Champagne Cupcakes

Cake and champagne is a terribly under appreciated food pairing. But really they are made for each other! They're both celebratory, romantic, indulgent and yummy! I first saw champagne flavored cake a few years ago on Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. I tried it with the cake mix, and loved the delicate scent and the divine texture a little bit of bubbly gave the cake. Now that I have matured a bit as a baker, I thought it was about time to figure out how to do this one from scratch. She made the cake with a champagne flavored frosting, which I decided to do this time (Either follow Sandra Lee's recipe, or make your favorite butter cream recipe replacing the milk with champagne). However, usually I prefer a more romantic spin with whipped cream, strawberry halves and chocolate drizzle on top. Either way it's up to you. I wouldn't say no to a fudgey chocolate pan frosting on this one either...

Champagne Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter softened

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

3 cups flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sparkling wine*

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line your muffin tin with paper liners. Now in a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar. I use a hand mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Then add your eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully beaten in before adding the next. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of that mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and start on low speed until it won't poof up in your face, and finish combining on medium speed. Then carefully pour in your sparkling wine and mix in again on medium speed. Add the second half of the dry mixture, on (you guessed it!) medium speed. I think I'm a bit generous with cupcake batter, so I only get 22.5 cupcakes, but I'm sure people with more self control can get an even 2 dozen by putting about 2 tbsp batter in each cup. (My scoops of batter are heaping.) I bake them for about 20 minutes. They'll be lovely and pale (unlike most cakes which are more golden when they're done), but when you insert a toothpick or a knife, it will come out clean when they're done. Carefully remove them from the pan as soon as possible, to cool on a rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Channel your inner Marie Antoinette and enjoy!

*I don't actually use champagne, as it seems a waste to ruin all that lovely delicate flavor by baking it in the oven! Instead I use the cheapest sparkling wine I can find. I lucked out this time at Trader Joe's with this great almond flavored one that lent its self quite nicely to baking! And it only cost me $5.99! I also suggest using something on the sweeter side, which is another reason I prefer cheaper sparkling wines for this recipe. Of course when I take that first bite of cake, it might as well be Dom Perignon!

So, my contest didn't work out so well...and response to my poll was minimal. But here are the results: 1 vote each for the two types of cupcakes. So I will make both this coming weekend. Also, I've just heard about the use of palm oil in girl scout cookies, so I'll be posting a recipe for the Samoas too.

Anyway, I have lots to do this week so I'll see you on the flip side!

An award, a contest, and a poll!

Eat to the Beat! is the recipient of a Stylish Blogger Award! A big thank you to Christina over at Home Says Hello, and of Eat to the Beat! guest posting fame, for bestowing this honor upon my humble corner of the internet! In order to receive this award I'm required to tell you 7 things about myself and to nominate 15 other blogs. I think I'll save my 7 things for another day and I'm pretty new to the blogging community. So, in order to get to know people, if you have a blog, and would like to be nominated, leave a comment below with a link to your blog no later than 12 am (EST) February 16, 2011. There may be a prize involved for my very favorite blog! If you don't have a blog, I still want to hear from you! I'm putting the next post in your hands, dear readers!

I have a back log of baking ideas, because I've been so busy with school! I can't bake them all, so here is where you come in. Just take a look at the recipe descriptions below, and cast your vote in the poll widget to tell me which recipe you would like to try out for yourself:

Snowball Cupcakes: I am one of ten people nationwide who love Sno Balls . As good as these "edible" treats are, they're out of this world without the excessive amounts of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Also, I have recently learned that New England is the home of Marshmallow Fluff, and I am eager to use it in a recipe!

Milanos: I made these last February at my previous job (Hey, Tracie!) and I have a hankering for them again. High quality chocolate sandwiched between homemade shortbread cookies? YES PLEASE!

Champagne Cupcakes: I was hoping to do this one for Valentine's day, but I'm just not going to have time. Brad is anti-Valentine's Day on the grounds that you should show your love every day. So, on that note, this recipe is in the poll for you to make any time you're feeling romantic...if it receives your vote.

Samoas: Did you know Girl Scout cookies are going for $4.50 a box?? As much as I support girl power, I can only afford a maximum of two boxes a year. My favorite Girl Scout cookie variety is the Samoa (aka Caramel Delight). I feel like I get fewer and fewer cookies every year, and I just gotta have more! (Thin Mints are acceptable, but all you Peanut Butter Patty people can take a hike!) So, I'm making them myself, for those times of the year when it's too cold to park your troop outside the local megamart but you really need that caramel-y, toasted coconut-y, chocolate drizzled goodness.

What dessert recipe would you like to see next?

Penne al Nissa

I apologize for the significant slow in posts. I have had so much work for school lately, I haven't even been cooking a lot, much less blog about it! While I'm cooking less often, I am also cooking smarter. That means meals go for more than one night, and they take less time/effort to prepare. This recipe is inspired by two really great Italian dishes. One is a version of Pasta al Amatriciana that I had in the North End when we were visiting Boston for the first time for the apartment hunt. The other dish is my Aunt Lorraine's Pasta e Fagioli. I sort of amalgamated the two into something super quick, tasty, and inexpensive. Seriously, this took me 20 minutes start to finish. It's almost a non-recipe. Any way. I experimented, I liked it, and I'm sharing it with you.

Penne al Nissa

1 box penne

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion

4 oz cubed pancetta (or smoked bacon)

1- 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained

Red pepper flakes to taste

1-18 oz jar marinara sauce

I'll just say to cook your pasta according to the package directions, and just do it as you go. Put your water on to boil, add pasta, drain and return to the pot. This can all be done simultaneously as you build your sauce.

For the sauce, use a large sauce pan, and put your oil over medium heat. Very coarsely chop the onion. Add the onion. After 2 minutes add the pancetta. Once the onion is translucent, add the beans and red paper flakes. You'll want to add the pepper flakes liberally since the amatriciana is spicy. Cook for 2 minutes more. Then add the sauce and heat until warmed through. Add the sauce to your drained pasta in the pot.

Seriously. 20 minutes. Including water boiling and chopping time. If you wanted to make this into a soup, you could use a shorter pasta like macaroni, and add 2 cups of chicken broth to the sauce. (Still cook and keep your noodles separate to prevent the pasta from soaking up the broth and making mush.)

Since this dish is named after moi, I'll fit the theme by putting up something that is currently getting heavy rotation.