Category Archives: Desserts

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Emily

There’s something about the smell of pumpkin that just screams autumn. The warm mix of spices and pale orange color seems to always bring me back to when I was younger and went to my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving, passing around beets, mashed potatoes, kielbasa and my Aunt Carol’s pumpkin roll. We sat around three tables lined up, laughing and eating. Hearts warm and bellies full, a few adults would nod off one by one and us children would contemplate our Christmas lists for the upcoming month.

As I got older, I spent less time worrying about what I’d get for Christmas and more time enjoying the gifts the season brought me- warm doughnuts from the cider mill, bundling up in sweatshirts to go apple picking, bringing in firewood for the fireplace, and the brilliant colors of the leaves as they changed. I miss the golden yellows, rich oranges, and reds ranging from bright scarlet to crimson. I miss Michigan.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Texas. I love the people, I love their pride for Texas, and their unconditional love for it. I love their kindness, the hospitality. I love my college’s traditions, the sense of family I get every time I attend a football game. I can see myself living here for years to come. But deciding to attend college here has done a complete flip on what I’m use to. I doubt I can remember what a pine tree looks like, and I’m sure chipmunks are extinct. I’ve eaten more mexican and seafood this past month than I have in several months back home. Real cowboys exist, and the weather seems to remain a constant, comfortable temperature. However, being the oddball northerner I am, I wear shorts and a tank top on this “brisk” 78 degree day, whereas my fellow college students wear jeans and sweatshirts. I love Texas so much, but I can’t help but miss what I grew up on.

Last weekend I visited my father and decided to celebrate the month of October with pumpkin cupcakes. Ever since the end of September I’ve been so excited for all things autumn and Halloween- pumpkin pie being top on this list. However, without the changing colors of leaves or dropping of temperatures to remind me that it is, in fact, autumn, pumpkin cupcakes seemed like the perfect fix to my minor homesickness. And they really did satisfy. Subtly spicy and extremely moist cake, creamy frosting that isn’t overly sugary, they brought me back to every Thanksgiving spent with my family. Just what I need after spending my days in the dorms and library, studying for midterms.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
From Brown Eyed Baker

I cut the recipe in half to make approx. 18 cupcakes, but this recipe is the full which makes around 32. And let me tell you, 32 would be plenty fine with me! They’re so delicious!

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2½ cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1½ cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until just combined. Add pumpkin; beat until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers.

4. To finish, use an offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a decorated tip to top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, ½ cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.

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S’more Brownies

Posted on May 29, 2010 by Emily

Am I going a bit brownie crazy? Who knows. All I know is that brownies serve multiple purposes. They can be conversation starters, and help you make friends. They can be clever concoctions to work your creativity with, or simplify your life with a good old-fashioned, warm brownie.

This Friday was my last day of high school, and it was quite a bittersweet moment. I’ve been with the same group of friends for years. Some I’ve known since my shy days of kindergarten, others I met in my awkward stages of middle school, and a handful were found in high school. Although we all complained early in our years that we couldn’t wait to get out of high school, now that it has finally arrived, I think we’re all kind of taken aback.

Those four years flew by. Zoomed in a blur of quizzes, homecoming, ACT tests, and cafeteria food. And even if you were a crazy partier at every teen club or spent your day refreshing your facebook news feed, I think we can all admit that a part of us will miss high school a tiny bit.

Excitement doesn’t even begin to describe how much I’m looking forward to the future. It’s a whole new ballgame out there, full of new people and opportunities. Of course I’m out of my mind frightened, I’ll be moving to a new state, not knowing a soul other than my father. But the change is what makes it so exciting, that unknown factor that makes you reach for more. There’s a feeling of power, being out of high school and controlling your life, and complete, deep gut fear of the unknown. It’s kind of like putting cookies on brownies, or marshmallows. You have no idea if it will work out, but you cross your fingers and hope for the best. Wondering where this weird metaphor is going? Well quite frankly, I don’t even know- maybe, hopefully, my college life and future will turn out like these brownies- amazing.

When I think of summer, I think of bonfires on a random weekday, roasting marshmallows in the crackling fire. With school over and a whole summer to spend with friends and relaxing before college, I thought this would be the perfect recipe for a barbecue some friends hosted on our last day. The gooey marshmallow worked well with the rich chocolate, although it ended up being rather difficult to cut without a sharp knife and some hot water to make clean cuts. I found the graham cracker crust to be so clever though, it really made the brownies to be so fun in its summer theme.

