Orange Chocolate Chip Scones

  

These taste just as good as any scone I've ever had at a coffee shop.  So save yourself the money and don't buy them - bake them!  They are so flavorful and sweet compared to most; they're almost more like a chocolate chip cookie than a scone.  They have just the right amount of orange flavor, which pairs so well with the chocolate chips.  They do an amazing job soaking up coffee, too.  When dunked, they get soft instantly and [melt in your mouth.]

Yield: 12 scones

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or a large fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Mix in the orange juice to form a dough.

3. Shape dough to desired shapes (I did circles because it was easy, but triangles are common too) about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet.

4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Move to wire racks to cool.

Vanilla Coffee Cupcakes w/Tiramisu Filling & Coffee Buttercream Frosting

   

I recently took a cooking class called "The Art of Cupcakes," by Chef Wynton Mann (you can check out his site at www.wyntonsworld.com), and it was so much fun!  We made five different types of incredibly delicious cupcakes: these, pumpkin cupcakes with maple and ginger buttercream frosting, banana nut cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry mascarpone cream cheese-filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting, honey pear cupcakes with white chocolate and pistachio buttercream frosting.  I know you're probably drooling right now just reading over that. Imagine actually biting into them.  They were all sooo good...not one of them was even close to forgettable.  And none of the recipes are available online, so I guess you'll just have to make them all from my blog(:

Of all the cupcakes we made in the class, these are tied for my favorite with the honey pear cupcakes.  If you like coffee, then you will LOVE these cupcakes...especially the frosting.  Oh my goodness, the frosting is so rich and the best coffee-flavored thing I've ever tasted ---> I would totally eat it straight with a spoon.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Cupcake:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 oz. butter, at room temperature.

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the chocolate covered espresso beans:

1/3 cup roasted coffee beans

1/2 cup chocolate chips (good quality...like Ghiradelli)

For the Tiramisu Filling:

3 large egg yolks

1/8 cup sugar

1/8 cup dark rum

1/8 cups espresso coffee

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

For the Frosting:

1/4 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

4 oz. butter, at room temperature

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In another bowl cream butter until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, and scraping down sides of bowl in between each addition; add in lemon zest; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.  Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

For the Filling:

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very thick and light yellow.  Lower the speed to medium and add 1/8 cup rum, 1/8 cup espresso, and the mascarpone.  Whisk until smooth.

For the Frosting:

Pour the milk into a small glass bowl and heat in the microwave oven on high power for 30 seconds, or until very hot.  Stir in the coffee granules until they dissolve.  Set the mixture aside.  Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds.  Stop the machine and add 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds.  Alternating, add the coffee mixture and the rest of the sugar, beating on low speed until smooth.  Add more sugar if the frosting seems thin.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until lightened, 1 to 2 minutes more.

For the beans:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until liquid and smooth.  Drop in a handful of beans, and stir them around.  Scoop them out with a spoon, and set them out on waxed paper.  Keep them separate.  Continue until all the beans are covered.  They will harden overnight, or if you are in a hurry, you can freeze them for about half an hour.  Once hard, they won't stick together and can be stored in any air-tight container.

Honey Pear Cupcakes with White Chocolate and Pistachio Buttercream Frosting

 

    

I recently took a cooking class called "The Art of Cupcakes," by Chef Wynton Mann (you can check out his site at www.wyntonsworld.com), and it was so much fun!  We made five different types of incredibly delicious cupcakes: these, pumpkin cupcakes with maple and ginger buttercream frosting, banana nut cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry mascarpone cream cheese-filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting, and vanilla coffee cupcakes with tiramisu filling and coffee buttercream frosting.  I know you're probably drooling right now just reading over that. Imagine actually biting into them.  They were all sooo good...not one of them was even close to forgettable.  And none of the recipes are available online, so I guess you'll just have to make them all from my blog(:

By the way...of all the cupcakes we made in the class, these are my favorite....well...actually...it's a tie between these and the vanilla coffee cupcakes.  If you're not a coffee lover, then you'd like these pear ones better, though.  But if you do like coffee then, you'll definitely be all over the vanilla coffee cupcakes.  The reason I love these pear cupcakes is because they're the most unique and I'd never had anything like them before.  I'm also a huge sucker for white chocolate.  The frosting is seriously incredible...it's the best frosting I've ever had; I know pistachios sound kind of weird in a frosting - especially mixed with white chocolate - but the flavor combination of these cupcakes are absolutely perfect.

Yield:  12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Honey Poached Pear:

1/4 cup honey

1 2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

2 large pears

For the Cupcakes:

1/2 cup butter

1 honey poached pear, mashed

1 honey poached pear, sliced

1/2 cup syrup from poached pear

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

For the Frosting:

5 oz. white chocolate, melted

1/4 cup pistachios

4 oz. butter, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons milk (more or less)

Directions:

For the poached pears:

Combine 3 cups water, honey, and sugar in a large saucepan.  Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and add to saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat.  Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.  Add the pears to the mixture and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until pears are tender.  Remove the saucepan off the heat and strain the pears into a large bowl.  Pour the honey mixture over the pears and allow cooling before placing in the refrigerator.

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 12 capacity muffin tray with cupcake liners.  In a large bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.  Cream butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Beat well after each addition.  Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the honey syrup in three lots.  Fold in the mashed pear.  Evenly divide the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners and place a slice of the honey poached pear on top of the batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

Grind the pistachios with 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar in a food processor.  You can have the pistachios as fine or as course as you like.  Cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the lemon zest and the ground pistachios and beat until combined.  Add the icing sugar, lemon juice and the melted white chocolate. Beat the frosting for 3-5 minutes, adding the milk until you achieve the consistency you want.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone-Cheese Filling and Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

  

I recently took a cooking class called "The Art of Cupcakes," by Chef Wynton Mann (you can check out his site at www.wyntonsworld.com), and it was so much fun!  We made five different types of incredibly delicious cupcakes: these, pumpkin cupcakes with maple and ginger buttercream frosting, banana nut cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry mascarpone cream cheese-filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting, honey pear cupcakes with white chocolate and pistachio buttercream frosting, and vanilla coffee cupcakes with tiramisu filling and coffee buttercream frosting.  I know you're probably drooling right now just reading over that. Imagine actually biting into them.  They were all sooo good...not one of them was even close to forgettable.  And none of the recipes are available online, so I guess you'll just have to make them all from my blog(:


Yield: 24 cupcakes


Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


For the Filling:
1 - 8oz container mascarpone cheese, chilled
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, thawed, drained
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice


For the Frosting:
2 oz. butter, at room temperature
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla


Directions:

For the Cupcakes:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; mix batter until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

5. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about one-third full.  Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20-25 minutes.

6. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

For the Filling:

In a food processor combine the mascarpone cheese, strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice.  Process the mixture until smooth.  Transfer the strawberry mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip.

For the Frosting:

Cream butter and cream cheese; gradually add part of the sugar, alternating with chocolate, then milk, until well blended and spreading consistency is reached. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Banana Nut Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

I recently took a cooking class called "The Art of Cupcakes," by Chef Wynton Mann (you can check out his site at www.wyntonsworld.com), and it was so much fun!  We made five different types of incredibly delicious cupcakes: these, pumpkin cupcakes with maple and ginger buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry mascarpone cream cheese-filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting, honey pear cupcakes with white chocolate and pistachio buttercream frosting, and vanilla coffee cupcakes with tiramisu filling and coffee buttercream frosting.  I know you're probably drooling right now just reading over that. Imagine actually biting into them.  They were all sooo good...not one of them was even close to forgettable.  And none of the recipes are available online, so I guess you'll just have to make them all from my blog(:

Yield: 12 cupcakes


Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten


For the Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Garnish:
Pecans or walnuts

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple and Ginger Buttercream Frosting

I recently took a cooking class called "The Art of Cupcakes," by Chef Wynton Mann (you can check out his site at www.wyntonsworld.com), and it was so much fun!  We made five different types of incredibly delicious cupcakes: these, banana nut cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry mascarpone cream cheese-filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting, honey pear cupcakes with white chocolate and pistachio buttercream frosting, and vanilla coffee cupcakes with tiramisu filling and coffee buttercream frosting.  I know you're probably drooling right now just reading over that. Imagine actually biting into them.  They were all sooo good...not one of them was even close to forgettable.  And none of the recipes are available online, so I guess you'll just have to make them all from my blog(:

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, at room temperature
8 oz. canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil


For the Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz. butter, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ginger, powder
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted


Directions:
For the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
3.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
4. In another larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
5. Add the flour and stir until combined.
6. Divide the batter among the prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.


For the Frosting:
1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the butter and beat until combined. Add the maple syrup and ginger and beat to combine.  Add 1.5 cups of the sugar and beat on low speed until combined.  
2.  Optional: add up to 1/2 cup more of sugar so that the frosting is thick.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

These just about made my life. Cookie dough - with no eggs!  You can eat as much as you want, and you don't have to worry about salmonella or getting another sickness from raw eggs.  And who doesn't love cookie dough?  I'm sure there are many of you out there who have attempted to make cookies and ended up eating a good portion of the dough.  I know I have.  In fact, I think cookie dough tastes better than a baked cookie.  Actually...I take that back.  There's nothing better than a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven - all ooey and gooey and hot and delicious.  But the cookie dough is definitely the next best thing.  These cookie dough balls are fool-proof and so easy to whip up.  They're a huge crowd-pleaser too.  

Ingredients:

For the cookie dough:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened*
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the chocolate coating: (optional)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

*if you only have unsalted, add 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, chocolate chips, and mix until well blended. Roll dough into bite-sized balls.  Melt 2 cups chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium, microwaveable bowl.  Mix well. Dip frozen cookie dough balls into chocolate mixture, place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Vanilla Almond Granola

If you've ever made granola, you probably know that it's pretty hard to mess up: just throw in a little this and that and bake it till it's browned and crunchy. So I wasn't worried when I threw this together.  This was my first time ever making granola, and I was really happy with the way it turned out. It's vanilla-almond-coconut-crispy-goodness.  You can eat it as cereal, add it to your oatmeal, have it as an ice cream topping, top it over applesauce or fruit, add it to yogurt (I add it to Greek yogurt every time I make it), or just grab a handful as a snack.  Any way you have it, it's always deee-lishh.  

Yield: about 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons honey
• 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/6 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well. In a saucepan, cook oil, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, water and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a greased baking pan. Bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour or until golden, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely.