Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Chocolate Cupcake with Blackberry Butter Cream


I recently went to a produce market and they had blackberries at a pretty good price so I bought a lot! Last time I bought black berries I made a blackberry jalapeno jam. Since I still have several jars of the jam I wanted to make something different with the blackberries. Berries and Chocolate always go together in my mind so what better than to make a Chocolate Cupcake with a Blackberry Butter Cream Frosting. Adding the blackberry on top of the cupcake made it even that much better. I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcake with Blackberry Butter Cream
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream

Frosting:
5 tablespoons of blackberry puree, strained to get the seeds out
1 cup butter at room temperature
5 cups of powdered sugar
24 blackberries for garnish

Directions: 


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard-size muffin pans with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth, and the butter is completely melted. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is cool, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture, beating until smooth.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix each addition until just incorporated.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Beat the butter and 1/2 of the powdered sugar together til mixed. Add the blackberry puree and remaining  powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time til well combined. 
8. Once cupcakes are cooled completely frost with the blackberry butter cream and top with a blackberry. Serve and enjoy!


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

How to Easily Shred Chicken

Often I am making casseroles with shredded chicken. And more often I don't want to shred the chicken so I just cube it. I would usually shred the chicken with two forks and that would take for ever! A while ago I saw somewhere on Pinterest that you could shred chicken with your mixer. Last week when I was making a chicken casserole I remembered that you could add your cooked chicken to a mixer, turn it on and it would shred your chicken. Well I tried it and it worked. I added 5 chicken breast to my Kitchen Aid mixer put in my paddle attachment and turned the mixer on 2. After about 5 minutes I had shredded chicken! Much less time than trying to shred it with a fork. (I haven't tried pork yet but I bet it would work too!)

Since the chicken was in the mixer I decided to add all of my other ingredients into the mixer as well. (The base for most of my chicken casseroles is chicken, cream of something soup, cheese and sour cream) 


Then I mixed the ingredients. Not only did I save time by using the mixer I saved my hands and arms from getting tired! 


I hope this Tip on Tuesday helps you as much as it has helped me in your casserole making!