food filled birthday weekend pt 2

ok pictures have been taken (although with horrible lighting) and i'm ready to get back to the weekend of food.

as i mentioned, monday was mike's actual birthday and we both took the day off. though i was going to make him my special french toast, instead we opted to hit our favorite diner here in town, the fox (so my special french toast will have to make an appearance another time.) but i had two cooking feats still ahead of me - his birthday cake - a white chocolate cheesecake with caramel, and his birthday dinner.

first of all, this was not only my first time making a cheesecake, but also the first time i made caramel. what can i say - i like trying new things and subjecting other people to those trials.

it is NOT easy finding a recipe for a completely white chocolate cheesecake. usually it is paired with raspberries (which i love fresh, but ONLY fresh), or milk/dark chocolate. so after much research - i do LOTS of research when i want to make something - i settled on this recipe by hl aka fuzzy. it seemed to give me the best option of substituting the dark chocolate for more white. so instead of the split of chocolate in the recipe, i just used 9 oz of melted white chocolate. the only other thing i did differently was taking it out 15 minutes short of the time listed. i couldn't believe when it came out it only had one tiny inch long crack and jiggled perfectly. so i felt sucessful on mission one.

next up was making the caramel sauce. if you have ever made caramel (or looked at caramel recipes) you will know that every recipe pretty much has the same theme of DANGER WILL ROBINSON!! that being said, since this was my first time, i followed every instruction that david lebovitz had in this post, down to the icy bucket of water hanging out next to me. this post of his is a companion to the first and a good resource as well. as for the recipe i used, it was one he actually suggested, though i already chose it before i saw that. it is by elise and seemed just too simple to screw up too badly. i was so happy to find out that i was correct! i was very pleasently surprised with the how easy it was, and how - for the most part - the caramel sauce came out. it did have a slight burnt sugar taste, but not one that was too strong from precluding us from enjoying the caramel. i was surprised to find that taste there since i didn't see any burnt sugar. i really took my time, made sure to keep the sugar moving, but as david lebovitz says in #10 - practice! and that is what i plan on doing. i'd like to make some wrapped salted caramels for christams gifts - so practice practice practice! we both ended up being really impressed with both the cheesecake and the caramel. and the combination really was next level. i was so happy i didn't over or under bake the cheesecake and the consistancey was right on. very creamy, very white chocolatey.

though i have on pictures of dinner, i do have a recipe. my plan for dinner was to make a grouper dish, but when i went to the store there was no fresh grouper - so i went on a limb and picked out two nice looking pieces of swordfish. i've only eaten swordfish once before and enjoyed it, but i've never made it. so i went home and looked for a clean easy recipe to throw together. allrecipes came my aid again and i found this really yummy and easy recipe with rosemary - which is just about one of my favorite flavors. the only thing i subsituted was apple cider vinigar for the white wine, since we had none in the house. again both mike and i were really impressed with the taste and texture. i don't know how i knew how long to broil it, or when to take it out - but it was right on. i paired it with some rosemary potatoes and salt and pepper asparagus.

since this post (and the last) were already wordy enough, i figured just links to the excellent recipes would be the best way to go this time. overall i couldn't have been more happy with this birthday weekend. mike was thrilled, which is all i really wanted. but i like getting to look back and be proud of the work i did, even if i don't have much to show for it :)

food filled birthday weekend pt 1

i will first admit to breaking the cardinal rule of all true foodies: i fully slacked in my picture taking this weekend. but that was an overall slack, not just a food slack. this past weekend was my boyfriend's birthday weekend and i have about 8 or so pictures of us just before heading to dinner saturday night. that is it. ok maybe not it. i may have snuck in some shots of the apple spice scones i made saturday morning. i totally missed all the good pictures of the pretty food we got at emeril's in orlando though. and i still haven't taken a picture of the white chocolate cheesecake with caramel sauce i made...yet. i still have a piece or two left...maybe.

when i first started loving photography, i couldn't put my camera down. after a while i started realizing i was living my life behind the lens - always concerned with my shot. i'm not at all claiming i'm a great photographer, but i love it and that is all you need for it to take up a lot of your life. i've really tried to find a nice balance between shooting something and living it. sometimes i still shoot too much, and some times not enough - like this weekend.

