Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

This post will follow the theme and complement the last post, about homemade marshmallow.Since I end up having a lot of the marshmallow left over after last week when we had my daughter's friends over for hot cocoa. Me and my daughter ,we decided to use the marshmallows to decorate cupcakes and that's how the hot chocolate cupcake idea came up.
One thing that I can always get my daughter involved in the kitchen is if I tell her that I want to bake cupcakes. She's fourteen and like any usual teenager, lots of thing are boring....Well but not cupcakes !!!
For the frosting we decided to make a swiss meringue buttercream because that would resemble more the whipped cream on top of a hot chocolate mug.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

For the cake
Ingredients: 
(it makes about 12 cupcakes)

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• How to make it:
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake paper liners.
• 1. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
• 1. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes
• 1. Once the cupcakes come out of the oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frost them.
• 1. 
     

1. cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

     

cupcake batter is ready

into the oven!

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar 
1/16 teaspoon salt 
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How to make it :
In a bowl of an electric mixer add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F.

With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.

Switch over to paddle attachment and with  the mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
Using a pastry bag and a star pastry tip frost the cupcakes with the swiss meringue buttercream. Sprinkle a little bit of cocoa powder and cinnamon mix over the cupcakes and decorate with a star marshmallow, or mini marshmallows and a piece of peppermint candy cane. Ready to serve!
My daughter took them the school to share with some of her friends and they were very popular.
Enjoy
Pri =) 

Whisk constantly at this stage

Whipped until egg whites are thick

Add butter one cube at the time

Here is my cupcake decorator master 

they came out looking great and delicious!

Pomegranate Panna Cotta - Lucky NYE dessert

Yay! First blog post of 2014
I hope everyone had a wonderful new year's celebration.
At home we had a lot to celebrate in 2013 it was a big year for us , but I have to say it wasn't always so easy we had challenges to over come and we worked really hard too.
So, for NYE I cooked a delicious dinner for my family to remember the happy moments of 2013 and to welcome the new year to come and because brazilians are known to be very superstitious during new years celebration, My menu had in every course ingredients that are known to bring good luck for the year to come.
In this post I will share my  Pomegranate Panna Cotta recipe that we enjoy at our NYE Lucky Dinner. 
Pomegranates represent good luck in many countries for these reasons: Their red color, which represents the human heart, denotes life and fertility; their medicinal properties represent health; and their abundant, round seeds represent prosperity—all things everyone hopes for in any fresh start.iIn Greece they smash a pomegranate at the entrance of the house – the further the seeds spread the better the luck for the family.In Brazil people suck on a few pomegranate seeds at midinight and then wrap them in wax paper or a small packet and keep them in their purses or wallets to ensure money year round(My Grandma does that every year).

Pomegranate Panna Cotta

(makes aproximately 4 servings)
I used rock glasses for the presentation of my panna cotta but you can use a ramekin or wine glass or something else you have, be creative! And I topped the panna cotta with a pomegranate-orange gelée(recipe below)







Ingredients for the Panna Cotta
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp cardamon
1/2 cup POM  pomegranate juice
.25 ounce {1 packet} Knox gelatin3 tbsp of cold water 
How to make it
In a bowl add the cold water & sprinkle the gelatin package on top of water & set aside.
Place your cream, sugar into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. When sugar is well combined with cream add pomegranate juice and the cardamon, continue cooking until it nears boiling. Remove from heat. 

When cream mixture is complete and while it’s still warm add the gelatin mixture, whisk together until well combined. Equally divide the mixture into your  glasses/ramekins. Place in refrigerator to set up for a minimum of 2 hours OR until firm.

Ingredients  for the Pomegranate-Orange Gelée

seeds of 1 pomegranate
juice of 1 orange 
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 packet of Knox gelatin
5 tsp of cold water 

1 cup of POM  pomegranate juice

How To make it
In a small bowl add the cold water & sprinkle the gelatin on top of water & set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat place your pom juice,orange juice and sugar.Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm. Add the gelatin mix and whisk until well combined cooled down in the fridge for a few minutes until mix is just cooled but still liquid. Pour you  still liquid gelee over your already firm panna cotta and garnish with pomegranate seed.Place in the refrigerator for about an hour or until it firms.

You can serve as is or with some cookies on the side I used chocolate cover lady fingers and the dessert was a great way to finish out last dinner of 2013.

Happy New Year!

Enjoy

Pri  

panna cotta mix cooling down a little before adding the Knox mix

Lady Fingers cookies dipped in chocolate

NYE Dinner table set

Mexican chocolate cupcake with cayenne frosting AKA little devil cupcake

It feels like my last post was so long ago, but it's been only a little over a week.
 I was so busy running around decorating, inventing, baking for the Halloween Party at my house, which was a great hit among family and friend.I spend quite some time planing for it. We had great halloween food, spooky decor all around the house , and I was able to put together a horror movie trivia and dares for the losing team. What a great night!
One of the recipes that I did for the party was this mini  mexican chocolate cayenne cupcakes that was a big hit.
I decorated them adding red food coloring for the frosting and making horns a devilish tail with black fondant. I am going to share the recipe with you in this post,  and you can decorate just like I did or just to keep it simple depending that the occasion you are serving these cupcakes.

