Sweet Heart Sweets

Two recipes from another source stirs up my passion for baked sweets! =)

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Pink Velvet Cupcakes

Recipe Directions & History

click for larger photo Excerpted from my blog: cuppincakesforyou.blogspot.com Pink Velvet Cupcakes I've always wanted to make a pink velvet cupcake. Now, with Valentines around the corner, it seemed like the perfect time. These cupcakes are a updated, knock-off of a red velvet cupcake. Red velvet cupcakes consist of essentially a chocolate batter (dyed deep red) with a dense cream cheese frosting. I wanted the pink velvet cupcakes to be a white chocolate batter (dyed pink) with a whipped, lighter cream cheese frosting. Topped with pink marzipan hearts and pink sprinkles, these cupcakes were undeniably cute. I think every girl under 12 would probably die to have some of these at her birthday party. How did they taste? Excellent. The frosting is not a "cream cheese overload." It was more sweeter, which paired nicely with the tang. The cupcake was also quite delicious, but it tasted more like a dense vanilla cupcake than a white chocolate cupcake. I searched long and hard for a good recipe, and finally settled on Food and Wine's white chocolate cupcakes. I picked this one because, out of the recipes I've seen, it was the one that included the MOST white chocolate in the batter. When I sampled the batter, it first tasted like a yummy vanilla batter, and then the white chocolate hit you as a pleasant aftertaste. When I baked them, though, the "white chocolate-ness" did diminish some. I think one of the problems is that white chocolate tastes so much like vanilla anyway. I will experiment with this batter again to see if I can get a more chocolaty flavor, but that's just because I am a choc-o-holic. I might try the white chocolate cupcake recipe from Crazy about Cupcakes (Krystina Castella), since I bought that book last year and haven't really done anything with it. Either way, this cupcake has a great flavor (particularly if you like the vanilla - vanilla combination on cupcakes). By the way, if you'd like a lighter crumb (not as dense), substitute half of the flour with cake flour. Enjoy! Marzipan Hearts 3.5 oz (half of a regular tube - 70z; you can find in almost any baking aisle of the grocery store) Burgundy gel-paste coloring 1) Using a toothpick, dip into the gel-paste and slide the coloring over the marzipan, four times. 2) Knead the coloring into the marzipan. 3) Roll out the marzipan, about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. 3) Using a mini, heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes in the marzipan. 4) Store in an air-tight container (using parchment paper between stacks) until ready for use. White Chocolate Cupcakes 24 cupcakes; 350 degree oven 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups milk 8 ounces white chocolate, melted Pink gel-paste coloring 1) Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. 2) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. 3) Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating for about 10 seconds after each addition. 4) Add the vanilla. 5) At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions. 6) Add the melted white chocolate and beat just until incorporated. 7) Add anywhere from 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. of the pink gel paste coloring. Mix thoroughly. 7) Scoop batter into paper-lined muffin tins, about 2/3 full. 8) Bake 20-24 minutes, depending on your oven. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, they're done. 9) Cool cupcakes on a wire rack. Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 - 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 tbsp. whole milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1) In your mixer, whip butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes on med-high speed. 2) Add 1 cup of the sugar and whip until combined. 3) Add milk, vanilla and salt. Whip until combined. 4) Add another cup of sugar and whip. From here, add 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting has reached your desired consistency. (I believe I used 3 cups total.) 5) Turn you mixer to high and whip for about a minute. *Note: this makes just enough for 24 cupcakes. If you like more frosting on your cupcakes, make a double-batch of this frosting. Assembly 1) Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcake. 2) Sprinkle with pink sprinkles. 3) Add a marzipan heart as garnish.

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Hungry Heart Cookies

Once upon a time I lived in Portland, Maine where there was a really great radio station called WCLZ. One morning, while driving to my cubicle dwelling office job, I heard the DJ announce that Minnie Driver was going to be playing a live set in “Studio Z.” Since Minnie Driver is one of my favorite actresses and I’d revered her since she packed on the pounds and shamelessly made out with Chris O’Donnell in Circle of Friends, I knew I had to figure out a way to go. Unfortunately, it was one of those sign-up online and we’ll pick 10 random winners deals. So resourceful girl that I am, I used every email address I’d ever had in my life (and maybe created a few extras) to sign up for the session — and surprise, I won a spot. I ended up missing 5 hours of work that day. Who knew Minnie would be 3 hours late…but while I was there she sang a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Hungry Heart and I really loved it. You can find it on her CD Everything I’ve Got in My Pocket.

You may be wondering how I was able to miss 5 hours of work in the middle of the day without getting into trouble? Well I attribute it at least partially to these cookies. As I’ve mentioned before, straight out of college my cooking skills were limited to things that came out of a box and the occasional Betty Crocker cake mix based cupcakes, and since I lived alone, all of my baking experiments were brought into the office to share. During the two years that I worked there, I think I made these sugar cookies for every holiday and using every conceivable shape and icing color. Sugar Cookies — the best way to make friends and influence people. Give it a go!

Hungry Heart Cookies aka Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (Originally published on the Food Network website)
Note: Thanks to Anna D for sharing this recipe and allowing me to adopt it as my own almost 5 years ago!

1 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a second bowl, combine and mix well the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir flour into butter mixture 1 cup at a time.
Chill dough for 3 to 4 hours.
Roll out dough and cut into shapes with cookie cutters or a knife.
Bake on a sheet pan or a parchment lined sheet pan in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the cookie.
Remove cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Pretty Pretty Princess Icing

1/2 stick of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Approximately 3 cups of confectioners sugar
Approximately 1/4 cup of milk
A few drops of red food coloring

Combine everything into a bowl and mix until uniform. If the icing is too thin add more confectioners sugar, if it’s too thick add a little more milk. Ta da!