Tagalong Cupcakes and How to Celebrate Your Dog's Birthday

I think that has to be my most random blog post title yet, don't you think?

That's OK, I think you'll get over it when you see where I'm going with this.

My sweet pup, Hudson, celebrated his 3rd birthday last week.  Three years old!

Just the most ADORABLE puppy that has ever LIVED.

I remember when he was just a puppy, I knew I loved him the first moment I saw him.  The soft coat and pliable skin with lots of room to grow into.  Those sharp little daggers for teeth....  As much as I loved him on that first day, I love him even more today and every day that passes by.

It's no secret that I love my dog, and although he adores (and more importantly, respects) Brian, he's definitely my baby.  

Hudson, I love that you let me mug the crap out of you and lay in my lap for hours.

To celebrate Hudson's birthday, I made Vanilla 'Pup-Cakes' with Peanut Butter Frosting.  Oh, and then I dipped them in chocolate for the humans.  As we all know, chocolate is a total NO-NO for dogs, so please, for goodness' sake - leave the chocolate off the dog's cupcakes!

Pupcake for Hudson on the left, Cupcake for Mama on the right

I'm calling these "Tagalong Cupcakes", yep, like the Girl Scout Cookie.  Although, a Google-Search just informed me that they are now called Peanut Butter Patties - WHAAAT?!!  It's a vanilla cupcake with Peanut Butter Buttercream, dipped in Chocolate Ganache.  Just like the cookie, only a cupcake.  Can-you-handle-that?!?

I used the same vanilla cupcake batter and peanut butter frosting for the Pupcakes, I just made them in a mini cupcake pan because even though it's his birthday, I doubt a 16 pound dog needs a regular size cupcake.  Mini dog = mini cupcake.  He didn't care one way or the other.  Hudson made quick work of his in, oh, about 0.267 seconds....and it didn't take the humans much longer than that to finish theirs ;-)

the birthday boy eating his pupcake

Some tips for celebrating your dog's birthday:

• Make sure to invite friends.  Lots of friends.  Your friends, his/her friends...you're going to have a lot of cupcakes and you don't need to eat them all.
• Have your camera ready when you put the cupcake down in front of him/her.  Dogs aren't great at waiting, especially when it's their birthday and they know it.
• Don't serve your dog's cupcake in the wrapper.  He/she will eat it.  
• Make sure he or she has a special birthday bow-tie (or just a bow, for girls!).  I made Hudson's in about 20 minutes using some blue plaid ribbon, a little thread and a spare button.  Leave me a comment and let me know if you want me to post a DIY, it was quite easy!
• Do it and don't feel silly about it!  This is your best friend, your fur-baby, the one who waits loyally for you to come home, licks your wounds (literally and figuratively), and lays with you when you're sick.  I think it's time to celebrate them for the important family-member that they are.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Hudson Sterling.

Vanilla Cupcakes (or Pupcakes) with Peanut Butter Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache (for the humans)
makes 12 regular cupcakes or at least 24 mini cupcakes
adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, via Joy the Baker

1 cup All-Purpose flour
scant 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare cupcake pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick baking spray.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on slow speed until everything is combined.  It will be a sandy texture at this point.  Gradually add half the milk and mix just until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together for a few seconds.  Then pour into the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula.  Mix a few more seconds, just so everything is combined.  Don't overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake tins (or mini cupcake pan, or a combination of the two).  Each cup should only be about 2/3 full, as these will rise significantly during baking.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-23 minutes (or about 12-15 minutes for the mini cupcakes) until lightly golden, the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan for a few minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and allow to cool fully before frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream
makes enough for 12 regular cupcakes

2/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter (unsweetened)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/4 cup
pinch salt

Cream peanut butter and unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment  at high speed until well incorporated, scraping down the sides occasionally.  Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy and smooth.  Add salt, to taste, if desired.  Frost cupcakes using a pastry bag fitted with your desired tip.

Note:  If proceeding to coat the cupcakes with ganache, place the frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow the buttercream to firm up before coating with the chocolate.

Chocolate Ganache Coating (For Humans only.  No dogs allowed.)
makes more than you will need for 12 cupcakes, but enough so that you can easily dip the cupcakes into it (you can refrigerate or freeze the leftover ganache in an air-tight plastic or glass container)

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I do not recommend using chocolate chips as they do not melt as well as a chocolate bar)
1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or vegetable oil would also work)

Once the cupcakes have been frosted and chilled in the refrigerator for one hour, it is time to make the chocolate ganache.

Place chocolate and coconut oil into a 2-cup glass pyrex measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50% power for 2-3 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir and check to avoid burning the chocolate.

