Tiramisu Cupcakes

First I want to apologize for the lack of pictures. This little picture was was the only one taken and I took it with my cell phone. The digital camera had to go back to my dad but hopefully by the next time I bake I will have my own.

I was asked by one of my co-workers to bake some cupcakes for the wedding shower of one of my other co-workers. I didn't have any idea what type of cupcakes to make so an email was sent to the soon-to-be-husband asking what kind of desserts she likes. His response? She doesn't like chocolate, she like fancy stuff. *raises eyebrows*

A women who doesn't like chocolate?

*scratches head*

They make those!?

Anyhoo, I was searching through my baking books and stumbled across a Tiramisu cake recipe. *smiles like the Grinch* Basically you take a sponge cake recipe drizzle it espresso syrup and top it with a mascarpone cheese frosting! Fuggin YUM!

I have a confession. When I read the recipe for the sponge cake, I kinda freaked out. The cake has not butter it in.....a basic in a sponge cake recipe but I have never made it before so I just SWORE the recipe was wrong. After one hour research I felt like a fool. I just couldn't fathom how this cake was going to taste good without butter...I know, I know....A little Paula Deenish. Here is the recipe. I used the Classic Sponge Cake recipe from baking911.com

Tiramisu Cupcakes
I got 20 cupcakes

6 eggs, separated (separate when cold, let come to room temperature)
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons water, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted, all-purpose flour

For Garnish
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
semi-sweet chocolate curls

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a large mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add half of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. Rub just a bit of meringue between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved.
3. In small mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, water and vanilla until blended. 4. Add salt to the flour and with a sifter sprinkle flour over whites. Add the egg yolk mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk mixture and flour into whites.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until done. Remove from oven to cool. To check for doneness you have to listen to the cake. *When you press the top it should feel spongy and make a slight "swoosh" sound and it springs back, it is done. The toothpick test is not effective with this cake.

Espresso Syrup
found in Williams-Sonoma Dessert cookbook

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp coffee liqueur or dark rum (I used the coffee liqueur)
2 tsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee (I used the instant coffee)

1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in the coffee liqueur and instant coffee.
3. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Once the cupcakes and syrup is cooled, poke a few holes in each cupcake with a fork or toothpick. The fork stuck to the cupcakes and pulled out too much of the filling so I used a toothpick. Then pour 1 tablespoon of syrup in each cupcake

Mascarpone Cheese Frosting

16 oz tub of Mascarpone Cheese
1/3 cup of powered sugar
2 tbsp coffee liqueur or dark rum (I used the coffee liqueur)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, confectioner’s sugar and coffee liqueur until well blended.
2. Add the cream and beat the mixture until fluffy, around 1 minute. Add addition heavy cream (1 tablespoon at a time) if this mixture is too thick.

Top the cupcakes with mascarpone frosting then dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle with the chocolate curls.

END VERDICT - 5 stars

These cupcakes were beyond good. they were (as one of my co-workers called them) INSANELY GOOD! All I can say is make these TODAY.

Until next time,

Happy Smacking!

*This little tidbit was found in The Bakers's Dozen CookBook

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every time my friend Katrina comes over I end up making chocolate chip cookies. Why? Because that greedy heffa asks for them EVERY TIME.

JaySpice: Hey girl. How you doing.
Katrina: I'm good....would be better if I had some chocolate chip cookies to eat....
Jayspice: ........greedy heffa.......

You guessed it. She came over today. We were supposed to have the kiddies make Easter baskets today but plans changed because her daughter's grandmother wanted to see her. So we got the stuff to go in the baskets, came back to my place and split it. Cookies were mentioned and cookies were made.

I always make the Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe.

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen (60) cookies (I got around 50)

.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

2. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Dough all ready for scooping

A small ice cream scoop make the cookies uniform in size which makes for even baking

All ready for the oven!

My little timer is a cookie saver! I have burnt many a cookie before he came into my life.

Cookies cooling...two missing...greedy heffa got to them....

END VERDICT - 4 1/2 stars

I rarely fug up these cookies. The key to making these cookies is making sure your flour is sifted and your baking ingredients are at room temperature.

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If you don't want to use all the cookie dough, you can freeze what is leftover. You can place the leftover cookie dough in some parchment or wax paper and roll it into a log and place it into the freezer. When you are ready for some fresh baked cookies you can pull the log out and slice off however many you want.

You can also do what I did. I scooped out the cookie dough on a baking sheet and placed it the freezer for 30 minutes or until they are firm.

Then you just put them in a Ziploc bag. You may have to wait a minute before taking them off the cookie sheet. They tend to stick a little bit.

Now you just take them out the bag and bake! Until next time.....

Happy Smacking!

Creme Brulee Cupcakes

As promised, I made Creme Brulee cupcakes from 'Cupcakes Galore'.

Creme Brulee Cupcakes
Makes about 16 cupcakes (I got 19)

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons caramel syrup (ice cream topping)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk. Add caramel syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
4. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. Gently fold whites into batter.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

First off the batter is not that good.

It wasn't nasty but I didn't feel the need to lick my fingers...spoons....and bowl....after I was finished with each of them.

Right out of oven

They baked up beautifully though.

Cooling on rack

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream*
(I used this recipe and halved it)

1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Put sugar, egg whites and salt into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm.
2. Pour egg white mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites on high until it when the whisk is lifted it makes stiff peaks.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low, add butter one tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. After all the butter is incorporated, increase speed to high and continue beating until frosting appears thick. The time will vary but it should take about 3 minutes.

I didn't put the whole stick of butter in the frosting so it didn't get as thick as I would have wanted it. It was good though.

I sprinkled some Turbinado sugar on them.

END VERDICT - 2 1/2 stars

These were not my best. I usually have to stop myself from eating a whole batch of cupcakes but I could barely get through one. They are far from inedible though. I think I just psyched myself out and thought they were going to blow me away. I mean come on, Creme Brulee...in a cupcake?! It just didn't live up to my hype. They were just bland as hell. The buttercram was freaking awesome though.

I will not make this recipe again. These cupcakes will be going with me to work. My co-workers are freaking human garbage disposals. Until next time.....

.

Happy Smacking!

* This recipe can also be found in 'Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook'

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. JaySpice is the name and baking is my game....yeah...um...that was corny but whateve. I will use this blog to test out recipes I have always wanted to try and hopefully make up a couple of recipes of my own. I will try to make something every weekend but don't hold me to it. The majority of item that you will see on this blog will be cupcakes. I also like to make cookies and I have some request from family members to make cheesecake, lemon meringue pie and coconut cream pie. I promise to share my fugg ups also...yes....I fugg up.

The first recipe I will tackle is Creme Brulee Cupcakes. This recipe comes from 'Cupcakes Galore' by Gail Wagman. I was inspired to make these when I stumbled upon this website.

Until then,

Happy Smacking!