French Macarons - 1 recipe; 4 variations

Happy 2012!!! May this year bring you much happiness and good times in the kitchen challenging yourself to new recipes and techniques. I spent the day learning to snowboard. This is something I have wanted to do for over 5 years and today I finally did it! I think my arms, legs, butt, shoulders will be sore for the next few days. Judging by the way the year has started, it's going to be a good one.

As for new recipes in the kitchen, macarons intrigue me. Like cupcakes, their popularity seems to have skyrocketed in the past few years. I have always enjoyed Martha Stewart's Recipes and used to watch her home/cooking/gardening show on TV before the whole jail thing happened. After that, she lost a lot of fans but she didn't lose me! I was thrilled when I found out that we had to do a case study on Martha Stewart Omnimedia (MSO) as an assignment for my accounting designation.

This macaron recipe has flavor variations - both for the cookie itself and for the filling. With one batch you can get a variety of cookies that makes it look like you put in so much more work than you actually did!



French Macarons with Flavor Variations
Makes 16 filled macarons | Martha Stewart

1 1/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon confectioners sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds
6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Macarons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners sugar mixture until completely incorporated.

2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8" #4 round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. The batter will spread a little. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macarons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.

3. Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macarons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macarons from the parchment. Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

4. To fill the macarons: Fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macarons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Variations:
*Coffee-flavored macarons: In step 1, add 2 drops brown food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, blend 1/2 cup macaron filling with 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon warm water for the filling.
*Cassis-flavored macarons: In step 1, add 2 drops purple food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, use 1/3 cup good-quality cassis jam for the filling.
*Pistachio-flavored macarons: In step 1, add 2 drops green food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, combine 1/2 cup macaron filling with 1 tablespoon pistachio paste for the filling.

Macaron Filling
Makes filling for 16 macarons

3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and sugar. Set mixer bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat mixture, whisking often, until it feels warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Transfer bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until mixture is stiff and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing until butter is thoroughly incorporated. The filling can be kept, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before stirring.

Variation:
*Hazelnut-honey filling: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of macaron filling with 1/3 cup finely ground hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons good-quality honey.

Cherry Upside-Down Cake

I'm so excited! Tomorrow I'm heading down South for my first US Thanksgiving with my boyfriend's family. Then right after dinner I will start chugging coffee in preparation for the all-night Black Friday shopping extravaganza!

This recipe was made using some cherries I had frozen from the summer. However, I bet it would be great with cranberries as a tribute to the fall harvest. I never have a problem with using frozen berries instead of fresh. Sometimes, especially with blueberries, I prefer the frozen ones because they don't squish and bleed when you are mixing them into the batter.

I love the rustic look of upside-down cakes and the thrill that you get when you flip it onto a serving dish. Will it stick? Will the fruit have baked evenly? Will it be pretty? I'm pretty happy with how this cake turned out - especially served with fresh whipped cream.



Cherry Upside-Down Cake
8" Cake | adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 lbs sweet cherries, stemmed, pitted, and halved
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup almond paste (not marzipan), crumbled
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degreest F. Butter an 8-by-3-inch round cake pan, and line bottom with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 2 tablespoons butter with ¼ cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Arrange apricot halves, cut sides down, in pan. Fit cherries into any gaps between apricots. Pack down the fruit slightly with your hands; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining6 tablespoons butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Add almond paste and ¾ cup sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg yolks, and beat until well combined. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined, and set aside.In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining ¼ cup sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. Fold a third of egg-white mixture into the batter with a spatula. Gently fold in remaining egg whites.

3. Spread batter over fruit, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 60-70 mins. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Run a knife or small offset spatula around the edges to loosen, and invert cake onto a serving plate to cool completely. Cake can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with foil, for up to 3 days.

Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies will make your kitchen smell like the most amazing place on earth. Toasted walnuts and generous chunks of chocolate held together with a soft, banana flavored batter. This is like chocolate chip banana bread in cookie form. So far I have yet to be let down by a recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies. The banana in these cookies keeps them soft for longer than the average cookie. Since they have fruit, nuts, rolled oats and whole wheat flour, they are probably slightly healthier than your average cookie too!



Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies
3 dozen | Martha Stewart's Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together both flours, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugars with an electric mixer till light and fluffy, then add egg and vanilla and combine. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate and walnuts.

3. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks.

Peanut Butter Waffles

Happy August 1st!!! A new month, a new slate, a new start. I love that feeling.

If you like peanut butter, you will love these waffles. The recipe comes from the May 2011 Everyday Food magazine. I really like this little novel-sized magazine. It features simple recipes, bright pictures and good everyday cooking tips. Nothing fancy, just real life cooking.

