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We are still working on it, but here is a preview:
I followed a recipe from a cookbook we bought at the King Arthur flour course last fall. The sweetened coconut was substituted with unsweetened, because that’s what I keep on hand. Jim thought the banana muffins would be improved with a sprinkling of sugar on top. The bourbon-soaked cranberry-cherry muffins were perfect.
Banana-Coconut Muffins (blue wrapper)
Bourbon-soaked Cranberry-Cherry Muffins
These cupcakes are for a colleague’s birthday, a unqiue cupcake/souffle recipe that didn’t require the work or messy transport issues of icing.
Servings: 24
Fresh
8 eggs, room temperature, separated
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
Pantry
1 cup (4 oz.) whole hazelnuts
1 cup super fine sugar
7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, such as Scharffen Berger
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. Confectioners’ sugar
Roast hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees-F. Place nuts on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until skins start to split. Rub nuts in a clean dish towel to rub off skins. Chop nuts finely and set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter
Turn oven temperature down 325 degrees-F. In a double-boiler, melt chocolate and butter, stir with a whisk until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
Make chocolate base
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy and light yellow. Add chocolate/butter mixture and stir until combined. Add flour and chopped nuts and mix until combined.
Beat egg whites and make batter
In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the chocolate batter. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Spoon batter into the cupcake liners, using all of the batter. Each liner will be very full.
Bake
Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for five minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Serve
Dust cupcakes with Confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator.
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Dessert for Easter dinner this year was a very simple flourless chocolate cake. I traced the bunny outline onto parchment paper and cut out the reverse image. A sprinkle of powdered sugar through a mesh colander resulted in the perfect bunny image.
Servings: 16
Fresh
5 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, divided, softened
Pantry
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate (suggestion: 80% Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Dark Chocolate)
4 Tbsp. Confectioners’ sugar
Prepare pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees-F. Use 2 Tbsp. butter to grease a 9-inch springform pan. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess powder. Wrap the outside of the pan with two layers of aluminum foil.
Melt chocolate
Bring water to a boil in a double boiler. Coarsely chop the chocolate and put in the top of the double boiler. Melt chocolate and remaining butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
Make batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add granulated sugar and whisk until incorporated. Pour about 1/2 cup of the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar, whisk to combine. Pour remaining chocolate and butter into the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Pour batter into the springform pan.
Bake cake
Put the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour water in the roasting pan until it is halfway up the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Life cake out of the roasting pan, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Decorate and serve
Cut the reserve of any desired shape out of parchment paper and place on top of the cooled cake. Place Confectioners’ sugar in a mesh collander and tap over the cake. Carefully remove and discard the parchment. Slice into thin wedges and serve with ice cream if desired.
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This icing is the perfect accompaniment for the Lemon Cupcakes.
Servings: Icing for 12 cupcakes
Fresh
1 lemon
2 egg whites
Pantry
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/8 tsp. salt
2-1/4 cups water, divided
Combine ingredients
Juice the lemon and reserve juice, retain lemon peels to make candied lemon peel if desired. In the top of a double boiler, combine the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, salt, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 cup water, and beat with a whisk until well incorporated.
Cook the egg whites
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in the bottom of double-boiler, lower to simmer. Place the top of the double boiler over the top of simmering water. Stir continuously with a whisk for seven minutes, until soft peaks form.
Beat icing
Remove top bowl from the double boiler, add lemon extract, and beat with an electric mixer for one to two minutes until icing is thick and shiny.
Serve
Frost cupcakes or cake as desired.
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I made these cupcakes for a colleague’s birthday and they were just the right about of lemon without being overpowering.
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Fresh
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 large eggs yolks, room temperature
1 egg white, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1 lemon (Meyer lemon used)
Lemon marshmallow icing and garnish (candied lemon peel shown) as desired
Pantry
1-1/2 cups (7-1/2 oz.) flour
1 cup (7 oz.) granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Make batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees-F. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a the work bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with the paddle attachment to combine. Juice the lemon, reserve lemon peel to make garnish of candied lemon peel, if desired. Add butter, eggs, lemon juice, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth. Let batter stand for 5 minutes.
