Procrastinators Anonymous (Coconut Cupcakes with Pineapple Curd)

I can't believe I'm saying this again, but I missed yesterday's Cupcake Hero deadline! (Check out the round-up here) It makes no sense, but sometimes I'm a naughty procrastinator even about things that make me happy (cupcakes being high on the list ^_^). I think I'm ready to make a change. Anyone got any tricks for kicking this habit?

Meanwhile, I'm pleased to report tardy cupcakes taste just as yummy as on-time ones. This month's theme was coconut. Pineapple and coconut share a tropical vibe, right? So I subtly flavored my babycakes with coconut milk, then injected them with a luscious pineapple curd.

Coconut is supposed to be the star here. I know. But the pineapple filling simply stole the show. It's a great alternative to its tangy lemon cousin (and leftovers are delicious on toast or in a fruit parfait). Next time, I'll pipe the frosting around the edge only and pile on even more curd in the middle (mm mm mm).

Coconut Pineapple Cupcakes [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from Simply Recipes and The Craving Chronicles
Makes 20 cupcakes

XIAOLU'S NOTES: The pineapple curd recipe makes about twice what you need to fill the cupcakes. But it's so good you should have no trouble gobbling the rest up within 2 weeks. Halve the recipe if you want just enough for the cupcakes.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup canned coconut milk [shake well before opening & measuring]
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pineapple Curd Filling (Recipe below)
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (Recipe below)
1/2 to 1 cup coconut flakes, for garnish [you can use sweetened or not]

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with 20 paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

In another larger bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream till light and fluffy again, scraping down the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each to ensure mixing. Be sure to scrape down the sides after each egg to ensure even mixing.

Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed [or by hand] just until blended; do not overbeat.

Fill liners about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 15 to ensure even baking. Check with a toothpick to see if the cupcakes are done. If the toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean, they're ready. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 1-2 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Transfer pineapple curd to a piping bag fitted with a long pointed tip OR a squeeze bottle. Insert tip into each cupcake and squeeze out a small amount of filling. [One sign when the cupcake is full and to stop is when the filling oozes from the top.] Finally, spread cream cheese frosting on top of the cupcakes, sprinkle with coconut flakes, and enjoy!

Pineapple Curd
Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups

NOTES: The mixture may seem like it’s not thickening as you whisk over heat, but don’t stop – it thickens very quickly right at the end. For a smoother curd, push through a fine mesh strainer before storing. Press plastic wrap against the top of the curd to prevent a film from forming in the fridge.

2 large eggs plus 2 yolks [or 6 yolks for a richer curd]
2 1/4 cups pineapple juice [I used canned]
3/4 cup sugar
5 Tablespoons cornstarch

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and salt together, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Slowly add the powdered sugar; taste as you go adding more sugar until you have reached the desired sweetness and consistency.

A Sweet Ending (Strawberry N' Cream Cupcakes)

It's still hard to believe the end finally arrived, but last Tuesday was my last day as a paralegal (ever!). My fellow departing paras and I were planning a celebratory happy hour. But I also wanted to thank the other coworkers who'd befriended and guided me through the past 3 years. They'd given me something to look forward to every day at the firm, and that was no small thing :). At the least, they deserved a parting with a personal touch.

Armed with a pile of cards the weekend before, I began preparing thank you notes to each of them. And along with those, cupcakes inspired by the quintessential summer dessert, strawberry shortcake. Recalling last year's strawberry cake, I couldn't help but make a number of tweaks to bring out this cupcake's full potential. For me, a sprinkling of mint and Kirsch added just the right amount of depth to the filling, but it's completely optional.

In the end, I was really happy I chose to say goodbye in person, and everyone seemed to enjoy my parting gift =D. My eyes misted over quite a few times throughout the day. Despite all the times when I wasn't sure I'd make it from one day to the next, I knew I'd genuinely miss this place and the personal connections I'd made. Which brings me to a question I'd like to ask of you all. I really want to stay in touch with my work friends, including older attorneys, but have never been much good at it. Do you have any tips from your own job/life transition experiences?

Strawberry N' Cream Cupcakes [Printable Recipe]
Makes 24 cupcakes

XIAOLU'S NOTES: These cupcakes are what I'd call "delicate beauties" that need to be devoured quickly lest they wilt in the heat. They'll keep, if chilled, for a couple days after assembly. You can also make the components and chill them until ready to serve. You'll have a good amount of filling and frosting left over, but fortunately they're good on their own, too!

Vanilla Cupcakes (Recipe below)
Whipped Cream Frosting (Recipe below)
2 quarts strawberries, hulled [reserve the 12 smallest & prettiest and slice the rest]
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely minced (optional)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Kirsch (optional but highly recommended)

Toss strawberries several times in a bowl with sugar, lemon juice, mint, vanilla, and Kirsch (if using) until very syrupy and set aside. Make whipped cream frosting (see below).

