chocolate stout cupcakes with bittersweet ganache

January 10, 2010 by 9 Comments

Once in a blue moon, I love a good dark beer.

Once every day that ends in y do I love chocolate stout cake. It’s rich, moist, and tastes like an indescribably dark chocolatey-chocolate cake without being overly sweet. Plus, you get to pour beer into the batter. Which is fun. For those of you wary about adding beer to chocolate cake, fear not–they don’t taste like beer, the stout just keeps them moist, rich, and prevents them from being overly sweet.

I came across an intriguing recipe that was begging, nay, pleading to be turned into cupcakes. Because, c’mon. Who bakes whole cakes anymore? We are living in a cupcake world and I am a cupcake gal.

So without further ado, here they are. Fair warning: this recipe makes an ungodly amount of cupcakes. Make a half-batch if you don’t know 48 people who would like to eat a chocolate stout cupcake in the next two days.

Oh, and fair warning #2: You should probably also be drinking a stout while you’re making these. Just sayin.

First, let’s make the ganache because it’ll need a few hours to chill. You need one pound of bittersweet chocolate (chopped or in chip form) and one pint (or 2 cups) of whipping cream. Again, halve this if you don’t want to make a billion cupcakes.

Place the chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wisk attachment. You could also use a hand mixer if you’re more in the mood.

Bring the cream just to a simmer on the stove and then remove from heat.

Immediately pour the whipping cream over the chocolate. Mix on medium-low until totally combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

You should probably lick this. It’s okay. No one is watching. I’ll wait.

All done?  Wasn’t it delicious? Good. Let’s move on to the cupcakes.

You need at absolutely sinful amount of butter. 4 sticks or 2 cups unsalted. Paula Deen would be so proud.

Also find some sour cream (1 1/2 cups) and four eggies.

For the dry stuff, grab some baking soda (1 tbsp), all-purpose flour (4 cups), salt (1 1/2 tsp), and granulated sugar (4 cups. Yes. I’m serious.).

Oh, and you’ll also need 1 1/2 cups of cocoa powder. Sorry–forgot to snap a photo.

Finally, the goods: Guinness. Or a similarly dark stout. You’ll need two cups, which turns out to be about 1 1/4 bottles.

Ready? Let’s go.

Preheat your oven to 350°. If you want to. Or wait ’till later.

Measure out your beer. It won’t hurt it it’s a few sips less than 2 cups. I promise.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the stout. Bring just to a simmer and then remove from heat.

I never thought I would have a pan of butter and Guinness heating on my stove.

Grab your cocoa powder…

…and immediately whisk it into the butter/beer mixture until smooth. Set aside to let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mix your dry ingredients together in a big ol’ bowl…

…and put the sour cream and eggies into another bowl.

I love cracking eggs. It’s my favorite part of baking. But I’m also completely terrified of finding a little baby chicken fetus inside. I would cry for days.

Too much information? Alright. Moving on.

Cream together the sour cream and eggs using an electric hand mixer on low speed.

Ummm….don’t lick these blades. Even I don’t love sour cream that much.

For the next step, grab a big bowl….

…and dump the sour cream/egg mixture into it. Pour the beer/cocoa/butter mixture on top. Mix on low with the electric hand mixer to combine.

Next, dump in the flour/sugar mixture. Beat a little with the electric mixer just to get it started…

…and finish it off with a spatula. Shiny.

Pour into greased (or lined) muffin pans. I usually use liners, but all I had were the ugly ones left from a Christmas variety pack. I couldn’t handle dancing reindeer today. Where’s Bella when I need ‘em?

Bake, one pan at a time, for 16-18 minutes or until…you know the drill. Clean toothpick. Or not. Sometimes I think when the whole toothpick comes out clean that I’ve already over-baked them. You’re the judge of your own cupcake world—you decide.

I filled them up almost to the brim because I like big cupcakes.

Let cool on wire racks.

