Blue Diamonds

I've been working on this new fabric design this long weekend. I wanted to try something more masculine or at least less feminine. I love it, this is a different color palette for me as well. I am going to order an upholstery weight fabric swatch and see how it turns out. I want a bag made from this fabric.

On a completely unrelated note, I was browsing over at Liz's blog today and she has a yummy sounding recipe for Healthy Apple & Strawberry Muffins. It inspired me to do a little baking of my own. I was not thinking about healthy recipes though, instead I opted for cupcakes. When Ryan and I got engaged, our friend Julie gave us the most amazing cook book for a gift. It's from the editors of Cook's Illustrated and it's named, The New Best Recipe. This thing is a tome let me tell you. It is over 1,000 pages and it contains 1,000 recipes. It is also a wonderful learning tool because it explains each recipe in detail, teaching you about technique, supplies and equipment. Each recipe is tested and tasted multiple times so as to discover the absolute best way to make anything from roast beef to layer cake. It is a really cool book. Today I made these cupcakes and they are so good. They are not overly sweet and the cake is almost the density of a muffin. One word of caution though, don't over chill the frosting. I left it in the fridge too long and it got a little too firm. I had to add water to get it to thin to a spreadable consistency. It still tasted great, but it was a little hairy there for a minute when my frosting was as spreadable as ice cold butter. Here is the recipe below as it appears in The New Best Recipe.

Yellow Cupcakes with Simple Chocolate Frosting

Makes 12

Make the frosting first. While it cools, prepare and bake the cupcakes; when the cupcakes are cool, the frosting will be ready to be whipped and used. If you prefer, you may opt not to whip the frosting, It will be denser and have slightly less volume. Bittersweet, milk, or white chocolate can be substituted for the semisweet chocolate. The recipe can be doubled.

Theses cupcakes are best eaten the day they are made, but unfrosted extras will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To double the recipe, use 3 whole eggs and 2 yolks and double the remaining ingredients.

Simple Chocolate Frosting

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. For the frosting: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan or in a microwave. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Cover the bowl with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk the mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool and slightly firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Transfer the frosting to the bowl of a standing mixer. Whip the mixture at medium speed until it is fluffy and mousse-like and forms medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. For the cupcakes: Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat the oven 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

4. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, and vanilla and beat the wet ingredients into the dry at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared tin using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon. Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Use a skewer or paring knife to lift the cupcakes from the tin and transfer to a wire rack; cool the cupcakes to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

6. Spread 2 to 3 generous tablespoons of the frosting on top of each cooled cupcake; serve.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!!