Autumn Harvest Cupcakes

Favorite from the METHOD archives:

I came across the whole Iron Cupcake phenomenon on Flickr . . . and, I must say, what an awesome group! Using my baking skills to make treats using strange and -- as with last month's choice of basil -- unusual ingredients is not only fun, but also challenging (that's the idea, I suppose).

This month's ingredient is cheese . . . so, I tried inventing a weird, but yummy combination using feta & vanilla, or cheddar (with this chocolate my husband found with hot peppers in it), etc. But when I thought about what I'd most like to eat, and brie came to mind immediately. It may be playing it safe, I'm not entirely sure.

I just like brie. Plain and simple.

Luckily, my mother-in-law was in town visiting this weekend, and she helped create the rest of the recipe. Originally we planned to use zucchini. But the grocery store was out for some odd reason, so yellow squash made a great substitute. Then, we thought pumpkin might be nice (it's autumn, after all) . . . and cider . . . the list grew and grew with all those favorite fall staples.

So here are our Autumn Harvest Cupcakes -- to be eaten with or without the dark chocolate frosting.


AUTUMN HARVEST CUPCAKES

What you’ll need . . .

. . . for the cake part:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1-1/3 cups natural sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour (unbleached)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 cups shredded yellow squash

. . . for the cheese part:

• 2 rounds of brie (16 ounces in all)
• 2 tablespoons honey (we're talking HEAPING tablespoons, here!)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or however much you’d like to add, depending on your love of chocolate)

Method . . .

. . . for the cake part:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, cider, one teaspoon baking powder, and vanilla extract. Beat well with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
5. Fold the yellow squash into the batter.
6. Fill the cupcake liners half full – no more, as you’ll need room for the cheese, as well as extra batter to top it with.
7. Make the cheese mixture (instructions below).

. . . for the cheese part:

1. Cut off the top (rind) of the cheese rounds and scoop the soft cheese out into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add the honey and mix the two together using a fork (until nice and soft).
3. Feel free to add more honey (or use less) to taste.
4. Add the chocolate chips.
5. Drop a teaspoon-ish amount into each cup. I found that once I was finished, I would have liked more cheese in mine, so you may also do the first 12 with 2 teaspoon-ish amounts of cheese, and the next batch without cheese. It’s up to you!
6. Top each cup with a bit of the remaining batter – until cup is three-quarters full.
7. Bake for approximately 23 minutes (or between 20-25). Let cool. And eat plain (my husband and his father preferred them this way) or frost with the following . . .

DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

What you’ll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (or butter substitute, whichever you prefer)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2/3 cup Hershey’s “special dark” cocoa (or whatever dark cocoa you like)
• 1/2 cup milk (or soy milk -- even when I don't bake vegan, I tend to make it as non-dairy, etc., as possible)

Method . . .

1. Cream the butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until fully integrated. Slowly add the milk to the frosting until you have reached your desired consistency. (You may very well not use all the milk.)

Wow. That post is ancient! (My photography since then has improved quite a bit, too!)

I made these cupcakes (and, by the way, the recipe makes 24 of 'em) two years ago. Yes, they are rather involved. Yes, they're worth every minute. I mean, what's better than spending an entire Sunday afternoon baking? I plan to make these treats again sometime soon.

Do you experiment with "weird" ingredients in your baking? Ever put cheese in cupcakes? Chocolate in pizza sauce? Or -- here's another question -- is this recipe just way too involved for you to want to try it? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Review: MaraNatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread

In my A Homemade Life review on Friday, I listed a few new foods I was planning to try over the weekend. I thought I'd start by reviewing the MaraNatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread that has swiftly made its way to the near-top of my favorite treats list.

How does it taste? Well, the words on the jar describe the texture quite accurately: Velvety. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and just a touch salty (which I must admit is my favorite combination). I would say the texture is really the best part. It just reminds me of brownie batter -- without having to mix all those ingredients together. To me, there are few things better than brownie batter.

