Halloween Partay Treats

Ok, this wasn't any official thing, but I made some fun treats for the Halloween get together Jonathan and I hosted last weekend, and wanted to share. No recipes are posted, but I could dig them up if you send me a message to that effect.

So, the non-baking prize of my spread was the cheese graveyard. The week I was coming up with the poached pear cupcakes with brie frosting I was looking at the little triangle of brie and had a revelation that with a few importantly placed cuts, you could transform that lovely brick into the perfect coffin shape. So wahlah: the brie graveyard was born... or..er... well... came to be ...

Anyway, I found a bunch of other fun recipes that were somewhat Halloween themed including cheddar "spiderweb" crisps, "devils on horseback" (prosciutto wrapped dates), deviled eggs (I gave mine little cyclops faces), devil's food cupcakes with little tuilie wafer flames, pumpkin woopie pies (omg), and caramel/pretzel/caramel bars (more like gobs than bars though).

A very tasty evening.

Poached Pear Cupcakes

Last week, I attended Iron Cupcake SF for the second time. So far, both times have been fun, sugar-loaded experiences, and again I took home a prize winner (well, actually I left them all there, in the bellies of the judges). I managed to pull off 3rd place, amongst some steep competition, as well as a duplicate poached pear cupcake entry.

My camera battery died, so my evidence of the event is minimal. There is this one picture Jonathan captured of me holding the tray of contestants.

In any case, there were some very notable entries. Winner was the pumpkin curry cupcake, which was very deserving of the prize. Second came the Chinese 5 Spice chocolate cupcake; a very unique flavor experience. One that didn't win, but I will remember forever was the chocolate raspberry pink peppercorn.

My recipe though, was a combination of a spiced almond cake filled with pureed poached pear and topped with brie frosting. I'm pretty sure this recipe made more than enough pears to fill 12-16 regular cupcakes. (Ok, I don't remember exactly how many it made)

Pears

• 4-6 pears, peeled & cored
• 1 bottle of red, fruity wine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp lemon peel
• 1 clove

- Combine ingredients and simmer in large pot for 25-40 minutes, until tender.

- Remove pears and cool.

- Reduce wine mixture until syrupy.

- Puree pears with some of the reserved syrup.

Almond Spice Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp clove
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

- Whisk dry ingredients together in small bowl.

- In separate bowl or stand mixer beat butter & sugar together until smooth.

- Add eggs one at a time until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl.

- Add extracts.

- On low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, until batter is smooth. Do not overmix.

- Pour into prepared cupcake tin.

- Bake for 20 minutes.

- Remove from pan and Cool.

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temp.
• 6 oz. brie, rind removed
• 2-3 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1/2-1 cup powdered sugar

- Beat butter and brie until smooth.

- Add powdered sugar slowly, beginning with half a cup and adding more per your preference.

- Add in mascarpone until just incorporated.

Assemble

- Cut holes in tops of cupcakes and add puree.

- Pipe frosting onto each.

- Garnish with slice of poached pear if desired.

About Brittle

I'm not an avid candy maker by any means, but I like to dabble. Last year for the holidays, I went crazy making all sorts of gift basket goodies, including a couple varieties of candies. Luckily most of them went well (thanks to the wonderful candy thermometer by boyfriend's family gave me- thanks!), but I preferred some over others. I was most intrigued by brittle. Last year I had found a recipe for pumpkin seed brittle that had a cinnamon in it, and it was pretty amazing, and also relatively consistent (unlike my taffy which on one attempt to make was as hard as a candy cane).

I'm just starting to plan out what I'm going to make for gift baskets this year, and brittle is definitely on the list. I searched online for a variety of recipes and inspirations, but ended up making 3 variations on one recipe. I'm calling it my "brittle base".

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, stir together:

• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

until the sugar has dissolved. When it starts to boil, add:

• 1/2 cup butter

Let it keep boiling until your candy thermometer reaches 230˚ F, then start to stir it constantly until it reaches 280˚ (somewhere around 10 minutes).

At this point, you can add in your key ingredient, usually nuts + (get creative) (ideas below).

Stir constantly until it reaches 300˚. Move quickly and have your ingredients ready because this sugar mixture can burn in the blink of an eye.

