Double Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and Some Arugula

Baking always serves as a great excuse to call friends and say, "can I come over?". Never fails. I love to package little treats when I visit friends and it is this time of year when I find myself baking non-stop.

It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving when C. took the kids for the day so I could finish some work. I spent the morning editing, writing and enjoying the silence after what had been a couple of busy days. Then I was overcome by this terrible urge to eat a piece of moist chocolate cake.



Do you know this urge? Yes, the urge that doesn't let you focus on anything else but taking a bite of a rich and moist chocolate cake. I quickly converted this old chocolate and buttermilk cupcake recipe into a gluten-free one by using my gluten-free flour mix and adding some chocolate chips. It hit the spot.



As soon as I took the cupcakes out of the oven, I got an email from my friend Lena. "Would you like some fresh arugula from our garden?". It was perfect timing. Some chocolate cupcakes in exchange for some beautiful arugula.

Lena had briefly mentioned their garden the last time we had lunch together, but my jaw dropped when I actually walked into their backyard and saw it. What a beautiful space that her boys and husband built from scratch. All heirloom cucumbers, purple beans, tomatoes, squash, arugula... I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this took my breath away.



So I brought them my cupcakes and I took away some of their fresh arugula.

We ate it in a salad with pears and fennel that night. I also saved some for this risotto that M. and I had for lunch a couple of days later. Fennel, leek and arugula risotto. She loved it, just as I did.

Fennel, Leek and Arugula Risotto

makes enough for 2 servings

3 Tbs olive oil
1 fennel bulb, medium diced
1/2 leek, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1 qt chicken stock, hot
1/2 cup arugula, finely chopped
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

In a pot, heat the olive oil and saute the fennel, garlic and leek until soft but not brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and cook for about a minute. Add the white wine and stir. Add a ladle full of hot chicken stock and stir constantly until the liquid has evaporated. Continue adding one ladle at a time of stock and continue stirring and cooking at medium heat. Cook until the rice is al dente. The entire process will take about 15-18 minutes.

When rice is al dente, turn the heat off. Add a little bit of stock, lemon zest, arugula and parmesan. Stir. It should be creamy. Adjust seasoning. Serve.

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Double Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and Some Arugula

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Blackberry Cupcakes, Summer Days and the Palm Beach Post

These past few days have been all about friends and family. J.'s summer camp is over and we have been trying to come up with new activities every day to keep him occupied. Full time job, that is.

As a child I was quiet, calm and studious. A book or a puzzle was enough for me, but having a boy is a completely different story. The amount of energy boys have is something that I was never quite prepared for. So this week has been all about running, swimming and secret agent games.



We had a few friends over for lunch and play dates this week, which is one of my favorite things in the whole world. A full house with friends where I get to feed them and chat for hours is how I love to spend my time. So we baked and cooked. We baked a lot.

Blackberry and millet cupcakes, blackberry and raspberry swirl frozen sabayon and plum and pistachio frangipane tarts.



I am leaving for New York City tomorrow where I will be meeting with editors and attending the rooftop party at Martha Stewart Living offices.

It has been a year since the last time I visited the city and I can't wait to get together with old friends and finally meet many others I have gotten to know through blogging. If you are attending, I will see you there!



I also wanted to tell you about the story that the Palm Beach Post published about me this week. We spent two days talking, going to the farm and cooking and I am very pleased with the result. You can read the online version here. A big thank you to Barbara Marshall for her kind words and the great time we spent together.

Gluten-Free Blackberry Cupcakes

makes 1 dozen cupcakes

110 grams (1/2 cup) butter or non-hydrogenated shortening, room temperature
150 grams (3/4 cup) cane sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
75 grams (1/3 cup) blackberry puree
55 grams (1/4 cup) yogurt
100 grams (3/4 cup) superfine brown rice flour
50 grams (1/3 cup) millet flour
25 grams (1/4 cup) potato starch
1 grams (1/4 tsp) xanthan gum
7 grams (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
pinch salt

Cream the butter and the sugar together until light. Add the zest and the eggs. Scrape the bowl and mix again. Add the blackberry puree and yogurt and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide the batter in baking cups and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.

