cocoa powder

April 15, 2015

{Homemade} Cosmic Brownies.

One of my fondest childhood memories involves summers spent at my friend Emily’s house. These summers consisted of drinking a lot of Capri Sun, and eating massive amounts of snack cakes and fried bologna sandwiches. I am going to go ahead and admit that between the ages of about ten to fifteen, I probably consumed five times my weight in snack cakes. Per year. No, I’m not joking, and no, I am not sorry.

I wasn’t really picky about what snack cakes I’d eat. Fudge Rounds, Star Crunch, Nutty Bars, Swiss Cake Rolls… if it involved chocolate, I would probably snarf it up in a heartbeat. But I did have one snack cake to which I was especially partial: the Cosmic Brownie. [Oh, the 90s…]

cosmicbrownies_cover

Now, at the ripe old age of twenty-six, you’ll rarely see me eating any snack cakes, Cosmic Brownies included. This is due to two reasons: 1) my metabolism isn’t what it used to be, and 2) I don’t really like the taste of most packaged treats anymore.

Anyway. Several summers ago during my second internship in St. Louis, I made the most magical discovery of my life: I came across a recipe for homemade Cosmic Brownies. You’d think I would have rushed to the kitchen to make them immediately, but no dice. There was one small problem: where was I going to find the vibrant, candy-coated mini chocolate chips that adorned the glorious Cosmic Brownie? Yeah, I could have just topped my copycat brownies with brightly colored sprinkles. But anyone who knows me knows that I care wayyy too much about silly details, and that the average, run-of-the-mill sprinkle just would not do.

And so the search for the rainbow, candy-coated miniature chocolate chips began. It might have taken me a month or two, but I finally found them at my local Joann Fabric & Craft store. I imagine I probably looked like a crazy person when I spotted them in the baking aisle. But seriously, check them out. Aren’t they the bomb.com? [And I’m someone who doesn’t say “the bomb dot com” very often…]

rainbowchips — {Look at how pretty they are!}

After I finally found these awesome candy-coated chocolate chips, I made Cosmic Brownies one time. They were good, but then I somehow forgot about them for a few years. Finally, now that I actually have a somewhat decent food blog, I decided that I should readdress them. The recipe that I found is definitely interesting. These are awfully close to the real thing; they’re super rich and fudgy. They don’t mess around; it’s just like, BAM! CHOCOLATE IN YO FACE! when you eat one. I’m a chocoholic, and I took two bites of one, and thought to myself, “Yup, that’s enough for now!”

All that being said, I wouldn’t advise stuffing your face with the entire pan in one sitting. However, my coworkers loved them, and I do too. Plus, they are not artificial-tasting, nor do they have that slight cardboard-esque aftertaste like their packaged counterparts.

And if you can find these rainbow chips, please do everyone a favor and splurge on a bottle of them. They make the brownies that much more cosmically delicious. The added color and crunch just makes the brownies out of this world. [Hurrrrr. I’m punny today.]

But if you want to use regular sprinkles, I won’t judge you… Maybe.

browniebite — {And have fun reminiscing about the good old days of the 1990s while you eat these mofos.}

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Homemade Cosmic Brownies.
Yield: One 8×8″ pan of brownies.

Ingredients:
For the Brownies:
– 10 TBSP. unsalted butter
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
– 3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
– 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
– 1 TBSP. corn syrup
– 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 TBSP. cornstarch
– 1/4 tsp. salt

For the Frosting:
– 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
– 1/2 cup heavy cream
– Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch, or mini M&M’s, sprinkles, or other candy

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch (or 9×9″) baking pan with foil or parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

2. Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl for about 90 seconds. Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. If it’s still super hot, wait a few minutes before adding the next ingredients [you do not want sugary scrambled eggs… gross].

3. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, egg yolk, and corn syrup. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.

4. Add in the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

5. To make the frosting, heat the cream in a small microwave-safe bowl on high for about a minute. Add in the chocolate chips. Let it sit for about three minutes before stirring it until smooth. Pour it over the cooled brownies, and smooth it out evenly. Sprinkle the Rainbow Crunch chips over the top as desired. Refrigerate the brownies for about 1-2 hours, or until the frosting is set. Cut and serve. Brownies will keep for about 4 days at room temperature, and for about on week in the fridge.

– Recipe from Handle the Heat.

March 19, 2015

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

As usual, I am a day late – or more like four days late – and a dollar short.

I know St. Patty’s [or is it Paddy’s? I don’t really know…] Day has already passed, but I wanted to share the Irish car bomb cupcakes that I made for the occasion anyway. I guess I’m a rebel like that.

cupcakeinsides — {I just had to show you the insides of these cupcakes. Ohhhh yeahhhh!}

This recipe is pretty much the same as the previous chocolate stout cupcakes with whiskey ganache filling and Bailey’s buttercream frosting that I have shared here before. I just cut this recipe in half so that it only makes twelve cupcakes. And then I topped them with pretty green sprinkles and cute little St. Patrick’s Day cupcake toppers from Bake it Pretty. Aren’t the cupcakes just so adorably festive?! I am happy with how they turned out, and of course, as always, this is a solid cupcake recipe. I loooove using stout beer in chocolate cakes, as I’ve mentioned before. And these are just my favorite boozy cupcakes. ‘Nuff said.

