Nutella Cupcakes

OK, so have you ever tasted Nutella? My mother is a 87 year old chocoholic and she spreads this stuff on everything! You'll find it in the aisle with Peanut Butter. It's made by the Italian candy maker Ferrero, who make those delicious Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut candies in the gold foil you see around Christmas. Nutella has a rich creamy chocolate and hazelnut flavor- spread it on your toast and it's like eating candy for breakfast..... YUM!

Last weekend, I decided to make some cupcakes using Nutella as the secret ingredient in the filling, as well as in the frosting. (note- once you open the just and sample it, you'll be digging your spoon in, so make sure you save enough for the frosting ! )

I started with the basic Cooks Baking Illustrated Yellow Cupcake recipe, because it uses sour cream which always gives a nice tangy flavor to cakes, (and helps keep them from drying out, like milk can). This recipe uses one whole egg and two egg yolks, which also helps to keep the cuppies moist (can you tell I really hate dry baked goods?). Did you know that too many egg whites are what often makes baked products, especially cakes and cookies taste dry ? Egg whites are important because they are the glue to help keep the finished product from falling apart, but it is important to only use large eggs when you bake, - extra large and jumbo will add too much egg white to your batter, making your cake dry. If you have a recipe with at least three eggs, you can usually replace one whole egg with just the egg yolk to keep the batter moister.

I also like this basic cupcake recipe because there's not a lot of prep work- you throw everything into one bowl and mix it up. The hardest part is remembering to take the butter and eggs out out early so they warm to room temperature.

Once I made the cupcakes and let them thoroughly cool ( 9 holes of golf), I used a small knife and cut into the top of the cupcakes and cut out small cones of dough, dropped a small amount of Nutella in the hole, put the cone back on, frosted them and voila ! Nutella cream filled cupcakes !

One other note with Nutella-the frosting is a basic sour cream /confectioners sugar recipe- but because Nutella is soft, I mixed in a 1/2 of teaspoon of unflavored gelatin to give the frosting a stiffer consistency.

As usual, cupcakes always taste best the day they are made. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Cupcakes

1 1/2 Cups flour

1 Cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, softened

1/2 Cup sour cream

1 Large egg plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

1/2 Cup Nutella (for filling)

Frosting

1/4 Cup Nutella

2 TBSP butter

1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (optional)

1/4 Cup sour cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line muffin pan with liners

1-Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, vanilla, and beat until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and make sure everything is well mixed and smooth.

2- Divide the batter evenly among the cups using an ice cream scoop, or your 1/4 cup measuring cup. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold, and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-24 minutes. Use a paring knife to lift cupcakes from tin and cool on wire rack until room temperature, about 45 minutes.

To make frosting- Melt the Nutella and butter in microwave bowl. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add sour cream, salt, gelatin, and extract. When smooth, add in 1/2 of the confectioners sugar and mix. Keep adding confectioners sugar until spreadable consistency is achieved.

3- Using a paring knife, cut little cones out of the top of the cupcakes. Add a dollup of Nutella from the jar ( i used a 1/4 tsp measuring spoon to scoop it out). Replace the cone top. Frost and put in the refrigerator for about an hour to get the gelatin to solidify the frosting.

Lemon Tiramisu

I found this recipe in Woman's Day Magazine this month, and decided to make it for my Mom for Mother's Day. A non-bake recipe, this is a great spring alternative to traditional Tiramasu because there is no chocolate. The secret ingredient is definitely the ginger preserves, which however was really really hard to find. After searching multiple grocery stores, I finally found it in TJ Maxx in their gourmet food section ! If you can't find it, I would try regular a citrus (orange or lemon) marmalade/jelly/preserve and add about a 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger.
A couple assembling hints:
1- Make sure you use an 8" spring foam pan,or buy an extra packet of them). I used a 9 inch pan, and didn't have enough (of course, it didn't help that I ate two of them also...)
2. The cheese needs to sit to room temperature before you start, so it whips up light and airy.
3. I made this the night before, and at 24 hours, the cream had started to break down, so I would suggest you make this the morning you plan to serve it.
4. The magazine recipe suggested you remove the cake from the bottom of the spring foam pan at the end. I just served mine on the metal plate, so no toppling disaster.

