Friday, July 29, 2011

COCONUT CUPCAKES

I love cupcakes,  they make me happy, just the perfect size, and portion control. OK,  I ate TWO! Made with buttermilk which just makes all baked good moist and tasty.  Happy Baking everyone,   Andi  

Coconut Cupcakes
The Barefoot Contessa 1999




3 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut (7 ounces for the batter and save the remaining to decorate the tops of finished cupcakes.)

Icing
1 pound of cream cheese at room temperature
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Using your electric mixer cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes. Lower the speed and add one egg at a time and mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Add the extracts and mix well.

In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix these with a spoon or whisk. Alternately add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture along with some of the buttermilk. Continue doing this until all the ingredients have been added and mixed. Fold in the coconut (using only 7 ounces)
Line the muffins pans with paper liner and fill each cup close to the top with batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted close to the center comes clean. Baking time will depend on the amount of batter you put in each cup.

Allow to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes then remove and place on a cooling rack.


Using the mixer combine the cream cheese and butter, and mix on high speed til light and creamy. Then add the extracts and the confectioners' sugar. Mix until desired consistency is reached.
Frost the cupcakes and decorate with the shredded coconut.

sweets for saturday
joyofdesserts

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

LEMON BERRY SHORTCAKE

Another fun and easy summer treat.  A shortbread dessert that you could use any fruit that is in season. Its moist, with a hint of lemon.  Not overly sweet but has a tartness of those summer berries.   Love summer life in Maine. 


Lemon-Berry Shortcake
Taste of Home, Desserts 2011


1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2/3 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon squeezed)
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries

Topping:
1 1/2 cups slice fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 cups whipped topping or use whipping cream and whip your own.



In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix this to combine all the ingredients.

In another bowl add the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla. Whisk this to combine. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just to blend. Then fold in the strawberries or blueberries. Pour the cake batter into a tart pan or into a greased and floured 9 inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then remove to a cake plate and cool completely.

Just prior to serving put the layers together. For the topping, whip your whipping cream. In a small bowl add the strawberries or blueberries with the lemon juice and the sugar. Mix and refrigerate until ready to use. Having your cake on the cake plate. Cover with the whipped cream. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Serve.  Enjoy

Saturday, July 23, 2011

NEW YORK STYLE BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES

Did you know that the Black and White Cookie has it's own Facebook page with 3,542 "likes"!  I was asked a while back if I had the recipe for a Black and White cookie and I told them no, but I'd find out.  And that is just what I did, I am a follower of "Something Swanky" and the owner of this blog is Ashton, a mommy/baker/blogger.  Ashton made these cookies and as soon as I saw them I knew I had to give it a try! Go visit her, she has a blog full of desserts and only desserts.  Yummy!  With a little investigating with Google I have seen that the Black and White cookie is a New York cookie, and they are available all over the city.  If I ever make it to New York City I will be eating my way on Black and White cookies!  Some say it's not a cookie but a soft, cake with a sweet icing.  New York folks says this cookie says New York all over it. The icing harden pretty fast and when dry forms a thin crust. The cookie is soft and the icing has a little crunch.  Jerry Seinfeld says " the correct way to eat one is a bite with both the chocolate and vanilla at the same time".  So enjoy, make a batch, and happy baking. 


Black and White Cookies

somethingswanky


Makes about 8 big cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Frosting:
* I doubled the frosting ingredients because I made my cookies smaller. Adjust accordingly. I still had some left of both the vanilla and chocolate icing. I will put in freezer and use at another time.

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp water

After making the white icing you transfer half the icing to another bowl and add 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp of water to make the chocolate icing.


Cookies:

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a small dish add the buttermilk and vanilla and set aside.
In a mixing bowl add the sugar and softened butter and mix. Then add the egg and continue to combine. Add some of the flour mixture along with some of the buttermilk mixture and combine. Continue to add more of the flour and buttermilk and end with the flour. Mix with your mixer.

To get the big cookies scoop about 1/4 cup of dough onto a greased baking sheet. About 2 inches apart. You will get about 8 cookies. I used a smaller scoop measuring at 1 1/2 inch and got 17 cookies.

Bake them at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. They will puff up and turn a golden brown. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Icing the cookies

Combine the powdered sugar, light corn syrup, lemon juice and vanilla and 1 Tbsp of water and mix. Add just a little more water if needed but only adding at 1/4 tsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Remove half of the white icing to another bowl and add the 1/4 cup of cocoa and a little water at a time to get to the same consistency as the white icing is reached.



