banana cupcakes

This week, my mom left for Asia on a business trip, and my sister went back up to college after spending a week at home for spring break. I asked my mom to take me with her but unfortunately she saw no upside in "letting me loose" upon the streets of Asia to stare at all of the out-of-the ordinary foods on display (while being alone and English speaking). So I packed my bags and not at all grudgingly headed off to Queens to stay with my dad. We're having quite the time here, eating chicken parm and nutella sandwiches for lunch, and driving to school in the morning (although maybe not so much my dad, since this requires him to leave his house at 7:30). Did I say nutella? Yum. 

While packing a few of my bags I realized I hadn't blogged about a dessert in the longest time; how could this be, I thought; dessert is an essential (and daily) part of my diet! I can't go on giving off the impression that I'm some healthy eater who only eats baked goods in moderation; pshh, no, I cannot. Resolving to waste no more time, I made banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and oh, what a mess they made; I spent the following hour trying to clean the banana out of my KitchenAid mixer because it flew (yes, it flew, as the mixer was on high speed) right out of the bowl. Seeing as I was the only one at my house left (and although I love my dessert, I doubted my ability to go through 12 cupcakes in about 4 days- before they go bad), I packed them up and brought them to school because let's face it, ever since bake sales were banned from schools kids want dessert-y deliciousness more than ever. My friends, no sooner than getting on the bus, had eyed the container in my hands and demanded immediate distribution of whatever it was I had made. 

I know I've been sounding like a broken record lately, but I've been on a "recipe roll." These cupcakes were amazing; people I didn't know came up to me in the hallway and told me that they had had a bite of their friend's cupcake, heard I had made it, and had "just wanted to say that it was the best cupcake they've ever had." Us cooks always wave off these remarks, say thank you, and put on a modest face, but you know we know that our food is that darn good. You don't have to tell us twice (and you probably won't be able to, because I wouldn't spare another cupcake). 


Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
from Bon Appetit, April 2010 issue

CUPCAKES

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 very ripe large bananas, peeled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk

FROSTING

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
• Chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts (optional)

CUPCAKES

• 
  
  
  Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Mash bananas with fork in another medium bowl until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.
• 
  
  
  Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (generous 1/4 cup for each).
• 
  
  
  Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

FROSTING

• 
  
  
  Sift powdered sugar into large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally. Sprinkle lightly with chopped peanuts, if desired. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

kelly's birthday, revisited

Although the summer is only half over with a month left still, I can't help but think, the summer is half over. For countless reasons, such as the inconsistent weather (which has still yet to be hot enough to be normal for this time of year), and my unchanging pile of homework that has yet to be completed, this summer has been flying by.
Though some things haven't changed much this year; my annual trip to southern Maine with "the fam", and weekend trips to the Catskills to visit the streams, and my favorite pancake house, I am eating my way through new places, and of course, recipes. Next week, I'm heading off to South Carolina for a week to relax and enjoy the beach for the last time this summer. A girl has to soak up that sun while she can, doesn't she?
Speaking of new recipes, my sister Kelly's birthday just passed, and with no objections, I was left to make the cake. With very specific instructions, I was told to make a yellow cake with vanilla icing. This was my perfect opportunity to try Cook's Illustrated new yellow cake recipe. Easy enough, it satisfied around the table, along with Magnolia Bakery's Fluffy Vanilla Frosting recipe. The not too-sweet cake went perfectly with Magnolia's icing (which, as one would imagine, had more than enough sugar to feed a family). I thought it moist, flavorful, and delicious; the family seemed to concur.

pignoli cookies

Wow, so much time has gone by and I haven't had time to make a single post, sorry! Spring break passed way too quickly, and the months have just seemed to fly by. During which, I went to the Hamptons for a week. Some of my favorite parts of the Hamptons, like the  little shacks with delicious corn on the cob, and the tons of people, make it a fun scene. Plus, Levain Bakery has a shop in the Hamptons. Oh! I can't even begin to explain my enthusiasm for little orchards and fruit stands along the side of winding roads. Unfortunately, I came a week too early. A week. If only I waited a few more days, I would have left a few pounds heavier, full of cookie, and other summery treats. Ok, so I admit I hit the Manhattan bakery right on my way home, but it's not the same! 

Anyway, summer will be here soon- pie season! I can't wait. School has been keeping me so incredibly busy now that it's the second half of the year, and I haven't even been able to cook many new things nowadays- I'm working on it! A couple weeks back I made these cookies for my Italian class and they were delicious! They have a great unique nutty flavor from the almond paste, and with the pine nuts, it's unbeatable. 

hazelnut brown butter cake

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday- though most kids would probably prefer Christmas. But when you think about it, where has the Christmas spirit gone? My sister and I are too old to set cookies out on the table (after we caught our parents eating them, our spirit began to go downhill), we don't put up many decorations around the house, and we no longer dare to lay out our light up village houses in the fear that our cat will devour the artificial snow- covered figurines. But really, we're not that unique. What children don't leave out requests for Santa Clause's photo ID these days?
But see, Thanksgiving requires no let downs, or wondering if you'll wake up with coal in your stocking. Instead, I always visit my family, and in a nutshell, eat a colossal meal. You know, the kind where there is a serious amount of food, and you eat way too much because you know, when you're back to eating a plain old PB&J for lunch tomorrow, that you'll regret leaving that once a year thanksgiving taste behind? So you see, this thanksgiving was another chance to contribute to the table. What to make? Oh, that could take days, even weeks, to choose.

