Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I've had this recipe from King Arthur Flour bookmarked/pinned for a couple years, waiting for the right opportunity to make it. OMG, why did I wait? They are super tasty. I loved the lemon curd and the cake, which has buttermilk in it, is superb on its own. They do take a bit of time and a little finesse, but nothing extraordinary; although the results definitely are.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
For Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

For Lemon Curd (Yield: a scant 2 cups)

• zest of 1-2 lemons
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 large, juicy lemons)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (8 TBSP) butter, melted
• 2 large eggs

For Meringue

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 TBSP sugar

METHOD:
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup cupcake or muffin pan with paper liners; spritz the liners lightly with cooking spray.
2) To make the cupcakes: Place the following in the bowl of your mixer: the cake flour blend, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor. Add 1/3 cup of the buttermilk.
3) Blend the mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick at first, but will smooth out as you mix.
4) Add the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and mix briefly, if necessary.
5) Fill each well of the pan 2/3 full, and bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, until they're light golden brown on the edges. Remove them from the oven, and immediately transfer them from the pan to a rack. Cool completely.
6) Combine all of the lemon curd ingredients in a pan on medium heat and stir well.
7) When curd starts to thicken, coats the back of a spoon, and starts to mound a bit as you stir, it's done. This will take anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes. The curd's temperature should have reached at least 185°F. Stir the curd one more time, spoon it into a storage container, and refrigerate until firm. (Extra curd keeps refrigerated for up to 3 weeks; freeze for longer storage.)
8) Core each cooled cupcake with a cupcake corer (or an apple corer), leaving a small well in the center of the cake. Fill to the brim with cooled lemon filling. Fill all cupcakes, then prepare the meringue.
9) To make the meringue: In a very clean work bowl, whip the egg whites and Bakewell Cream or cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the salt. Gradually add the sugar, increasing the whipping speed and continuing to whip until the mixture is light and billowy, and stiff peaks form.
10) Mound or pipe meringue onto each cupcake, then toast the meringue with a cook's torch; or carefully broil until golden brown. Serve warm, for a flowing lemon lava; or cool for a more set filling.
Makes 12 cupcakes.

Cupcake recipes on my "to try" list

I love these interesting flavors. Now I just need a reason to make them. Lemon Meringue Cupcakes reminds me that spring is coming. Tiramisu Cupcakes because I love coffee and chocolate. Snickerdoodle Cupcakes are inspired by one of my favorite cookie flavors. Smore's Cupcakes sound like they'd be great for upcoming BBQs. Samoa (aka Caramel Delights) Cupcakes because I've resisted buying Girl Scout Cookies for the past 3 weeks at the grocery store where they have a table set up. Emerald Isle Pistachio Cupcakes just in time for St. Patrick's Day. Butter Pecan Cupcakes inspired by one of my favorite ice cream flavors. Mmm.

Ginger Crack Cookies

My friend Meesh introduced me to these yummy little gems. I will even give her credit for renaming these from Ginger Crackle Cookies. They are super addictive. And, after being out quite a bit on vacation this month, I decided to whip up a batch to bring into the office upon my return.

If you like spicy, molasses-y cookies, these puppies are for you. 

This recipe makes a few dozen (3-4 I think), but you can freeze the dough. Get to the point where you've rolled them into balls. Place the rolled balls on a cookie sheet and slip it into the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can put them into a freezer bag and back into the freezer. Then just pluck them out and bake at your whim.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups sifted flour (can use wheat flour too)

3 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp baking soda (if you use baking powder, like I did by mistake once, it comes out less crackled and poofier)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cups butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup molasses

1 TBSP cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F.

Sift together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and ground cloves.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and beating well. Add molasses and cider vinegar. Blend well.

Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Form into 3/4 to 1 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. 

Bake at 325F for 10-12 minutes or until the tops just start to crack. 

NOTE: DO NOT OVERCOOK, THE COOKIES WILL BE ROCK HARD IF YOU DO.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp ready to bake

Ah Fall. It's my favorite time of year. Warm days with crisp nights. Pumpkins, apples and changing leaves. What's not to love?

Over the weekend, we went apple picking. I was actually surprised at the variety of apples still available, considering it's a bit late in the season.

Never the less, we were able to easily fill our peck bag with Cortlands, Macouns, Empires, Mutsus, Mac Spur and a few others. Of course we snacked as we picked, one of the fun things about apple picking. You have to taste them as you go, right? ;)

With a mix of fresh eating apple varities and enough that do well for baking, we brought our mini-hoard home. I opted to make a apple crisp that was mighty delicious.

sd

Ingredients 
10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water

1 cup quick-cooking oats (I didn't have any so I used crushed Special K, worked great)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C). Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Serve: with vanilla ice cream.

YUM!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

Monday was a coworker's birthday and I offered up to bring in something sweet and delicious. I debated making these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes as something new (and deadly delicious!) to try. In the end I went for a tried and true. But I will definitely have to give these suckers a try. I also found a recipe for Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies that look tasty too.

I ended up making the ultra-reliable Too Much Chocolate Cake. Definitely give this one a spin. It's super easy, and even more delicious. And, the fun thing about it, is that you can mix up the flavors a bit and give it your own twist.