See what I mean? Ungodly amount of cupcakes.

Once the cupcakes have cooled and the ganache has hardened, let’s frost those suckers. Give the ganache a good stir before we start.

Spread it around. Spread it around good.

I used about a tablespoon and a half per cupcake and still had a little leftover. You frost ‘em however you like ‘em.

Oh my. A moment of silence, please.

I wasn’t drinking that Guinness while eating a cupcake. You must be thinking of someone else.

Nope. Not me (*licks chocolate ganache from lips*).

The verdict on chocolate stout cupcakes? They were divine. Moist. Rich. Chocolatey with a hint of stout. The bittersweet ganache made them ultra-decadent.

When I make them again, however, I’ll try a few variations:

1) Use a more flavorful stout. Maybe a local brew, or something with a little more body. Maybe I’ll even boil a larger quantity down to make it more concentrated. I wanted more Guinness-y flavor and less sweet.

2) Halve the recipe. Too. Many. Cupcakes.

3) Try not to eat so dang many. There goes one full week of salads.

Happy monday!

-RDG

The original recipe for chocolate stout cake can be found right here. Just follow the directions above to make them cupcakes. Enjoy!

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kale and gorgonzola swirls

January 8, 2010 by 3 Comments

I’ve recently been plagued with cooking disasters. I overcooked a steak, made a pot roast that was less than stellar, and have since (gasp!) eaten nothing but salads for dinner.

Alright, the salads are more about trying to lose some holiday pounds than anything else. But I have been a little timid about getting back in the saddle.

This was my first recipe in ages that was not : a) messed up by yours truly, or b) low calorie.

God it feels good to be back.

These lovely little apps are quick, easy, and sinful with a touch of dark green vegetable, which makes them almost healthy.

You know you want them. Like now.

Grab some kale–spinach’s superior cousin. You’ll need a full bunch, or at least 6 of these lovely stems.

Rip the leafy parts from the stem (which can be tough and a tad bitter)…

…and give ‘em a rough chop.

Also grab two cloves of garlic. De-skin them…

…and mince.

Next, melt two tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium-high heat.

Throw the garlic in the pan and saute for about a minute. Don’t burn the butter, my friends. Stir, stir, stir.

Add the kale and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s dark, dark green and tender.

Immediately transfer to a plate to let cool. Ooh and aah over how dang gorgeous kale is.

Now then. Crack one egg…

…and beat with one tablespoon of water.

Prepare a floured surface for your puff pastry.

Gently unfold your puff pastry (I assume you’ve already thawed it according to package directions) onto the floured surface and roll it out just a tad. We don’t want it thin–just a little bit thinner than it comes in the package.

Lightly brush with half of the egg mixture…

…and spread the kale on top.

Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the kale.

Crumble up some gorgonzola. Is there any cheese that is better than a good, creamy gorgonzola?

What the heck am I smoking? There’s triple-cream brie, Irish cheddar, Humbolt Fog…

I really love cheese. In any form. But gorgonzola works best in this recipe.

Evenly distribute the gorgonzola over the kale and parmesan and get ready to roly-poly.

Tightly roll up this bad boy, making sure that you’re rolling straight.

Pinch the overlapping edge together and slice into 1/2″ pieces. It helps to use a super sharp knife. Like a knife that you could cut slice your own finger off with.

Just don’t slice off your own finger, please.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush each round lightly with the remaining egg mixture.

Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are nice and golden.

Serve hot out of the oven, or transfer to a baking rack to cool slightly.

Oh. My. Goodness. These smell divine.

The edges are crispy with melted cheese, the middles are soft and a bit tangy from the kale, and they look totally gorgeous.

No one has to know you used frozen puff pastry.

It would be naughty to eat these as my lunch, but…

Could. Not. Resist.

Make ‘em for a party this weekend. Or just for yourself. Either way, they’ll be gone in 5 minutes flat.

TGIF!

-RDG

Kale and Gorgonzola Swirls

  • 1 bunch, or 6 stems, kale
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. De-stem kale and chop. Mince two cloves of garlic. Melt butter in a deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add kale and saute an additional 2-3 minutes, or until kale is wilted. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Roll out thawed puff pastry on a floured surface to create a 13″ square. Brush with half of egg mixture. Spread kale out to cover the entire surface. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over kale. Roll up tightly, pinch roll together and slice into 1/2″ pieces using a sharp knife. Place slices 12 at a time onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden. Serve immediately. Makes 24 swirls.


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sound off: best customer service

January 6, 2010 by 8 Comments

I apologize in advance: this is not a food post. It does not even resemble a food post. If a food post is Mars, this post is Venus. Or something like that.

No, dear friends, this is the first post of a brand new category here at RDG called Sound Off. I’ve been feeling a little narcissistic these days, as well as restricted by my current categories, so here is the love child of said feelings. I want to hear from you. I’m tired of doin’ all the talking around here.

So here’s the deal. Every week, or every other week, or whenever I feel like it, I’ll have a Sound Off category. I rant or rave about some odd topic, and then you tell me whatcha think.

So this week’s category? Best customer service.

I’ve had the pleasure, and sometimes the pain, of working in customer service for many, many years. It is difficult to deal with the public day after day, let alone with a smile on your face. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do because of corporate policies. Sometimes you have grin and bear it. Sometimes your company sucks. But here’s five companies, and their employees, who do it right.

I realize you might disagree, and that’s more than okay. This week, let’s focus on awesome customer service and save the rants about the other 95% for next week.

Here’s my list:

1. Nordstrom

Returning shoes after three years of wear? Impeccable service, even during the hectic-as-all-get-out Half-Yearly Sale? There’s a reason that companies everywhere make their customer service reps read The Nordstrom Way. It’s because Nordstrom wrote the book on how to properly, and perfectly, deal with customers.

2. REI

You don’t have to be a seasoned outdoorsman (or woman) to appreciate expert help finding a backpack. The salespeople aren’t really salespeople here–they don’t work on commission and they always know and use the stuff they’re selling. Bob the biker works in cycling, while Jane the hiker works in tents. Plus, sales reps seem to be ever-present here. No wandering the store to find someone to help you out.

3. The Apple Store

Talk about a company who follows through. Free classes for learning how to use their products? Emergency, last minute holy-crap-I-think-my-hard-drive-just-melted-down appointments with a real, live person? Replacement of defective products, no questions asked? Being greeted at the door and pointed in the right direction? I know it’s a hot topic: some folks love Mac products and some hate ‘em. But you gotta hand it to Mr. Jobs–his stores have got it goin’ on.

4. Amazon

Alright–I swear it’s just a coincidence that I’ve featured three Seattle companies so far.

Besides being an awesome internet retailer of everything from aardvarks to zippers (do you think they might sell aardvarks? Mental note: investigate this), Amazon has quite the awesome customer service department. Returns are easy as pie, you can call them with any questions you’ve got about products, and if you have got a shipping issue they’ll resolve it immediately.

5. Safeway

In my ‘hood, the nicer grocery is store is not Safeway. My Safeway is not pretty. There is often a crazy homeless man mumbling to himself about zucchini in the parking lot. But what keeps me coming back? The customer service, my friends. In produce, I’m always greeted and asked if I need help finding anything, and three or four more times throughout my shopping trip, I’m greeted by store employees inquiring if I need assistance. At checkout, they thank me by name and tell me to have a gorgeous day. In fact, if I’m feeling anti-social, I go to the prettier grocery store because I know if I go to Safeway I’ll have to talk to people. But more often than not, you’ll find me at Safeway having Barry the Produce Guy pick me a good Cantaloupe.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

So here goes: Sound Off! Leave a comment here about your favorite companies for customer service. Do you love Nordy’s too? Tell me! Have you got an awesome little mom n’ pop restaurant in your town that treats you like family? Write it up! I want to hear all about it. I’ll read all your comments and post some of my favorites at the end of the day on Friday.

