If you click on that picture, they actually have a pretty good website that I just discovered. I plan on trying a few of the recipes in this book. It has some of the most creative cupcakes I have ever seen and is full of decorating ideas. I used the recipe for chocolate cupcakes and a really good method for icing on my Oscar Cupcakes!
... they don't look as good as these Oscar cupcakes....
.... but I also have a life :)Here's mine!
Chocolate Cupcakes1 3/4cups flour
1/4cup cocoa powder
3/4tsp baking soda
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12tbsp) unsalted butter (margarine)
3/4cup lightly packing brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1cup buttermilk
1tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the muffin cups with paper liners
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (my arm was starting to get sore....)
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (my shoulder was starting to get sore...) Beat in the chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk in batches, begining and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until blended. Stir in vanilla. (Make sure you can bench press atleast 50lbs before trying this recipe without a mixer)
4. Spoon half the batter into a ziplock bag. Snip a 1/4 inch corner from the bag and fill the paper liners two-thirds full. Repeat with remaining batter (this method worked wonderfully with the first bag..... the batter blaster through a hole in the second bag). Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.
So for decorating these, I used their dipping method. I don't know why I never thought of this myself. I put some store bought icing (they said it works the best) into a little bowl and put it in the microwave for 15 seconds. You take the muffin and hold it upside down in the icing for a second it, pull it out, let it drip back into the bowl and flip it over quickly. This worked so well!! It gives it a very smooth looking finish. For decorating, I just used some tiny little chocolate balls on top. Nothing too fancy yet.
MY REVIEW: Loved the icing method! I tried a chocolate one and it tasted ok. I don't really like chocolatly things but I mean really... these cupcakes are more about the look than the taste! Who would honestly be excited to eat that dog cupcake on the cover? Besides my dad? I look forward to Jason's review as he ate the 9 cupcakes that didn't make it onto the platter I'm taking to the Oscar's Party tomorrow...
JASON'S REVIEW: Sweet and satisfying.
No comments:
Post a Comment