Because chocolate and PB were meant to be together…

*Sorry, no SMS this week.  Jaime of Good Eats ’n Sweet Treats chose wonderful Bee Stings, and you simply must check out her wonderful blog (Seriously, not only is the blog itself cute, but you should see the stuff she bakes!  Jaime equals pure awesomeness.) and all of the other SMS’ers.

Allison being a diligent whisker. 

The phone call went something like this: “Elyse, I want to bake.  I’m coming over to bake.”  Short.  Sweet.  To the point.  So, I asked Allison what she wanted to bake.  I should’ve known that such an assertive gal would have a ready answer, “Something with chocolate and peanut butter.”  Well, how could I refuse?  Chocolate and peanut butter?  I knew Allison and I were friends for a reason!

 Allison pouring batter like a champ.

Allison arrived in Berkeley, and I put her to work.  First, we made chocolate cupcakes.  Talk about a super simple recipe!  The cupcakes came together so easily; no mixer required.  We even threw a few peanut butter chips into the mix for good measure.  The cupcakes turned out wonderfully moist with a tender crumb.

While the cupcakes were baking, we beat together marshmallow fluff and peanut butter to make an ooey, gooey, delicious (and sticky) filling.  After pulling the cupcakes from the oven, we carved out the tops and popped little balls of the peanut butter filling into the holes.  The PB-marshmallow mixture is super easy to handle; you can just roll it between the palms of your hands and stuff it down into the cupcake.

Then, we whipped up a marshmallowy, Swiss meringue-inspired frosting.  Fluffy and light, this frosting is the perfect counterpart to the super chocolatey cupcake.  We used an ice cream scoop to assure that each cupcake got a good amount of frosting love, and then, we smooth the whopping dollop out with a knife.

Frosting a cupcake and avoiding the camera (above, below).

Of course, the cuppies were topped with three mini-PB cups (from Trader Joe’s).  Overall, the baking day was a complete success!  Allison is certainly a good luck charm in the kitchen, and heaven knows, sometimes we need a little luck in the kitchen.  The cakes rose.  The frosting fluffed.  What more could I ask for?

*Don’t forget about the coconut flour giveaway.  You can leave a comment on THIS POST until 11:59pm PST on Wednesday, June 3.

Chocolate Cupcakes

From Birthday Cakes

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup warm water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup PB chips, coated in flour

(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (*I got more than 12 cupcakes from this recipe.).

(2) In a medium sized bowl, whisk the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  Set aside.

(3) Dissolve the cocoa in the warm water.  Using a whisk, beat in the eggs, oil, and vanilla (by hand) until well combined.  Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients just until the batter is evenly mixed.  Fold in the PB chips.

(4) Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them three-quarters of the way full.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 25-30 minutes.  Let cupcakes cool on wire rack before filling and frosting.

(5) Carve out the top of the cupcakes with a knife.  Fill the indentation with 1/2 tsp ball of the PB filling (see recipe below).

(6) Using an ice cream scoop, place 1 dollop of fluffy frosting on each cupcake (see recipe below).  Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, smooth the frosting out.

PB Filling

1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Beat the two ingredients together until the mixture becomes clumpy in consistency.  Use to fill the cupcakes.

Fluffy Frosting

From Birthday Cakes

3/4 cup sugar

3 large egg whites

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

(1) In a double boiler, combine the sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, and salt over low heat.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

(2) Remove from heat and stir in the extract.  Let the frosting cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

 Yep, that about sums it up.

Challah ’bout a giveaway?

Upon hearing a knock, I opened my front door to find a  pink-clad Lorelei holding the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and two overflowing bowls of risen babka dough (not to mention a large canvas tote packed to the brim with colored sugars, shaped sprinkles, cookie cutters, and the most organized recipe binder upon which I’ve ever laid eyes).  One only wishes all knocks upon the door yielded such wonderful treats (and of course, such wonderful guests).

I really can’t rave enough about Lorelei.  Aside from the fact that she’s always baking up super-yummy treats over at Mermaid Sweets, Lorelei has a heart of gold.  I consider myself quite lucky that she lives in the Bay Area—and quite lucky to call her a great friend.  (Oh, and you should know, Lorelei can roll out babka dough like a pro!  She handles that rolling pin like nobody’s business.)

By now, you’ve probably gotten the hint that Lorelei and I planned a baking date and decided to make a halva-laced babka!  Delicious, right?  Imagine honey-scented halva crumbled atop a layer of nutella and chocolate and chocolate chips, all of which get rolled up into a beautiful, golden babka dough.  Yum!

(So, you might as why this post title involves the word “challah.”  Well, we baked our baked the babka free-form, so it ended up more like a challah than a babka.  Plus, the word “challah” worked better in the title!)

