Chocolate and Carrotcake Cupcakes

The chocolate cupcakes are light and fluffy, and pair well with a saffron infused cream-cheese frosting. Yum. The recipe for carrot cupcakes is below.

Chocolate cupcakes

Ingredients

Baking chocolate

I used a box grater to grate the chocolate - voila - cocoa powder!

Naked choco-cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Saffron Cream Cheese Frosting

(adapted from a Cooking Light recipe)
Yield: 1 dozen


Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar
6 tbsp butter, softened
2 large eggs (I used 3 small eggs)
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (about 5 ½ ounces)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup low-fat buttermilk (I used yogurt instead)
1 tsp vanilla extract



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place brown sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
5. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well to combine.
6. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups (I got 16 cupcakes). Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, or until cupcakes spring back lightly.
8. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Saffron Cream Cheese Frosting
1 tbsp butter
pinch saffron threads
1 cup powdered sugar
1, 8-oz block cream cheese, softened

1. Warm butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add in saffron and let steep over very low heat for 20 minutes.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium-speed until well-combined. Increase the speed, and continue beating until smooth.
3. Spread about 1 tbsp of frosting over each cupcake.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

(carrot cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

1 cup pastry or all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole-wheat flour  (the flours should total about 5 ¾ ounces)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup canola oil
⅓ cup cooked mashed carrots
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups grated carrots (4 ounces)
½ cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Spoon flour into measuring cups and level with knife.
3. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
4. Combine sugar, oil, mashed carrots, and eggs in a large mixing bowl, stir to combine.
5. Add the sugar-oil-egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir together until just moist. Stir in the grated carrots and walnuts. Stir to combine.
6. Spoon the batter into muffin cups. Should make 16 to 18 cupcakes.
7. Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium-speed until well-combined. Increase the speed, and continue beating until smooth.
2. Spread about 1 tbsp of frosting over each cupcake.

Cupcakes ready for the final decorating

Cake stands at the ready

Saffron Noodle Cake

I brought 3 cookbooks with me to Belgium. The first, Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, next a binder full of my favorites, and last The Belgian Cookbook edited by Mrs. Brian Luck (thank you Secret Santa!). Slowly, the kitchen is getting set up. We have one pot, a cutting board, a big chef's knife and a smaller pairing knife, some flatware that has made its way into our place, and plates. We ate out a lot at first, which is a wonderful way to try the new places, but I missed cooking. My suitcases came here with 4 gallon-size ziplock bags of spices and herbs. It made for some good smelling clothes!

I was surprised at how simple, yet marvelous, this recipe is. I wanted to share. It comes straightout of Madison's cookbook (but you should buy it or check it out from the library).

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 pinches saffron threads
8 oz spaghetti or linguine
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan, shredded
1 bunch green onions (about 4 medium sized ones with an 1" of the greens)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup basil, chopped
2 T butter

Directions:

1. Heat up the olive oil in a pan. Pour it out into a stainless steel measuring cup or teacup. Add the saffron threads and allow it to infuse. 
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, and drain noodles and set aside. You should rinse the pasta with cold water so it won't be a huge sticky lump.
3. Combine the eggs through basil, the infused saffron olive oil, and the spaghetti in a medium mixing bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile heat up half the butter in an 8" or 10" skillet over medium heat (I made this in a 6" saucepan), once hot, add in the noodle mixture and pat down until flat. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. 
4. Once golden on one side, slide the noodle cake onto a plate or cutting board, add in the remaining butter to the skillet, and slide the uncooked side of the noodle cake onto the skillet. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Once done, slide onto a serving platter and cut into wedges. You can serve with some salad or cooked green veggies.