I put a little white icing in a pasty bag with a small tip and made a straight line down the middle of the cookie. I next proceeded icing the white half of the cookie. Allow to dry before starting on the chocolate icing. The icing will harden as it sets.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI BREAD

It's still hot and humid in Maine, and blueberries and zucchini are  everywhere.  I quess I am on a cooking spree, with zucchini and the blueberries that I have picked out back of my house.  Went again this morning!  I found Kirsten's blog and saw the post for blueberry & zucchini bread and I had to make it. Kirsten is a "honorable recipe swiper" she gives credit where credit is due. She has a nice blog go check her out! In the land of food bloggers, must be at least a gazillion, I love looking at the pictures and sharing my goods with others. This bread is moist, and the sweet taste of those just picked little blue gems.  Even get two loaf's!  Thank you Kirsten, Great recipe    Andi  



Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Kirsten at The Sweet Swiper
thesweetswiper


3 cups flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs lightly beaten
3 tsp vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cup shredded zucchini ( 2-3 depending on size)
2 cups of blueberries

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, and lightly beat these, add the oil, sugar and vanilla and combine.

In another larger bowl add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and mix to combine. Add the wet ingredients to this bowl and mix. Add the shredded zucchini and mix. Then add the blueberries and gently fold these in.


Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake for about 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sharing at 
Something Swanky

Monday, July 18, 2011

BOSTON CREAM PIE CUPCAKES


letstrythese



Secret Recipe Club #2 Amanda's Cookin'
A big thank you to Amanda for making this all possible.  She is our girl! A big congradulation to Amanda for the award she has been given.  You deserve this, you have a excellent blog.

I was assigned to Letstrythese.blogspot.com Vivian, and she is my girl, we both like baking our sweets so I had so many recipes to look at.  What a decision, but I decided on the Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.  I did things just a little different, I used paper liners and filled the cupcakes with my pastry bag.  Vivian made the cupcakes then cut them in half and spread the filling between the layers.  I was going to do exactly, then I was invited to a graduation party and for transport reason I decided to do a filling inside the cupcake. I forgot to buy the heavy cream when I was at the market.  So I made a different chocolate topping.
I have only one regret, I didn't get a cupcake!  With all the desserts that were at the party, these were gone in no time.  So, Vivian I quess I will have to make these again.  Making cupcakes is never a prolbem for me, I love, love cupcakes.  I was told they were very good.  I am going to join your blog and follow along with you.  And I am interested in the cookie carnival also.  So thank you for all you do and keep baking my friend.   Andi






1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tbsp of unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners or spray them with Pam spray. 
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and salt. Using another bowl add the eggs and sugar and beat until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and mix. In a small saucepan over low heat,  add the milk and butter and allow the butter to melt. Bring the milk and butter to a boil, add this mixture to the batter bowl while using the mixer on low speed.  Add the vanilla.   Using your cookie scoop, scoop the batter into the liners or directly into the sprayed cupcake tin.

Bake your cupcakes until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Allow them to cool then remove from the pan and set on a cooling rack.  I got 18 cupcakes.



Filling: 
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla    (directions said 1/2 tsp, Vivian suggested 1 tsp)

In a small bowl, whisk yolks until smooth.
In a medium saucepan add sugar, cornstartch, and salt and add milk in a slow, steady stream.  Cook and stirring, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. 
Pour 1/3 cup of milk mixture into yolks, whisking constantly.  Return the entire mixture to the saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick, 2-4 minutes. Do not boil.  Stir in vanilla. 

Use can press this vanilla cream through a fine sieve into a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap layed directly on the vanilla cream.  Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days. 

Chocolate Ganache:

2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp light corn syrup
Bring cram to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat, add the chocolate and corn syrup.  Let standfor 5 minutes.  Whisk until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, and let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.


Chocolate Icing:      I made this instead of the above Chocolate Ganache.

2 squares of unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp of butter
1 cup of confectioners' sugar

Using a small saucepan add the chocolate squares along with the butter and melt.  Remove from stove top and add the confectioners' sugar and mix on low speed until thick and all combined.  






See more recipes from the bloggers of The Secret Recipe Club by visiting the links below!