Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

I love everything that has banana in it. At least twice a week I make banana bread or chocolate banana bread or banana brownies, you get the idea..... I'm the only one that eats bananas in our house, and because I buy organic ones they don't last to long so I have bananas for baking. The boys don't eat bananas but they sure love banana brownies.

Yesterday afternoon I had about 4 bananas that were on the way of going bad so brownies  was the choice for 2 of them, but I had 2 left so I decided to bake some chocolate banana cupcakes. OK. don't think we were going to eat all of those bake goods. The cupcakes I decided to send them to my husband's work for his colleagues, as a morning treat next to a cup of coffee. We just had the first snow storm of this winter and I'm sure that the drive to work was brutal, so everyone could use a pick me up.

Ingredients for 18 cupcakes

1 cup of whole-wheat flour

1 cup of all-purpose flour

2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of baking soda

2 tbsp pure cocoa

1/2 cup of unsalted butter room temperature

1 cup of granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 large very ripe bananas mashed

1/4 cup milk

1 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup of walnuts chopped

For people with nut allergy, you can omit the walnuts, if you would like some crunch in it I recommend for this particular recipe a cup of a high fiber cereal.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line the standard muffin tins with paper liners ( 18 of them).

In a large bowl mix both flours, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa.

In another mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar on high speed until creamy ( about 5 minutes) scraping down the  bowl as needed it. Add the eggs one of the time beating well after each addition ( scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed it).

With the mixer on low speed add the bananas and mix well. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk( starting and ending with the dry ingredients)

Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips by hand.

Spoon the batter into the cups filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes on the wire rack.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee!

This recipe I adapted  with just small modifications from The Golden Book of Chocolate.

Other banana recipes you might be interested in.

Banana Walnut Brownies
 Classic Sour Cream Banana Bread with Walnuts

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Classic tiramisu is one of my boys favorite dessert, even Cass who doesn't like coffee  flavored desserts loves tiramisu. So, Brandon was asking for a wile now when are we going to try the tiramisu cupcakes?

Translation! Mom when are YOU going to make the tiramisu cupcakes?

Well, finally the day arrived when the tiramisu cupcakes got their turn. Needless to say these were devoured that very afternoon. I got to taste one myself, and I have to say they were delicious, probably they would have taste better if given the chance to rest in the fridge for 2 or 3 hours, but no chance with my boys. Makes 18 cupcakes. The recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cake flour ( not self rising)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup milk

1 vanilla bean split length wise, seed scraped and reserved

4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature cut into pieces ( 1/2 stick)

3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

1 cup sugar

coffee marsala syrup ( recipe follows)

        1/3 cup strong espresso

        1 once marsala

        1/4 cup sugar.

mascarpone frosting ( recipe follows)

        1 cup heavy cream

        8 ounces mascarpone cheese room temperature

        1/2 cup confectioners sugar sifted

Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting.

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line standard tins with paper liners, and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds.

Heat the milk, vanilla pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear.

Remove from heat and add butter whisk until melted. Let rest for 15 minutes. Strain the milk mixture thru a fine sieve into a bowl and discard pod.

With a mixer on medium speed whisk together the eggs, eggs yolks and sugar. Set the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk by hand until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm ( about 5-6 minutes). Remove the bowl from heat.

With an electric mixer on high speed whisk until mixture is fluffy,  and pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds.

Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches.

Stir 1 cup of batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken. Fold the milk mixture into the remaining batter until until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Bake, rotating tins, for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the coffee-marsala syrup.

Stir together coffee, marsala and sugar until very well combined.

Transfer tins to wire rack to cool completely before removing the cupcakes.

Brush the cupcakes with the syrup. Repeat until all the syrup has been used. Allow the cupcakes to absorb the syrup for 30 minutes.

To  make the frosting.

Whisk mascarpone and icing sugar ( confectioners sugar) until smooth.

Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese until completely incorporated.

Decorate the cupcakes with dollops of frosting, and dust with cocoa.

Enjoy!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Boston cream pie. Who doesn't love Boston cream pie, or Boston cream doughnuts? I know my boys do. I'm so happy that Martha Stewart has this recipe in her cupcakes book. Those were so fun to make, and are really delicious. In half an hour after I was done with everything  there were 4 left out of 20. I think that says it all.

Ingredients:

       6 tbsp          unsalted butter plus more for buttering the tins ( room temperature)

1 1/2 cups          all-purpose flour plus more for the tins.

  1 1/2 tsp           baking powder

     1/2 tsp           salt

   1/2 cup           milk

     3 large          eggs room temperature

       1 cup           sugar

        1 tsp          pure vanilla extract

Pastry cream  ( recipe follows )

Ingredients:

4 large                  egg yolks

1/2 cup                 sugar

1/4 cup                 cornstarch

pinch                    salt

2 cups                   milk

1 1/4 tsp                pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache glaze ( recipe follows)

6 oz                      semisweet chocolate chopped ( or chocolate chips )

1/2 cup                   heavy cream

1 tbsp                     light corn syrup ( optional)

Preheat oven to F. 350  Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Bring milk and butter to a boil.

