Cupcakes are still “in” and trendy I suppose, but I haven’t really gotten in to them.  I’ve made cupcakes more than a few times, but I would prefer to bake a cake or cookies.  And I would rather eat a cookie or brownie than a cupcake.  Call me crazy!

However, when I found this recipe on Baking Bites, I had to give them a try.

 The recipe for the cupcakes is actually three recipes; chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cream filling and chocolate buttercream frosting.  You could use a boxed cake mix and reduce the time you spend in the kitchen.  You have to make the filling, and the frosting.  They are both truly delicious.  These cupcakes are a little more tedious than the bake, cool and frost cupcakes, but they are special.

If you’d asked me yesterday while I was making the batter and baking the first batch, “Carrie, should I make these cupcakes?” I would have said “No!  Do not make these cupcakes.  The recipe is poorly written and now I’m going to have to throw away all these cupcakes and use a friggin’ cake mix!  Oh, the time I have wasted today!”  Here are the first dozen.

An attenpt at releasing these from the pan was, well, not a success.

I was not a happy camper.  I baked the second pan with better results.  I was actually able to use all of these cupcakes.  I had to trim the overflow from the ones on the left to make them the right size, but that was much less painful than having to bake another batch.  Whew!  I did not have to resort to the cake mix.  

I must complain about this, just to vent a little.  Here is an excerpt from the recipe:

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by sour cream and vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix. Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.

Do you see the problem here?  Well, I made the mistake of reading the recipe as I mixed, so I mixed in the sour cream and vanilla the first time I was told to.  So, the second time around I had no sour cream to mix in!  Yes, I know that I should have read through the recipe before I started.  Then I would have noticed the discrepancy and used my extensive baking knowledge to know to add the sour cream and flour alternately.  I have fixed the recipe below.  You’re welcome!

When all was said and done, these cupcakes were very, very good.  The cake was moist and chocolatey.  The filling has a great consistency and just the right amount of sweetness.  The buttercream was easy and paired well with the other components.  Enjoy!

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Filling
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream (low fat or full)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2-oz dark chocolate
1 cup water, boiling

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix. Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.
Stir the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate into the boiling water (easiest in a large measuring cup). Pour chocolate water into the rest of the batter and stir until uniform.

Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. (It’s fine if you can’t fit both trays into the oven at the same time, just wait until one batch finishes before putting in the second pan)
Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and filling.

Vanilla Cream Filling
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup butter (or trans fat-free shortening)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 scraped vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and milk and cook in a small saucepan over medium heat until thick. This will only take a few minutes. Sir continuously to prevent the mixture from clumping and do not bring all the way to a boil. When thickened (consistency will be that of a thin pudding or custard), strain with a mesh strainer into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely to room temperature.
When the milk mixture is cool, cream the butter (or shortening) and sugar together in a medium bowl until light. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the scraped vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract) and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 7 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, or a large ziploc bag with the corner cut off, and set aside until ready to fill your cupcakes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat, with an electric mixer, until frosting is creamy, 3-5 minutes. Add additional powdered sugar as needed to achieve a thick, but not stiff, frosting that is easy to spread. Add additional milk, if necessary, to thin the frosting if it gets too thick.

Assembly
Take a cooled cupcake and, using a small pairing knife, cut a cone of cake (1-inch across by 1-inch deep) out of the top. Trim off the pointy end of the cone, leaving a flat circle of cake. Set aside and repeat this process for all the cupcakes.

Take the cream filling and squeeze a tablespoon or so into each cupcake cavity, filling the hole up to the top with filling.

Top off with a flat circle of cake to plug the hole and keep the filling in place.
Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, frost each cupcake with a layer of chocolate buttercream frosting. Place a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake (on top of the cut out circle of cake) and spread from the center to the sides of the cupcake.

If you have leftover filling, transfer it to a fresh ziploc bag and cut a very small opening in one corner. Pipe a swirly line down the center of each cupcake.
Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Makes 2-dozen.

I found this yummy recipe on one of my new favorite blogs…Bakers Banter.

The King Arthur flour test kitchen shares recipes, techniques and tips.  Most of the posts also feature step by step picture instructions.  A look at the ingredient list might make you say, “Those sound allright…but a little typical, nothing special”.  That is what I said!  But then I read through the recipe and decided I had to try these.  The difference is the ground white chocolate and oats.  A lot of oatmeal cookie recipes grind the oats, but not many grind the chocolate.  The use of three kinds of chips is also appealing.  I like a simple cookie like pure buttery shortbread, but I REALLY like a cookie with tons of ingredients, flavors and textures.  

These cookies are delicious.  Crunchier than I normally prefer, but I really liked the texture and flavor combination.  I shortened the baking time by a few minutes after the first batch.  The baking time in the original recipe is 12 minutes, but I only baked them for about 8 minutes.  If you like yours crunchy through and through, then stick with the longer time.  Here is a side by side comparison of the baking times.  

