It’s time for a little sentimentality via desserts, but not in the traditional sense.

Both my sister and a good friend of mine are heading to England in the next few weeks (on totally separate trips) so while I have been so excited for each respective person and sharing my favorite things from when I studied abroad there, it’s also made me incredibly jealous and heartsick for my own adventures across the pond. I’ve been musing about my favorite paintings, cathedrals, plays we saw, people we met, and of course, pubs we visited. I tried Guinness for the first time at a pub in Bath while I was there, and although I didn’t love it at the time (I had yet to grow my dark beer legs at age 20), it’s still one of the strongest sense memories from my gastronomic catalog of England.

The Eagle & Child: the pub that C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien frequented in Oxford.

So all week I’ve been craving stout, which I now adore. And after hearing my boss made chocolate stout and vanilla ice cream floats on New Year’s Eve, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.

After perusing some chocolate-beer cupcakes, I came up with these. Rich and dark chocolate stout cupcakes with sweet and tangy Bailey’s-spiked cream cheese icing. I mean, if you’re making boozy cake, you might as well make the frosting just as naughty, no? The beer adds the most delicious malty flavor to the cake, and the Bailey’s gives the cream cheese frosting that extra little zing to make it special. Since I’m in the microbrew capital of the universe, finding chocolate stout was easy as pie, but it may be a bit tricky for others. Feel free to use Guinness or any stout of your choice.

Of course you buy the bomber. That way the cook (you) gets to drink the rest!

Fizzy liquid ingredients. The smell of chocolate stout with vanilla and milk is to die for.

Dry ingredients.

Filled.

Naughty frosting ingredients!

Just a small amount needed.

Sprinkle in.

Cupcakes for grown-ups.

—

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Baileys-Spiked Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 36 cupcakes.

I’ve adjusted for altitude quite a bit here, so if you’d like to see the original sea-level recipe for the cupcakes, check it out here on CHOW. You can still use my recipe for frosting, of course.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle chocolate stout (I am in love with Fort Collins Brewery’s Special Edition Double Chocolate Stout right now), or stout of your choice
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 TBL pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for garnish (I prefer Green & Black organic unsweetened cocoa powder right now)
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the frosting:

• 1 8-ounce package Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 TBL Baileys liqueur (buy one of those little airplane bottles if you don’t keep it around)
• 8 ounces (½ pound) powdered sugar

Directions

For the cupcakes:

1.) Preheat oven to 365° F with rack in lower third of oven. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper sleeves and then spray sleeves with non-stick spray. Set aside.

2.) In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the stout, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. With the mixer running on low, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream.

3.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three parts, with the mixer running on low. Mix until just combined.

4.) Add about 1/3 cup batter per cupcake tin. Bake 20-25 minutes, until risen and set in the middle, but still soft and tender. Let cool 5 minutes in tin before removing and letting cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:

1.) Rinse out the bowl for the stand mixer and reattach the paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream and Baileys. Slowly add the powdered sugar until completely incorporated and smooth.

2.) Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and spread evenly. Enjoy with even more chocolate stout.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chocolate, cupcakes, dessert, frosting, high altitude, indulge

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Happy Halloween, everyone! This is my favorite day of the year and despite being in a near diabetic coma based on the amount of caramel apple suckers I’ve eaten lately, I’m still managing to chow down on these amazing confections I made yesterday for work.

I was going back and forth all week about what to make, debating between silly bat-shaped cookies and spiders with black licorice legs, or just going with some really good fall flavors and adding my own dark sense of humor. Thankfully I chose the latter because in the end, you can make these cupcakes any time and they’re still amazing, with or without Halloween frills.

The recipe for the cake is actually from my college’s cafeteria (yes, really!). One of the most beloved things in our caf were these pumpkin bars with this incredible cream cheese frosting and when I was a senior I got the recipe so I could recreate them even after graduating. Super moist and pumpkin-y without being overwhelming with the most perfect whipped cream cheese frosting… gah. I just love them. So here they are, and I send a warm thanks and Happy Halloween to the cafeteria ladies of Cornell, who happily gave me this recipe ages ago and I just now get to share on this All Hallow’s Eve.

