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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream frosting


I'm a bit of a chocolate chip fan.

Ok I know that doesn't really set me apart from everyone else. But surprisingly I am not a huge fan of plain chocolate - I have kilo's of it in my baking cupboard and I am never tempted to eat it.

Although pop it into a cake or cookie, and I love it.


I don't know why, it just the way it is. The sky is blue, water is wet and I love chocolate chip cakes and cookies.


Frosting swirl with a Wilton 1 M tip

Anyhoo, you may all of noticed I'm not much into the health food. I don't really do low fat much when it comes to baking, if it reduces the flavour and texture, forget it. However a while back (due to a running out of ingredients baking emergency) I noticed when I added some low fat plain yogurt into my cakes it created a yummy, dense and moist cake which I loved. The reduced fat aspect was just a bonus.


So I decided to merge my love of chocolate chips with the yogurt based cake.

Then I piled on some frosting and chocolate chips and popped a macaron on top, although the macaron is optional. It looks pretty good either way.



Oh I baked some in these Greengate baking cups I had lying around. I picked them up last year at Just Plain Gorgeous and they matched some of my latte cups, which totally worked out for my afternoon tea.


We enjoyed these cupcakes both frosted as decorated in the picture and without the frosting. We found the cupcake delicious just as it was plain, the addition of the yogurt made it moist enough to be an easy after school snack.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Mocha Butter Cream Frosting
I used Chobani plain 0% fat Greek yogurt in this recipe. Any left over yogurt can be used in place of sour cream - eg for baked potato or soup swirling.


Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (makes 12)
Ingredients should be at room temperature for best results

1 1/2 cups (1 1/2 Cups rounded US) Self Raising Flour
pinch salt
125 g (4 3/8 oz) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
125 g (4 3/8 oz) 0% Fat Yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 cups mini milk chocolate chips
Frosting (I used the recipe below)
Extra mini chocolate chips
Optional - mini macarons

Preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F). Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake papers.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes. Reduce speed to medium low and add the yogurt. Mix until just combined.

Still at medium low add the vanilla and eggs and mix until combined.

Reduce speed to low and add the sifted flour, when the flour is just combined turn off the machine, add the chocolate chips and mix by hand until the chips are evenly distributed.

Divide the mixture between the baking cups.

Bake for around 20 minutes until the tops are turning golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean of cake crumbs.



To decorate, smooth on a small amount frosting around the edges of the cupcake.


Pop the mini choc chips into a shallow plate or bowl and then roll the edges of the cupcake in the mini chips. Repeat for remaining cupcakes.

Place the remaining frosting into a large piping bag with a large star tip (I used Wilton 1 M tip ) and pipe a swirl on the top of each cupcake.

Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove from fridge about 10 minutes prior to eating. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature.


Mocha Maple Butter Cream Frosting
I used Lindt Milk Chocolate. The Maple is a subtle flavor in place of Vanilla - it's not knock your socks off, if you like you can leave out the coffee powder and maple syrup and have plain milk chocolate frosting.

This batch made about double what I needed, you can either half the recipe or freeze the remainder (like I did). To reuse frozen butter cream defrost and then whip it back up until light and fluffy.

250 gram (8 3/4 oz) unsalted butter
3 cups (3 1/4 US cups) sifted icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
200 grams ( 7 oz) melted milk chocolate (cooled)
2 tsp powdered coffee
1 Tbsp (1 US Tbsp + 1 tsp) Maple syrup

In a large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and 2 cups of the sugar for 3 minutes at high until light and fluffy. Add the remaining sugar and salt and mix on high speed until very light and fluffy. Add the chocolate, coffee and maple syrup and mix on high another couple of minutes until the mixture is well combined and once again lightened in color and texture (see picture for example).

# If the weather is hot (or you don't wait for your chocolate to cool like me) and your frosting becomes too soft to pipe, just pop it into the fridge to chill about 1/2 and hour or so, then you can whip it back up with the mixer until it's perfect for piping.


Original recipe by Linda Vandermeer blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)
Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Sweet Love Stacked Cookies for Valentines


Just a quick post to show some pictures of these Sweet Love Valentines cookies I whipped up.