this weekend was absolutely a relaxation and food extravaganza! it started with those apple spice scones saturday morning for the trip to orlando. i'll update this post with pictures of them soon, but the recipe is my basic scone recipe with the addition of 1 semi-finely chopped granny smith, 2 tbls cinnamon and 1/4 tbls nutmeg. instead of the normal scone shape, i hand shaped them into biscuit rounds.

once we got to the hotel there waiting in the room for us was a huge surprise basket that i ordered for mike that included white chocolate and peanut butter candies, cookies, cheese and crackers and woodchuck ciders. nothing super fancy, just a big surprise full of stuff to snack on during our stay.

that night was dinner at emeril's. we got the tasting menu, which was really terrific. it started off with an amuse-bouche of chopped salmon on a puffed pita type cracker. the next course was seared tuna, shrimp with a mustard type sauce, seaweed, and in house made chips for crunch all drizzled with this sweet balsamic reduction sauce. the next course was a piece of halibut with a mushroom sauce that really well complimented the fish. our meat course was perfectly cooked filet mignon wrapped in apple wood smoked bacon, with a side of gouda mashed potatoes and an albino asparagus sprig, complimented by, hands down, the best steak sauce i've ever had. the flavor was sweet, slightly smokey, tangy bbq, with a touch of coffee steak sauce. i wanted to lick the plate, no kidding. the final course, i felt was the weakest, was a lemon cheesecake roll with cherries. i felt the flavor of the cherries overwhelmed the delicate rolled cake and two white/dark chocolate cigarillos that garnished it were out of place visually and taste wise.

this was my second opportunity to enjoy emeril's tasting menu. the first time was years ago in college. both of my experiences have left me walking away knowing the meats were cooked to perfection, but the sauces made the plates. the sauces are what i remember most from the plates. this is not a criticism, just simply what i walk away truly enjoying.

the rest of this food coma inducing weekend took place on monday, mike's actual birthday. i'm already seeing how this is becoming a very long wordy post. so i'll save the next one till i get some last minute pics of the cheesecake!

apple of my pie

even though i've done plenty of baking in my life, i've never attempted a pie on my own. mom used to make pies for the holidays. pumpkin, apple and my favorite - a pizza ou gran (ok so this is how it is pronounced, no idea of the spelling), which is a traditional easter grain pie. since it is out of season, and the grain is ridiculously hard to find in my neck of the woods, i decided i wanted to make an apple pie.

i love apple pie - especially dutch apple pie. the crumbly sweet goodness of the topping just makes it for me. before this pie adventure i did make that one pecan pie in class, which at least gave me the confidence for the crust if nothing else. so i did some research on different crusts and fillings. i finally came to a place of combining some ideas together and i was ready to make the pie!

everything was going well till it was time to roll out the crust. it was feeling too dry and i didn't quite know how to fix that after it had been in the fridge for so long. so did a tim gunn and made it work. however, not being pie experienced, for whatever reason i decided the edge of crust was totally unnecessary! because really, who eats the edge? (ok really i don't like the edge, so this may have been a purely freudian mistake.) however i really didn't pay attention to that faux pas until i was ready to roll out the dough for the top and realize - geez there is nothing to seal it with! but i'm a roll with it kinda girl and figured - hey! i like dutch apple pie better anyway! i have no recipe for a crumble but i can fake it! and that is what i did, totally made up the crumble on the spot!

so finally after the sudden desire and the crazy mistakes i had myself a beautiful looking and smelling and really tasting apple pie! i was so proud! i couldn't wait to show it off to my boyfriend (who was not nearly as impressed as i wanted him to be).

i was sooo excited to cut into it, i just knew it would cut beautifully and slip perfectly on to the plate. i mean i let it completely cool so the juices would be sucked back into the apples (as i read somewhere). well it was a disaster! it just crumbled immediately! basically it turned into an apple crisp with some crust thrown in for good measure. it wasn't until i actually bit into the apple did i realize that maybe using apple chunks instead of slices wasn't such a good idea. the apples were still a tiny bit crunchy. i actually kinda liked it, but my boyfriend was a little offended to actually have to chew his apples!

all of that being said - i totally 100% loved this pie, even if it didn't succeed. this was a beautiful, tasty and fully enjoyed failure! warmed with some ice cream it hit all the right spots. i'm sure i'll be making a few more apple pies this season, and once i finally come up with one that really does work, then i'll post that recipe. until then i'll happily enjoy my failures!

