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For whatever reason, it's taken me much longer than it should have to consciously think of another treat (besides cupcakes) that's easy to make and distribute. I have a lot of baking plans, but I kept thinking to myself "cakes/tarts/custards/etc. are too difficult to give away in small portions", failing all this time to remember the classic sharing treat - cookies.



Once again, this recipe is from "The Art & Soul of Baking", and it's pretty traditional as far as butter, white and brown sugar style (think: chocolate chip or oatmeal) cookies go. I went with a mix of white and dark chocolates - originally I was going to go all white, but I could only get 1 bar of Black and Green's White Chocolate (the only organic, and it's awesome, that I can find), so I added some dark I had handy. It's interesting how the white retained its shape very well, but the dark melted into the cookies more. They're small and tasty.

Dark and white chocolate chunk cookies

1 1/2 sticks (6oz) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (5 1/4oz) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (6oz) light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6oz white chocolate, in chips or chunks
6oz dark or milk chocolate, in chips or chunks

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Cream sugars and butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) until smooth and blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time until each is just blended, then add vanilla and blend in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients (all at once is fine, if your mixer bowl is large enough for a little mess) and blend just until there are no patches of flour visible. Add chocolate chips or chunks, and mix on low until well distributed.

Place tablespoon-sized (or ping pong ball-sized) mounds of dough on a non-stick baking sheet (or on parchment paper on a cookie sheet), and bake for 10-14 minutes, rotating once during cooking. Cookies will look brown on the edges but slightly pale in the center when they're done. Remove and let cool 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a plate or cooling rack. Makes 50-60 cookies.

Thoughts and observations: Use whatever chocolate you have for this, but if you're using whole bars, make sure your chunks are small for this size cookie (no larger than pre-made chocolate chips). Cook a few minutes longer if you like a crisper cookie. You can also refrigerate this dough to make it easier to work with (and to have it spread out less when baking). Share and enjoy!

It seems no matter what I post about or bake, nothing gets near the attention that my cupcakes do. I'm betting it's a "pretty dessert" thing in general, but so far cupcakes have ruled the roost here. No reason to stop now...

I found this recipe in "The Art & Soul of Baking", a fantastic book from Sur la Table - it's basic enough for new bakers to get a handle on, but detailed enough for us wannabe pros to get a lot out of it. It reads like an instruction manual, in every wonderful geeky way that's possible.

The book's got a lot in it for me to discover; the recipe below was my first find, and I like it a lot. I decided to literally go "by the book" and not skip on any instructions: I warmed my eggs to room temperature, creamed my butter and sugar together much longer than I usually have the patience for, and alternately added the dry ingredients (sifted, of course) and the sour cream to the creamed sugar and egg mixture - the resulting batter was surprisingly uniform and airy. "Surprisingly" because the cupcakes are rather dense - again, in a good way.

The frosting recipe didn't go along with the cake in the book, but I thought something lemony would be nice for springtime. The reason I'm calling this "citrus" is because you can use orange, lemon, or even lime if you'd like - all would work well. In all honesty, I'm not 100% sure I actually used a lemon, as it was rather green on the inside. "Citrus" is a nice safe word. Enjoy!

Vanilla cupcakes (adapted from Classic Yellow Layer Cake, from Art and Soul of Baking)

1 1/2 sticks (6oz) butter, softened
3/4 cup (5.25oz) sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbl. vanilla extract
2 cups (7oz) cake flour, sifted
3/4 Tsp. baking soda
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/3 cup (3oz) sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric beater until smooth, 4-6 minutes. Add eggs, one and a time, and incorporate. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Combine dry mixture and sour cream into wet ingredients, adding 1/3 dry mix, then 1/2 sour cream, then 1/3 dry, then the rest of the sour cream, then the rest of the dry, fully incorporating each addition before adding more.

Using a small scoop or pipping bag, pour batter into cupcake papers, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, rotating cupcakes once during cooking. Cupcakes are done when slightly springy to the touch, and when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating.