Remove from heat and stir in:

• 1/2 tsp baking soda (and whatever spice or flavoring you want)

Pour onto a greased or parchmented baking sheet or jelly roll pan and spread until fairly even. I learned a neat trick where you can put a layer of parchment over the brittle and use a rolling pin to lay it flat. The thickness of whatever nut mix you used will help keep it from getting too thin.

Let it cool, then break into pieces and store in an air tight container for a couple days. Be careful of how much moisture is in your home, too. The brittle can get a layer of stickiness on it if you don't have dry enough conditions. Weather can have a big effect on this, so if you can do it, try and make you candies on a non-rainy day.

Ok, so, here are the 3 variations I made today:

1. 1-1/2 cups chopped cashews (simple)
2. 1-1/2 cups pecans, 1 tbs maple extract (not the real stuff I'm afraid), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp chipotle powder (a great flavor combo with a subtle kick)
3. 1 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup cocoa nibs (I used Askinoosie), dash of cayenne pepper

I usually use pre-roasted and salted nuts, but you can always roast your own.

Yay for brittle!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

My favorite time of year: Pumpkin season! Mostly because it means I can bust out this recipe again, but also because everywhere I go I can order some pumpkin flavored something or other. Thai pumpkin curry is high on my list of tasty treats I look forward to.

But I digress. We're here for cupcakes, and I intend to fulfill my baker's duty by sharing this beloved recipe with you. I confess, I've already sort of posted this once before, in one of its many versatile forms.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350˚

Line 2 cupcakes tins (approx. 24 cupcakes)

Whisk together dry ingredients in large bowl and make a well in the center:
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves

Mix together liquid ingredients in a medium sized bowl:
3 cups sugar
¾ cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin puree

Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk together until combined. Scoop out 1/4 cups at a time into prepared baking tins. Bake 20 minutes.

Once cooled, top with cream cheese frosting:

1 8 oz bar cream cheese

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Whip together until smooth. Add:

~3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip on hight until fluffy. Pipe on to cupcakes.

This is always a crowd pleaser, and one of the easier cupcake recipes around (probably because it's a muffin recipe in a cream cheese frosting disguise). It always helps to have fresh spices on hand though; it can make such a difference in flavor.

New Website & Branding

Hey all!

No baking this time! Just wanted to invite you to check out my new website and branding.

www.kathleensconfections.com

Thank you to everyone who piped up and gave me their two cents; it is always appreciated! I have been contemplating the rebranding for quite sometime, and have been ridiculously inspired to go with a more nostalgic feel since some of my favorite flavors pay homage to an earlier era (see Orange Creamsicle & Soda Pop). And I've been over-watching some really classic TV shows lately, so I guess it's just on the brain (examples: Star Trek TOS, Bewitched & Get Smart). I love the funky designs and cool color schemes they played with back then, as well as space inspired imagery. It was an exciting time for "progress", and I ironically am looking back to it for the my own future. I guess for what's its worth, I also find that I am compelled to bake things that could be considered glorified bake sale items (have you tried my brownies???), so hailing back to the days of domestication seems appropriate.

As far as design, I wanted to keep things simple and straightforward. If you follow this blog, you know that I bake way more than what appears on the menu, and I'm always ready for a baking challenge if you throw one my way, but sometimes decisions are easier made when you aren't confronted with 1000 options (hello In-and-Out. Yes, I just compared my blog to the secret menu. I guess I'd better dream up an "animal style" cupcake now).

Also, I liked the idea that everything could be on one page, which is why I (with help) figured out how to get the thumbnail images, when hovered over, to pop up with their corresponding flavor. I am inspired to see what else javascript can do for me. Ideas include an order "form" page, instead of the mailto option that comes up when you click "place an order."

So, stay tuned for what's coming. I am excited to roll out the packaging and printed matter that accompanies this new branding - the holidays are already on my mind!

S'more Cupcakes

As the summer season begins to wane, I begin to feel nostalgic about those last few days we used to have before school would start; trying desperately to hold on to the freedom and adventure we so foolishly took for granted in early July.

