July 10, 2013

the baking cup’s staple brownies

oh, brownies! you have been one big challenge for the past few months and have been hovering over my head with a huge question mark for way too long.

but it’s all good, my quest for the baking cup’s staple brownies has come to an end: these are chewy but not gummy, fudgey and not cakey, perfect balance of sweetness and chocolate with every bite, and perfect thickness.

whew! those are a lot of qualities to look for in a brownie and like my husband says: i’m my hardest critic, so you can imagine how much effort and love i put into each recipe. and these brownies are no exception. they get the seal of approval from the baking cup and are optimal for a summer afternoon, party or at weddings. serve it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for a wow-your-guests kind of presentation!

the recipe calls for coconut oil, which is the secret to moist and fudgey brownies like the ones you make from the box. give them a try and you’ll see that the coconut oil makes a difference. enjoy!

chop unsweetened chocolate and melt with semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil.

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after the chocolate has melted, add sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder and flour.

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all of that hard work paid off and i’m happy with the results. i can’t wait for you to make them!

the baking cup's staple brownies

the baking cup's staple brownies
pass the milk!

the baking cup's staple brownies

the baking cup's staple brownies
the baking cup’s staple brownies

ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30-50 minutes approximately}
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

yields about 16 2-inch squares.

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 350F. butter a 9 x 13 inch pan throughout and line with parchment paper. grease parchment paper with butter. parchment paper should hang over the edges of the pan. set aside.
  2. in a large heat-proof bowl, melt butter with unsweetened chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil. melt in the microwave or over the double boiler method. if using the microwave, do 30 seconds at a time taking the bowl out to stir with a rubber spatula until all ingredients are melted and well incorporated.
  3. whisk in sugar until dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. add eggs one at a time incorporating well after each addition and add vanilla with the last egg. do not over mix.
  5. with a rubber spatula fold in flour, baking powder and the remainder 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. do not over mix.
  6. pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  7. let brownies cool on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes and proceed to cut in 2-inch squares if desired. store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.

the baking cup's staple brownies

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brownies • chocolate • 2 Comments
May 9, 2013

best ever peanut butter marshmallow brownies

do you know who’s best friends with peanut butter? if you said honey, you aren’t wrong :) who doesn’t like eating a peanut butter honey sandwich? ok, maybe just me.

if you said chocolate, you were right. chocolate is peanut butter’s best friend. but, i think chocolate goes beyond friendship and is peanut butter’s spouse. they go SO well together and are perfect for each other :)

this recipe yields a rather thin brownie because of the size of the pan i used. i tested this recipe twice and is definitely better with the larger size pan due to the brownies’ richness, texture, and the addition of marshmallow creme and peanut butter. they are the perfect balance of sweetness because of the chocolate and marshmallow and saltiness because of the peanut butter. they are chewy and melt in your mouth. and if you are looking for the perfect peanut butter brownies, this is it!

i documented these amazing brownies and hope you make them. they will love you forever :)

make the peanut butter mixture with the double boiler technique. add butter, milk, peanut butter, powder sugar and marshmallow creme to a bowl and stir occasionally until smooth!!

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now onto the brownies :) this is a pretty easy and to the point method. over simmering water {double boiler technique} melt chocolate with butter, coffee and cocoa powder.

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add sugars immediately after taking bowl off of the stove.

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whisk in eggs and fold in flour. and you are almost done :)

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add peanut butter mixture followed by the marshmallow creme. there’s no right or wrong here. i added it in a line shape and filled the gaps with the marshmallow.

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with a butter knife swirl the peanut butter and marshmallow in both directions, horizontally and vertically.

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can’t wait to dig in!!

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best ever peanut butter marshmallow brownies

ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
3 and 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons strong brewed decaf coffee {regular coffee works too}
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30-50 minutes approximately}
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
6.5 ounces marshmallow creme {half of a 13 ounce jar approximately}

peanut butter-marshmallow creme swirl

ingredients:
One 16 ounce jar creamy peanut butter {i used all natural}
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30-50 minutes approximately}
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6.5 ounces marshmallow creme {half of a 13 ounce jar approximately}
1/2 cup powder sugar

yields 32 2×2 inch squares.