Mexican Chocolate and Cayenne Frosting Cupcake - AKA Little Devil Cupcake

I used mini muffin pan ,I think it's the best size for this little full of flavor treat.And this recipe makes about 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients for the cake: 
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2  cup hot water
1/2 cup  Abuelita hot cocoa powder( it's a delicious mexican style hot cocoa) 
3/4 cup sugar 
1 large egg
1/4 cup of vegetable oil 
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
How to make it:
 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
 In another small bowl, whisk together hot water and cocoa powder. Set aside.In a stand mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Then mix in flour mixture, alternating with water/cocoa mixture, mixing until there are no lumps.Spoon batter into prepared tin, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)softened (but not melted!) 
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3-4  tablespoons milk or heavy  cream 
Optional: for red color 1/2 teaspoon of red food coloring gel( you can find at Michaels)
Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add the powdered sugar, and the rest of the ingredients and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase the speed and mix until you have a smooth consistency
Frost your cupcakes using a pastry bag and tip and decorate as you like it and have fun with it. Foundant devil's horns and tails or shaved chocolate and they are ready to be served. You can make it for Halloween ,Cinco the Mayo, bachelorette party , birthdays... any occasion!
Enjoy!
Pri =)

get all the ingredients measured first 

Alternate flour mix 

and the water/cocoa

batter is done!

Fill them up 3/4 of the way

Decorate as you like it with food coloring and devil horns 

or simply with chocolate shavings

Apple Season

                                                                    

Fall in New England means comfortably warm, delightfully sunny days, beautiful foliage, and apples – bushels of them. If you haven’t gone apple picking before, let this fall be the first year you will enjoy this time honored New England tradition. From fresh apple cider to donuts and apple pies, apple picking will get you out of the door and picking in no time.

My favorite places for apple picking

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Apple Crest Orchard Farm located in Hampton's Falls, is less than an hour away from Boston. It's known as  New Hampshire's oldest and largest apple orchard. It's the oldest continuously-operated orchard in America. Four generations of the Wagner family have worked this land, dedicated to their simple mission of sustainably growing the finest fruit and vegetables available.You can find over 40 different varieties of apple in this orchard.My daughter recently went to this orchard with friends and brought back home a basket full of apples and some awesome looking pumpkins.

133 Exeter Road Hampton Falls, NH 03844 http://www.applecrest.com

Russell Orchards located in Ipswich,Ma, right by Castle Hill at Crane Estate and the beautiful Crane Beach.This orchard is only 35 miles north of Boston Russell Orchards is a family-owned farm that is perfect for apple picking. Russell Orchards organic farm offers a chance to pick Cortland, Empire, Gala and Macintosh apples, while the farm store sells other fresh fruits and vegetables and the yummiest cider donuts. Russell Orchard is also a really good place to go strawberry picking in the Summer.And I always have a lot fun watching the Guinea hens that are often free, wandering around the farm.

143 Argilla Rd. Ipswich, MA 01938 http://www.russellorchards.com

Clarkdale Fruit Farm If you happens to be in Western Massachusetts, this is the place to visit for apples it's located on the beautiful hills of Deerfield, Ma. Clarkdale is on it's Fourth-generation family farm practicing IPM( Integrated Pest Management) sustainable growing practices. Over 40 varieties of apples, 10 varieties pears, 40 varieties peaches, as well as plums and they make outstanding apple cider and the best pear cider I ever had. Perfect place to stop by when we are visiting my husband's family in Western Mass.

apple picking etiquette

303 Upper Rd Deerfield, MA 01342 http://www.clarkdalefruitfarms.com

In this post I will be sharing an apple dessert recipe with you.

And I decided not to do an apple pie or an apple cider donuts. Although I love both of those things I wanted to showcase my recently picked apple in something different. Something that would be a mix of my brazilian roots and  my New England pride to live here.

So,I came up  with this apple creme caramel. If you to a brazilian restaurant on the dessert menu for sure you will find "Pudim de Leite"( or brazilian style flan)and in these Apple Creme Caramel recipe below you will find the basic brazilian flan with a New England flair on it.

Apple Creme Caramel

(makes approximately 8 portions I used 8 ramekins to make individual portions)

ingredients:

for the flan 

2 large or 3 medium Apples, peeled and diced I used Cortlands.

1/2 cup of sugar 

1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

a pinch of cloves

1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of milk

4 eggs

1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

for the caramel 

1 1/2 cups of sugar for the garnish 1 apple sliced 1 tablespoon of maple syrup 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 teaspoon of brown sugar  a pinch of salt  How to make it

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a sauce pot cook you diced apples with the sugar ,lemon juice, maple syrup and the spices until the apples are soft for about 20 minutes. With a stick blender puree the apples until they will have an applesauce texture and let it cool down

 For the caramel cook  the 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until a smooth golden caramel forms, about 15 - 20 minutes. Quickly pour caramel into the ramekins and swirl until the bottom is coated. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, mix on a blender the condensed milk, milk, eggs, and flour until thoroughly combined.Whisk that mixture with the applesauce that you let cool down in a bowl. Prepare a water bath by placing the ramekins into a larger roasting pan . Set the whole assembly in the oven and then pour enough hot water into the larger baking dish to come about halfway up the side of the ramekins.

Bake until the custard is set and firm to the touch, about 40 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool. Before serving, run a thin knife around the edge of the flan, place a  flat plate over the ramekin, and flip it to unmold. Found it easier to unmold when it's still a little warm and I kind like to serve it warm instead of chilled in the fridge, which is what we usually so for brazilian flan.

For Garnish: preheat your oven to 450°F toss the sliced apples with olive oil,maple syrup, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. place them in a baking sheet pan with parchment paper and roast for about 6 minutes until you get a light golden color on the apples. Let it cool down and garnish you dessert with it. Enjoy!

Pri =)

Yummy Cortlands

Applesauce texture

Pudim mixture in the bowl now add your applesauce

Pouring the caramel into the ramekins

fill up with your custard mixture and get you water bath set up

Sliced apples for garnish ready to be roasted remember light golden color

Yum! Enjoy.

*The photos are from Tougas Family Farm located in Northborough, Ma from a trip that me and my husband took today and we had a great time there http://www.tougasfarm.com/