S’more Brownies
From Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients
Crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

4 cups (25-30) large marshmallows

Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes.

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Posted in Desserts and tagged brownie, brownie marshmallows, chocolate, marshmallows, smore brownies, smores. Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Covered Brownies

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Emily

There are two things both with my family and at school that I’m known for making a lot.- chocolate chip cookies and brownies. They’re super easy to make, it’s basically just mixing up the ingredients and pouring them in. Probably the most difficult part is when you forget to use non-stick cooking spray and have to wrestle the first brownie out of its pan. Or perhaps with cookies when they first come out of the oven and smell so good, you put your tongue on the line and risk burning it just to devour the first one. There’s no doubt that these classic are big time favorites among people. But what happens when your brother wants cookies and your friends want brownies?

You mix them together, as I have figured out. And it works- really well.

I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about this recipe at first. Not the combination of flavors, I never doubted the marriage between sugary, chocolate chip cookie and gooey brownie. I was more concerned that the top cookie layer would burn to a crisp before my very eyes. I’m not a big fan of crispy crunchy chocolate chip cookies, so I didn’t really want a cookie crust on my brownies, but more so a soft, warm cookie layer.

When spreading the cookie dough over the brownie mixture, I suggest putting large dollops of dough on top and using a offset spatula to do the job. Take it slowly, don’t be too anxious to spread the dough over the brownie batter, or else it will mix in with it. We want layers, not marbling.

They turn out extremely smooth and soft, the perfect blend of cookie and brownie, and all the right amount of chocolaty goodness. I’d just suggest waiting a while after it comes out of the oven, no need for burnt tongues.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies
From Brownies to Die For

Brownie Base:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Topping:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13×9” baking pan. Line with foil, then gently grease foil.

For the Brownie Base: Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring to blend. Remove pan from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Spread into prepared pan.

For the Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough Topping: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat on high speed the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs adn vanilla and beat until creamy. On low speed, blend in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Top Brownie Base with spoonfuls of Cookie Dough Topping, spreading gently to form an even layer. (My personal suggestion: Use a off-set spatula and take it slow.)

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool pan completely on a wire rack. When completely cool, invert onto a wooden cutting board and gently remove foil. Cut into bars. Makes about 3 dozen.

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Posted in Desserts and tagged brownie, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip cookie brownie. Bookmark the permalink.

Peanut Butter Cups

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Emily

Whoever thought of mixing peanut butter between layers of chocolate is a genius. There’s just something about opening a new jar of Jif, breaking the seal and the scent of peanut butter reaching your nose and warming the back of your throat with it’s rich, nutty aroma. Pair that with bittersweet chocolate and crunchy nuts and you’re floating your way onto cloud nine.

As a kid, I put peanut butter on basically anything. I’d spread it on cucumbers, potato chips, and saltine crackers (one of my favorite snacks), just to name a few. And, like most kids, Reese’s peanut butter cups had won my heart over. There was something about the bright orange wrapping and the zigzag’d ends. The little cups in the package had their perfectly smooth, level tops, and the same zigzag pattern around it, the paper popping and crinkling off the chocolate coating as you unwrapped it. And then you either shove it in your mouth, become overwhelmed with sadness that you just devoured it without thi- Oh wait, there’s a second one!
Or have some sort of crazy eating ritual, like me, eating it in a crescent moon shape, leaving the edges for last.

These were so incredibly easy to make, and quick, too. Need more chocolate? Zap it in the microwave! Need more peanut butter, throw that in the microwave, too! It was that simple. While milk chocolate would taste great in this recipe, semisweet makes it so much more special. And the nuts on top give a nice crunch compared to the smooth chocolate and peanut butter mix. I think these would be great for lunches, or anytime you need a chocolate (or peanut butter) fix. They do melt pretty quickly though, so don’t let them sit out all day and then eat them, or you’ll have to lick the chocolate off your fingers. Not that that’s a bad thing…

Easy Peanut Butter Cups
Recipe from Martha Stewart

Makes 24 (but is easy to double… or triple)

Ingredients

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

Line two 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate and peanut butter. Microwave, until almost melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, place semisweet chocolate in another microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring once or twice, until almost melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Dividing evenly, use a spoon to layer semisweet chocolate and peanut-butter mixture into liners, beginning and ending with chocolate; sprinkle with peanuts. Place muffin pans in freezer until peanut butter cups are firm, about 15 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Posted in Desserts and tagged chocolate, peanut butter, peanut butter cup, peanuts. Bookmark the permalink.