Jennifer's Birthday! Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes, Blackberry Lavender Cupcakes, and Mint Julep Cupcakes

A couple weekends ago was my dear friend Jennifer's birthday. She asked me to make some cupcakes for her backyard BBQ party and picked two past favorites: Lavender Raspberry Cupcakes and Mint Julep Cupcakes. She wasn't sure what she wanted for a third flavor, though, so she had me come up with suggestions. I thought a peanut butter chocolate would be good, but when I remembered a tupperware full of already peeled hazelnuts that had been waiting for me in the freezer, I knew it had to be chocolate hazelnut.

Side note: Hazelnuts are my absolute favorite nut flavor and they also happen to be ridiculously obnoxious to peel. That is where the freezer comes in handy; you can get all that peeling over with and freeze them to use in the future, when you want a hazelnut-y treat NOW.

As is my way, I poked around Pinterest to find a recipe that incorporated a lot of different hazelnut flavoring opportunities. I found this lovely recipe from the Food Network website, called Tall, Dark, and Handsome Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes. It included in its ingredients list Frangelico (hazelnut liquor), Nutella, and whole hazelnuts. I substituted hazelnut extract for vanilla extract and called it a day.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

All my hazelnut products!

(makes about 28 cupcakes)

First, cream in the mixer:
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar

Add, one at a time:
3 eggs

Then add:
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp hazelnut extract (or vanilla extract)






In a new bowl, whisk together until combined:
1 cup Frangelico
1 cup cocoa powder

In a third bowl, sift together:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Alternate pouring the contents of these last two bowls into the mixer, beating each time until everything is just incorporated. You should begin and end with the flour. Set the bowl aside and prepare your filling.

I tried pouring a bit of batter in, then adding the filling, but
that burnt the filling slightly. Try filling the cupcake liners,
then pushing the filling balls in so they sit in the center.

For the filling, you want to run through the food processer:
1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts (peeled)

Then, you want to mix the ground hazelnuts with
1/3 cup Nutella
2 tbsp Franglico

At this point, the filling should be a consistency that you can pick up and roll into a ball with your hands. Roll about 28 balls and they should be the perfect size. Feel free to make them bigger or smaller to your preference.

Prepare a cupcake tin and pour the batter 3/4 of the way to the top. Then place a ball in the middle of each cupcake tin. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

I used my favorite vanilla cream frosting recipe, mixed with Nutella, to frost them.

Nutella Vanilla Cream Frosting 

(frosts ~24 cupcakes)

Beat until stiff:

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup instand vanilla pudding mix

Then mix in: 

2/3 cup Nutella

Let cupcakes cool, then pipe on frosting. Refrigerate the cupcakes after frosting to ensure the frosting stays somewhat stiff.

Though you can find my recipe for Lavender Raspberry Cupcakes through the link above, I wanted to take some picture of the Lavender Blackberry Cupcakes I made for the party. Same recipe, just blackberries instead of raspberries. 

Strawberry Basil Creamsicles and Game of Thrones

Cooking!



We've been having a delightful time with our little Ikea popsicle molds and the delicious, fresh, summertime fruits that are available to us these last few months. Yesterday at the Farmer's Market, there were some tasty, organic strawberries, three baskets for $5. We brought them home and have been enjoying them in smoothies, with Nutella, and, of course, as popsicles.

I've also been really excited by the sweet/savory flavor combinations that are popping up (haha no pun intended) now with sweet fruits and herbs. Strawberry basil is one of these combinations, so I thought we would put some of our budding basil plant in the mix, and Joe wanted to add some heavy cream for a creamy element. We had half a lemon too, so we threw in some lemon juice, and some honey to sweeten them.




Strawberry Basil (and Honey, and Lemon) Creamsicles
(fills 6 3 oz popsicle molds)

Cut and blend in the food processor:

2 cups strawberries
1 1/2 tbsp basil leaves

You want the mixture to be a nice puree. Then stir in:

2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp heavy cream (half and half is okay too; it was all we had at the time)

Once it is all combined, just pour the mixture into your popsicle molds, place them in the freezer, and let them harden for about two hours.

Yum!

Reading!

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I have been a big fan of the Game of Thrones HBO series for both the seasons and had heard that the books were a slightly less whimsical and fantastical, slightly more warlike and human version of Lord of the Rings. I was a bit hesitant after trying to read the books that one of my former HBO loves, True Blood, was based on, but I saw a copy of the first book in a used book shop and figured, for $6, why not?

It was a good decision. Like the series, the chapters of the books move between the stories and points of view of a wide variety of characters. There's Ned Stark, lord of the northern kingdom and too honorable for his own good. There's his children: dreamy, enchanted Sansa, tomboyish Arya, the eldest and heir Robb, young and playful Bran, and his troubled bastard, Jon Snow. We see into each of their heads, but we move outside them too; the king's brother-in-law and despised dwarf of the ambitious Lannister family, Tyrion is as interesting a narrator as he is in the show (portrayed by the talented Peter Dinklage). Daenerys, exiled daughter of the deposed and murdered Mad King is also fascinating to watch, as she is forced by her frightening, repellent, pathetic brother to marry a barbaric warlord in exchange for an army. In short, the first novel is as interesting and fast-paced as the first season of the show. Like Middle Earth, it is a world to thoroughly immerse oneself in, complete with maps, entire populations with different cultures, and a rich and detailed history and lore that manifests itself in complex side characters and plots.

A word of warning: the plot of the first season is almost an exact mirror of the first book. This did not bother me at all, as the plot and characters are difficult to keep up with in the show, and I loved getting the deeper insights through the novel. I can see how the 800 pages could drag a bit, though, if you already know what's going to happen. If you love getting lost in a fantasy world, though, the Song of Ice and Fire series is an excellent choice, especially as it is clearly Martin's favorite project and he intends to continue it until he dies.

Moroccan Spice Scones and Divergent

Cooking!

In my latest Tea Infusion Adventures, I teamed up with my friend Akasha and her aunt at their tea selling and catering business Elegant Teas. They gave me some of their delicious tea blends to bake into some tasty sample pieces for Fremont Festival of the Arts earlier this month.

I used my Earl Grey Recipe to make some mini Earl Grey Cupcakes with their tea leaves. They were the perfect size for a little sample.





I also slightly adapted this recipe for my first foray into the world of scones. They turned out to be the perfect texture, moist and soft, but still firm.


Moroccan Spice Scones 
(makes 16 smallish scones)

To infuse the tea, heat in a saucepan:

1 2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp Moroccan Spice (or Chai, or whatever) tea

Allow to steep for 5-10 minutes, but don't let it come to a boil or develop a skin. The owner of this recipe suggested letting the whole mixture sit in the fridge for one hour or even overnight. I settled for 2-3 hours and it was tasty and flavorful.


To prepare your dry ingredients, mix together:

2 2/3 cup flour
5 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

I've been learning a lot while reading Bakewise, by baker, cook, former chemist, and all around brilliant lady, Shirley Corriher. One of things I'm doing now, thanks to her, is taking care to mix my dry ingredients thoroughly, so the leavener (baking powder, in this case) is evenly distributed. I use a whisk, generally, thought giving it a good beat in the mixer is preferable. 

Finished scone, waiting to get eaten!

The next step is to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You can do this by crossing two knives through the mixture for the next eight years, using a pastry whisk, squishing it with your fingers, or, by far the easiest, putting it through the food processor.

However you choose, cut into the dry mixture:

5 tbsp unsalted, cold butter

You butter doesn't have to be rock hard, but it should definitely not be room temperature. At the end of the process, you should have a bowl of crumbly little dough bits. Add to these:

2 tsp vanilla extract (you can use a vanilla bean instead, just add it to the whipping cream first)
1 1/3 of the heavy cream (as you will lose ~1/3 cup in the leaves, from infusing)

I find it easiest to fold these ingredients in with a spatula, and then with my hands as the dough gets more difficult to work with. At this point, I like to tip the whole thing on to a flour-dusted table, while I mold it into two circle shapes, about 3/4 inch thick.



Here you can bake the scone plain or garnish them. I took some of the tea leaves remaining from the infusion and rubbed them over the top of the scones, and then I sprinkled it with some coarse sugar and cinnamon pieces (Trader Joes has a nice Cinnamon Sugar Grinder that I just unscrewed). Finally, take  a sharp knife and mark out your scones. It should look like a pizza, with slices marked, but not separated. Bake the scones at 475 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges a slightly browned.

We gave away a bunch of sample to satisfied and intrigued vistors to our booth, and we sold several little packages of my sweets infused with their tea. It was so cool to see my baked goods packaged all serious-like. Akasha did a great job with adorable packaging and I'm super excited to work with her and her aunt again!







Reading!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I am a big fan of Young Adult novels, particularly set in some futuristic dystopian-type society. So when Veronica Roth talked about her book on a panel at a Harry Potter convention I attended in July (hey, don't judge), I was intrigued, to say the least. I picked it up at the convention, managed to hold off on it until I finished my summer classes, and promptly devoured it.

Divergent takes place in the indeterminate future, but technology does not play a huge role, as it often does. Instead, Roth examines how society is different. Human have split into five factions, based on the different qualities they think are the most important to keep people peaceful and good. Abnegation cultivates selflessness, Candor adheres to honesty, Dauntless values bravery, Erudite seeks knowledge, and Amity holds peacefulness highest. At the age of sixteen, everyone takes a tes to suggest which faction they fit most in, but the ultimate choice is left to them. Most teens choose the faction they were born into. Some, however, choose to leave and seek their fortunes in another faction, leaving behind their family, friends, and the life they've known.

Tris Prior is one of these, switching from Abnegation to Dauntless. The story follows her as she makes this difficult decision and moves through her competitive, violent, dangerous training to become a true member the Dauntless faction. Per the YA standard, there is a lot of stress from her crisis of identity, difficulties with friendships, romances, and loyalties, family troubles and betrayal, and a lot, lot, lot of violent descriptions (someone loses an eye!).

I loved the premise of this book the most. It's what drew me in and kept me there. The characters are enjoyable enough, and Tris is reasonably sympathetic, but none of the character captured my heart and imagination in the way I need them to for a book to be truly great. However, YA books tend to run on plot power, and this one is no exception. Even when I was a bit exasperated with the characters, the book was hard to put down because I just had to know what was going to happen next. The plot was fast-paced, interesting, and difficult to predict.

Though it's no second Hunger Games (my secret hope when I got it!), I do still recommend Divergent and am excited to check out the second in the trilogy, Insurgent.

Sweet Corn and Blackberry Popsicles and The Secret Life of Bees

Cooking!

Pinterest has been a wonderful boon on my creative output. At this very moment, as I write this, I am waiting for some chocolate ice cream to set in the freezer and a coat of polyurethane to dry on a floor mat I'm making, both thanks to someone else's cleverness and Pinterest. 

The reason I mention this is that this recipe comes from a pin I saw a few days ago that led to this NPR article about blackberries. In case you weren't aware, I love blackberries. Out of all fruits, they are second only to boysenberries, and general just end up winning, since boysenberries are never at the farmer's market anymore.

Now if you clicked on that link, you might have noticed that there are a few tasty blackberry recipes there, but the most intriguing (to me anyway) is for Sweet Corn and Blackberry Ice Pops. Corn is tasty, to be sure, but not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of breaking that summer heat with a delicious popsicle. Well think again! These are super tasty, easy to make, and completely unique.


Sweet Corn and Blackberry Popsicle Recipe
(makes 6 small popsicles, or 4 medium-sized popsicles)

Shuck and rinse:
2 ears sweet corn

Then cut off the kernels and cut the de-kernels cobs in a few pieces. Put everything together in a saucepan.

Add:
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Bring the entire mixture to a simmer for a minute or so. You want the corn to turn a deeper yellow and soften. When that happens, turn off the heat.

Add:
1/2 tsp vanilla

Let the mixture cool for at least an hour, preferably a few. We did just an hour and it was tasty, but I imagine the flavor will get stronger if you let it sit for a few more.





In the meantime, rinse and mash:
1/2 heaping cup of blackberries
2 tsp (or so) sugar


You don't want the blackberry mixture to be too sweet, since the corn will be sweet and the sweet/tart contrast is what makes these so tasty.

After the corn mixture has cooled, pick out the cob pieces and discard them. Then pour the corn mixture into a food processor or blender and puree it. Pour it through a mesh sieve. You will likely have to scrap and push with your fingers to get all the solid corn bits out and all the corn juice through. That's fine, I'll wait.

 

Now it's time to fill your popsicles. I had the little ones from Ikea, which hold probably 2 or 2.5 oz. With them, I had the perfect amount for 6 pops.

For pouring, you just want to alternate between the corn and blackberry mixtures. the blackberry is a bit heavier than the corn, but it didn't end up sinking very much in our pops. In fact, most of the blackberries were at the bottom of the pops (the end that is highest during freezing.

Let them sit in the freeze for at least a couple hours to firm up. We let ours sit overnight. If you have trouble removing them, run the plastic under some warm water and they'll slide right out.

Yum!

Reading!

The Secret Life of Bees

by Susan Monk Kidd

I always want to start these reviews by telling you how much I loved the book, but I doubt I'll ever spend a lot of time reviewing a book I really didn't like, so let's just assume I loved this book (I did!). It's been sitting on my shelf for a long time, and it seemed like a summer-y sort of book, so as soon as my summer classes finished, I picked it up. 

The story follows a girl named Lily Owens who lives in a racist little South Carolina town in 1964 with her abusive father T. Ray and her Black "stand-in mother" Rosaleen. Lily is haunted by one of her earliest memories: a fight between her father and mother, a gun that Lily picked up, and a shot that killed her mother. Lily yearns for parental love and forgiveness, but finds none in T. Ray's house. When fierce-hearted Rosaleen gets on the wrong side of the biggest racists in town, Lily takes the opportunity to run away with her and discover her mother's past in the home of three Black sisters and bee keepers. 

I found Lily to be a compelling narrator. She is not particularly exceptional, but her need for a mother's love, which can be so strong at times that it produces a physical, feverish type of pain in her, endeared her to me. She is very much an adolescent, wanting her imaginary perfect mother while blind to the fact that she is surrounded by surrogate mothers ready to take on her cares and protect and love her. Most interesting is her relationship with Roseleen, who is the oldest of her mother figures. It's complicated, because Rosaleen is paid to care for Lily, and because Lily is White and conditioned to see Rosaleen as somehow inferior, and because Lily randomly exhibits classic examples of teenage daughter tension with Rosaleen. She has a tendency to notice Rosaleen's defects (which include crimes such a chewing too loudly) when they are in new or important company, or just when Lily is angry or upset about something else entirely. 

Lily's thoughts on race are interesting to watch develop as well. She constantly questions the racial views of other white people, which she never held to very strongly in the first place. During her time living in the pink house with August, June, and May, she tries to find her place in the house of people who her peers see as "beneath her." She finds herself attracted to a Black boy and must deal with an entirely new element of race relations. She sees racial tensions erupt into racial violence and breed hatred and anger in good people. Her observations are insightful and I enjoyed watching her point of view develop throughout the novel. 

Finally, Kidd's writing style  is beautiful. It's straight forward, with moments of extremem poetry that would make you look up from the book and roll over the words in your mind. These are best when they creep up with you in the text, but here is one for an example. Lily and Rosaleen are escaping and they get in a fight and sit, fuming, on different sides of a river. Lily looks across the river at Rosaleen, and thinks, "In the dark she looked like a boulder shaped by five hundred years of storms."

This book is full of sad things, but it's full of happy ones too, and beautiful ones. The Black Madonna is something I'll leave to the novel, but it is a powerful symbol and story. Happy reading!