1/2 Cup ginger preserves
1/2 Cup fresh lemon juice ( about two big lemons)
1/4 Cup water
2 pkgs (6oz each)soft ladyfingers
1 container ( 8oz) mascarpone cheese room temperature
1 brick (8oz) cream cheese room temperature
1/3 Cup sugar
1 TBSP grated lemon zest ( about 1 lemon)
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup chopped strawberries
1/2 Cup sliced strawberries

1- Microwave ginger preserves in a medium glass bowl for 1 minute. Whisk in lemon juice and water.

2- Stand three strips of ladyfingers ( each strip is 6) around the side of the pan. Place 14 fingers on the bottom, flat side up, cutting to fit if necessary. Set aside 1/3 cup of the ginger syrup. Brush ladyfingers with about half of REMAINING syrup.

3- In a large bowl, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar, until just blended. Beat in reserved 1/4 Cup of ginger syrup and the lemon zest. In your electric mixer bowl, beat heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form- fold gently into cheese mixture.

4- Spread about half of the mixture into the ladyfingers pan. Arrange remaining ladyfingers on top, cut to fit. Brush with remaining ginger syrup. Sprinkle chopped strawberries on top. Spread remaining cheese mixture. Place cut strawberries on top in circular design.

5- Cover and refrigerate for 2 -3 hours. Best served same day.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

Jim's building me a new deck so I need to bribe him with sweets to keep him going. Just made these chocolate cupcakes that are SO moist. The secret ingredient is sour cream which helps keep them moist and gives them a little bit of a tang. I finished off half of them with Jimmies ( not because that's his name) but because I grew up in New England and know that just about anything tastes better with Jimmies on top.

I know that cupcakes are the rage right now, but I'm finding most of the designer cupcakes are a bit dry and look better than they taste. Trust me, these are full of flavor and very very moist.

Cupcakes
2 Cups flour
1 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup sour cream
1 Cup coffee, room temperature


Preheat oven to 350, and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners

In a large bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder. Mix in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, and coffee. Add dry ingredients and stir until well combined and no streaks of flour remain visible. divide into prepared pans.

Bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wire racks completely before frosting.

Frosting
6 oz ( 1/2 bag) chocolate chips
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 Cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Cups confectioners sugar

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler, or in microwave . Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in sour cream, salt, and vanilla extract. When smooth, blend in ( with electric mixer) the confectioners sugar and mix until spreadable consistency is reached.

Lemon - Lime Bars Recipe

I love anything Lemon so I was in search of the perfect Lemon Bar Recipe, and got this from my golfing friend Susan; she loves to bake and goes to a lot of cooking classes (lucky dog). I made these over the weekend and I have to admit they are a great version of this treat. The crust is a shortbread texture, and stayed crisp (so many lemon bar recipes get soggy). The secret ingredient is actually LIMES and GINGER which make the flavor pop. Note that these take a little bit extra time versus other bars and brownies to prepare because there is a cooling period between the two bake sessions, so plan accordingly.

A couple of things to point out- 1- these definitely taste best eaten same day or within 24 hours, or else they start to break down. 2- they were a bear to get out of the baking pan. I didn't treat the pan, but next time I am going to try some non-stick spray to try to make them easier to remove. 3- since they are very rich, I cut them into smaller than normal size squares ( about 1 to 1.5 inches). 4- make sure you use large eggs, (no bigger) or else your lemon topping will taste like an omelet.

2 1/4 Cups flour
1/2 Cup confectioners sugar, plus extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup of unsalted butter, softened ( about 35 minutes)
4 large eggs
2 Cups of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of grated lime zest ( about 1 large lime)
2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest ( 1 medium lemon)
2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger

Pre-heat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

In your large bowl of your stand mixer, sift together 2 cups of the flour, the confectioners' sugar, and salt. Add the butter, and mix at low to medium speed until thoroughly combined but not too creamy ( do not over-beat or your crust will get tough).

Bake until pale golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature ( about 1/2 hour or so).

While the crust is cooling, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar, lemon and lime zest, lemon and lime juice, ground ginger, and remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Whisk until thoroughly combined, and pour over cooled crust.

