Friday, March 6, 2009

Lemon poppy seed muffins

2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-sized muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alliteratively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on the baking sheet. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon is strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. in a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter togethr until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough-a few lumps are better than overmixingg the batter. Stir in the poppy seeds. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Cool the muffins completely on the rack before icing them.

This recipe came from Baking From My Home To Yours bye Dorie Greenspan.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

1942 Devil's food cupcakes with rich buttercream frosting


I loved the actual cake part in these cupcakes but I wasn't so crazy about the very RICH buttercream frosting, so that's why I didn't put the recipe on.

Oh yeah and don't worry about the cupcake batter looking grainy and lumpy, it happened to me and they turned out yummy!

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/3 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream
2 large eggs

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over hot, but not simmering, water. Let cool.

Stir together the flour , baking soda, and salt in a bowl, mixing well.

Add the butter to the chocolate, then pour in the boiling water and stir well to mix. Whisk in the sugar and buttermilk. Stir in the flour mixture. Whisk in eggs.

Distribute the cupcake batter evenly throughout the prepared cupcakes tins.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

The author of this book is Nick Malgieri, the same author of Cookies Unlimited, Chocolate, and How To Bake.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Peanut butter blondie brownies

The recipe for these brownies is in Rosie's Bakery All-Butter Fresh Cream, Sugar-Packed No-Holds-Barred Baking Book. By Judy Rosenberg.

Followers