Milk Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

I'm pretty sure I could spend the rest of my life making cupcakes and I would be perfectly happy. Perhaps it's my love of miniature things, I don't know. But THESE cupcakes were an exciting discovery. I didn't know exactly what I was making until they were done and sitting in my fridge. What started in my head as a two-layer chocolate cake turned into uber-moist cupcakes that taste exactly like chocolate covered raspberries... but cake. I guess I'm at my best when I have no clue what I'm doing.

I made a full batch for a very special occasion - my friend Garam's birthday! A group of us devoured them pretty fast and when I told an acquaintance that I have a food blog, he asked me where he could order these cupcakes. New business plan? I think so. Don't worry friends, you'll still get free food... for now. ;)

Milk Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes (adapted from Hershey's)
Makes: 24 cupcakes  Prep: 35 minutes  Total: 2 hours

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
2 cups fresh raspberries
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
6 oz milk chocolate
1/3 cup raspberry juice (from filling)

Directions
Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in eggs, then add milk, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add 1 cup boiling water (batter will be very thin) and pour into cupcake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry.
In a small pan, heat water, sugar and fresh raspberries on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until most of the water is cooked down. Pour out 1/3 cup of liquid from boiled raspberries and reserve for frosting. When raspberry filling is relatively thick, remove from heat and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the frosting, combine powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until fully incorporated. Microwave milk chocolate and stir until fully melted, then add butter and sugar with raspberry juice.
When cupcakes are cool, scoop out a spoonful from the center of each and pour in raspberry filling. (You may top with the scooped-out cake if desired.) Pipe on frosting and top with raspberries to serve.

Chocolate Easter Cake with Ganache Frosting

Attention all chocolate lovers: this cake might put you over the edge. Two dense layers of chocolate cake, rich and creamy ganache frosting, topped with shaved milk chocolate (Cadbury, to be exact) and the smoooothest little chocolate eggs you've ever had. (Again, obviously Cadbury... I'm a little obsessed.) I'm usually a fruity dessert lover, but to appease the chocolate eaters in my family I made this rich chocolate cake for Easter dinner back home. Dylan came home with me for the holiday and I have no doubt he was happily fed the whole trip. He's always astounded by how much my family eats. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing...

Posing with the cake

Easter Sunday

Dyeing eggs with Dylan and my sister Megan

Another exciting part about the weekend was that Dylan and I got to celebrate our 2-year anniversary! We've been living 8 hours apart since January, so seeing each other in general is reason enough to celebrate. Back in Boston we would cook together most nights, so we decided to make a nice dinner for the occasion. We had caprese salad, paprika-spiced flank steak, and beer-battered coconut shrimp. Expect to see that coconut shrimp recipe on here soon - it was amazingggg. Then again, how could you go wrong beer-battering anything?

Set-up in the dining room

Caprese salad

Paprika-spiced flank steak and coconut shrimp

Getting back to the cake, I found this recipe on marthastewart.com, which has yet to steer me wrong. This cake was spongy and moist, giving it this awesome sensation of both soft and heavy. The Cadbury chocolate on top is what pushed me over the edge. Dylan introduced me to these chocolates, which are only sold once a year around Easter and are his absolute favorite. This cake would be great to make all year round, but the chocolate egg nest make it particularly adorable for spring. Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Easter Cake with Ganache Frosting (from Martha Stewart)
Serves: 10-12  Prep: 1 hour  Total: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup butter
1 tbs instant espresso powder
3/4 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbs vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbs corn syrup
8 ounces milk chocolate
Cadbury eggs for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Coat two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray, cover in parchment paper, spray again and sprinkle with cocoa powder, shaking off excess.
Melt butter in a large pot and whisk in water, cocoa powder and espresso powder until dissolved. Whisk in sugar and remove from heat. Add the remaining wet ingredients first, then dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated. Pour into cake pans and bake for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
When the cake is done, remove and let cool in pans for 20 minutes. Remove from pans and let sit until cool to the touch. Cut off the rounded tops of both cake layers to make them flat. Place one layer cut-side up on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread a little less than half the frosting in the center of the cake. Cover by laying the second half cut-side down and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until frosting is firm.
Melt semisweet chocolate, heavy cream and corn syrup together in a heat-proof bowl over boiling water. Let cool for several minutes before pouring over cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Before serving, shave milk chocolate with a large knife and garnish on top of cake with Cadbury eggs.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Happy spring! It's been a while since I have written an official post but I promise I've been making a lot of good stuff. With work and traveling the past few weekends, I haven't been so great about documenting all my creations. These, however, I knew I had to share. I baked these cupcakes for my co-op manager Jaime, who has since left for maternity leave. (We miss you, Jaime!) I found the original recipe on my favorite blog, Love and Olive Oil.

Since I do not have a hand mixer here in New Jersey, I decided to come up with my own frosting. I have the same strawberry cake for my birthday every year and I will definitely use this strawberry frosting from here on out. I think I might have eaten about four cupcakes-worth of frosting just by licking the bowl. Not even kidding. And I don't even regret it because the frosting was that freaking good. The cake itself was sooo delicious, exactly what I expected from such a great blog. All in all another cupcake success. Round two, please?

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Adapted from Love and Olive Oil)
Makes: 24 cupcakes  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice

Frosting:
2 sticks butter
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tbs pureed strawberry (or 1/2 cup strawberries
tsp lemon juice

Directions
Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into cupcake tins and bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry.
To make frosting, puree strawberries in a food processor and combine with softened butter, cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Add powdered sugar gradually until perfect texture is achieved.

Whipped Spring Berry Pie

Happy Pi Day everyone! It's been an unseasonably warm March here and since I needed an excuse to make something sweet, what better reason to make a pie? (For those who don't know, March 14 - 3.14 - is Pi Day.) I am not a math person by any means, but I AM a pie person.

My roommates and I discovered an indoor year-round farmers market in our little town and I probably make 2 or 3 trips each week for fresh produce. I can't wait until the summer months roll around and there is an even better selection to choose from! Luckily my roommates share the same passion for local produce, so I'm sure we will be making lots of trips.

Anyway, the pie. That is why you're reading this, isn't it? I challenged a coworker yesterday to a pie-off at lunch after he announced that today was Pi Day. I don't think he knew quite how seriously I was going to commit to the idea, but hopefully since it's sunny and 70 here there will plenty to go around at lunch outside today. Hope you're all enjoy the weather! And maybe some pie, too. :)

Whipped Spring Berry Pie
Makes: 1 pie  Prep: 30 minutes  Total: 4-24 hours

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbs butter
1/2 tbs orange zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla, divided
3 cups strawberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbs white sugar

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, orange zest and 1 tsp vanilla. Press into a 9x9 inch pie pan and bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Remove and let cool.
In a large pot, combine 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup blackberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and water. Place on high heat, stirring and mashing fruit, and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds, then simmer on low for five minutes. Add remaining berries into the mix and pour mixture into pie crust. Cool in the fridge for 4-24 hours.
To make whipped cream, beat heavy cream, white sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla until firm (but not too firm or else you'll make butter). Spread on top of pie and garnish with berries. 

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cucumber Soup

I don't know why I do the things I do sometimes. For example, I do not like cucumber. There has never been a point in my life where I have enjoyed eating a cucumber, in any form; yet when I decided I wanted to make soup, I couldn't shake the urge for cucumber. Typically cucumber soup is served cold (another thing I do not like in the least bit: cold soup), but I thought doing a roasted spiced soup would be perfect for the rainy weather we've been having here in New Jersey.

Cucumber is fresh and light, which reminds me of the spring I'm hoping will come very soon. The vibrant green is cheery, and unlike the sodium-filled soup you buy at the store, this has no salt. I repeat. No. Salt. Something about the smoothness of the avocado, cream from the greek yogurt, and that pinch of spice gives this soup all the flavor it needs. I don't know how, but I took something I found rather dull and flavorless and made it.... really damn good!

You can make the whole batch (sans yogurt), freeze it, and add the yogurt last minute for a long-lasting soup you won't get sick of. If you're feeling sniffly and wishing for sunny weather (like me) then I think you'll enjoy it too. :)

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cucumber Soup
Makes: 12 servings  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 1 hour

Ingredients
4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup, 1 tbs olive oil (divided)
2 tbs honey
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 tbs coarse ground pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1 avocado
2 tbs parsley, plus more for garnish
1 cup plain greek yogurt

Directions
Lay peeled and sliced cucumbers in a baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, honey, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. Pour over cucumbers and toss to cover. Roast in the oven at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.
Saute onion in 1 tbs olive oil for 3-4 minutes until soft. Sprinkle with pepper and cook for another minute. Add vegetable broth and cook on medium-high heat just below boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a food processor, add cooked cucumbers, broth, avocado and parsley. Process on high for 2 minutes. Add greek yogurt, garnish with parsley and serve. (If refrigerating or freezing, wait to add yogurt until just before serving.)

