Banana Nutella Cupcakes

So, I missed the National Nutella Day this year (for shame), February 5th. So, in an effort to make it up to everyone, I did make a Nutella recipe, in the spirit of participation.

I have had this one one on my mind for a while. Now, I'm not super crazy about banana flavored things, but I do have exceptions for things like banana Nutella crepes, banana bread/cake, and fresh banana sliced over bran flakes. But, if I had to choose, anything smothered in Nutella would "take the cake," so to speak. I had originally thought that a Nutella/ganache topping would have been a nice elaboration on the theme, but honestly, the cream I recalled having in my fridge when I went to the store for other groceries was apparently a week past deadline. In the end though, I think topping these with straight Nutella was the way to go anyway. The caramelized banana on top is also deglazed with a dab of Frangelico, to keep the theme across the board.

Banana Cupcake with chopped Hazelnuts
Adapted from Eat My Cupcake
Makes approximately 12

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ripe mashed bananas (1 banana)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup finely chopped, roasted hazelnuts 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line cupcake tin with paper liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. 
4. Mix nuts into flour mixture and then set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar.
6. Beat in egg until incorporated, then stir in vanilla.
7. Stir in banana mixture.
8. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.
9. Pour batter into prepared tin in oven for 20 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. (I missed this step this time (my freezer is PACKED), but I felt as though it worked in previous attempts).

Once cupcakes are cool, smother a generous dollop of Nutella on top of each. Next, make caramelized bananas (these instructions are pretty rough - your own judgement will be required for measurements):

Slice 1 banana into 12 thick slices. In a small frying pan, melt a tablespoon or so of butter. Fry banana slices for 1-2 minutes each side, then sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of brown sugar. Swish it around a bit and let the banana brown a bit, then drizzle a tablespoon or so of Frangelico over them. Flip them until nicely browned on both sides and swimming in syrup. Place one banana slice carefully on top of each cupcake. Be careful when transplanting, as the bananas will fall apart after being cooked. 

Happy belated Nutella day! 

Samoa™ Cupcakes

I wish I could say that this cupcake flavor was inspired by the recent news of the Girl Scout cookie cut-backs. But alas, even though I think I'm a bit early for Girl Scout cookie season (at least I haven't seen any troops outside the grocery stores yet), but I had those delicious Samoa cookies on my mind. I don't really know why the Samoa's (or "Caramel De-lights") ended up at the top of my favorite GS cookie list considering I don't generally go for coconut goodies, but maybe the marriage with caramel and chocolate is just too much to resist.

I tried the traditional cookie recipe for this last year and absolutely loved it, and figured it could use the cupcake make-over routine. Not that the cookie needs improvement, it's just always fun to play with the flavors in a different form. The cupcake rendition does have an added frosting layer which you won't find in the cookie, but the cupcake doesn't have a crunchy cookie either. In any case, I think it's quite tasty. I chose a chocolate cupcake base to keep the flavors rich (but it might be good with a vanilla cupcake too), topped with a carmel buttercream, toasted coconut flakes, caramel swirl, and then a bittersweet ganache. So far, everyone who tried this one was very enthusiastic about it.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Line cupcake tins.

Toast 1 cup of sweetened coconut on a sheet pan for approximately 15 minutes, making sure to mix around the coconut every 5 minutes so to get the most even toasting. Set aside to cool.

Make Caramel Sauce (taken from Ina Garten):

This makes about 1-3/4 cups. You really only need about 1/4 cup for the cupcakes, but you can keep the rest refrigerated for a couple months (but I'm sure you could find reasons to use it up before then).

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla 

Mix the water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a medium brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Watch it carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Stand back to avoid splattering, and gradually add the cream and the seeds scraped from the vanilla extract. Simmer until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Serve warm, or add another 1/4 cup of heavy cream and serve room temperature.

Make Chocolate cupcake:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbs butter 
• 1/3 c cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup milk

Mix flour, baking soda, powder and salt together in a medium sized bowl. In separate, heat proof bowl, melt butter in microwave (45-60 seconds). Mix in cocoa powder until mixture is paste-like and add in vanilla until smooth. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
Mix water and milk together in small bowl. Alternating between flour and water mixtures, add each to the chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just incorporated. Fill cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Make Caramel buttercream:

• 1-1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp milk
• 3 tbs caramel sauce

Whip butter until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Once incorporated, add in milk and caramel sauce until mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.

Make Chocolate Ganache:

• 3 oz heavy cream
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate (or milk, if that's your preference), chopped uniformly
• 1 tbs butter

In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate for approx. 20 seconds and set aside. In another microwave safe bowl, put butter in cream and heat in microwave for 45 seconds, or until it just reaches a boil. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let set for a minute, then whisk together until all the chocolate has melted and is smooth. 

Assemble cupcakes. Using a piping gun or bag, frost the cupcakes. No need for making it pretty, since the next step is rolling the frosted cupcakes in the toasted coconut. Then drizzle caramel sauce over the coconut followed by a drizzling of ganache. 

Enjoy.

Cupcake Bouquets

Traditionally, I'm not a very traditional Valentine's Day celebrator. So it's probably ironic, or just Ferengi, that I am offering a fun alternative to the usual Valentine's Day gift.

I cannot take credit for the idea, but kudos to my buddy Carol for seeing the idea posted and sending it my way. Per a quick google search, it has been done many times before, and in a few different ways, but the one I finally settled upon was an 18 mini cupcake bouquet, neatly nestled into a flower pot.

I'm offering these treats up for $30 each. If you're local (read: I don't deliver), let me know if you want to order a batch for your sweetie this Valentine's day. Shoot, they might even share with you, but I make no promises.