I'll be showing how to make similar stacked cookies at the home made wedding treats demonstration at the Bleeding Heart cafe in Brisbane on the 27th of April 2013. Click here for booking details (you'll need to scroll right to the bottom and it's called Wedding Favours with Linda Vandermeer0.


Also at the demo I will talk about making and baking cupcakes, demonstrate how to decorate cupcakes and demonstrate decorating a few different types of cookies (including stacked cookies). Handout will include cookie cutout recipe.


My book Sweets on a Stick will be available to purchase from the Bleeding Heart on the day :)


Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)
Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 


Sunday, February 10, 2013

This is our love story cookies


I had an idea for a cookie. I was going to make up the pretty shaped plaque cookie and write out our love story.


But after I started and wrote one out I found it a bit personal to share. Y'know not with you guys, but once it's out there I felt like it would no longer be our love story. Plus it was a lot of writing, and I'm not very neat :)

So I made the cookies blank in anticipation of all that is still to be..........and just added a little love.

I guess in the end I found the simpler version more striking and visually pleasing. The cookies in these photo's has a heart which was decorated by hand, but they look really good with just the plain hearts as well (I have a photo of the plain heart version on my instagram account back a few weeks ago).


Cookie cutters are from Ecrandal.Or you can search for plaque cookie cutters.

Anyway once again I didn't get to all the things I wanted to share before Valentines, so I'll just pop a collage of some of my fav past sweet loves that would make great gifts. Click on the treat name below the photo for the link to the original post and recipes or instructions:

Clockwise from top left (click on the names below for links to the original posts):
1. My love is blossoming for you cookies
2. Caramel Candy Oreo Pops
3. Love me love me not macaons
4. Caramel mini cheesecakes

This is our love story cookies - Simple instructions
I made a few large plaque cookies and then lots of 'filler' cookies which are the small hearts. The filler cookies are great as they are smaller which makes them easier to eat and make.


The cookies are sugar cut out cookies based on the recipe from Sweets on a Stick, but any good recipe will do.

Cut out the cookies with a plaque shaped cutter, bake as per directions, allow to cool.

Roll out white fondant until quite thin on a workbench dusted with cornflour and then using the same plaque cutter cut out the shape. Brush the cookie with a little water and adhere the fondant to the cookie, using a rolling pin to press it on gently and push out to the edges where required.


Roll out some red fondant and cut out a small heart.

Use a toothpick,skewer or fondant tool with a sharp edge to make small holes around the edge like in the picture.

Once you have them in the right spot press the tool in and wiggle it around to make it bigger so you can see the holes.

Then take the tool and press into the heart around the edge in between where each hole meets, it will make the edge look a little ruffled.


If you like you can use stamps to press in a message. I just hand wrote Love on mine by making lots of tiny little dots, kinda like a tattoo.


Pop the heart onto the middle of the white plaque cookie using a tiny amount of water to adhere it if required.


 Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)
Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Sweet Memories royal icing and lace cake


I made a cake.

A white lace cake with rustic rough royal icing and decorations inspired by doilies and broderie anglaise lace. It's all about the contrasting textures.....and the cake.


The cascade of 'flowers' match the doily inspired decorations.


Mr Sweet said I should have just stuck paper doilies on the side of the cake, it would have taken less time.


After all this time he still doesn't get it.........

I guess Mr Sweet and I are like the cake, all kind of contrasting textures, but in the end it just works.

I've called the cake Sweet Memories.


To make the broderie anglaise type lace and flowers I used these eyelet cutter for the little holes, they come in ones like in the link below and also with 3 or 5 holes.

 

Inside the cake is gluten free orange and almond with dark chocolate ganache. It's covered with royal icing and fondant 'lace' decorations. It was 8 inches (20cm) across and 6 inches (15cm) tall.

 

I picked my cake stand up from Tacey Lau a while back but I am unsure if she still is selling at the moment. I did find this cake stand below which would be totally perfect for the cake. You can't quite see in the picture until you click the link but it has sweet little eyelet holes like the cake, and they have like matching plates - I know - perfect !!!!
Gracie China, Victorian Rose Collection, 8-Inch Skirted Cake Stand, White Fine Porcelain


Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:




Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!

Sweets on a Stick also available at the Bleeding Heart Brisbane: contact details info@bleedingheart.com.au