Coffee Sponge Cake

Coffee Sponge Cake

Adapted from http://www.atkokken.com/2012/09/16/coffee-sponge-cupcake/

3 egg whites

¼ cup sugar

3 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coffee extract

2.3 ounces flour (65 grams?)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 ½ tablespoons milk

Whip the egg whites until foamy then add sugar in 3 additions and whip until egg white forms soft peaks form.

Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well before adding more egg yolks.

Add in vanilla and coffee extract and mix until combined.

Add in plain flour and fold to mix well with a spatula.

Add oil and mix well with spatula. Repeat the same with milk – taking care not to over deflate the foam.

Spoon batter into a lined muffin mold. (filled to 3/4 of the cupcake mold)

In an oven preheated to 170C, bake the cupcakes for 25mins.

Set aside to cool completely.

Modern Honeycakes with Lavender Icing

Modern Honeycakes

From http://www.innatthecrossroads.com/2012/05/31/honeycakes/

2 ½ cups cake flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 cup honey

1 cup buttermilk

Sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and beat thoroughly, followed by the honey. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in alternating turns, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Pour into paper-lined cupcake tins, or a greased muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until cakes are golden brown.

Lavender Icing

From http://www.marthastewart.com/340910/lavender-icing

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon dried lavender

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Bring milk and lavender just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and let steep 10 minutes. Strain, and discard lavender. Whisk in sugar until smooth. Strain again.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (2)

Mexican Mocha Crinkle Cookies (2)

Recipe adapted from http://www.chow.com/recipes/29089-chocolate-crinkle-cookies

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins, plus 2 hrs chilling time | Makes: About 40 cookies

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (no less than 60% cacao)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 cup powdered sugar

Place the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and espresso powder into a medium bowl; set aside.

Place the sugar and the chocolate-oil mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until combined (the texture will be sandy), about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to medium speed and add the vanilla and the eggs 1 at a time, letting each completely incorporate before adding the next, about 2 1/2 minutes total. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle, about 1 minute total. (The dough will be runny like batter.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Place the powdered sugar on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each), drop them into the sugar, and roll until completely coated. Place 15 of the balls 2 inches apart on each of the prepared baking sheets. (Chill the remaining dough.)

Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the sheets front to back and top to bottom and continue baking until the edges of the cookies are set but the tops are still a little soft, about 5 minutes more for soft, chewy cookies or 7 minutes more for crisp cookies. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool completely before repeating with the remaining dough (you can reuse the parchment). The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Mexican Mocha Crinkle Cookies (1)

 Adapted from http://aspicyperspective.com/2012/12/crinkle-cookies.html

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat the cocoa powder, sugar, oil, instant coffee granules, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together until well combined.

Beat in the vanilla and eggs, then scrape the bowl. Slowly add in the flour. The dough will look like brownie batter.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm enough to roll by hand.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then place each ball in a bowl of powdered sugar and coat thoroughly, before placing on a baking sheet. Space the ball at least 3 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheets before moving.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

FAIL: Spiced Apple Bundt Cake

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake

Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Apple-Bundt-Cake-102692, Bon Appétit  | December 1999

by Amanda Denton, Barre, VT

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup almond meal

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch each of nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup butter, melted

¼ cup milk

2 ½ cups sugar (maybe I only added 2 cups…)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

4 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1/3” pieces

5 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Brown sugar

Butter

Apple slices

Sea salt honey caramel sauce or powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs, sugar, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the dry mixture to the liquid mixture and stir to combine.

Toss the apples pieces with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Fold the apples into the cake batter.

Mix some brown sugar with cold butter and sprinkle mixture onto the bottom of the Bundt pan. Arrange the apples slices on the bottom of the pan so that they overlap each other slightly. Pour cake batter into the pan and bake for roughly 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen cake and turn out onto rack. Cool for at least 45 minutes. Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the cake or dust the cake with powdered sugar. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.  

Banana Saffron Muffins

Banana Saffron Muffins
http://www.sugarlaws.com/banana-saffron-muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp saffron threads, chopped or crushed with a knife
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line six muffin cups with papers. In a large bowl, mix together bananas, sugar, egg, cream, lemon juice, crushed saffron and melted butter. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 6-8 muffins.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 50 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 30 biscotti

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup blanched hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter and flour a large baking sheet.
In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined well. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in hazelnuts and chocolate chips.

On a prepared baking sheet with floured hands from dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Bake logs 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes.

On a cutting board cut biscotti diagonally into ¾-inch slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool biscotti on a rack Biscotti keep in airtight containers one week or frozen up to one month.