mocha cupcakes+espresso buttercream

Bit of silence happening over here in case you haven't noticed. I figured the best way to make it up to you was with cupcakes... that you can't eat. But we're ignoring that last part.

I saw the recipe for mocha cupcakes with espresso buttercream over at Brown Eyed Baker and figured, why not? What caught my eye were the words "mocha" and "espresso", something that gets me every time. If I'm ever talking to you and start losing my focus, adding a quick, out of context "ESPRESSO" will immediately snap me back to attention.

Mocha means a combination of chocolate and coffee. These cupcakes definitely do the job with both strong brewed coffee for part of the liquid, and instant espresso powder for an added boost. I felt the balance between the cocoa flavor and the coffee was really good here, and the cupcakes came out very moist and tender.

The frosting is just a basic butter and confectioners' sugar frosting, enhanced yet again with the addition of espresso power and some vanilla extract. What I noticed was that there wasn't any milk in this recipe, so the texture of the frosting remained firm, but still silky in texture.

This recipe makes exactly one dozen cupcakes, so it's perfect if you want a dessert that yields just enough without spending all day in the kitchen decorating and cleaning up. Because that's really not the point of baking, to clean dishes when you should be eating a cupcake.

espresso-chocolate shortbread cookies

You've probably seen this recipe floating about, and in case you haven't at least you have now. I came across this first on a blog, which actually prompted me to pick up Baking ~ from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan in the first place. Obviously, it took a few recipes before I made it, but it was worth the delay. Since I haven't had the desire for a cup of coffee (ahhhhh, it's the end of the world!!!!!), I get my fix in baked forms.

A delicate, espresso-laced shortbread that's in between sandy and crispy, these are excellent nibbling cookies alongside your beverage of choice. Of course, the addition of chocolate is always welcome whenever espresso is around, and I be the use of orange extract in place of the vanilla would just seal the deal.

An interesting technique of pressing the dough to the specified dimensions in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag makes quick and easy work of handling the dough, turning the sticky mass into a chilled slice-and-bake production.

Once the dough has chilled and you slice and peel away the Ziploc bag like Elmer's Glue on your skin, quickly score the dough to the correct size and slice away. I could have eyeballed it, but I wanted to be a bit of a perfectionist here.

Since the dough warms up rather quickly (or perhaps it was due to the temperature of the kitchen, or the warmness of my heart seeping through to my fingers) quickly transfer the slices to the prepared baking sheet where you will indent each cookie with the tines of a fork. Quickness is what really helps the cookies to retain their shape; all-butter cookies have a habit of spreading.

To date, none of the recipes I've made from Dorie's book have failed. This is probably one of my favorites since it's excellent alongside a cup of tea or coffee, and it's really a lovely little cookie that stands up to any occasion. These would also make an excellent choice to ship since they are fairly sturdy and the flavors improve with time.

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Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Makes 32 cookies

ingredients ~
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

directions ~

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.


2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.


3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.


4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (I'm out of parchments, so I simply greased the sheets.)


5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.


6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.


7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

cinnamon squares

As many of you already know, Dorie Greenspan has been going around the blogosphere not just by individuals making her recipes, but through the Tuesdays with Dorie group. The recipes they made looked delicious, so of course like most things I'm interested in I put off picking up her book until months after the initial idea struck.

In the library, in the cookbook section, I spotted Baking ~ From my home to yours and remembered how I wanted to check it out.

A few days later, sometime around midnight, I was browsing the epically delicious recipes looking for a simple enough one to make. What I mean by "simple" is that I don't have to wait for the butter to soften to room temperature since I rarely plan that far ahead. When my eyes passed over the recipe for Cinnamon Squares, and my eyes noted that the butter was melted, that settled matters.

Featuring a full on cinnamon flavored cake, this would best be described as a tricked out coffee cake with the layer of chocolate chips that are dusted with a combination of sugar, cinnamon, and espresso powder. After all is assembled and baked, a rich coating of melted chocolate with butter is spread and swirled on top. I never really understood the craze you people have about chocolate (yes, you know who you are) until I woke up around brunch time the next day (or the same day, later on) and licked the melted chocolate-butter spoon.

