Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

 

Cupcakes have become quite a trendy thing among adults and there has been an effort to find more adult flavors for cupcakes in the last year or two.   The original recipe from Cook’s Illustrated that I used for this recipe is for Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.  While I thought they were good as a more adult flavor, the dark chocolate flavor was a little too dark for the kids in my family.  And let’s be honest, for most of us, when we make cupcakes, it’s for the kids.  So I traded out the unsweetened chocolate for semi-sweet and the Dutch Processed or dark cocoa powder for regular cocoa powder.  The result was a chocolate cupcake with a good chocolate flavor that was pleasing to the general kid population and adults alike.

By the Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe, this makes exactly 12 cupcakes.  By my experience, however, if you take all the batter and divide it among 12 cupcake cups, you will have mushroom shaped cupcakes that are neither pleasing to look at nor are they easy to frost.  In my experience, this recipe makes an odd 13 cupcakes.  SO, if you have a way to make 13.  Or make 12 and you will have a bit of batter left over.  Regardless, I highly discourage using all the batter in 12 cups.  I’ve done it.  It’s not pretty.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup cocoa powder (1 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup all purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

 

You will also need:

Heat-proof bowl
Sauce pan
Mixing bowl
Cupcake pans
Paper cupcake baking cups

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in heat-proof bowl and set over a small amount of barely simmering water in a sauce pan and allow to fully melt and combine until smooth.  (To quicken the process, you can melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over the chocolate and cocoa to begin the melting process sooner.)  Once melted, set it aside to cool for a few minutes until just warm to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until smooth.  Add sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully combined and smooth.  Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Sift in 1/3 of the flour mixture and whisk to combine.  Whisk in sour cream then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Using a large scoop, place 1 just over-full scoop into each cupcake liner.  The recipe makes 13, so if you only have room for 12 cupcakes, you will have a bit left over.

Bake 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Allow to completely cool before filling and/or frosting.

~~~~~~~~~~

Melt your chocolate and butter until smooth.

Whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar, salt & vanilla.

Whisk in the melted chocolate and then the flour and sour cream until thick and homogeneous.

 

Fill your spring loaded scoop until just over-full.

Believe it or not, it makes 13 cupcakes.  If you try to divide the batter between only twelve cups, they run over the tops they look like this….

when they should look like this…

Spicy Stuffed Shells

As submitted for the Ro*Tel Across America Recipe Contest
(I didn’t make the top 10, but I was one of the 10 runners-up.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.)

Ingredients:

12 ounces andouille sausage
6 ounces (approximately) jumbo pasta shells (about half of a box)
4 ounces monterrey jack cheese (shredded)
4 ounces goat cheese
½ cup roasted red pepper (chopped)
1 ear sweet corn, roasted, removed from cob (about ½ cup)
1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
1 egg
¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes & green chiles
Olive oil as needed
Kosher salt as needed

 

You will also need:

Indoor or outdoor grill
Large pot
Skillet
Several small bowls
1 large bowl
Large rubber spatula or spoon
1 baking dish
Aluminum foil

 

Method:

Rub corn with olive oil (or butter) and place on indoor or outdoor grill over medium high to high heat. Grill while turning occasionally to get all sides just slightly charred (while doing other things). Set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, remove corn from cob by holding the cob up on end and slicing downward with a sharp knife and pressing against the cob with the knife. Transfer corn to a bowl and set aside.

Put a pot of water on to boil. Add several good pinches of kosher salt. Once boiling add pasta and boil for approximately 8 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

Cut andouille sausage into pieces by quartering lengthwise then slicing into ¼ to ½ inch thick pieces. Place just a little olive oil in a skillet and set over medium high heat. Once hot, add sausage pieces and reduce heat to medium. Allow the sausage to not only brown but also cook out some of the fat. Once browned, remove to a paper towel lined bowl to absorb some of the grease. Set aside.

Chop up roasted red peppers and baby spinach place in bowls and set aside. Lightly whisk egg in a separate bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl add sausage, peppers, spinach, corn, bread crumbs, egg and both the Monterrey Jack and goat cheeses. Using a large spatula or spoon, mix all ingredients until all are evenly distributed.

By hand, stuff each shell until full but not over-flowing and place in a baking dish. Top the shells with 1 can of Ro*Tel tomatoes. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

~~~

Rub down your corn with some butter or oil and grill, turning occasionally, until there is some browning on each side.

  

Cut up the andouille sausage into small pieces by quartering lengthwise and slicing into 1/4 inch slices.  Cook in a skillet over medium high heat until lightly browned.