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 350F.
  2. grease a 17.25 x 11.5 inch shallow baking pan {cookie sheet} throughout with butter and line with parchment paper. grease parchment paper with butter. parchment paper should hang over the edges of the pan. set aside.
  3. in a large {heat-proof} glass bowl over a pot of simmering, slightly boiling water over medium low heat, combine peanut butter, vanilla, marshmallow creme, butter, powder sugar and milk.
  4. mix constantly with a rubber spatula until all ingredients are well combined. peanut butter mixture is ready when smooth. turn heat to low and leave bowl on top of the pot with simmering water.
  5. in a large {heat-proof} glass bowl over a pot of simmering, slightly boiling water over medium low heat, melt unsweetened chocolate with butter, coffee and cocoa powder keeping an aye on it by stirring with a whisk constantly. this will avoid the chocolate to scorch.
  6. once chocolate mixture is melted, take bowl off of pot with simmering water with pot holders and place on a heat-proof surface such as a large trivet or cutting board. immediately add sugars and whisk by hand for one minute until dissolved. do not over mix since you don’t want the brownies to be caky once baked.
  7. whisk in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
  8. add sea salt and mix well until incorporated.
  9. mix in flour just until incorporated. do not over mix.
  10.  add brownie batter to pan. add peanut butter-marshmallow creme swirl mixture to brownie batter in dollops forming 3 parallel lines.
  11. add marshmallow creme in dollops and use a knife to swirl brownie batter, peanut butter mixture and marshmallow creme together in both vertical and horizontal directions.
  12.  bake for 25-30 minutes. they are ready when a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. start checking brownies at the 25th minute mark.
  13.  cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before cutting. or you can cool brownies in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting. with a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut into 2-inch squares.
  14.  store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes:
I used this wilton pan for the brownies. You can certainly bake these brownies in a smaller pan but make sure to increase the baking time by 10 minutes or so because they will be thicker, so you’ll need to bake them longer.

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brownies • chocolate • marshmallows • peanut butter • 4 Comments
May 5, 2013

salsalicious

i had the urge to post this salsa recipe for you to enjoy on cinco de mayo.

or if you are like me, you can enjoy this easy-to-make, lime-bursting salsa every week. yes, i make it pretty much on a weekly basis. it’s so delicious and healthy. it must be my love for tomatoes and cilantro. this salsa has layer after layer of flavors and it is salsalicious.

chop everything separately in a food processor or blender, or by hand. mix ingredients in a bowl. season with lime and sea salt. and you are on your way to a mind blowing, yet simple mexican salsa.

i LOVE lime. i grew up in south america, and lime is actually our lemon. so i overuse it in this recipe. but, there’s no such thing. try it and you’ll see that this salsa has the most balanced lime ratio than most of them out there. at least i like justifying my love for lime and how good it tastes in this salsa :)

you can check out my guacamole recipe here. my husband asked me to tell you that he highly recommends it ;)

here’s the how-to and recipe. enjoy!

finely chop onions and jalapeño.

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proceed to chop tomatoes in a food processor or with a knife.

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add the tomatoes to onions and jalapeño.

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salsa is nothing without the lime. it definitely enhances all the layers in this appetizer.

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i barely chop the cilantro as you can see :)

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serve with chips or with mexican dishes!

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salsalicious {salsa}

ingredients:

3 ripe plum tomatoes, or any other kind
1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped {more or less, depending how spicy you like it}
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 bush cilantro, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced {more if needed}
sea salt to taste {i add about 1/2 teaspoon}

serves 8 people.

directions:

  1. cube tomatoes and add to food processor. pulse several times until you get small chunks but also some liquid from the tomatoes.
  2. if you like your salsa pico de gallo style, pulse about 3 to 5 times. You can also chop the tomatoes with a knife in small cubes.
  3. in a medium bowl, add chopped tomatoes, cilantro, onions, jalapeño, lime and sea salt. stir all ingredients. taste and add more lime or salt if needed.
  4. serve with chips, pita chips, Mexican dishes and more.
  5. refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

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avocados • gucamole • lime • salsa • sauces • tomatoes • veggies • 4 Comments
May 2, 2013

scrumptious red velvet cupcakes

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hi, my name is carolina and i’m addicted to red velvet cupcakes. my addiction began many years ago and is still going strong ;)

okay, now that i have confessed, i can tell you all about these red velvet cupcakes. the cupcakes are light, fluffy and like my friend Paula {hi Paula!} would say “very red velvety.”

they don’t have too much cocoa powder so it doesn’t overpower their taste. we are talking about having the perfect sweet/tanginess ratio here. SERIOUSLY.

speaking of which, i developed this recipe with the intention of including greek yogurt. so it has a good half a cup of the non-fat kind. in addition we have the baking soda with the vinegar, adding the ultimate tang to the batter. a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

cake flour was also a major player in the small, light crumb of this cupcake texture. my favorite. because in my opinion, cupcakes should be light and airy, but flavorful. i’m not friends with dense, hard texture cupcakes. nope, can’t do it.

haha. watch out, apparently i take cupcakes’ texture very seriously.

let’s talk frosting {which by the way i take even more seriously than cupcakes’ texture}.

i paired the red velvet cupcakes with my good ol’ cream cheese frosting i developed years ago. if you like sugary frosting, where you can only taste sugar and more sugar, i think you need to try this recipe so the sugary frosting demons can leave your taste buds :) haha.

like you’ll see below, the cream cheese frosting is creamy, light, very tangy with a hint of sweetness from the powder sugar. very easy to make and it only has 4 ingredients.

enjoy my directions in pictures {i do my best to guide you through the recipe!} and how these adorable but scrumptious red velvet cupcakes look like after baked.

sift flour with cocoa powder, add sea salt and whisk well!

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add sugar to oil and beat in the bowl until creamy.

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proceed to add eggs beating well after each addition.

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this is the red gel paste i used. you can certainly use beet juice if you like!

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alternate flour, milk/greek yogurt mixtures.

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this is one of my favorite parts. making the baking soda bubble with the vinegar makes me feel like a scientist ;)

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scoop batter into lined cups

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onto the frosting! cream butter and add the cream cheese.

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mmm!

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add sprinkles!

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scrumptious red velvet cupcakes

ingredients:
2  and 1/4 cups cake flour
1 and 1/2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature {about 30 to 45 minutes sitting on the kitchen counter}
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tsp red gel paste food coloring
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature {about 30 to 45 minutes sitting on the kitchen counter}
1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt, room temperature {about 30 to 45 minutes sitting on the kitchen counter}
2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps white vinegar

yields 20 cupcakes

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 350F. line two standard cupcake pans with good quality {grease-proof preferably} paper liners {12 and 8 cupcakes in total}.
  2. combine milk and greek yogurt in a small bowl or large measuring cup and whisk well eliminating any lumps. set aside.
  3. in a large bowl, sift flour and cocoa powder. whisk in sea salt. set aside.
  4. in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat oil and sugar for 2 minutes at medium speed {speed #5 on kitchenaid}. sugar and oil should be well combined and have a creamy consistency.
  5. add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  6. follow with vanilla and food coloring at medium speed.
  7. alternate milk mixture with flour mixture three times at the lowest speed setting. make sure to finish with the milk.
  8. stop mixer and in a small bowl combine baking soda and vinegar mixing well with a fork. it will foam and you’d want to add it to the batter immediately. beat on medium high for 30 seconds until well combined.
  9. with an ice cream scoop, pour batter into cupcake liners filling 3/4 full.
  10.  bake for 18 minutes rotating cupcakes half way through.
  11.  cool cupcakes on a wire rack for 3 minutes. let them cool out of the pan completely before frosting.
  12.  store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

cream cheese frosting

ingredients:

  1. 12 tbsps unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature but still cold {about 45 minutes sitting on the kitchen counter and cold to the touch}
  2. 12 oz package cream cheese, cubed, room temperature but still cold {about 45 minutes sitting on the kitchen counter and cold to the touch}
  3. 2 tsps vanilla extract
  4. 1 1/2 cups powder sugar
  5. sprinkles for garnish {optional}

directions:

  1. beat butter for 3 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at medium speed {setting #5 in a kitchenaid}.
  2. add cream cheese to bowl and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until well combined and fluffy.
  3. add vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds. stop the mixer to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on high for 30 more seconds to combine all the ingredients.
  4. set mixer to the lowest setting and add powder sugar a little at a time. once all the sugar is incorporated, about 30 seconds, mix on high for 1 and 1/2 minutes to make the frosting creamy, fluffy and airy.
  5. in a piping bag fitted with desired tip, add the frosting to decorate the cupcakes.