For the buttercream, follow this recipe and add crushed blackberries.

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Blackberry Cupcakes, Summer Days and the Palm Beach Post

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry-cupcakes-summer-days-and.html

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Lemon, Pistachio and Millet Cakes

The one thing I am really enjoying about eating gluten-free is all the new grains and flours I get to experiment with. I have actually been baking much more now than I did before. Everyday, we try something new. I am running out of space in my pantry for all the flours and new ingredients I have been baking with. It was only a couple of years ago when my friend Jill was asking me to start baking more allergen-free desserts. I suppose I should have listened better.



I have made these lemon, pistachio and millet cakes about a dozen times now. I am not exaggerating. They are moist, light, full of citrus flavor and the crumb is amazing with all the green pistachios in there. I cannot get enough of them and I try to keep some in the freezer for those times that we have a cake craving or need a treat to pack for the day.

My parents are coming tonight and I saved some of these for them for tomorrow morning. Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day when my mom and I seat down and enjoy every morsel. I think she will be pleased with these.



I also wanted to share with you a little interview I did with Kate Manchester for Edible Radio last week. I was very nervous and I think it shows. I always get nervous speaking in public, even if it's over the phone. You can listen to the full interview here.

Gluten Free Lemon, Pistachio and Millet Cakes

Makes about 14 regular size cupcakes plus 20 mini tea cakes

115 grams butter
180 grams sugar
Zest 2 lemons
2 eggs
80 grams yogurt
80 grams millet flour
70 grams pistachio meal
30 grams sweet rice flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light. Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl well. Add the yogurt and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add all the dry ingredients and mix until it comes together.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake cups or pipe into mini tea cake pan. Bake at 350F until done.

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Lemon, Pistachio and Millet Cakes

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Chocolate, Banana and Teff Cupcakes and A Blog Anniversary

Two years ago, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I made a batch of lemon bars and I thought "why don't I start a blog to keep a journal of all my recipes?" and so I did. I barely knew anything about blogs or how they worked. I went to Blogger and follow the instructions one by one and that's how Cannelle Et Vanille was born.



In these two years, life, the blog, my career... they have all changed dramatically. I would have never guessed in a million years that this is where it would all lead me to. I love that about life, the surprises around the corner.

The blog has connected me to so many new people that share my passion and continue to inspire me everyday. I love the collaborations and brainstorming that happens even through this virtual world. It is amazing. So this post is dedicated to all of you who read Cannelle Et Vanille day in and day out. It wouldn't have been possible without you.



Now, can I tell you how good these cupcakes are? And can I tell you that they are gluten free and that it took three batches to perfect them? But so worth it. Very moist, chocolaty and full of great nutrients.

I first heard of Teff a few years ago when I used to visit a gluten free bakery in Colorado Springs called "Outside The Bread Box". They have an amazing bread made out of Teff that seriously, I would have never been able to tell that it was gluten free if I hadn't read the label. Teff is an ancient grain from Ethiopia that is rich in iron, calcium and protein. It has a distinct rich flavor and dark color that I think goes great with chocolate.

"Do you want to help amatxu mash these bananas?", I asked J. Once again, he brought out his step stool, got the masher and started mashing those ripe bananas away. Because, did you know that children are 95% more likely to eat those foods they have prepared themselves? I love that. But again, not like I would have had to force him to eat these.

Chocolate, Banana and Teff Cupcakes

Makes 1 loaf and 12 cupcakes

3 eggs
200 grams natural cane sugar
300 grams ripe bananas, mashed
175 grams light olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
100 grams teff flour
50 grams sweet rice flour
50 grams hazelnut meal
15 grams cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
100 grams chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, banana puree, oil and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the teff, sweet rice flour, hazelnut meal, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until all combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter between the loaf pan and cupcake molds. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes for the loaf pan and 20 minutes for the cupcakes.

For the icing, I used my basic buttercream recipe and added cocoa powder to it.

