BANANA CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Here’s a really great, easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes.  You don’t even need to get your mixer out, because these are mixed like muffins, with one quick mix by hand. 



Full of flavor, very light and moist, this one is a definite winner!  The banana flavor comes through, but in a background sort of way.  It leads the applause for the chocolate.  The only problem is that the batter is more than enough for 12 standard-size cupcakes.  I used two (6-oz.) ramekins for the extra batter, and got two over-sized cupcakes for a total of 14 cupcakes.  I’ll be making these again.

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes Adapted from Joy of Baking Rating:  10 out of 10

Click for PRINTABLE PAGE INGREDIENTS: 1 cup granulated white sugar (I ground this in my food processor for superfine sugar) 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, lightly spooned and swept 1/3 cup unsweetened natural or Dutch cocoa powder (I used Dutch.) 3/4 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt  (You can substitute table salt.) 1 large egg 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 1 medium-sized banana) 1/4 cup warm water 1/4 cup warm coffee 1/4 cup plain or vanilla-flavored non-fat Greek yogurt 1/4 cup vegetable, corn or canola oil 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract  (I used my homemade vanilla.) Heat oven to 350F (180C) and place rack in center of oven.  Line 12 standard-sized muffin cups with paper liners, or spray each cup with nonstick vegetable spray.  Set out two (6-oz) greased ramekins and line each with two wax paper circles cut to fit the bottoms.  In large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients:  sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a second large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients:  egg, mashed banana, water, coffee, yogurt, oil and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir or whisk till combined.  Do not overbeat.  Pour or scoop batter into muffin cups and ramekins, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in center returns with just a few crumbs.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.  Frost with Double Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, Chocolate Mint Buttercream Frosting, White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting , or one of your own favorites.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Looking for a chocolate frosting that has deep chocolate flavor?  This is it.  A combo of Dutch cocoa and extra-strong dark chocolate produces a rich chocolate flavor and a super creamy texture.  It’s a simple recipe, but one that I’ll be making again and again. 

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (I used Chocolove extra-strong dark, 77% cocoa content) 6 Tbsp. butter, softened 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa (or natural, if preferred) 1 Tbsp. coffee 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream, half and half or milk 1 tsp. vanilla (I used my homemade vanilla extract) optional:  1/4 tsp. coffee essence (equal parts of coffee brandy and instant coffee granules) Melt chocolate in double boiler (or place in small glass bowl set over hot, simmering water but do not let bottom of glass bowl touch the water and be sure that any steam rising does not get into the bowl, as chocolate will seize if steam or water touches it.)  You can also melt chocolate in a microwave oven by processing in 30-second intervals on high, then stirring, until chocolate is almost melted.  Let cool too room temperature. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, coffee and 1 Tbsp. cream in medium bowl and beat at low speed 2 minutes or till combined.  Increase speed gradually to high and beat for 3-4 minutes till smooth and creamy.  Add flavorings and cooled chocolate and beat 3-4 minutes, or till smooth and creamy.  If additional liquid is needed, add more cream until desired consistency is reached.  Enough to frost 1-1/2 dozen cupcakes.

ULTRA-CRISPY, CHEWY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK AND PECAN COOKIES

I found this recipe on the Lizzy Goes Dutch blog, where she gave it rave reviews as her adaptation of a Better Homes and Garden’s recipe.  It was simply titled "white chocolate chunk and pecan cookies."  I followed her recipe exactly, only adding some grated orange zest to pick up the flavor. 

The test batch turned out disappointingly soft, a texture I usually don’t appreciate.  That should have been no surprise, considering the amount of dark brown sugar used.  My first impulse, after tasting the soft cookies, was to throw out the remaining dough.  Then I remembered a similar incident about a year ago and remembered what I did then.

Cooling, then rebaking, produces ultra-crispy edges with chewy centers.  And the crispiness does not go away the next day, as it does in most recipes using large quantities of brown sugar, especially dark brown sugar.  But that’s not all – the extra baking caramelizes the ingredients, producing a caramel-butterscotch flavor that goes so well with white chocolate, pecans and orange flavors.   The cookies that I hated turned out to be phenomenal winners that I absolutely loved!

