Lemon-White Chocolate Cupcakes

These are the cupcake version of the wedding cake I made quite a few posts ago. I've been wanting to make this delicious flavor combination in a way that doesn't require the time and effort of the wedding cake. However, I had to make some concessions. For the cupcakes, I used a simple lemon cupcake recipe, modified from a lime cupcake recipe I've used before. Instead of two fillings like the wedding cake, the cupcakes had one: the lemon-white chocolate mousse. The frosting remained the same delicious, fluffy frosting from the wedding cake, thankfully. The fillings and frostings are still a little labor intensive, but the only extra step (compared to my other cupcake recipes) is that it's necessary to make the lemon curd to use in the mousse. Of course, you could use store bought...



Lemon-White Chocolate Cupcakes

Lemon Curd

2 lemons, zested
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt

3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon juice

4 tbsp butter, sliced into 4 pieces

Combine zest, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine. Add egg yolks and whisk until pale yellow. Whisk in juice and set pan over low - medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick. Usually, this takes 10 minutes of cooking over a medium low flame. Strain through a mesh sieve into a bowl. Add butter, one piece at a time and stir until combined before adding another piece. Cool. Cover and chill. This makes about 3/4 cup lemon curd (and can be used to make lime curd as well). This can be made up to 5 days in advance.


Lemon-White Chocolate Mousse

3/4 cup Lemon Curd
3.5 oz white chocolate
3/4 cup whipped cream

Warm chocolate in the top of a double boiler until melted. Set off water and let cool slightly. In the chilled bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream until medium peaks form. With the mixer running on low, stream in the white chocolate until incorporated. Make sure not to over mix. Gently fold in the lemon curd in 3 additions. Place in a bowl, cover, and chill. This can be made 2 days ahead.


[Another delicious use of the mousse: piped over blueberries for a nice, decadent dessert. Top it with some whipped cream and it's pure heaven.]

White Chocolate Frosting

3 oz white chocolate

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar, packed

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Remove from water and cool slightly. In the chilled bowl of your mixer, whip the cream and roughly half of the powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In the mixer beat the cream cheese and the remaining powdered sugar until fluffy and combined. Stream in the white chocolate with the mixer running on low speed. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape with a rubber spatula. Fold in whipped cream in 4 additions (using the first addition to lighten the cream cheese mixture). Place in a bowl, cover, and chill. Can be made a day ahead.

Lemon Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer cream the butter. Add sugar and mix to blend. Add eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the lemon juice and zest. The batter may look curdled.

Add the flour in 3 additions alternately with the buttermilk in 2 additions (beginning and ending with flour). Spoon roughly 1/3 cup of the batter into each paper liner, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely.

Once cooled, core out the center of each cupcake with a small knife. Pipe in the lemon mousse. The mousse is fairly stiff, and these cupcakes should remain chilled once frosted, so it's okay if some of the mousse mounds up on top of the cupcake. Pipe frosting on the top of the cupcake, sealing in the mousse.



This seems like a lot of work, but it's really not. I tend to spread out my cupcake adventures over the course of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so that I'm not doing it all at once. Remember to keep these cupcakes refrigerated and enjoy!

∏

I'm going to post this for future reference. However, this is a flawed recipe. The filling was tasty, but the soy flour added an almost chalky texture that, in the future, I'd like to avoid. Maybe cornstarch will do the trick. I'm apprehensive towards regular flour for the same reason the soy flour didn't work out.

The crust was good, and it worked out very well with the diluted vodka. That was a success. However, blind baking it for only 12 minutes left it soggy after the filling was in it and cooked. I want a crisper, less doughy, crust. In the end, I scooped out the filling into ramekins, topped it with some of the top pie dough, and called it a day. I'd love to come back to this recipe in a week or two.

Quadruple Berry Pie

Start with the pie dough from the last post. Roll out half of the dough and fit into a 9-inch round foil pan. I despise pie plates, so much wasted space. Freeze until firm. Prick all over with a fork, cover in foil, fill with beans or pie weights, and blind bake on 350 for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool. In the mean time, make the filling.

1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup splenda)
1/4 tsp salt

2 cups blueberries
1 cup blackberries, cut in half or quarters if they're very large
1 cup raspberries
1 cup strawberries, cut to roughly the same size as the other fruit

1 tbsp cherry liqueur or brandy, optional
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp butter

egg wash + sugar

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss in the fruit until the mixture is cohesive, but be careful not to stir too vigorously or break up the fruit more than you have to. Sprinkle on the liqueur, lemon juice, and vanilla, and toss again.

Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Dot with butter. Roll out the other half of the pie dough into a circle about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. I had plenty to cover the pie with and scraps left over for decorations (if you swing that way). Make slashes in the top, lattice it, do whatever. I only opted for the, perhaps cliche, Pi symbol in the top of mine. I didn't even scallop the edges. I need practice with pie doughs and pie making.

Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling away. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Personally, I prefer pie either at room temperature or just barely warm. I think I'll serve this with a dollop of lightly sweetened greek yogurt.



Hmmm... I am debating about this pie. The soy flour definitely flavored the filling. Not in a bad way, mind you, but it's definitely there. I'm not sure what to think. More pies will be coming. Maybe mini pies. Something to take some of the pressure off of the filling...

∏ / 2

Pi / 2 Part One: The Crust

To clarify those who are not into math, I am making pie. Berry pie. Perhaps quadruple berry pie. We will see...

But first: the crust! I'm using the vodka crust I used for my quiche recipe. Here, it's in double-crust format. As an added bonus, since the filling calls for a little lemon juice, I thought I would add the zest of 1 lemon to the crust. Why shouldn't the crust be flavorful on its own, after all? Additionally, I've found something that actually makes the pie crust easier. Instead of using 1/4 cup each of vodka and water, I am simply going to use 1/2 cup diluted (42 proof) vodka. Brilliant! Clearly, I've diverged from the original Cooks Illustrated recipe.

Foolproof Vodka Pie Crust with Lemon

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
zest from 1 lemon, optional

20 tbsp (2.5 sticks) of butter, sliced into 1/2 - 1 tbsp pieces

1/2 cup diluted vodka, chilled.

Combine the dry ingredients and and whisk together in a large bowl. Place the sliced butter on top of the flour and chill thoroughly (I place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes). Combine with a pastry blender by hand* until the mixture appears similar in shape and size to cottage cheese curds.

Pour the vodka over the mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two, flatten into 4-inch disks and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

*I don't have a food processor, so this is a bit more labor intensive than the original recipe.

Makin' Banana Cupcakes...

This is kind of a cheat. I'm using a banana muffin recipe from Ina Garten instead of a banana cupcake recipe. I've used the Banana Crunch Muffins before and can attest to how delicious they are. My only modifications are in the butter, flour, and sugar departments. I must say that the originals are definitely worth a shot (though I only ever added the diced banana and walnuts or pecans to them).



Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Filling and Brown Butter Frosting

The filling and frosting can be made a day ahead, so I'll start with those recipes first.

Vanilla Filling

2 cup half & half
8 tbsp sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, seeded
pinch of salt

3 tbsp cornstarch
5 egg yolks

4 tbsp butter, sliced into 4 pieces

In a medium saucepan bring the half & half, vanilla bean (the whole bean and the scraped seeds), salt, and 6 tbsp of the sugar to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth. Temper the egg yolks by gradually whisking in about a cup of the hot half & half mixture. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium and whisk constantly for about 30 second to a minute. The mixture will thicken very quickly.

Remove the pastry cream from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a bowl and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to the surface to avoid a skin from forming and chill until cold. For those of you that play the home game, this was the original recipe I modified to create the kahlua pastry cream a couple posts ago. It's worth noting that the recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated.

Brown Butter Frosting

This frosting comes in two parts: first, the caramel syrup; second, the actual frosting. It's a bit labor intensive, and I'm sure any other brown butter frosting would be good as well. This frosting, however, is delightfully complex and perfect with the cupcakes.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water + 1/4 cup boiling water
sea salt to taste

Combine the sugar and the 1/4 cup water in a medium pan over medium high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, reduce heat to medium and cook until amber. Add the boiling water to the caramel to halt the caramelization process. Whisk over medium heat for a minute or two more until it's slightly thicker and add the salt (be aware that the caramel can be salty since it's only a component of the frosting; the salt in the caramel will be the only salt in all the frosting). Cool completely.

6 tbsp butter, browned and cooled
2 tbsp caramel syrup
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 - 3 tbsp half & half

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the browned butter, caramel, and 1 cup of the confectioners sugar until thick paste is formed. Thin paste with 2 tbsp of half & half. Mix until incorporated. Add remaining confectioners sugar and mix until combined. If necessary ass more half & half or confectioner's sugar. Personally, I wound up adding about 2 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 tbsp of the half & half; it was very experimental, but the result was pretty phenomenal (though I'll be the first to admit that this is the style of butter cream that, to me, is too rich and sweet).

