Christmas Christmas Cookiess!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Here are some pictures of a massive but lovely cookie-decorating escapade over Christmas break!

Yum!

:)

Not your typical Chocolate Chip Cookies....be expecting them soon!

Ultime Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling

Have you ever been asked to bake sixty cupcakes at 9 o'clock on a Friday night when you have had to get up early and go to work the next morning? I have. And I can tell you they turned out to be a great success and not only did we reach our goal of sixty cupcakes, but we also ended up baking ten extra. Seventy cupcakes!! Woohoo!

Thankfully, I had some another wonderful set of hands to help me. My lovely mama, we worked lightning fast, and had everything baked and set out to cool in record time. 

While I was at work the next day, my wonderful dad helped out by making frosting and decorating the cupcakes, team effort right?

 These delicious cupcakes have ganache fillings! As well as Swiss Meringue Buttercream on top.

 Enjoy

(and eat three! Like I did....oops :) )

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling

Makes 12 cupcakes

*NOTE:

*Use a high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this recipe, such as Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar.

*Although we all highly recommend the ganache filling, you can make a more traditional cupcake and just leave the ganache out.

Ganache Filling

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes 
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note) 
1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa  
3/4 cup hot coffee  
3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour  
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar  
1/2 teaspoon table salt  
1/2 teaspoon baking soda  
6 tablespoons vegetable oil  
2 large eggs  
2 teaspoons white vinegar  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Instructions For Cupcakes:

1. FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes. 


2. FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 ℉. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. 


3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth. 

4. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour. 


Meringue-Style Chocolate Buttercream

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

Cool the chocolate to between 85 and 100℉  before adding it to the frosting. If the frosting seems too soft after adding the chocolate, chill it briefly in the refrigerator and then rewhip it until creamy. The frosting can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to frost, place frosting in a microwave-safe container and warm briefly on high power until just slightly softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Once warmed, stir until creamy. 


1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar  
2 large egg whites   
Pinch table salt  
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces 
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , melted and cooled (see note) 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for Frosting:

1. Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 ℉ on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.

5. TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.




Love, Love, Love these little cupcakes as much as we have!
xo Laura

Banana Curry Salsa

I made this on a whim during a family get-together. My brother has become really interested in the whole organic foods, all natural food scene. We were gathered all around the kitchen talking, laughing, and eating (almost) all natural tortilla chips, and we had run out of salsa...  So, I came up with a refreshing whimsical salsa idea! I know it sounds a tad funky, but it is really yummy, it will definitely become a classic in my recipe book. :)


Banana Curry Salsa

Makes about 2 cups
2 ripe bananas
3 tbsp curry powder TT*
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon TT*
 
 * TT - To Taste

How to
1. Take a fork or a potato masher in a medium sized bowl, and mash up your two (peeled) bananas
2. Add in your curry powder and cinnamon. It really depends on your flavor preference. I like to be able to taste the cinnamon in the background, but have the curry powder be the more dominant spicy flavor.
3. Stir everything together, and viola! Dip your chips in it or eat it by the spoonful!