  

In a large bowl, combine sausage, cheeses, corn (removed from the cob), roasted red peppers, spinach, egg and bread crumbs and mix together until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

 

By hand, fill each cooked shell.

Top the shells with the Ro*Tel tomatoes and chilies and bake at 350 F covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

Grilled Garlic-Rosemary Potatoes

from Cook’s Illustrated (July/August 2007, page 9)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
9 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt
2 pounds small Red Bliss potatoes (about 18)
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

 

You will also need:

Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Disposable 13x9 inch aluminum roasting pan
Skewers (metal or wooden)
Small skillet
Fine-mesh strainer
Small bowl
Large bowl
Large microwave-safe plate
Grill

 

Method:

Prepare your grill with one side with direct flames (hotter) and the other side without (cooler).

Heat olive oil, garlic, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt in small skillet over medium heat until sizzling (about 3 minutes).  Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until garlic is light blonde (about 3 minutes).  Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl; press on solids.  Measure 1 tablespoon of solids and 1 tablespoon of oil into large bowl and set aside.  Discard remaining solids but reserve remaining oil.

Scrub and cut potatoes in half.  If using wooden skewers, make sure you soaked them in water first and place the potatoes on them at this point.  If using metal skewers, do NOT put the potatoes on them yet.

Place potatoes in single layer on a large microwave-safe plate and poke each potato several times with a skewer.  Brush potatoes with 1 tablespoon of strained oil and season liberally with salt.  Microwave on high power until potatoes are slightly resistant when poked with the tip of a a paring knife.  This will take about 8 minutes; turn them once halfway through the cooking time.

If using metal skewers, you may place the potatoes on the skewers after all microwave cooking is finished.  Remember that the potatoes will be hot.  You may want to use a paper towel to handle them.

Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet coated with 1 tablespoon strained oil.  Brush with remaining tablespoon strained oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place potatoes on hotter side of grill.  Cook, turning once, until grill marks appear (about 4 minutes).  Move potatoes to cooler side of grill and cover with disposable pan and continue to cook until paring knife slips in and out of potatoes easily (5-8 minutes).  Remove potatoes from skewers and transfer to large bowl with reserved garlic/oil mixture.  Add chopped fresh chives and toss until thoroughly coated.  Serve immediately.

Mexican Mole Sauce

Adapted from this recipe from Food Network

This is a “two” step recipe.  The first is to make the mole paste which involves roasting, charring, and toasting various ingredients, blending them all together in a food processor, then simmering for an hour.  The second step is about a 5 minute process of mixing the mole paste with a few other ingredients to make the sauce.  It’s a time investment up front that has a huge flavor pay-off.

This sauce can be used to add additional flavor dimensions in chili or tortilla soup by just adding a cup to your existing recipe, or as more of a starring role in a chicken mole dish like this one.

Ingredients:

Mole Paste:
2 large tomatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
15 ancho chiles, stems removed and seeded (reserve seeds)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves
1/4 cup fresh Mexican oregano leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 cup roasted almonds
1/4 cup shelled roasted (unsalted) peanuts
1/4 cup raisins 
1 cup chicken stock, hot
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped

Finished Mole Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14-ounce) can tomato puree
1 cup mole paste 
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce Mexican chocolate, chopped

 

You will also need:

Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Large bowl & hot water
Food processor
Sauce pan
1 cup containers for freezing

 

Method:

To make the mole paste, preheat the broiler to 500 degrees F

Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves on a parchment lined baking sheet and broil until slightly caramelized around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the garlic to a small plate to cool. Turn the tomatoes and onions so that the uncooked sides are up. Return to the broiler until slightly caramelized on the second side, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet over high heat, toast the chiles on all sides until lightly browned and fragrant, just for a couple of minutes. Do not allow to burn. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with hot water and allow to sit until softened, about 30 minutes. In the same skillet, combine the sesame seeds and reserved chile seeds and toast until light brown and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cloves, oregano and thyme to the hot skillet and "toast" for a few seconds, just until their perfume is released. Transfer to the bowl with the sesame seeds.

When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and add these, along with the charred tomatoes and onion, to the bowl of a food processor. Add the seeds and spices. Drain the liquid off of the chiles and add these to the processor as well as the roasted nuts and raisins, and 1 cup of chicken stock.  Puree the mixture until very smooth and thick, scraping down the sides of the blender frequently.

In a large deep pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil until very hot. Carefully pour the pureed mixture into the pot (be careful - it will splatter) and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat so that the mixture simmers, and add 4 ounces of chopped chocolate to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 hour, or until the mole paste is very thick and flavorful. At this point you should have about 3 1/2 cups of mole paste.

