Happy Heart Cupcakes
On January 23, 2019 by Christy Larsen I love it when I make things that look familiar but taste delicious
it is not so difficult when making mock store-bought treats for these hostess-like cupcakes. I use my tried and true devil’s food cake recipe for this; which I also used for my {copycat} ding dongs and instead of
devil’s food cake
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 1/2 cups hot coffee or hot water or mixture of the two (i use espresso with water)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 extra large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup milk or 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Melt bittersweet chocolate in hot water/coffee. Sift dry ingredients together (including sugar). Mix together the chocolate/coffee mixture, milk, sour cream, and vanilla. In a mixer beat the eggs with the oil until thickened and doubled in volume (about 3-5 minutes). Add the dry and wet ingredients, in an alternating pattern, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
Prepare your mini-muffin tins by liberally spraying with baking spray. Bake in a preheated 350F oven. These will bake rather quickly, check after 5 minutes. They are done when the tester comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched
creamy fluffy filling
1 cup milk
5 Tbs flour
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup lard/shortening–room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter–room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch
salt
Over low heat, cook milk and flour in a saucepan until it makes a thick paste. Use a whisk to break up lumps. Let cool. In
ganache
1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate–
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs corn syrup
2 Tbs butter
Heat cream with sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Once cream begins to simmer and sugar is dissolved, pour over chocolate and butter. Let chocolate melt and then whisk together until it is thick and shiny.
For Royal Icing, I use Martha Stewart’s recipe. You can find a link to her recipe HERE
Homemade Conversation Hearts
On February 5, 2015 by sixtyacrebakerValentine’s day wouldn’t be complete without a conversation through candy hearts. I remember the days when hearts were carefully shared, making sure “i love you” didn’t get inadvertently passed, to a 4th grade crush. Also important: sharing only
the good flavors. Anyone would shudder to see the object of her affection, chewing up and spitting out her heart. Ten years old is too young to fully understand foreshadowing. I am confident any valentine would appreciate an “i love you” or three in flavors such as orancello, coconut, green tea, almond, anisette, coffee and vanilla bean. These are so much fun to make. I think a robin’s egg blue box full of “marry me” hearts would be a darling proposal. Or a love poem stamped out word by word, heart by heart, snaked down the dining room table, as a simple but thoughtful centerpiece. The possibilities are endless.
Just. Like. Love
Conversation Hearts
1/4 oz gelatin
1/2 cup water
2 tsp light corn syrup
2 lbs powdered sugar
cornstarch
flavorings
color
rubber stamp kit and/or food color pens
Place water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Let bloom. Add the corn syrup and gently cook in the microwave until the gelatin and corn syrup have melted. Do this in 20 second intervals. Mix the gelatin mixture into about 2/3rds of the powdered sugar. Knead with your hands, adding more powdered sugar as necessary until the dough is satiny and doesn’t stick to the counter. Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces, coloring and flavoring as desired. Keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, as this dough will dry out quickly. Keep some powdered sugar on hand, in case adding color and flavor makes the dough sticky.
Roll the dough out and cut with small heart cutter. Place on a cornstarch dusted sheet pan and let dry a minimum of 48 hours. When ready to decorate, use food color based pens, or brush food coloring directly onto a rubber stamp with the words spelled backwards. Press the heart onto the stamp and let dry about 15 minutes. You can also paint food coloring directly onto the heart as well.
{this is a post transcribed from my blog fudgeripple. the content exclusively belongs to me}
Rock Candy
On February 3, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerMy kitchen has been looking like a science lab lately. Not because it is pristinely clean with clutter free counter tops and nerdies wandering around; but because I have been making rock candy. Several attempts
I might add . It all started out innocently enough: sugar, water, string. But then I got sassy. Like i am Debeers or something. I thought it would be fun and cheeky to make rock candy jewels. Something for a big night out . I settled on drop earrings. Simple, right?
Here is the rub; the fun flew faster than a spy plane out this nerdies door, while obsessive took its place.
In the end, I got the perfect pair.
Now I’m not sure if I should wear or eat them.
Rock Candy
2 cups water
4 cups sugar
food coloring (optional)
up to 1 tsp flavoring (optional)
baker’s twine
granulated sugar
cut the baker’s twine to desired length. tie the twine off to a wooden skewer or pencil. this will allow you to suspend it in the syrup. Dip the twine in water, then roll in a bit of granulated sugar to coat. allow to dry while you make the syrup.
bring water and 1 cup of sugar to a simmer in a saucepan. while the water is still simmering, add sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring and ensuring the sugar has completely dissolved before adding the next cup. once all sugar is incorporated, remove from heat and add coloring and flavoring. allow the syrup to cool slightly, then pour into a clean and sterilized glass jar or tall glass. you will need a separate glass for each rock candy you want to make.
suspend the twine in the syrup being careful that it does not touch the bottom or sides of glass. crystals should begin to form in about 4 hours. if there is no activity within 24 hours remove the twine, pour the syrup back into a pot and heat to a simmer. return to the clean and sterilized jar and start again. if you see excessive crystallization on the sides of the jar or glass, remove the twine and perform the above steps, otherwise you will have a glass full of hard sugar crystals.
check your twine daily. when you have the rock candy of your desire, remove from the syrup and allow to hang dry for a few hours.