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Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.
Yield: I reduced the recipe in half to make just twelve cupcakes!

Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
– 1/2 cup stout beer [I used 4 Hands’ Chocolate Milk Stout, as usual]
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 6 TBS. Dutch-process cocoa powder
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 3/4 tsp. baking soda
– 1/4 tsp. salt
– 1 large egg
– 1/3 cup sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
– 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate [I used a Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate bar]
– 1/3 cup heavy cream
– 1 TBS. unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 1 tsp. Irish whiskey, such as Jameson

For the Bailey’s Frosting:
– 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
– 3 TBS. Bailey’s Irish Cream

Instructions:
1. For the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line twelve cupcake cups with liners and set aside. Bring the stout and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until it’s smooth; remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined. Using an electric mixer [or in the bowl of a stand mixer]. beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until they’re combined. Add the cooled stout/chocolate/butter mixture to the egg mixture, and beat until just combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture. Beat briefly, then fold the batter with a spatula until completely combined.

3. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, and bake the cupcakes for about 15-17 minutes, or until a thin knife/toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.

4. For the whiskey ganache filling: Chop up the chocolate, and place it in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it’s just starting to simmer, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute, then using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center toward the outside until it’s smooth. Add the butter and whiskey, then stir until combined. Allow the ganache to cool until thick but still soft enough to pipe.

5. To fill the cupcakes: Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or a knife, cut the centers – about two thirds of the way down – out of the cooled cupcakes. Set the small pieces of cake aside. Spoon or pipe the whiskey ganache into the cupcakes, then top them with the little cake pieces that were removed.

6. For the Bailey’s Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer [or with an electric mixer], whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium-low, then gradually add the powdered sugar until it’s completely incorporated. Add in the Bailey’s, then beat at medium-high speed for another 2-3 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the filled cupcakes and top with sprinkles as desired.

– Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.

March 5, 2015

Chocolate Cupcakes // From the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

Lately, I’ve been drawn toward simplicity – with regard to both life and baking. I have abandoned my pastry bags and tips. I’ve been longing for simple, not-too-sweet desserts. Also, I’ve been yearning for simple, sunny spring days [read: go away, winter].

These chocolate cupcakes come from The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook, which was gifted to me by my brother this past Christmas. I have been coveting this cookbook for awhile now, so I’m glad I finally received it [thanks, Nathan!]. The book has all kinds of different cupcake recipes, but these simple chocolate cupcakes are what first caught my eye and thus got added to “the baking queue.”

The cupcakes are chocolatey – but not overly so. There is actually not a lot of cocoa powder in them, so the cupcakes are almost like a German chocolate cake. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of cakes with less chocolate, but I’m also a chocolate fiend. Still, I did enjoy these cupcakes. They’re also not quite as sweet [Perhaps that’s a British baking thing? I’m not sure.], but the frosting adds a nice, creamy sweetness. I topped mine with simple chocolate sprinkles and used pretty, pastel liners for spring! So if you are also craving a simple, chocolatey treat that’s not too sweet, try out these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream!

Oh yeah, and let’s continue to cross our fingers for spring’s arrival!

cupcakes_afar — {I’m a huge fan of windowsill photos these days, as you may have noticed. I just love that light!}

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The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook’s Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Yield: Makes about twelve regular-sized cupcakes.

Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Cupcakes:
– 3/4 cup plus 2 TBS. all-purpose flour
– 2 1/2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
– Scant 3/4 cup granulated sugar
– 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
– Pinch of salt
– 3 TBS. unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 1/2 cup whole milk [I used 2%, which works fine], at room temperature
– 1 egg, at room temperature
– 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
– 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
– 6 1/2 TBS. unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
– 2 TBS. whole milk [again, 2% is okay too]

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins with twelve liners and set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Using a paddle attachment, beat on slow speed until a sandy consistency is achieved, and everything is combined.
2. In a small bowl or pitcher, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla. Then slowly pour about half of this mixture into the flour mixture. Mix to combine and then turn the mixer up to high speed to beat until lumps disappear.
3. Next, turn the mixer back to slow speed and slowly pour in the remainder of the milk mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, to ensure that all of the unmixed ingredients are incorporated. Continue mixing the batter for a few more minutes until it’s smooth, but be careful to not over mix it.
4. Divide the batter among the liners until they’re about 2/3rds full, then bake in preheated oven for about 22-26 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes bounce back when touched. Or, a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean when they’re done.
5. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the muffin pan, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To make the buttercream frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy, and add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy, and add in milk as necessary to smooth it out.
7. Once cupcakes are totally cooled, spread frosting on and decorate as desired. Enjoy!