Holding the cupcake by the bottom, dip into the melted chocolate so fully submerge the frosting.  Pull up and allow the excess ganache to drip off for a few seconds, then flip the cupcake back over and allow to set fully for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Note:  if preparing the cupcakes 1 day ahead of time, store the frosted and dipped cupcakes in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.  Before serving, remove the cupcakes from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for at least 1-2 hours.  These cupcakes do not taste very good cold but they taste amazing at room temperature!

 And, just because I can't get enough of this dog.  Here are some more photos:

Such strange and wonderful expressions you make, Hudson.

Hudson, you love food.  I mean really, really love it.  You're just like your momma.

My awkward but beautiful little baby.

Such a sneaky little hider.

Hudson, my sweet, happy boy.

Chocolate in the Morning

I woke up feeling chocolatey.  As in, I must start my day with chocolate or I am just going to stay in bed.  As much of a chocoholic as I, admittedly, am, this doesn't happen often.  I usually prefer to end my day with chocolate, not start it.

Since we don't exactly buy the chocolatey kids cereals (um, ew.  Have you looked at the nutrition information on the box?!) I made my own.  But it was even better because I used Oat Bran (Trader Joe's sells it in 2 lb bags for less than $3) and I added chocolate whey protein powder and cocoa powder for flavor.  It kind of reminded me of the taste of hot chocolate, but chewable.

Also, the dollop of PB I added after I took the photo was a good idea - makes it taste like a peanut butter cup.

Hot Chocolate Oat Bran 
serves 1

1/4 cup oat bran
1 cup liquid:  water, milk, almond milk or a combination (I used 3/4 cup water +1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk) + up to 1/4 cup more, depending on thickness desired
dash of cinnamon
1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (use one sweetened with stevia or unsweetened, not with sugar) - make sure you use a high quality protein, one that you enjoy the flavor.
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 packet stevia (or other sweetener, optional)

milk, strawberries, peanut butter, sliced bananas, etc. (optional) for serving

In a small pot, combine oat bran and 1 cup liquid over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium and stir until about half the liquid is absorbed.  Then, add the cinnamon, protein powder and cocoa powder.  You may need to add a little extra liquid (water or milk) depending on your desired thickness.  Stir until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oat bran is thickened.  Taste and add stevia (or other sweetener) as needed.  Serve topped with the strawberries, peanut butter or other toppings.

FYI -

Count Chocula Cereal (per 3/4 cups cereal) :  12 grams of sugar, 1 gram protein, 1 gram fiber

Chocolate Cheerios   (per 3/4 cup cereal):  9 grams of sugar, 1 gram protein, 1 gram fiber

Reece's Puffs Cereal (per 3/4 cups cereal):  12 grams of sugar, 2 grams protein, 1 gram fiber

Cocoa Puffs Cereal (per 3/4 cups cereal):  12 grams sugar, 1 gram protein, 1 gram fiber

Mine (per serving, not including milk or toppings for comparison to cereals above):  0 grams sugar, 18 grams protein, 7 grams fiber


I win.

Valentine's Day Dessert: Chocolate Pavlova with Strawberries

This morning I shared this sad photo...

with a warning to wait until this dessert has fully cooled before trying to remove it from the silpat or parchment.  It's OK though, I had 4 more that turned out beautifully. 

  

With that full disclosure, I give you this recipe for Chocolate Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.  A pavlova is basically a meringue dessert topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit or some kind of fruit compote.

I have read that in order to be a true pavlova (rather than a meringue) cornstarch and vinegar must be used in order to get the crisp exterior and soft, marshmallow-like interior.  Well, all I know is this recipe produced both without the cornstarch or the vinegar.  Harumph.  

I absolutely adored this dessert.  It was rich without being filling, decadent yet not heavy.  The chocolate took center stage and the lightly sweet whipped cream and strawberries had supporting roles.  If a fudgy brownie and a marshmallow had a baby, this would be it.  I went all cheesy and shaped the meringues into hearts for Valentine's Day but the original recipe called for making rounds which would look just as pretty I think.

Chocolate Pavlovas with Sweet Whipped Cream and Strawberries
makes 5 or 6 meringues
adapted from Francois Payard, as found here

For the chocolate meringues:

3 large egg whites
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (110 grams) white granulated sugar
1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) dark chocolate cocoa powder (or you could use regular)

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

Whip egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Increase speed to high and slowly add granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form.

Sift the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder over the egg whites and gently fold in using a spatula until well blended.

Dollop the egg white mixture onto the parchment or silpat-lined baking sheets into whatever shapes you desire, and level out with the back of the spoon.  Alternatively, you could pipe rounds onto the baking sheet using a piping bag filled with the meringue.

Bake about 2 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp.  Turn off the oven, leaving the meringues inside to cool.  Cool completely, then remove from oven.  Carefully peel the parchment paper or silpats off the meringues, you may need to use an offset spatula or knife to loosen the meringues.  They will be very delicate and break easily, so be gentle!  Serve with whipped cream and berries (see below) or store un-topped meringues in an airtight container up to 3 days.