you say bis-cot-ee, i say biss-kout

everywhere you go there are pumpkins. at the supermarket - fresh and canned, at your busy corners where patches have been set up, and of course - on your favorite food blogs. and far be it for me to go against the trend. mainly because i adore pumpkin. no matter what it is - make it with pumpkin and it is better. soup, cookies, cheesecake, muffins, cakes, etc..etc..etc.

i have two favorite pumpkin recipes, but i'm just going to focus on my newest pumpkin recipe for this post. i was looking at different blogs and i came across what has been so far the best use of leftover pumpkin to date. super yummy, not to crunchy, pumpkin biscotti. i had already made my other favorite pumpkin recipe and had exactly the 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree left over as was needed for the recipe. it was fate. and a good one at that.

i've always loved biscotti. i grew up in an italian family and we visited relatives in new york every summer. my absolute favorite place to go was the pastry shop where i first tasted biscotti. when i think about it now i can almost smell it. nothing in this world will ever compete to the tastes of the pastries and cookies (and icees for that matter) from that one on kings ave in brooklyn. as an italian, i also grew up saying words for several things differently than anyone else. for instance, biscotti - which most people pronounce: bis-cot-ee, i pronounce: biss-kout. only now i've been worn down and not around my family as much and pronounce it like everyone else. same goes for ricotta (ri-gut (soft i) to me) and mozzerella (mutz-a-del to me). maybe someone else out there is familiar with these prounciations. i know me and my family can't be alone in this!

anyway i'm going down a totally different path, back to the biscotti. what i liked most about this recipe, besides the pumpkin, was that it was actually a softer version of a biscotti. not quite so teeth crunching, but with the same good biscotti taste. the only thing i added was my cinnamon drizzle. a quick thanks to honeybunch for the post with the recipe. i wouldn't be in pumpkin biscotti heaven without you!

pumpkin biscotti

ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• Pinch of ginger
• Pinch of cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

directions

• preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl.

• in another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. give it a rough stir to generally incorporate the ingredients, the dough will be crumbly.

• flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough. lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. form the dough into a large log, roughly about 15-20 inches by 6-7 inches. the loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high. bake for 22-30 minutes at 350 F, until the center is firm to the touch. (feel free to also form two smaller logs for cute two-bite biscotti; just cut the baking time to 18-24 minutes.)

• let biscotti cool for 15 minutes and then using a serrated knife cut into 1 inch wide pieces. turn the oven to 300 F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. cool completely.

cinnamon nutmeg drizzle

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or other flavoring (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch nutmeg

this is my same drizzle as the glaze on the blueberry scones, so the same instructions. honestly this is a guesstimate of proportions. i generally just dump some powered sugar in a bowl, add a little milk and either keep adding milk or more sugar till it is the consistency i want. generally for a brushed on glaze like this i like it to be a little more liquidy or thinner, however for a drizzle it should be thicker so it hardens nicely. the flavorings are really to taste. so start small and build from there. this is where my baking turns more into cooking!

biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp let it sit uncovered overnight in a dry space. Serve and enjoy.

makes approximately 15 cookies.

scones that will change how you feel about scones

at work we like our parties and we like our food. potlucks are a staple and they are a great opportunity for me to bake in the middle of the week. unfortunately, i also have a tendency to think it is a good idea to try out a recipe i've never tried before and just "see how it goes". since this potluck was a breakfast, i thought scones seemed appropriate and a little different then just more muffins. one tiny issue, i've never made scones or this recipe before.

as luck would have it, these are the best scones i've ever had. seriously. though i like typical scones, these are not typical scones - they are better. now if you like the dry crumblyness of a typical scone - just stop here. it was nice having you around and i'll see you next time. however, if you are more interested in a more moist, sweet and still slightly crumbly scone, keep reading.

when i feel like trying on a new recipe i tend to look through tastespotting, like i'm sure a lot of you do, but i also just love allrecipes. i've found some of my favorite recipes on allcrecipes.com and i really love reading peoples comments and little changes. well that is where i found this little gem of a recipe. admittedly, i haven't gone to crazy in my scone flavors. i've really kept it to blueberry and chocolate chip so far. the only thing i have added to the recipe is the glaze on top.

props should definitely be given to whomever grandma johnson is, because i've had multiple people come up to me saying they have never liked scones and were just trying them to be polite and they are the best they've ever had. this includes my boyfriend, who asks for them constantly.

grandma johnson's scones

ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg

directions

1. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir the sour cream mixture and egg into the flour mixture until just moistened.
   