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cream cheese • cupcakes • exotic flavors • Leave a Comment
April 23, 2013

went bananas for this healthy banana nut bread

after making the “not your average nutella s’mores chocolate chip cookies” i needed something with fruit in it. i absolutely loved the cookies and you should try making them right now! they are that good :) but, it was time to change it up with a new recipe and also time {more like an excuse} to use my new loaf pan ;)

i had bananas in my fruit shelf and they were at the perfect stage for banana bread. ripe bananas with brown spots but not too many, and in overall good shape {see tip to ripen bananas below}. walnuts were also in my pantry so it was a sign for banana nut bread!

a trick my husband told me, yes, my husband {insert awww here} is to put the bananas right from the grocery store in a brown bag in the fridge for about 4 days and they will ripe perfectly. so let me know if you try it out! it worked for me. you can also leave the bag with the bananas at room temperature but check every day since they’ll ripen faster.

this banana nut bread recipe has healthy ingredients such as flaxseed, whole wheat flour and greek yogurt, as well as your regular butter and sugar. you can definitely make this gluten free or substitute the sugar with apple sauce. once the banana bread is done baking, you’ll see it has a crusty layer on the outside but it’s very moist, soft and dense on the inside. mmm!! like i like to say: business on the outside and party on the inside, hahaha.

one thing i should mention is that i had a small loaf pan and i had to bake an additional 6 standard size muffins because it was too much batter for my little pan. i will tell you the exact size within the recipe.

follow these directions and you’ll be able to enjoy this very banana-y bread for a snack or as a complement to your breakfast!! if you like bananas and bread, then you are winning with this recipe.

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butter loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

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sift flours and whisk all dry ingredients together.

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mash your bananas!

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cream butter with sugars until fluffy.

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scrape bowl and mix on high for a little bit to combine all ingredients.

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alternate flour mixture with yogurt and bananas.

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fold in walnuts.

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ready to go into the oven :)

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time to cut through this banana nut bread and go bananas, haha. cheesy, i know.

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healthy banana {nut} bread

ingredients:
5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed {optional}
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30 to 50 minutes approximately}
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30 to 50 minutes approximately}
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30 to 50 minutes approximately}
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped {optional}
8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan – i used this one {you can use a bigger pan – 9 x 5 inches – and you won’t have to make the muffins}

yields 1 small loaf and 6 standard size muffins.

directions:

  1. preheat oven to 350F. butter a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan, add parchment paper and butter parchment as well. parchment paper should hang over the sides of the pan. set aside. butter muffin tin {only 6 muffin cups} or you can use paper liners. set aside.
  2. in a bowl, sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, flaxseed and cinnamon. add salt and whisk well.
  3. cream butter and sugars with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes at medium speed.
  4. add eggs, one at a time and mixing well after each addition over medium speed. add vanilla and mix until incorporated. make sure to scrape the bowl {sides and bottom} and mix on high for 30 seconds to mix well. do not over mix batter.
  5. set speed to the lowest setting. alternate a third of the flour mixture, with a third of the greek yogurt and a third of the mashed bananas. repeat until all ingredients are incorporated. do not over mix.
  6. fold in walnuts with a rubber spatula gently.
  7. fill 6 muffin cups 3/4 full. pour the rest of the batter into prepared loaf pan.
  8. bake banana bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out with a few crumbs. start checking at 60 minutes though. bake muffins for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  9. let muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 3 minutes. take out of the pan and cool completely on cooling rack. let banana bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. cool banana bread out of the pan for 30 minutes more on a cooling rack.
  10. store banana bread and muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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banana • bread • nuts • Leave a Comment