Ultra-Crispy, Chewy White Chocolate Chunk and Pecan Cookies Adapted from Lizzy Goes Dutch blog and Better Homes and Garden’s “New Cook Book” Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt or kosher salt 2 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla) 2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp. baking soda 7 oz. chopped white chocolate 1-1/2 cups toasted chopped pecans Heat oven to 350F.  Using paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat the butter for 30 seconds on medium to high speed.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add sugars, zest and salt.  Beat till combined and scrape the bowl again.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Scrape bowl.  Sift flour and baking soda in small bowl.  Add gradually to butter-sugar mixture, mixing on low speed after each addition to combine.  Stir in chocolate and nuts.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.  When ready to bake, take dough out 45 minutes before baking to soften.  Heat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheets with parchment.  Roll rounded tablespoon-sized drops of dough (about 2 Tbsp.) between palms to form round balls.  Space 2” apart on cookie sheets.  Bake 10 minutes, or till centers are underdone and edges are still soft.  Cool in pan 2 minutes, then transfer to rack to finish cooling.    When cool, place on pans and bake 10 more minutes, till edges are super crispy but centers are still soft.  Cool in pan 2 minutes.  Transfer to rack to finish cooling.  Yield:  25 (3”) cookies NOTE:  If you are a fan of soft cookies, then bake these for 11-13 minutes just once and skip the second baking.

FLOUNDER WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

Here’s a simple weeknight recipe for flounder, or any mild white fish (sole, tilapia, etc.).  The flounder I used was frozen and thawed.  (Backstory:  A friend gave us a gift of about 35 small flounders, freshly caught.  We gave some away and froze the rest.  Trying to make room in the freezer, Guy cut the heads and tails off our fish.  While it made room in the freezer, it also ruined my plans for grilling them on cedar planks.  Oh, yes, we tried:




We found that the heads and tails are critical to the moistness of the fish when planking.   In other words, the fish was sort of dry.   I needed a plan B for the 20 or so flounders sitting in my freezer.  So, at my request, Guy filleted two of them.)
 
We both enjoyed our flounder simply pan fried in a cast-iron skillet and drizzled with a lemon-caper sauce.  The fish was moist and the sauce was a perfect complement to the mildness of flounder.  We’ll definitely be having an encore soon.

Flounder with Lemon Caper Sauce Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

1 tsp. unsalted butter 1 garlic clove, grated or minced 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 lb. flounder (or other mild white fish) fillets Fine sea salt or kosher salt to taste Black pepper to taste 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice 1-1/2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed, drained 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley In small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.  Add broth and cook till reduced to half.  Off heat, cover and keep warm. Pat fish dry with clean paper towels.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Heat a medium heavy skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat.  Add oil.  Right before it reaches its smoking point, add the flounder.  Cook about 1 minute, then flip to the other side and cook another 30-45 seconds.  Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.  Increase skillet heat to high and pour in reduced broth mixture.  Add lemon juice and cook about 1 minute, or till mixture starts to thicken slightly.  Add capers and parsley and cook till heated through.  Serve sauce over flounder.  Yield:  4 servings

PUMPKIN-SWEET POTATO-COCONUT SOUP WITH SPICY RELISH

Bobby Flay is one of the most brilliant chefs on today’s culinary scene, IMHO.  He has a knack for blending flavors in recipes to produce amazing results.  After all, he is an Iron Chef on Food Network Channel.  So when I saw his recipe for Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup with Spicy Relish in the September 12, 2010, issue of Parade, I knew I wanted to try it.  Since sweet potatoes add a depth of flavor to winter squash, I decided to make this recipe using a mixture of pumpkin and sweet potato.



The soup is delicious.  Flavors are perfectly balanced with just enough heat from red pepper and ginger, and just enough honey and cinnamon to coax the sweetness from the veggies.  The spicy relish really makes this soup special.  The little chunks of sweet potatoes are slightly crisp outside, but soft inside.  Cooked with parsley and red pepper flakes, they’re the perfect accent to this comforting, creamy soup.  The leftover soup was great the next day with some freshly cooked scallops.  I’m keeping this one.

Pumpkin-Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup with Spicy Relish Adapted from Bobby Flay Rating:  9 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

SPICY RELISH:  1-1/2 tsp. canola or olive oil 1-1/2 tsp. unsalted butter Pinch of red pepper flakes 1/4 of a medium sweet potato, peeled, diced Sea salt and black pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a small, heavy skillet (cast iron is perfect).  Add red pepper flakes; heat for 10 seconds.  Add diced sweet potato and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Cover skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15 minutes.  Uncover.  Increase heat to high and cook till potatoes are golden brown, 5 – 7 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl; stir in the parsley.   SOUP:  1-1/2 tsp. canola or olive oil 1/2 small onion, chopped 1” piece fresh ginger, peeled then grated (to yield 1 tsp. grated ginger) pinch red pepper flakes 1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup water 1 cup pumpkin (I used fresh roasted pumpkin, but canned is fine.) 3/4 of a medium sweet potato, peeled, chopped 3/4 cup lite coconut milk 1-1/2 tsp. honey pinch cinnamon 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper (taste and adjust, adding more if needed) In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and ginger; cook till soft, 5 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds.  Add stock and water; bring to a boil.  Add pumpkin and sweet potatoes; bring to a simmer.  Cook till veggies are soft, 20-30 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes.  Puree with immersion blender (or transfer mixture to a blender and process until smooth then return to saucepan).  Simmer over low heat.  Whisk in coconut milk, honey and cinnamon.  Cook until thickened and warmed through.  Taste soup.  Season as desired with additional salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls; top with a spoonful of the spicy relish.  Yield:  2 servings (Double ingredients to serve 4)