4. Mix in hard mixers (such as chocolate chips, nuts, raisins etc.), see 6 below for fresh mix ins.
   
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll or pat dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 12 wedges, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. (i have also hand formed them biscuit style and they are great that way too.)
6. If you are adding fresh blueberries (as seen here - or any fresh fruit mix -in), after you have placed the scones on a baking sheet, i suggest poking placement holes for the fruit. the dough will be a little to firm to mix the fresh fruit in without breaking it up.
   
7. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom.(even though it says 12-15, i usually find 15-20 is more accurate.)
   

glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla or other flavoring (optional)

honestly this is a guesstimate of proportions. i generally just dump some powered sugar in a bowl, add a little milk and either keep adding milk or more sugar till it is the consistency i want. generally for a brushed on glaze like this i like it to be a little more liquidy or thinner, however for a drizzle it should be thicker so it hardens nicely.

not gone - just hybernating

it has almost been a full year since i've posted. i'm sure it seems like i have just given up baking. one class did me in and no more! no no that couldn't be further from the truth. actually since my backing class (which really turned out to be a dud of a class - that was the only actual session that was held out of 4 sessions) i've been baking pretty constantly. last christmas my mom surprised me with my very own shiny red kitchen aid, that i love and use weekly.

i've been baking everything from muffins to biscotti. i've been pretty happy with most of my results. my recent attempt at apple pie looked great, and tasted good, but didn't really hold up as "pie" persay. if you want to see some sneak peeks at what i've been up to, you can check my flickr badge to the right.

i promise to catch up on all the things i've been baking and taking pictures of. i have to admit, some things never get captured because my boyfriend and i are just to eager to try them out. i also promise not to let a full year go by again. Though there is a chance this blog could be moving locations. We'll see what happens!

my first baking class

since i've decided to go down this baking road, i thought it would be fun and educational to take a proper baking course. it is only four classes long (well three now that one got canceled.) saturday was the first class and it was a whopper.

we made quick yeast rolls, a thin cake for a log we'll be putting together next week, dough to make crust for pies and a pecan pie. i didn't have a lick of time to take any pictures during the class, but i'm so frustrated i forgot to take a picture of the pie after the fact!

the reality is that i am really NOT a pecan pie fan. i do not enjoy the uber sweet goop that is at the bottom and the too much abundance of nuts on the top. so it really surprised me that i seriously enjoyed the pie i made! the crust came out really crisp and light, the goop wasn't too goopy, and the top was crunchy and the whole thing wasn't overly sweet even if it did have two cups of brown sugar. i think a couple factors that helped were that the pecans were more on the crushed side than the halved and i think it actually did bake maybe more than it should have, but it worked. we brought it straight to a party and i got a lot of good compliments on it. my boyfriend isn't a big fan either and he even liked it.

i was really happy with how the quick yeast rolls came out. they were a tad sweet but not to much. not doughy, just yummy! it was my first attempt at making any type of bread like that. it was good to make it in that setting so i had a good idea of the correct texture of the dough. i'm sure i'll be making those again in the future.

i'll get a better idea of how cake came out next week. even though i fully baked it, i didn't really handle it or get to taste it.

most importantly, i got to use a kitchen aid mixer for the first time. i think that will be going straight to my christmas list!

sorry i don't have any photos or recipes to accompany this post. i'll probably try much of these things again, so i'll do so at that time.

red velvet cake

i have always found red velvet cake to be a mystery. sometimes it is good, sometimes it is weird, always i feel like i don't quite know what i'm eating. not chocolatey enough to be a chocolate cake, definitely not vanilla, really not any actual taste you would immediately recognize. well i finally have discovered why that is...


two 1 oz BOTTLES of red food coloring

that in and of it self simply puts the taste of the cake on this undeterminedable level.

it was really the mystery of this cake that made me want to try it out. and i had the perfect opportunity with my best friend anna's birthday. i found a great sounding recipe on yumsugar and set to work.