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Chocolate, Banana and Teff Cupcakes and A Blog Anniversary

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Sweet Potato, Yogurt and Hazelnut Cakes

Our little M. turns two weeks old today and our lives have forever changed. We have been spending a lot of time inside, nesting, enjoying the quiet time and resting when the little bean sleeps. I am so thankful to have my mom here to cook healthy meals for us. I don't know how I would do it without her, really.

I also have to thank you all for all the wonderful comments and words you left for us in the last post. It's overwhelming and very, very touching. We really appreciate it.



I slowly started baking again over the weekend, but at a much slower pace as the little one requires so much attention and needs to be nursed often. I had forgotten so much about this stage in a baby's life and I feel like I'm learning everything all over again. She is also a very different baby than J. was. Perhaps an easier baby? Or maybe I'm more relaxed about it all.



I made these sweet potato, homemade yogurt and hazelnut cakes a week before M. arrived. I actually had to make them twice because the first time I made them, they disappeared so quickly that I had none to style and photograph. These were definitely a hit. Moist, crunchy and spicy. I even turned some into cupcakes with a simple mascarpone and mace icing.

Right before the birth, I told you about my yogurt making craze. I made yogurt about every other day and enjoyed it in so many different ways like the maple and yogurt panna cotta, these sweet potato cakes or just plain with some caramelized apples and pistachio crumble. My kind of healthy and comforting snacks.



Sweet Potato, Yogurt and Hazelnut Cakes

300 grams sweet potato puree (from about 2-3 medium size sweet potatoes)
100 grams brown sugar
50 grams sugar
3 eggs
100 grams homemade yogurt (or whole milk store bought)
100 grams vegetable oil
Zest of half an orange
160 grams flour
40 grams hazelnut flour
4 grams sea salt
4 grams baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
130 grams hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
30 grams hazelnuts, chopped for topping

Place the sweet potatoes in a baking dish and bake at 400F for about 45 minutes to an hour until flesh is fork tender. Let them cool, cut them open and scoop out the flesh. Puree it.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, hazelnut flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweet potato puree, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, yogurt, oil and orange zest. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk until combined. It will be a runny batter. Fold in the toasted and chopped hazelnuts.

Pour the batter in the molds (about 3/4 of the way full), sprinkle the top with chopped hazelnuts and bake at 350F until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Time will vary depending on the mold. For small loaf pans, about 22 minutes, the smaller individual molds about 17 minutes.

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Sweet Potato, Yogurt and Hazelnut Cakes

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Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes, Arroz con Leche Cupcakes, Summer Galettes and a Week with the Chickenpox

Believe me, I am not exaggerating a bit when I tell you that last week was one of the longest weeks of my life. We were in the middle of some renovations at home and all the anxiety that brings, when my little boy came down with a pretty bad case of chickenpox. The poor thing was covered from head to toe with blisters and red spots and I have never seen him that uncomfortable in my life.

The fever and severe itching only lasted about three days, but we were confined at home for a whole week until all spots were covered with scabs and he was no longer contagious. We did not leave the house for a whole week. Yes, an entire week.



Although I know this is a fairly common childhood illness and there was no need to be alarmed, to see my little one suffer so much and be so sleep deprived from constant itching breaks my heart. The first few days, I just kept giving him oatmeal baths and tried to keep him cool and comfortable. However, that soon passed and then came boredom.

He wanted to go outside and play with friends and didn't understand why he couldn't. He became fascinated with the idea that he had the chickenpox. "The chickenpox? I have the chickenpox?", he would say. So what do we do in our family when we run out of puzzles, books, games and movies (and we watched a lot of them!)? We bake.



The first day, he helped me make arroz con leche, which is our go to comfort dessert. We make it when we are happy, when we just want to watch a movie and snuggle or when we are sick. From that came the idea of reserving some of the milk and using that to make cupcakes, which everyone loved.

We used the arroz con leche cooking milk to flavor the cupcakes and the custard we used as a filling. We even soaked the cupcakes with some of the milk while they were still hot. Very, very moist. And we topped them with a meringue icing.

