old-fashioned chocolate cupcakes with coffee butter frosting

On Saturday afternoon, my apartment bore all the signs: The blinds were shut tight and the TV was off. There was a stack of dirty dishes in the sink, a pile of rumpled clothes on the floor, and I was planted face down on the couch, surrounded by a smattering of tissues -- clear evidence of a dating situation gone wrong. With my head buried ostrich-style between the cushions (because that obviously makes the real world go away), I wondered how I could have so grossly misjudged someone who was clearly not worth the space he takes up on this earth. For the next day, from that same relative position on the couch, I tried to understand how my sure-to-be-a-good-thing chef could have actually been a sure-to-be-going-straight-to-hell jerk. (I also pondered whether my dates were beginning to parallel the financial markets; the jury is still out on that one.) Finally, at some unknown hour on Sunday evening, I pulled myself up off the couch, washed the mascara stains off my cheeks, and started to clean up my disaster area of a living space. And as my pity party began to morph into a pissed-AT-him party, I did what any self-respecting baker would do: I made cupcakes.

(...and hoped that he'd accidentally shut his nether regions in the oven door.)

A simple description today for some simple cupcakes. I think, to date (no pun intended), I've tested out 3 different chocolate cake recipes on this site, and this one is, by far, my favorite. It is distinctly chocolately and exceptionally moist. Be careful, though, not to be overly generous when dispensing your batter into the cupcake liners. These cupcakes will nearly double in size in the oven, so failure to remain within the recommended fill level will result in an oven full of overflowing cupcakes. (Let's pretend, for my ego's sake, that I did not learn this the hard way.) Though both the cake and the frosting contain coffee, only the frosting carries the flavor, so even if you're not a coffee lover, the cake is worth a try.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Butter Frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
Recipe from Cheryl at Cupcake Bakeshop
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa powdered, sifted
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Coffee Butter Frosting
Recipe from Cupcakes by Susannah Blake
3 sticks plus 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
8 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso, dissolved in 4 tablespoons boiling water
Grated bittersweet chocolate for garnish

To Make the Cupcakes:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Ensure that the batter is thoroughly combined, but do not over mix.

Fill your cupcakes containers of choice 1/2 to a scant 2/3's full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or decorating as desired.

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, dissolved coffee or espresso, and half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Continue reading...

sicilian pasta with shrimp & almond cream

I made this recipe before the Olympics and I'm just now posting it. Isn't that terrible? But what was it about the Olympics that was so captivating this year? Despite my relative lack of interest in watching sports on TV -- except Notre Dame football, of course (*cough*GoIrishBeatMichigan*cough*) -- I found myself glued to the television every night for two weeks while the athletes were competing. Track cycling quarter finals? I'm on it! Badminton at 3am? Count me in! Sometimes I even found myself staying up late to watch athletes from countries that I'm not entirely sure I could locate on a map. Seriously -- Burkina Faso? Djibouti? (Don't lie -- you know you wouldn't do any better.) Apparently I wasn't alone, though, since two-thirds of the American population tuned in. I think for me, this was the first Olympics where I was really able to understand -- and even relate to -- the kind of effort it takes to be successful at that level. With so many make-or-break, almost-doesn't-count moments, I could barely tear myself away. What kept you watching this year?

Those of you who subscribe to the Williams-Sonoma catalog might have noticed a reference to this recipe in one of the recent issues. It wasn't immediately obvious to me why Williams-Sonoma would choose this recipe for their catalog, so I decided to find out for myself. Plus, I was intrigued by the title of "Almond Cream" for what was clearly a tomato-based dish. I was delighted to discover that recipe is just like my other Williams-Sonoma favorites: simple, fresh, and completely delicious -- and not to mention cream free. However, before I can credibly sing its praises, I have to confess that I made a mistake in the cooking process. As I was typing this up, I realized that I used almost twice as many tomatoes as the recipe calls for. Deal breaker? No, not by a long shot. The sauce had great depth and I loved it, but I'm sure it didn't have the almond flavor it was supposed it. No matter -- this is definitely a recipe I'm willing to make again.

Sicilian Pasta with Shrimp & Almond Cream
Adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe
Serves 4

6 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 1/4 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pound short, wide tubular pasta, or medium shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large bowl or in the base of an immersion blender, combine the almonds, tomatoes, olive oil, water and the 1 tsp. salt. Using an immersion blender, blend until the mixture is almost smooth, with just a few chunks of tomato remaining, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, pulse in the bowl of a food processor.) Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Set aside.

In a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the almond mixture, stir until well combined, and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the cooking water and the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Add the pasta and stir to coat with the sauce. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

Continue reading...