Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

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Red Wine Cupcakes

A couple of months ago, my friends at Avalon Winery asked me to come up with a recipe to promote their new cooking contest for this year. If you’ll remember, they sent me to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival last year to compete in their America’s Greatest Foods Recipe Challenge. I didn’t win, I came in last actually (hey, some people can’t handle the idea of fish served with red, even when chorizo is involved – what are you going to do?) but after that trip – visiting the city of Charleston for the first time, meeting such influential chefs like The Lee Brothers and the great Art Smith (he asked me where to get a cup of coffee, y’all – and then he went to that coffee shop the whole time he was in town!), getting drunk with Kelly Liken, and making some new friends… I came out a winner in the end anyway!

So when they offered to send me a few bottles of their delicious Cabernet Sauvignon to develop a recipe with, of course I jumped at the offer. Guys, it’s seriously one of the best reds you’ll find for the price point. For under $10 a bottle, it really can’t be beat. Rich and fruity, with all kinds of delicious berry notes going on. Rolls right off the tongue, with very few harsh tannins that tend to come along with red wines. It’s available nationally, I always have luck finding it at Whole Foods (if your Whole Foods carries wine that is!). But, if you can’t find it – definitely ask your local wine distributor to carry it. I promise that you won’t be disappointed!

I ended up making two dishes with the bottle I opened…since I can’t do much drinking of the stuff at the moment due to baby #3. The first of which was more traditional, and I plan to share with you guys soon – then there were these cupcakes. Red wine and chocolate pair so well together anyways, I thought a cupcake wasn’t too far of a fetch. Boy, do I love being right!

The batter was absolutely beautiful…light and fluffy, and baked up gorgeous! For the frosting I went  the traditional route, used my simple vanilla buttercream with a bit of the wine added to it for flavor and a tint of color. It was definitely unlike any cupcake I’d had before, but still absolutely delicious. I loved how the acidity of the wine cut the sweetness of the frosting. And, of course the color was lovely!

These cupcakes would most definitely be perfect for your Valentine, and they’re something different that friends and family probably haven’t seen before – but will most certainly be intrigued by. I hope you guys enjoy, and a big thanks to Avalon for giving me an excuse to make them!

Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes

8 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and egg yolk, as well as the vanilla, beat well until combined.

Add in 1/2 of the dry ingredients, followed by the wine, then the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl if necessary.

Divide batter evenly into lined muffin pan. Bake for 18 minutes then remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

In the meantime, to make the frosting, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, as well as the wine and vanilla. Beat until no lumps remain. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Makes about 12 cupcakes. 

Source: cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

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Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Gosh – it sure has a busy week around here. I’ve been in the kitchen baking pretty much everyday – rolls, bread, pitas, and this delicious coffee cake. This blackberry version has long been my favorite, but when I came across this strawberry-cream cheese version on Pinterest I couldn’t wait to try something different. I also happened to have everything I needed right on hand, as I had some strawberries in the refrigerator that were on their last leg and needed to be put to use in something.

The cake batter comes together quickly, then you top with a simple cream cheese mixture and a quick homemade strawberry jam using fresh berries, then it’s all topped off with a delicious almond streusel. The cake was tender and sweet, and the layers of toppings from the cream cheese and strawberries just made it totally rich and decadent. Not to mention how beautiful it turned out!

It would be a show stopper at a Sunday morning breakfast or brunch for sure. Or, just to bake on an idle Friday night and have around for nibbling on all weekend long. We’re looking forward to a family trip with our crew, as well as one of my best friend and her family to Ocean City. We’re heading to a restaurant we’ve been dying to try, The Shark on the Harbor – and then it’s on to The Annual Waterman’s Expo! A trip to the boardwalk and Thrasher’s might also have to be in order…you know, for the baby. Then on Sunday, football of course. Still trying to decide what munchies to make. I’m thinking a big dish of roasted Seahawk is definitely on the menu. Heh. GO NINERS! I hope that everyone has a great weekend! 

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the strawberry jam:
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
3 tbsp sugar
3 tsp water
1.5 tsp cornstarch

For the crumb topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the cream cheese layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour and 9-inch springform pan and set asdie.

To make the strawberry jam, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the strawberries release their juices. Add the cornstarch mix and stir until well combined. Stir for another minute or two until it has thickened. Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Beat the cream cheese on medium speed for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Set aside.

To make the crumb topping, combine the flour and sugar in a small bowl and mix to combine. Pour in the melted butter and mash with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make the cake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a 2-cup measuring cupl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, yogurt, and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid ingredients. Fold together gently until evenly combined and no streaks remain, being careful not to over mix. Pour the the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.

Carefully layer the cream cheese layer on top of the cake batter, as well as the strawberry layer – spreading out evenly. Top with all of the crumb topping, and then sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes until cake is set and nicely browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes before removing from springform pan. Let cool for at least another 30 minutes before serving.

Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Source: highly adapted from Food Wanderings In Asia

Sourdough Oatmeal Rolls

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Sourdough Oatmeal Rolls

There’s few things in this world like freshly baked bread right out of the oven. I’ve been getting more and more into baking bread these days, especially having a sourdough starter hanging out in the fridge. Every Sunday morning when I “feed it”, I feel terrible throwing away half of it – I’ll try to pawn it off on friends, but I’ve pretty much run out of takers at this point, so I’ve resolved to baking something with it on Sunday.

These sourdough oatmeal rolls were one of those resolutions. They are a delicious savory dinner roll. Chewy and tender, with a hint of sweetness from honey, and plenty of texture from the addition of oatmeal in the bread – as well as sprinkled on the top of the rolls before baking.

It makes two pans of rolls, which was enough to us to enjoy with dinner on Sunday night – and a batch to stick in the freezer to enjoy on an evening soon. I love having fresh bread just waiting in the freezer. Plus, one less trip to the store with a toddler in tow is always a good thing! This is one we’ll be making again and again for sure, as I just loved the flavor and texture. Actually, I’m thinking a batch of our favorite ham & cheese sliders might be in order for lunch next weekend on these bad boys! 

Sourdough Oatmeal Rolls

1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp active-dry yeast (or 1 package)
1 Tbsp molasses
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup quick cooking oats (1/4 cup reserved for topping)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted (for brushing tops)
Combine warm water and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over the top of the water and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the molasses, egg, sourdough starter, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup oats, and flour to the bowl. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough is formed. Switch to dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Place in well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled – about 90 minutes.

Grease the bottom and sides of 2 8-inch baking pans. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Equally divide each half into 7 pieces about the size of a golf ball (2 ounces each if you’re weighing). Gently roll into rounds and place in the pans, leaving about half an inch of space between them. Cover rolls with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for at least 30 minutes, or until they’ve expanded to fill the pan.

Preheat oven to 400º. Brush with each pan with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with half of the oats. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes 

Currant and Poppy Seed Loaf Cake

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Currant and Poppyseed Loaf Cake

A couple of weeks ago we were up in Annapolis again, for a doctor’s appointment. A long way to go to a docs appointment – yes. But, they don’t have all the fancy sonogram equipment here that they do there. Appointment went fine, in and out in 45 minutes. So, while we were up there I had to go visit all my favorite grocery stores! Trader Joe’s was first on the list, to stock up on necessities. But then we headed to Whole Foods, and it was there that I came across these gorgeous ruby red currants…which of course I couldn’t resist dropping into my cart, even though I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them.

To me, they are kind of reminiscent of cranberries – but more berry like. Soft and juicy, but yet very tart at the same time. You always see them as garnishes on gorgeous desserts this time of year, but I wanted to do something special with them on their own. So, when in doubt? Put it in a loaf cake!

A batter includes buttermilk to make it nice and moist, some poppy seeds for a little crunch, as well as some orange zest for a kick of flavor. The currants are folded in at the last minute, to preserve their integrity. Then it’s baked and topped with a simple glaze of confectioner’s sugar and fresh orange juice. The sweetness of the cake paired with the tartness of the currants was just perfect. It was absolutely delightful for dessert the other night, and even better with a cup of coffee for breakfast the next morning. Everyone in the house raved enjoyed it. If you can find fresh currants locally, I’d highly recommended giving this one a try. I know you guys will love it too!

Currant & Poppy seed Loaf Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 orange, zested
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
1 cup fresh red currants

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the vanilla and orange extracts, as well as the eggs. Mix until combined, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the poppyseeds to the batter and mix until just combined. Carefully fold in the currants.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before removing from loaf pan.

To make the glaze whisk the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm cake before serving.

Source: adapted from Canelle et Vanille via Daisey’s World