Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red velvet is the new trend in baking.  You can find everything from red velvet cookies to pancakes.  Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised when my best friend’s fiancé asked me to make red velvet cupcakes for her 30^th birthday party.  I was thrilled!  I love making people happy through my food J. 

After I stole her cupcake tower and pastry bags with decorating attachments, I got to work lol.  You would think I would have my own stash with all of the cooking and baking I do.  I digress… 

One of the reasons why I love cooking is because I often get to use my scientific mind to figure out why things work the way they do.  (I’m an engineer by trade).  Well, key ingredients in any red velvet baking dish are buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa and red food coloring.  The combination of buttermilk and vinegar bring out the anthocyanins (a fancy word for “pigments”) in the cocoa.   The Dutch processing that occurs with most cocoa nowadays adds alkalinity and therefore, reduces the appearance of the anthocyanins.  Red food coloring is added to overcome this and results in a brighter red color.

Cupcakes:

2 ½ c cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder

½ c unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ c sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 c water

2 tsp red food coloring

1c buttermilk

1 tsp white vinegar

Frosting:

8oz cream cheese, softened

½ c butter, softened

3c powdered sugar

½ tsp salt

 1 tsp vanilla

Tip: In the winter months, it may take FOREVER for your butter to soften.  A trick I use is to put the stick of butter between two layers of plastic wrap.  Roll out butter using a rolling pin.  Voila!  Perfectly softened butter!

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners.  This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Sift flour, salt, and cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer over medium speed until fluffy.   

Crack eggs into a separate bowl and add vanilla.  Pour one egg into the butter mixture and mix until creamy.  Pour in the second egg and continue mixing until well combined.

Combine water, food coloring, and buttermilk.  Pour into mixing bowl and mix well.  Combine vinegar and baking soda.  It will foam.  Pour into mixing bowl and mix well.

Option:  You may add more food coloring if you like.  I’m not a fan of dyes in my food so I used as little as possible.  This resulted in a more red-brown color rather than bright red.  Some other recipes call for anywhere up to ¼ c of food coloring.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture.  Scrape down sides when needed.  Mix until just combined.  Be sure not to over-mix the batter.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350F for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Note: times may vary based on oven.

Clean out mixing bowl and paddle attachment.  Whip butter and cream cheese until creamed.  In a separate bowl, sift powdered sugar and salt.  Gradually, add the powdered sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture and scrape down sides as needed.  Mix in vanilla.  Frost cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting.

Chicken Marsala and Lightened Up Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

The authors of the No Pressure Cooker blog are BIG fans of Cooking Light magazine. We both like to eat well, but eat healthy. A lot of our recipes start with or are inspired by CL mag. Once and a while, I want to cook everything in the whole mag and October 2013 issue is one of those. Oh, and it started to rain in the Pacific Northwest again, so bring on the comfort food! 

I used to work in a restaurant (well, I sold art and books in the front, and wasn't really wanted in the kitchen, but "helped out" every once and a while.) Anyway, this restaurant served Chicken Marsala with mashed potatoes once a week and it was a lovely, comforting, FILLING meal. This meal is a lighter version, with tons of flavor that didn't leave me needing a nap.

Chicken Marsala - adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 4

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms - I found a 1 cup package at Whole Foods for $4.99
2 cups boiling water
4 chicken breast halves - I found thin-sliced chicken breasts and avoided pounding the chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil - divided
1 cup chopped onion
5 garlic cloves thinly sliced
3 cups sliced mushrooms - any combo is great, I used crimini and button
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Place porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain mushrooms, but reserve liquid, this recipe calls for it again. Thinly slice the soft mushrooms. 

Chop onions, garlic, and oregano - set aside. 

The chicken breasts need to be thin, so if you don't have thin-sliced chicken, place breasts between plastic wrap and pound with a heavy skillet until thinned to 1/2 thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet (I initially used a 10" skillet and traded up after cooking the chicken and used my 12" diameter cast iron skillet) heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes on each side - they will be just under done. Remove from the skillet, cover and keep warm. 

Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan and heat to medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Crank up the heat to high and add in the sliced porcini mushrooms and the fresh mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and oregano. Saute until mushrooms darken and start to release moisture - about 8 minutes. 

Sprinkle with flour and cook 1 more minute stirring constantly. Stir in the stock, wine and mushroom soaking liquid. While whisking, cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add in the chicken breasts and cook about 4 more minutes to finish cooking chicken. Turn chicken once. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Cooking Light said be sure to serve the Chicken Marsala with mashed potatoes to soak up all that wonderful sauce, well OK, Cooking Light, you got it! (They were right.)

Lightened Up Cheesy Mashed Potatoes - Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 350

2 pounds baking potatoes cut into 1/2 slices
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 ounces 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup half and half, or milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch discs. Boil potatoes, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. In a small bowl combine the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl add 1/4 cup half and half, salt and softened cream cheese. Add drained potatoes to the mixture and mix to combine. We used a pastry blender, but a ricer, or a potato masher would work just as well. 

