Black Forest Cupcakes

I've never been a huge fan of cherry, but for some reason these cupcakes sounded good to me. They were more work than regular cupcakes since they're filled, and in the end I just thought they were OK. The cupcake seemed a little dry to me, even with the cherry filling. Try putting the whip cream topping on ahead of time and letting it sink into the cupcake for more moisture.

Black Forest Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup hot water
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the cherry filling:
16 oz. frozen cherries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. kirsch (optional)

For the frosting:
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
6 tbsp. confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Fresh (or maraschino) cherries, with stems
Chocolate shavings

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, drain the thawed berries, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water so that the total liquid equals 1¼ cups. Add the liquid to a medium saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue whisking so no lumps form. Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fold in the drained cherries with a spatula. Stir in the kirsch, if using. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The filling will continue to thicken as it chills.)

To fill the cupcakes, use the cone method to remove a portion from the center of each cupcake. Fill each with a spoonful of the cherry filling.

To make the whipped cream frosting, add the heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start beating on medium-low speed, slowly increasing as the cream begins to thicken up to medium-high speed. While the cream is being whipped, gradually add in the confectioners' sugar a spoonful at a time. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to overbeat!) Fold in the vanilla extract.

Frost the filled cupcakes with the whipped cream. Garnish as desired with cherries and chocolate shavings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Birthday Ice Cream!

The Husband's birthday was Friday, and we spent the whole day at PAX (we are such nerds, but it was a fun time). I knew I'd be too tired to make dessert that night, so I made it on Saturday instead. And oh-was-it-good!! I made the most ridiculous ice cream ever. Seriously. Chocolate. Peanut Butter. Fudge. Does it get any better than that? I loved this recipe, and I hope you will, too!

Chocolate Fudge Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream
recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Ice cream ingredients:
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup smooth peanut butter
Fudge Ripple (recipe follows)
Peanut Butter Patties (recipe follows)

Fudge Ripple ingredients:½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using. (Fudge Ripple can be stored for up to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.)

Peanut Butter Patties Ingredients:
6 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Mix together the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture, about ½ teaspoon each, and drop them onto the dinner plate. Once you’ve used all of the mixture, freeze the patties. (The patties can be stored in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.)Ice Cream Directions:

1. Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

2. Chill mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Fold in the Peanut Butter Patties when it has finished churning. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the Fudge Ripple onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream. Avoid stirring the Fudge Ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy.

Dig in!

Notes: I doubled the recipe and made 2 quarts. If you do this, you don't need to double the fudge ripple ingredients because it makes a lot. I have over a cup of the fudge sauce sitting in my fridge waiting to go on future ice cream.

Caramels

One of my goals for the year was to make homemade caramels. It was much easier than I expected, and they were super tasty. I would still rather have a chocolate dessert, but that's just personal preference. Make these and you'll be sure to receive compliments!

Chewy Caramels

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine

1 pound light brown sugar

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light corn syrup

1 pinch salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.Meanwhile, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares using scissors. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.

An easy winner

I came across this recipe in the weekly Can I Get the Recipe email that I receive. It sounded flavorful and most importantly - fast and easy. My husband loves this recipe, and it's joined a handful of fall-back recipes that I use when all else fails.

Hoisin Chicken with Noodles and Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 cups green beans, cut in half

250 grams udon noodles

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 small lime, juiced

3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Directions:

Bring salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add green beans and cook for 10 minutes until tender-crisp. Add noodles to water in last 2 minutes of cooking time. Strain and set aside.

Mix together hoisin sauce, lime juice and chili sauce. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook chicken over medium heat until cooked and no longer pink. Add garlic and cook one minute or until softened. Stir in hoisin mixture. Cook until bubbly, sticky and hot. Stir in noodles and green beans. Heat through. Serve immediately.

Notes: I've used both pork and chicken in this recipe, and both were delicious.

Bacon and Perogi Pie

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever made - and also one of the coolest. In the end I'm not sure it was worth all of the time, but it sure is a spectacle. :)

This recipe comes from the Happy Opu site, and all you Firefly fans should recognize the site creator- Jewel Staite (she played Kaylee).

Bacon and Perogi Pie

Bacon Crust:

1 pkg. bacon (minus three or four slices: reserve those for the bacon lattice)

2 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) very cold butter, cut into small dice-sized pieces

4 tbsp. rendered bacon grease

¾ cup ice cold water

1) Cook this package of bacon in your pan then crumble or chop into bits. Collect the bacon grease and chill.

2) Make sure the flour, butter, water and processor blade are cold. Add the crispy bacon, flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Add cold cubed butter and cold bacon grease and mix again. Add water and mix until a ball barely forms.

3) On a piece of saran wrap, dump contents of bowl and handling as little as possible, form into a ball. Press into a disk and wrap tightly with saran. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Bacon Lattice:
1 pkg. bacon plus reserved pieces from crust recipe

1) Preheat oven to 375.

2) On a grill pan, weave a lattice with uncooked bacon the same as you would with dough for a pie. (To figure out how big to make it, trace your pie pan onto a piece of parchment paper to use as a guide)

3) Cook for approximately 20 minutes- the bacon should be halfway done.

4) Blot with paper towels and flip onto a piece of parchment paper.

Filling:

Lasagna noodles- maybe 6 (this is going to replicate the chew of perogi dough)

3 medium Russet Potatoes

1 large onion

4 tbsp. butter

1 cup cottage cheese

1 egg

I cup grated cheddar cheese

Green onions

1 cup sour cream

1) Boil a large pot of well salted water and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain and reserve.

3) Fry onions in butter or bacon grease until golden and reserve.

2) Peel russet potatoes and boil in a large pot of salted water until fork tender. Drain and mash.

3) To the mashed potato add slightly beaten egg, fried onions, cottage cheese and salt and pepper to taste (make sure it’s well seasoned- this is where most of the pie flavor comes from and too bland= too boring). Let this mixture come to room temperature, and roll out the piecrust into your pie plate while you wait.

4) Into rolled out pie crust layer ½ cup cheddar cheese, 1/3 potato mixture, a layer of lasagna noodles (cut them to fit inside the plate), 1/3 potato mixture, layer of noodles, 1/3 potato mixture and finish with ½ cup cheddar cheese. Flip the bacon lattice on top and trim with scissors as necessary to fit your pie. Trim edges of pastry and crimp.

5 ) Bake in oven at 375 for forty five minutes to an hour- the bacon lattice should look crisp and the pie crust golden.

6) Let cool slightly, then cut and serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of green onion.

Notes: This would be great for a brunch. It's very rich, so cut in small portions! I used a deep-dish pie plate for this recipe.