Valentine's Day: Palmiers

M's favorite cookies are buttery palmiers, also called elephant ears. I always wanted to make them for him, and decided that since they are heart shaped, Valentine's Day would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

I used Ina Garten's recipe for these, but I would not use quite as much sugar as she does. I found that most of it will not become absorbed into the pastry dough and you're left with so much extra on the mat that it's not really worth the waste. My only other tip is to defrost the puffed pastry for at least an hour. Otherwise, the folds will just rip and you really need a full sheet for each cookie.

Palmiers
2 c. granulated sugar (I used 1.5 c. and still had so much left over...)
1/8 t. salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the sugar and kosher salt in a bowl. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board, silicone baking mat, or marble. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour another 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book.

Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment or a Silpat.

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool (or devour them when they're warm and still doughy!).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cardinal Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

The hubz is an AZ native. To say he likes Arizona sports is a wee bit of an understatement. Suns, D-backs, Coyotes, Sun Devils... and of course, the Cardinals! So when the Cards finally made it to the Super Bowl, it was time to pull out all the stops. From cactus-shaped sugar cookies to guacamole and seven-layer dip, we had a very superstitious Southwest-inspired meal—and Cards-colored red velvet cupcakes!

I never really understood the big deal behind red velvet cupcakes. They're vanilla? But red? But contain cocoa? Huh? But since I LOVE cream cheese frosting, I decided to make these, and I can successfully say that I will make them again soon. This particular recipe produced the most MOIST cupcakes I have ever made. I usually think red food coloring tastes very bitter—red M&Ms, red frosting flowers on a cake (*gag*)—but this just tasted like a moist cake, no bitterness at all.

I combined two different Food Network recipes here because I saw the episode where Sunny made the cakes, which inspired me, but I prefer a cream cheese frosting to a basic white one. And, why not just make Paula Deen's recipe since it has the frosting I like? That's easy: Sunny's contained more cocoa. :) To make them more Big Game–friendly, I made Sunny's recipe into cupcakes and cut the baking time accordingly.

*IMPORTANT: If you don't want everything to be permanently stained red, use a stainless steel bowl, stainless steel whisk, and a dark colored (not white) spatula with a plastic handle (a wooden handle would probably turn red immediately if any dye got on it!)

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 sticks butter, room temperature (I used unsalted)
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 oz. red food coloring (I only used about 1.5 oz.)
3 T. cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened (I used unsalted)
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa, and salt using a whisk. Remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. In a measuring cup, stir eggs with buttermilk and add to batter. Mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. Mix until combined but do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among cupcake cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, halfway through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes and get back to watch the heartbreaker game!!

At least we enjoyed the cupcakes, if not the final score. :(

Cowboy Cookies

My mom always makes a big batch of various chocolatey cookies for M and me at the holidays. This year's stash included chocolate chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, heath bar cookies, Oreo truffles, Saltine "bark," and these curious Cowboy Cookies. Considering that I love "stuff" in my cookies and "stuff" in my ice cream, I knew immediately that I'd love these. With oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut, it really has something for everyone (except perhaps my dad, who abhors coconut... sorry, dad!). Additionally, these are a chewy cookie, for those of us (me! me!) who'd rather have that than a crunchy cookie any day of the week. Another big win for Martha!

Cowboy Cookies
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats (I used quick oats and the world didn't stop spinning)
6 oz. (1 c.) semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (I used chocolate chips)
3 oz. (3/4 c.) pecan halves (I chopped them)
1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut (unsweetened is hard to find other than at Whole Foods)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, line with parchment, and spray parchment (or just use a Silpat). Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Let cool. (inkpadchocolate says: "Eat when still hot!)

I love these salty/sweet/chewy bites of heaven!

Scouty's First Birthday!: Devil Dog Cake

I apparently grew up in the wrong part of the country to know what Devil Dogs are, but they are little chocolate cakes with marshmallow filling made by Drake's out of New Jersey.

I also didn't realize just how many people out there on the Web are obsessed with them.

In any case, we threw a little party for Scout's first birthday, and for the human cake (the dogs got a dog-friendly cake), there's really no better tribute to our naughty little pup than something called a devil dog!

