Cupcakes Before Christmas
I got an early Christmas present. A piping bag. So, I just had to give it a go. It's my first time using a real piping bag. Before I would use a ziploc bag and just cut a corner. I'm a slow learner so its not the best. But I'm still very impressed. I made two batches of cupcakes. One mint chocolate cupcake, and the other a cookies and cream cupcake. Mmm, they both turned out amazing.
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
(recipe from the Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit - minus the ganache)
Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven
200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1. chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. remove from heat and stir in sugar. let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon all natural peppermint extract
1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.
3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.
I added more peppermint extract, personal preference.
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
(recipe from Bake!Bake!Bake!)
Recipe
30 Oreo cookies
1 package plain white cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanila extract
Buttercream frosting
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 cupcake cups
Count 12 Oreos and separate the top and bottom wafers. Make sure each has some of the icing on it. Place one wafer icing side up, in the bottom of each paper liner. Set them aside. Place the remaining 18 Oreos between sheets of waxed paper or in a large closed zipperlock bag and crush them with rolling pin. Set these crumbs aside.
Place the cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 1.5min more,scraping the sides if needed.
Measure out 1.5 cups of the crushed Oreo and fold these into the batter until well incorporated. Set aside the remaining for garnishing.
Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup. Bake for 18-20 min
Decorate as usual with buttercream and sprinkle more crushed Oreo
HOWEVER, I ended up using Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes instead of a box mix. And then I used the Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream recipe. I have made it with the box mix before and I thought it was great then. I now believe Magnolia's recipe was meant to have oreos in it. This was a great combination. :D
Also, I found those plastic commercial cupcake carriers at a wholesale market for 10 cents each. They worked perfectly as I was able to wrap six of them up and give them away as Christmas presents to co-workers.
Peppermint Bark
I found several recipes online. Some with a layer of semi-sweet chocolate on the bottom. Some with rice krispies in it. I wasn't really happy with any of them. I just wanted basic white chocolate with a peppermint flavor and crushed up candy canes in it. So really, thats all I did. Melted white chocolate, threw in some peppermint extract (taste tested after every drop and a stir) and then crushed up about 8 candy canes and then threw it into the mixture. Then cool. :)
Just thought I would add this here. I drew it in Illustrator the other day for a signature on a message board. It is supposed to me and, duh, an oversized cupcake. :D
Happy Holidays, I'm off to make apple crisp and coffee cake!
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
(recipe from the Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit - minus the ganache)
Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven
200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1. chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. remove from heat and stir in sugar. let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon all natural peppermint extract
1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.
3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.
I added more peppermint extract, personal preference.
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
(recipe from Bake!Bake!Bake!)
Recipe
30 Oreo cookies
1 package plain white cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanila extract
Buttercream frosting
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 cupcake cups
Count 12 Oreos and separate the top and bottom wafers. Make sure each has some of the icing on it. Place one wafer icing side up, in the bottom of each paper liner. Set them aside. Place the remaining 18 Oreos between sheets of waxed paper or in a large closed zipperlock bag and crush them with rolling pin. Set these crumbs aside.
Place the cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 1.5min more,scraping the sides if needed.
Measure out 1.5 cups of the crushed Oreo and fold these into the batter until well incorporated. Set aside the remaining for garnishing.
Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup. Bake for 18-20 min
Decorate as usual with buttercream and sprinkle more crushed Oreo
HOWEVER, I ended up using Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes instead of a box mix. And then I used the Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream recipe. I have made it with the box mix before and I thought it was great then. I now believe Magnolia's recipe was meant to have oreos in it. This was a great combination. :D
Also, I found those plastic commercial cupcake carriers at a wholesale market for 10 cents each. They worked perfectly as I was able to wrap six of them up and give them away as Christmas presents to co-workers.
Peppermint Bark
I found several recipes online. Some with a layer of semi-sweet chocolate on the bottom. Some with rice krispies in it. I wasn't really happy with any of them. I just wanted basic white chocolate with a peppermint flavor and crushed up candy canes in it. So really, thats all I did. Melted white chocolate, threw in some peppermint extract (taste tested after every drop and a stir) and then crushed up about 8 candy canes and then threw it into the mixture. Then cool. :)
Just thought I would add this here. I drew it in Illustrator the other day for a signature on a message board. It is supposed to me and, duh, an oversized cupcake. :D
Happy Holidays, I'm off to make apple crisp and coffee cake!