Red Velvet Blondies with white chocolate chips and cream cheese icing.

I would say TGIF but on mat leave I have no concept of days of the week.  In fact I often think it is not the day of the week it is.   I am also not sure I can say TGIF as we are expecting quite the snow storm tomorrow.   Now again I don't really have any where to go since I ran my errands today so I may not even notice.  Unless I have to help the hubby shovel the driveway..ugh.   Parts of the next few days for me will involve making a Barbie cake for my niece who is turning 4 early next week.  Her party is this Sunday.   I love making these cakes they are so cute and I know she will love it.  I love how she knows the good cakes come from her aunt.

Thanks to all who commented to win the beater blades.  I dropped all the comments to in a random generator and the winners of the beater blades are

Liz from A Sweet Baker
Jenna from Little Kitchen Big Flavours

Congratulations you two!  I will contact you to get your shipping info.

Here is a delicious red treat to make for your sweet.   (Yes, I did that cheesy rhyme on purpose)

Red Velvet White Chocolate Cupcakes, Lynn Crawford and a Giveaway

Two weeks ago my mom and sister and I braved a Canadian snow storm to go see Lynn Crawford speak at George Brown College.   If you happen to not know who Lynn Crawford is here is the run down....

• Worked at the Four Seasons Hotels for over 20 years
• One of Canada's Top Chefs
• Appeared on Restaurant Makeover
• Now appears on Pitchin' In on the Food Network
• Has her own Cookbook called Pitchin' In
• Co-owner of the restaurant Ruby Watchco in Toronto
• Co-owner of Ruby Eats - Gourmet Food Store  - which I need to check out ASAP.   The downside of living in the suburbs.  :-(

She is very cool and down to earth.  Very inspiring and and listening to her makes me want to cook more, cook local and appreciate the food we have available to us.   I actually recorded 90% of her talk before my playbook ran out of entire memory.   It will be a great reference when I need a little kick in the pants.   I will try and edit some clips and post on her for you ( once I figure it out )

Me and Chef Lynn

The other bonus of going to she her speak is you get her cookbook - Pitchin In (signed and personalized).  The cookbook is full of over 100 fantastic recipes.  She has one or two recipes focusing on key ingredients, similar to how the show is set up.  There is a lot of seafood and shellfish (which I don't eat) but the rest of the book makes up for it,  Especially the desserts - WOW!  I literally can't wait to bake them all, especially the bacon caramel sauce.

The first recipe I decided to try was her Red Velvet Cupcakes but with a Sweet Twist spin, of course.  We had a dinner to go to last weekend and I offered to bring dessert, thinking cupcakes are always a good choice.  Is it me or has Red Velvet desserts exploded lately?   Maybe it is just Valentines day but they are everywhere and spun in every fashion.  Cookies, crepes, ice cream, brownies, there are a lot of pretty cool ideas out there. 2012 is the year of Red Velvet.   Who can blame us, Red Velvet desserts are tangy and sweet with nice sublte chocolate undertones.  
Here is my easy spin.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Cupcakes

(Adapted from Lynn Crawford - Pitchin In)

Makes 9 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cup sifted cake and pastry flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp red food paste
• 9 white chocolate Lindt balls, unwrapped and frozen

Icing

• 1 - 8 oz package light cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3 oz white chocolate, melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a muffin tin with 9 liners ( recipe called for 12, but I guess I made them bigger).
2) In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt.

3) In a measuring cup combine buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and food paste and whisk together.

4) In a large bowl or with your mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamed.  Add egg and beat to combine.

5) Alternate adding the dry ingredients (3 additions)  and buttermilk (2 additions)

6) Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Add one Lindt ball to the center of each cupcake, pressing down, then use a spatula or spoon to just cover the Lindt ball with the mixture.

7) Bake 20 minutes, turning the pan half way through.   Obviously you can not stick a tooth pick in because of the Lindt ball, the top will look set when done.   Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack
8) Make the icing - In a large bowl or mixer bowl beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy and smooth.  Add icing sugar and vanilla starting on low, gently moving to high as icing sugar is incorporated.
Add cooled melted white chocolate and beat to combine.
9) Place into a large piping bag with a star tip and swirl on cupcakes.  If the icing is to soft place in fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes,

I also made a peanut butter chocolate filled Lindt using these chocolate cupcakes and this peanut butter icing

Red velvet white chocolate is a great combination.   I am not sure what it is but cupcakes with a creamy chocolate center are oh soooo good.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

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COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Lucky for my readers when I was at the event I picked up an extra signed Pitchin' In cookbook from Lynn.  Leave me a comment with one of your favorite ingredients to cook or bake with.

