A Match Made in Heaven

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter "Cream Cheese" Frosting
A brief warning now . . . don't judge this recipe by the photo. I don't have my camera at home and had to make due with a dimly-lit shot with my phone. Anyway . . . "Vegan Cupcakes!?! Liz, why on Earth would you do that to a perfectly good cupcake?" Tomorrow is the first read-through for our summer Shakespeare production of Julius Caesar and I wanted to treat the cast to some . . . well . . . treats! Knowing that one member of the cast is a confirmed vegan, I wanted to come up with a tasty option for her to enjoy. As it so happens, a vegan chocolate cake recipe is not hard to come up with. This is springy, chocolatey, and not too sweet. Frosting, in the traditional sense, is a bit more of a challenge. Peanut Butter and Chocolate are a natural pairing (and one of my personal favorites) so here we go. The frosting isn't exactly a "buttercream" but it is good. Unrefrigerated I would suggest using any leftovers for a nice gluten-free fruit dip . . . just in case there are any gluten-free vegans you are looking to treat to a nice dessert.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. baking cocoa (make sure to find a vegan brand, not all are)
- 1/3 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- 8 oz. vegan cream-cheese alternative
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 c. corn starch

CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line standard-sized cupcake tin with liners and spritz lightly with vegetable oil spray. (The recipe makes about 18 cupcakes.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa, and salt so that the ingredients are well combined. Stir in water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and then whisk until the batter is creamy and smooth. Divide batter amongst prepared cupcake liners. Fill to about 2/3 and then bake in oven about 20 minutes until the cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack for cooling. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER "CREAM CHEESE" FROSTING
One of the tricks I ran into with this frosting was that as the "cream cheese" warms to room temperature, it very quickly becomes loose. This may not be all brands, but it was with the one I used. The flavor, however, was quite good. With an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter and "cream cheese" until well combined and smooth. Add vanilla. Slowly beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time until the mixture is thoroughly mixed. Beat in cornstarch and blend until smooth. (The cornstarch helps the frosting from being too runny without adding more sweetness.) Frost cupcakes with a generous dollop of frosting and spread with an off-set spatula. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat so that the frosting holds its form. Yummy for vegans and non-vegans alike.

The Candy Man Can!

White Chocolate Maple Fudge
Holiday baking season is upon us! After weeks, the Fall term is winding down and I get some time in the kitchen to create sweet treats for my friends and co-workers. Although I don't have a huge sweet tooth, I happen to know a lot of people that do and welcome a plate of eggnog cookies, New Orleans Pralines, or (always a favorite) fudge! This time around I did three versions of this tasty holiday treat: a regular chocolate, a chocolate peppermint, and then a batch using two beloved winter-time ingredients - maple and walnuts! This is extremely sweet and not for the faint of heart. Also, make sure you have a candy thermometer to make sure it comes out smooth and creamy and not a grainy mess! 

Ingredients
- 2 c. white sugar
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (plus about 1 Tbsp. for greasing pan)
- 1 jar marshmallow fluff
- 2 c. white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp. maple extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. chopped walnuts

Line a 9x9" baking dish with heavy-duty foil and butter thoroughly with about 1 Tbsp. softened butter. Set aside.

Heat butter and sugars over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot. (Clip a candy thermometer to edge of pot to keep track of temperature.) Stir mixture constantly until the butter is melted and the sugar becomes smooth. The mixture will come to a soft boil, when the thermometer reaches 238˚F remove from heat.

Pour fluff, extracts, nuts, salt, and chocolate chips into the butter and sugar mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until everything is melted and well combined.

Working quickly, before mixture cools too much and begins to set, pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with wooden spoon.

Allow fudge to set for at least four hours before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cut it up! Share with friends! Yum!
 

Stout Out Loud!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Chocolate Espresso Buttercream Frosting
 It was my beloved's birthday last week and it was time to celebrate! When I asked Matt what he wanted to do for his birthday, he responded without hesitation: "Power Hour." Power Hour, if you are not familiar, is an exercise power drinking - taking a shot of beer every minute for 60 minutes. It's become a bit of a birthday tradition for Matt - much like my own birthday marathon (involving running rather than drinking). To go along with the evening's centerpiece activity, I decided to develop a couple of beer-themed recipes including sweet and smoky beans slow-cooked in beer and, of course, a beer-themed dessert. The result was a moist, chocolatey, and subtly sweet cupcake with a fluffy buttercream topping. These were definitely a hit for chocolate and beer-lovers alike.

Ingredients
CHOCOLATE STOUT CUPCAKES
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 c. sugar
- 12 oz. dark chocolate stout (such as Guinness)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 4 eggs
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 c. flour
- 1 c. sour cream

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 2 sticks plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoons
- 4 oz. extra-bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 Tbsp. espresso powder

CHOCOLATE STOUT CUPCAKES
Preheat over to 350F˚ and line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Spray very lightly with vegetable spray, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl blend together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate with an electric mixer until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add stout. Mix thoroughly on medium-high.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add eggs, one at a time, alternating with portions of flour mixture with the machine running on medium. When the mixture is well combined, add sour cream until just mixed. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake liners until they are 2/3 of the way full. Bake in batches in oven for 12-15 minutes until the cupcakes are cooked through and springy.

Allow to cool completely on a rack before frosting.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Whisk together eggs whites and sugar in a medium-sized double-boiler. Place the double-boiler over medium-high heat and whisk together over heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the warmed egg and sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add vanilla and whisk together at medium-high heat until the mixture is glossy and stiff, about 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn mixer back on to medium heat. Add butter, a couple pieces at a time making sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated before adding more. Once all the butter is incorporated and mixture is light and fluffy, add melted chocolate and espresso powder and mix until fully blended. 

Frost cooled cupcakes with an offset spatula. Buttercreams can be delicate, store frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator if making ahead of time. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.