Bake
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Use an ice cream scoop to fill each cup evenly until all batter is used, cups will be full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until cupcakes are firm but still moist. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to cooling rack and let cool completely before icing.
Decorate and serve
Ice cupcakes with desired frosting. Chill cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve
Remove cupcakes from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
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I brought these cookies into work for a colleague’s going away party a few weeks ago and posted the photos immediately but didn’t get around to posting the recipe details until tonight. I have never received so many requests for a recipe, it made me think I should tease readers with photos without recipes to build excitement. So drum roll please… recipe is now posted.
Servings: 15 cookie sandwiches
Fresh
1 egg
2 large carrots
3 oz. walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, divided
Pantry
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup Confectioners’ sugar
Cream butter and sugars
Preheat oven to 375 degrees-F. In a large bowl cream together 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Combine dry ingredients
In a separate large bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add walnuts and raisins and stir to coat.
Make cookie batter
Grate the carrots with a cheese grater. Place the egg in a small bowl and lightly beat. Add grated carrots and 1 tsp. vanilla extract to the egg and mix to combine. Add the creamed butter and sugars and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Bake cookies
Place parchment on two cookie sheets. Scoop cookie batter onto parchment paper by the heaping Tablespoon, place approximately 2-inches apart. Should yield 30 cookies. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cooked through but not browned. Transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Make filling
While the cookies cool, in a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup butter. Beat with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. And remaining 1 tsp. vanilla extract and Confectioners’ sugar. Beat until incorporated. Store in the refrigerator until cookies are cooled.
Assemble and store
Cut parchment paper into 5-inch squares. Hold one cookie upside down and spread 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp. filling on the cookie. Top with another cookie to make a sandwich. Wrap the cookie in parchment paper to protect it from sticking to other cookies. Continue until all cookies and filling are used. Place cookies in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Serve
Remove cookies from the refrigerator and serve immediately.
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Jim saw a photo on Pinterest of homemade Girl Scout cookies and on a Sunday afternoon we were elbow-deep in melted chocolate. Be warned: both recipes are a lot of work, but worth it – at least once in my life anyway.
Tagalongs
Thin Mints
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These homemade version of the Girl Scout’s Tagalong cookies are so good, it took an incredible amount of will power to not eat a dozen of them as soon as the chocolate set. These are a lot of work, a big mess, and take all afternoon… but they are worth it.
Servings: 36 cookies
Fresh
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 Tbsp. milk, divided
Pantry
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
3/4 Confectioners’ sugar
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz. dark chocolate
2 Tbsp. shortening
Make cookie dough
Prehet oven to 350 degrees-F. Cream butter and granulated sugar in the work bowl of a standing mixer. In a separate small bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed butter. Add 2 Tbsp. of milk and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough in 1 Tbsp. sections, divide in half and roll into two balls, place balls on the cookie sheet. Place remaining 1/3 cup flour in a small shallow dish. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, press the cup into the flour, then flatten one of the dough balls until dough is visible from the sides of the cup. Place measuring cup back in the flour and press the other dough ball. Repeat until all dough is used.
Bake cookies
Bake dough for 11 to 13 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, use the back of a spoon or tsp. measuring cup to press an indention in the center of each cookie. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheets for two minutes then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
Top with peanut butter
Combine peanut butter, Confectioners’ sugar, and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract in a small bowl. Place bowl over simmering water to heat the mixture. Place the peanut butter mixture in a large pastry bag. Pipe the mixture into the depression of each cookie. Use an angled pastry knife to smooth the peanut butter over the cookie, allowing the peanut butter to be thicker in the center. Place cookies in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Dip cookies in melted chocolate
Place the chocolate and shortening in a small bowl over simmering water in a double boiler. Stir to combine thoroughly. Place wax paper on a cookie sheet. Remove cookies from the refrigerator. Remove melted chocolate from the double boiler to the counter. Drop one cookie peanut butter top down into the melted chocolate. Using a fork, flip cookie over and remove from the chocolate, allow excess chocolate to drip off cookie, and place on the wax paper. Repeat until all cookies are coated. Return to the refrigerator until chocolate is set, approximately two hours.
Serve
Keep cookies refrigerated until ready to serve.
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