The recipe featured here produces waffles the way they should be: fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, but with an unexpected flavor twist from the peanut butter. I suggest serving them with butter and jam for a breakfast reminiscent of the childhood sandwich favorite. They also make great afternoon snacks. Serve them with ice cream and hot fudge sauce for dessert. I served these with more peanut butter on top and some sliced strawberries this time. So many options... best to try them all!

Peanut Butter Waffles
Makes 6-8 | Everyday Food, May 2011

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup butter, melted, plus more for brushing waffle iron
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs

Heat waffle iron and preheat oven to 275 degrees; set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a blender, blend butter and peanut butter until smooth, 1 minute. Add buttermilk and eggs and blend until combined, 1 minute. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until batter is combined.

Brush waffle iron with butter and pour in 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Close iron and cook until waffles are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm; repeat with remaining batter. Serve with bananas or other fruit, whipped cream and maple syrup.

Honey Florentines

This recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies was so easy to make. Unlike a lot of other florentine recipes, this one doesn't have any nuts or candied fruit in it. It is lacy, simple and delicate. I like the use of honey that gives these a gentler sweetness than pure sugar would. I liked them slightly underbaked so they are a little on the chewy side rather than being crisp through and through.

Honey Florentines
Makes 24 | Martha Stewart

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a pan with parchment or a silicone liner. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Stir in flour and salt. Drop by teaspoonful onto prepared pan, leaving lots of room for spreading. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool fully then gently peel off the parchment/silicone. Store airtight.

Butter Twist St. Patrick's Day Cookies

"Never iron a four-leaf clover because you don't want to press your luck - Daryl Stout. Along with these words of wisdom, I'd also like to share these St. Patrick's Day inspired cookies! My son was thrilled to bring these to school to share with his class today.



They are dressed up butter twists from Martha Stewart's Cookies. Part shortbread, part sugar cookie, all buttery delicious and crisp.

I made this recipe in two parts. The first time without food coloring and the second time I added a bunch of green food coloring for the St. Patrick's Day theme. I found it easier and quicker to just make 2 separate smaller batches - one color per batch - instead of making one larger batch and dividing it to color it. Besides, this dough is a one-bowl wonder. So simple that you would even be able to make a whole rainbow of colors in no time if you wanted to.

Another nice thing is that the dough doesn't need any refrigeration before using, although you could make the dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a few days until you are ready to bake it. It handles really easily with minimal sticking and zero mess. I didn't use ANY extra flour while shaping these! Just for fun I made some pretzel-shaped ones with the last dough scraps.

Tip: Roll out all the white dough first and then the colored dough so that the color doesn't transfer from your hands back to the white dough.



Butter Twist Cookies
Makes 20 | adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
food coloring
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp flour
Coarse sanding sugar, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Add food coloring at this point (if using). Continue mixing to combine. Add the eggs and mix again. Add the flour and continue mixing until it forms a ball. It should be the consistency of Play-Doh. Not sticky but not dry either. Set it aside and make your second batch of dough (if you are making a different color).

3. Shape the dough however you like - pretzels, twists, spirals. I rolled mine into thin strips then twisted the 2 color strips together.

4. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar (optional but pretty). Bake 13-15 minutes or until just starting to color. Cool fully then store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days.

Hostess Little Debbie Snack Cake Clones

These were super cute and super tasty too. I love how they look like plain old chocolate cupcakes until you bite into them and get a surprise: A delicious mouthful of chocolate filling. These are just like the snack cakes you buy individually cellophane-wrapped at the grocery store, except they I filled them with chocolate marshmallow creme instead of the plain white stuff. I loved how fluffy and foolproof the filling turned out because of the use of marshmallow creme. Don't overfill your muffin cups or else the cupcakes will rise and bleed into each other and your final product won't be perfectly round.



Reminder: Email me or leave a comment with your copycat posts - past or present - to be linked and included in the upcoming December Copycat Club round-up, posted the 7th of every month. See the round-ups in November and October for inspiration.

Hostess Snack Cake Clone
Makes 18 | Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

CUPCAKES 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for muffin tins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

FILLING
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme (7.5-ounce jar)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
[I added 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder to make a chocolate-creme filling]

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 6-cup (each with a 1-cup capacity) jumbo muffin pans; dust with cocoa powder to coat, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, ending with remaining flour mixture; mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

2. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool in pans, 5 minutes; remove cupcakes and cool, right side up, on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, prepare filling: In a medium bowl, whisk marshmallow creme and butter [and cocoa powder, if using] until smooth. Chill until slightly firm, 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer mixture to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, and seal; cut off one corner of the bag to make a 1/8-inch opening.