So the only step that caused me to pause was how the recipe states to place the baking pan on a baking sheet, which I assumed was to promote even distribution of heat. My oven could be off, but after 40 minutes the cake wasn't done, though I took it out and watched the stages of sinking take place. Lesson learned: You may think it's a great idea to bake late at night, but do try to remember that you then cannot become disinterested when the mixing is over and the dishes remain to be washed and the cake needs a few more minutes to bake.

All in all, I will be making this again. Since the cake part wasn't overly sweet and given that I used semisweet chips in place of bittersweet, I enjoyed this for breakfast, although I really ate it for brunch. Perfect at all hours of the day. Perfect for a lazy baker. Or as Dorie said, in a few more words than this, it's as good at a brunch as it is as a midnight snack.

Stay tuned for more to come from this cookbook.

Recipe after the jump

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Cinnamon Squares

ingredients ~
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

frosting ingredients ~
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

directions ~

1. To make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper (I think I greased the paper). Place the pan on a baking sheet.


2. Stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and the espresso powder together in a small bowl.


3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogeneous batter. Now, using the whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You'll have a smooth, satiny batter.


4. Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.


5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to the cooking rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.


6. To make the frosting: Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. (Now, I just placed the chocolate and butter right in the heatproof bowl because I was lazy when I made this. I understand the point of a double boiler and I use it often, but in case you don't want to go through the trouble I'm here to tell you that as long as you pay close attention, use a little lower heat and stir just as often, the resulting frosting will be fine.) Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it thins out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. (If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)


7. Using an offset metal icing spatula or a table knife, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature, then cut the cake into 9 squares, each about 2 1/2 inches on a side.

chillax with cold-brewed coffee

Apparently I have a tendency to talk about things I'm going to cook or bake without getting around to it for months, sometimes up to a year. Cold-brewed coffee is one of those, and it's completely unacceptable since it's a snap to make. Stir coffee grounds into water, place jar on a counter for 12 hours or overnight. It's also what I order when I go to Borders, a cold-brewed vanilla latte.

Note, this won't have the same taste as an iced vanilla latte which has espresso shots, but I like it so go away.

Many people might say that cold-brewed coffee is a stupid concept, none of the bitterness and something around 90% of the flavor opposed to a shot of espresso poured over ice.

• A) a one ounce shot is not enough to give my my fix cool me off in the hot summer heat
• B) this is only the most simple thing to have in the fridge to stir up when the desire strikes
• Not only that, it doesn't taste of stale coffee, which is C)
and
• D) I don't own an espresso machine

I never really pay attention to how long it actually it actually brews as I prep it and leave it on the counter if I make it early in the day/afternoon, then place it in the fridge overnight, though I think it comes out fine. Strain twice through a coffee filter placed in a sieve.

Coffee is my joy in life. I love it, I love everything about it. I love complaining if the coffee is too bitter and acidic, I love to look at the color. I love waking up in the morning, snapping off the comforter, jumping out of bed onto the floor and with arms raised in jubilation scream, "COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEE!". Much to the chagrin of my cats, I might add. "Folgers in my cup!" is my favorite commercial. If I like you, I might pelt you with chocolate-covered espresso beans. I feel sad when I look into the cup and instead of a dark brown liquid seeing white.

This process makes a concentrate that can be diluted with 1:1 ratio of concentrate to liquid, either water or milk. You can also make ice cubes.

What I do for a "latte" is to mix 2/3 cup coffee concentrate (note how I use more coffee) and 1/3 cup milk, then I pour it into a small jar along with some vanilla syrup and shake it up really well so it's frothy for a brief moment.

If you want to give it a go, I mixed 1 cup coffee grounds with 4 1/2 cups water. For a fun read, head on over to this article from the NYT, Iced Coffee? No Sweat