Grand Marnier Cupcakes

Grand Marnier Cupcakes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line 2 cupcake baking pan (24 cupcakes) with paper baking cups.

Dry Ingredients

2 cups unbleached cake flour (e.g. King Arthur Flour)

1 cup almond meal (e.g. Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup cane sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Combine all dry ingredients on large bowl.

2. Whisk by hand until thoroughly mixed.

Moist Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup orange liquor, such as Grand Marnier or Contreau

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1. Whisk together milk and sour cream until well blended.

2. Add beaten eggs and whisk until combined.

3. Add orange liquor and whisk until combined.

4. Add melted butter and whisk until all liquid ingredients are well blended.

Cupcakes right out of the oven

Finish

1. Pour moist ingredients into dry ingredients.

2. Whisk by hand vigorously for about 2 minutes (120-200 whisks).

3. Pour with a large spoon into cupcake molds, filling to about 3/4 full. You should have enough batter for exactly 24 cupcakes.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched.

5. Let cool in baking pans on top of a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup of heavy cream

8 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate

1. Heat milk until it starts simmering. Pour into chocolate and let rest until chocolate is melted.

2. Mix until combined and let rest until it cools to room temperature.

3. Whisk by hand until it lightens and is fluffy.

The End Result!

Finish

1. Pipe or frost ganache into cupcake tops.

2. Decorate tops w/ anything you like to make it festive.

2. Enjoy!

Yet another great brownie recipe

8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3-5 oz (~1 cup) chopped walnuts

3-5 oz (~1 cup) chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut a piece of parchment paper (NOT wax) on the bottom of a 9-13" pan (use straight edged aluminum or glass, not those nonstick ones which will burn the brownies).

Melt butter on stove top or microwave. Once melted, remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Let it rest off the heat until the chocolate is melted, around 10 minutes. If it doesn't melt, heat on low or microwave at 50% power until it does watching VERY carefully NOT to overcook or the chocolate will burn! Add sugar and vanilla and mix with spatula until blended. Whisk/mix in 4 eggs until thoroughly combined.

Mix dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder) then mix/fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in nuts.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Let cool. To cut, chill in refrigerator overnight or freeze and they will be easier to cut.

Best Brownies

Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated brownie recipe.

1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 oz)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used 100% Unsweetened Guirardelli, black label) (Don't go cheap here, this is the main ingredient!)
2 and 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (NOT the self rising kind)
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

9"x13" pan (I used a straight edged aluminum commercial brand)
parchment paper (NOT waxed paper, that melts)

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper 9"x13" and place in bottom of the pan. This will help take the brownies out.
3. Optional: Roast the walnuts in the oven for 5 minutes if already chopped, 10 minutes if whole.
4. Chop walnuts after they cool off if not chopped already.
   
5. If you have time, melt butter in a medium saucepan on the stove at low heat. Or, carefully, melt butter on microwave. 2-3 minutes at power 50% will probably do. Make sure you chop the butter in small cubes because butter tends to explode in the microwave when heated.
6. Chop chocolate and put in the melted butter. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it is all melted. Mix w/ a spatula. If there are still unmelted chucks, melt on microwave at 30% power using 30 second intervals and mixing in between until all is melted. Do not overheat or the chocolate will burn. It should look nice and smooth and shiny. If it gets gritty you burnt it and it's over.
7. Mix sugar w/ the melted chocolate and butter using a spatula. It will look sort of grainy.
8. Whisk eggs into the mix, one at a time w/ a hand whisk (or even the same spatual will do, it's just harder).
9. Whisk in the vanilla.
10. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into the chocolate mixture and mix together w/ the spatula until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix.
11. Place mix into prepared pan, leveling w/ spatula.
12. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate mix. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup and lightly press the nuts into the mix, but not too much so that they don't get buried into the mix.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 325F. 25 minutes will yield fudgy brownies, 30 minutes will be more cakey. Over 30 can yield overdone and dry so watch out!
14. Let cool before removing from pan and cutting.
15. Enjoy by themselves or with vanilla or coffee ice cream.

Hazelnut Coffee Brownies

Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated brownie recipe.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 oz)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used 100% Guirardelli, black label)
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup finely ground coffee beans (I used a Starbucks whole bean blend, Pike Place, and ground it myself)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour (NOT the self rising kind)
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

9"x13" pan (I used a straight edged aluminum commercial brand)
parchment paper (NOT waxed paper, that melts)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper 9"x13" and place in bottom of the pan. This will help take the brownies out.
3. Roast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5 minutes if already chopped, 10 minutes if whole. Chop after they cool off if not chopped already.
   
4. Melt butter on microwave. 2-3 minutes at power 50% will probably do.
5. Chop chocolate and put in the melted butter. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes until it is all melted. Mix w/ a spatula. If there are still unmelted chucks, melt on microwave at 30% power using 30 second intervals and mixing in between until all is melted. Do not overheat or the chocolate will burn. It should look nice and smooth and shiny.
6. Mix sugar and ground coffee w/ the melted chocolate and butter using a spatula. It will look sort of grainy.
7. Whisk eggs into the mix, one at a time w/ a hand whisk (or even the same spatual will do, it's just harder).
8. Whisk in the vanilla.
9. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into the chocolate mixture and mix together w/ the spatula until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
10. Place mix into prepared pan, leveling w/ spatula.
11. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate mix. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup and lightly press the nuts into the mix, but not too much so that they don't get buried into the mix.
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 25 will yield very fudgy brownies, 30 will be cakey.