Chocolate Cupcakes

The Beats!
  

I was just scrolling through some of my old playlists and I noticed that the Jars of Clay song "Flood" was stuck to the end of my throwback playlist with all the "oldies" music (Dark Magic Gingerbread). Huh? Ummm, I guess I don't have anything wrong with Jars of Clay, but if anything, that song should have been in my playlist when I was whining about rain ... So I think my playlist was hijacked. That's right ... Before I had a disclaimer about the questionable quality about some of the music that appears on my blog, but now? Now I'm going to just deny putting some of it up there altogether. So if you don't like a song, it wasn't me. Somehow, it just added itself to my grooveshark widget and snuck onto my blog. Like the Jars of Clay song. If you don't like an entire playlist, well, I guess chances are they didn't all sneak on there. You can blame one or two on me. Blame the rest on technology.

With all that said, I'm just going for it with the most random playlist ever. I'll call it a mix of hip hop and rock? And don't worry, I've combined it so every other song makes you think "this doesn't fit with that last song AT ALL." You're welcome.

The Treats!

A family friend once caught drift of my dream of having a bakery and generously gave me a set of nice icing tips and canvas bags. But I'm a little bit of a baking coward (which might be why when the scary guy in my culinary class told me my simple syrup hadn't been reduced to the proper viscosity, I dropped out). So ... I hadn't tried using them until last week. Maybe I had a glass of wine or two and felt like taking a walk on the wild side with my frosting (I know, totally living on the edge) ...

They turned out looking pretty decent and tasting pretty decent too (I've made these cupcakes many, many times, normally just spreading the icing on with a knife and they are always good...). Maybe it's because of all the practice I had as a kid icing my toaster struedel by cutting the corner off the small plastic icing pouch. My arms were sore the next day from trying to get this thick frosting (maybe the mean baking student would approve of the consistency THIS time) out of the bag, but I figured that just meant I could eat another cupcake because I had earned it.

Chocolate Cupcakes

From Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Makes 12

What you'll need ...

Cupcakes

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

6 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in an electric mixer and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla together in a bowl, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine, and turn the mixer up to a high speed to get rid of any lumps.

Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture (scrape unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple of minutes until the batter is smooth but do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into paper cases until two-thirds fill and bake in preheated over 20-25 minutes or until the cakes bounce back when touched. A skewer into the center should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before icing.

For the icing, beat the powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa together with an electric mixer until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed. Add the milk to the butter mixture a couple of teaspoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to a high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy. Then frost the cupcakes with a knife, or muscle up and try to squeeze it out of an icing bag (which is not what they are really called, but you know what I'm talking about).

Blackberry Pie

The Move!
 

 
My only advice is to grab a lanyard and a pair of these sneaks the next time you're at Hot Topic (I know you go there...).  Then you'll look good no matter what you try to do.  

AAAAAAND ... The Cupid Shuffle - you can save yourself a few awkward moments if you start this video at 2:30.

The Beats! 
 
I'm baaaaaack.  A playlist of "underground" hiphop beats with a side of blackberry pie.  They pretty much go hand in hand.  Put vanilla ice cream on top and you've got the best day of your life.  And with my new post, I have a confession ... I went back to work ... as an engineer.  I haven't abandoned the idea of having my own bakery (someday you will drive by a bakery called Superchunk and realize I am famous) but it just wasn't the right time.  And who could pass up waking up before the sun rises and commuting to work?  Not me.  But, in a moment of sincerity and not sarcasm (weird, I know) I feel fortunate to have this job and am looking forward to the challenge.  But back to this post - to celebrate the end of my unemployment I spent the last few days as any unemployed person would - scavenging blackberries and apples from the local parks (yep, you'll probably see the apple pie next).  Ok, this really wasn't about the beats.  Fail. 

 

 
The Treats!

 
I guess I can start by saying I'm pretty obsessed with the blackberries in Washington.  First, my grandfather "GranStan" used to have a private blueberry farm in Georgia that had plenty of blackberry bushes so I like to think that I spent most of my childhood running around buck naked and stained with blackberry juice.  Not really the case, so don't worry.  Second, in Wyoming you don't get many fresh berries, whereas in Washington they call blackberries a weed.  And third, I'm still perplexed by how something that is everywhere can be $3.99 for a half-pint at the grocery store at the same time.  I could probably go out behind the store and pick a pound for free.  So I do ...

What you'll need ...

• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/4 cup white sugar
  
  
  Recommended (optional):
  1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  1 egg
  extra sugar
  Vanilla bean ice cream
• 
  

Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour.  Since I had so many I went ahead and used at least 4 cups.  Don't worry too much about having too many - You can never have too many. I like to brush part of a beaten egg onto the inside of the pie shell to keep it from getting soggy. Spoon the berry mixture into an unbaked pie shell.

Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries.  And if you'd like (I like), squeeze on some lemon juice, dot the top with dollops of butter and finally, cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges.

Brush the top crust with more of the beaten egg, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Also, cut a few slits in the crust, or go all out like Martha and put some dough shaped leaves or whatever you'd like ... knock yourself out. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees, and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.  The egg on top should give your crust a nice golden look.  Cool and eat with an enormous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Snickerdoodles

The Move! 

I'm a little worried that we've been neglecting a key ingredient in this blog ... the actual dancing.  So I'm going to add a "move" for every post (or as long as it lasts).  If you've followed my "Shake It" page (if you haven't then go here now ... Shake It!) you have already mastered the Moonwalk, the Dougie, and the Robot at least to the point where you think you look good because really that's all that matters.  Now for something new - The Charleston.