Because I was short on time, I just used Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix from the box, but any of the recipes above would make a great base for the chocolate cake. I ended up using the epicurious recipe for the marshmallow frosting (it's the same as on smitten kitchen). If you like a super sweet frosting, this one's for you.

Devil Dog Cake
1 box Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix (prepared according to box)

Marshmallow (or seven-minute) Frosting:
2 large egg whites
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla extract

Make cake according to package directions (I made it with two round pans).

For the frosting, combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. When cake is cool, frost. I suppose that for a *true* Devil Dog, you should only frost between the layers to make it look like the Drake's cake, but I wanted it to look more like a traditional birthday cake.


(Tip: This frosting was GREAT for piping details. It's thick and glossy and doesn't run—although the dye colors do run a little bit. I reserved about a 1/2 cup of frosting that I put in different ramekins and dyed before piping.)


Yes, I am aware that I went to this much trouble for a dog. But this cake was for the humans!

What you mean? Dis no chocolate cake!
(Yes, that is a Pound Puppy birthday hat. Don't judge.)

Happy first birthday, fuzzy guy!

New Year's Eve: White Chocolate Mousse Cups

I wanted to make a unique and bite-sized dessert for an at-home New Year's Eve with my best friend and her fiance. Since I consider Giada the queen of the kitchen, and she shares my chocolate obsession, I decided on her Mascarpone and Dark Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups recipe. I'm not usually a white chocolate fan—it's not chocolate—but I'm a sucker for cute packaging.

It's actually not as labor-intensive as it may seem, but it does take a little bit of time, especially during the freezing process. Don't leave this one for the last minute. The best tip I have is that, when peeling away the paper liner from the white chocolate, start at the bottom of the paper muffin liner since there's a little air pocket there that you can gently stab with a knife tip. And, while a piping bag isn't necessary, it makes the presentation nicer. (Even though I had a star tip that was too small, it still looked nice, I think!) Finally, Giada calls for regular muffin cups (makes 8) but I thought the mini muffin cups were cuter and more figure friendly after an evening of noshing on junk. :)

White Chocolate Mousse Cups
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. whipping cream
3 T. sugar
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I omitted; I hate orange with chocolate)
1/4 t. vanilla extract

Have mini muffin cups ready. Melt the white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water (or use a good pot), stirring until smooth. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each paper liner. Using a pastry brush, coat the chocolate evenly and completely over the bottom and up the sides of the liners. Freeze until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Remelt the remaining white chocolate. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup and brush over the bottom and up the sides, forming a second coat. Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in top of a clean double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. At this point, set aside to cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, melted bittersweet chocolate, orange peel (if using), and vanilla in a large bowl just until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds (do not overmix). Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the mousse into the white chocolate cups. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight, and then let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

I should have garnished it with chocolate curls, but I waited until the last minute. :)

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!!

From my kitchen to yours, Happy Holidays!!

May your holidays be fun...

and golden...

and steeped in tradition*...

and snow-capped...

and drunken...

and perfect.


*Kiss up to Miss ieatdc in order to get her grandmother's mandel bread recipe. :)

Chocolate Rum Balls

My husband's coworker made rum balls for the office, and he brought one home for me... and wow. I would totally be drunk after just a few! I had never had one before, and intrigued, decided to make my own as this year's holiday treat for my family. (Even though my dad claims that bourbon balls are even better!) I found this recipe in Martha's cookie book, but it's also available on her site.

I had no idea what they were made of though. Would you believe brownies?! A batch of thin brownies is broken in pieces and rum is added until they're moist and rollable. That's it. Awesome.

Chocolate Rum Balls
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 c. packed light-brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. plus 2 T. dark rum
Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling (I used a light green for Christmas!)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12x17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until top is shiny and a cake tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum, and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.

Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sanding sugar to coat (I swirled them in a bowl of the sugar, similar to how I do snickerdoodles and chocolate crinkles). Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Rum balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Merry Christmas!

Chocolate Crinkles

I, again, needed more treats for a cookie exchange, an office party, and for holiday gifts, and after renting Martha's new cookie cookbook from the library, I chose these chocolate crinkles (she calls them crackles, I prefer crinkles...) after browsing through her "soft and chewy" chapter. With two types of chocolate, a pretty pattern on top, and a chewy consistency, I knew they'd be perfect. Plus, they make me think of snow!