Baked Shrimp Spring Rolls with Mango Dipping Sauce

Happy Superbowl Sunday! I've been working all morning on these spring rolls since the avocado I bought yesterday wasn't ripe enough to use yet. (Note to self: never go grocery shopping the day before the Superbowl. Ever. Again.) This was my first attempt at Asian food and they were really fun to make! I'm excited to try a lot more combinations with my leftover spring roll wrappers. I also used my new food processor for the first time! Despite the fact that it's a pain in the ass to clean, it's pretty awesome.

I'm pretty bummed that I'm away from Boston when the Patriots are in the Superbowl, but luckily I get to go back next weekend and visit all my friends! I told them that if the Pats win, they better jump in the reflection pool for me. Since most people here in New Jersey are Giants fans, I might be the lone Boston fan at our party tonight (but hopefully bringing these spring rolls will make up for that in their eyes). Anyway if you're looking for a fun, healthy game day snack and all the veggie trays are sold out, try these rolls instead.

Baked Shrimp Spring Rolls with Mango Dipping Sauce
Makes: 24 rolls Prep: 30 minutes  Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
24 spring roll wrappers
12 ounces frozen shrimp, uncooked
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
6 scallion greens, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 egg
1 tbs honey

Mango Dipping Sauce:
1 1/2 20-ounce jars canned mangoes
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tbs honey
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce

Directions*
Defrost frozen shrimp and saute until pink. Let cool, remove tails and chop into small pieces. Season with cayenne pepper and salt and toss.
In a large saute pan, heat cabbage, carrots, shrimp and scallions. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then add avocado. Remove and let cool.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Begin rolling by placing spring roll wrapper in a bowl of hot water, and lay flat on a dry towel. Lightly pat and place a heaping tablespoon of shrimp mixture 3 inches from the bottom edge. Lift edge over mixture and tuck, rolling until halfway up the wrapper. Lift horizontal edges to close the ends of the roll, and finish by rolling up to the top and tucking the edge underneath. Lay on a greased baking sheet and repeat with all rolls.
Before baking egg rolls, beat together egg and honey. Use a pastry brush or hands to lightly coat the outside of each roll. Bake for 10 minutes and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
For mango dipping sauce, blend canned mangoes in a food processor. Add in lemon juice, honey, salt, vinegar and hot sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*For help, see this great visual tutorial for how to roll egg rolls at Steamy Kitchen.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Honey Hush Cornbread

Hurricane Irene is hitting most of New England right now, while I sit snuggled safely in my house in Upstate New York. I've been huddled on my laptop all day keeping an eye on the storm and all my friends in Boston. I can't think of a better time to introduce a new recipe dedicated to my second home.

Actually, this recipe pays homage to both my homes, here in Syracuse and back in Boston. Syracuse is pretty quaint as far as cities go, but if we're known for one thing (besides Syracuse University basketball) it's Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. This barbecue joint has been famous since I was born, originating right off of West Gennesee Street in downtown Syracuse, and has since introduced locations in Harlem, Troy, and Rochester.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was voted America's Best BBQ in a nation-wide search held by "Good Morning America" back in 2009. It has also been featured on the Travel Channel's show Man v. Food. Dylan and I are in a constant debate about the supremacy of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, as he is convinced there is no {insert noun} better than the one in DC. I've since gotten him to admit that it is "on par" with his favorite barbecue restaurant in his hometown. I'll accept that as defeat.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que  Honey Hush Cornbread
Serves: 9  Prep: 10 minutes  Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey*

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and honey. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix until moist all the way through.
Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 inch baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

*In the original recipe, the honey is brushed on top of the cornbread after baking. I decided to incorporate it into the batter for a richer taste throughout. Either way will do the trick!

Baked Flounder in a Lemon Butter Sauce

I marched off to the store yesterday with the intent to purchase two hardy tuna steaks for a pan seared tuna dinner. One look at the price and I quickly changed my mind. Next to the tuna steaks, however, were these modest, glistening flounder fillets. I saw the $7.99 per lb price tag and thought, These will do!

Now, I've never been a big fish eater but people are always raving about the health benefits so I'm giving it a shot. I was afraid cooking fish would make my whole apartment stink, but it barely had an odor at all and it was the easiest dish to make! Serve with a side of baked potato slices and steamed vegetables and you've got yourself a guilt-free, satisfying meal.

Baked Flounder in a Lemon Butter Sauce
Serves: 2  Prep: 5 minutes  Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 flounder fillets
1 tbs butter
1 tbs lemon juice
1 small garlic clove

Directions
Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and lay down flounder fillets. In a small bowl, melt the butter and add lemon juice and garlic, mixing well. Pour over fillets and bake at 325 for approximately 25 minutes.