Citrus buttercream frosting

4oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (2oz) butter, softened
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
lemon, lime or other citrus fruits
Food coloring (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add juice of one lemon (or other citrus), careful to avoid seeds. Combine, adding more sugar to reach desired consistency. Add several drops of food coloring, if desired.

To fill, carefully cut out a piece of the center of each cupcake after cooling, and fill with frosting. You can replace the "cap" of your cutout if desired. Frost the top of each cupcake using a large, flat knife or spreader, or with a pipping bag.


Thoughts and Observations: You certainly don't have to "fill" these - it's a bit of extra work, and the frosting is rich enough without adding more. But it makes a nice presentation and surprise on the first bite.

I realize my frosting recipe is kinda basic - frostings are next on my list to experiment with (before research, I had no idea a lot of frostings had heat involved at any step - color me surprised). Play around with it, remembering that you can always thin it out with milk, and thicken it up with powdered sugar. You can also go all butter and no cream cheese - I just happened to have some handy, and like the taste. Purists might be blowing a gasket at all this, but they can yell on their own food blogs. I added yellow color purely for show. I didn't do it for these pictures, but a garnish of finely grated lemon rind would round these out nicely. 

I'm not on a diet.

That said, I'm watching what I eat, and try to keep between-meal snacking, overly fatty food, and caloric pitfalls to a "healthy" minimum. I've maintained my weight well over the last few months, and I'm approaching 200lbs for the first time since high school.

Enter real life. Between a busy weekend, my mom moving, my car breaking down, having a two year old and a host of other things, I found myself going out to eat an inordinate number of times. When I did eat at home, it was a quick meal, and not always well thought out. So even though I'm not on a diet, I've done a hell of a job this week in making sure I eat pretty poorly.

What's a guy to do? Eat soup. I've never been one for purifying, detoxification, or flushing out my body - it'll do that itself when you give it the right foods. And since I'm predicting the rest of the week could be as busy as the first half, I figure I might as well have something easy, tasty, and healthy to grab. For me, it's this very simple to make, very cheap, and very tasty veggie soup.

Simple Veggie Soup

1 can (14.5oz) tomatoes, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced thin
6-8 oz mushrooms, any variety, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
water
salt, pepper and other spices, to taste

Place tomatoes and juice into large pot on medium high heat. Add vegetables, then add enough water to just cover them. Cook on medium high for 45-50 minutes, until all vegetables are cooked through. Add salt, pepper and any other spices you like, to taste. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with crusty bread.

Thoughts and Observations: Just like with the Shepard's Pie below, feel free to add any veggies you have handy to this soup - peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, beans etc. Make sure you add enough salt - there's no reason the soup has to be bland just because it's all vegetables. Enjoy!

Even in my meat-eating days, I wasn't ever that fond of corned beef and cabbage. I'm pretty sure it wasn't due to my mom's rendition, as I tended to like her meat dishes. I just never found anything special about the dish.

Once I turned vegetarian, corned beef was, of course, out, and I preferred my cabbage in salads or Asian preparations. But it's still nice to have something vaguely Irish for the holiday, and shepherd's pie fits the bill.

In our household, shepherd's pie is the "use up what needs using" dish - we throw just about any vegetables in, top with mashed potatoes, and bake. I've never been one for adding fake ground beef or other veggie meat alternatives, but they tend to work well in a dish like this.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

3-4 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons butter or oil
2-3 carrots, chopped or sliced
8oz mushrooms (any variety), sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 head broccoli, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
4oz mushroom gravy
4oz milk or cream
salt and pepper

Peel and cube potatoes, and boil for 15 minutes on high heat, or until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare all other vegetable ingredients, and place into a large saucepan with the butter or oil. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms and onions are cooked through.  Add mushroom gravy to vegetable mix, stirring to coat the vegetables. Remove potatoes from water and mash, slowly adding milk until they reach desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350F, and move vegetable mixture to oven-safe, high-walled dish (8x8x4 works well, as does a loaf pan). Add mashed potato mixture on top, covering the surface of the vegetables. Cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes develop a slight golden brown crust. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.

This recipe can easily be adapted to suit your taste. Try using mixed Asian style mushrooms (fresh, dried or frozen), substitute any of the vegetables for what you have on hand (eggplant and squash would both work well), or add flavorings or cheese to your mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Long before Congress decided to recognize it, I gathered non-math geek friends together every March 14th for good conversation and good pi(e). In the years since those first small gatherings, my annual Pi Day celebration has grown to include St. Patrick's Day in a mid-March extravaganza of baked goods and green beer.

Even with my love of all things pi, pie, and baking, I'm not a big fan of actually making and rolling out my own pie crust - It's intimidating, and there are several nice companies that make them for me. Luckily pie crust is one of those things that can be made vegan by default (instead of requiring adaptation), and several commercially available products are. My favorite is Marie Callender's frozen crust - cheap, easy to use, and completely animal-product free (until you fill it up with something creamy, that is).

On that topic, below is my award-winning vanilla cream cheesecake pie recipe. I'm lazy today, so I'm going to copy/paste the two-pie amounts below, but you can halve it if one is enough for you. Enjoy!


Michael's Vanilla Cream Cheesecake Pie

2 9-inch pie shells or graham cracker crusts
1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups whole milk
10oz no-bake cheesecake filling (or 8oz cream cheese combined with 1/2 cup sugar)
8-10 vanilla cookies

Whipped topping

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla


Directions

Bake and cool pie shells, if needed.

Prepare pudding/pie filling as directed on box, mixing pudding powder with 2 1/2 cups whole milk. Whisk two minutes. Stir in prepared no-bake cheesecake filling, whisk until mostly smooth (about 1 minute). Add 1/2 of pie filling to each shell and refrigerate for 10-30 minutes.

To make topping, add sugar and vanilla to heavy cream in a large mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer, whip for 3-4 minutes, until mixture holds soft peaks when beaters are removed. Smooth over the cooled pies using a large spoon or spatula, or pipe on using a piping bag. In a plastic zip-top bag, crush vanilla cookies by hand into small pieces, and sprinkle cookie pieces over pies.

Happy Pi(e) Day!

A few years ago, I posted this to Insignifica, noting that I wanted to put it somewhere I wouldn't lose it. I figure my new food blog is as good as any other place.

This is my adaptation of my mom's tomato sauce. This sauce really is all about the tomatoes, so buy the best. You should use canned instead of fresh here, but go for something high quality - I prefer plum tomatoes for texture, body, and flavor. If your tomatoes aren't salted in the can, you're gonna want to increase the amount you add to the sauce. Total cooking time is at least an hour, but I often let it go all afternoon (3-6 hours) to let all the flavors meld.

I usually serve it over thin spaghetti, with a high sauce-to-pasta ratio (tradition be damned - I'm an American, and I like sauce). As listed, it's almost vegan - just cook your mushrooms in oil instead of butter, and you're set. Top with your favorite cheese (I've been using mizithra, grated over the top - I still haven't found a good Parmesan Reggiano that doesn't use animal rennet), and enjoy.


Mom's tomato sauce

Ingredients

2 28oz cans whole or crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoons Italian seasonings (premixed Italian seasoning, or a combination of basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme or rosemary, to taste).
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 small white onion, diced
8-12oz white mushrooms, sliced or chunked
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste


Directions

In a large pot, simmer tomatoes on medium heat. If whole, crush first with a potato masher or with your hands, making sure to remove all skins. Add olive oil, then Italian spices. Allow sauce to simmer for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a medium saucepan, heat butter or oil on medium heat. Add onions, and cook for 4-5 minutes before adding mushrooms. Once this mixture is mostly cooked (onions should be clear, and mushrooms should have given off a fair amount of moisture) reduce heat to low and add garlic. Cook for another 3-5 minutes then stir into sauce.

Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. After cooking for an hour total, the sauce is ready to be served over your favorite pasta. Sauce can also be prepared ahead of time and reheated.

I made cupcakes. Again.

It's not that cupcakes are my only trick, it's that they're easier to handle and decorate than cakes, bake more quickly, easier to give away, and easier to eat. I'm thinking those factors are the driving force behind the cupcake's surge in popularity lately. Whatever it is, I'm deep in it.

I've been craving carrot cake for a while - dense, rich, spicy, and much more substantial than most other cakes. I've found it's also one of those "I don't like cake, but..." type desserts - it stands out for people. I didn't have a good recipe, so I went with Alton Brown's overly fussy take, and it turned out pretty well. As directed, I didn't include any nuts or raisins, but I may next time - they still turned out really well.

As you can see, I also went a little wacky with the decorating. Instead of pipping a carrot onto the frosting, I used a triangle stencil and homemade orange powdered sugar to apply the designs. I then capped the carrots with green sugar crystals, and both the orange and green "melted" into the frosting, creating an interesting effect. A little messy, but not bad for my first such attempt. Recipes and instructions are below.

Also! If you'd like one, I'm going to be somewhere I can give them away on Tuesday, March 10. Watch for more details, or email me for more info!


Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe here.

12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour
12 ounces grated carrots, fine grate (approximately 6 medium)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 fluid ounces plain yogurt
6 fluid ounces vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the grated carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add this mixture to the grated carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour. Work the carrot mixture with your fingers to get out any large carrot clumps.

In another bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt, and mix until combined. While mixing, drizzle in the vegetable oil. When integrated, pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into cupcake pans (use cupcake wrappers for best results, otherwise liberally grease pan) and fill to 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate in your oven, then bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center (or a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean). Allow to cool completely before decorating.




Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
1-2 ounces unsalted butter (1/4 to 1/2 stick), room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter (I use a stand mixer, a hand mixer would work fine, as would a large fork, though your arm may never forgive you) until just blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and beat until smooth. Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.


Sugar Decorations

There are a lot of ways to do this - I used the ingredients I had handy. You could use orange sugar crystals, all granulated sugar with red and yellow (or orange) food coloring, or any other tricks you know. The important parts are adding enough granulated sugar to remove excess moisture, and blending until fine).

1/8 cup red sugar crystals
Yellow food coloring
1/4-1/2 cup white granulated sugar
X-acto or art knife
Small, thin piece of cardboard (larger than a cupcake - 2"x2" or bigger)
Green sugar crystals to garnish

In a small container, combine red sugar crystals with 10-20 drops of yellow food coloring, and stir in completely. Add granulated sugar and combine until desired color is reached (adding more food coloring and white sugar as needed). When no longer wet, put mixture into a food processor or small mixer, and blend, pulsing and shaking caked sugar down into the blades. Final product should resemble superfine sugar.

Using a small art knife, cut a triangle hole in the cardboard to desired size to make a carrot stencil. Hold stencil over frosted cupcake and dust orange sugar to make a design on the cupcake. Sprinkle a few green sugar crystals on top of triangle to finish the carrot. Sugar colors will "bleed" slightly over time.

Thoughts and Observations: The cupcakes are dense, so you might want to reduce the temp to 325 and bake a little longer - mine browned slightly on the bottom. I didn't include raisin or nuts, but there would be no harm in doing so. If you like a spicier cake, I think you could easily double (or more) the amount of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. I find I have pretty good results when weighing ingredients instead of just using volume measurements, but either way should work. I do contend that a kitchen scale is the best tool I never knew I needed until I had one. More process shots (and larger versions of the above pictures) of the cupcakes are available here.

You know, for being called "Tofu Fighting Dot Com", I don't write much about tofu. I blame this partially on my recent obsession with baking - well, baking cakes, cookies, and other things that don't require tofu, that is.

I do like tofu, however, and in a lot of forms. As a generic "meat replacer" in savory dishes, it often does the job. Baked, seasoned and thinly sliced (usually bought from the store pre-made like this), it's one of my favorite ramen additions and sandwich toppings. In soup, it works great just boiled along with everything else.

The reason this comes up (and why it's on my mind) is that I also love sneaky uses of tofu. For example, tonight's stuffed shells with mushrooms and tomato sauce has 1/3 block of the stuff, mixed finely with the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. I've found it adds an interesting nutty flavor while cutting fat and calories in the dish.


Sneaky Tofu and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

8 - 12 large "stuffing shell" pastas
2 - 4oz tofu (any firmness)
4 - 6oz ricotta cheese
6oz mozzarella, grated
1 - 3 teaspoons salt
Italian spices, fresh or dry, to taste
1 egg
Tomato, cream or other pasta sauce, jarred or fresh.
1oz Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Prepare filling, below, while they're cooking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using your hands, mash the tofu in a large bowl until it has a uniform fine consistency. To the tofu, add ricotta and 4oz of the mozzarella cheese and mix with Italian spices (dry "Italian Spices" are fine, or add fresh basil, finely chopped) to taste. Add salt as needed. Add egg and combine into mixture.

Prepare a non-stick or glass bread loaf pan or small baking dish with a thin layer of your preferred sauce. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water until you can handle it. Using a spoon, fill each shell with the cheese and tofu mixture - overflowing a bit is fine -  and place the stuffed shells (open side down) into the baking dish. When finished, cover the shells with more of your sauce, then top with Parmesan and remainder of mozzarella cheese.

Bake, covered (with foil or glass lid), for 35-40 minutes at 425 degrees, or until sauce is bubbling on the inside walls of the dish. Uncover and cook 5-10 more minutes, until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Cool 5 minutes, plate and enjoy! Serves 2-4.

Thoughts and Observations: You can use whatever sauce you like, and add whatever else you enjoy to either the stuffing mix or the pan. I love mushrooms, so I usually sauté a large batch (4-8 oz) along with my pasta dishes. Spinach, garlic and onions all work very well. I also enjoy mixing sauces with this (and all baked pastas) - try a layer of tomato on the bottom and top it with something creamy. 

If you were to have asked me about Mardi Gras 10 years ago, my likely response would have been "meh". I just didn't care - out here in California there aren't any big parades, I'm not Catholic, and no one I knew "celebrated" it in any way.

Enter Tori.

In college I met a lot of people, but not one more obsessed with all things "Fat Tuesday" than Tori. Masks, beads, Carnaval, king cake - the whole nine yards. Slowly I was turned from someone who didn't care into someone who loved one more reason to celebrate life and party down.

In the last few years, my celebration has evolved from "just another party" to a full blown southern feast, with vegetarian versions of southern favorites, including jambalaya, greens, corn bread, grits, drinks like hurricanes and juleps, and the aforementioned king cake. It's a simple recipe, and decorated it really stands out and makes a great centerpiece.

King Cake - Traditional New Orleans Recipe
(From Tori)

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees - not boiling)
2 tablespoons (or packages) active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups flour, unsifted
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup warm milk
5 egg yolks
1 stick butter cut into slices and softened, plus 2 tablespoons more softened butter
1 egg slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1" plastic baby doll, plastic coin, or other trinket

Directions

Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl, and sprinkle in yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm place for ten minutes, or until yeast bubbles up. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl. Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk. Add egg yolks and, using a wooden spoon, slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture. When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons softened butter (1 tablespoon at a time) and continue to beat 2 minutes, or until dough can be formed into a medium-soft ball. If you have a bread machine or stand mixer, you can combine ingredients using the method you prefer.

Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread. While kneading, sprinkle up to 1 cup more of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) over the dough. When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic. The dough should hold together, not be sticky, but not be overly floury or stiff either.

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter. Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover bowl with a moderately thick kitchen towel and place in a draft-free spot for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume.

Using your pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside. Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Punch dough down, and re-knead to form a ball. Form dough ball into a cylinder, about 1 1/2 to 2 feet long, and form it into a large circular or oblong ring on the baking sheet. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Place ring in draft-free spot for 45 minutes, or until the circle of dough doubles in volume.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush top and sides (including inside) of dough with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown, careful not to overcook. Cool on wire rack. If desired, you can hide the plastic baby or other trinket in the cake at this time.


Icing

1 box (16oz) powdered sugar, or just under 4cups
1/2 cup to 1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Food coloring to make yellow, green and purple icing
Sugar, for garnish

Pour sugar into a large bowl, add vanilla, then slowly add milk until sugar is incorporated. Icing should resemble very thick paste and be a similar consistency - if too thin, add more powdered sugar. Otherwise, it won't stick well to the cake.

Once mixed to desired consistency, separate icing into three parts (use glass bowls or disposable plastic cups). Color each small batch with approximately 20-25 drops of coloring, ratios per directions on box. Colors should be very bright and vivid. Usually Yellow and Green are included. For purple, combine 15 drop red and 10 drops blue. Pour colored icing onto cooled cake, alternating colors as desired. To garnish, combine 1 tablespoon sugar with small amount of food coloring, and mix in a very small container with a toothpick until desired share is reached. Apply to appropriate section of cake.

Notes and observations: After writing all that out, I realized that when I said "simple" above, I mean for people have some experience baking. If separating eggs, proofing dough, and mixing your own icing colors seem daunting (they were to me when I started baking), come back to this recipe when you're ready.

You can ice the cake on a baker's rack so the excess drips into oblivion - I happen to think, however, that the pooled icing is both a) delicious and b) neat-looking when it comes together on the pan. But it's your cake.

The bready nature of this cake means that it won't do well sitting out for long - don't bake it more than a day before you plan on eating it. You'll also want to decorate it just a few hours before you serve it - that gives the icing time to set some, but not enough to get hard. The cake goes well with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream to balance textures. Enjoy!

I wasn't planning on making more cupcakes this week, but the tiny little cupcake tins I found at the store inspired me. I decided also to finally try the "madeira" recipe from my cake decorating book. It was simpler than most of the rest, and looked good and standard (though it turned out a little dry).

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Cupcakes:
1 cup (two sticks) butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and beat together. Add vanilla. Combine remaining dry ingredients, and add, about one quarter at a time, to wet ingredients until combined. Stir in peanut butter until mixed.

If making cakes, add batter to one 9"x13" pan, or two 8" or 9" round pans, and bake for 35-45 minutes, until done (cake is done when a toothpick or knife stuck in the thickest part comes out clean). For cupcakes, fill papers 2/3rds full and bake 12-18 minutes, depending on size. Remove and let cool before frosting.


Frosting:

1 stick butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1/2 cup (or more) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate syrup or milk, to taste/desired consistency

In a large bowl, use electric mixer to combine sugar and cocoa powder until integrated. Add vanilla. If thicker frosting is desired, add more sugar; if thinner, add chocolate syrup or milk. Using a knife or pastry bag, apply frosting to top of cakes or cupcakes.

I had 36 mini papers, and enough batter left over to make eight "regular" size cupcakes (each about 4x larger than the minis), so the total yield here is between 60 and 72 mini, or 15-18 regular sized cupcakes.

Thoughts and Advice: I found the cupcakes very good, but a little dry. They weren't at all crumbly, but they didn't stick to the wrappers (paper or foil) and didn't have the moistness I was looking for. If I made them again, I might use oil instead of butter in the batter, or splash in some milk. I also found the thick batter very difficult to handle at first (It wouldn't drop in cleanly with a spoon), so on my girlfriend's advice, I made a makeshift pastry bag and that worked fantastically. I garnished some of the cupcakes with crushed peanuts and/or a half peanut stuck in the frosting, and that looked nice and let people know what they were in for. If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear how it comes out!