You can leave the paste rough with all the seeds and pieces, or you can strain it through a fine mesh strainer.  I strain about half of the paste and mix it back in with the rough.  This gives a nice in-between texture to the finished sauce.

You will use 1 cup to make the Mole sauce  Reserve the remaining paste for another use.

(The mole paste will keep for at least 6 months, refrigerated, or up to 1 year if frozen.  I freeze in 1 cup containers for ease of thawing for use.)

To make the sauce, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup mole paste and the remaining 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and stir to combine well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is a nice sauce consistency. Add the remaining 1/2-ounce of Mexican chocolate and the salt and cook another 2 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted and the sauce is thick, smooth and flavorful.

 

Straining:

You start with the “rough” mole paste. 

Place a good spoonful into a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl. 

 

With a rubber/silicone spatula, press the paste through the mesh strainer until all that is left is a dry-ish mixture of the seeds and solids from the paste.

 

 

In the bowl underneath, you will find a smooth deep redish-brown paste.

I go through this process with about half of the “rough” paste and mix the “smooth” paste back into the remaining “rough” paste.

The resulting sauce has just a little texture to it and seems pretty close to perfect.

 

Nana’s Buttermilk Pie

Few things speak to this Texan’s heart like pie. And one that truly takes me back to my childhood is my Nana’s buttermilk pie. I wrote a post about Buttermilk Pie on my main blog. You can read it here.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter (melted)
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

You will also need:

9” pie plate
1 unbaked pie crust (your favorite recipe)
Stand mixer

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 ºF.

Cream together eggs & sugar using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Drizzle in melted butter & mix well. Add buttermilk, salt and vanilla. Pour into an unbaked pie shell.

Bake @ 350 for about 40-45 minutes or until set. (The top will form a little bit of a crust, so it may be difficult to tell, but you do not want to over-bake. I would be hesitant to cook longer than the 45… maybe 46 minutes.)

Cool completely. It is best when made ahead of time and refrigerated to allow the custard to really set up. Serve either cold from the refrigerator or at a cool room temperature.

Now, with pictures:

Cream together eggs & sugar using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.

You want to drizzle in melted butter in case it is still hot. You don’t want to chance dumping it all in at once and curdling the eggs.

Add buttermilk, salt and vanilla.

Mix until just a little frothy… you want to see a few bubbles on top.

Pour into an unbaked pie shell.

Bake @ 350 for about 40-45 minutes or until set. (The top will form a little bit of a crust, so it may be difficult to tell, but you do not want to over-bake. I would be hesitant to cook longer than the 45… maybe 46 minutes.)

Refrigerate before slicing and serving for best results.

For very clean-cut pieces, cut when cold out of the refrigerator. At room temp, the crust on top will shred just a little (see the picture with strawberries at the top of this post) and the custard might loosen up a little. It still tastes wonderful, it just gives the piece of pie a little more rugged look.

Variations:

• Serve with some fresh macerated berries.
• Add 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the custard.
• Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and/or 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest to the custard.
• Add 1/2 cup shredded coconut to the custard.

Tuscan (Inspired) Lamb Chop Skillet

This is one of my family's favorite "one dish wonder" type meals that I got out of one of those little cookbooks in the checkout line at the grocery store.  I have since put my own methods and spin on it.

Ingredients:
4-8 lamb loin chops
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 19 ounce can white kidney (cannellini) beans; rinsed & drained
1 8 ounce can Italian style stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary

You will also need:
Large skillet with lid
Crusty bread for soppin' up the awesome sauce!!!

Method:
Trim a minimal amount of fat from chops and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chops in hot oil over medium heat until well seared and browned on all sides. Transfer to plate.

Pour the tomatoes out of the can into a separate bowl and cut them up if they are not diced. But do NOT drain them. Reserve all juice use in the dish.

Stir garlic into drippings in skillet & cook for just 30 seconds – 1 minute.

Pour in balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  (Add less balsamic vinegar if it is too strong of a taste for you. I up the amount of balsamic because we really like the flavor of it in our house.)

Add cut up tomatoes and juice, beans and simmer briefly.

Reduce heat to low and add chops back in, coating them with the sauce. Sprinkle in the snipped rosemary on top of the chops and sauce. 

Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.  The internal temperature of the lamb chops should read about 140F when they are done.  If you want to thicken up the sauce, remove the chops back over to a plate and turn up the heat  while pushing all the tomatoes and beans to the sides of the pan and allow the sauce in the middle to reduce just a little.  Return the chops to the skillet to serve.