Recreating The Baltimore Bomb (Chess Pie with Vanilla Fudge Cookies)

I've always enjoyed eating pies, but they've never consumed my daydreams the way cupcakes and macarons have. Perhaps its their rustic appearance and less portable/adorable packaging. Or perhaps its the added step of having to make pastry dough in advance (a pie without a homemade crust is not a pie worth making IMO). Either way, my thoughts rarely turn toward pie unless autumn's on the horizon.

At least that's how it used to be until an unassuming slice from the aptly named Dangerously Delicious Pies (DDP) in DC blew me away at first bite. Its name was The Baltimore Bomb, and I guarantee it's like no pastry you've ever tasted. DDP created The Bomb especially for the city of Baltimore, Maryland, using their famous Berger cookies, which are equal parts vanilla cookie and chocolate fudge. The inspired twist was to suspend these decadent cookies in a traditional Southern chess filling. The fudge melts down to bestow its gooey goodness to the entire pie, while the tangy custard reigns in the richness of the chopped Berger's. I strongly encourage everyone in the DC area to experience the real deal at DDP, but I think this recipe hits pretty close to the mark and captures all the elements that make the Baltimore Bomb Pie so exceptional and addictive =D.

P.S. - Please pardon the mediocre photo! I only had 15 minutes during the workday to grab a shot in front of my office building AND it started raining as soon as I got outside. The taste was fantastic though so I wanted to make sure I had a photo for this blog post to tempt you to try the recipe (please do!).

Caramel Popcorn Cupcakes (Mystery Box Challenge)

UPDATE: I was in the top 5 entries based on total votes, but did not win the random drawing. Thanks so much for everyone who supported me by voting! XD

Now let's chat about these cupcakes. I tell ya, I never expected popcorn to show up at all on this blog, much less in a cupcake. Taking inspiration from unexpected sources is not uncommon here (remember the apple and brie, mojito, or Ferrero Rocher cupcakes?), but I just happen to hate popcorn. I mean, toss me on a deserted island with nothing but and I will munch. Or...simply have the new cupcake contest I've joined name popcorn as its latest challenge. Suddenly, popcorn was on my mind -- morning, noon, and night!

Eventually I assembled a recipe for caramel popcorn cupcakes and checked it twice. Then I baked it up and tasted it thrice (yes, 3 times ^_^). And it was...both a success and a failure. Despite infusing the liquid for my caramel with fresh popcorn, its flavor didn't come through in the frosting (which is why I've omitted that step below). Popcorn enthusiast that I am not, this "failure" wasn't that disappointing. Especially when I managed to "salvage" 20 tasty cakes that were sweet and moist due to creamed corn puree, with a nice crunch from the cornmeal, and swirled with silky smooth caramel buttercream. To top things off, even I couldn't resist tossing on some caramel popcorn. Bon appetit!

I’m submitting this to Mystery Box Cupcake Challenge: Popcorn. The winner of this challenge will receive prizes from:

• Bake It Pretty; a $5 electronic gift card
• Beanilla; 3 Madagascar, 3 Mexican & 3 Indian vanilla beans
• ExoDesign; a wire whisk charm necklace
• Hello Hanna; a pack of Sweet Stands cupcake stands
• Miss Kitty Creations; a handmade cupcake charm of your choice
• Simply Caked; 600 brown greaseproof cupcake liners
• Sweet Cuppin Cakes; a prize pack worth $25
• Tundra Books; a selection 3 very sweet children’s books

Thank you to all our prize sponsors!

Caramel Popcorn Cupcakes [Printable Recipe]
Makes 18 to 20 cupcakes

XIAOLU'S NOTES: I simply pureed canned creamed corn using a handheld immersion blender; you could also use a standard blender or food processor. Homemade creamed corn should work, too; the puree should have a consistency similar to applesauce. I'd recommend making the caramel sauce for the frosting in advance to give it plenty of time to cool before being added to the frosting. The recipe below makes a LOT of caramel sauce, much more than the 1/2 cup maximum you'll use for the frosting. I figure if you're gonna go through the trouble of making homemade caramel sauce, you might as well have extra to use on sundaes, bread pudding, whatever you fancy! But feel free to halve or even quarter this recipe if you'd prefer.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed creamed corn
Caramel Buttercream Frosting (Recipe below)
Caramel Popcorn, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners (or use 1 pan and use 6 standalone baking cups). In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla then eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 creamed corn puree, another 1/3 flour mixture, the remaining creamed corn, and finally the remaining flour mixture -- beating until just combined after each addition.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool 1 minute in pan, then transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To serve, fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (like Ateco #808) and pipe caramel frosting swirls atop each cupcake. Right before serving, top with pieces of caramel popcorn.

Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from A Sweet Spoonful

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 cups sugar, divided
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
14 Tbsp unsalted butter, cool room temperature and cut into 14 pieces

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, corn syrup, and 2 1/2 cups of the sugar. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep warm.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a deep, heavy saucepan. Cook the sugar over moderate heat, swirling occasionally, until an amber caramel forms. Carefully pour the warm milk mixture over the caramel. It will bubble very strongly. Keep stirring -- this is normal. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring until the caramel dissolves.

Stop stirring and cook until the caramel registers 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer -- this will take 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Strain the caramel into the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool 15 minutes, then freeze for 10 minute intervals, stirring between each, until sauce has thickened. Transfer caramel to an airtight storage container; set aside. Wash the stand mixer bowl.

Combine the sugar and egg whites in the clean stand mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water making sure the bottom does not actually touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (I just whisked by hand and cooked it until the sugar was completely dissolved and the top became foamy). Be careful not to curdle the egg whites, remove from heat if this starts happening.

Remove the bowl to your stand mixer and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment for at least 3 minutes, until the mixture holds glossy, marshmallow-esque peaks and the bowl is completely cool (Very important - the frosting's consistency will be off otherwise).

With mixer on medium-low, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition (about 10 seconds between each addition). Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, at least 3 minutes. (You'll hear a distinct slapping sound and visibly see the buttercream go from soupy to a cohesive, pipeable consistency.)

Reduce speed to low and slowly add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the cooled caramel. Mix until fully incorporated. Store remaining caramel in the refrigerator.

Home Sweet Home (Lemon Polenta Cranberry Cookies)

You know that feeling of relief and security returning home after a trip? Finally you can kick off your shoes, lie on your own couch, and sleep in your own bed. I experienced that familiar joy times 10 this week after visiting my dad and sisters. No no...not because it was a bad trip. Quite the contrary! Refreshingly unlike my usual exchanges with kids, my sisters SL and M took to me right away and would hardly let go, even at night! But experiencing firsthand the energy required to keep up with them did give me renewed respect for Dad, his wife, Michelle, and parents everywhere =).

So what happened to make me so desperate for home? Just another round of travel delays - affecting me directly this time. My 6:30 pm flight out of Florida was delayed 4 times before Airtran finally canceled it at midnight. While a supposed lack of crew was the reason for our delays, we watched as the stewardesses clearly meant for our plane were moved to another flight. It was 2 am when we got to a hotel and our rescheduled flight was for 6:30, so we barely got a wink in before it was time to pack up again. With all the passengers ready to go at the gate, we were then told there might be another delay because the captain overslept! Finally, a man had heart failure as we were about to leave the gate and had to be carted off the plane. I really hope he's alright.

Quite the trip, wouldn't you say? I don't mean to sound like a brat, especially since we did get free hotel rooms and even a ticket for our inconvenience. But these delays do have very real consequences. One passenger was quite distraught to learn that a loved one passed away while we were waiting. Sadly, she'd have made it to see him one more time had the flight arrived on time. I certainly don't expect airlines to control or predict bad weather, but they could certainly have better procedures in place to save everyone, including their own employees, some stress and frustration.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I'd like to end this post on the sweet note you all deserve. Here is another treat that I baked for my sisters. I find they have a sophisticated air about them from the lemon zest and neat slices. And the crunchy texture from the cornmeal is really a delight to the taste buds! They're not too fancy for the little ones, either, who munched away happily on these during our car rides. My littlest sister, M, was so impressed by them that she started calling me "cookie," and it took some effort to talk her out of it!