Here’s where I find out how few people really read my blog…uh oh. Here goes…

-RDG

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binky’s 65th with salt roasted potatoes

January 5, 2010 by 3 Comments

My dear old (but young at heart) Dad turned 65 yesterday, and what better way to celebrate than with a gourmet dinner?

To clarify: my Dad’s name is Walt. His nickname, which I have no idea how he came by, is Binky.

Yup. Like the a baby’s pacifier.

I love my Dad to death. He’s my pal. My partner in crime. My home-improvement guru. My sounding board. My Dicks’ Drive-In companion on saturday afternoons. And, most importantly, the man from which I learned most of my foodie inclinations.

He’s the one who taught me that butter is not a sin. That a grill is for more than hamburgers. That something as simple as an egg on toast can be a revelation if done right. And that when mom’s not around, you can have anything you want for dinner.

Lucy, are you listening?

So when his big 6-5 was coming around the bend, he had a choice: dinner out at a nice place, or dinner at home done by the three best cooks in the family?

You can guess what he chose. ‘Cause that’s how my Dad rolls.

My lovely Ma pulled out all the stops. Roasted rack of lamb with a garlic and parsley crust…

…which was as tender and perfectly cooked as can be.

On the side, she did a nice broccolini with a balsamic and garlic glaze, and for dessert…

…homemede creme brule. And I got to be the flame-thrower.

And lemme tell ya, this chef’s torch is quite a step up from what we used to use. The propane blowtorch from the garage was a little more dangerous.

But if you’re not in immediate danger of lighting your sweater on fire while preparing dessert, you’re doing it wrong. You gotta keep yourself on your toes in this life.

My other job, and a little more boring than bearer of the dessert flame, was the potatoes. I decided to salt roast them, which gives a nice flavor and keeps ‘em super tender. Want to try?

Grab some baby yukon golds. Or baby reds. Whatever makes your skirt fly up. You could use regular sized potatoes too, but I like the mini ones—they’re cuter.

I used about 5 pounds to feed 6 adults with leftovers.

Also grab some parsley. Flat-leaf, please. You’ll need about half of this bunch.

And an ungodly quantity of Kosher salt. Rock salt would work to, if you have it. Also grab your pepper grinder and some olive oil.

Grab a roasting pan and pour in a layer of salt that reaches about a half of an inch up the pan.

Told ya you needed a lot of salt.

Arrange the potatoes on top of the salt—dig ‘em in just a tad…

…and roast in a 350° oven for 30-45 minutes (3o if you like your potatoes on the harder side, 45 if you like them soft on the inside).

Pull those taters out of le salt with a fork or some tongs. A tiny bit of salt will be sticking to the bottom. That’s okay. Brush a little off if too much is stuck.

Transfer them to a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat.

Chop up about 1/2 cup of parsley…

…and toss it in with the potatoes along with some freshly ground pepper to taste.

Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

Plus, they’re incredibly tasty and easy to make. The salt roasting infuses the taters with flavor, but they don’t taste salty. They’re just tender, buttery and melt-in-yo-mouth.

These were lovely with the lamb and gave nice color to the plate.

Overall, a fantastic dinner with fantastic company.

Cheers, Dad, and a very happy 65th! But next year, can we use the blowtorch again?

-RDG

Salt-roasted Potatoes

  • 5 lbs baby yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 lb Kosher salt, or enough for a depth of 1/2″ in a roasting pan
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Wash and dry potatoes. Pour salt into roasting pan, enough to create a depth of at least 1/2″. Arrange potatoes in pan, sinking them into the salt base slightly. Roast for 30-45 minutes. Carefully remove potatoes from salt crust and transfer to a bowl. Coat with olive oil and stir in parsley and pepper. Serve immediately.

