Chocolate Cherry Cabernet Cupcakes

I just came across this unfinished entry in my blog archive, oops.  A little late, but here it is anyhow.

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After 5 years of preserving liberty, my good friend Jimmy, was finally granted his own freedom from our United States Navy!  I've been spending a lot of time with recently released Navy Vets and I'm not surprised that after wrestling themselves away from the chains of the armed forces, two liberties every friend has taken advantage of is their right to grow facial hair (in most cases a pretty wicked beard) and to party hard without repercussion.  I'd say this is pretty typical, and deserved, but Jimmy wanted to do it up right, something memorable.  This was a celebration not just for him, but for everyone in our circle of friends.  This wasn't just any "I'm done with the military" party.  Jimmy, and his lady Nilou, decided to treat everyone to a long weekend in Idylwild, a little mountain town about 2 hours north of San Diego.  The house they rented was beyond ideal.  We got to spend 5 days surrounded by about 17 friends in a Geodesic Dome, overlooking some of the most beautiful landscapes I'd ever seen.  It was surreal.  I don't have the vocabulary to express the awesomeness of that weekend.  We all contributed something to the party, in the form of food, drinks, and music.  Along with a few meals, I was able to offer some special cupcakes.

Tomorrow is our friend Nicole's birthday, and I was asked to make the cupcakes for the celebration.  They're currently in the oven, and I figured writing this entry would be a good way to pass 20 minutes.  I don't often participate in the indulgence of alcohol, I do however appreciate the complex flavor profile it offers in culinary applications.  Chocolate and Cherries tend to pair well with a rich Cabernet and the resulting recipe felt like an easy win.

Makes 12 cupcakes
Dry:
1 1/2 c AP flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t salt


Wet:
1 c sugar
1/2 c oil
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 c applesauce
3/4 c cabernet sauvignon


Preheat oven to 350*F and prepare muffin pan with liners, sprayed lightly with your choice of non-stick spray


1.  Sift Dry ingredients together and set aside.
2.  Beat wet ingredients with an electric mixer together for about a minute or so, making sure everything is well incorporated
3.  Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet while the mixer is on until everything is well incorporated
4.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-22 minutes
5.  Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, let cool for about ten minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
6.  Top with a saucy cabernet cherry sauce


Cabernet Spiked Cherry Sauce
1 10 oz package frozen cherries, thawed, in their juice
2 T sugar
1 T Arrowroot powder
3 T cabernet sauvignon


1.  Whisk wine and arrowroot together in a small bowl and set aside
2.  Combine cherries and their juice in a small saucepan with the sugar.
3.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer.
4.  Add arrowroot mixture in, stirring the entire time.  Sauce will thicken quickly.  Pull off heat immediately and let mixture cool until room temperature

Root Beer Float Cupcake

I have to admit I was never much of a Root Beer fan.  I never disliked it, but even mixed with ice cream I always preferred a cola of some kind.  Speaking with a customer the other day about sugar free baking I remembered my mother using diet soda on occasion to make brownies and cupcakes.  I preferred real sugar in my desserts, but the thought sparked some inspiration, and after some searching I came across a cola cake recipe.  I guess a few cola cake recipes have been in circulation for quite a while now, so I thought I'd try and do something a little more unique.  I did a search for Root Beer cupcakes, just out of curiosity, and surprisingly enough to me I discovered a food bloggers worst nightmare.  Dozens of recipes all varying slight from the next and the first recipe on the Google search actually turned up a vegan recipe.  I felt that it was necessary to try it out, and after tasting it I felt that it was really too sweet and I think all the sugar from the soda created a crust on the surface that I didn't care for.  With the simple exchange of Kefiir for some of the Root Beer it completely changed the texture of the cake without removing any of the flavor.  I also added some allspice, just to make sure.  These turned out incredibly well and after finding the root beer concentrate they're actually quite easy to make.

Wet:

3/4 c Root Beer of your choice, I've been happy with Virgil's, but I also made my own with this recipe

1/4 c So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir
1/3 c oil of your choice

1 t apple cider vinegar

1/2 t vanilla extract

2 t root beer concentrate (I used concentrate from a home-brew store, but I also found an organic option here)

3/4 c sugar

Dry:

1 1/3 c AP Flour

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1/4 t allspice powder

Directions:
1. Combine Kefir, Root Beer, and vinegar and set aside
2. Sift Together all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside
3. Combine sugar and oil into the Kefir Mixture, whisking vigorously until a lighter appearance is formed
4. Using a hand-mixer add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 installments, making sure everything is well combined while mixing as little as possible
5. Fill Cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes
6. Top with Vanilla Bean Coconut Whipped Cream and dust with Vanilla Sugar.  Garnish with a soda straw.