Lorelei gets all the credit for preparing the dough.  She mixed up one batch of lactose-free babka dough and one batch with milk.  While the golden doughs attempted to escape the confines of their bowls, we started making the halva.  I admit to being a huge halva fan.  I love sesame-, semolina-based desserts, and halva certainly covers those bases.  Its crumbly texture and honeyed flavor work miracles on the taste buds.  This halva is a dessert worth making, even if you’re not making the babka.  (But please don’t blame me when you end up eating half the pan!)

(Lorelei thought the babka was super yummy, too!)

Once the halva was made and cooled (read: stuck in the freezer in a desperate attempt to cool it quickly), Lorelei and I divided our doughs in half and then layered them with goodies like nutella, dark chocolate chips, pecans, crumbled halva, and honey.  After a bit of make-shift braiding and a stint in the oven (during which time mouth-watering smells took over the kitchen), we whisked the babkas onto a cooling rack and admired their shiny beauty (thanks egg wash!).  It took huge amounts of will-power to refrain from face-planting into the yeasty goodness.  (Okay, okay, I might have sneaked a bite.)

The verdict?  Amazing.  I found myself tiptoeing into the kitchen throughout the day to tear bits and pieces of the babka from the loaf.  The recipe calls for lemon zest in the dough, and this hint of citrus adds a total depth of flavor to the bread.  The best part?  You can fill this dough with any goodies you like!

To get the halva recipe, go here.

To get the babka recipe, go here.

And didn’t I mention a giveaway?  That’s right: my first give-away.  After baking my latest version of chocolate chip cookies, I got some questions about where to find coconut flour (one of my new favorite ingredients).  Well, fear not, people.  I have some coconut flour for you!  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 11:59pm on Wednesday, June 3, and I’ll randomly select one winner to receive a package of Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour in the mail!

SMS: Sour Cherry Pie

Imagine me with my feet up on my coffee table, left leg crossed over right.  Now imagine my computer resting upon my denim-clad lap.  Now, if you will, imagine me falling asleep at the keyboard.  Yes, folks, I’m in full “relaxation” mode.

You see, one of my best friends Erin arrived in town last night much to my delight.  So, in honor of her visit, we walked part of San Francisco today.  We hit the Castro, Mission, Haight-Ashbury, and then doubled back around to the financial district and Embarcadero.  Count it!  Thirteen miles!!  Hence, the tired, relaxation mode.

Needless to say, that’s also my excuse for getting this blog post up so late.  (And I apologize for any incoherent rambling!)

A big thank you to Michelle of the fabulous blog Flourchild for this week’s SMS choice: sour cherry pie.  (Talk about an awesome, inspirational blog.  Go check it out!!  Oh, and in case you didn’t know, SMS bakes weekly from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.)  I’ll admit to being skeptical about this pie.  You see, I’m not a big cherry pie fan.  Too much gelatinous, uber-sweet yuckiness.  (Yes, I’m sure many disagree with that assessment.) 

Anyway, that mentality has changed!  I used three cans of Oregon brand water-packed tart cherries, and the pie turned out fabulously.   The bottom crust is a buttery, typical pie dough.  But, the top, oh the top, is a pistachio crumble!  So delicious.  Anyway, I’m super tired, and rather than rave to you about how excellent this pie is, I’m going to do three things: (1) Ply you with pictures of this awesome pie; (2) Send you over to Flourchild to print out this recipe; and (3) Let you go check out the awesome other SMS’ers.

Glorious, glorious pound cake…

I love pound cake.  Love it.  Buttery, dense, tender crumb.  There’s nothing bad about a pound cake (except perhaps its effects on the waistline).  So, of course, when my mom asked if I would bake a pound cake for her, I jumped at the chance.

You see, my mom is a teacher, and for her school’s annual auction, she offered a “dessert of the month” for a full year to the winning bidder.  The first dessert chosen?  Lemon pound cake!

Lemons and I go way back.  My brother Brandon and I headed a lemonade stand venture at the young ages of 5 and 8.  What did I learn from this experience?  Well, aside from the fact that cul de sacs aren’t ripe areas for big business, people do love their lemons!

This cake has a lot of lemon love in it.  The cake itself has 1 tsp of lemon extract, while the icing has the juice and zest of two lemons.  While I was unable to try this cake (I’m not sure the bid-winning family would have appreciated receiving their cake with a conspicuous forkful missing), it smelled divine.   This recipe is definitely worth making; plus, you could sub out the lemon extract for any flavor you wanted.  The basic recipe is a fabulous blank canvas for deliciousness!

Lemon Pound Cake

adapted from Cooking in the South with Johnnie Gabriel

 

For the cake:

1 cup (2 sticks)  butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

5 jumbo eggs

3 1/2 cups AP flour, spooned and swept

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon extract

1 cup buttermilk

Icing, see below

 

(1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour bundt pan.

(2) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

(3) Pour vanilla and lemon extracts into milk.  Set aside.

(4) Beat butter and shortening together on medium to high speed until light and fluffy.  On medium speed, slowly add sugar.  Turn speed up to medium high and cream the mixture and until light and fluffy.