The following day we made galettes with nectarines, red currant and gooseberries and some leftover sugar dough I had in the freezer. We also made buttermilk, poppy seed and red currant mini pound cakes and even baked some of the batter in individual glass jars for something fun and different.



I have to say that the uncomfortable and painful stage of the chickenpox is gone, but the poor thing is still covered in spots and scabs. We did leave the house this past weekend for the first time and I have to admit, grocery shopping has never been so exciting in my life.

Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes

Makes 3 small loaves or 1 large one

170 grams butter, room temperature
250 grams sugar
1 tsp vanila extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
180 grams buttermilk
180 grams flour
4 grams baking powder
3 grams salt
7 grams poppy seeds
100 grams fresh red currants

Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Add the eggs one at a time and scrape to incorporate well.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the poppy seeds and fold in the red currants.

Pour the batter into pans and bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes.

Nectarine, Red Currant and Gooseberry Galettes

Makes about 3 galettes

2 nectarines, peeled and sliced
25 grams red currants
25 grams gooseberries
15 grams flour
10 grams vanilla sugar
pinch salt

Toss the filling ingredients together.

Roll sugar dough to about 1/8" thickness. Cut circles that are about 10" in diameter. Place the filling in the middle and fold edges over. Brush edges with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar.

Bake at 400F for about 20-25 minutes until bottom golden brown.

Arroz con Leche Cupcakes

Makes a dozen cupcakes

110 grams butter, room temperature
200 grams sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
125 grams arroz con leche cooking milk
175 grams flour
7 grams baking powder

Cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl well.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix. Add the arroz con leche cooking milk and mix until combined.

Divide the cupcake batter into the cupcake papers and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.

Arroz con Leche Custard

250 grams arroz con leche cooking milk
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of a lemon
3 egg yolks
40 grams sugar
25 grams cornstarch
75 grams butter, cold and cut into small pieces

We are going to make a pastry cream with all the ingredients. Place the arroz con leche cooking milk, cinnamon, lemon zest and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a light boil.

Whisk together the egg yolks, half of the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. When the milk mixture comes to a light boil, temper it into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk to incorporate and then return this to the saucepan. Cook while constantly whisking until the custard thickens.

Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the custard to a clean bowl. Whisk to slightly cool the custard down and start adding the cold butter while whisking. This will cool it down and make it shiny and creamier.

Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and chill.

Swiss Meringue

200 grams egg whites
400 grams sugar

Mix the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a water bath and whisk until sugar starts to dissolve, the mixture turns very white and fluffy and feels very hot to the touch.

Place the bowl in the mixer and whip the meringue until thick and the bowl feels cool.

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Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes, Arroz con Leche Cupcakes, Summer Galettes and a Week with the Chickenpox

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https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/08/red-currant-and-poppy-seed-cakes-arroz.html

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Kids, Raspberry Cupcakes and Traveling Home

This weekend we are leaving for a two week trip home. I will be traveling alone with our little one and then C. will join us a week later. I have always been one to travel light and never took long to pack and go. Things have changed now, so the days before we travel overseas, I have to make sure I have everything in place so that we have a successful, smooth trip.

It has been busy around here, but I wanted to make sure we had one last play date with our good friend S. Blowing bubbles, balloons, spring weather and of course, cupcakes.



When Jill was here, she introduced me to xylitol. I had seen it at Whole Foods before, but never baked with it. Because I always try to cook and bake very healthy for kids, I decided to make the cupcakes with xylitol and fresh raspberries.

I didn't notice much of a difference once the cupcakes were baked. Xylitol is coarser than granulated sugar so when creaming the butter, there is a slight difference and perhaps doesn't become as fluffy, but the final product had great texture and what's most important, no after taste.



I will be blogging during this trip and will keep updating with photos from our trip. We will be definitely eating here, shopping here, visiting here and hopefully, watching this. I hope the weather helps. The Basque Country in Spring can be quite unpredictable!



Raspberry Cupcakes

adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

4 oz butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups xylitol
2 cups self rising flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Cream the butter and xylitol for about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix. While continuing to mix, add the flour and milk alternatively, finishing with the milk. Mix until incorporated.