New Year, New Recipes, New Contests

Hey there! Apologies, as the holidays engulfed me. I was happily baking away this whole time, and you had no idea!

Well, a quick recap, if possible, the holiday tins were a hit and easier to manage this year thanks to a little more organizing, pre-planning, and my fabulous Sous-Chef, Blair. There were also a bunch of parties to attend and host, which required goodies, not to mention the holidays themselves. A heavenly array of treats to devour.

But all mixed in with that was the ever-present recipe contest hosted by Scharffenberger and TuttiFoodie. Having been given notice about this contest a good 3 months ago, I can't say it was poorly warned, but with all the other stuff I just mentioned, this contest fell to the bottom of the pile... until last week, that is. To be fair, I had been thinking about it since October, if that counts.

So the deal: Big prize for the winning recipe which will be judged by some cupcake experts as such: "creativity and whether the recipe represents a spirit of adventure (35%), taste of finished recipe (35%), ease of preparation (20%) and appearance (10%)." Creativity does pertain somewhat to their list of "adventure ingredients: "stout beer (oatmeal, chocolate, imperial or any other stout); ricotta; buttermilk; coconut butter, coconut milk or coconut cream; saffron; molasses (light, dark or blackstrap); adzuki bean; fresh beet; sweetened condensed milk; fresh or whole dried chili pepper; bee pollen; meyer lemon; almond flour; and Sumatra coffee bean." In the end (the end being today at midnight), I submitted 5 recipes, some more adventurous than others, of which I will gladly post... if I win, that is. No point in giving you guys failure recipes!

But so you're in the know, and maybe have some feedback on what you think sounds like a winning recipe, the submissions were:

Beet Velvet Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting - using beet & buttermilk (first photo)

Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes with Sweetened Ricotta Frosting - using Beet & Ricotta (I only took a couple bad photos of this one, so... maybe just use your imagination)

Black & Tan Cupcakes with Stout Ricotta Frosting - using Stout, Molasses & Ricotta (2nd photo)

Chocolate Tiramisu Cupcakes with Marsala Mascarpone Frosting - using Almond flour & Sumatra coffee (photos on main website)

Chocolate & Almond Mochi Cupcakes with Adzuki Ganache - using Almond flour, sweetened condensed milk & adzuki beans (3rd photo)

I actually taste-tested all of these before submitting (well, minus the Chocolate Tiramisu, because it's the same recipe I use all the time...er... well, with one small exception, but I'm sure it's fine...) so I can at least stand by them. I think the Beet Velvet is the most delicious, but like most red velvet cupcakes, they are more of a vehicle for the cream cheese frosting, so am not sure it should count. Otherwise, I enjoyed the flavors and textures of the Black & Tan (I used Harp lager for the "tan" portion of the batter), and the Mochi cupcake probably qualifies as the most adventurous, but it is different - the rice flour lends itself to a more chewy texture and the adzuki beans are somewhat granular, so yeah, the texture: it's a bit different.

Winners won't be notified 'til almost March, so hang in there for news. If you hear nothing, assume the worst ;-)

Holiday Treat Tins Available for Order

I know, it's a little scary: it's already mid-November.

It hurts every fiber in my being to talk about December holidays before it's their turn, but sometimes you just need a couple extra weeks to plan ahead. Specifically, I mean to entice you with some of my holiday offerings, now available to order. You can check out my Holiday Treat tins at www.kathleensconfections.com/tins.html. This year's line up:

Holiday Cookie Collection

A balanced variety of flavors including spiced, chocolatey, fruity, and nutty; great for pleasing a crowd. Flavors include:

• Molasses Chews - Warm spices with a hefty ginger zing are the striking flavors of these chewy cookies.
• Black Forest Biscotti - Rich dark chocolate biscotti studded with chocolate chunks & sweet dried cherries.
• Spritz - A simple, buttery flavor is the hallmark of this classic cookie.
• Buttered Rum Meltaways - Delicate, shortbread cookies flavored with rum that gently melt in your mouth.
• Pignola - A classic Italian cookie made with almond paste and covered in the warm flavor of toasted pine nuts.
• Fig Swirls - A figfilling flavored with orange, honey and spice is elegantly enrobed by a warm butter cookie.
• Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkles - Rich, chewy cookies made with hazelnuts and chocolate, and coated in powdered sugar.
• Raspberry Linzer - A nutty, spicy, crispy cookie sandwiching a tart raspberry jam filling, then sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Toffee & Brittle Tin

Crunchy, sugary bits of brittle, packed with tasty nuts and/or seeds. The toffee is not my own doing, but the mother/daughter team who makes this English Toffee holds their family recipe close, and there really is nothing like it.

• English Toffee (by Mütti's Munchies) - buttery toffee filled with almonds, and topped with milk chocolate and chopped almonds
• Maple, Chipotle, Pecan Brittle
• Pumpkin Seed & Cocoa Nib Brittle
• Vanilla Cashew Brittle

Caramel Popcorn
Enlisting the assistance of Mütti's Munchies once again, I have included this family's special recipe for homemade caramel popcorn into the gift tin options for this year. Sweet and salty, with a buttery crunch, this caramel popcorn is difficult to put down once you've started.

Spiced Nuts

2 unique varieties of nuts fill this tin.

• Spanish Spiced Almonds - very savory, roasted, almost smokey in flavor, these crunchy almonds are a perfect pre-feast snack.
• Chili Lime Cashews - an amazing combo of zesty lime, sweet brown sugar and sea salt completed with a little finishing kick.

And of course, you can order each tin individually, or go all out and get the 3 tier "Treat Tower" which includes the cookies, toffee/brittle, and your choice of the caramel popcorn or the spiced nuts.

Photography for these is by my friend Carol @ www.clickedbycarol.com

Thanks!

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.