(5) On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

(6) On slow speed, alternate flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  (Use four portions of flour, three portions of milk.)  Mix only until incorporated.

(7) Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 75-80 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

(8) Cool for approximately 10-15 minutes before turning cake out and icing it (see icing recipe below).

 

For the icing:

2 lemons

1 TBS butter, melted

8 oz. confectioners’ sugar

(1) While pound cake is cooling, melt 1 TBS butter in a medium-sized bowl.

(2) Zest both lemons over the melted butter.  Then, juice the lemons into that same bowl.

(3) Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until no lumps remain.  Spoon icing over cake, and allow cake to continue to cool.

And my sanity has returned… (SMS: Guinness Gingerbread)

Words cannot describe how elated I am to be writing this post.  Let me recap the past two weeks for you (not that you missed out on much): wake up at an ungodly hour, ponder the fact that the sun will not rise for 2-3 hours, park my rear on the sofa (which does have my butt-imprint, I admit), study until my eyes twitch, wonder when the misery will end, study some more, complain about law school exams, go to sleep, and repeat.  You’d think 2L year would’ve mellowed me, but no.  I’m just as anal as I remember myself being—much to poor Todd’s chagrin.

Well, exams are over!  [Insert happy dance here.]  I have way over 1000 posts in my google reader on which to catch up (everyone please forgive my tardiness in getting around to commenting).  But you know what?  I can’t wait!!

So, I’m so happy to announce my return to blogging with this wonderful SMS recipe for Guinness Gingerbread.  Katie of KatieCakes chose this fabulous recipe from Melissa Murphy’s Sweet Melissa Baking Book.  Have you been to her blog?  I’m hoping that you’ve answered “yes” to this question.  If you haven’t visited, you need to get on that.  Katie makes the tastiest treats.  She’s got a great sense of humor, and I always enjoy reading her blog.  Plus, she’s from the UK, which makes her extra special in my book.  (Can I come visit you, Katie?)

The gingerbread recipe was fabulous!  Like Katie, I chose to make cupcakes from the gingerbread recipe, which turned out 24 regular sized cupcakes.  I might recommend spraying the cupcake liners, as these little guys are quite sticky.  Sticky, but totally delicious!  They’ve got a great gingery depth of flavor.  I couldn’t taste the Guinness, but I can only imagine that it added great depth of flavor.

To top my little cuppies, I made a Guinness-Godiva Liqueur cream cheese frosting.  It’s essentially 2 8-oz bricks of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), 2 cups of packed confectioner’s sugar, 2 TBS Guinness, 2 TBS Godiva Liqueur, 1 TBS dark cocoa powder, and 1 TBS vanilla.  Deeeelicious!

Thank you so much, Katie, for this wonderful pick!  Don’t forget to check out all of the SMS’ers wonderful creations.  (P.S. I’m so glad to be back to blogging, and I promise to be commenting on all of your blogs soon!!)

SMS: Strawberry Shortcake (!)

It’s law school exam season.  What does that mean?  Well, aside from stress-induced chocolate eating and many a nightmare about wills and trusts?  It means I’ve been a recluse.  (As my friend Allison put it, I look “sickly.”  Guess that’s what lack of sunlight does to a girl!)  Have no fear, though…only two weeks left, and I’ll be back to skipping in the sunlight—and my usual blogging!

However, there are two people who force me to remove myself from the sofa (where my rear has left a permanent indention): Allison and Lorelei.  Allison has shown me the restorative powers of Max’s after a law school exam (Thank you!!  You keep me sane.  Heart you.), and Lorelei, well, let me tell you about Lorelei.

You may know her as the founder of Sweet Melissa Sundays and author of the fabulous blog Mermaid Sweets.  Well, she came over today and we baked up a storm (more on that later this week)!  There’s no words for Lorelei (which is saying something, because I’m a girl who’s not usually short on words).  I’ll try to sum it up, though: she’s amazing!  Anyway, Lorelei convinced me not to sit this week’s SMS out.  And I am so glad that I didn’t!

Wendy of the wonderful Pink Stripes chose this week’s recipe: Strawberry Shortcakes.  Her blog is fantastic.  Wonderful photography, ingenious ideas.  Her blog is the full package.  You simply must check it out!  Plus, Wendy went all out and did strawberry short cake FOUR WAYS!  That’s right: four ways.  Go check it out now.

I halved the recipe for the shortcakes and got three nice sized cakes.  Okay, well, I have a confession: I halved everything except the butter!  Oops.  If anything, the extra butter made the cakes more tender.  They were fabulous, soft, flaky, subtly sweet.  They’ve got a nice crunch on top from a sprinkling of sugar.

The cakes are filled with macerated strawberries, and the  resulting strawberry syrup absorbs into the cake….sooo yummy!  And of course, the slightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream is the perfect way to top of this fabulous dessert.

Thank you so much for choosing this wonderful treat, Wendy!  Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers!