The Dog Days of Summer. or Has my baking gone to the dogs?

Let's face it, food can make you fat. So, what's a girl to do?  I, along with being a preschool teacher and novice baker, happen to own a very small pet sitting business called The Critter Nanny.  I care for anything with paws, feathers or scales, heck, I have even cared for a few hooves in my time.  My feeling is that pets are people too so why shouldn't I bake for them.

So yesterday I, along with my friend Carrie, her dog Mickey and Caesar the doberman, set out to make some canine confections.  Our first culinary wonder is Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers.

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers

From: Bullwrinkle.com

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth) 

1 cup milk 

  Preheat oven to 375'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. --- This is the original recipe, but I have found the cookies burn easily.

These treats were super easy to make and fun to cut out.  I think kids would love this!!

The cooking time did not change for the small cookies to the big cookies.  We chose to let them cool on the pan to help crisp them up a bit.

Mickey loved them!

Now for the PupCakes!

Also from: bullwrinkle.com

1 large apple
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey 2 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

For the Frosting
8 oz Neufchatel Cheese (lowfat cream cheese)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2-3 tablespoons flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 ° F (200 ° C). Grease muffin tins.

Core, slice and mince the apple (use a food processor if you have one). Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, blend together the yogurt, water, oil, honey, and eggs, then stir in the apple and cheese. Add to the flour mixture and stir until mixed. 

Spoon into the muffin tins, filling each cup about three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let rest in the muffin tins for a few minutes, then remove and set aside to cool. 

For the frosting, combine the Neufchatel cheese (at room temperature), honey, and yogurt until smooth. Add enough flour to thicken the frosting to a good spreading consistency. Frost the pupcakes and you're ready for a doggone good party!

Makes 16-18 pupcakes. If you prefer a single-layer cake, spoon the batter into a sheet pan and bake for an extra 15-20 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean). Let the cake cool, then frost and decorate.

We decided to make mini pupcakes because, well let's face it, a cupcake is big, mini just seemed better for the dogs! (makes 58 mini pupcakes)  This was super fun!  I know for sure the kids would love this!

And the dogs

 

After Mickey got a hang of the frosting, she about took off Carrie's finger trying to get to the thing.

and Caesar you ask

 

As you can tell he went for it!

 

Oh and house sitting, let's just say it has it's perks 

Ahhhhhhh, a girl can dream!!

Good boy Caesar! Wolf!

Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly, Lavender Blue, Cupcake, Cupcake

So on the day of my failed attempt to make Cookies and Cream Cupcakes I also came across a Lavender & Honey Cupcake recipe.  Everyone baking with me that day was not even, in the least bit, open to trying the flower spiked confection so I filed it away in the back of my mind as a thing to bake when no one is around to tell me no recipe!  Today was the lucky day!  The little package of lavender that had sat in my spice cabinet got to come out and show it's stuff.

I should put in a disclaimer here the actual cake part of the cupcakes have nothing to do with lavender it is only the frosting that actually contains lavender.  The cupcake recipe was meh... so I am not going to share that with you.  I found that it was very dry and flat!  If you want to check it out, do that at the library it is on page 65 of 500 Cupcakes; the only cupcake compendium you will ever need.  I am not in the least impressed with this book.  I would not buy it again or recommend it to anybody.  However the frosting for this recipe was quite delightful.

Lavender & Honey Frosting

1 cup Cream Cheese, Softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/3 cup honey (I choose agave nectar and it worked wonderful!)
2 Tablespoons dried lavender (I found it at Cost Plus World Market)
Lavender Gel Food Color

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a med. bowl with a mixer until light and creamy. Beat in the honey and some of the gel food color. Stir in half of the lavender flowers.

After your favorite vanilla cupcake recipe has cooled simply dip the cupcake into the frosting.

Sprinkle some lavender flowers and sugar pearls on top of the cupcake and enjoy!

PS: I am really not trying to keep the cake recipe a secret.  It just isn't worth typing out because the cupcakes were dry.  Please use your very own favorite vanilla cupcake recipe or... gasp even a boxed one.  It will be much better for the sake of the frosting!

Pink Fluted Cups

I know, I know I have promised these little beauties for several months now and well here ya go!  These little cupcakes were more like a small dessert than a cupcake.  I am sure some of you chef's out there could plate them quite nicely.  All I can say is wow I made THAT!  They taste so good and are pretty easy to make.

Baked Cheesecakes with Cherry Pie Filling
adapted from 500 Cupcakes


for 12 cupcakes


1 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 table spoons sweet butter melted
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 eggs
1 can cherry pie filling


preheat oven to 325
line your muffin pan with liners
put the cracker crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the butter.  spoon the crumbs into the lined cups.  


now here is a trick for ya, use a 1/4 measuring cup to press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the cups.  this was a wonderful timesaver and worked like a charm 
chill until set

in a large bowl, beat the ricotta until smooth, (this takes a while and I did not beat it long enough so my cake was a bit gritty, remember take your time with this step)  add the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar blending until smooth,  I choose to cut the cream cheese up into one inch pieces and add it gradually to the mixture.  I think it helped a bit with the texture.  slowly add the eggs blend them well after each addition.  spoon them into cups

bake for 25 minutes.  remove pan form the oven and cool for 5 minutes then remove the cupcakes and cool on rack (this is tricky too, be careful when you remove them from the pan)




chill until ready to serve.  open the can-o-cherries and top each cake
plate with or with out the wrapper.

Cupcakes Gone Wild

Fail. 
That's really all I can say about my little cupcake adventure... The day started off normal enough, baking plans, trip to the market, then off to World Market to buy lavender to make Honey Lavender Cupcakes.  While I was there I found some silicone baking cups at an amazing price, $2.50 for 6. If you have ever looked at them they run about $9.99.  So if you want some World Market is the place to go. 


 Okay now back to this cupcake disaster. When I arived at my friends house her husband was not even willing to let the lavender cupcake idea into his house at all.  This was due to a fear of soap flavored cupcakes.  500 Cupcakes seemed like a good idea for a cookbook.  The Cherry Cheesecakes came out wonderful.  The problem with this cookbook is it calls for self rising flour. I refused to buy another flour.  I have so many different kinds of flour I could open a bakery.  I looked up a recipe to make my own self rising flour and set out on an adventure of making Cookies and Cream cupcakes.  Made the flour, then the recipe called for even more baking powder.  I think this is where it all went wrong.  That and from the moment the batter was finished it seemed off.  It had a texture more like cookie dough than cake batter.  Popped the cupcakes into the oven and waited.  What can I say, they erupted like a volcano all over the pan.  What a mess.  I have had things turn out ugly before but they still taste good. Yeah, NOT with this one.  They were not suitable for human, or animal consumption.  Gross is not a strong enough word for them. 


My Theory is it all had too much baking powder.  I will try them again and forgo the self rising flour all together and just use all purpose flour.  It could just be that this is a bad formula for cakes, I will give it another try and let you know how how it goes,


If you are a baker feel free to comment on what you think went wrong  This one had 2 tablespoons of baking powder for the self rising flour recipe, then an additional teaspoon of baking powder for the cake recipe. 


What did these wild cupcakes look like you ask?  Well here is a photo of what quite possibly  be the ugliest, grossest  cupcakes ever!  They put the "F" in fail!

Fancy Pupcakes!

Ah the quest for the perfect cupcake, or pupcake as my 3 year old niece Allyson calls them. Is there more that a Betty Crocker cake mix? Could it be that a little cake nested in a fun fluted paper cup could have the sophistication of a fine cake found in those boutique bakeries? Okay come on now 5 bucks for a flippin cupcake that tastes like a dust ball? There has to be more. I had no idea that I would become obsessed with the quest for the perfect cupcake until I read the May/June 2010 Cook's Illustrated . Those folks at America's Test Kitchen seem to know what they are talking about. They have come up with this amazing little ball of chocolate joy they like to call:

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling

Ingredients

Ganache Filling:
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut Intense Dark chocolate L-60-40NV or Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar) Personally I used the 70% Trader Joe's Chocolate and It was amazing!
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbs confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Cupcake:

3 oz bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut Intense Dark chocolate L-60-40NV or Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar)
1/3 cup (1oz) Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 cup hot coffee
3/4 cup (4 1/8oz) bread flour
3/4 cup (5 1/4oz) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbs vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Creamy Chocolate Frosting:
1/3 cup (2 1/3oz) granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch table salt
12 tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1 tbs pieces
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut Intense Dark chocolate L-60-40NV or Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar), melted and cooled. Cool chocolate to between 85 to 100 degrees before adding to frosting.
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Ganache Filling:
Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners' sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave until mixture is warm to touch., 20-30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
Cupcakes:
adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have 1/2 cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.
Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake.
Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17-19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.

Frost and serve.

Now for the Frosting.

This was the biggest pain in the ass part of making these amazing cupcakes. It takes forever to make the perfect meringue buttercream. You Can Do It!

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg whites

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, place bowl in a pan of simmering water and get ready to whisk gently for what will seem like forever until it is slightly thickened, foamy and reaches 150 on an instant read thermometer.

Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until it reaches the consistency of shaving cream. Again this will take a while be prepared to stand there for a bit. Or walk away it is a stand mixer after all.

Add butter one piece at a time. Once all the butter is added add the vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. This will seem like forever too! You can do it! :)

Now this is where my obsession with cupcakes began! Here are some photos of my latest creations! Enjoy!!!