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loving: wish list cookbooks

January 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The internet is my BFF. We’re tight. We wear matching bracelets.

Alright, not really. Hubs takes that title. But when it comes help for cooking junk I’ve never made before, I love the dang internets.

Epicurious? Yup. Food Network dot com? Uh huh. Blogs? Definitely.

But in my life there comes a time when I want to have a book open in front of me that isn’t digital. I want a hefty, cloth-bound 300+ page cookbook by my stove whose pages are smeared with chocolate sauce, olive oil and chicken guts.

Lord knows I get enough flour and egg goo on my camera and laptop. Sometimes you gotta spread the mess around and let the other inanimate objects share the cooking love once in a while. Plus, paper is exceptionally absorbent.

A few weeks ago, however, while re-arranging our library into rainbow order (yup–I’m a crazy type who remembers books by color, not title), I realized that I hadn’t purchased or been given a new cookbook in over a year. And I hadn’t used a cookbook in over two, not counting my piroshki phase when I ransacked my Russian cooking bible for ideas.

Needless to say, I’m overdue for some additions to my cookbook collection. And while browsing Barnes and Noble last night, I came up with a top five wish list.

1. James Peterson’s Baking

This hefty little number, along with it’s companion Cooking, are sort of considered the new bibles for the home chef. The latter I’m less interested in, because I really don’t want to know how to de-bone a duck. Although I’m sure it will end up on my bookshelf eventually.

But this volume looks divine.

It tells you step-by-step with illustrations (which, clearly, I’m a fan of) how to prepare everything from a basic pie crust to chocolate souffle and everything in between. At first I thought, “I don’t need a baking education. I bake all the freakin’ time.” But upon closer inspection, it’s full of tips and tricks that I had never even heard of. It’s sort of an encyclopedia of baking techniques and recipes, all bound in a pretty, easy to follow and timeless package.

2. Jim Lahey: My Bread

I hate kneading bread. But I love freshly baked loaves. Jim Lahey promises me that I can have my bread and eat it, too.

There are a lot of bread books out there right now that promise the same thing, but here’s the godfather of them all, and the pioneer of the no-knead method. The founder of the now legendary Sullivan Street Bakery in Soho will show me how to make fuss-free bread in a dutch oven. This is one I’ve gotta try to believe.

3. Ree Drummond: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Miss Drummond in all her man-pleasin, cattle-wranglin, home-cookin, beautiful photograph-takin glory. This ain’t fancy food–gourmet cooks need not apply. But it is delicious and easy with a touch of country. And several touches of butter.

If you have no idea who the Pioneer Woman is, you’ve fallen off the face of the planet. Climb back on and get to know her right here.

4. The Italian Slow Cooker, by Michele Scicolone

Osso bucco and mushroom ragu from my Crock Pot? Yes, please. This is a slow cooker cookbook (say that three times fast) that’s a step above most. You won’t find cheese dip here. Instead, you’ll find innovative recipes that you would never dream of cooking in a tabletop appliance (cheesecake? veal?).

I’m completely psyched to get my hands on this little beauty. Will report back.

5. Momofuku, David Chang

Recipes from the landmark NYC restaurants of David Chang come home, but not easily. They look labor-intensive, involved, and complicated. They also look like they produce quantities that could feed a small army.

Regardless, I want to make 50 pounds of noodles like now after glimpsing at the ginger scallion recipe. And the fried chicken. And the pig’s head.

Not really. But the fried chicken and noodles look delicious.

And there you have it, ladies and gents: my top 5 cookbook wants. 5 cookbooks for me to smear with butter, splash with wine and sprinkle with tarragon. 5 cookbooks for me to totally neglect in favor of the internet. But hey, at least they’ll look pretty on my rainbow-ordered bookshelf.

Happy Monday, and wishing you all a smooth transition back to reality after the holiday craziness.

-RDG

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