Separately, whip the egg whites to semi stiff peaks and fold them into the batter gently. Fold in the raspberries.

Divide the batter amongst 24 baking cups and bake at 350 for about 14 minutes until done.

Vanilla Buttercream

150 grams of egg whites
300 grams of granulated sugar
450 grams of room temperature unsalted butter
1 Tbs vanilla extract
Natural red food coloring

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites and the sugar lightly. Place over a water bath until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch. It will look like light marshmallow.

Bring bowl to the electric mixer and whip until stiff peaks form and the bottom of the bowl feels cool.

Add butter, a tablespoon at a time while whipping. It might look like it is curdling at one point but continue to whip until it comes together.

Add vanilla extract and red food coloring and mix until incorporated.

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Kids, Raspberry Cupcakes and Traveling Home

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Weekend Baking

We are finally having winter-like temperatures around here and it feels great to bundle up and wear scarves. I even had to bring my herb plants inside at night because of the freezing temperatures. It's like a treat for those of us who have to live under air conditioning most of the year.

All I can think about are soups (I am craving this) and chocolate. Hot chocolate, chocolate cupcakes and a lazy weekend.

My little boy keeps helping me in the kitchen and I try to take some decent photos to share with you, but it's almost impossible to juggle him, the chocolate mess and a camera all together. So instead, here are some photos of him actually behaving and enjoying a cupcake. Rare are the times he behaves this well. I suppose a cupcake can motivate many of us!



This chocolate buttermilk cupcake recipe comes straight from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook and the icing is a simple whipped chocolate ganache. Talk about comfort food.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes
adapted from "Magnolia Bakery Cookbook" by Jennifer Appel and Alyssa Torey

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl. Add the vanilla and half of the buttermilk. Add the flour and baking soda, mix and finish with the remainder of the buttermilk. Mix until well incorporated. Scoop into baking cups and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

100 grams heavy cream
125 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Bring the heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Mix slowly starting from the center until all incorporated and creamy. Let it cool completely for about an hour. Whip until thick.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

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Weekend Baking

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A Holiday Bakesale, Christmas Parties and Non-Stop Baking

December is always a busy month for everybody and this year has been no different for me. This year, for the first time ever in my life, we will spending Christmas away from home. We will be with close friends and family, but nevertheless, away. That means I have to be a lot more organized with my time and get every detail ready before the trip.

The month has been full of office parties, dinner parties and bakesales. Of course, I always volunteer for the dessert buffets. I can never get tired of doing it. So here is a little sampler of what I have been busy with the last week.




Curly-cue's school had a fund raising bakesale for which I made some mini chocolate cupcakes. I was impressed with the amount of work that many parents put into these events and I wish I had my camera with me to show you the incredible treats that everyone brought that day.

We also had a combined Christmas and Hanukkah party at my dear friend Deena's house. My friends seem to really like tarts and comfort desserts so I made a classic apple and hazelnut frangipane tart that we served with vanilla ice cream. Simple but delicious.

And finally, I made a large batch of chocolate chip cookies for all the kids that attended the different parties. I wrapped them individually in glassine paper with the custom holiday tags that Suann made from me. I love them.



I hope you are enjoying these days of planning, cooking and dining!

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A Holiday Bakesale, Christmas Parties and Non-Stop Baking

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A White Birthday

I have a dear friend who loves white and all its shades and textures. She has a closet full of beautiful white dresses and delicate white shirts. She has an eye for beauty that I admire. And today is her birthday.




I created this little white dessert palette for her with little meringue kisses, coconut cupcakes and lemon meltaways. Distance will not allow us to be together on her birthday but I want to wish her happiness on this special day.

Happy Birthday Nadia!


Update: I have received an overwhelming amount of emails from readers who want the lemon meltaway recipe, so here it is.

Lemon Meltaways

160 grams butter, at room temperature
125 grams powdered sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs vanilla
260 grams flour
20 grams cornstach
1/2 tsp salt
Powdered sugar for rolling

Cream together butter, sugar, zest and vanilla. Add lemon juice and mix. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Form the dough into a log that is about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap it in parchment and refrigerate it overnight.