Lemon Polenta Cranberry Cookies [Printable Recipe]
Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit via Milk and Cookies
Makes about 32 cookies

XIAOLU'S NOTES: Please note that the dough needs to chill at least 2 hours before baking. Any small dried fruit, such as golden raisins (which the original recipe called for) or dried cherries would also work well in place of dried cranberries. If your fruit is a bit too dry, soak it for a few hours in some warm water or appropriate juice. For that extra sumthin' sumthin', mix a lil' rum into the soaking liquid.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/3 tsp salt
2 large egg yolks [refrigerate or freeze the whites for use elsewhere]
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)
Powdered sugar, to garnish (optional)

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and salt, then egg yolks. Beat in cornmeal, then flour. Stir in cranberries. Knead dough just to combine; divide in half transfer each to a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using plastic or parchment, form dough into two 1 1/2 x 6-inch logs. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice dough log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Arrange rounds on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart and reshaping into rounds if uneven.

Bake cookies until golden at edges, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool completely, and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days.

White Chocolate Sour Cherry Scones

When my lovely blogger friend, Anh of A Food Lover's Journey announced that she and Cherrie from Sweet Cherrie Pie were co-hosting the International Incident Scones Party blogger event this month, it really got me to thinkin'. Despite prior successes, scones are just not something I usually crave. They're neither rich like brownies, for example, nor pretty like cupcakes and tarts. Scones also have an (undeserved) bad rep from the under-flavored/over-baked versions often found at coffee chains. I'm halfway convinced those are sold only to dry out our mouths so we'll crave more coffee (smart, actually).

But prompted by this event, I'm recollecting that the humble scone is bursting with possibility. Truly an unfussy canvas for playing with different grains and add-ins, be they sweet or savory, dry or juicy. True, Ms. Scone is nothing much to look at. But she knows this and doesn't try to hide behind any fancy frostings. She's happy simply in the company of a good cuppa coffee or tea and maybe some jam and cream if they're around. Prepared with the proper light touch, she'll reward you with a slightly crunchy exterior that yields to softer innards.

These white chocolate and dried cherry scones I made for the party are particularly tender due to the lower gluten content from the buckwheat flour (I used teff) and cornmeal. Methinks even a zealous stirrer would find them hard to mess up =). And you white chocolate naysayers, I encourage you to take a chance on these. Baking seems to caramelize the white chocolate so that the flavor becomes more complex. Plus, its infamous sweetness is reigned in by tart cherries and flavorful grains in a recipe that otherwise contains little sugar.

Lastly, I'd be remiss not to wish our hosts, Anh and Cherrie a big Happy Birthday this month! Please don't forget to check out their scones and those of all the other International Incident partyers by clicking on the thumbnails at the bottom of this post below the recipe.

White Chocolate Sour Cherry Scones [Printable Recipe]
Slightly adapted from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich via David Lebovitz
Makes 8 large scones

DAVID'S NOTES: You can swap out dark chocolate for the white chocolate chunks. I prefer to used chopped chocolate because those pre-prepared chips don’t melt and get as gooey when baked. You can also swap out any other bits of diced dried fruit for the sour cherries; California dried apricots would be fantastic with the white chocolate chunks.

If your dough is very soft, or you don’t want to get the counter dirty, you can certainly spoon it onto the prepared baking sheet in 8 mounds. For firm, neater-looking scones, the dough should be not too sticky and you can knead a bit more flour into the dough. Since the scone dough is on the soft side, this is the time to get out your metal pastry scraper. If you don’t have one, a metal spatula will make lifting the dough, and the cut scones, a little easier.

1 large egg
Scant 1/2 cup (115 ml) cream or milk
1 1/3 cup (170 g) flour
1/3 cup (45 g) buckwheat flour [I substituted teff but whole wheat should work too]
1/3 cup (45 g) cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
3/4 cup (105 g) white chocolate chunks
1/4 cup (35 g) dark chocolate chunks
1/2 (60 g) coarsely-chopped dried sour cherries

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon milk
Coarse (or granulated) sugar for topping scones

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the egg with the milk or cream. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, buckwheat, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Using a pastry cutter, work in the cold butter until the pieces are about the size of corn kernels. (You could use an electric mixer or food processor instead.) Add the egg mixture, stirring with a spatula, until the dough is moistened, then stir in the chocolate bits and sour cherries.

On a lightly-floured surface, pat the dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) round. If it’s too wet and is very sticky, knead in a spoonful or two of flour on the countertop. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into eight wedges and set them on the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.

Brush the tops of each wedge with the a glaze made by stirring the egg yolk with the teaspoon of milk together with a fork. Sprinkle the tops of each scone with coarse or granulated sugar so they’re generously coated. Bake the scones for 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Sasha's Favorite Banana Bread and Giveaway Winners

01/14/14 UPDATE: I recently remade this and realized that it still tastes great with much less sugar. Thus, I've edited the recipe below to reduce the sugar as well as to make some of the instructions clearer and more detailed. This is always a crowd pleaser whenever I make it, so I do hope you'll try it and let me know how you like it!