Reduce the temperature to 325, and bake until firm, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Allow to cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar, and cut into bars. If the edges are hard, you might want to cut in 1/2 inch from edge of pan to start the rows of each bar.

Dulce de leche Brownies with Hazelnuts Recipe

I served these at my Masters party yesterday ( go Phil ! ) and they were a hit. These are incredibly moist and fudge-y, my favorite kind of brownie. This recipe is from David Lebovitz - I modified slightly by adding nuts and chocolate chips. The secret ingredient to this recipe is definitely Dulce De Leche, which is a Mexican caramel dessert topping you can find in specialty stores ( check out Whole Foods) . I've read about making it on your own ( it is basically sweetened condensed milk that is cooked to a caramel texture), but I bought a jar for my first attempt of this recipe.

These brownies are very rich, so I cut them into very small pieces ( 1 1/2 inch squares). That way you can have two and not feel guilty :)


8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips plus a 1/4 cup additional
1/4 Cup of cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 Cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup flour
1 Cup of hazelnuts, chopped ( or your favorite type of baking nut)
1 Cup of Dulce De Leche

preheat oven to 350

1-Line an 8 inch square pan with tin foil ( make sure tin foil covers bottom and all four sides- these brownies rise and stick) . Spray tin foil with non -stick spray.
2-Melt butter in medium sauce pan (you will be mixing everything in this pan, so do not go too small ). Add the 6 oz of chocolate chips and stir constantly over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
3- Mix in cocoa, stir until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and mix, add sugar and mix, vanilla and flour and mix until smooth. Add extra chips and nuts and stir.
4- Pour half of batter into pan. Drop 1/3 of the Dulce De Leche evenly spaced over the batter. Use a knife and drag through the caramel to make swirls. make sure that you swirl to the edges . Spread the remaining brownie batter over this, then drop the remaining Dulce De Leche in spoonfuls on top and swirl slightly. Again, make sure you swirl to the edges.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. These brownies are fudge-y, make sure you don't over bake them. Center feels slightly firm. Edges will get dry if you over bake.
I had a hard time at first cutting these (because they are gooey) so......- cool on a wire rack completely. Then take them out of the pan ( lift out with tin foil) and put in the refrigerator for about an hour before you cut them. They will be much easier to cut.

Store in refrigerator for up to two days ( although I promise, they won't last that long )

Lemon Bundt Cake

Just in time for spring- a delicious bundt cake ! the secret ingredient is of course, the lemons !

I like to serve this with cut up strawberries and whipped cream.

Make sure you only use large eggs ( no bigger) or your cake may get dry. And if you use salted butter, then i would omit the salt in the recipe.

Ingredients

Cake

1 Cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature , plus extra to grease pan

2 Cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Cup of buttermilk

Grated zest of 2 large lemons

Juice of one large lemon ( 2 1/2 tablespoons)

Glaze ( the best part!)

1/2 Cup of unsalted butter softened

1 1/2 to 2 Cups of confectioners sugar, sifted

Grated zest of one large lemon

Juice of one large lemon ( 2 1/2 tablespoons)

preheat oven to 325 .

Grease and flour a 10 inch non- stick bundt pan.

1- Using electric stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together for 2 minutes until fluffy and pale. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down sides of bowl.

2- In a medium bowl, with an electric hand mixer, mix flour, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds. Sift into a second bowl. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. DON"T OVER MIX. Just fold gently until batter looks well blended. Fold in lemon zest and juice.

3- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula. Bake the cake for one hour to one hour 15 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out clean, and cake has begun to pull away from sides of pan. ( do not UNDER BAKE, or you wont get the bad boy out of the pan). Transfer pan to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.

4- While cake is cooling slightly, prepare the glaze. In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter with hand electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sifted sugar, zest, and juice, until a creamy, pourable consistency is achieved. If too stiff, add more lemon juice or a little water. If too runny, add more sugar.

5- Say a prayer, and then invert the cake onto a wire rack and hope the pan comes off. Spoon glaze over hot cake. If your cake has broken a bit, use the glaze to glue it together.