The Charleston was named after Charleston, South Carolina (weird how that worked out) and became popular in the 1920's.  There are many versions of the dance and once you can recognize it, you'll see the steps in many music videos and shows - I think even Lady Gaga uses a few steps in her live performances of "Just Dance".  It's kind of like the dancing bunny ... it'll work with almost every tune.

Links to more YouTube videos ...

• A more traditional lesson in Charleston steps ...
• Charleston to Daft Punk - Around the World
• Charleston to Far East Movement - Like a G6

The Beats! 

So with that, I've put together a playlist of dance songs.  I don't care if you like the lyrics, that's not the point.  You're supposed to be practicing your moves ... which is why I even lowered myself to include Like a G6.  The song is a little better now that I know it's not Ke$sha (which I just assumed for a really long time) ... sippin' what in my ride?
   

The Treats!  

   

Snickerdoodles ... Seriously, who names a cookie Snickerdoodle?  I didn't try one until about five years ago just because the name annoyed me.  Something similar to my resistance to Scotcheroos.  I did some research on Wikipedia (because that's pretty much my unreliable source for everything) which stated that "Snickerdoodle is German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word  Schneckennudeln (literally "snail noodles"), a type of pastry." Whaaaaaat?! Anyway, once I got over my distaste for the name Snickerdoodle I realized I was a fan of the cookie, so here they are.  If I ever open a bakery I think I will just serve them as Snail Noodles ... or Schneckennudeln.  When you say it you have to extend your neck and bulge your eyes while doing the Charleston.  Daaaaang.

Snickerdoodles

(makes 1 1/2 dozen)              

From Martha Stewart's Cookies
 

What you'll need ...

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 35o degrees.  Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.  Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of a mixer and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about three minutes (I don't think I ever actually let it go that long, but now's a great time to  bust a move or two).  Mix in eggs.  Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl.  Shape dough into twenty (or so) 1 3/4-inch balls - but seriously, who measures their balls of dough ... I prefer to use one of my favorite kitchen accessories - Norpro Stainless Steel Scoops (pictured at left and linked to Amazon offers).  It's a really fast way to cheat and get uniform sizes for your cookies.

Roll in cinnamon sugar.  Space three inches apart on greased baking sheets.  I like to press a slotted spatula onto each cookie to form a cross-hatch pattern, but that's just me.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.  Let cool.  

Cookies can be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Breakfast Bars

The Beats! 

So I've been thinking for a while now about just coming clean, fessing up, and posting all the songs/artists that I hate to admit I like but in truth I love ... you know, the ones where you joke around about the song because "it's so bad that it's almost good" when really you're apologizing to the artist under your breath because really you're obsessed with it?  Or when you run to your computer to make sure that no one clicks the "25 Top Played" playlist to find that, "Wait ... You have listened to a Justin Bieber song one hundred times?!?".  Or you just laugh when the song comes up on your iPod's shuffle and quickly blame it on the time in college when you had unlimited access to the music of everyone in the dorm, so you weren't going to be picky.  Maybe none of you have this problem, but I know there are dudes out there that have a JLo cd hidden under their seat ... yeah, just because your windows are rolled up, I can STILL hear what you are lip synching, sir, and I know for a FACT that I have friends that like Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA, which I still can't quite believe possible.  Anyway, I found a way to bare my musical soul to the world without full disclosure, when I was thinking about my hometown last week (I always get nostalgic for Sheridan during Rodeo Week).  I always make sure to listen to a local radio station at least once when I'm home, and am blown away by their musical selections.  The last time I was home they were playing Tubthumping by Chumbawamba.  Whaaaaat?! I'm not kidding.  This is a true case of "it's so bad it's almost good" (except this time I'm not lying, it's just  ... not ... good).  It's 2011 and this song came out in 1997 ... and that is why I love my hometown.  So with that, I can successfully (at least I hope) leave you guessing - if you can make it through the playlist, that is - as to what I actually love and that which I can't believe is still playing on the radio in Wyoming.  Clever?  I wish but probably not, because you probably lost respect and stopped reading the second I mentioned Justin Bieber ...

  

The Treats!  

   
Ok, I wrote way too much about my beats so I'll be short here.  Just a few adjustments/recommendations before getting started...  This recipe is extremely easy and open to modifications.  I'm allergic to peanuts so I substituted in a cup of natural almonds (which I roughly chopped to make a bit smaller).  Also, seeds can be hard to find or expensive, so in this case I just used a cup of sunflower seeds instead of a mix.  I've made them several times and used dried apricots, cherries, craisins, etc.  I'm sure they'd also be tasty with other dried fruits, nuts, seeds, whatever, maybe even a layer of chocolate melted on top ... Easy to make, easy to bake, easy to eat.  The perfect trifecta.  And for all the freaks like me that have strange food allergies, this recipe allows you to know exactly what's going into your granola bar, so when you blow up, can't breathe, and have a neanderthal brow it's your own fault.  

 

Breakfast Bars 
(makes 16)              

From Nigella Express
 

What you'll need ...

14- ounce can condensed milk

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup shredded coconut (I used sweetened)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mixed seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, etc.
1 cup natural unsalted peanuts (I used almonds)




Preheat oven to 250 degrees and oil a 9x13 inch pan (or something close).  Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.








Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.  
"Fold and distribute?"  Sounds like an engineer wrote this. 







Spread the mixture into the oiled pan and press down with a spatula (I sprayed mine with PAM to keep the mixture from sticking to the spatula itself) to make the surface even. 









Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down, to make 16 chunky bars.  Let cool completely.  These save well, so stash them in a tin and grab one whenever you want.