Chocolate Crinkles
Yield: about 5 dozen, depending on size

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 c. milk
1 c. sugar
1 c. confectioners' sugar

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a good nonstick pan, stirring constantly. Set aside and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one portion of dough at a time from the refrigerator. Divide each portion into approximately 16 one-inch balls. Roll each in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioners' sugar to coat fully. (I recommend handling the dough as little as possible; I had a small bowl for granulated sugar and another for confectioners' sugar and dropped several balls in at once and swirled them around the bowl without handling them.) Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, about 14 minutes.

Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Note the time lapse! Raw then cooked!

Chocolate Cupcakes a la Georgetown Cupcake

Ahhh, the holidays are upon us and so is my return to chocolate recipes. Thanks for your patience as I got through fall, aka pumpkin and apple season. :) I needed to make several treats for various holiday parties, and I was in the mood for a good cupcake. Georgetown Cupcake, the quaint bakery in ritzy Georgetown, is my favorite cupcakery in the DC area. I think their cakes are moist, the frosting fluffy and perfectly piped on, and the creative decorations on top are just right! You will not be disappointed with the chocolate ganache cupcake!!!! Heaven!

Well, you know you've made it big when you show up on Martha, and the sisters who own and run the shop did just that recently... and shared the recipe for their basic chocolate cupcake. (The recipe on Martha's site also lists their vanilla frosting recipe, but seriously people, I don't believe in vanilla and you should know this by now.)

While I thought it was delicious, it certainly tastes better in the store itself, but I'm not about to purchase French butter, etc. However, I'll keep this one in my recipe stash. Mmmmm...

Avert your eyes. These cupcakes are naked...

Georgetown Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 t. baking soda, sifted
1/4 t. salt
1 c. milk
1 1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c. cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, stir together milk and vanilla extract; set aside. (To save yet another bowl, I just added the vanilla to the glass measuring cup I used to measure the milk!)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk mixture; beat until just combined. (Inkpadchocolate's note: OMG it smelled so awesome at this point!) Add cocoa powder and beat until just combined. (OMG it smelled even better here!)

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. (IPC's note: My cupcakes barely rose; I recommend filling them higher.) Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost with tooth-decaying frosting of choice. I chose my favorite Irish Cream Frosting, but you can do vanilla. I won't hold it against you. :)

Yes, admittedly, I frosted these at midnight and didn't have time for the frosting to warm up.

Giada's Apple Crostata

I puffy heart Giada. Some might say I'm obsessed with her. In any case, she comes up with completely delicious creations that aren't that hard to assemble, and this crostata is no exception. I made it twice and it's just so pretty and flaky and good. I even used her crust recipe for my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! Be sure to follow the crust recipe carefully; using chilled butter and ice water is very important to any good crust.

Since I still had leftover apples from apple picking, I didn't use Golden Delicious or Pippin, but whatever I had on hand, and it worked out just fine.

Apple Crostata
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T. ice water

Filling:
2 small Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 Pippin apple, peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/4 c. plus 1 T. sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1 large egg white, beaten with 1 T. water (for egg wash)
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish (I omitted)

To make the crust: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. (If the dough still crumbles and does not form into a ball, add another tablespoon of ice water.) Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For the filling: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the apples, 1/4 cup of sugar, and lemon juice in large bowl; toss gently to blend. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour and roll out the dough on the paper to an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a heavy large baking sheet. Spoon the apple mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, leaving the apples exposed in the center. Pleat loosely and pinch the dough to seal any cracks. Brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. (Note: Mine leaked apple juices both times I made this, despite pleating, and the juices burned the cookie sheet. Just watch it closely or don't add all the apple juices left in the bowl when you assemble the crostata.)

Bake the crostata until the crust is golden and the apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; cool for 10 minutes. Slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet. Cool the crostata to lukewarm. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve. (Or cut right into it and top with vanilla ice cream while it's still hot!!)

Find the maple leaf cutout amongst the same-colored apples and you win a prize. :)