First I'd like to thank everyone who participated in my very first giveaway. It was really fun reading about your favorite things about Halloween! So much fun, in fact, that I wanted to spread the cupcake joy even more than I'd planned. I'm happy to announce that the 2 winners (chosen randomly) of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World are Joanne (comment #2) and Snulfers (comment #26). I'll be emailing you both shortly - congrats! For the rest of you, stayed tuned 'cause I'll be giving away more stuff for sure.

Now with the gray wet weather currently blanketing the D.C. area, this just felt like the right time to share my simple and beloved recipe for classic banana bread. Though I wrote earlier about a delightful twist on banana bread that added coconut, citrus, and rum flavors, today's recipe is the one I return to time after time for it's unbeatable moist texture and pure banana flavor. The simplicity of one-bowl mixing can't be beat. Plus the recipe is so flexible that I've made many versions with different nuts, chocolates, flavorings, and grains.

All this playing around took place in my last year of college, when I regularly made this bread for my friends. One in particular, Sasha, would always get adorably excited when presented with a slice (or 2 ^_^). That was years ago and despite the fact that she's since moved out of the U.S., we've all stayed friends. When I learned earlier this week that Sasha would be in town, I immediately pulled out this recipe. As I'd hoped she still loved the bread, and we had a wonderful weekend catching up with college friends.

I've recently grown conscious that each passing year scatters our group further apart across the country and the globe. But it's comforting to know that the bonds of friendship remain. And with this recipe carefully stowed away, I'll always know just the thing to bring to our reunions.

Sasha's Favorite Banana Bread [Printable Recipe]
Loosely adapted from Food.com
Makes 16 to 20 servings (1 large bundt cake or 2 loaves)

XIAOLU'S NOTES: If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough (should be nearly black and soft to the touch), peel and microwave them for 1 to 2 minutes before mashing and increase sugar by 2 tablespoons (50 g). You can omit the oats and cornmeal and just use 2 1/3 cups (10.4 oz./294 g) of all-purpose flour instead, but I enjoy the textural contrast provided by the other grains. If you don’t have applesauce, simply replace it with 1/3 cup buttermilk or thinned plain yogurt. Also try substituting 3/4 cup (3 oz./85 g) of white whole wheat flour in place of 3/4 cup (3.35 oz./95 g) of all-purpose flour.

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp (7 g) all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, room temperature
Slightly over 2 cups (16.6 oz./471 g) very ripe mashed bananas (from 4 to 5 mostly black-brown bananas)
2/3 cup (1.9 oz./53 g) rolled oats
1/4 cup (1.1 oz./32 g) cornmeal
1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups (8.9 to 9.4 oz./252 to 267 g) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Large pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp instant coffee OR espresso powder, broken up by rubbing between your fingertips
1/3 cup canola OR vegetable oil
1/3 cup plain yogurt OR sour cream
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp unsulphured molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp dark OR gold rum (optional)
1 3/4 cups (7.8 oz./221 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3 oz./85 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup (2.3 oz./66 g) pecans OR walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 1/2 teaspoons of flour into a uniform paste. Thoroughly brush the inside of a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan OR two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans with a layer of this paste (it will help the cake come cleanly out of the pan after baking).

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until whites and yolks are well combined. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for flour, chocolate, and nuts; whisk until well incorporated. Add the flour and immediately mix just until evenly combined (no more than 2 minutes and a few small lumps are fine). Gently stir in chopped chocolate and nuts. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, or divide evenly between loaf pans. If using the bundt pan, use a spatula to push the batter slightly up the outside walls of the pan; this will help the cake climb up the sides, giving you greater detail on the outside of the cake. Now slam the pan(s) evenly and firmly downward from 3 inches above the counter to force out any large air bubbles.

Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but NO wet batter, about 45 to 65 minutes. If not yet done at 45 minutes, gently tent a piece of aluminum foil across the top of the pan(s) to prevent over-browning. After removing from the oven, let cool for 15 minutes in pan(s) then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. If you don’t plan to eat the banana bread within a few days, cover with foil, slide into freezer bag(s), and freeze for up to several months.