Recipes from the Joy of Cooking
Joy of Cooking recommends having all the ingredients for the cake at room temperature (68-72 degrees). I forgot about this, so I gently warmed my buttermilk in the microwave, softened the butter in the microwave, and put my eggs in warm water for 10 minutes. Then, it was all at room temperature!
They also suggest the variation of using half white sugar and half brown sugar. I did not do this, but would be interested in knowing what it was like. I thought it would be good to add some espresso powder or instant coffee to the buttermilk/vanilla mixture to add a little more depth and color to the cupcakes.
This cake was perfectly delicious without frosting. So, if you are feeling lazy, calorie conscious (although I wouldn’t recommend eating cake if you are), or don’t have the ingredients for frosting, feel free to simply dust with powdered sugar and eat it.
Joy of Cooking recommends having all the ingredients for the cake at room temperature (68-72 degrees). I forgot about this, so I gently warmed my buttermilk in the microwave, softened the butter in the microwave, and put my eggs in warm water for 10 minutes. Then, it was all at room temperature!
They also suggest the variation of using half white sugar and half brown sugar. I did not do this, but would be interested in knowing what it was like. I thought it would be good to add some espresso powder or instant coffee to the buttermilk/vanilla mixture to add a little more depth and color to the cupcakes.
This cake was perfectly delicious without frosting. So, if you are feeling lazy, calorie conscious (although I wouldn’t recommend eating cake if you are), or don’t have the ingredients for frosting, feel free to simply dust with powdered sugar and eat it.
Devil’s Food Cupcakes
Whisk:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened (nonalkalized) cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
In a separate bowl, sift together:
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
In another bowl combine:
1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a mixer bowl, beat until creamy (30 sec):
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 3 - 5 minutes.
Beat in 2 eggs, 1 at a time.
Beat in the cocoa mixture. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 parts, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth and scraping the sides of the bowl.
Scoop into cupcake pan with liners (I always spray mine lightly with cooking spray so they don’t stick). This makes between 12-18 cupcakes, depending on the size of pan you use. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and they spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan about 5-10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Frost when completely cool.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Use cold cream cheese and room temperature butter.
In a mixer bowl, beat until blended:
8 ounces cold cream cheese
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (they claim this is optional. I used it and it was awesome)
2 teaspoons vanilla
Add one-third at a time and beat just until smooth and the desired consistency:
2 - 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
If the frosting is too stiff, beat for a few seconds longer. This keeps for 1 week refrigerated and 3 months frozen.
Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
Crust
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (about 20 wafers)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water
Filling
24 oz. 1% cottage cheese
12 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (1 1/2 cups) cut into pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water (I think you could get away with just 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
Preheat oven to 325. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.
Blend crumbs, sugar, oil and coffee in a small bowl with a fork or your fingers. Press into bottom of the pan.
Puree cottage cheese in food processor until very smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides. Add cream cheese and blend. Pour into a large bowl. Whisk in brown and white sugars, cocoa and cornstarch. Add egg, egg whites, coffee, vanilla, salt and chocolate and blend well. Pour into crust-lined pan.
Place cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.
Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles, about 50 minutes - 1 hour. Turn off oven. Spray a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake (I did not do the knife part and it worked out okay…) Let stand in the oven, with door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.
Before serving, garnish as you like (whipped cream, chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate drizzle…).
Makes 16 servings
228 calories, 8 g fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 2 g fiber, 310 mg sodium
CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES
These cookies are best baked 15-16 minutes , unless you like them crispier, then bake them 2 minutes longer (although I suppose it does depend on your oven, too). They are chewy and slightly over-sized. This recipe makes anywhere between 15-18 big cookies, depending on how big you like them.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (10 5/8 oz) unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup packed (7 oz) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2-3 cookie sheets.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix both sugars and the butter. Beat in the egg and extra yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Stir in the chips. Let the dough sit for 3-5 minutes to firm up a bit.4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of dough into a ball. Pull the ball apart, rotate the jagged sides to the top side of the cookie, and smoosh the two pieces back together. Put on the sheet jagged side up. This makes them look really pretty when they are done. Space them 2-3 inches apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the edges are starting to harden, and the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 - 18 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the sheets front to back and top to bottom. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets. Remove them from the sheets with a wide metal spatula.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (10 5/8 oz) unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup packed (7 oz) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2-3 cookie sheets.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix both sugars and the butter. Beat in the egg and extra yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Stir in the chips. Let the dough sit for 3-5 minutes to firm up a bit.4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of dough into a ball. Pull the ball apart, rotate the jagged sides to the top side of the cookie, and smoosh the two pieces back together. Put on the sheet jagged side up. This makes them look really pretty when they are done. Space them 2-3 inches apart.
5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the edges are starting to harden, and the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 - 18 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the sheets front to back and top to bottom. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets. Remove them from the sheets with a wide metal spatula.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
They have a deep chocolate flavor (enhanced by a little bit of espresso powder or instant coffee) and are deliciously chewy. I modified the recipe a bit due to not having certain ingredients and they turned out very well. I would say this is the best batch of these cookies I have made yet. A few tips: Do not over-mix these cookies or they will get cakey. Do not over-bake these cookies. When you take them out, they will seem under-baked, however, they will firm up as they cool.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa (preferably Dutch processed)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
An additional bag of chocolate
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa (preferably Dutch processed)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
An additional bag of chocolate
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
Directions
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, heat for 30 seconds longer and stir again until smooth.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then sprinkle the espresso powder over to dissolve, set aside.
Beat the butter at medium speed for 5 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugars until combined (45 sec), the mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the eggs until incorporated (45 sec). Add the melted chocolate in a steady stream beating until combined (40 sec). Scrape the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Do NOT over-beat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about 30 -45 minutes until the dough is firmer.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop the dough onto baking sheets with a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies to wire racks and cool to room temperature.
Store in an air-tight container for 2-3 days, if they last that long… Enjoy!
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
Directions
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, heat for 30 seconds longer and stir again until smooth.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then sprinkle the espresso powder over to dissolve, set aside.
Beat the butter at medium speed for 5 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugars until combined (45 sec), the mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the eggs until incorporated (45 sec). Add the melted chocolate in a steady stream beating until combined (40 sec). Scrape the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Do NOT over-beat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for about 30 -45 minutes until the dough is firmer.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop the dough onto baking sheets with a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies to wire racks and cool to room temperature.
Store in an air-tight container for 2-3 days, if they last that long… Enjoy!
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