*to make coconut cream put one can of full fat coconut milk in refrigerator and store for a few days (I've heard overnight is fine, but I kept mine in for almost a week).  The fat solids will separate from the liquid and should have the texture of butter.  The fat solids will be your coconut cream, and you can scoop them out of the can with ease.  Beat lightly with a hand mixer, add 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar (or more to taste), and 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Beat until everything is well incorporated but DO NOT OVERMIX, the coconut fat breaks down and does not retain the desired texture.  A very generous chef friend and fellow blogger, George Vutetakis, gifted me a bundle of Indian vanilla beans, so I split and scraped one and added the pulp to the coconut cream.  If you are willing to spend the money, or get lucky like I did, it really heightens any dish where vanilla is required.  If you're looking for impressive vegan dishes George's Blog is full of recipes and corresponding instructional videos.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Recently our cake decorator at Whole Foods was asked to create a special cake for another coworkers going away gift.  The request implied the making of a cake that was unique to everything else he had done and needless to say, I think he felt some pressure.  He needed something that required ingredients we had on hand, and after glancing around at the garnishes I had around after decorating the gelato case I suggested a Mint Chocolate Chip cake.  Lavel worked his magic and put together a cake that went over rather well with everyone, but not well enough to ever make it again.

Seeing as how I'm now the one feeling the pressure to create some cakes I decided that this would be a good opportunity to reintroduce the Mint Chocolate Chip cake, but in a vegan cupcake form.  When my brothers and I were young my parents would often take us out for ice cream after church on Sundays.  I suppose sugar was enough of an incentive to influence the behavior of my brothers and I during the services.  I have a feeling a trip to the ice cream parlor was more of a reward for Mom and Dad, keeping 4 unruly young boys at bay in the crowded pews during Pastor Dave's sermons every week had to have taken a lot of patience.  Regardless of who actually deserved it, most weeks we had the privilege of post-church gluttony and  my brothers and I would rarely stray from our usual dose of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.  I had a habit of taking large bites, sucking all the cream off the chips and then saving the chocolate to eat afterward (only now realizing how unsightly that must have been).

This was my first attempt at this recipe and so far it seems to have turned out rather well.  The aroma in the kitchen is reminiscent of the Sunday afternoons I spent with my family, and I imagine the first bite will bring back more fond memories.  These cakes don't have the same unnatural green hue the forementioned ice cream did, but the flavor is spot on.  I was really tempted to top them with something on the more creative side, but in the end I wanted to capture the flavor of that cup of ice cream, so I went with a whipped coconut cream with a hint of vanilla.  We'll see if I actually get around to taking any photos of these.

Makes 12 cupcakes

dry:

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1 1/4c AP flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

wet:

1c coconut milk kefir

1/3c canola oil

3/4c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

final additions:

1/4c mini chocolate chips (I used some Valhrona brand Chocolate Pearls since we only had regular size chocolate chips, try a baking supply store or the internet)

1 tbsp minced fresh mint

Preheat oven 350* F

1. Mix Kefir and vinegar together in a bowl and set aside for a few minutes
2. Mix wet ingredients and vinegar mixture together in mixing bowl.
3. Sift dry ingredients together.
4. Using a hand held electric mixer, add dry ingredients to wet in 3 installments, making sure everything mostly combined before adding the next addition
5. Fold in the mint and the chocolate (if you can find a Chocolate Mint plant I think that would be rather appropriate)
6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-22 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in pan for ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
8. Top with Whipped Coconut Cream, and maybe a cherry if you feel so inclined

*to make coconut cream put one can of full fat coconut milk in refrigerator and store for a few days (I've heard overnight is fine, but I kept mine in for almost a week).  The fat solids will separate from the liquid and should have the texture of butter.  The fat solids will be your coconut cream, and you can scoop them out of the can with ease.

 

Lavender Cupcakes with Poached Asian Pears

My roommate Sarah and I have unhealthy affliction for lavender.  All our soaps, detergents, dryer sheets and the like tend to be scented with lavender.  Given the culinary options for lavender, dessert is an obvious choice, and I think lavender cake serves as a tasty vessel to carry a sweet, but delicate fruit like pears.  The only introduction necessary to this post is that this is by far my favorite cupcake recipe I've developed to date, and the feedback I've received has been overwhelmingly positive.  Seeing as how this blogs primary significance is to document dishes for my own amusement, if anyone actually attempts any of the recipes I've posted I'd frankly be quite flattered.  However, if there's one recipe I'd suggest someone to try it would be this one.

Makes 12 Cupcakes

dry:

1 tsp apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

1 1/4c AP flour

2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

wet:

1c coconut milk kefir

1/3c canola oil

3/4c lavender sugar (see note)

1 tsp vanilla extract

*To make lavender sugar, crush 1 tbsp culinary lavender and add it to one cup of evaporated cane sugar.  Store in an airtight container.

Preheat oven 350* F

1. Mix Kefir and vinegar together in a bowl and set aside to curdle for a few minutes
2. Mix wet ingredients and vinegar mixture together in mixing bowl.
3. Sift dry ingredients together.
4. While mixer is on add dry ingredients to wet in 3 installments.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-22 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in pan for ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Top with a few slices of poached pears and dust with lavender or lavender sugar.

Poached Pears

1/2 bottle of white wine

1c evaporated cane sugar

2 Asian Pears

1. Combine wine and sugar in medium saucepan, stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Core and peel pears, add to wine mixture.
3. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and a small plate to keep pears submerged.
4. Bring just to light boil, reduce to a simmer.
5. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until pears are tender.
6. Store pears in liquid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.