Banana Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, browned and cooled

1 large egg
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup ripe mashed banana (about 1 banana)

1 banana, medium diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer, sift the first five ingredients together. Add the browned butter and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together (all except for the diced banana). Add to the butter-flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix again, but don't over mix the batter. Fold in the diced banana.

Divide cupcake batter among 12-cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes until tops are firm and toothpick, inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and finish cooling.

Assembly

Core out the center of a cupcake.

Fill with vanilla pastry cream.

Top with frosting.



Enjoy! I'm happy with how these turned out, but I think I want to do something to the vanilla filling. I'm not sure the flavors integrate as well as they could. I'll be getting some opinions from friends and coworkers in a couple days.

Brunch in Three Parts

Part three: Quiche her?! But I hardly know her!

I can't believe I've never posted my quiche recipe before. It may not be what most people consider a quiche. Many quiche I've come across have a filling that's more of a puree of ingredients than anything. Mine is a dense, eggy tart and I love it.

The crust is a new experiment, but one that has definitely worked out. I'm using, verbatim, the Cook's Illustrated foolproof pie dough. I can't find a copy online, so I will post it here for my own benefit. Interestingly, it uses vodka (though I had to make a quick whiskey substitution) because the ethanol in the vodka adds moisture, making the crust easy to handle and roll out, while not contributing much water. The result? An easy to handle dough that isn't overly watery or leathery in texture.

Quiche

Cook's Illustrated Single-Crust Foolproof Pie Dough

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp cold, unsalted butter
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces

2 tbsp cold vodka
2 tbsp cold water

Combine 3/4 cup flour, all of the salt, and the sugar in the bowl of a food processor*. Pulse to combine, about 2 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade.

Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over dough. WIth rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Blind bake the crust in a 9-inch pie plate at 350 until golden and set, about 12 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and make the filling in the meantime.

*I do not have a food processor. I used a pastry blender, kept everything chilled, and worked very quickly. As near as I can tell, the results were nearly identical to those in the recipe from "cottage cheese curds" to an easy-to-handle disk.


Spinach and Parmesan Quiche Filling

6 eggs
1 cup half and half
2 tsp salt
pinch of ground nutmeg

1/2 medium onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 10oz bag, washed spinach

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, salt, and nutmeg to blend.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until softened. Add the spinach and only saute until it's partially wilted. Some raw leaves are fine; the varying textures are very pleasant in the quiche. Place the spinach mixture in the baked and cooled crust. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the filling. Gently pour the custard mixture over the filling, moving the filling around so that it is evenly distributed and completely coated with the custard.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes until the filling is slightly puffed and golden. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Brunch in Three Parts

Part Two: Pancakes

Alton Brown's recipe for pancake mix and instant pancakes creates, perhaps, the most delicious pancakes I have ever made. Why mess with perfection? Alton Brown's Pancakes.

Brunch in Three Parts

Part One: Coffee Cake

I've found that breakfast pastries, coffee cakes and muffins in particular, hold up well to some healthier alterations. In this recipe, I used my applesauce+greek yogurt combination in place of butter. The resulting texture was less stiff and coarse than most coffee cakes; however, the wheat flour and crumb topping added some pleasant nuttiness. I used Splenda as well to help round out the healthfulness of this breakfast treat. The result? A low-guilt brunch accompaniment or a nice, light afternoon snack to tame that sweet tooth.



Low-Guilt Coffee Cake

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, packed
1/3 cup Splenda
1 tbsp butter, browned
1 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped

Combine the sugars with the browned butter until a wet sand forms. Toss in the almonds and combine. Set aside.

Coffee Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup greek yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8x8 square pan. A 9x9 would work in a pinch, though you may have to reduce the cooking time.

Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Whisk the buttermilk, sugars, vanilla, eggs, applesauce, and yogurt together until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the liquid into the dry until incorporated. Stir until the batter is smooth and well combined. Fold in about 1/2 of the streusel topping.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining streusel topping evenly over the cake. Bake at 350 degree for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool cake on wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing, serving, and enjoying.



*I used a combination of 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 soy flour and the coffee cake turned out great. I would imagine most combinations of flours (wheat, all-purpose, quinoa, brown rice) would work fairly well in this cake, though you can simply use all-purpose to avoid the fuss.

Addendum: I went ahead and calculated the calories and whatnot. Keep in mind that most of the calories (1/3) and fat (3/4) comes from a good source: almonds. Still, this is a relatively light, low-guilt snack.

Assuming 12 servings per pan:

Fat: 7g
Calories: 185
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 9g