, then, while whisking continually, slowly pour the milk mixture onto the egg mixture.

Pour everything back into the saucepan, turn the heat back on, and stirring constantly, bring it to a boil.

When the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla.

Let it cool, but not in the refrigerator. Put plastic foil on the top so it doesn't form a skin. It will cool quicker if you put the saucepan in a sink filled with ice cold water.

To assemble one miniature cake, place one meringue disc on a plate. Spread one third of the chocolate cream on top. Put another disc on top of this. Spread one third of the chocolate cream on top. Repeat one more time.

Sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top.

Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Okay, I know the name is insane and bodes ill... but just bear with me on this one...you won't regret it!

I was really craving chocolate and by really craving I mean REALLY craving chocolate... more than on a normal weekday, much more. So I set out on a quest of finding a great chocolate recipe which I could make without having to go to the supermarket. I found a recipe on Joy of Baking which appealed to me, but the cake was based on cocoa. Now I'm not a big fan of cocoa-based cakes...they tend to be dry and not-very-chocolaty-tasting. But the shear amount of cocoa combined with hot water left me feeling optimistic. Although the chocolate frosting also played some part in that. So I decided to try the recipe but add some chocolate chips to the cake batter to make up for the cocoa-based cake batter.

I now have some good news and bad news for you! The good news is that when you make these cupcakes you will love them! The bad news is that you will love the cupcakes...but your thighs probably not. So I suggest that you make sure that there are other people near you who can help you eat these cupcakes, because your thighs will probably never forgive you if you eat them all by yourself....

But then again these cupcakes are worth it!

 

Recipe

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa
1 cup boiling hot water
1 1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
a couple handfuls of chocolate chips

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
120 gram (4 ounces) chocolate
2/3 cup butter
1 1/3 icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

In a small bowl stir until smooth the cocoa and the hot water. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg until smooth.

Beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated.

Add the cooled cocoa mixture. Stir until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and stir again.

Line a muffin tray with cupcake papers. Fill the papers 2/3 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes until a tooth pick comes out just clean.

Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.

For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Let cool to room temperature.

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.

Add the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the vanilla.

Add the melted chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and glossy, about 2-3 minutes.

With a piping bag and a star-shaped tip pipe the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Store these cupcakes in the refrigerator.


And finally some pictures of the devouring of the cupcakes!

 

Simple Lemon Cupcakes

I had a lemon left over and didn't really know what to do with it, so I started to google. I found a couple of recipes for different sort of lemon cupcakes and although the idea appealed to me...I was feeling a bit lazy and not in the mood to make a lemon curd or a difficult frosting. So in the end I decided I could just use my basic cupcake recipe and add some lemon. I did the same with the frosting. And I have to say... I liked the end result. The cupcakes had a very mild lemon flavor and the frosting was spectacular! Sweet and tang at the same time. I couldn't stop eating it. I made the frosting deliberately thin and pricked holes in the top of the cakes so the frosting could sink into the cupcakes.

Recipe

Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients:

125 gram (1 stick and 1 tablespoon) soft butter
125 gram (2/3 cup) sugar
2 large eggs
125 gram (1 1/8 cup) self raising flour
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Icing sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Mix the butter and the sugar until creamy and fluffy.

Add the lemon zest then add one egg and a spoonful of flour and mix thoroughly. Add the other egg with a spoonful of flour and mix again thoroughly.

Add the rest of the flour, mix well.

When everything is mixed well add in 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Fill a muffin tray with cupcake papers. Fill each paper cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

To prepare the frosting mix some icing sugar with the rest of the lemon juice. You can keep it quite thin.

When the cupcakes are done, transfer them to a cooling rack. With a satay stick prick holes in the top of the cupcakes. Drizzle the frosting over the warm cupcakes and let them cool.

Apricot bars

Tonight is the night! Tonight we leave for Bali!! 10 glorious days of sun, fun, beach, sea and God knows what more! I am so excited! Of course I'm also stressed out, because it means saying good bye to my girls... But I'm reeeeeally trying to focus on the fun part.

This is our first real holiday together since, oh approximately 8 years, when our first girl was born. Of course we go on minibreaks a couple of times a year, but the longest was 3 night and 4 days. Which I already found very hard... You know what's funny? Occasionally....sometimes......okay, okay...quite regularly...you wish you could put the kids in a big black hole... I mean, I love my kids but they can be really annoying. But the moment I have to leave them behind, even if it's just for one night...I miss them like crazy.

Okay, enough blabbering. Let's get to work! I found another great recipe by Pioneer Woman. I keep forgetting to take pictures, but you can find what it looks like over here.

She calls it Apricot bars, but I personally think it's too sweet to be a bar. I think it's more a mix between a crumble and a really big cookie. But names aside... it just tastes good! Needless to say they vanished from my kitchen real fast! And I can't blame everybody else....I think I ate most of it...It happens okay? I just couldn't resist it!