For assembly:


Chocolate meringues (recipe above)
Heavy cream, cold
sugar (optional)
vanilla (optional)
fresh fruit - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc.
good quality dark chocolate (optional)

Prepare whipped cream by whisking cold heavy cream until soft peaks form, gently whisk in a tiny bit of vanilla extract and sugar if desired to sweeten the cream.

Place a cooled chocolate meringue onto a serving plate and top with some whipped cream.  Top with the sliced strawberries (or other fruit) and grate dark chocolate over the top.  Serve immediately.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

For all of my preaching about a clean-eating lifestyle, one full of whole foods and few (if any) processed ingredients, I won't deny that I occasionally frequently purchase Reese's peanut butter cups.  I can't help it, I love them.  They're my weakness, especially the Reese's Dark Chocolate cups and the seasonal Reese's - you know the ones:  the hearts, eggs, Christmas Trees, pumpkins that come out at each holiday.  For some reason those taste different - better, fresher!

Unfortunately, Reese's doesn't make their seasonal peanut butter cups in dark chocolate.  So the only way to have the dark chocolate and the fresh taste of the seasonal Reese's is to make them yourself.  Bonus points if you can find one of those silicon molds in the shape of hearts or other fun shapes to really take them to the next level.  I just used pink and red mini cupcake liners for mine and sprinkled a few with some pink and purple dots and I think they looked really cute, and tasted WAY better than Reese's.  The ones that didn't get sprinkles got sea salt.  That's definitely the way to go, in my opinion.

You could double the recipe but just be warned:  it may be dangerous to have too many of these sitting around.  Make sure you have plenty of Valentines to share them with.  I highly recommend the sea salt on top, it's divine.

The starting lineup...

(Ghirardelli 72% cacao bar not shown)

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
makes 10-12 mini peanut butter cups

6 oz good quality dark chocolate (I used one Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet baking bar and one Ghirardelli 72% chocolate bar)
1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (well-stirred, this is the variety with no added sugar!  decrease sugar if using a sweetened peanut butter)
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

sea salt, sprinkles (optional, for decoration)

In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until well combined.  Set aside.

Break up the chocolate and put into a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until fully melted, stopping every 30 seconds to stir and check and see if it is melted.  Be careful not to burn chocolate.

Once chocolate is melted, drizzle a little into the bottom of each paper mini muffin liner and use a small basting brush, knife or spoon to coat the sides of each cup with the chocolate.  Place chocolate-coated liners into a mini-muffin pan (to help hold their shape) and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.

Once hard, remove the chocolate-coated paper liners.  Place a small ball (about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon worth) of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each chocolate-coated cup.  Then drizzle more melted chocolate over until the peanut butter is covered.  Repeat for all of the remaining peanut butter cups.  Use a small offset spatula or knife to smooth out the tops.

If desired, sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt or some colored sprinkles on top.  

Place chocolate peanut butter cups back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden, then transfer into the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

My Take on One-Ingredient "Ice Cream"

Creamy Chocolatey Goodness

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen and (hopefully) tried the infamous "One-Ingredient Ice Cream."  You know: the seemingly magical process whereby you take chunks of frozen bananas, pulse them in your food processor for a few minutes, scraping down the sides every once in a while, and with a little patience you are rewarded with a luscious soft-serve-like frozen treat?  Yup, that's the one I'm talking about:  Magic Banana Ice Cream is what I call it.   


Well, it's a staple in our house.  Just ask Brian, he'll tell you:  if I'm not hoarding bananas for my banana bread, I'm hoarding them for this banana ice cream.  

This is your ticket to magic banana ice cream town.

I have to admit taking a few liberties with the original recipe so mine isn't usually made with only one ingredient.  Still, it's about as quick a dessert as I've ever seen and I almost always have everything I need on hand!  Way easier (and healthier) than making the trip to the Fro-Yo place around the corner.  I usually add about a teaspoon of regular or dark cocoa powder in the food processor with the frozen banana since I am a self-admitted chocoholic.  I also really enjoy adding a teaspoon of natural peanut butter or almond butter too on occasion.  And I find that a teensy pinch of salt helps round out the sweetness, and about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract adds some depth of flavor.  And let's not forget the toppings!  They're not necessary but come on, when you're eating a frozen banana for dessert, you can splurge a little on toppings.  Some of my favorite combinations are:  


*a dollop of fresh, homemade, lightly-sweetened whipped cream with a teaspoon of chocolate jimmies   
*a tablespoon of Reece's Pieces
*some chopped salted peanuts and chocolate chips (about 1 tablespoon of each)
*dark chocolate chips (about 1 tablespoon) , mini marshmallows (1 tablespoon) and crumbled graham crackers (1/2 of a cracker) - S'mores!!!
*a tablespoon each of dried blueberries and dark chocolate chips
*Nutella (you can never use too much)


I also think it would be fantastic with some caramel sauce drizzled on top but there's a reason I don't keep that in the house.....(total lack of self-control).

