Mouth-Watering Mocha Cupcakes

***I was chatting with one of my little sisters, Suzanne, the other day, and she told me about the fabulous Mocha Cupcakes that she was in the process of making. Well, of course I had to get the recipe! She sent it to me via e-mail, and I decided to leave the extra notes that she wrote at the bottom...I thought they were cute...LOL.

Needless to say, these cupcakes really did turn out to be fabulous...and very easy to make! I actually had some buttercream icing stashed in the fridge from the wedding cake that I made last week, so I used that instead of whipped cream. Suzanne bought a jar of pre-made icing to use on hers. Just use your favorite...you can't go wrong with any kind of icing!

Enjoy!***

YUM...just look at the inside of that cupcake!

Mocha Cupcakes with Whipped Cream:

Source: "Perfect Chocolate" by Parragon Publishing

Ingredients:

2 tbsp instant expresso

6 tbsp butter

3/8 cup superfine sugar

1 tbsp honey

1 cup water

1 5/8 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Whipped Topping:

1 cup whipping cream

Unsweetened cocoa for dusting

1. Put the coffee powder, butter, sugar, honey, and water in a pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. pour into a large heatproof bowl and let cool.

2. When the mixture has cooled, sift in the flour and cocoa. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, then add to the mixture with the egg and beat togerther until smooth. Spoon the batter into the paper cases.

3. Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven at 350*F for 15-20 minutes.

4. For topping, whisk the cream in a bowl until it holds its shape.

NOTES:

I just had to leave my sister's extra notes below...I thought they were cute. :)

"Okie dokie there it is..... the recipe calls for using the little bitty cupcake tins but i just used the big ones and it made one serving...but I had a lot of battter so they are huge. =] Oh and another note... I used 3 tbsp of instant cappuchino and added about 1/4 of a cup more sugar.. just taste the batter and see if it needs to be sweeter =]"

Thanks again, Suzie for the recipe...I love ya!!!

Here we are at my wedding...I've always liked this shot of us...

Yep...that's us goofing off...haha...

Joel Rubuchon's "Chicken with Mushrooms & Tarragon" - (Poulet aux champignons et a l'estragon)

***Now that the holidays are over (and the wedding cake is finished!), I finally have time to sift through the new cookbooks that I got for Christmas and try out some of the recipes. I present to you...the first one!

As I mentioned before, Joel Rubuchon is the man...he's even been proclaimed the "Chef of the Century." In his wonderful cookbook, "The Complete Rubuchon", he shares a multitude of fabulous French recipes in what some call the "Joy of Cooking" for French cuisine.

This seemed like a great recipe to start with. It's got a classically delicious flavor...not too fussy or complicated but with a complex flavor. I think you'll love this one!***

Chicken with Mushroom and Tarragon

(Poulet aux champignons et a l'estragon)

From: The Complete Rubuchon by Joel Rubuchon

Serves: 4

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. small white button mushrooms, stem ends trimmed, caps rinsed clean, and drained; quarter them if they are on the large side

2 tbsp. butter

1 free-range chicken, about 3 1/2 lb., cut into 8 pieces

Salt

Pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 bouquet garni (2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 4 stems parsley, wrapped and tied in a green leek if possible)

2 cloves garlic, peeled, degermed, and minced

5 shallots, peeled and minced

4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I took a shortcut here and used a can of diced tomatoes)

2 tbsp. minced tarragon

Directions:

Put the mushrooms in a saucepan with 3 tbsp. water and 1 scant tbsp. butter. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and save their cooking liquid.

Season each piece of chicken with a good pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. In a Dutch Oven just large enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and then 1 tbsp. butter. When the butter foams, turn the heat to low and add the pieces of chicken, nestled against each other. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to brown, turning to color evenly. Add the wine, bouquet garni, garlic, and shallots. Scatter the diced tomatoes and sprinkle 1 tbsp. tarragon. Add the mushroom cooking juice and bring the liquid to a "shiver" just below the boiling point. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

At the end of cooking, add the mushrooms to the pot just long enough to warm them. Sprinkle the chicken with the rest of the tarragon and taste for salt and pepper.

Foodies - Here are "50 Ways to Eat Green"!

***I recently came across the article below in the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine...one of my favorites. I've found myself trying to be as "green" as possible lately. I'm "that girl" at the grocery store...the one that pushes a buggy full of filled, reusable grocery bags out of the store. I'm so proud of that, though. It never fails, every single time that I check out, someone comments about how neat and great it is. In fact, it happened just today as I was leaving the store. On a recent grocery trip, one lady even told me that I had inspired her to start using reusable grocery bags. I sure hope so. I think that's awesome. You may remember THIS post a while back about reusable bags. Do you use them yet???

What are you currently doing to help our planet?

Be sure to click the links below for more info! :)

***

From Bon Appetit magazine:
"50 Ways to Eat Green"

The Bon Appétit Guide to Cooking Up a Greener World
By Hugh Garvey
Photography by Craig Cutler and Kana Okada
January 2009

If only eating green were as simple as going to a farmers' market, buying organic, and reusing that shopping tote at the grocery store. That's a darn good start, but there are so many other ways to shop, cook, dine out, and even clean that can have a more meaningful impact on our environment. The 50 tips and recipes here will help cut down on landfill, pesticide use, overfishing, and the consumption of fossil fuels. They will also slow down the depletion of the ozone layer, encourage the humane treatment of livestock, improve the welfare of workers, reduce toxic chemicals in your home, and likely make you healthier along the way. Plus, you'll be making and eating some amazing food. (Like an environmentally friendly Bison Burger). Read on to learn how to cook up a greener, more delicious future.