Cut the log into 1/2 inch disks and bake at 350F for about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly and roll in powdered sugar while they are still warm.

Meringue Cookies

50 grams egg whites
50 grams sugar
50 grams powdered sugar, sifted

In a bowl, whip the egg whites fully until a light meringue forms. Slowly and while whipping, sprinkle in the granulated sugar and let it whip to stiff peaks. Stop whipping and fold in the sifted powdered sugar. be gentle not to deflate the meringue too much.

Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (number 5) and pipe little meringue kisses onto a sheetpan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 175F (or lower if your oven permits it) until dry. You should be able to lift it from the pan without sticking. Store in an airtight container.

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A White Birthday

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Chocolate Ganache and Pistachio Creme Brulee... Two Ways

I made some chocolate and buttermilk cupcakes for a party last week. I had some cupcakes leftover that were not iced so I decided to play around with them. I wanted to use chocolate and pistachio flavors but build different kinds of cakes. If I were as witty and clever as Cakespy, I would have a petit gateau and a cupcake faceoff. (Hey Jessie, are you up for it?).... Unfortunately, I'm not that funny so it would turn out to be pretty silly. But I did want to play around with different looks. The petits gateaux look a bit more European, but the cupcakes are fun with the buttercream swirls.

First of all, I decided that I wanted a creamy center and a crunchy exterior so I went for a creme brulee custard that I flavored with pistachio paste and baked in mini muffin silicon pans. Then I made a very, very rich chocolate ganache with 70% chocolate that I used inside and to cover the outside of the mini cakes. For the cupcakes, I used buttercream with pistachio paste. To finish both of them, I added some chopped salted pistachios which really make a big difference. The contrast between the rich chocolate and the salted pistachios is what makes this cake in my opinion. I will briefly describe how I built each one and the recipes will follow at the end.






Chocolate Pistachio Cupcakes



With a 1 1/2-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out a circle of cake out of the top of the cupcake. Insert the frozen pistachio creme brulee disk. Top with a little bit of chocolate ganache and place the cutout piece of cake back on top. Press down gently.

Place the pistachio buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a number 8 plain pastry tip. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcake making large swirls. Top with a generous amount of chopped salted pistachios.







Chocolate and Pistachio Petits Gateaux



Remove the cupcake from the baking paper. Using a cookie cutter, make a perfect cylinder and then cut the little cake into three layers horizontally. Place the first layer down, spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache on top, place a frozen disk of creme brulee on top, top with another disk of cake, more ganache, another layer of creme brulee and finish with the last layer of cake. Press down gently.

Hold the cake down gently and with a small offset spatula, ice the sides and top of the cake with ganache. Press the chopped pistachios into the sides and top of the cakes.







Here are the recipes for the different components...


Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

makes about 30 cupcakes

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl. Add the vanilla and half of the buttermilk. Add the flour and baking soda, mix and finish with the remainder of the buttermilk. Mix until well incorporated. Scoop into baking cups and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

100 grams heavy cream
100 grams 70% chocolate, finely chopped

Bring the heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Mix slowly starting from the center until all incorporated and creamy. Let it cool.

Pistachio Creme Brulee

1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
25 grams sugar
35 grams pistachio paste

Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar and the pistachio paste. Slowly add the heavy cream and whisk. Strain through a fine sieve to eliminate any egg particles or pistachio chunks.

Pour into a mini muffin silicon pan that is on top of a sheetpan, about half an inch high. Add hot water to the pan and bake in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until center set. Drain water from the pan and place it in the freezer until the brulees harden.

Pistachio Buttercream

50 grams egg whites
100 grams sugar
150 grams butter
50 grams pistachio paste

Mix the egg whites and the sugar and place them over a double boiler while you whisk them together. The sugar will start to dissolve and the egg whites will start to turn white and fluffy. Continue whisking until the egg whites feel hot to the touch.Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer and whip in high speed until light and fluffy and the bottom of the bowl doesn't feel hot anymore. About 3-5 minutes.Start adding the softened butter by the tablespoon. Keep adding more butter as it is incorporated into the meringue. It might look like it is curdling but don't worry, keep mixing. When is well mixed, add the pistachio paste.