Spread the potato mixture into a shallow baking dish sprayed with cooking spray or coated in butter. I used a 10" ceramic tart pan and it was the perfect size. Sprinkle the Parm/breadcrumbs over the top of the potatoes and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and browned on top.

A few things about these recipes...
The Chicken Marsala was great - I really wouldn't change a thing. Great amount of sauce and great flavor!
The potatoes were really good, but I will reduce the amount of breadcrumbs in the topping by half next time. The topping was a little thick in my opinion.

Things made this time last year...
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage

 

Cheesecake in Jam Jars

I'm one of those people who thinks that food is even tastier when it's cute. Yes, I like tea sandwiches, and there is no reason to like butter and cucumber on white bread. But it's CUTE!! I saw these cheesecakes in jam jars in the Oregonian a few weeks ago and knew I had to make them. The cheesecake batter is very easy, and these tiny bites of cheesecake bake up in 25 minutes. These don't use a crust, so I also made the crumbly, graham cracker crust topping to sprinkle on top. And since cherries are in season, I a cooked up about a cup of pitted cherries with a tablespoon of sugar. Mighty tasty!

Cheesecakes in Jam Jars - from The Oregonian
Makes 10 cakes
Preheat oven to 325

2 8oz packages cream cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
lemon zest from one lemon

In a stand mixer fitted with the whipping whisk, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy - about 6 minutes. Next, beat in the sour cream until thoroughly mixed, about 1 minute. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and last beat in the lemon zest until just mixed in.

Fill 10 jars leaving about 1/2 of space at the top. Place jars in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour in enough hot water (hot from the tap, no need to boil or heat on the stove) until the water reaches about half way up the jars.

I had some cherries that I was planning on using for the topping, but on a whim, I decided to chop some up and put them in the bottom of the jars. The middle picture shows this. When we try these, I'll let you know how the turned out. Right now they are kicking it in the freezer waiting until we come back from a bathing-suit-rich vacation!

Bake the cheesecakes at 325 for 25 minutes or until the middles are no longer jiggly. Cool on a wire rack and then store in the fridge until chilled. Conveniently, the jars come with lids! ;)

Graham Cracker Crust Topping
Makes WAY too much
Heat oven to 350

6 whole graham crackers
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a food processor, blend graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Once crumbly add in the melted butter and pulse until incorporated. 

Spread the crumbles on a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Next time, I will cut this recipe into thirds. It was way too much crumbles, even as yummy as they are.

A few things about this recipe...


I added a bit more lemon zest than the recipe called for, and these had a nice little tang to them, but I like a little bit of tang in cheesecake.

This batter and the crumb topping are nearly identical to the cheesecake tart I made last summer. Both are really easy and lemony.

I made cherry topping this time, but strawberries, blueberries, or chocolate sauce would be delicious too.

Enjoy!

Made this time last year: Pizza and Bread Sticks

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting... and a little something extra

I am a summer person... I may have said this before, but I am totally all about hot weather and shorts. But, I am totally inspired by fall food! Pumpkin and spice cupcakes really hit the spot. Smothered in cream cheese frosting, and dusted with cinnamon, these didn't last long. And, like a fool, I gave away the few left overs. Shame on me!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes - slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 14 regular size cupcakes and a dozen mini-cupcakes, or about 20 regular cupcakes 

Preheat oven to 350

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz size)

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices together in a large bowl.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugars, add eggs and mix till smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree until well blended. Don't worry about getting rid of all the lumps. The batter is pretty thick.

Fill cupcake liners until about 3/4 of the way full. I like to use an ice cream scoop to help keep cupcakes an even size. (It also keeps things cleaner. And I use this for making cookies so they are all the same size.) Bake about 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Let these cool completely before you frost!

Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes about 3 cups of frosting - I dolloped a ton of frosting on 14 cupcakes and had tons of left overs. This amount of frosting would easily frost a two layer cake. 

1 brick of cream cheese (8 oz size)
1 cup (2 sticks of butter)
4 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple syrup (or vanilla)

Whip softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy. Start with 2 cups of powdered sugar, and whisk in remaining sugar until the frosting is the consistency you want. You may need a little more, or a little less. Whisk in maple syrup. Chill for a few minutes and dollop onto cupcakes. Dust lightly with cinnamon.

So... like I sort of mentioned earlier, I make 14 regular cupcakes and 12 minis... here's what I did with the minis...

Pumpkin Spice "Doughnut Holes"
Makes 12 glorious treats

12 mini muffins
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted butter

Melt butter in a wide bow. Mix sugar and cinnamon on a small plate. While mini-muffins are still hot, roll them in butter and then roll them in cinnamon sugar. Cool a bit and re-roll in cinnamon sugar. 

Enjoy!