Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

A classic combination. One of my favourites for sure! These cupcakes are a chocolate base, filled with a whipped peanut butter filling and topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream. Drizzled with melted chocolate and peanut butter to finish them off. 

For the Cupcake (makes 12):

Adapted from Annies Eats

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 cup hot (almost boiling) water

1 cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon baking Power 

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake tin with liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. 

In a small saucepan combine butter and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer butter and sugar mixture to bowl and using an electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) mix for 3-5 minutes until mixture cools and becomes pale yellow in colour. 

Add in eggs one at a time, mixing throughly between each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. 

Add the flour mixture in 2 batches alternating with the sour cream. Beat until just incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners 1/2-2/3s full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

For the Peanut Butter Filling: 

Adapted from Cook Like a Champion

1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream

1 cup icing sugar 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature 

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract 

In a clean bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, whip cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. 

In a separate bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and peanut butter, mixing on medium-high speak until smooth. Reduce speed and add in icing sugar. Mix in vanilla. Beat until fluffy. 

Using a rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into peanut butter mixture in two parts. Do not over mix.

For the Icing:

1 cup butter

3-4 cups icing sugar 

3 teaspoons vanilla 

2 tablespoons heavy cream 

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla and cream.

To Assemble: 

Once cupcakes have cooled completely, use the cone method to fill cupcakes with approx 1-2 teaspoons of whipped peanut butter mixture. 

Frost cupcakes as desired. Drizzle with melted peanut butter and chocolate sauces. 

Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes

A friend requested Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes (like the candy) for his brother's birthday. I have been wanting to make something similar to this for a while. I love the combination of chocolate and caramel but the pecans add that extra layer of crunch to the cupcakes. The caramel pecan mixture alone is worth making, I had some extra which I plan on using on ice cream and pancakes (or eating by the spoonful).

Recipe: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Makes 12

For the Cupcake: 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 cup hot (almost boiling) water

1 cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon baking Power 

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake tin with liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. 

In a small saucepan combine butter and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer butter and sugar mixture to bowl and using an electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) mix for 3-5 minutes until mixture cools and becomes pale yellow in colour. 

Add in eggs one at a time, mixing throughly between each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. 

Add the flour mixture in 2 batches alternating with the sour cream. Beat until just incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners 1/2-2/3s full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

For the Caramel Filling Filling:

1 cup sugar 

5 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup pecans

Heat sugar in a medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan on medium-high heat. When sugar starts melting, stir sugar until it is fully melted. Once melted, swirl sauce pan until sugar turns deep amber in colour (or reaches 350F on a candy thermometer). 

Stir in butter. Take caramel mixture off the heat and stir in cream. Mixture will bubble violently.

Finally stir in pecans. 

For the Icing:

1 cup butter

3-4 cups icing sugar 

3 teaspoons vanilla 

2 tablespoons heavy cream 

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla and cream.

To Assemble: 

Once cupcakes have cooled completely, use the cone method to fill cupcakes with approx 1-2 teaspoons of caramel pecan mixture. 

Frost cupcakes as desired. Top with extra pecan mixture and drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauces. 

Macaroon Adventures

So I tried a second attempt at making macaroons after my first attempt went so well. This time I wanted to make something a little different. I still had some of that chocolate raspberry jam left over and I thought it would make a great filling for a macaroon. I also really wanted to try my hand at making pretty coloured macaroons so I went out and got some gel icing. I love how the colour turned out. I am still not 100% comfortable with making them and would love to get a kitchen scale so I can properly measure out my ingredients. Something to add to the Christmas list! 

Chocolate Raspberry Jam

This post could also be accurately titled: Or the time I ate jam with a spoon. Seriously this jam is THAT good. I kid you not. We went to a farm this weekend with hopes of picking our own raspberries unfortunately they weren't open for U-Pick that day so I had to settle with bringing home a couple of cartons of fresh raspberries. Last time I bought a carton of fresh raspberries they didn't make it through the front door I ate them all on the walk home. It was totally worth it. They were amazing. I have fond memories of picking raspberries of the bushes out behind my grandparents house when I was younger. I loved being able to eat the raspberries directly off the bush. Grocery store raspberries have never quite been able to live up to the standards of those freshly picked berries.

 I was able to get the raspberries through the door this time and straight into a pot with some sugar to make the most delicious jam ever.

I was a little bit nervous about actually making jam. I have never made it before in the past and I wasn't sure how it would turn out.  I followed this recipe from Love and Olive Oil. It was super simple and really easy to follow. I kind of cheated and didn't actually "can" my jars since I only made four and am planning on giving some to friends and family this week to be used right away so since I didn't have a canning system I felt like keeping them in the fridge was a better option. I am almost half way done one of the jars anyways so I don't really see spoilage as an issue.

I have been eating this pretty much non stop since and I then decided that I needed scones to go with the jam and proceeded to whip up a batch (what is my life).

Hope you enjoy this fantastic jam!
Jaclyn

Lately

These past few weeks have been crazy! Tons of school work and saying goodbye to class mates for the summer. Here is what I have been loving lately.

Chocolate covered Strawberries

This list of 50 Things First Year Taught Me (fairly accurate and makes me miss first year)

Some delicious tea from David's Tea

A new pair of kitten heels from Aldo Shoes (they are on sale too). 

Board game nights with friends

What have you been loving lately? 

Jaclyn 

Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies

I decided to make something different this year for the holidays and went with these Flourless Chocolate Walnut cookies (centre of photo). They were fairly easy to make. The only thing I was scared of was over beating the egg whites. The recipe called for 4 egg whites but my batter only needed 3 and others have said they have only used 2. My advice would be too add the egg whites one at a time mixing after each one. The batter is quite thick and resembles a brownie batter. Overall I was happy with the way they turned out and they tasted wonderful. The recipe is available here.

Toast 2 3/4 cups of walnuts at 350 F for 9 mins 

Mix together 3 cups of Powered Sugar with 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of coco powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in walnuts once they have cooled slightly. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then add 2-4 egg whites (add egg whites one at a time and mix between each addition. Continue adding whites until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix).

Drop tablespoons of batter onto parchment lined baking sheets.  

Bake for 14-16 minutes at 320F until tops are glossy and slightly cracked. 

These were a huge hit this year and I got many requests for the recipe. There were a quick cookie to add to my cookie lineup and they provided something different then what I normally make around the holidays. Plus they are perfect for any time of the year. 

Enjoy! 

Jaclyn

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I have a thing for chocolate. The more the better. I can never resist chocolate cake for desert at a restaurant especially if it is flour-less. Flour-less chocolate cakes are always so deliciously dense and full of that wonderful chocolate flavour.

I basically followed the recipe from here, but I doubled it since my pan was 10 inches round. I also added a raspberry sauce on top since I felt it needed a little something extra. 

For the cake:

8-oz dark or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder (pref. dutch process)

Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring with a fork until very smooth.
Pour warm chocolate mixture into a medium mixing bowl with sugar. Whisk to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next, then mix in vanilla extract. Sift cocoa powder into the bowl and whisk until well-combined.
Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a serving platter. Dust with cocoa powder, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

For the sauce: 

1 cup Frozen Raspberries 

3/4 Cup Sugar 

1/2 cup Water 

1 TBS Corn Starch 

A add raspberries, water, sugar and corn starch to sauce pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Raspberries should begin to break down on their own. Once all the raspberries have broken down bring mixture to a boil to activate corn starch. Strain through a mesh sleeve. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

What is your favourite desert?
Jaclyn