The layer of creme brulee inside is so thin that it will thaw out in no time. Serve both the cupcakes and the petits gateaux at room temperature.





Post Script.... this photo describes it all.





Some mornings I wake up and I wonder if this little blog of mine has any meaning. I love my little blog. I treasure the time I devote to it everyday by thinking about what ingredients are available, what I am going to make with them, how I will photograph them. It really has changed my life. But at the same time, I wonder if this isn't a bit too indulgent. The last few days I have been really thinking about it after reading this, this, this and in this one, Nadia expresses what I am feeling right now. I'm still trying to figure out how to create through food without the guilt that comes with it.




Thank you for reading...

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Chocolate Ganache and Pistachio Creme Brulee... Two Ways

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Sugar High at Turtle River Montessori and Blogging for Babies

I have always been a conscious eater, trying to cook almost everything I eat myself, buying local as often as possible, etc. That's how I was raised. It was always a personal choice for me and never felt the need to have to convince others. Until I became a mother, that is. Having a child changed everything. I have become more socially conscious and I would say that I have become a crusader for better eating.

When I see what children eat in most schools nowadays, I start to really worry and I do not want that for my son. Us, parents, have hectic lives and sometimes food becomes another thing to worry about and we choose to take the "easy route" by buying prepackaged foods. I am not saying I don't ever buy prepackaged foods, because I do, but I always read labels and try not to take too many shortcuts.




I believe that healthy eating starts at home and children will do as they see and not as they are told. In that sense, I feel relief because I know that my children will learn to appreciate food because our family's love for it. I think there has to be a collective effort to really educate our children about food, where it comes from and good eating choices. Believe me, I am not talking about eating alfalfa sprouts or cardboard cookies. It's about the quality of ingredients, no matter whether it is chicken, tofu, ice cream, spinach or chocolate chip cookies.

I made these mini carrot cupcakes thinking about Stella and her classmates at Turtle River Montessori. Stella is my 4-year old, cutie pie neighbor who loves school. Each day of the week, one child is responsible for bringing healthy snacks for the rest of the class. They rotate so this happens about once a month. The school asks that children bring fruits and other healthy foods.

I wanted to make the snacks for Stella's class for the day she was the "snack girl". I wanted to show the kids that they can eat sweet treats that are made with wholesome and natural ingredients. So I decided to make mini carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing. I used all organic and natural ingredients of course, even the sprinkles are made with beet juice!





Carrot Cake


Makes 6 dozen mini cupcakes

12 oz organic demerara sugar
9 oz sunflower oil
4 organic eggs
8 oz organic whole wheat flour
0.2 oz baking soda
0.2 oz aluminum free baking powder
0.3 oz organic ground cinnamon
0.2 oz organic vanilla extract
13 oz organic carrots, peeled and shredded

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the sugar with the eggs and the oil for about 5 minutes until the eggs start to turn a little pale. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the shredded carrot. Pour batter into cupcake papers and bake at 350 degrees.


Cream Cheese and Yogurt Icing

1.5 lbs organic cream cheese, room temperature
12 oz organic unsalted butter
8 oz organic raw agave nectar
5 oz organic whole milk yogurt
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
All natural pink sprinkles

In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese, butter and agave nectar until all lumps have disappeared. make sure to scrape the bowl a couple of times. Add the yogurt and the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Ice the cupcakes and add tons of sprinkles!!!

I was only able to photograph Stella eating them because when Stella's mom took the cupcakes to school, the teacher made the kids wait to eat them until recess. I really wanted some good, messy shots of the kids!




Keeping with the children theme, I wanted to tell you about Blogging for Babies which is a blogging event to support the March of Dimes walk this April. Holly from Phe/Mom/enon contacted me about this, so I would like to submit these mini carrot cupcakes for her event.

Read her inspiring story about baby Cole. Amazing!

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Sugar High at Turtle River Montessori and Blogging for Babies

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