Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Yield: about 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
¾ cup cake flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. almond extract

Additional fresh blueberries, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.

In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the almond extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Adapted from: So Tasty So Yummy

Yields: 15 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries, divided

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixer cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until just combined.

In a bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Fold in 1 cup of strawberries. Spoon batter into a paper lined muffin pan. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full and top with remaining 1/4 cup chopped strawberries (2-3 pieces per muffin, lightly press into the dough.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are golden. Cool on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella, and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes adapted from Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes
Frosting adapted from My Baking Addiction

Yield: 3 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:
2/3 cup Nutella
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
For the Cupcakes
Line 3 dozen muffin cups with cupcake liners or grease using non-stick spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until it is pale and thick. Add in the eggs. Mix until combined. Add in the nutella. Now, add in the buttermilk. Beat until well incorporated.

Add the flour mixture in 3 increments and beat until smooth. Divide batter into the cupcake tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream the butter and cream cheese in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vanilla. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed until fluffy and smooth, adding milk or additional sugar (if needed) to reach desired consistency.

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream the butter and cream cheese in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add the Nutella and vanilla and continue to cream. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed until fluffy and smooth, adding milk or additional sugar (if needed) to reach desired consistency.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from: Red Velvet Cake with Raspberries and Blueberries Bon Appétit | June 2003

Yield: Makes 20 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs

Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation
For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Frosting Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Chocolate Pots de Crème
Adapted from: Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes by David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (60-72% cacao)
2 cups half and half
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Set six 4- to 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan.

Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, heat the half and half, sugar, instant espresso powder, and salt until hot (not boiling though), stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot half and half mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Let cool until tepid, then whisk in the egg yolks and the vanilla.

*If the mixture looks at all grainy, whisk well or pureè in a blender until smooth.

Transfer the custard mixture to a large measuring cup or pitcher and divide evenly among the ramekins.

Fill the roasting pan with warm water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the perimeters of the custards are just set and the centers are still slightly jiggly, about 35 minutes.

Transfer custards from the water bath to a wire rack and let cool.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, garnished with a small amount of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Frosting

Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Frosting

Adapted from Food & Wine an entire year of recipes 2006
and Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes by David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup hot coffee

Filling:
1 1/4 plus 1/4 cup 2% or whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 large egg yolks
1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut (find this in the bulk section of your market)

Rum Syrup:
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum

Whipped Cream:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups dried unsweetened or sweetened shredded or large flake coconut, toasted


Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325F. line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the cake pans and the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and the vanilla extract. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the hot coffee.

Using a stand mixer, beat half of the buttermilk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. Beat half of the coffee mixture into the batter, then scrape down the bowl. Beat the remaining buttermilk and coffee mixtures into the batter until they are incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are springy to the touch. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. Peel the parchment paper off the bottom of the cakes.


To make the filling, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the 1 1/4 cups milk with the sugar and vanilla.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 milk until completely smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined.

When the milk-sugar mixture is hot, stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine, then whisk it into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. While whisking constantly, pour about one-third of the hot thickened milk into the egg yolks, then scrape the yolk miture into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, just until the mixture begins to boil (it will be very thick). Pour the mixture into a clean bowl. Stir in the 1 cup coconut, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

To make the syrup, warm the water and the 1/2 cup sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the rum, and let cool to room temperature.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate and brush with the rum syrup. Evenly spread half of the filling on top of the cake layer. Cover it with a second layer. Brush the second layer with the rum syrup; spread the remaining half of the filling. Place the final cake layer on top and brush with the rum syrup.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

To make the whipped cream and finish the cake, in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk the cream until it just begins to hold its shape. Whisk in the sugar and the vanilla until stiff; don't over beat.

Using an icing spatula, spread the whipped cream evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the toasted coconut by sprinkling coconut on the top of the cake and pressing some around the sides with your hands.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Yield: Approximately 36 medium size cookies

Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons pure vanilla
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and heavy cream. Mix until smooth. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the egg and cream mixture. Mix just until well incorporated; do not over mix.

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate flattened dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Peel Parchment paper off topside. Flip and peel other parchment sheet. Cut into shapes and place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes until bottoms and edges are light brown. Cool. Decorate with royal icing.


Royal Icing

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons meringue powder (found in special baking stores and online)
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons clear vanilla

Preparation:
Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes until icing forms peaks. This recipe makes a stiff royal icing. Water can be added to make a thinner icing- the consistency for flooding is like thick paint. Stiff icing is used for cooking borders/outlines while thinner icing is used to fill-in border areas.

Icing hardens when dry.