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PASTA, MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

We received a gift of a 2-lb. bag of fresh-frozen sea scallops, caught from a local fisherman and so we happily ate scallops for a few days.  This recipe was made with what I had in the fridge.  The flavors went well together and the meal was satisfying and filling, besides being nutritious.  Sweet creamy scallops, served on a bed of thin spaghetti, mushrooms, white wine, spinach and fresh Parmesan:  very yummy.

Tip:  To get that appetizing sear on scallops, dry them thoroughly between paper towels.  Get your pan very hot, and don’t add too much oil.  Don’t crowd the scallops in the pan and cook them towards the center rather than the perimeter.  Only turn them once.

Seared Scallops with Pasta, Mushrooms and Spinach Rating:  8.5 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

10-12 oz. fresh or frozen and thawed sea scallops sea salt and pepper  3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion 1/2 tsp. grated fresh garlic 1-1/4 cup sliced mushrooms 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped 1/3 cup dry white wine 3 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp. chopped fresh basil cooked pasta of choice (I used Barilla thin spaghetti) Dry scallops thoroughly between layers of paper towels.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet on high heat.  Add half the oil.  When oil is sizzling and ready to smoke, add scallops, leaving room between them to properly sear.  They will sear best towards the center, rather than the perimeter, of the pan.  Cook scallops for about 2 minutes without stirring, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, till cooked almost through.  Remove to a plate; cover and keep warm.  Add remaining oil to pan with onion and mushrooms.  Cook over medium high heat till onions are transparent and mushrooms are starting to brown.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Add spinach and wine and cook till spinach starts to wilt.  Stir in butter, lemon juice, parsley, basil and pasta.  Toss to incorporate pasta.  If desired, add scallops briefly,  just to reheat slightly.  Serve mounds of pasta and veggies with scallops on top.  Yield:  2-3 servings

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CREAM PIE

This recipe, my creation, is a result of experimentation that paid off.  A tender and flavorful almond graham cracker crust holds a rich and chocolatey filling with a mild almond undertone.  The whipped-cream topping is spiked with almond liqueur and sprinkled with chocolate shavings.  A dessert made in heaven.

Chocolate Almond Cream Pie Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

Almond Graham Cracker Crust: 1/2 cup almond meal or finely ground almonds 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar 5 Tbsp. butter, melted 8” pie pan (I used my Emile Henry) Heat oven to 375F.  Combine almond meal, cracker crumbs, sugar and butter.  Mix with fork or in a food processor till crumbs are moistened.  Press into 8” pie pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes, or till crust is set and lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack. Chocolate Almond Filling: 3/4 + 1/3 cup whole milk, divided 2 large eggs 1/8 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1-1/2 Tbsp. cocoa (I used Penzey’s high-fat natural unsweetened) 1/2 cup sugar 3 Tbsp. freshly brewed, cooled, coffee 1-1/2 oz. chopped unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. almond extract 2 Tbsp. butter Whisk together in medium bowl, or blend in blender, 3/4 cup milk, eggs, salt, cornstarch, cocoa and sugar.  Pour into saucepan, adding remaining 1/3 cup milk and coffee.  (For an even richer filling, use 1/3 cup heavy cream in place of milk.)  Cook and stir over medium heat till thick and stiff.  Off heat.  Stir in chopped chocolate, vanilla, almond extract and butter.  Set pan in a larger pan of ice water and whisk, on an off, till mixture cools.  When cool, pour into cooled crust.  (TIP:  To cook the filling faster, use a saute pan instead of a sauce pan.  Since the filling is spread over a wider surface, it'll take less heating time to thicken it.) Cover with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight.  Before serving, top pie with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or curls. Whipped Cream Topping: 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled 4 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla powder (or vanilla extract) 1 Tbsp. almond liqueur Garnishes:  chocolate shavings or curls Using a chilled bowl and beaters, whip the cream till it thickens.  Sift the sugar and vanilla powder (if using) over the cream and continue to beat till thick and stiff.  Beat in vanilla extract (if using) and almond liqueur.  Spoon over filling.  Garnish with chocolate shavings or curls.