Meals have been super simple these past couple of weeks, and I've only made two new things. Actually only one new thing as the Husband made the other.
My science fiction book group just celebrated our 11th anniversary as a group. Last year I made this decadent chocolate-y layer cake which threatened to slide off on it's side - not visually appealing, but darn tasty! This year I kept it simple and made:
German Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Icing (Ckng Lght May 2006)
This assembled very quickly, which was a good thing because I was baking them at 7pm on a Sunday night. As the recipe notes, the cupcakes do sink a bit in the center which is easily hit by the outstanding icing. I did find these cupcakes dried out faster than other cupcakes I've made. Not sure if it was because of the recipe or because I used bittersweet chocolate rather than sweet chocolate as called for. I don't think the book group minded, most folks had two!
These chocolate cupcakes tend to sink slightly in the middle as they cool, but the icing hides the dip. The icing will harden quickly as it cools, so you;ll need to work quickly when spreading it over the cupcakes; if it becomes too thick, whisk in an additional tablespoon of evaporated milk. Sprinkling the top of the iced cupcakes with toasted pecans and coconut gives a bigger flavor impact than if they were stirred into the icing.
Cupcakes:
6 tbsp butter
4 oz sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c egg substitute (I used 2 whole large eggs)
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Icing:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used regular)
1/2 cup evaporated low-fat milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
2 tbsp flaked sweetened coconut, toasted
1) Preheat oven to 350*; line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
2) Cupcakes: place 6 tbsp butter and chocolate in a large microwave bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate melts. Stir in granulated sugar, water, and 2 tsp vanilla. Add egg, stirring with a whisk.
3) Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Spoon batter evenly into lined muffin cups. Bake at 350* for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4) To prepare icing, melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; cook 3 minutes stirring constantly with a whisk. Add milk and cook 3 minutes , stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
5) Working quickly, spread each cupcake with about 1 1/2 tbsp icing, sprinkle cupcakes with nuts and coconut. Yield: 18 cupcakes.
Barley Hoppin' John (Eating Well, Sept/Oct 2010)
We had several days of cold rainy weather and we weren't inclined to be throwing something on the grill. In addition, I recall Dee from Tangled up in Sticks and Strings reviewing this a while back and the idea of using barley and black eyed peas stuck with me. The Husband was the one to make this though, and some modifications were necessary - we had regular pearl barley on hand, not quick cooking, and had to start the barley before the rest of the veggies were added. We also used Swiss chard stems instead of celery; a standard substitution for us during the summer.
Ours turned out rich and creamy, with a bit of zing from our chopped dried red pepper. I think this was good as a main dish, and would be great as a side. I would make this again.
Barley Hoppin' John
4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
1 cup quick-cooking barley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed
Preparation
1.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add broth, barley, thyme, lemon juice, crushed red pepper and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the barley is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in black-eyed peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
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