1. Eat More Chocolate

2. Boil Once, Cook Twice

3. Fill up Your Freezer

4. Don't Read the Omnivore's Dilemma

5. Make a Bison Burger

6. Ask Your Farmer These Questions

7. Don't Open That Door

8. Buy a Side of Beef

9. Cook More Often

10. Roast a Whole Chicken

11. Become a Human Food Processor

12. Eat Alaskan Wild Salmon

13. Savor Sardines

14. Get the Scoop

15. Plant an Heirloom Vegetable Garden

16. Learn How to Read a Carrot...

17. Buy Barramundi

18. Be Your Own Barista

19. Treasure Your Trash

20. Make Stocks

21. Make Your Own Cereal

22. Join a CSA

23. Eat American Cheese
24. Text Fishphone

25. Veg Out

26. Turn Off the Lights

27. Clean Green

28. Start Composting Tonight

29. Eat Grass-Fed Beef

30. Become an Urban Forager

31. Eat Sustainable Shrimp

32. Eat Free Food

33. Get Blasted

34. Eat Sustainable Sushi

35. Become a Locavore

36. Bike to the Market

37. Support Your Local Green Restaurant

38. Go Bento

39. Eat More Tofu

40. Stop Whistling

41. Use Your Dishwasher

42. Bag It

43. Mix Your Drinks

44. Take the Leftovers

45. Pack Your Own Lunch

46. Support Your Local Winemaker

47. Read Fritz Haeg's Edible Estates

48. Keep the Greens

49. Plan Your Paper Use

50. Recycle Bon Appétit

Introducing: My First Wedding Cake!!!!

I know I've been a little MIA for the past week or so...but, I've got a good excuse...I promise! I recently got the opportunity to bake my very first wedding cake. And let me just tell you...it was quite the undertaking! I've never done it before, so I did a lot of research into the whole process. After all, I couldn't imagine anything worse than having the cake topple over mid-reception. But, I am ecstatic to report that there were absolutely no cake mishaps. I even did okay working with fondant for the first time. I was nervous about that too...I hadn't worked with it before, but it looked easy enough...kind of. After over 20 hours of reading, mixing, tasting, rolling, stirring, zesting and baking...I ended up with the fabulous four-tiered concoction that you see here. I got the design idea from Wilton. In fact, we bought almost all of the supplies from the Wilton aisle at Michael's Arts & Crafts.

I started on Monday, with a test cake. The result was good, but a little plain and a tad dry. I decided to try again on Tuesday night with another test cake. But this time, I added fresh lemon zest and lemon juice. The cake just needed *something*. The lemon was PERFECT! I think it added a fantastic flavor....definitely not just another wedding cake. The buttercream icing recipe that I used was equally great. The best part about the icing was that it was pretty easy to make. And get this...I made 16 batches of icing on Tuesday night...no, that isn't a typo....SIXTEEN batches! LOL. I was quite literally up to my elbows in buttercream. I can think of worse things to be up to my elbows in, though...LOL.

On Wednesday night, I made the top two tiers. I also frosted them and added the ribbon & fondant. On Thursday night, I made the bottom two tiers, frosted them both, and added ribbon & fondant to one. I ran out of time and had to add the fondant to the last tier on Friday night. I had to have most everything done before Friday evening, because we had to attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Friday night. I was the queen of multi-tasking at this wedding...I was the cake baker, a bridesmaid, and I even took some wedding photos. It was a busy day, but it was so much fun!

At the end of the day, baking a wedding cake takes an incredible amount of time and patience. However, seeing the finished cake was overwhelming...I had NO idea that I was capable of such a feat. It was such a great feeling seeing it all set up at the reception hall. Hopefully, this won't be the last one that I bake. I LOVED the entire process! :)

Look at all those ingredients!!!

Rolling the fondant...

Adding the fondant to the cake...who knew a can of yams could be so helpful?

Top two tiers completed!

I did a test run the night before the wedding day...just to make sure it wouldn't topple over!

Putting it all together at the reception...

Classic White Cake
Ingredients:
6 cups cake flour sifted
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 egg whites

***Zest & juice from 4 lemons
Cake Release
Makes: 12 cups of cake batter.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom of pans and line with waxed paper or parchment paper, or use Cake Release. (Click here for complete instructions on preparing baking pans.)

Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest & juice. Mix well. Set aside. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside. With mixer at slow speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk. Beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

Directions:
(Medium Consistency)
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Source: Wilton Tiered Cakes

Hershey's "Especially Dark" Chocolate Cake

***We recently celebrated my wonderful husband's birthday...on Jan. 2nd. We had a fantastic day and a GREAT dinner with our family and friends that night. And by now, you know that it isn't a birthday around here without a delicious, homemade birthday cake. I started asking Brad what sort of cake he wanted about a week before the big day. He took some time to think it over and finally decided on a dark chocolate cake...his favorite kind of chocolate! I remember seeing the recipe below for the perfect cake...conveniently located on the back of the Hershey's "Special Dark" cocoa package. And besides, I had already made the milk chocolate version several times with great results. You may remember THIS post from a while back, of Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake. And perfect it was!

The best (and really only) change that I made to the recipe was substituting 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee for the 1 cup of boiling water that's called for in the recipe. The result was a fabulously rich and decadent cake. If you are a coffee-lover, I highly suggest doing the same thing! It certainly wasn't over-powering...it simply added a nice flavor to the final product.***

Hershey's "Especially Dark" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water (I substituted 1 c. hot coffee...see my notes above!)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

"Especially Dark" Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

Directions:

Melt the butter. Stir in cocoa.

Add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Makes about 2 cups.

Source: Hershey's Kitchens (also on back of "Special Dark" Hershey's Cocoa package)