As an adult, the sense of panic doesn't get much better. I question whether or not I really appreciated all that the summer had to offer: did I enjoy the warm weather enough, the late daylight saving's evenings, or the fresh ingredients of the season, etc. And as much as I adore and eagerly look forward to what Autumn has to offer, I find I'm still scrambling to hold on to all the good things about summer before it's all washed away in the sea of Halloween Costume stores.

So, to keep it alive with just one more recipe, I fall back on family tradition: camping. And what makes camping really camping? Roasting s'mores over an open fire, of course.

I have over the past couple years been on a fairly epic quest to perfect a s'more cupcake recipe. Sadly, I don't think I'm 100% there, but this latest version does have a very appealing look about it. AND I got to use my little kitchen torch, which is always fun.

To start, I attempted to combine a vanilla cupcake recipe with a graham cracker twist:

Graham Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350˚

Line approximately 20 cupcake tins.

• 2 C Flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 C butter
• 1 C brown sugar
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 C buttermilk

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In electric mixer, blend butter, sugar and honey until creamy, scraping down sides occasionally. Add honey and one egg at at time until incorporated. Beginning and ending with flour mixture, add flour and buttermilk alternately. Fill cupcake tins. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

Then dip each cup

cake top into

Chocolate ganache:

• 8 oz chopped chocolate (I used semi-sweet) or chocolate chips
• 4 oz heated cream (warm but not boiling)

Pour warmed cream over chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until smooth. I occasionally have to stick the mixture in the microwave for 10 second intervals until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful not to overheat, as it will begin separate. Bad.

Once your cupcakes have a healthy topping of chocolate, then comes the marshmallow! With a stand mixer, making marshmallows from scratch is a cinch, albeit messy. Luckily, I was able to get the freshly made marshmallow cream to my piping bag without much hassle, and it piped onto the tops of the cupcakes perfectly.

Marshmallow "Frosting":

• 3 envelopes (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

In bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften (about 5 minutes are needed).

In a heavy sauce pan cook sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water, and salt over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. When it begins to boil, stop stirring. Boil until candy thermometer reaches 240°F. Pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

Beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, approximately 6-8 minutes.

In a separate bowl beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla into sugar mixture until just combined.

Gently spoon this mixture into a large piping bag and start topping the cupcakes.

(To be honest, I think I only made half the recipe for this many cupcakes, but there's never any problem with too much marshmallow mix. See my marshmallow recipe for instructions on how to deal with the "leftover" if necessary. )

After cupcakes are topped, let them refrigerate for an hour or so until the marshmallow is set. It'll still be pretty sticky no matter how long you leave them for, so in the interest of not drying out your cupcakes, I recommend not leaving them in there too long.

Now it's time for the torch. Be careful, have supervision, all those disclaimers, etc, etc, and try not to overly scorch the cupcakes. Or, I guess it really just depends on how you like your marshmallow. I was going for looks, so didn't let it get too burnt or mushy.

As I was saying earlier, I don't think I'm quite there yet. The graham cracker cupcake wasn't bad, but it didn't quite fulfill the role of graham cracker, likely because there was no crunch, but was also a little dry. As well, many people thought it needed a higher chocolate to cupcake/marshmallow ratio. No complaints on the marshmallow, as far as flavor, but I did find that in some instances, the marshmallow was not completely adhered to it's ganache partner, which was noticed mainly when you took a bite of the cupcake, and the marshmallow stuck to your lip, popping right off the cupcake.

So, there is more work to be done, but all in all, I'm moving in the right direction.

With that, I will say adieu to the summer of 2010, and with a clear conscience, I can eagerly move forward into the brimming and wondrous season of Autumn.

Zucchini Cupcakes

For me, summer is incomplete without home grown zucchini. Growing up, it was the dinner-time staple. Sadly, my mother wasn't aware of the many delicious ways that zucchini could be prepared, so too many of those summer dinners had a side helping of boiled and wilted zucchini. Luckily, zucchini had one saving grace, and that was in her amazing zucchini bread.

I have adapted the recipe I got from her slightly by adding some vanilla, omitting nuts, and turning it into a cupcake.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Line cupcake tins with wrappers. Makes approximately 24.

Mix wet ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Whisk together dry ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients into wet and fill cupcake tins. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Beat together until smooth:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter

Gradually add:

• 3 cups powdered sugar

and then:

• 1 tsp vanilla