Tales from a College Apartment Kitchen: February 2009

Recipe: Chocolate and Beer Cupcakes

I hope that the title of these cupcakes doesn't scare away any would-be bakers. Though the combination sounds unusual, perhaps even unappetizing, the flavors of the dark beer and cocoa powder mingle together in this recipe to create something that is definitely richer than its separate parts. Suffice it to say that the apartment-mates declared that these cupcakes taste as good as Sprinkles! The recipe calls for a dark beer, or stout, and so I used a particular Blackout Stout by the Indian Wells Brewing Company which was named one of LA Times "Beer of the Week" earlier this month (it's sold exclusively at Whole Foods for about $8 a case). But any dark beer would work in this recipe- in fact, it would be fun to experiment with different ones to see (and taste!) the variable outcomes. The cupcakes weren't dry and the cream cheese frosting really seals the deal (in my opinion, being the only frosting that truly deserves consumption). I piped it on, but they would be just as satisfying with the frosting spooned on the top. I really hope you try these- it's one of my favorite recipes that I've tried so far in the apartment and I'm looking forward to an excuse to make them again (like that unfinished 6-pack chilling in the fridge...

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup plain, thick yogurt, at room temperature

6 oz. (1/2 a bottle) dark stout, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 tbsp. butter, melted

Procedure:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake papers, set aside.

3.) Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop, set aside.

4.) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and yogurt. Add beer and vanilla and whisk until well-combined.

5.) Add about a third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and using a hand mixer, blend well. Add the rest of the flour mixture, a third at a time, mixing well after each addition. When all the ingredients are blended, add the melted butter and continue mixing until well-combined.

6.) Pour batter into the 12 cups, filling to about 3/4 full.

7.) Bake on center rack for about 25 minutes.

8.) When cupcakes are done (test by inserting a toothpick in the center- if it comes outs clean, they're ready to come out). Let cool for 10 minutes in pan and then remove cupcakes and let cool completely (especially important if you're planning to frost them!).

Notes: Sour cream can be substituted for the yogurt.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 tbsp. butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Procedure:

In a medium bowl, blend together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until well incorporated. Use immediately- the frosting will harden in the fridge so plan to bring it back to room temperature if you have to refrigerate it before frosting the cupcakes.

Notes: This recipe makes enough frosting for about 20 cupcakes. The original recipe calls for adding the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean to the mixture, but these can be very expensive. Although it may add to the appearance and pump up the vanilla flavor, the frosting is still spectacular without it.

*I found this recipe on another food blog I've been enjoying lately, called Pinch My Salt (http://pinchmysalt.com/)

Place: Take a Bao

You might have been told not to play with your food growing up, but the creators of Take a Bao either weren't listening or are really good at breaking the rules. According to their website, bao is a Chinese dim sum snack consisting of dough steamed with various fillings inside, dating from the 3rd century. But all those years of tradition didn't stop them from re-inventing the bao in fresh ways such as stuffing it with delicious pomegranate-glazed steak with marinated cucumber and japanese radish or teriyaki chicken with caramelized onions and Shitake mushrooms or the super imaginative S'more bao, which transforms the classic fireside treat into a bao filling. My friend Julia and I agreed that the bao dough mimics the texture and taste of the marshmallow, so it tastes essentially like a super-sized s'more (not a bad thing if you're a fan!). You can take your bao in white or whole wheat, and choose 2 kinds for your plate (in addition to the steak and chicken, the selection includes BBQ pork, panko-crusted cod, and more). I was equally impressed with my large Asian Cobb salad of cabbage, lettuce, chicken, green beans, cherry tomatoes, bacon, grated egg, and avocado with a snappy crunch from wasabi peas and a zing from miso ginger dressing. Although Take a Bao is on the pricier side for a student lunch, the food is original and tasty enough to merit a post-shopping or pre-movie stop.

Location: Westfield Century City Shopping Mall (http://takeabao.com/)

Below: Take a Bao's minimalist stand in the food court, delicious baos of different varieties, a close-up of the Asian Cobb: the black sesame seeds add a nice contrast in color

Creative twists on a couple traditionals

Whether it's boiling over milk, overcooking the meat, or burning the cookies, disaster at some point is unavoidable if you spend any amount of time in the kicthen. However, not all blunders signify failure, but rather an opportunity to take the recipe on a creative bend in the effort of salvaging the time, ingredients and effort that you've put into it. One such occasion presented itself to me last week. In a hurried frenzy, I ran by the store last Thursday night to buy ingredients for the Luxury Brownies that had caught my eye on Clotilde Dusoulier's Chocolate and Zucchini food blog. Made with quality chocolate and topped off with a sprinkling of walnuts, I thought my birthday was the perfect excuse to buy my favorite chocolate of all time, Scharffen Berger, to truly make these brownies luxurious (since these chocolates are rich in both tatse and pricetag!). However, I miscalculated my time, and was only able to finish the batter before I had to leave for Bible study. I stuck the whole mixture in the fridge intending to bake them first thing the next morning. However, I realized as I consulted the solidified mass the next morning that it would not be so simple to pick up where I had left off. The melted chocolate in the batter had hardened to the point where it had the consistency of a thick mousse or light fudge. After a brief panicky moment, I decided to stick them in the oven just to cook the eggs. It came out relatively unchanged in texture but I was determined not to write off my good chocolate as a failed project. Instead, we scooped the fudge-like dessert into miniature ice cream bowls and topped them off with a decorative crown of whipped cream. The condensed chocolate was extra rich and the whipped cream played off the texture perfectly as a lighter counterpart. This dessert holds the record for fastest disappearing time in the apartment! It was, as they say, a happy accident.

Recipe: Luxury Brownies

Servings: 20-24 brownies

- 120 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons) butter, diced
- 230 grams (8 ounces) good bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
- 140 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) flour
- 40 grams (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- A good pinch of salt
- 80 grams (1/3 cup) whole almond butter (this is like peanut butter, but made from unblanched almonds; available from organic food stores. You can also just increase the butter amount to 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons total instead of using the almond butter)
- 250 grams (1 1/4 cups) unrefined cane sugar
- 4 eggs
- 200 grams (7 ounces, about 1 1/2 cups) mixed nuts, chopped just a little bit (you still want large-ish chunks)

Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F) and line a square 20x20cm (8-by-8-inch) baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler (or just a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), stirring regularly to ensure even melting. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In the meantime, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

Whisk the almond butter and sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs in one by one, whisking well after each addition. Incorporate the flour mixture, working gently with a spatula, until no trace of flour remains; do not overwork the dough. Save a handful of nuts for decoration, and fold the rest into the batter.

Pour into the prepared pan, level the surface, and sprinkle with the nuts you've set aside.

*If you would like to try the brownies in their original form, proceed. If, however, you would like to recreate my fudgy chocolatey creation born out of accidnet, let the uncooked batter rest in the fridge overnight. The next morning, scoop out of the bowl into an oven-proof pan and bake as directed below. The batter should be the texture of light fudge.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sides and top are dry to the touch and cracked in places. Let cool completely before cutting, and ideally, leave to rest at room temp, covered with foil, for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Adapted from Coco&Me's Luxury Brownies.

*Scharffen Berger chocolates are made in Berkeley and though the bars are expensive (at Whole Foods, they can run you about $8.50!). However, any baking chocolate will work in this recipe.

Recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini January 20, 2009 http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/01/brownies.php

I'd like to include the following recipe as a respite from the extreme chocolate inundation that inevitably accompanies Valentine's Day. My roommate, Aggie, found this particular recipe on the Food page of the LA Times. It is a twist on traditional shortbread cookies, adding an extra dimension of sweetness with a layer of wildflower honey and a unique shortbread crumb topping out of an extra shortbread layer.

Recipe: Wildflower Honey Shortbread Bars

Total time: 50 min., plus chilling and cooling time

Servings: 25 bars

Note: Creamy wildflower honey is whipped with air, giving it a thick texture. It is available at select gourmet food stores, farmers markets and well-stocked supermarkets, such as Whole Foods.

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1/2 cup creamy wildflower honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, mix together the butter, 1 cup of the sugar and the salt until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to overmix. With the mixer running, gradually add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together.

2. Divide the dough into quarters. Shape one quarter into a small log, about 2 inches in diameter, and cover with plastic wrap. Combine the remaining quarters and shape into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate both portions for 1 hour until firm.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the disc of dough and press it into a buttered, 9-inch-square metal cake pan, working the dough until it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and set aside.

4. Unwrap the small log of dough and roll it into a rough (6-by-8-inch) rectangle (this does not need to be perfect -- the dough when baked will be crumbled as topping for the bars). Place the dough on an unbuttered baking pan.

5. Place the cake pan on the top rack of the oven and place the baking pan on the center rack. Bake the baking pan shortbread until lightly browned along the edges, about 15 to 20 minutes, and the cake pan shortbread until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer each pan when done to a cooling rack to cool completely. Run a knife along the edges of the cake pan to loosen the shortbread as it cools.

6. When the shortbread is cooled, spread the honey evenly over the cake pan shortbread. Crumble the smaller shortbread and sprinkle 1 cup of the crumbs over the honey (save the rest for sprinkling over ice cream). Lightly press the topping into the shortbread. Cut the shortbread into 5 rows in both directions to make 25 squares. Combine the remaining powdered sugar with the cinnamon and sift over the shortbread before serving.

From LA Times, February 4, 2009 http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-shortbreadrec4c-2009feb04,0,703785.story

Something New:

Place- Kogi Taco Trucks

"Taco truck" and "dream come true" may be unusual suspects to show up in the same sentence, but as I encountered the duo of Kogi Korean taco trucks parked on the corner next to my apartment, I was ecstatic. Brief back story - I had seen and heard of these native Los Angeles trucks that have combined the best of Korean barbequed meats with the fresh simplicity of the Mexican taco. Their hype is partially due to their nomadic nature, and as the recent L.A. Times described it, creating flash mobs wherever they appear. Finding them having se tup shop in my neighborhood on my way back from a late class with a growling stomach seemed like a fairytale. The servers are super upbeat which helps to create a festive atmosphere among those in line and waiting. I ordered one chicken and one pork taco ($2 each) and was super satisfied. Both meats had a distinctive BBQ flavor and were lightly adorned by chopped lettuce, chili sauce, lime and red pepper flakes (though they were still mild despite the chiles). The little warm corn tortillas were compatible with the filling. They also serve burritos ($5) and creative nightly specials, which last Tuesday was Kimchi Tacos (also $5). Rumor has it they will be on Midvale and Ophir every Tuesday night. Weekly taco night? I think most deinitely.

*The story behind the Kogi taco trucks is fun and interesting. If you want to know more about how this whole crazy thing got started, read the L.A. Times article here:

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-kogi11-2009feb11,0,159741.story

*The official Kogi website is also fun. It's got the menu and also updates on where the they're going to be next:

http://kogibbq.com/