12 days of christmas baking - day 6: chocolate cream cheese cupcakes

for this 6th day of christmas baking i decided to bake those delicious chocolate cream cheese cupcakes i made a while back (click through for the recipe). these are really good! unfortunately, this time around i missed one step or didn't do it quite right. instead of filling the center of the cake with the cream cheese filling, i spoon it on top. i didn't realize how they'd look until after they were all baked. instead of getting these yummy filled looking cream cheese cupcakes, i got spotted dalmatian-like cupcakes. oops. but hey! they still taste delicious, with or without frosting added. i chose to frost these instead. to go with the whole christmas theme, i frosted half of them with peppermint frosting and the other with good old chocolate frosting. you really cannot beat chocolate on chocolate.

okay, that's all for now. enjoy the photos. should you be interested, check out the recipe from the link above for the cupcakes. oh, the peppermint frosting recipe is below. enjoy! :)







peppermint buttercream frosting

ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp peppermint extract
up to 4 tbsp heavy cream or milk
red food coloring (optional)*

directions:
beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed (or you can use a hand mixer). add in the powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. increase mixer speed to medium and add peppermint extract, and 2 tablespoon of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. if your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. if your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining tablespoons of milk, a little at a time until you've reached the right consistency. makes 2-1/2 cups. :)

*note: if you want to pipe the frosting with that decorative red strips as seen in the pictures above, just be sure to use a paint brush and paint some red lines in your piping bag. make sure they're spread out (3-4 lines) before filling your bag with the frosting. you'll see the swirls as you pipe out the frosting.

12 days of christmas baking - day 5: mrs. jew's crispy cookies

for this fifth day of christmas baking i decided to try out a new recipe. i had pinned this from earlier in the week onto my holidays pinterest board. i'm just surprised i made it. actually, i'm very happy i made it because these are really good. no wonder it's one of brandon jew, chef of bar agricole (in sf)'s favorite holiday cookie recipe. of course, the name of the cookie sounds familiar (a family recipe maybe?!). but anyway, that's besides the point. the point here is, you should definitely make these cookies. the recipe's simple enough and the added Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal adds a delicious unexpected in a good way crunch when you bit into it. i love it! below's the recipe should you want to make some tonight or any time! really, it's a little different from you typical chocolate chip cookie, but in a very good way. i made mine without the raisins because i don't care for raisins a whole lot. you can do the same or make the recipe as is. enjoy!





mrs. jew's crispy cookies
by brandon jew, chef, bar agricole
recipe from refinery29 sf

ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies
1 cup raisins
6 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels (optional)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. Blend in the flour mixture.
4. Stir in the Rice Krispies, chocolate chips, and raisins.
5. Drop level tablespoons full of mixture onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

makes 3-1/2 dozen cookies. enjoy!

note: i baked my cookies for only 9 minutes. but of course, you know your oven best. still, i say you should side on baking them at the lesser time amount (12 mins) than the full 15 mins and checking to make sure the cookies are done, rather than over baking these cookies. :)

12 days of christmas baking - day 4: cranberry apple crumb bars

cranberries are so festive this time of year. what's not to love about them?! nothing! since i had some left over cranberry from my cranberry apple breads i made sometime last week, i decided to make these cranberry apple bars. these are so delicious!

you can check out my blackberry crumb bars post for the recipe. basically, just substitute the blackberries for the cranberry and apples. i used 1 cup cranberries and 2 medium sized baking apples. of course, you can use whatever fruit you like for these as well. peach for one is a great fruit. the last time i made this recipe using peaches, oh man... they were soooooo good. no, really, like that good. the kind of good you wish you can replicate, but can't or not always. i have yet to make the peach kind again. i'm not sure it'll taste as good as that time. hmmm... maybe i'll have to consider it for some other time. :) enjoy the photos!

12 days of christmas baking - day 3: madeleine cookies

for the third day of my 12 days of christmas baking we have these delicious-looking french madeleine cookies. they really are the perfect little treat! they are soft and delicious, and smells so good when they're baking in the oven. the best part is, they are so easy to make and bake in no time! the recipe i used says anywhere between 10-16 minutes, but not in my oven! i make these babies in 7 minutes or less. now, you would have to play around with yours to figure out the perfect time to take them out.

so, how are these soft cake cookies festive? well, of course i didn't have time to decorate them this morning, not even to sprinkle powdered sugar on them! but you can certainly dip half of them in chocolate ganache or white chocolate and sprinkle some green/red sprinkles or sugar. or instead of dipping them in the ganache, you can just drizzle the ganache over them. now, maybe i'll have to bake these again and do that, then take some pics to show. maybe some other time. :)

below's the recipe should you be interested. to make these madeleine cookies you will need a metal mold with scallop-shaped indentations (madeleine pans). you can find them at amazon.com or any cookware stores. enjoy!









gourmet madeleine cookies
recipe from bon appetit

ingredients:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
powdered sugar (optional – for dusting)

directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter and flour pan for large madeleines (about 3 x 1 1/4 inches). Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon peel and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown, about 10-16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan. Repeat process, buttering and flouring pan before each batch. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Dust cookies with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

makes 20 madeleine cookies.

note: everyone's oven is different so the baking time may vary. as mentioned above, i only need 7 minutes to bake mine, so if you want to be extra careful and not have burnt madeleines, i say feel free to check them after 7-8 minutes.

12 days of christmas baking - day 2: chocolate snowcap cookies

who doesn't love chocolate crackle cookies? these snowcap cookies are so good! they're nice and moist and absolutely so sweet. now, i only make these around this time of the year. not sure why, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that they are so festive looking. you gotta say, the powdered sugar does give it quite the snowy look. plus, it's just one of those cookies you'd expect to have this time of year.

well, below's the recipe should you want to make some yourself. these are great for holiday cookie swaps, dessert tables or just because. now, stay tune to see what we have in store for day 3 of my annual 12 days of christmas baking. :)



chocolate snowcap cookies
recipe from martha stewart

ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.

Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

note: instead of rolling them into logs once they were chilled, i used a small cookie scooper and scooped them into balls, then tossed them into the powdered sugar. this step saves a bunch of time. you can try it this way, or follow the recipe as is. both works fine, i say.

makes 4 dozen cookies. enjoy! :)

12 days of christmas baking

today's the first official day of my annual "12 days of christmas baking". every year for the past 3 years i've done this. this year though will be different as i will record every baked good i bake for the next 12 days (weekends don't count, or maybe they do? i'm not sure, haven't decided yet).

so to kick off this year's 12 days of christmas baking, i decided on something simple that i can whip up in a flash (sort of -- hehe). these mini eggless chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting + peppermint candy toppings is just the perfect treat for this time of year. the chocolate cake recipe is always so delicious and they come out perfect every time. this have been my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe the last several times. they don't dry out and taste absolutely the way a chocolate cupcake should taste. i love it!

if you're interested in baking some yourself, you can check out this post here. the recipe should be there. ok, enjoy and come back for more days of christmas baking! :)

now that's a lot of macarons!

as mentioned in a previous post, yes, i did make 120 macarons (40 of each: coffee nutella, raspberry and chocolate ganache -- that's the one with the gold sparkly macaron shells) for a wedding a few weeks back. here are the photos of them and oh, they look scrumptious. i haven't baked any macarons since and now looking at them, it makes me want to bake some. hmmmm... one day soon, i'm sure. maybe i'll experiment with some holiday christmas-y flavor or something. you can't go wrong with a peppermint candy and eggnog or i don't know, something with marshmallow and hot cocoa. we'll see what i come up with the next time i bake these babies again. :)

alright, enjoy the photos! of course, if you'd like to make some macarons yourself, i do apologize that i don't have my recipe up yet. but when i do, i will certainly share it on here. in the meantime, you can browse through these previous posts and get david lebovitz's recipe from one of these posts.