Oreo Cupcakes

Oreo Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

For the frosting:
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. whipping cream
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbsp. Oreo cookie crumbs

For garnish:
24 Oreo cookie halves

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

To prepare the frosting, in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs with a spatula.

Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe frosting decoratively on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with Oreo cookie halves.

---REVIEW---

Really. There are no words.

Oh. Except I made my own buttermilk. And it is not for the faint of heart.

Recipe from here.

Sarah: Iron Chef Blogger Challenge #1- Rhubarb

Rhubarb Pudding Cakes

1/4 cup (50ml) water

1½ tsp (7 ml) cornstarch

1 cup (250 ml) sugar divided

3 cups (750 ml) chopped fresh rhubarb stalks

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour

1¾ tsp (8 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400°f (200°c), ensuring the rack is in the middle. Butter 4 individual 1-cup (250-ml) ramekins.

Mix together water, cornstarch and half of the sugar in a small pot, then add therhubarb. Simmer, stirring constantly for about three minutes. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and the remaining sugar.

In a second bowl, whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just combined. It will make a thick batter.

Reserving ½cup (125 ml) of the rhubarb mixture, divide the rest of the fruit and syrup among the ramekins. Spoon the batter evenly into each dish over therhubarb. Top each ramekin with a portion of the remaining rhubarb syrup mix.

Bake until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly and then serve.

---REVIEW---

I got to pick the ingredient and rule this week for Iron Chef Blogger Challenge. Having seen rhubarb a lot, but never worked with it or eaten it, I thought that it would be a great way to start off the competition. The only way I had ever heard of anyone eating rhubarb before was in pies, so I knew right away that I would make this week's rule "No Pies".

Did you know rhubarb is seasonal? I didn't. Wikipedia didn't either. I spent quite a lot of time looking for rhubarb this week, and actually had to drive 20 minutes north of the city to get to a grocery that even had any (and frozen at that).

I love baking. More than math homework. More than Gray's Anatomy. Almost more than getting my nails done.

And I love cupcakes. More than real cake. More than chicken. More than cucumbers. So when I saw this recipe on a blog I frequent, Patient in the Pantry, it stuck in my head as what I should make this week.

But no. No first I looked around and found a rhubarb and potato thing that I had even intention of making as to expand my cooking experience. I made a shopping list and everything, but I just couldn't do it. I ripped up the list, laughed maniacally and did a little happy dance in front of my oven.

So I love the cake on these, but found the rhubarb a little too tart to enjoy without a big chunk of cake. How to fix it? I'd recommend adding a little sugar over the rhubarb mixture before putting the batter in.

Also, don't fill the cups up too much. I used 6 ramekins and almost all of Mine overflowed. I'd say fill the cups less than 2/3 full with the rhubarb mixture and then put the batter in.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 container pre-made cream cheese icing

1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl.

2. In a different bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients, whisk till smooth. Add pumpkin puree. (The batter will be fluffy, don't be concerned.)

3. Fill lined cupcake pans halfway with batter. Bake about 20-25 minutes, until inserted skewer comes out clean.

4. Let cool before icing.

---Review---

Let me start by saying that I don't usually like pumpkin anything. I don't like pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes... I don't even like Halloween.

But, I LOVED these cupcakes. Loved. I made them for a pumpkin carving party B and I hosted and almost ate all of them myself.

The original recipe that I found called for the cook to make their own icing. I couldn't find "icing sugar" at the grocery, so I just bought pre-made.

Makes about 18 cupcakes.

Recipe found here.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

1 box pound cake mix

Eggs and milk as per box

1 can strawberry pie filling

1 can whipped cream

1. Preheat oven as per box.

2. Mix batter as per box.

3.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into the bottom of your lined cake cups.

4.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling over batter.

5 . Cover filling with another tablespoon of batter.

6. Bake as per box (my mix took 35 minutes at 350).

7. Remove cupcakes from pans, let cool.

8. Once cool top with whipped cream.

---Review---

Pretty good. My pie filling tasted a bit like jelly, so maybe next time I will make my own filling (cut strawberries into slices, cover with sugar, let sit overnight in fridge). I used the new canned Cool Whip as a topping and cut x's into the top of each one before putting it on so that it would melt in a little.

I enjoyed it and believe that the recipe would work well with any type of pie filling (next time I'm going to try cherry, which is my favorite type of pie).