Let cake cool completely before cutting. Like most baked treats- this cake is best served same day made, but keeps for a a day or two in airtight container at room temperature.

Bourbon Brownies

I was in search of a moist fudge-like brownie recipe and found this last week from Cooking Light. Jim loves Bourbon ( we always have the big boy bottle of Maker's Mark Bourbon around) so I knew I wouldn't have to go out and buy some expensive liquor to make these.

These brownies are GREAT ! You really don't taste (although you smell) the bourbon as much as it brings out the flavor of the chocolate. They are very fudgy and rich, so much so that I did cut them into bite sizes ( 1 inch squares) vs traditional bigger brownies.

Make sure you use Large, not extra large eggs so the brownies don't get too dry. And DON'T over bake !

1/4 cup of Bourbon

1/4 cup of Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

6 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Pam baking spray

Preheat oven to 350

1-Bring Bourbon to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth.

2-Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Mix well ( I used an electric mixer, which I always use vs sifting, but I did make a mess with the cocoa. I would recommend using a whisk. )

3- In mixer, blend sugar and butter for about two minutes until well combined and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well. Add flour mixture and Bourbon mixture. Mix on low speed until combined. DO NOT OVER BEAT or brownies will get tough.

4- spray 9 inch square baking pan with Pam, and spread batter and smooth with spatula.

5- bake in middle of oven for 25 minutes, checking early to make sure they don't over bake. Wooden toothpick should come out clean.

6-Cool on wire rack, cut into 1 inch squares.

7- store in airtight tin for up to 3 days. The best part by the way is opening the tin- it smells great !

Cocoa Wedding Cookies Recipe

This is a recipe from Good Housekeeping. I LOVE Mexican wedding cookies, and I have to say, these are by far the best ones I have tried so far. The secret ingredient is the Cocoa and mini chocolate chips. It turns them into delicious melt in your mouth chocolate confections that you won't be able to stop eating. Far superior to the vanilla traditional cookies.

1 Cup Pecans ( or almonds if desired)
1 3/4 Cups confectioner's sugar
1 Cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut up ( no substitutions)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 Cups flour
1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 Cup chocolate semi-sweet mini chips

Preheat oven to 325.

1- In a food processor, pulse grind pecans with half cup of the confectioners sugar until finely ground. Add butter and vanilla and process until smooth, occasionally stopping processor to scrape side with rubber spatula. Add flour and cocoa and pulse until evenly mixed. Add chocolate chips and pulse until just combined.

2- With floured hands, shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on large ungreased cookie sheet.

3- Bake 16-18 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned. If using two cookie sheets, switch racks halfway through.

Transfer cookies to wire rack and cool a couple of minutes.

Roll in remaining confectioners sugar to coat.

Return to rack and cool completely.

Once cool, roll in sugar one more time ( you can never have enough sugar)

Store in airtight tin. These last about a week, if they're not immediately gobbled up.

Peppermint Layer Cookies Recipe

This is a recipe from Sunset magazine that I have adapted. These are very "showy" cookies - they look good and they taste good ! I make them for my holiday gift tins. The secret to this recipe is not an ingredient- but more a process that makes them easier to make and actually prettier in presentation.

The cookies are made by fusing three different colored doughs together and then cutting them so that they are tri-colored. The problem I had the first year I made them was that they fell apart in the oven. So this year, once I assembled them, I froze them unbaked on a cookie sheet overnight. When I baked them the next day, they stayed together and looked beautiful. I also used insulated cookie sheets, so I did not need to bake them on parchment paper.

1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 Cups sugar
3 Cups flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
2 tsps vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of peppermint extract, divided
20-25 drops red food coloring
1/8 Cup of cocoa
12 ounces of Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate morsels
1 Cup of almonds or hazelnuts chopped in a flat bowl.

1- Using stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about four minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, mix flour, baking powder, and salt for about 30 seconds. (this works better than sifting to incorporate the baking powder into the flour).

2- With stand mixer running at low, add egg and yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on low just until combined- do not over mix.

3- Divide dough into thirds. Shape one third into a disk, set aside. Return another third to the mixing bowl. Add red coloring and 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract and mix, shape into a disk and set aside. Put last third of dough in mixing bowl and add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract and cocoa- shape into disk and set aside.