I used my mini food processor to grind the oats and chocolate.  I had to grind them in two batches, so I would recommend using a full sized processor or blender.  Some of my white chocolate chunks were huge, and some were small.  You may choose to grind the chocolate more, but I found it to be a real treat to get a bite with a big chunk of smooth white chocolate. 

 I used a block of Callebaut white chocolate (a bit of a splurge, but worth it!), Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips and Reese’s Peanut Butter chips.

The original recipe uses walnuts, but I used pecans.  I like to toast the pecans before adding them to the dough.  It really does make a difference in the final product.  Just 7-9 minutes in a 350º oven is all it takes.  Take the time to toast your nuts…you’ll thank me.

Chunk Wild Cookies (courtesy of King Arthur Flour)

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (8 3/4 ounces) traditional rolled oats
2/3 cup (4 ounces) white chocolate
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter chips
1 cup (6 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (6 1/2 ounces) chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) four baking sheets, or as many as you have.

Beat together the butter, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Using a blender or food processor, process the oats with the white chocolate until the oats are finely ground, and the chocolate is mostly ground; a few small chunks are OK.

Add the oats and flour to the butter mixture, then stir in the peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.

Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls, 2″ apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for about 8-9 minutes, until they’re set. They may be barely starting to brown around the edges, but the tops won’t be brown at all. Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool.

Yield: 5 dozen cookies.

Oatmeal raisin is Ben’s favorite cookie, and its definitely in my Top 5.  I have tried many recipes for this cookie during our relationship, hoping to find the ultimate cookie.  I always find myself returning to the Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe on the underside of the Quaker Oats container.  

I tried something a little different this time, with good results.  I like the pecans and the additional texture and nuttiness they add to the cookie.  The brown sugars add another level of sweetness that is richer than white sugar.  I am usually not a fan of shortening in a cookie, but the combination of butter and shortening works here.  

To Chill or not to Chill:  I haven’t tested this theory very thoroughly myself, but I’ve read a lot of articles and recipes recently that reccomend chilling cookie dough for 24 hours before baking.  This allows the ingredients to combine and mingle more and allows the eggs to soak in which is rumored to make a superior cookie.  Does it work?  Well, here is an article from the King Arthur Test Kitchen.  They baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies chilling and baking after different periods of time.  The results interest me, so I will probably try this myself sometime.  I chill the dough so that the cookie will spread less during baking.  I chilled my dough for 4 hours.  Here it is, right out of the fridge.   I always use a cookie scoop when I make drop cookies.  It guarantees that all your cookies are the same size and bake evenly.  They come in different sizes, so you can choose the size of your cookie.  My favorite scoop is the one I bought at Sur La Table.  I have had great results with it.  It is sturdy and has yet to stick or give me trouble even after dozens and dozens of scoops.  After releasing the dough onto the cookie sheet, I smoosh the cookie with my palm so that it bakes flat instead of domed on top.    After baking for 9 minutes I took the cookies out to cool for just a minute, then I transferred them to a cooling rack.  They will seem undercooked and just set on top when you take them out of the oven, but they really firm up as they cool.  I prefer a cookie that is chewy in the middle.  If you like them crispier, then bake them a little longer. 

Oatmeal Pecan & Raisin Cookies

• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 8 T of shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (1/2 cup ground, 1 cup chopped)
• 1 cup raisins

1. Cream butter, shortening and sugars until fluffy and light.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth, then add vanilla.
3. Add flour, soda, powder and salt and mix well.
4. Stir in oats, pecans and raisins.
5. Bake @ 350° for 9-11 minutes.

I absolutely love these crisp, sweet and savory cookies.  I found the recipe years ago in a Martha Stewart magazine and have made them quite a few times since.  The original recipe calls for walnuts instead of pecans, but I’ve found the pecans to be delicious.  So, you choose.  There is not an alternative to the fresh rosemary!  You don’t need a huge amount to make these cookies, so if you have to buy your rosemary plan to make a meal that uses rosemary, like this one, or make a few batches of the cookies and freeze them.  The only other change is the baking time.  My cookies were smaller, so I only baked them for about 11 minutes.  Keep an eye on them.  When the cookies are set, golden around the bottom and still light on top, take them out.

Rosemary-Pecan Shortbread

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely ground pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Raw sugar, for decorating

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk flour, nuts, rosemary, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until lightened, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until dough comes together and is smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Turn out dough onto parchment paper, and pat into a round. Place parchment paper on top; roll into a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Cut out cookies using various sizes of heart-shape cutters (1/2 inch to 3 inches); transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. (Keep same-size cookies on same sheet.) Roll scraps; cut out. Gently press raw sugar onto edges of cookies.
5. Bake until just golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.