As for the frosting, I wanted to combine my two favorite flavors with these cupcakes, so it was either pumpkin cake with apple cider frosting, or vice versa.  Since the Cornell pumpkin cake called to me, apple cider cream cheese frosting it was.  It’s super easy and quite possibly the tastiest frosting I’ve ever had. Just reduce some apple cider (get the best you can find) and pour the syrupy, reduced goodness into some cream cheese frosting.  Voila, Halloween perfection!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Based on the recipe from Cornell College’s cafeteria.

Makes about 30 cupcakes.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups sugar
• 1¼ cups vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2½ cups flour
• 2½ tsp baking soda
• 2½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• dash fresh ground ginger

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350° F with rack in center of oven.

2.) In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil until combined.  With the mixer running on low, add the eggs one at a time, letting just combine until you add the next one. Add the applesauce and pumpkin, then mix until just combined.

3.) Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

4.) Line 2 cupcake pans with papers and spray papers with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly fill the papers until they are about 2/3 full and bake 18-23 minutes until springy to the touch.  Let cool completely and frost with apple cider cream cheese frosting.

Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

1.) In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil and cook until reduced to about ¼ cup, which should take about 35 minutes. (It’s best to let this reduce as you make the cupcakes). Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

2.) While the cider cools, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter until smooth. Add the cooled cider reduction and beat until combined. Taste for sweetness.

3.) You can frost them with the somewhat thin, liquidy frosting you get right away, or you can chill the frosting for an hour or two until it stiffens and then frost the cupcakes. Top with poison flags and cackle.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: apples, autumn, cupcakes, dessert, high altitude, squash, sweet

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me.

Before you read any further, put your scale in the closet. Get out some elastic-waist pants.  And get ready to indulge.  Because my favorite indulgent treat is exactly that — indulgent.  And you can’t enjoy it if you’re thinking about the calories, fat, and amazingness contained within.

Back? Alright then!

Peanut butter is truly my biggest indulgence.  I allow myself a tablespoon a day to satiate my love of it, so naturally, my favorite treat has peanut butter. And chocolate.  Of course.

And when those two things come in cupcake form… well… does it get better?  My birthday is today but I made these Thursday evening to bring in Friday for work.  I know it sounds ridiculous and elementary school class-like to bring in treats on your own birthday, but luckily I share my birthday with my co-worker Dave, so it didn’t look too odd.  Not that anyone even noticed because, well, did I mention they’re chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting? And I even brought milk in for everyone to enjoy them with?  It’s the only way to do it.

So please excuse myself while I go celebrate my 24th year with more chocolate and peanut butter than I normally eat in a 3 month span.  Happy Birthday to me, indeed!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes about 22 cupcakes

Ina Garten’s recipe is fantastic and I love love love her addition of sour cream and buttermilk to her cake because it adds so much moisture and balances the sweetness so well.  I’ve made these enough to where I deviate quite a bit from the original recipe and the ingredients below have been adjusted for altitude, but if you want the original version, just click the link.

One of the really important things here is if it says to have the ingredient at room temperature, they really mean it.  I know people get squeamish about the idea of leaving things out for hours, but it’s necessary to get the right textures here.  Don’t worry about the buttermilk and sour cream – it’s, well, sour already. And if you’re really freaked out about leaving eggs out, you can put them in a small bowl and cover with warm water, then let them sit for an hour.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 11 tablespoons (almost 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup + 1 TBL granulated sugar
• ½ cup + 1 TBL dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
• ½ cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
• Dash of espresso powder
• 1 TBL water
• Scant 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup good cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the peanut butter frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup creamy honey roasted peanut butter (I don’t use anything except Peter Pan Honey Roasted, it’s the best tasting!)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 TBL whole milk
• ½ cup honey roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 325° F with rack set in the middle of the oven.

2.) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and two sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well.

3.) In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, coffee, and water. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until just blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.

4.) Divide the batter among the cupcake pans, filling about 3/4 way up, since they will rise. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 17-20  minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

5.) While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip everything except the milk and peanuts together on medium-low until creamy and combined, scraping the bowl as you go along.  Once well mixed, add the milk and beat on high speed until light and smooth.

6.) Frost the cupcakes and if desired, top with crushed peanuts (I may have, uhm, eaten all of mine on accident before I got to this step).  Enjoy with an enormous glass of milk and birthday presents, if you’re me.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chocolate, cupcakes, dessert, favorite, high altitude, indulge, peanut butter

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh