Filled Chocolate Cupcakes.\, Part 1

I'd been thinking about making some cupcakes for a party, when I got a call from a friend asking me if her daughters could come and learn how to make cupcakes with me.  Little did they know that I had never made chocolate cupcakes before!  But, I thought it would be a great learning experience for us all.  When the girls came, I learned that they, like me, had  reservations about cupcakes  because there's usually a mound  of frosting glopped on the outside and too much dry cake underneath.  We all thought it would be fun to try and fill the interior of the cake with some frosting  and I decided on cherries for the top ( I had been invited to a party and was asked to bring something chocolate with fruit).

I would say that the morning was not a success, although we did have fun and learned what to do when you have a failure.  The first problem was that the cupcakes (we made minis and regular) stuck to the pans.  We hand anticipated some trouble and had greased and floured some of the cups, and just greased the others, but ALL of the cupcakes stuck.

But the cake tasted great -  so we certainly didn't want to throw it away.  Now was the chance to think creatively.  Veronica thought the cupcake remnants looked like muffin tops (they did) and in keeping with our idea of having filled cupcakes, we decided to cut off the tops and sandwich two together with frosting and filling inbetween.  Here are my two helpers, Jasmine and Veronica.

I had planned on using simple meringue buttercream and cherries for the filling, but Jasmine wanted to know if I could make some ganache, so we made some of that, too.  The buttercream never really firmed up the way I had hoped (the kitchen was WAY too warm), so eating the cakes right away (no refrigeration) was perfect with the soft buttercream, cherries, chocolate cake and oozy ganache (like hot fudge!).

The ganache went on top and we ended up with something looking like a moonpie, which tasted great!  Another idea for when things don't work out is to do a trifle sort of dessert.  In this case I used real whipped cream instead of buttercream (it's quicker to make and  the dessert can be eaten straight from the refrigerator).

Next post, look for the recipes for chocolate cupcakes, frosting and icing that works!

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SpanishRecipesinpictures/~3/RsHGPzboCXg/duck-with-pears-aromatized-with-anise.html

Would you (American readers) consider cooking duck instead of turkey this coming Thanksgiving? Or...

Get the rest in my blog! See you there!

BEETROOT PORIYAL

I learnt this from my mom.Usually my mom makes this as an accompaniment for keerai kuzhambu.Its my favorite..Last week i made for mor kuzhambu . It was a flavorful and excellent combo.

INGREDIENTS :

• Beetroot - 2 nos (big)
• Moong dal - 2 tbsp
• Salt & water - As needed
• Sambhar powder  or Red chilly powder- 1.5tsp

To grind :

• Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
• Small onion - 2 nos
• Jeera - 1/4 tsp

To temper :

• Oil -  1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Big onion - 1 no (finely chopped)
• Curry leaves - Few

METHOD :

• Chop the beetroot into small pieces and pressure cook along with moong dal , sambhar powder , salt & water.
• Grind all the ingredients given under 'to grind 'into a smooth paste adding little water.
• Now temper the items mentioned above and add the cooked beetroot mixture.
• Then add the ground coconut paste and saute well till the  raw smell emanates.

Enjoy with sambhar/ mor kuzhambu / Keerai kuzhambu with a papad .

KITCHEN CLINIC :