Ingredients: Dry Roasted Almonds, Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Oil, Cocoa Powder (alkalized), Non-Fat Dry Milk, Canola Oil, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Salt. Contains: Almonds, Milk, Soy. May Contain Peanuts and Other Tree Nuts.

Good, bad, and ugly:

• I love that it's all natural and -- per two tablespoons serving -- this spread has 4 grams of protein (versus 2 in Nutella), only 9 grams of sugar (versus 20 in Nutella), and matches Nutella on its sodium content (15 grams for both).
• I think we're already established that I absolutely LOVE the taste and texture. It goes well on fruit, in oatmeal, and straight out of the jar on a spoon (or finger -- again, I have no shame).
• I'm not too thrilled with the list price. Though I purchased my jar (OK, jars -- as in two) on sale for $4.99 at Wegmans. The stuff usually runs between $6.99 and $7.99. So, I dare not develop a strong habit.
• I'm also not happy it isn't vegan. I'm not vegan, but I'm sure many of you who are don't quite understand why there needs to be milk in the ingredient list. I don't get it either.

To check out the full range of MaraNatha Nut Butters, just visit their website.

Has anyone out there developed a cheap, quick, easy, and delicious (and VEGAN?) recipe for a chocolate nut butter? I'd love to make some of my own . . . but whenever I've tried, I've had mixed results. And usually end up spending the same amount (or more) than I would if I just bought a jar. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

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Nutella Pie with Strawberries

By now, much of what you see above (well, if not ALL of what you see above) is gone. Every creamy bite devoured. It's not the healthiest pie I've ever made, but it's certainly not the most sinful either. It all started during our long (to us) bike ride this weekend -- 42 miles in all -- in the blistering heat (more about that later).

I was craving strawberries like a crazy person.

We bought two hefty packages of the sweet, juicy fruits at Wegmans. One big issue with me and strawberries is freshness. They seem to go bad the minute you bring them home. So, I knew I needed to use them FAST.


Solution: Eat as many as I could Saturday. Throw some in a smoothie Sunday morning. And use the rest to top (as well as garnish) this Nutella pie.

Now we need to get to the tofu issue. I'm sure many of you have arrived at this post expecting some kind of "normal" recipe. One that doesn't involve a silky block of tofu. And I'm sure some people reading that last sentence have already X-ed out our little site in confusion. In fear. In disgust. Whatever. If you're still not thrilled but have stayed on this page, we thank you.

Read on! Feast your eyes!


The fact is: though the base of the Nutella part of this pie is tofu, you can't taste it for a minute. In fact, if I hadn't told you. If I wasn't generously sharing the recipe -- instead, just serving you dessert at a dinner party or something -- you wouldn't even know. No lies.

In all honesty, you can go from THIS . . .



To THIS . . .


So, if you're ever-so skeptical about the flavor, please try it before you shy away. And let me know if you do, because I'd love to hear the good, bad, and ugly of your experience!

NUTELLA PIE

What you'll need for the crust . . .

• 1 cup white-whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 1/4 cup water (plus a few tablespoons to reach the right consistency)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Add the oil and water and mix until the dough is wet, but also crumbly.
4. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate and then press the dough into it to create your crust.
5. Bake for between 13 and 15 minutes until firm, but not over-done.
6. Let cool completely before adding filling.

What you'll need for the filling, etc. . . .

• 1 block of silken tofu (use a paper towel to absorb excess moisture)
• 6 ounces Nutella
• 3 ounces milk chocolate
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 5 large strawberries (or more), sliced

Method . . .

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well incorporated.
2. Feel free to add more Nutella, if you like. To taste.
3. Then when your pie crust has cooled, spread filling inside with a spatula.
4. Then top with the sliced strawberries. Put in your refrigerator to cool/set for 1 hour. Serve with extra strawberries.

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