4. Using a small melon baller, scoop out center of each cupcake from the bottom, and reserve (you will use this to plug cupcake after filling). Hollow out each cupcake a bit more, discarding crumbs. Insert tip of plastic bag into each cavity, and squeeze to fill; replace plugs. Using remaining filling in plastic bag, decorate top of cupcakes.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Martha, Martha, Martha, you never let me down. Your brown sugar cake is complex in a non-complex way requiring no adornments other than a cup of tea. Its crisp, raised, caramelly edges and shiny top beckon you to have a little taste. Your kitchen (and if you're lucky your entire house) will be filled with the aroma of sweet butter and sugar similar to the smell of those ice cream shops that make their own cones.

This recipe gets some of its lift from baking powder. It is a little sweeter and fluffier than the rich & buttery, non chemically leavened Classic Pound Cake which is a staple at my house (also a Martha recipe).

Slice with a sharp, serrated knife to get thin, delicate slices.



***Tip Re: Lining Cake Pans***
I use butter wrappers to line my cake pans. This saves money and works especially well for loaf cakes like the one here.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Makes 2 - 8x4 1/2" cakes | Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. (It's best to use an electric mixer for this to incorporate air for leavening). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until combined.
3. Add flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Beat until combined then scrape into prepared pans.
4. Bake until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through. Bake time is approximately 1 hour. Cool completely then store at room temperature, well wrapped, up to 3 days.

Strawberry Cake

I'm floating on a cloud right now. I finished my Certified Mgmt Accountant (CMA) exam on the weekend and now I'm totally done with school. This is the first semester EVER since high school that I'm not going to school. I am really happy with how it went. It was a group effort and I think we crossed all our T's, dotted all of our I's. Now all that's left is to wait for the marks to come out in August, If I pass then I will (finally) have my accounting designation. It's am amazing feeling to have jumped through all the CMA hoops but at the same time I feel a little lost with so much more free time on my hands.

What have I been doing with this extra time? Baking, of course. And if I'm not baking I'm looking at recipes deciding what to bake next. It's good timing as the fruits in my fruit bowl have been ripening faster than I can keep up, so they've been getting incorporated into baked goods so they don't go to waste.

One person said this tasted like angel food cake meets pound cake. Another said it was like a baked version of strawberry shortcake. I couldn't have described it better. If you use frozen strawberries instead of fresh add 10 mins to your baking time. The cake batter is sturdy and versatile and it works great as a base for other summer fruits like peaches/berries. The sugar bakes and melts to create a crunchy topping that is to die for. While the orange zest is optional, I strongly recommend it for the brightness it imparts.



Strawberry Cake
9" Pie Plate | Martha Stewart, June 2005

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tbsp orange zest (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (3 minutes). Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, zest (if using)and vanilla.

3. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top (cut sides down and as close together as possible). Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Stored at room temperature, loosely covered for up to 2 days.

Orange Almond Shortbread Wedges

Crisp around the edges and slightly chewy in the centres. These are cookies that pack a whole lot of great flavors while not being overpowering. Orange zest, toasted nuts, buttery cookie and sugary crunch on top. They would go so well with a cup of tea, poised on a little white napkin. However, because of their sturdiness they would also fit right in packed into a picnic basket.

The recipe is originally from Martha Stewart's Holiday Cookies 2005 magazine but is also published in Martha Stewart's Cookies (2008). I love this book for its beautiful pictures and delicious recipes. It ain't just a pretty face!



Orange Almond Shortbread Wedges
Makes 24 | Martha Stewart Holiday 2005
,
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) hazelnuts (I used almonds), toasted
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons sanding sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Process nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds (do not overprocess). Transfer nuts to a large bowl; add flour, granulated sugar, melted butter, zest, and salt. Mix with hands until dough just comes together and forms a ball.

2. Halve dough; shape each into a disk. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With lightly floured hands, shape 1 disk into a 7" round, and score to mark 12 equal wedges (do not cut through). Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining dough.

3. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. While shortbread is warm, cut wedges to separate completely. Cool slightly on sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.

DB: Piece Montée, deconstructed

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

I must apologize... I am under a ton of stress right now so I didn't make this the real Daring Baker's way. I did cream puffs and a separate batch of toffee that I crumbled into bits to sprinkle on top of the whipped cream/ice cream to serve.

My stress is due to a HUGE due date coming up - the final report for my Accounting designation. If I pass this (last year's pass rate was 70%), I will be done done done with school. I will be a full fledged accountant!

I really enjoyed making the choux pastry and wondered why I don't make it more often! It's one of those little things that brings a smile to my face as the choux pastry "magically" rises in the oven into a light, fluffy, hollow pouf that is ready to be filled with whatever you can dream up. I've seen them used in savory applications although I think being the sugar-addict I am, I'll stick to sweet fillings.

I filled these with a simple vanilla pastry cream and made a separate batch of toffee brittle (instead of the hard caramel sauce). I think I'm going to fill the extra puffs with vanilla ice cream and freeze them for anytime-treats. I used Martha Stewart's recipes for both the pastry and pastry cream.

