RAW Artist Showcase: Oodles of Cupcakes

Last Thursday I was showcased for "Cupcake Art" at RAW San Jose's Mixology event. I had a great time, sold a bunch of cupcakes, and got a ton of feedback, ranged from pleased with my little cakes to downright enthralled (Do note, some of my fans had had several drinks. Still.) I've already blogged about my Rose Cheery cupcakes here and my Earl Grey and Chrysanthemum Peach cupcakes here, so I'll focus this entry on the new-comers.




After all that testing of fruit and florals, I was really craving something chocolate-y. My first impulse was to make half of the rose cherry cupcakes into chocolate rose cherry cupcakes, which I did.


All you need to do to make them chocolate is substitute 1/3-1/4 of the flour in the original recipe with cocoa powder and continue baking as usual. (So 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cocoa powder for a small batch).




But I wanted something else even more deeply chocolate and decadent. I settled for mocha cupcakes with a layer of chocolate caramel. I based the recipe on this one on Bakingdom, but I tweaked it a bit. She has you brew 2 cups of coffe and add cocoa powder, but I have some delicious Godiva Chocolate Truffle coffee that I wanted to use instead. Since the original cook felt that the coffee flavor didn't come through as strongly as she'd hoped, I made my coffe extra strong.

 So for my version of Mocha Caramel Cupcakes:
(makes 24 cupcakes)

Fill coffee filter with:

3 generous tablespoons Godiva coffee (or another chocolate-y blend)

Pour boiling water through it over a measuring bowl until the liquid reaches the 2 cup level. Then stir in:

1 1/5 packets instant Columbian coffee (or your preferred blend, just be sure it's strong)

Put the coffe in the fridge to cool and sift together:
2 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt


And cream in the mixer:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar




Add:

3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Alternate adding the coffee mixture and the flour mixture to the mixer, mixing each time until just incorporated and ending with flour. 

I poured my batter into a cupcake tin that I greased with shortening because I wanted to slice them in half and layer with the chocolate caramel sauce (which I didn't have time to make, and bought - Archer Farms brand). You can do it that way or bake as usual with cupcake liners. Regardless, bake for 20-23 minutes at 350 degrees. Sadly, I accidentally didn't get any close up photos of the finished products, but you can catch a glimpse at the end of this post, and here are the finished cakes.

Now, for my final cupcake, as some of you might know, I wanted to do a Jasmine Fig Cupcake. I adore the scent of jasmine, and love to bike around town during the summer, catching whiffs of it here and there, so I would have loved to capture it in a cupcake, unfortunately, none of my methods were successful and so I fell back on the tried and true lavender. These were delicious and sold out, just like my Lavender Honey Cupcakes last month.

Lavender Raspberry Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes):

First, I wanted to make lavender sugar, a fairly easy process. In the food processor, combine:
1/2 cup sugar

2 heaping tbsp dried lavender

You may need to pick out bits of lavender that didn't get fully ground.


You also want to crush:
1/3 cup raspberries

And cook them in a saucepan with a bit of sugar in order to evaporate away some of the water. I even added a little cornstarch (like, in 1/4 tsp increments) to thicken things up. I then put that in the fridge to cool while I prepared my batter.


Now we can use the lavender sugar with the recipe. Cream together:
1 cup butter
1/2 lavender sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar

Add:
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Sift:
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

Alternate adding the flour mixture and 1 cup milk to the mixing bowl, mixing until just incorporated and ending with the flour. Then fold in the raspberry mixture. Pour into a baking tin and cook for 20-23 minutes at 350 degree.

Baked and frosted!

My final recipe is the tasty frosting I used on the cupcakes that I didn't use super fancy piping techniques for (the lavender raspberries above is one of them):

Pour into the mixing bowl:
1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding powder
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Mix it all on low speed for a minute or two, then bump up to medium high speed. Continue to mix for 6 or 7 minutes, or until the consistency is somewhat stiff. This frosting will not be as stiff as butter cream, but you can pipe it out into nice little blobs on top of your cupcakes, especially if you let it sit for 15 minutes or so in the fridge. If it sits out for awhile, it will droop a bit, especially if you haven't let it sit in the fridge. For my show, since they were sitting out, I frosted them in the morning, let them sit in the fridge for most of the day, then took them out at night and they held up pretty well.



The other cool thing about this frosting is that you can add things too it. I added food color to get the lavender shade and added lemon juice and zest to the frosting for the Earl Grey Cupcakes. This can make the frosting a bit less stiff, so beware :)

Pictures from the event!

Business Time

If you're here because you picked up my card at RAW Mixology, welcome! 

You perhaps are interested in what I do and if I could possibly make you tasty food to eat and serve to your guests. I can! 

This blog has been primarily for fun and not for business, and will likely stay that way. However, you can flip through and enjoy what I am all about and get ideas about the sorts of things I do. Know that I am always experimenting with flavors and love to try new things :)

A word on pricing. All of the cupcakes at the event were $2 to make things easier, but typically I need to charge $2.50 ($30 per dozen) for "regular" cupcakes (yellow, chocolate, mocha, etc - basic flavors that don't require expensive ingredients) and $3-$3.50 ($36-$42 per dozen) for "fancy" cupcake (cupcakes with fruit in them, or another ingredient that is a bit pricey for me).

If you liked the cupcake you sampled at the event and want me to bake for your wedding, birthday, bar mitzvah, funeral, etc or if you are just thinking you'd like someone to bake desserts for you for no reason at all, shoot me an e-mail at emily.knight7@gmail.com. I'd love to talk baking with you!

Another Cupcake Test: Rose Cherry Cupcakes

Rosebuds! Pretty, but not necessarily tasty!

I worked on another recipe for my exhibit in the RAW Mixology Showcase last night: Rose Cherry Cupcakes. These were delicious; far more delicious than the ones I tried to make last week with dried rosebuds. 

Luckily, the International Gourmet Market had a whole three choices on what brand of rosewater I wanted to use. It was by far the largest rosewater selection I have yet encountered, plus the market was full of other delightful products, like grape leaves for dolmas and Turkish Delight for tummy aches.

Rose Cherry Cupcake Recipe 

(makes 10 cupcakes)

Like before, I began by prepping my fruit. I pitted 30 cherries and diced them until I had a pile of fairly small cherry chunks.

Then, I put them in a saucepan over low heat. I poured in some simple syrup to taste (probably a little less than a 1/4 cup) and about 2 tsp rose water. I let them cook and get soft and a bit syrupy in the pan for a bit, then let them cool to the side.




While they cooled, I whipped in the mixer:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar

When they were creamy, I added:
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut milk


Then I sifted:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Add the flour mixture, bit by bit, to the butter, sugar, egg mixture already in the bowl. Mix until just combined.

Add:
2 tsp rosewater
Your cooked cherries

to the batter and swirl with a toothpick so the colors are lovely and swirled but not completely combined.

Pour into a baking tin and bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes.

Yum!

I also frosted the little guys with a tasty whipped cream frosting! I love this recipe because it is not too sweet and you can decorate with it AND it will stay relatively firm even if it sits out on a warm day, as long as it's not in direct sunlight. Perfect! It even stood up to my food coloring, as my frosting color powders haven't come in the mail yet. What a strong little guy I cooked up!

Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe
(makes 2 1/2 cups)

Mix:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla (I used rose water instead)

Do this until it is completely white and doubled in size (10 min)

Leave the mixer on and pour in:
1/4 cup whipping cream

Mix for another 2-4 minutes and add:
1/4 cup confectioners sugar! Yes, only 1/4 and it'll be stiff enough! Hooray!

Incorporate that and you're done!

So tasty and pretty!

In other news, I got my business cards in the mail today! They are so cute and delightful! Hopefully someone needs some tasty treats for a wedding, birthday party, or bar mitzvah soon ^.^

Cupcake Test: Earl Grey and Chrysanthemum Peach

In preparation for my cupcake art exhibit at RAW Mixology, I tested out some new recipes last night - Earl Grey Cupcakes and Chrysanthemum Peach cupcakes. I've been really interested in infusing tea in my cupcakes, so these two recipes experiment with that idea.

By the way, if you're in the San Jose area and free on the evening of Thursday the 26th, check out the Mixology show by buying a ticket here. I benefit and you get a free cupcake, as well as access to tons of sweet visual art exhibits, 2 bands, and a fashion show! 

Now, on to the recipes!

I've read several different methods about how to use tea in cakes, and most folks agree that you get the best flavor by brewing the tea in the butter you plan to use. So that's what I did for the Earl Grey Cupcakes. While I was doing it, I was unsure. I mixture smelled tasty, but it smelled more like butter than it did like tea, and when I tasted the batter, I felt the same. Even after I cooked the cupcakes, I wasn't sure it was the flavor I wanted - but I left them to rest and tried them again today, and now I am convinced that they are delicious and definitely Earl Grey tasting and not butter tasting. The trick, I suppose is to not taste the batter before cooking (!), as it will ruin your impression. I've also heard that keeping the butter hot but not boiling (and definitely don't let it brown) is helpful, so I'll be more careful about that during the next batch.

Earl Grey Cupcake Recipe (makes 1 dozen)

To infuse the butter:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 

6 bags of Earl Grey tea 

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Cut open the tea bags and pour the tea leaves into the just-melted butter. Keep the heat low and butter simmering for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove from heat and let cool. When it isn't so hot that it will burn you, strain the leaves out. I found that my Earl Grey was so finely ground that I needed to use a coffee filter, though a mesh trainer might work for you. I did have to squish and squeeze the filter to get as much butter as I wanted out, so watch out for that (that's why you want to let it cool).

My tea-straining system

Meanwhile, whip in a mixer:

2 egg yolks (save the whites)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup brown sugar

Add:
1/2 cup milk

And sift in a separate bowl:

1 1/2 cup cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the tea-infused butter to the egg-and-sugar mixture until everything is just combined. 

Beat
2 egg whites
1/4 cup white sugar

until the mixture is foamy and starts to form very soft peaks. Carefully fold it in to the batter, until just incorporated. This will give them a nice lightness that's perfect for tea flavors. 

 Pour the batter into your cupcake tin and bake for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees.

I'll be frosting all of these test cupcakes tomorrow or Thursday, and I imagine a lemon honey frosting will be perfect for these little guys. Pictures to follow!

~~~

I used the second favorite tea-infusing technique for the Chrysanthemum Peach Cupcakes and I think it worked perfectly! This technique has you brew the tea in warm milk, which may or may not be used in your recipe of choice. It's said to produce a more mild tea flavor, which works perfectly for these cupcakes, as chrysanthemum is a mild tea. Rest assured, though, you can definitely taste and appreciate it in every bite of these cupcakes.

Chrysanthemum Peach Cupcake Recipe 

(makes 9 cupcakes - I made such a little batch as a test)

To start out, you want to prepare your peaches. I used Saturn Peaches because 1) they are awesome looking and 2) they happened to be ripe, but you can use whatever variety you prefer. 

Wash and cut three peaches into 1/2 inch pieces and roast them in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes (I placed mine on parchment paper, so they didn't stick). 

As they cook you can infuse your milk.

Heat in a saucepan:

1/4 cup coconut milk*

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tbsp chrysanthemum tea leaves

Be careful the milk stays warm but not scalding and stir frequently for 15 minutes. After that, let is sit and cool for a bit, then strain the leaves out with a mesh strainer.

*A word on the milk: I like coconut milk a lot, and it's what was in my fridge. You can certainly do this with regular milk, but I would suggest not using whole milk, as it is more creamy and milky tasting - you want the tea to be able to shine through)

As that cools, begin to prepare your batter.

Cream in a mixer:

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter

1 egg

Sift in a separate bowl:

3/4 cup cake flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the strained milk to the batter and mix until everything is just incorporated. 

*At this point, I tasted the batter and was unsure if the tea flavor was coming through enough, so I filled some of the cupcake liners with the batter, then added a bit of the tea leaves to the rest of the batter and filled the remaining liners with that. The resulting cupcakes tasted slightly more chrysanthemum-y after I added a bit of the leaves, and since the leaves were so thoroughly wet and saturated with milk, you didn't notice them in the cupcakes. So if you want to mix in about half the leaves into the batter before cooking, go for it. I should say, though, that either way, the cupcakes have a distinctly chrysanthemum taste.

Finally, fold in the roasted peach pieces and pour the batter into the cupcake tin, cooking for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

The finished cakes! (Chrysanthemum Peach in foreground, Early Grey in background)

Stay tuned for my next experiment: Rose Cherry cupcakes!

And, of course, the thrilling frosting finale!

Nectarine and Boysenberry Sorbet + Fairyland

Cooking!

Yesterday was a magical day at the Farmers' Market - not only did we find cheese curds for poutine (it was Canada Day, after all), but I learned what boysenberries were.

Most people, I think, have some faint awareness about the existence of boysenberries, but don't know what they are like, probably picturing some tiny, very tart berry that no one really uses except elderly people whose taste buds have reached a sad state of decline where they enjoy that sort of thing and like to bake delicious looking pies and eat them in front of the grandkids, who won't, on principle, eat anything that is fruit and is not sweet.

But most people (i.e. me) would be wrong. They are delicious! A hybrid of raspberries and blackberries, they embody the best of each - they keep the bumbly texture of blackberries and the sweetness and tartness of both berries combines in a epic symphony and they are adorable and you really should just go out and get some.


 Anyway, upon discovering their excellent characteristics, Joe and I decided to add them to out nectarine sorbet plans for the evening. We picked out some tasty yellow nectarines and a bit of mint and got to work.

Ice cream making is pretty straight-forward, especially with the truly wonderful KitchenAid stand mixer attachment that Joe got me for graduation. We leave it in the freezer all the time (you need it in there for at least 25 hours before making your ice cream) and take it out when it's time to go.



Nectarine Boysenberry Recipe

6 yellow nectarines, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
1 generous cup boysenberries
3/8 cup water
1 handful mint, chopped







Your first step is to put the nectarines, boysenberries, mint, and water in the food processor until it is nice and pureed. At this point, you may want to do a taste test to make sure the ratio is to your liking. We had pretty sweet nectarines, so this was the perfect sweet/tart blend for us.


Once processed, you want to push the mixture through a mesh strainer, to get any seeds, skin, or pulp out, for maximum creaminess.

Here is the result of the straining, a cream, homogenous mixture. We put it through in batches, scooping the pulpy remains into a jar to use as jam later and rinsing off the strainer in between batches. This helped us get the most creamy mixture at the end and made the process easier. We did about three batches.






At this point, you want to put the container in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or the freezer for about 3 or 4. Your goal is to get the mixture good and cold so it will freeze easily when you mix it. If you choose the freezer method, be sure to give it a stir every 30 to 45 minutes or so, to let it freeze uniformly.





After we took it out of the freezer, we added a bit of simple syrup that we had chilling in the fridge, probably 1/4 cup sugar dissolved in 1/4 water. Totally optional - the fruit is already sweet enough!

When it's cold enough, set up the freezer bowl on your stand mixer, following the instruction guide. Turn the mixer on the lowest setting and pour your mixture in as the paddle turns. Let it mix in there for about 10 minutes, then pour it into an airtight container and let it    
                                          freeze up the rest of the way for at least an hour or two before serving

Take it out, scoop, garnish, and enjoy!

**Thanks to Joe and Amalia for doing lots of work for this ice cream <3**

Reading!

I'm going to be much more diligent and elaborate with my reading recommendations, guys, starting... now!

Recently, I finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. Running with the theme of this post, it too was a graduation gift, from a friend who knows me well enough to stick the subtitle "The Emily Knight Story" on the book's cover with scrap-booking sticker letters.

It really was my kind of story. Fairyland, in all its disturbing manifestations, is my preferred setting and children/YA fantasy fiction is my preferred genre, at this moment. This story did not disappoint.

The plot follows a little girl named September, who lives in Nebraska. On page two, the Green Wind arrives and says, "You seem like an ill-tempered and irascible enough child. How would you like to come away with me?" Which September, of course, does without a second thought.

As a main character, September is everything a ravished child (in the G-rated sense of the word) should be: at times petulant and ill-tempered, at times frightened and wishing for home, at times brave and selfless, and above all, constantly curious. Though she is enjoyable to follow, my favorite character was the narrator and her voice, as she interjected the story often with her snarky and dramatic commentary.

September's adventures form a series of loosely connected vignettes, at least during the first half of the novel, during which she encounters characters so numerous that one must make use of the dramatis personae at the beginning of the book. Valente raises the stakes more towards the end, however, as a Wyverary (his mother was a Wyvern, his father a Library) named A-Through-L and a Marid called Saturday join September and the three must face the dreaded Marquess, who is terrible, but has a very nice hat.

The novel is full of classical allusions and reads like previous delightful romps through fairyland; Oz and Wonderland come to mind. Though I enjoyed that aspect of the novel, I occasionally felt a lack of purpose and development. That aspect came in to play, however, when September meets the Marquess and is compelled to complete a task for her. Seeing the Marquess as a foil for September and seeing September veer from what both she and the readers see as the "typical" fairyland plot was refreshing and gave the novel greater depth. The climax was suitably complex and thoughtful and embodied something I wish I saw more often in fairyland fiction: rather than rejecting fairyland for the real world, September (and the novel as a whole) says "yes to magic," as Valente puts it in an interview. It's about "seeing a new world, a new way of living and embracing it instead of turning away." I whole-heartedly recommend this novel for anyone enamored by magical children's lit and look forward to the sequel!

~Out!~