Skinny Chocolate Cupcakes

Super Easy & Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

And Who Doesn't Want to be Quilt Free!!

This recipe does not use eggs or butter! Can you believe it!  

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant coffee)
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 Tbsp (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil

Frosting:  Yes the frosting has butter in it!

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cupcakes:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F 

2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps.

3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee, vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.

4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy.

5 Fill cupcake cups about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. 

Frosting:

Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, add about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is smooth. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.

Makes 12 cupcakes.  If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and use two 8-inch round cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Red Velvet Labor Day Flag Cake

This is a Great Cake for Labor Day, Independence Day & Memorial Day!

Have A Fun Holiday Get Together!

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened, cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1-2 oz. red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
• ½ cup of prepared plain hot coffee (don’t skip this ingredient)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring until combined.
5. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
6. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
7. Generously grease and flour cake pan (line bottom with parchment paper if you have it)

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1. Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools.

1. Let cool on a cooling rack until the pan is warm to the touch.

1. Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan.

1. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool.

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1. Frost the cake with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting when the cake has cooled completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream  

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons granulated white sugar, or to taste

(put bowl and beaters in the refrigerator to get cold, then beat the whipping cream to the right thickness)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  
  
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar salt and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.

Decorate with Strawberries and Blueberries

Sunday Morning Surprise Muffins

A Muffin Surprise!!!!  

Makes one dozen standard-sized muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

+ your favorite jam, jelly, gel, or marmalade

1. Preheat your oven to 375F/175C. 

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt (if using) into a bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar well. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla extract. Mix well. 

4. Stir in half of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Mix in the milk, then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix well. 

5. Scoop 2/3rds of the batter into your 12 muffin cups, so that the batter fills up the cups about half way, maybe a little more. Create small pocket in each center with a spoon. Dollop a full teaspoon or so of jam into the pockets. Top with the remaining 1/3 of batter. If crunchier, pretty muffin tops are desired, sprinkle the tops with a little more sugar. 

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins just start to turn golden, but not yet brown. Eat warm or at room temperature. Freeze any that you do not eat on the day-of. 

***If you would like to use berries or fruit instead of jam, you'll need about 1 cup of berries or diced fruit and a tablespoon or two of flour to toss them in before incorporating into your muffin batter after everything else has been properly mixed.

Bakery Style Light and Flaky Pie Crust

The secret to flaky pie crust is cold butter ice water and a hot oven!

Chill water in the freezer until ice crystals begin to form. Cut very cold UNSALTED butter into cubes & cut it in the flour & salt with a pastry blender (or pulse in food processor) until it resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to large bowl & gently toss water into crumbs 1 tsp at a time with a fork. Do not use food processor to incorporate water - it's too easy to overwork the dough. The dough should have small bits of butter - this makes the crust flaky. Cool off hands under cold water, pat dry, gather the crumbs into a flattened ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. Refrigeration is necessary b/c it allows the gluten to relax and prevent shrinkage. You may need to roll out the dough twice. First roll out is usually crumbly, uneven, and has large breaks. Gently gather in edges to form another ball, flip it smooth side up, and roll out again. Smooth, round, even crust should be easier the second roll out.



2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Butter
1/2  Cup Ice Water

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Rich Chocolate Cream Pie From Scratch!

Chocolate Cream Pie 

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• 1 pie crust (see my flakey pie crust recipe)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups cold milk
  
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1. Bake your pie shell in a 9-inch deep dish pie pan let cool.
    
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into pie crust and chill 1 hour.

Here is my Meringue Recipe

• 3 egg whites
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla or other flavoring. Spoon onto pie, spreading to crust edge to seal filling in. Bake at 325° for 15 to 18 minutes, until nicely browned.

For a higher topping, use 4 egg whites, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Double the recipe for a larger pie or two pies.