S'mores!

Some other notes on the original recipe:  I've never just frozen the bananas for an hour or two so I cannot vouch for how it will turn out.  I usually slice up a few ripe bananas and place them on a plate covered with parchment paper, then freeze overnight.  Once they're frozen solid, I toss them all into a freezer-safe ziploc bag or plastic container and keep them in the freezer until the need for something sweet and creamy strikes.  Then I whip them out and toss them in my mini food-processor and go to town!  Just be forewarned, you will have to scrape down the sides of your food processor many times during the process.  I also find that letting the mixture sit for a few seconds (5-10) in between pulses with the food processor helps allow the bananas to melt a little which allows it to come together into that creamy texture you're looking for.  

Yup, that's a plastic spoon.  I was fresh-out of real spoons...but that couldn't stop me from gettin' my ice cream fix.

Let me hear how you make your One-Ingredient Magic Banana Ice Cream!  What toppings do you like to use?

Vintage Desserts

I like to watch the Today Show in the morning. Really, I should clarify - I like to watch the first hour or two of the Today Show. After that, it just devolves into an excess of wine-drinking and celebrity gossip. Now, I like celeb gossip just as much as the next gal but that's why I follow certain fine "news" outlets religiously (i.e. PopSugar, TMZ, People, to name a few). But I digress....

Anyhow, this morning the Today Show featured a segment on these old-fashioned desserts. I'm all about bringing back vintage treats (remember my recent experience baking pigs in a blanket?) so this really piqued my interest, especially the recipe for Chocolate Blackout Cake.

Photo from Cooks Illustrated

When I try it, I'll be sure to post how it turns out!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Last weekend our friends hosted a "Christmas in July" party. Naturally, that meant cooking up all kinds of delicious holiday treats.

Nothing screams old-fashioned holiday indulgence more than tiny hotdogs wrapped in crescent dough and baked. I'd never made pigs in a blanket before but they were pretty delicious, and I served them with some tangy honey mustard dipping sauce. I think they complimented eachother perfectly! I won't post a recipe because there's really nothing to it and you can easily google "pigs in a blanket" and find a recipe, but I will say the turkey cocktail-size mini hotdogs that I substituted for pork or beef were great and nobody missed the extra calories :)

And I don't know about you but for me it wouldn't really be Christmas without the desserts. My grandma is the Christmas cookie-baker in our family (and my mom makes a really delicious cookie that we all love). I don't have any of my own recipes for favorite cookies but I'd been wanting to try to make Baked's Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars for some time now. I'd seen the recipe in their book when we visited Charleston and of course being the chocolate-peanut butter lover that I am, I knew I had to to make it. I thought the Christmas party was the perfect opportunity to try it out.



I have to say that while I really enjoyed the combination of chocolate and peanut butter in these little bars, I did not like the crisp rice layer at all. In all fairness, I didn't use a candy thermometer when I was cooking the corn syrup and sugar (my pan was too shallow to allow for an accurate reading by a candy thermometer) so I suspect the goopy, wet, sticky consistency of the krispies was due to undercooking of the sugar syrup. They still tasted good but I was very dissapointed with the way it stuck all over my fingers (in a not fun way). They were also SO rich! And that's saying a lot considering I'll eat a whole slice of cheesecake without batting an eyelash. The recipe made an 8x8 pan which was supposed to be cut into 9 squares. Instead, I cut it into 16 squares and then cut each of those in half, forming 32 small triangles which were much more manageable.

Check out this cute cookie tin I bought for 10 cents at a yard sale last fall...

Elmo...and Snuffleupagus!! How cute :)

The party was lots of fun. The decorations were beautiful and the treats were lovely! And my favorite part of the evening was the Christmas music!!

Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

crust
1 3/4 cups rice crispy cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp light corn syrup
3 tbsp butter, melted

peanut butter layer
5 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter

chocolate topping
3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp light corn syrup
4 tbsp unsalted butter

To make the crust:
Spray an 8″ square pan with nonstick spray.
Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
Carefully mix the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high. Insert a candy thermometer and boil until the mixture is 235 F.
Remove from heat, stir in the melted butter, then pour over the cereal and mix quickly and thoroughly. Press into the prepared pan and let cool while you make the peanut butter layer.

To make the peanut butter layer: Melt the milk chocolate and peanut butter together in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then pour over the crust and chill for an hour or until set.

To make the chocolate topping: Clean out the double boiler, then put the dark chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in it and put it over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat, cool for about 30 seconds (stirring constantly), then pour all over the peanut butter layer. Chill for another hour so the topping can harden, then cut the bars into small squares to serve.