December 27, 2014

Tiramisu.

Tiramisu is one of those desserts that looks all fancy schmancy. It has intimidated me ever since I learned what it was.

Admittedly, it’s not one of my favorite desserts – despite the fact that I do enjoy coffee – so therefore, I’ve never had much motivation to make it for myself. However, it is one of my dad’s favorite desserts. I realized a few months ago that I have never bothered to make it for him. {I have baked all kinds of treats for my dad in the past, so I’m not a bad daughter, I swear!} Finally, this Christmas, I decided it was time to take the tiramisu plunge.

I started with a [simple enough] recipe from the Use Real Butter blog. And you know what? Making tiramisu really isn’t that difficult. Of course, I fumbled through a few steps, but overall, it’s not that difficult to make. The most difficult part of making the tiramisu is making the custard portion. And then it just takes some time to assemble. {Note: See my recipe notes after the recipe itself; I’ve shared several “first time lessons learned” below.}

This tiramisu is light, fluffy, and rich. But it’s not too sweet. It’s got a nice cocoa flavor and a subtle espresso flavor, but even for people who aren’t coffee fans, it’s not overwhelming. I’d give it an 8.5 out of 10; would make again. I only wish mine turned out a bit prettier – I wanted to pipe the top layer of filling on top, but alas, it still tastes great. 😉

tiramisuvertical Tiramisu makes a good post-Christmas dinner dessert.

Dem layers doe.

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Tiramisu!

Yield: I used an 8×8″ square glass pan and got about 8-10 servings. You can use an 8×8″ or 9×9″ pan and you should be fine.

Ingredients:
– Four [4] egg yolks
– 1/4 cup granulated sugar
– 1/4 cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
– Pinch of salt
– 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
– 1 cup heavy cream
– 3 packages lady fingers/savoiardi [I used three 5 oz. packages of lady fingers.]
– 2 cups hot brewed espresso [I used Medaglia D’Oro instant espresso powder brewed in hot water.]
– 2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate [I used cocoa powder this time.]

kahluaespresso Instructions:

Make the Filling:
1. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, place the egg yolks, sugar, Kahlua, and salt. Whisk the ingredients constantly for about six minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick. When lifting the whisk out, you should be able to leave a “ribbon” on the surface. {Note: If you’re concerned about egg safety, check the temperature of the “custard” – the temperature should reach 160°F. I like to live life on the edge, so I didn’t bother checking it.}

2. Remove the custard mixture from the heat, and set the bowl on ice to cool. Be sure to stir it occasionally.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer [or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer], mix the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream together. Then beat the cheese/cream mixture together until heavy peaks form.

4. Once the egg custard mixture has cooled completely, fold it into the cream and cheese mix until it’s evenly combined. Set aside the filling until you’re ready to assemble.

tiramisufilling Dat filling doe.

Assemble the Tiramisu:
1. One at a time, dip each lady finger into [cooled] espresso. Arrange them in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. Spread about one third of the filling evenly over the lady fingers. Dust the top of the layer with cocoa powder.
2. Repeat step one for the second layer.
3. For the third layer, you can either spread the remaining filling on top, or pipe it all pretty over the lady fingers. Finally, dust with cocoa powder.
4. Place the tiramisu in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours so that it can firm up and allow all of the flavors to meld together. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes/”First Time” Lessons Learned:
– On lady fingers: Apparently, there are two different varieties of lady fingers at the store. There are softer ones, and crunchy ones. My dad could only find the soft ones at Kroger, so I took them out of the package and let them get a little dried out for a day or two. I think that was a good choice, because even after being dried out, they still got a bit too soggy in places from dipping them in the espresso. Next time, I’ll probably just make my own crunchy lady fingers. They seem fairly easy to make from scratch.
– On layering/dipping the lady fingers: Be careful not to get the lady fingers too saturated with espresso. If they become too soggy, they will make the final product a bit “soupy.” Soupy – in this case – is gross.
– Cooking the custard: To make the filling, I made a “makeshift” double boiler. A makeshift double boiler is just a sauce pan filled with simmering water, over high heat. Then I just place a heatproof bowl on top, and put the custard ingredients in to whisk/cook.
– On the cocoa powder: If I were in my own kitchen when I made this, I would have used a sieve or sifter to dust the cocoa powder on each layer. However, I didn’t have access to those tools, so I just used a strainer to sort of “sift” it over. It didn’t turn out as pretty, but it worked well enough.

Tiramisu recipe from Use Real Butter.

Tiramisu also makes a nice breakfast, along with a cup of hot, black coffee. 😛

PS: This blog post is dedicated to my dad. I’m glad you enjoyed my first ever homemade tiramisu! 🙂