I think I flipped through over 15 cookbooks, and was unable to find even inspiration. With only two days left until thanksgiving, I could have slapped myself on the head- I hadn't checked Smitten Kitchen. After taking a quick browse through the listed recipes, I found the recipe for a hazelnut brown butter cake. Despite how much I hate peeling hazelnuts, my feelings could not tarnish the outcome of this cake. It was good.
Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake
From SmittenKitchen
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

5 ounces (about one heaping cup) hazelnuts, blanched to remove dark skins
1/2 pound unsalted butter (plus 1 tablespoon melted extra for greasing the pan)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting the cake
1/3 cups all purpose flour
5 extra large (or 6 large) egg whites
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 300ºF.
Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 12 to 15 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell nutty. Let them cool.

Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 10 inch round cake pan.
Brush the pan with a little melted butter and line the bottom with the paper.

Place the rest of the butter ina medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and using a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla coated knife through the butter. Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter until the butter browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

Grind the hazelnuts with the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until they're finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to combine. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Add the granulated sugar and mix on high speed 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture forms very still peaks. When you turn the whisk upside down, the peaks should hold. Transfer the whites to a large mixing bowl.

Alternate folding the dry ingredients and the brown butter into the egg whites, a third at a time. Remember to scrap the bottom of the brown butter pan with a rubber spatula to get all of the little brown bits.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour**.
Cool on a rack 30 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan, and invert the cake onto a plate. Peel off the paper, and turn the cake back over onto a serving platter. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar or chocolate Ganache (below)

**My cake was ready at 30 minutes so keep an eye on it (SmittenKitchen's was done at 40)

Draping Ganache for 10-inch Cake

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occassionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

apple crumb pie

As the apple picking season is drawing to an end, I felt it was, at last, the right time to go and get my apples. I went with my dad to New Paltz, and after countless complaints about our original hiking plans, a screech of tires, and a last minute U-ey, we headed in the other direction towards an apple orchard.

Well, may I say, it was quite overwhelming; which apples to get, what tree to get them from, and the constant belly-aching 'full' feeling you get from tasting the apples (er, each and every). In the end, we drove home with a hefty two pound bag that kept a bright smile on my face.

Of course, I knew just what to make. A classic- apple crumb pie. Easy to make, and not one of those you'll-have-no-clean-pots-after-this recipes, this is perfect for one of those days where you don't feel like working too hard for a good treat.

Apple Crumb Pie

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) pie shell

6 cups thinly sliced apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I upped it to 3/4 teaspoon- I love my cinnamon!)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in walnuts if desired. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover top loosely with aluminum foil. 

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. 

 

devil's food cake

My sister's birthday just passed and for it, she wanted chocolate cake. "Any type, as long as it tastes good." I got this recipe from the magnolia bakery cookbook and it made a gigantic 3 layer cake with tons of icing. It was quite the labor of love. 

But mostly just labor. 

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

This was my first ever batch of vegan cupcakes, fresh from my new vegan cookbook (just something to mix it up a little).  I thought I would keep it simple with the golden vanilla, which turned out to be quite tasty. Even without the icing they have a great amount of flavor, and they have the same 'cupcakey' texture normal ones do. They taste just like regular cupcakes- and better than most. I made a batch of twelve last night and there are only a few left this morning :) Enjoy 

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes (yields 12 cupcakes)

from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

2. Whisk the soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup, set aside a few minutes to get good and curdled. 

3. Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until no large lumps remain. 

4. Fill cupcake liners two- thirds full and bake for 20-22 minutes until done. 

5. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting. 

Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain soy milk

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy. 

Blueberry Pie

I'm Emily, and my blog is about trying new recipes and being creative in the kitchen! Hopefully, I can show people that food doesn't have to be made expensively to taste good, and that sometimes the simpler recipes are the better ones.

Yesterday was one of the few times I didn't have school, an overwhelming amount of work, or anything to do. At all. So you see, this decision had to be made extremely carefully. Nothing too sweet that would leave me feeling [very] guilty for hours to come, and nothing too savory to the point where I would find myself poking around the fridge at 11 o'clock looking for something sweeter. I eventually concluded that blueberry pie was the winner. 

After anxiously waiting hours for it to cool off in the fridge (and a restless attempt in the freezer), it was, at last, ready. I ended up scooping some of the juice out because it had overflowed. But boy was it good.