A Chocolate Craving!!

Last night I had a chocolate craving and an urge to bake which can lead to trouble of huge caloric proportions!  Needless to say these goodies quench both needs:

Chocolate Goodness!!

Loving my Zebra print Cupcake wrappers!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C melted butter
1 C Vanilla flavor yogurt (you can use plain yogurt or milk too)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder (I used unsweetened dark cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 -1 1/4 C semi sweet mini chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
2. Stir brown sugar and butter together, add yogurt, egg, and vanilla- stir until thoroughly blended.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl,  Add to yogurt mixture- mix until well blended.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.  Spoon batter into muffin tins almost to the top- bake for 20 - 25 minutes. (mine were done in about 20 minutes.)

This recipe is super easy, you can mix by hand or with your electric mixer. 

DELICIOUS!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Since I was feeling rather lazy and had my nose stuck in books the last few days, there are no St Patty's Cupcakes!  So I thought that I would share the recipe of the cupcakes that I was going to make (and still may though not in time for this fine Irish day!)

 
Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcakes with Irish Cream Buttercream!

From Trophy Cupcakes & Party

Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcakes

1 ½ cups (12 ounces) Guinness Stout

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons salt

3 eggs

2/3 cups sour cream

Irish Cream Buttercream

2 cups (four sticks) unstalted butter, room temperature

4 cups (1 pound) of powdered sugar

¼ cup of Irish Cream (such as Bailey’s)

 

Preparation

 

For Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 paper liners.  Bring stout and butter to simmer in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth.  Cool slightly.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend.  In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or with an electric mixer), beat eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add cooled stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat until combined.  Add flour mixture and mix on slow speed until just combined.  Let batter rest for 15 minutes.  Fill cupcake liners generously (a little more than ¾ full).  Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 17-20 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.  Frost with Irish Cream buttercream when completely cooled.

 

For Buttercream:

Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with an electric mixer) until light and fluffy.  While butter is creaming sift powdered sugar in a large bowl.  Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time to creamed butter (use the lowest setting on your mixer until all of the sugar in incorporated and then increase speed to medium-high and beat until buttercream is smooth and fluffy).  Add the Irish Cream and beat until incorporated.

 

I did make some St Patrick's Day Bars but had trouble getting a picture of them that was blogworthy! Check out this link to see the recipe.

 

May the luck of the Irish be with you!  Cheers!

A Champagne Celebration

Tin Palace Cupcakes strikes again!     

Tonight we celebrate the fact our friend Cassie has found her Prince!  So in honor of the occasion the kitchen staff at the Tin Palace (ME) was busy with the cupcake selection for the evenings event.  CHAMPAGNE CUPCAKES! 

So raise your glass (or your cupcake) and join in the celebration.

Tonight the Queen of The Tin Palace passes her tiara over to the future Mrs. Prince.

Yes she has really found her Prince, and yes I really have a Tiara! (Thanks Aunt T!)

Congratulations to the Princes may the future hold for you nothing but happiness!

Mastering the Art of Holiday Baking.

Look at this gem! A "vintage" Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie Magazine 2006.  Nothing better than a fantastic Goodwill find.

Dare I say it... the Holidays are right around the corner.  For the past few years I have baked the same cookie recipes, while the holiday traditions are great, it is time to change it up a bit.  I think this magazine was just the inspiration I needed.  After a quick glance I found many recipes that I can't wait to try, but the first recipe to jump out at me was Martha's Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies. 
Don't they look delicious?  THEY ARE!!

                                                           

                                  Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
                            Makes 9 large or 16 small squares                  

FOR THE BATTER
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
2 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract                    Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).
Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.
Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days

People have cooked their way through Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I just may bake my way through Martha's Holiday Cookie Magazine. That sounds like delicious fun, and I am just crazy enough to do it!!  Stay tuned to see what sweet treats I bake up at the Tin Palace next!