For 4 more additional entries do the following and come back and let me know

1) Follow me on Facebook
2) Follow me on Twitter
3) Tweet - I want the @CHEF_LYNN Pitchin' In cookbook for more than 100 great recipes, Thanks to @Sweettwist_Meg
4) Follow the blog off to the right -->
5) Pin it

Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the U.S.  Contest open until noon on Feb 18th.

Bridal Shower Cupcake Duo

I know I seem to have an obsession with coconut lately but this one wasn't my choice. It was a request for my friend Nicole's bridal shower. I did half coconut and half red velvet. For the red velvet I went with the recipe I made a few months ago ~ Red Velvet Cupcakes.~ Although I did make a coconut cupcake a month or so ago, that recipe had a some lemon in it. This time around I wanted a pure coconut recipe. I however, also needed to find a recipe that did not require coconut cream or milk. I would at some point like to make a recipe using coconut milk/cream one day but I did not have any in my house and I had time to go get some. Now who could I trust for a coconut cupcake recipe without coconut milk? Ina Garten, of course! Has she ever created something that didn't turn out well or make you want to reach through the screen and take it from her?   

Coconut Cupcakes "sans coconut milk"

(Adapted from Ina Garten)
Makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract 

1/4 tsp coconut extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk ( didn't have any used the 1/2 cup milk and 1 tbsp vinegar)

8 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

Icing: 

1 cup ( 8oz, 1 package) cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp coconut extract

2 cups icing sugar, sifted. (or more depending on heat level and consistency)

Topping: 

1 - 1 1/2 cups of flaked coconut

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.   In a large bowl or your mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the extracts until just combined.


2) In another bowl combine the dry ingredients. Alternate adding the flour mixture (3 times) and buttermilk.  Starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined. Fold in the coconut.

3)  Fill each cup about 2/3 full.   I used a 1/4 cup scoop.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Continue to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

4) Make the icing : In a large bowl/mixer bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and coconut extracts.  Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.   Pipe on top of cupcakes and top with flaked coconut and other decorations if you have any.

After two successful recipes of cupcakes without coconut milk I am beginning to think it might not be needed to create a moist and delicious cupcake chocked full of coconut goodness.   I knew I could trust you Ina.  The cupcakes and the shower were a hit!  

MEG's RATING: D-EEEE-LICIOUS

Red velvet cupcakes with gumpaste flowers

Coconut cupcakes with hearts on crinkle rounds

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I could hold out no longer, I had to have cream cheese icing.  Cream cheese icing for me is Donuts to Homer.  Short from just making a bowl of icing to eat, which don't get me wrong I could do;  I needed to determine a vehicle for the icing.   Pumpkin cupcakes or cookies are generally my first choice but in the absence of any pumpkin in my cupboard, I defaulted to an easier option--Red Velvet cupcakes. Red Velvet cupcakes are popping up all over these days.  They are light, easy and interesting. They are not vanilla but not quite chocolate, as the cocoa in the recipe is generally quite small.   The cake gets its red colour not from the cocoa but  from food paste or colouring.  Hmmm, maybe I will try a blue velvet cupcake sometime.  Stay tuned.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 cup cake flour, sifted
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, room tenp
• 1/4 tsp red gel food colour
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• chocolate shavings, if desired.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  Line mini (24) or regular (12) muffin pan with liners.   

2) Whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso and salt.  Using a mixer (stand or electric), beat together sugar and oil on high until combined.  Add egg, red gel and vanilla until incorporated.

3) Add the flour mixture and sour cream, alternating between the two, whisk after each addition.  (Starting and ending with flour)

4) Mix together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl,  this will foam.  Add to batch and beat on medium for 10 seconds.

5) Divide the batter evenly amoung the lined cups, filling three quarters full.   Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes.   Transfer to a rack to cool.   Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers.

Cream cheese icing:

1) Beat cream cheese and butter.  Add icing sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.  Adjust icing sugar amount to your desired stiffness and sweetness. 

2) Spread on the icing with an offset spatula or place the icing in a piping bag with your desired tip and swirl on to cupcake and sprinkle on chocolate shavings.

I added the espresso to add a bit of a kick to the recipe but it wasn't quite enough and didn't make the impact I wanted it to.  I also thought it would be fun to put the cupcakes in little candy cups but getting them out was trickier than anticipated and I ended up cutting little slits into the sides so people could get them out.   I did rather enjoy the recipe though, it was light, with a nice tanginess that went perfect with the cream cheese icing.  It was a great vehicle for my craving. 

MEG's RATING : D-EEE-LICIOUS!