Oh, and the recipe calls for an 8 inch square pan, but I just used a brownie pan, which worked excellent. And you can replace the apricot with other flavors. I'm already contemplating what flavor to use next time!

Recipe

Apricot bars

Yield: 24

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 stick butter, not too cold
10-12 ounce apricot preserve

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix all the ingredients except the apricot reserve together. Press half the mixture in a buttered 8 inch square pan, or something similar.

Spread the apricot preserve on top of the mixture.

Put the second half of the mixture on top of the apricot preserve. Try to press or pat the top as much as you can, but not too hard because you don't want to squeeze out the preserve.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until it's light brown.

Let cool completely before you cut it into pieces! And I really mean it, because as usual I had a problem with waiting until it was completely cool and when I started cutting, it fell apart! So, again, don't be like me!

Oh and since I plan on spending the next 10 days in total bliss, I won't be posting!

Peanut butter squares

After making Oatmeal raisin cookies AND Hummingbird cupcakes, I hadn't really planned on making another sweet snack, but unfortunately for me, the cookies and the cupcakes disappeared rather fast. How is that even possible, you might well ask... I mean, 36 cookies and 24 cupcakes for a family of four people.... it's absured... But rest assured, I gave a lot away to the neighbors and a friend of my youngest girl who spend the afternoon playing at our house.

So this afternoon I was really craving something sweet (in my defense...I quit smoking a few weeks ago). But I wasn't really looking forward to complicated or having to go to the supermarket. So I had a good thought and remembered a simple recipe by the lovely Nigella Lawson from her book: How to be a domestic goddess. The peanut butter squares. I had never made these before but peanut butter and chocolate is a combination that can't go wrong.

The recipe is incredibly simple. I had a little trouble with waiting until everything had cooled enough, but after cutting off a small portion I put it back in the refrigerator where it then had enough time to properly set.

Please, please, please try this recipe, it's simple, it's yummy, it's chocolate, what more could a girl ask for?

Recipe

Peanut Butter Squares

Yield: 48 pieces

Ingredients:

Base:

50 grams (scant 1/4 cup) dark brown sugar

200 grams (1 1/3 cup) confectioners' sugar

50 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

200 grams (heaping 1/4 cup) peanut butter

Chocolate layer:

200 grams (7 ounce) milk chocolate

100 grams (3,5 ounce) bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions:

Stir all the ingredients for the base together until smooth. You can use the flat beater of your mixer or just stir everything by hand. The dark brown sugar will still be visible (tiny grains or small lumps) but that's no problem, don't worry about it.

Press the mixture in a 9-inch brownie pan, already covered with parchment paper. Try to make the surface flat (I failed miserably as you can see in the photograph).

For the chocolate layer, melt the two types of chocolate together with the butter. You can do this au-bain-marie or just stick everything in the microwave. Spread the chocolate-mixture on top of the base.

Put it in the refrigerator to set. Try to wait until it is properly set (unlike me) and THEN you can cut it into small squares. And although it is tempting to cut large squares, it is rather a rich treat, so please try to restrain yourself and cut small squares.

Enjoy!

Hummingbird Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

As promised I am now going to give you a recipe for Hummingbird Cupcakes which I found at Annie's Eats. But before I write down this recipe I'm going to burden you with my experiences while making these cupcakes. The recipe for the cupcakes was very easy to follow and while the end result was great, I did find it lacking. The cupcakes were very moist and you could really taste the banana and a bit of the cinnamon. However, the pineapple and the coconut had completely disappeared, which I found very disappointing. If I make these cupcakes again, I think I will increase the amount of pineapple and coconut. Furthermore, I omitted the walnuts, as I did not have these in my cupboard. Next time I will add them!

Okay, the next thing I have to say about this recipe is about the cream cheese frosting. I have a bit of a confession to make... I have never made cream cheese frosting, I have never tasted cream cheese frosting, I have never even seen cream cheese frosting. So, although it sounds delicious, I have no idea what the end result should be like.... I know...I know... I'm completely lacking in my culinary skills... who cares? I don't.

Anyway... the cream cheese frosting: I followed the recipe, but because I didn't even knew if I would like it, I decided to make half the frosting recipe. It started out very well, but when I added the confectioners' sugar it completely collapsed. So instead of having a firm yet fluffy frosting (as I think it's supposed to be) I had a semi-liquid gooey frosting. So I was unable to pipe it onto the cupcakes, which was actually very good, because I didn't really like the taste. Correction... I loved the taste of the frosting, I just didn't like it in combination with the cupcakes. So I don't know if I did anything wrong or not, I don't even know if the flavor of the frosting was good, all I know is that I didn't like the combination. But like I said I'm a culinary retard, I don't know anything..... So if you like cream cheese frosting, if you're good at making cream cheese frosting, if you know how it should taste, smell, look, etc.... MAKE THE DARN FROSTING!!!

Oh and after writing all this down I'm to tired to write down the recipe, but as I followed the exact recipe you can find that here.

Good luck and good bye!