red velvet cake
Modified from Martha Stewart and Bon Appetit magazine

ingredients for cake

• 3/4 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/2 Cups cake flour, (not self-rising), sifted, plus more for pans
• 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 2 Cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
• 2 1-ounce bottles liquid red food coloring
• 3 Tablespoons lukewarm water
• 1 Cup buttermilk
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar

ingredients for frosting

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (i used an additional 1/2 a stick - 4 tlbs)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (i used about 3 1/2 cups)

directions for cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, and butter again. Dust with flour, and tap out the excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa, and baking powder; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 15 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add vanilla, salt, food coloring, and water; beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well combined.
5. Add reserved dry ingredients in additions, alternating with the buttermilk; beat on low speed until well combined.
6. In a small bowl, stir together baking soda and vinegar; add to batter. Beat on medium speed for 10 seconds. Be sure not to over beat.
7. Divide batter between prepared pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pans from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.

directions for frosting

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

directions to put it all together

1. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake.
2. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
   
3. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. Can be made 1 day ahead.
   

i decided to decorate it with just raspberries, and i think overall the presentation came out fairly well. i was most happy with how generally even the layers ended up being once i cut them. the raspberries really looked so lush and shiny.


even though i saw areas to be improved upon, the most important part was that anna loved it. she loved the presentation, she loved the taste, she loved that i used some organic ingredients. it actually was a big hit with everyone, which really meant so much to me since this was the first cake i've ever made from scratch, and it certainly won't be my last.

carrot and rosemary mini-scones

the dilemma of the "potluck" is a difficult one. I was just sifting through my favorite sites to see if i couldn't find something that would be great for my upcoming one next week. it was as if the baking gods looked down at me and said "trish - this is for you." not only a great recipe, but totally understanding of my dilemma! i found the recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini. i'm planning on preparing these this weekend and baking them up on tuesday. i'll post the pictures after the deed is done. until then, you'll just have to go with the mouthwatering recipe.


*UPDATE*

scones have been made and i greatly enjoyed them. i was really happy with the taste, texture and consistency. i will definitely be making these again

carrot and rosemary mini-scones
Makes about 50 miniature scones

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chickpea flour (substitute another kind of interesting nutty flour, such as chestnut or buckwheat, or just use all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 cups of it)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots, about 1 1/2 medium
• 1 cup coarsely grated aged Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles (or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced, or pressed
• 2 tablespoons strong Dijon mustard
• 7 tablespoons light (15%) whipping cream, plus a little more as needed (i used about 8)

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers or a wire pastry blender, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the grated carrots, cheese, rosemary, and garlic, and blend with a fork. (This can also be done in a food processor.)
3. Add the mustard and cream and mix them in gently with the fork just until the dough comes together -- add a tad more cream if the dough is too dry.
4. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface or a silicon mat, and gather into a ball without kneading. (This can be prepared up to a day ahead; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to rumble.)
5. Roll the dough out into a rough rectangle, about 2-cm-thick (3/4-inch). If the dough is on the wet 'n sticky side, it helps to cover it with a sheet of parchment paper and roll the pin over the paper rather directly on the dough.
6. Cut the dough into 3-cm (1 1/4-inch) squares and transfer onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about a little space between each.
7. Bake for 20 minutes (i baked mine for a total of 27 minutes), until puffy and golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let cool on a rack for a few minutes and serve, warm or at room temperature.

dark chocolate cinnamon cupcakes

today muffin posted this really fantastic recipe for dark chocolate cinnamon cupcakes on her blog never bashful with butter. it is a favorite of mine for the recipes and the photos of the yummy creations! i knew i had to try these as soon as i came home, especially since i just happened to buy everything i needed last night! oh my chocolatey goodness luck!! the only thing i would add for next time is some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.



i took this in honor of the girl behind the recipe. she makes a heart out of everything.



these are all ready to be baked. i almost screwed up and forgot the sour cream. luckily i did one last check to make sure i got all the ingredients in the bowl.




i don't take any credit for this recipe, i just love it and i really enjoyed making these:

Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ cup sour cream

directions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan with baking-cup liners.
• Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
• Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is thick.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
• When the cupcakes have cooled, mix together a half teaspoon of cinnamon with 3 tablespoons powdered sugar. Sift a light coating of the mixture on top of the cupcakes. No frosting necessary.

mr. penguin is the keeper of the cupcakes.

mike will even deliver these beauties right to your door
(if he leaves any leftovers that is.)