4- Draw a 6x8 inch rectangle on a piece of waxed paper. Lightly flour the paper. working with one disk at a time, put dough in center of rectangle. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, your fingers, and a pastry scraper, roll and shape each disk to fit the rectangle. Layer chocolate, white, and red layers on top of each other. Press gently with flour dusted rolling pin to seal layers together, and trim edges to be straight with a knife. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

5- Remove from refrigerator and let dough stand for five minutes before cutting-Cut dough stack lengthwise into three 2-inch wide columns. Cut each column crosswise into 1/3 in thick pieces. Do NOT make them too big (they spread a little while cooking).

6-Line a large cookie sheet with edges with wax paper. Carefully lay all the cookies side by side (as close as you can)and fill the sheet. Cover with a second layer of waxed paper, and place flat in the freezer for at least 2 hours- but can be up to 2 days.You can carefully stack cookie sheets on top of each other if you make alot.

7- To bake, preheat oven to 350. DO NOT take cookies out of freezer until you are ready. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on your regular cookie sheets you bake with. Make sure the sheets are not hot. You can use parchment paper, but since I use insulated cookie sheets, I do not need to. Bake cookies 8-10 minutes until edges are golden- watch them carefully so they don't burn. If you use two cookie sheets, make sure you change racks halfway through. Cool cookies on wire racks.

8- Melt chocolate in double boiler (or heatproof bowl over boiling pot of water- bottom of bowl should not touch water). Make sure not to get any water in the chocolate or it will seize. Stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Dip cookie about 1/2 inch into chocolate, then into nuts. Set on racks to harden.

Sandies by the Sea Cookie Recipe

I cut out recipes all the time from magazines and stuff them in folders- but it usually takes me a while to organize them and actually try them. I found this cookie recipe dated 2006 (an ad from www.butterisbest.com) last fall and I made these for my cookie gift tins for the holidays- and I have to say these are spectacular. The secret ingredient is the salt. Salt is so underrated. I know it is bad for you and you should try to reduce your intake but man oh man, is it good. It brings out the flavor of so many foods in cooking and baking. In this recipe, when you bite into the cookie it mixes with the sweetness of the caramel and the bitter chocolate and is just SOOOOOO yummy.
This recipe calls for fleur de sel or large crystal sea salt- but I used large crystal kosher salt (all I had) and they were still deelish. Also, I have become a real fan of the Ghiradelli chocolate morsels, overall I find their chocolate taste, melting time, etc superior over some of the other brands in the grocery store.

Cookies should be always be eaten within one to two days for the best flavors. Store in airtight tin.


2 Cups of Flour
1/4 tsp fine salt
2 Sticks unsalted butter softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Large Egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup of pecans lightly toasted and very finely ground (using a food processer)
20 caramel candies
3 TBSP cream
2-3 TBSP large crystal sea salt or fleur de sel
1 Cup bittersweet Ghiradelli chocolate morsels. (at least 60% cocoa)

1- Combine flour and salt in a bowl /set aside
2- Using stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beat on low to incorporate. Add dry ingredients in batches, mixing between each, and then stir in the ground pecans. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
3- Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or butter the sheets. (if you use an insulated cookie sheet, no parchment paper or greasing required).
4- Roll dough into 1 inch ball with floured hands. Place on baking sheet at least 1-inch apart, and depress a cavity in the center of each ball using your thumb, a spoon or a rounded implement (I used the granite mortar from my small mortar and pestle). Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown and set. Check halfway through baking to see that the depressions are still deep enough to fill. If not use a spoon to redefine.
5-Remove cookies from the oven, and let them sit for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire cooling rack with parchment paper or empty tray underneath (to catch drips).
6- Melt caramel candies and cream together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Fill the center of each cookie with approximately 1/2 tsp of the caramel. Sprinkle centers evenly with the sea salt, and let sit until firm.
7- Place chocolate in a sturdy plastic bag and place in bowl. Microwave and heat on medium at 30 - second intervals , massaging between each, until melted. Cut a small hole in the corner bottom bag and drizzle melted chocolate across each cookie, and allow cookies to sit until chocolate has become firm.