Use a paring knife to cut a shallow cone in the middle top of the cupcake. Spoon some strawberries with syrup over top, allowing it to absorb into cupcakes. Top each with a dollop of cream frosting and a strawberry half. Enjoy!

Vanilla Cupcakes
Adapted from Amy Sedaris

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the tops of 2 standard muffin tins, then line with 24 paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a different larger bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until combined into the batter. Then add the vanilla and mix again. Finally alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk. Fill liners until they are about 2/3 full (I like to use my large cookie scoop for this). Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature [reduced-fat is fine]
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream

Place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment [or use a large mixing bowl and hand-held mixer]. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; then increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).

Catching Up On A Few Birthdays

My first post to this blog was in October of '07, not far short of 3 years ago. So "where have all the blog-iversaries been?" would be perfectly reasonable for you to ask 8). Well ya see, workaholic that I was, I left this young blog alone and unloved for the better part of 2 years until I met a stunning strawberry cake that simply had.to.be.shared for my own birthday last year. Since that was the real start of my blogging and to keep things simple, I decided then to celebrate 6 Bittersweets' birthday at the same time as mine.

What could I make this year to outdo a cake decked out with whipped cream and the season's ripest berries, not to mention one that had saved my fledgling site from the black hole that (I imagine) swallows up abandoned blogs? How about my favorite dessert re-born in a tropical mango paradise? Yes, please! Now beauty and foodgasms can't always come cheap (at least not when you've invited mascarpone, cream, and exotic fruit to the party). But if you've ever believed a word out of my mouth, believe this: this cake is worth every penny.

Sweet and tart, juicy and fragrant, cool and creamy...all the flavors and textures meld perfectly to make every bite a revelation. Other than slicing the mangoes, assembly is fast too. Plus you won't even lose your summer cool, as there's no baking involved. Our 1st blog birthday (and my 25th) was joyous indeed, thanks to this remarkable treat as well as to every one of you lovely readers out there. So much has changed in just a year, and I wouldn't have made it this far without your encouragement. Truly, you all inspire me.

Alright, everyone, you can come out of hiding now. I'm done with all the sappiness ^__^. Now please go make this cake. Like right now. Bring it to a party or throw a party so you'll have an excuse to make it. Whatever it takes to get this deliciousness in your mouth ASAP. And while you're doing that, I'll be here planning all sorts of exciting things to share with you in the coming year :).

Mangomisu Cake [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from delicious. magazine
Serves 8 to 10

XIAOLU'S NOTES: Be sure to let the cake chill completely before attempting to unmold it. I did this too early, so the edges got messy. I ended up putting a cake ring back around the cake, freezing it, and smoothing the edges at the end. As a substitute to Grand Marnier, I boiled down the juice of 2 more oranges to about half the original volume and added 2 tablespoons of dark rum at the end. Since I used the soft type of ladyfingers, I brushed syrup on the ladyfingers instead of dipping them. I include directions for both types below.

500 g [16 to 18 oz.] mascarpone cheese
600 ml [2 1/2 cups] heavy cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar [or more to taste]
2 medium egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped [or 2 tsp vanilla extract]
1/2 cup Grand Marnier [see note above]
Juice of 2 medium oranges
300g [about 2 packages] savoiardi (ladyfinger sponge biscuits)
[see note above]
3 large mangoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1 cm [1/3-inch] thick
[I used 6 small mangoes and the amount was perfect]
Raspberry Sauce [recipe below]

Line the base of a 22cm [9-inch] springform cake pan with plastic wrap or baking paper. Place the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, egg yolks and vanilla seeds in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until very thick and well combined.

Combine the Grand Marnier and orange juice in a separate bowl. Dip half the ladyfingers into the juice mixture and layer in the base of the cake pan [or layer then brush the ladyfingers with juice mixture if using the soft variety of ladyfingers]. Spread with one-third of the mascarpone mixture, and top with one-third of the mango slices. Repeat the process, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture, reserving the remaining mango slices to serve. [I decorated the top with mango slices right away with no problem.] Cover the cake and chill for 2 hours or until firm.

To serve, carefully remove the sides and base of the cake pan and transfer the mangomisu to a platter. Decorate with curls of the reserved mango, then slice and serve with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry sauce
1/4 cup (55g) sugar [or more to taste]
2 T water
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Juice of 1 lemon [I also added 1/2 tsp lemon zest]

Place the sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool slightly, then add the berries and lemon juice [and zest, if using]. Whiz in a food processor until smooth or mash well with a spoon, then pass through a strainer, making sure to push as much liquid through as possible. Chill until ready to serve. (You can make the sauce in advance and store it, covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days).

