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.

Grapefruit Cupcakes with sliced almonds

So I'm still on the cupcake kick, developing new flavors to put into our cupcake case at work.  This recipe was something I assembled early this past winter when I was bringing home 2-4 whole grapefruit a few members removed from their CSA boxes, weekly.  While I adore the juice, I'm not much of a grapefruit eater.  We have a fairly cozy kitchen and soon the amount of citrus was becoming rather daunting, so it became a mission to incorporate grapefruit into some recipes.

I've always enjoyed lemon poppyseed muffins, so even though I'd never seen grapefruit cake it only seemed logical to substitute one citrus fruit for another.  I was completely out of milk alternatives, so I made a quick run to the grocery around the corner (I had seen the So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt there, so I figured they would likely have the milk as well).  Evidently the conventional grocery chain was circulating through the So Delicious Coconut Milk products at the time because the milk and the yogurt were completely absent, however, their Coconut Kefir had made it's debut on the shelf.  I found this odd but I really didn't have another choice, and fortunately the Kefir turned out incredibly well!

I haven't baked with anything else since.  I haven't really experimented with anything else either (baking is a relatively new adventure for me and I don't keep milk alternatives on hand) so I'm sure your favorite non dairy milk would suffice, but this worked out well for me so I'll pass on the tip.  As per Sunshine's suggestion I chose kiwi as a topping.  I made what I can only describe as a jam, but I felt the kiwi taste just didn't shine through.  I prefer the flavor and texture of fresh fruit over preserves anyhow.  I might try the almond glaze covered with sliced or crumbled almonds, or anything else someone might suggest... so get on that?  Here's my recipe:

Makes 12 cupcakes

Dry Ingredients:

      1 1/2 cups flour

      1 t baking powder

      1/2 t baking soda

      1/4 t salt

Wet Ingredients

      1 cup sugar
      1/2 c oil

      1T + 1t ruby red grapefruit zest

      2 T grapefruit pulp (from citrus juicer)

      1/4 c applesauce

      1/2 c fresh ruby red grapefruit juice

      1/2 So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir

Preheat over to 350* F

   1. Sift together dry ingredients

   2. Combine wet ingredients and beat with a handmixer until emulsified and a light texture has formed.

   3. Add dry ingredients in 3 batches, making sure each batch mostly incorporated before adding the next.

   4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full

   5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the cake comes out clean.

   6. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

   7. Spread a thin layer of almond milk glaze, cover with sliced almonds and drizzle a touch more almond milk glaze.

To make the almond milk glaze -

Whisk to combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar into 1T Almond Milk, add more liquid or sugar until desired texture is reached (thin enough for it to drizzle off a spoon but thick enough so it won’t just slide off the fruit/almonds).

Curried Pineapple Cupcakes

I've come to the realization that keeping up with a blog takes a lot of motivation that I'm frankly unable to muster often enough in order to contribute regularly.  I rarely find the time to sit down between creating recipes and write, not to mention plan a fancy little photoshoot in our perpetually cluttered household.  This post is different, for me anyhow.  This entry in my gastro-journal will have the sorts of pictures you'll see in most of the food blogs that seem to be crowding bandwiths nationwide.  If you Google, Yahoo, or Bing "cupcake blog" you will literally come across hundreds of Betty Crockers and Sarah Lees sporting their own recipes, or rather recipes that they've altered slightly from another blog.  I kid you not when I say I've followed the paper trail from a recipe I came across in blog that referenced back through 5 subsequent blogs to the original posted creation, which was probably pulled without credit from a periodical that rarely requires referencing in this day and age.

I'm definitely guilty of  heisting recipes from wayward blogs and outdated cookbooks procured from my local thrift store, making my alterations and taking credit thereafter, but something tells me this is how it's always been.  Prior to recent technological history how did networking in the foodie community really go down?  There was a time when recipe trading involved more tedious bookkeeping, more secrecy, and more integrity in some regard.  Sharing your best recipe with a neighbor or a friend implied quite a bit of confidence on the recipients part.  How often nowadays, while attending a potluck or dinner party, do you hear someone say, beaming with pride that their contribution to the meal is a secret family recipe? 

Food blogging lacks the romance of traditional recipe trading, but I think it's generated more inspiration for my peers to get back to our roots culinarily and agriculturally.  Whether it's due to financial hardship, concern for our future generations, or just the hip new trend, I have to say it's exciting.  My sense of creativity in the kitchen I imagine is more reminiscent of previous generations than most people my age despite the absence of stained old recipe cards.

Earlier I mentioned that I was guilty of hijacking recipes from outdated cookbooks, but this one happens to come from a more recent publication.  If you're vegan, or just interested in baking you've most likely come across Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  I own a handful of Isa's cookbooks and I have to admit that I find her style a little kitschy; but could just stem from my distaste for punkabetties.  In any case, her cupcake book is probably that for which she gets the most praise, and for good reason.  Maybe I just failed at my attempt to execute her Pineapple Right Side Up cakes, but I felt they needed some amendments.  In this way I think can relate to those homemakers whose beloved secret recipes were probably generated in a similar manner: gathering together the aspects from one or more recipes they found pleasing, removing those they didn't, adding their own flare and customizing the final product to suit their own taste and that of the ones they choose to share their creation.

