Holiday Baking

I cannot believe it is already 2010!! Wow, I have had no time to blog and I have done a ton of baking. A ton of eating sweets as well!  I also have a 2 year old that has given up napping so the blogging has suffered greatly.   Here are some of the highlights. At the beginning of the month I made some beautiful red velvet Martha Stewart cupcakes from "Martha Stewart's Cupcakes".  I have to say they were beautiful and tasted pretty good.  I have never made red velvet and they were very good, but I had this weird idea that they would taste like chocolate.  They were not as chocolaty as I would like, but still good.  My favorite is still chocolate. I suggest if you are looking for a good buttercream frosting recipe this has been my favorite, because it makes so much.  I found other recipes did not make enough for me to decorate. I would end up driving to the store to buy more ingredients. It also took me a while to get the knack of making it.
Martha Stewart's Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from "Martha Stewart's Cupcakes"
(link to Book via Amazon)
2 1/2 Cake Flour  ( I used all purpose and add a little cornstarch to each cup)
2 tbs unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
Buttercream frosting (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa and salt.
2. With and electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in food coloring and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam, like the volcano you made in science class); add mixture to the batter and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins half way through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
* Buttercream Frosting
5 large egg whites
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
4 sticks of butter
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water.  Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch ( the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed by your fingertips).
2.Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium high speed., whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool ( test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added whisk in vanilla.  Switch to the paddle attachment and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula and continue beating until frosting is completely smooth.  Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to a month.  Before using, bring up to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
4. To make into wreaths I frosted all the cupcakes white, then I put a little aside and whisk it with green food coloring a little at a time until I got the color I wanted. I then made wreath shape by putting the green into a pastry bag and using a a small leaf tip.  I would put leaves on the cupcake in a circle fashion, overlapping until I had desired design. I used a red gel frosting decorating tube to make the berry dots.

I also made these delish salted chocolate truffles from the pioneer women.  They were really tasty and super easy. Here is the recipe:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chocolate-truffles-with-sea-salt/

The yearly cookie swap I always look forward to seeing what people make and  to dust off my old cookie recipes. This is the second year I have made the Blue Ribbon Almond Roca cookies. I love these cookies, that is way I only make them for Christmas.
 I got the recipe on the Food Network website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/blue-ribbon-almond-roca-cookies-recipe/index.html
Now that the holidays are over I am going to focus on healthy recipes.  All of these came out fantastic, but I am on sugar overload.