Check out the DB blogroll for real awesome croquembouches, unlike my cheater version.

Choux Pastry
Makes 2 dozen | Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white if needed

1. Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes.

2. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Raise speed to medium; add whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg white, and mix it into batter a little at a time until it does. Use immediately.

3. Using a large plain piping tip, pipe 2" circles of pastry onto parchment paper or silicone-lined baking sheet. They don't need to be spaced very far apart as they don't spread, they just puff! Freeze for at least 30 minutes or once frozen, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Bake from frozen at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Store air tight at room temperature. You can also freeze these after they are baked and then to serve later, bring to room temperature and re-crisp in the oven for a few minutes.

4. Slice them in half and fill with sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream (recipe follows).

Pastry Cream
Makes 1 1/2 cups | Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

2. Whisking constantly, slowly pour one third of the milk mixture into egg yolks (this step is called tempering, which keeps the yolks from curdling). Pour mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

3. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Toffee Recipe from Recipezaar

Mocha Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Here is a little jolt of java, just right for a Monday! I had an exhausting weekend, working 13 hours on Saturday as an Elections Officer checking people's names/addresses and giving them their ballots to vote at our by-election. I have never been so exhausted from sitting down doing nothing. I think that trying to keep myself occupied (ie. not bored) was more mentally tiring than if I had actually had a lot of work to do. In between checking people in, I went through 1/2 a crossword book and read the first few chapters of Julie & Julia.

The coffee flavor of these is suitable all audiences - subtle enough not to bother those who dislike coffee but present enough to please those who do. It comes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. The easy caramel frosting (also from Martha) transforms them into Caramel Macchiato cupcakes! I opted for a free-hand style, using the back of a spoon to glop on the creamy caramel frosting and finishing them off with a chocolate covered almond or espresso bean.

Mocha Cupcakes
Makes 15 | Martha Stewart

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg

1. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with liners.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and brewed coffee.

3. In a stand mixer, using a flat beater on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

4. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool fully before frosting.

Caramel Frosting
Martha Stewart, November 2007

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 package (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, salt, and butter. With the mixer on low, slowly add cream; beat until smooth. If frosting seems too thick, stir another tablespoon cream into the mixture.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

These bars are full of nostalgia. They are a flashback to elementary school lunches - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread! Of course, this was before schools stopped letting kids bring anything with peanuts in it to school because of allergies. I was never a big fan of peanut butter when I was a kid but as I got older I began to fully appreciate its deliciousness.

After mixing up this simple recipe (which is easily doubled for a crowd) I pulled this hearty, nutty treat from the oven. The hardest part was letting it cool fully before digging in. With 2 1/2 cups of peanut butter in the dough, the main flavor here is peanut butter with a layer of jam for just the right touch of sweetness. The crowning glory on these heavenly bars are the roasted peanuts on top. Salty, sweet and nostalgic.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
9 x 13" pan | Adapted from Martha Stewart's Holiday Cookies 2001

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raspberry jam
2/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9-by-13-inch pan. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.

Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Bake until golden, about 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Classic Pound Cake

This is the real deal. Unlike other pound cake recipes, this one does not have sour cream or cream cheese. It gets all its flavor and moistness from the original pound cake ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, eggs (oh, and an optional pinch of salt and dash of vanilla). There's no chemical leavening here either. No baking powder or baking soda. The cake gets its height from beating in the eggs well and one by one.

The end result is a tall, mouth-wateringly golden, fine-grained cake with a crisp crust and tender crumb. With such rich ingredients packed into such a small package, a thin slice goes a long way. My search for the perfect pound cake recipe has come to a close. This one's a keeper!



Classic Pound Cake
9x5" Loaf | Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
3.Spoon batter into prepared pan, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake until cake is golden and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn out cake onto the rack to cool completely. Cake can be kept at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 3 days.

Classic Mini Fruit Tarts

So simple, so cute, so summery. These might just be making an appearance several times this summer at my place. Good thing they are so easy too!

Mini Fruit Tarts

Ingredients:
Pastry for Single Crust Pie:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbap very cold or frozen butter, cut into chunks
2 1/2 tbsp very cold or frozen shortening, cut into chunks
1/4 - 1/2 cup ice water

1 recipe pastry cream
Blueberries, Strawberries or other fresh fruit

Directions:
1. Put the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing - what you're aiming for is to have some pieces the size of peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing, gradually add 3 tablespoons water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going. Then a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched.
2. Scrape the dough onto a work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 2 days before using.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut into rounds and place each round in a muffin tin to form mini tart shells. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until fully baked and golden brown. Cool fully before using. TIP: You can make these in advance and freeze in a large Ziploc bag to be filled later.
4. To serve: Scoop pastry cream into each tartlet shell and top with fruit of choice.