Anyhow, enough with the nostalgic sentiments, and onto the goods:

PINEAPPLE CURRY CUPCAKES w/ GINGER COCONUT BUTTERCREAM

makes 12 cupcakes

Dry:

1 1/4c AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp curry powder

Wet:

1 1/4c crushed pineapple in it’s own juice

1/3c canola oil

2/3c evaporated cane sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven 350*

1. Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
2. Puree wet ingredients (set 1/4c crushed pineapple aside to mix in later) in a food processor until a lighter texture is reached
3. Make a crater in the dry ingredients, add the pureed wet ingredients and mix as little as possible with a spatula until combined.  Then mix in the reserved pineapple
4. Fill cupcake liners approximately 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 23-25 minutes.
6. Cupcakes need to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before being moved to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Top with a dollop of Ginger Buttercream and dust with more ground ginger.

Ginger Buttercream

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup coconut cream (see note)

1 tbsp ground ginger

1. Add coconut cream to mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer on low,briefly
2. Sift sugar and ginger into bowl.
3. Mix together at medium speed just until combined

Adjust sugar and ginger according to your taste, but mix as briefly as possible.  The coconut cream will become runny if beaten too long.

*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.

Romanesco Cauliflower with a Leek and Pistachio Pesto

So I fell off the wagon for a bit.  I'm not going to elaborate too much, I'll just say I was overwhelmed for a bit with life but I want to try and make the blog a more regular part of my life.  I've got a handful of recipes I'm really proud of that I'd like to share, one of which is a recipe I plan on using in Whole Foods Hillcrest, if I can ever pull myself away from my responsibilities as "the gelato guy" for a few moments to get the ball rolling on that new project.  Until then, however, I'll be bringing in lots of unique gelato and sorbet flavors that will be exclusive to Whole Foods.  I've been talking with the guys at Bottega Italiana, whom we source our gelato from and who've done a wonderful job with my requests thus far.  Bringing in several new flavors and putting up with my incessant nagging, I really appreciate these guys for their cooperation and their product.  I'll be in Seattle next week, where the headquarters are located, so I might go checkout their retail location and steal some ideas from them.  Be on the lookout for Curry, Honey and Ginger, and Black Sesame gelatos in addition to the Lemon Rosemary, Lime and Cardamom, and Hibiscus sorbets.  I like visitors, so if you're in the San Diego area and get excited about frozen deserts then I'd love to hear your feedback on the new flavors.  If you're a diehard gelato fan, they want me to update the Hillcrest Whole Foods facebook and twitter pages when the new flavors come in, if you're into that kinda thing.

Suzie's Farm has some of the most beautiful produce in San Diego.  If you've been to the farmers markets then you've had to notice a few tables adorned with several baskets filled with unique little gems like pea tendrils, lambs quarter, gigantic black radishes, stinging nettles, and an assortment of sprouts and microgreens that can only inspire a young, aspiring chef.  Behind these tables you'll generally find a very enthusiastic staff who share an equally genuine admiration of the food.  They don't give you the hard sell, when they talk about how much they like the new variety of arugula that they just started growing, you bet your ass you're leaving with at least one bagful of it.  So when you see this giant head of green fractals, what are you inspired to do?  I wanted to highlight the lime green color, so somewhere along the way I decided a leek and pistachio pesto would be a great idea.  I really adore leeks, and I feel like I always use them in the same manner.  When I go to a restaurant I expect to be surprised, so I feel it's necessary to think outside the box when cooking at home as well.  The pesto has an uncanny resemblance to guacamole, which turned out better than expected.  Anyhow, this is what I used:

1 medium head Romanesco or other Cauliflower of your choice, broken into florets
2 medium sized leeks, trimmed, and sliced
1/3 cup of shelled pistachios (try to find raw, unsalted)
2 garlic cloves
1 small handful of parsley
olive oil
half a lemon
salt
pepper


Preheat your oven to 425 F


Start by steaming the Romanesco until tender, but not soggy, in fact a little underdone would probably be just right.  Pull the Romanesco out of the steamer and let it steam dry itself as much as possible (if it's wet the pesto will have trouble sticking).  Pour a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a medium sauce pan, toss in the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt.  Saute the leeks over medium heat for a few minutes then reduce the heat to low, and let the leeks sweat for a while, 30 minutes wouldn't hurt, stirring occasionally until they almost look like they could be starting to caramelize.


Put the garlic in your food processor and pulse a few times to mince it.  Add the pistachios and pulse a few more times, then add the leeks, parsley, another pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of pepper.  Turn on your processor and slowly add maybe a third of a cup or so of olive oil, possibly more if you like a smoother consistency (mine came out like a chunky paste, and it was decadent).  I put about a third of the pesto into a bowl, added the Romanesco and tossed until the pesto was evenly distributed.


Spread out the Romanesco on a sheet pan so there's just a bit of space between each floret.  Squeeze the lemon over the cauliflower.  Put the sheet pan on the top rack of your oven for 12-15 minutes or until some of the fractals barely start to brown.  Pile up the florets on a plate, zest a small amount of lemon over top and serve.  Seriously good.


I shared these with some friends last night and they were a big hit, so I'll probably make more again tomorrow since I still have so much pesto left, and unlike guacamole which would be brown by now my pesto is still a rich green color!  Pictures will come tomorrow!