Mix until completely melted.

With an electric mixer set on high, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy, pale and thick ( about 5 minutes) enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds.

Reduce the speed to medium and gradually add the flour mixture whisking until just incorporated.

With the mixer on low speed add the hot milk mixture in slow stream. Mix until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

This is how is suppose to look.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins ( there are 20 cupcakes ). Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool down in the tins for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting.

To make the pastry cream:

In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn starch and salt and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly add the milk in a slow steady stream.

Cook until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Whisking continually pour on third of the milk mixture slowly in the egg yolks ( this step is called tempering which keeps the yolks from curdling).

Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and return the saucepan on the stove over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens about 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from stove and add the vanilla. Mix well. Strain the mixture thru a fine sieve in a heat proof bowl.

Cover with parchment paper directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make the chocolate ganache glaze:

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream  and corn syrup( if using) to a boil and pour over the chocolate. using a spatula start mixing from the center working towards the edges. Mix until the chocolate is melted, smooth and glossy.

To assemble the cupcakes. Cut each cupcakes horizontally. Spoon about 1 generous tbsp on the bottom part. Place the top and spoon ganache on top.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Marble Cupcakes

Well, Martha Stewart's book still gets taken of the shelf a lot. The recipe for today is marble cupcakes. I really think the pictures are what do the trick, those look so good in the book, now I can tell you they taste as good as they look( well maybe not in my pictures although I try my best).

The combination of vanilla and chocolate does it every time, plus they are really fun to make, I love the swirls( I get to be artistic).

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups cake flour not self rising ( I used all-purpose and it worked just as well)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cups milk room temperature

1/3 cups heavy cream room temperature ( I used whipping cream)

1/2 cup butter room temperature ( 1 stick unsalted)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder( the recipe calls for Dutch cocoa powder but any brand will work)

1/4 cup boiling water

Confectioners sugar for dusting ( icing sugar) optional

preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper or silicon liners. I had to use 3 ramekins as well, I had some batter left over, so I just butter and floured the ramekins before pouring the batter in (you can do that with the muffin tin as well if you don't have paper liners).

In a medium mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt baking powder.

In a small bowl combine the milk and cream.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy (3 or 4 minutes)

Add eggs one at the time beating well after each addition and scrapping the bowl if necessary.

Break each egg in a small bowl not directly in the mixing bowl, like this you ensure that no egg shell gets in or if one of the eggs is not good you won't have to throw away the whole mixture.

Beat in vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two addition of the milk mixture. Basically you start and end with the dry ingredients ( flour, milk,flour, milk, flour).

To make the chocolate batter, measure out one cup of the batter, and transfer to another bowl.

Combine the cocoa and the boiling water in a bowl, mix with a spoon until smooth and stir into the reserved 1 cup of batter.

Fill prepared cups with alternative spoons of vanilla and chocolate batter.

I started with vanilla then chocolate then vanilla again.

Use a sharp parring knife, or a toothpick to swirl around. I used a parring knife.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Transfer tin to the cooling rack and let the cupcakes cool completely before removing.

To finish dust with icing sugar if desired.

Enjoy!

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

I did tell you guys that I got Martha Stewart's cupcakes book, right? Now I'm making cupcakes and more cupcakes. In our family when it comes to dessert we used the democratic voting system. Who says the politics are not good? Three kids many choices for dessert so we vote. When they looked thru the book the two older ones Brandon and Cass agreed at once for the oreo cupcakes, Alex wanted the marshmallow ones. Being outvoted he dropped the democratic system and started crying that he lost. I know, I know strange thing for a little guy, but not when you have two older brothers. Everything in our house is a competition. From eating to dressing up to sports I mean EVERYTHING.

Lucky for him his older brothers love him a lot, and let him win ( they do most of the time). So he got his cupcakes made first, and then he helped with his brothers choice to.

Here are the official winers of the democratic election (dessert edition).

Ingredients

21 oreo cookies, 15 left whole and 6 coarsely chopped

1/2 cup of sugar

2 large eggs room temperature lightly beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1 pound cream cheese ( I used 2 packages of light philadelphia cheese)

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract.

pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 275˚F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Place one whole cookie in each paper lining.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium high speed until smooth. Gradually add in the sugar, mix until very well combine. Beat in the vanilla. Drizzle in the eggs, a bit at the time, beating to combine and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as need it. Beat in sour cream and salt.

Stir in the chopped cookies by hand.

Divide the batter between the cookie filled cups, filling each almost to the top. I had some left over, and I made to more in my ramekins. bake for about 22 minutes or until filling is set.

Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins for at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!


Other Oreo cookie recipe. 


Oreo Biscotti.