carrot coconut cupcakes

 

the goods:

 

1 and 1/4 cups shredded coconut

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 and 1/2 cups shredded carrots

 

cream cheese frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1 cup of the shredded coconut out on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the coconut to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Add the flour; mix. Stir in shredded carrots and remaining 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
Line muffin tin with paper liners; distribute the batter evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool.
Make cream cheese frosting: In a mixing bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Use immediately, be sure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. Garnish with toasted coconut.

rhubarb crisp

the goods:

 

1 pound rhubarb

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

ice cream, for serving (strawberry or vanilla)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the rhubarb stalks on the diagonal into uniform 3/4-inch-thick pieces. Place in a 2-quart baking dish; toss with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour.

In a food processor, pulse the remaining 1/4 cup flour with the butter until the clumps are pea-size. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the rolled oats, and cinnamon; pulse just to combine. Sprinkle over the rhubarb.

Bake until the rhubarb is tender and the topping is golden, 35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

strawberry shortcake

 

the goods:

 

1 and 1/2 pounds strawberries (about 6 cups)

1/4 cup sugar

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

whipped cream

 

Hull and quarter the strawberries; toss in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand until syrupy, tossing occasionally, at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food professor, combine flour, butter, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk; pulse just until moistened, 4 or 5 times. Do not overprocess.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; with floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 4-by-8-inch rectangle.

Dust a large knife or pastry cutter; cut the dough into 8 squares. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (you might notice in my first picture there is no parchment, this is because I burned my first batch, and learned my lesson the second time around!). Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes; cool on baking sheet.

 

To serve, split the biscuits with a serrated knife; layer with the berries and whipped cream.

lemon blueberry cake

 

lemon curd:

4 lemons (or 6 Meyer lemons)

2 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small even cubes

 

cake:

2 cups plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

 

frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons lemon zest

5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract

pinch of salt

yellow food gel coloring

 

make lemon curd: Wash citrus well and using a zester, remove all of the colored portion of the peel (not the white part - it's bitter) into a bowl. Set aside. Slice the citrus in half crosswise, and extract as much juice as you can using a citrus reamer. I like to juice it straight over a sieve set over a glass measuring cup so it strains and measures it all in one motion. Repeat until you have 2/3 cup strained juice. Get your double boiler ready by filling a saucepan with 1 inch of water, then placing a metal bowl on top of the saucepan. Ensure that the bowl fits snugly into the top of the saucepan and that it doesn't touch the water. Whisk the juice, whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl until smooth. Add the butter cubes, but don't stir. Heat the water in the saucepan over low heat until it simmers and place the bowl atop the rim. Stirring gently, but constantly, using a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, cook until the curd has thickened and all the butter has melted and is incorporated, about 10 minutes. To test if the curd is thick enough, remove the spatula or spoon from the curd and check that it's coated. Strain the curd over a bowl using a sieve and then stir in zest. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the curd (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for at least 3 hours (I like to chill it overnight). It will thicken more while chilling.

 

make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, butter, and flour. combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to a larger bowl and add blueberries. Toss to coat (this will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Stir sour cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions milk mixture (ending with flour mixture). Stir just until combined. Add 1/3 of the batter to one cake pan. Gently fold blueberries into remaining batter. Divide batter among remaining two pans.

 

Bake cakes 25 minutes, until toothpicks inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on racks for about 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

 

make frosting: Cream butter and lemon zest in bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, about 3 minutes. Slowly add confectioners' sugar, mixing on low speed for about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until very fluffy. Add a drop or two of coloring gel, then beat until blended.

 

Spread a dollop of frosting to a cake board of cake stand. Transfer 1 blueberry cake, face up, to plate. Create a dam around the perimeter of the layer using frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Spread lemon curd (approximately 1 cup) inside the dam. Top with plain cake layer, face-up; repeat frosting around perimeter and curd filling. Top with remaining blueberry cake, face-down. Spread a thin layer (crumb coat) of frosting over top and sides of cake. Place cake in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill. Remove from refrigerator, and using an offset spatula, spread a final coat of frosting all over cake. Finish with piping details as desired.

citrus thumbprints

 

the goods:

 

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided, plus more, sifted, for rolling

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice

1 tablespoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice

1/3 cup fruit jam or citrus curd, for filling

 

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and citrus zest and juice on medium until combined; increase speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture on low. Roll rounded tablespoons dough into balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze 10 minutes.

 

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; with small end of a melon baller or a small rounded measuring spoon, make indents in centers of cookies. Return to oven, and bake until set and light golden at edges, 12 minutes more. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks, let cool 10 minutes. Gently toss in sifted sugar, then sift more sugar over tops. Fill centers with jams and curd.

molten chocolate cakes

 

the goods:

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins

3 large eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

vanilla ice cream, for serving

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 4 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Beat in the chocolate (do not overmix). Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups.

 

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until the tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is slightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out the cakes, and place on serving plates, top sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

red velvet whoopie pies

 

the goods:

 

cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 ounce red food coloring

 

filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a heart template cut out from cardstock, or a cookie cutter, trace evenly spaced hearts onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating in each addition until just incorporated. Repeat with another third of the dry ingredients, remaining buttermilk, and finishing with dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Blend in food coloring.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off works fine too. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the heart tracings as a guide. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can easily transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before filling.

 

To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and beat until smooth.

 

Using another pastry bag with a plain tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off, pipe the cream cheese filling on the bottom side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie (it helps if you pair up the similar matches to each cookie first).