Red Velvet Cupcakes

I've been thinking of making these ever since we ate with Karen at Cupcake in Charleston. Red velvet is just so pretty, and Southern, and maybe a little kitschy, and it makes me think of Steel Magnolias.

I allowed myself to be convinced by blogging foodies that making cake from scratch is "just as easy as using a box mix!" (not true) "and so much more delicious!" (totally true). It probably helped that I finally followed directions like letting ingredients (butter, eggs, cream cheese)come to room temperature before mixing & blending for a full 3 minutes to let air get to all the yummy fat molecules. The kitchen's just a delicious chem lab!

This recipe is adapted from a few I found online and resulted in the BEST cupcakes I've ever had:

Red Velvet Cupcakes (1.5 doz jumbo or 2.5 doz regular)

* 1 1/2 cups of sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
* 2 eggs, room temperature
* 2 1/3 cups of cake flour OR (2.3 c minus 4 Tbs) all purpose flour*
* 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (Dark cocoa is delicious but does dampen the red color)
* 1 teaspoon of baking soda
* 1 teaspoon of baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon of salt
* 1 cup of buttermilk (or 1 c. milk + 1 Tbs white vinegar left to sit 10 min)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

*All purpose flour contains more protein (it's ground w/ some of the germ & bran attached), so it forms more gluten chains. That makes it great for bread -- where gluten is needed to hold the bread together as all those gasses expand and give a nice chewy texture -- but not so good for cakes & pastries. I just can't see buying a separate cake flour, so I use this substitution and it works fine.

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

3 In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.

4 Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.

5 Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until slightly separating from sides & toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking (important for my very uneven oven!).

6 Allow to cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes PLENTY for above # cupcakes)

* 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
* 8 oz cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
* 2 cups of powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2 Mix in vanilla extract.

3 Add the powdered sugar. Use spatula to spoon onto cooled cupcakes.

My Favorite Texas Traditions

6. Driving
I10 runs across the state for 879 miles, more than 1/3 of its entire length (and "I10 Texas" has its own Wikipedia entry). This weekend we drove a very quick 6 hours to meet up with my parents (who drove 10 hours). They kept Scott for 48 hours (my longest separation!) -- thanks Mom & Dad!

5. Two Steppin'

4. Holdin' 'em

3. Chilifests (in a field, at your professor's house, anywhere)
Karen and I have won 2nd place twice with Granny's recipe. If only we had the missing ingredient, we might have won 1st.

2. Cowboy boots under your dress -- I'm crossing my fingers that Karen wears them under her wedding gown!
During Fiesta in San Antonio, the princesses ride on floats in these fantastically ornate gowns. The crowd yells SHOW US YOUR SHOES and gets a peak at the boots.

1. Bluebonnet pictures in the spring!

Rhapsody in Blue(bonnets)

Family (!)

1. We had a visit from the Wagners this week (see cameo in this video)!

2. Our lovely little cousin, Zoe, is about to turn 3! She made us a family portrait:

3. We (Scott, Grandma Juju, and I) are off to visit Karen in South Carolina next week!


Major cause for exclamation points, people.

If I were a man invited to see Conan, I would be this man.

Like everyone, I love flowers. Guys, I really think every gal loves being brought flowers -- if she says she doesn't, she just means she doesn't love thinking of the $ you spent. Bring something simple ... bonus points if you (legally) pick it yourself.

When we were little, my sister and I used to pick bouquets of these yellow wildflowers for Mom. We probably did that for a few years before Dad told us we were picking ragweed, to which Mom is allergic. Luckily, Lady Bird Johnson made sure Texas springs are full of plenty of other, non-allergenic varieties: Indian Paintbrushes and Black-Eyed Susans and Mexican Blankets. Just make sure you never pick a Bluebonnet within the state borders!

Luke brings me flowers often. :) These are the survivors from a Valentine's bouquet. I'm always trying to get them to last longer: changing water, trimming stems at an angle, picking out the best ones and then finally floating just the buds in a vase or coffee cup. I've heard of adding sugar for nourishment, aspirin as a preservative, or even a capful of bleach or vodka to kill bacteria. Anyone had any luck with that?

Bjarne++

We had a great time taking Scott to met Dr. Bjarne Stroustrup, author of C++ (and Luke's advisor), at a signing for the new book. The book looks great and is full of enough information to make it heavier than a Macbook ... but much lighter than our baby.

We've also been enjoying Kelly's cooking: chicken bacon bites flavored with brown sugar & chili powder! Bruschetta chicken bake! Coffee mug cakes!

And, most excitingly -- DANIEL & KAREN ARE ENGAGED!

Creative Kitchen Week results

WINS:

• Turkey bacon wrapped shrimp. Cut bacon in half lengthwise and wrap around one shrimp, a small piece of green pepper, and sweet onion. Skewer with toothpick and back at 400F for about 10 minutes. YUM!
• Seafood crepes and sauce. Sautee shrimp with sweet onion, green pepper, mushroom, spinach (whatever other veggies you have ...). Use this to fill crepes, top with white sauce or Mornay sauce (I used a powder mix and it was super).
• Roasted turnips & carrots with creamy polenta. Slice thin, add a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400F for 20 min. Thanks, Chez Panisse Cookbook!
  

HMMM:
Tofu lasagna. Basically, replace the ricotta and all other delicious cheese with crumbled tofu seasoned with basil, oregano, and garlic. You need about 32 oz of firm tofu for a 9x13 lasagna and half that for a 8x8. Works best if you let it sit a while before cooking so the tofu absorbs the tomato sauce and seasoning flavors. I'll make it again, but won't use the no-bake noodles (they just aren't right!).

LOSS:
Nopalitos. Aw, too bad, they look so great. We tried 'em boiled with a little salt (as suggested by the grocer), but they were a bit oozy and alien-like. Much better when julienned and sauteed with onion, tomato, and plenty of potato. Pretty good when eggs were added to that leftover mix and put in a taco. In the end, though, fairly expensive and not fantastic. Maybe if I have my own Prickly Pear Cactus one day ...