BEETROOT : Beetroot contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, iron, copper, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. Each capsule provides approximately 1-2mg of elemental iron. Benefits and Features of Beetroot Beetroot provides a good source of anthocyanadins, a natural antioxidant that contributes to its deep red color Extract is a natural source of vitamins and minerals Beetroot is used traditionally as a blood building food Beetroot may aid the natural process of elimination and support detoxification processes Beetroot has liver, spleen, gall bladder and kidney cleansing properties Beetroot is particularly rich in Vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and iron Each capsule provides approximately 1-2mg of elemental iron The iron contained in beetroot is organic and non-irritating and will not cause constipation Beetroot is useful in acidosis due to it being rich in alkaline elements Vacuum packed to enhance stability and shelf life Suitable for vegetarians and vegans Beetroot for Cholesterol Reduction Beet fiber has been shown to have cholesterol lowering capabilities. In a study on rats with induced high blood cholesterol, a red beet fiber diet caused a reduction of serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels (by 30 and 40%, respectively) and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). This diet induced also a significant decrease (almost by 30%) of cholesterol content in the aorta. Beetroot for Blood Pressure Beetroot juice has been shown to lower blood pressure in subjects with normal blood pressure. In healthy volunteers, approximately 3 hours after ingestion of 500 ml of beetroot juice, blood pressure was substantially reduced, an effect that correlated with peak increases in plasma nitrite concentration, nitrite being the blood pressure reducing ingredient. Beetroot and nitrate capsules are equally effective in lowering blood pressure indicating that it is the nitrate content of beetroot juice that underlies its potential to reduce blood pressure. It has also been found that only a small amount of juice is needed – just 250ml – to have this effect. Beetroot for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Betaine, a nutrient found in beets and some other foods lowers plasma homocysteine, a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Betaine supplements are manufactured as a byproduct of sugar beet processing. Betaine "supplementation" has however been found to increase blood LDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in healthy humans, which may undo the potential benefits for cardiovascular health of betaine supplementation through homocysteine lowering. Beetroot for Healthy Liver Function Beetroot contains the bioactive agent betaine, which supports healthy liver function. When the liver is functioning properly, fats are broken down efficiently, aiding weight loss, and preventing fatigue and nausea. Glycemic Index of Beetroot In a study to determine the estimated Glycemic Index of various foods, it was concluded that beetroot has a medium GI of 64. Adverse Reactions from Beetroot Beetroot and especially beet greens contain high levels of oxalate, and should be avoided by individuals with kidney stones containing oxalate Beetroot contains nitrates and when they are cooked and left standing at room temperature, microorganisms that convert nitrates to nitrites begin to multiply, and the amount of nitrites in the beetroot rises. The nitrites combine with amines in the stomach to form nitrosamines, some of which are known carcinogens.

The Frugal Cook is away

No credit crunch drinking recs this week or next I'm afraid as I'm away on a work trip to Australia. (Yes, jammy, I know) Normal service will be resumed after December 11th.

Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs

I believe there's a trick to making kebabs. While skewers threaded with alternating chunks of vegetables and seafood, meat or whatever-you-put-on-a-skewer look great, they are difficult to cook so that everything is done at the same time. On the other hand, if you make each skewer with just one ingredient, it's guaranteed to cook evenly. Another thing, I have metal skewers and bamboo ones as well. Recipes always tell you to soak the bamboo skewers so they don't burn. But I can't be bothered. I'm going to throw the skewers away after I use them anyway so what do I care if they burn? I've never had any kebabs burst into flames and I'm not cooking over an open flame (unless I'm broiling) so it's really no big deal.

Food on a stick always seems to be more plentiful than just plain grilled food-on-a-plate. I don't know why. I had lots of chicken thighs, because I bought a 'value pack' for 99 cents a pound. But I had to buy 4 pounds. Luckily I have a household of two. I can't imagine one person eating anywhere near that much chicken.

I made a simple marinade for the chicken and the vegetables, using the paltry ingredients I had on hand. I used only vegetables that were on sale. Fresh herbs would have been a nice addition but I didn't have the budget for them and my dry Italian seasoning mix probably would have burned. I served these skewer with couscous but really any starch would do. After I bought the bulk couscous I saw bulgar which was much cheaper and probably has more nutritional value. In an attempt to use everything possible, I added the lemon zest from my half lemon to the couscous. This is not a recipe I would make again. It was healthy, cheap and fast, but it was also boring.

Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs

$2.92 for 2 servings

1/2 onion .10
1/2 zucchini .34
1 Anaheim chile pepper .29
4 oz. button mushrooms, stems removed .99
2 chicken thigh, skinned and boned .80

1 Tablespoon olive oil .18
Juice of 1/2 lemon .17
I clove garlic, pressed .05
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix the marinade, toss the vegetables in it then thread on skewers. Then place the chicken in the marinade, allow to marinate for 10 minutes then thread on skewers. Grill or broil until done.

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.