Latest Music Obsessions: The Temper Trap & Florence + The Machine

Yes, it's about time I got excited about new music. And I have been! Both of these bands have been getting some major mainstream attention since last year or earlier, but they're new to me (and to you?). After happily immersing myself for weeks, I thought it about time I let you all in on the secret 8). Embedding is disabled for the Florence videos, so you'll have to check their stuff out here. Music was my great passion before food joined its ranks, so please send recommendations my way at any time!

You Can't Go Wrong With Peanut Butter + Chocolate

Sometimes life is more like a bumpy roller-coaster than, say, a scenic country road or straight highway. Now would be one of those times :). During such periods, I like to turn to old favorites like peanut butter and chocolate. Whether paired with bananas or cream cheese, this duo has never failed to please. And it doesn't hurt either that my boyfriend is a huge fan.

I found these fun sandwich cookies in a gorgeous new baking book I got for Christmas (thanks, Nancy!). The cookies baked up with a delightfully crumbly texture and rich peanut-y flavor. Their size became quite the mystery, however. Even being generous with my "1/2 inch" diameter balls of cookie dough, I got nearly twice as many cookies as the recipe says. Making them took me so long that I went with a simple ganache instead of the filling in the book.

For you fellow bakers out there, what do you do when a recipe is wonderful in some respects but off in others? Remake and tweak it until you're satisfied or look for a completely different recipe for the same thing? The sizing issue, though vexing at the time, will be easy enough to remedy, so I'll definitely keep these yummy bites in my repertoire :).

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Milk Chocolate Filling [Printable Recipe]
From The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox via Leite's Culinaria
Supposedly makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies

XIAOLU'S NOTES: Following the recipe, I got nearly 4 dozen sandwiches. So I'd recommend making larger balls (3/4 to 1-inch) or, if you like the look of these tiny bites, setting aside some extra time/patience to form the smaller balls! I've read that the filling is a winner, so I'm posting the original recipe below and plan to try it next time.

For the peanut butter cookies
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon lightly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature

For the milk chocolate filling
6 ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered (confectioners') sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the oil, vanilla, and egg and beat until just combined, about 20 seconds. Add the flour mixture, beating just to combine.

Lightly flour the palms of your hands, and roll the dough into balls about 1/2 inch in diameter. Place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown on the edges, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool completely. (The peanut butter cookies can be stored, unfilled, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

Combine the chocolate, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate mixture. Stir with a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted.

Set the bowl in an ice bath, or chill it in the refrigerator, until the filling has cooled to room temperature and is thick enough to spread. Then use it immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week (let it come to room temperature before using).

Using an offset spatula, spread 1 teaspoon of the milk chocolate filling [or ganache] over the flat sides of half of the cookies. Sandwich with the remaining cookies, flat sides together.

Once filled, the cookies are best eaten the same day, but they can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Rhubarb Raspberry Sour Cream Pie

Hello there! First, I wanna let everyone know I'm still alive 8). Life's simply been getting in the way of posting lately. Though I miss blogging and all of you, I won't be posting regularly for a tad longer as I prepare for some major life changes (finally leaving work to return to school for 5 years!). Luckily, I'm not coming to you totally empty-handed today.

This rhubarb raspberry streusel pie is one of the several recipes+photos I've had ready to go for a while. But the time and energy to give it proper introduction has been MIA. Yet it'd be a bona fide crime for you all to miss out on this creamy yet crunchy, sweet n' tart treat that's just perfect for the season.

So this is my peace offering, and I sure hope you'll be back to see what else I've got in the works. Very (food) nerdy of me, but you simply can't imagine how excited I am that a student schedule will allow me more daytime hours for baking/cooking and (equally important) photographing the products of my labor. For the fellow working bloggers out there, do you confine your blogging activities to the weekend or settle for artificial light? Personally, the more food photography I take and see, the stronger my preference for natural light. Guess going back to school is a good thing (for more than that reason 8p).

Rhubarb Raspberry Sour Cream Pie [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from Allrecipes
Serves 8

XIAOLU'S NOTES: I found the melted butter in the streusel to be too much, so I added almost double the amount of flour but only used half of the streusel since I didn't want overwhelming sweetness. I suspect Greek yogurt might work as a healthier alternative to sour cream and will try that next time.

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 cup raspberries [if using frozen, let thaw and drain]
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Press the pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan. Spread rhubarb and raspberries in an even layer in the bottom of the crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, white sugar, sour cream, 1/3 cup of flour, and ginger powder until smooth. Pour evenly over the rhubarb.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of flour, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. [If the pie crust starts warming up, put the filled pie in the refrigerator while you prepare the streusel.] Stir in melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pie.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Continue to bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges have puffed, and the topping is golden. The center may still be slightly jiggly. Cool completely before slicing and serving.