Bundt Cake Day & Marble Cake

So Saturday was national Bundt Cake Day, apparently. I'm a fan of the Bundt cake, for a few reasons. First, the majority of recipes for them are rather simple, quick and easy. Secondly, there are tons of options and variations out there. Thirdly, it's a good starting point for novice bakers to experiment and take a recipe that they receive and make slight alterations to make it their own. And, fourthly, I adore the Bundt pan designs...there are so many of them and some really funky ones to be found.

So, in honor of the day, mybakingadventures shares a nice marble bundt recipe. I'll have to try it and see how it stacks up to my grandma's. I might have to do some digging to see if I have that recipe or if I need to go knocking on relative's doors to see who ended up with that. My grandmother's cupcakes and her marble cake are two of the sweets I will forever associate with her. I even had one layer of my wedding cake as marble for that reason.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! Yes. Yes. Yes.

mmmm beer!

Beer Cupcakes!!!
(via tastespotting.com)

Tasty Links: 05.26.07a

These Seoritas look sweet and are loaded with brown sugar and almonds. Drool!

Or how about German Chocolate Cake from David Lebovitz. Hu-huh!

Jamie Oliver's Bloomin' Brilliant Brownies. Naughty!

Cheats Roast Pepper & Halloumi Tortilla - goes in my tummy!

Cheesy Crustless Quiche looks great. I've been thinking of doing something like this for dinner one night. Oooh! Caramelized Onion Quiche or a Rustic Onion Tart also sound delicious and worth trying.

White Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe from 101 Cookbooks also looks yum. Love that she used potato as a topping. Carb overload!

At the end of this post on Kosher salt at The Perfect Pantry, there's a recipe for Moroccan Eggplant Salad one of my favorite Moroccan salad dishes. I will have to try this!

Crepe Gateau

A couple Mother's Days ago I made this Chocolate Raspberry Gateau. It's dead easy (as long as you find making a huge pile of crepes easy). I don't have a proper recipe for it. But I'll explain how I did it.

I was inspired by the Crepe Suzette, I wanted something that would be somewhat light. Afterall, Mother's Day happens in Spring and both our Mother's always say they want something "healthy". Not that this is really light, but it's a lighter take than say Devil's Food cake or something like that.

Anyway, raspberries grabbed me for some reason. I think because I wanted a a fruit that would pair well with chocolate, and I'm not a huge chocolate/orange fan, so I figured raspberry was always good and it's another classic combination.

I dug out a crepe recipe from my now tattered Joy of Cooking. Poor book's binding has split and I really need a new one. And I started making crepes. Crepe after crepe after crepe. When I had my pile finished, it was really much more like a moutain at this point, I began assembly.

On the plate you are going to use for presentation, lay down a crepe. Smear it with your favorite jam. Lightly sprinkle cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and crushed nuts - I used walnuts. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

When you finish, dust with powdered sugar. Then I made up a chocolate sauce for drizzling over and serving. It was quite a hit and definitely a keeper recipe for the future. Plus, it has endless possibilities for variations and play. Always a good thing. (Yipes I sound like Martha!)

Individual Blueberry Buckles

From Cook's Illustrated)

Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Makes 12 individual servings

Streusel:
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cakes:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs , room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over


1. For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

2. For the cakes: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

4. Transfer batter to prepared muffin cups; with spoon, spread batter evenly to cup edges, gently pushing in to fill all gaps, and smooth surface. (Note: Batter will come up to top of papers.) Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Chipotle Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes

Chipotle Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes about 18 cupcakes

What You'll Need...
1 Box of Dark Chocolate cake mix
Whatever the box tells you you'll need. Probably eggs, water, and oil.
6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, plus some extra
powdered sugar

What You'll Do...
1) Mix the cake mix as the box says. Again. Physical pain.
2) Place the chipotle peppers in a food processor and puree. Add two tablespoons to the mix. Add the cinnamon.
3) Scoop into cupcake papers. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
4) Let cool. Combine the powdered sugar and some cinnamon to taste in a bowl, then place in a small mesh duster thingy that I'm sure has a name but it escapes me right now. Dust heavily with powdered sugar. Place doily or wire rack on the cupcakes to get a pattern if desired.

(found at Vanilla Garlic)

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

From KitchenChick

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

Some people prefer their brownies cakey. We developed this recipe to satisfy our craving for a bar that was just the opposite: dense, fudgy and full of deep chocolate flavor.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan or glass dish. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1/2 to 1 inch overhang on two sides. Set aside.

2) Place butter and chocolate in a double-boiler over simmering water, stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cooled to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. (You can improvise a double boiler by setting a large heatproof bowl over a pan with simmering water. Becareful to not let water drip into the bowl, or the chocolate could "seize". Other tips for melting chocolate.)

3) Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.

4) Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For nutty version: Fold in 1 1/2 cups walnut halves, finely chopped, after the flour and salt. Proceed with recipe.

Cookies

Almond Spice Cookies
Caramel Pecan Cookies
Spiced Icebox Butter Cookies
New England Molasses Gingerbread Cookies
Pecan Crescent Cookies
Italian Almond Cookies
Chocolate Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies

Molasses Honey Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey
2 egg yolks
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid food colorings and colored sugars

1. Cream together the shortening, sugar, molasses, and honey in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolks and mix well.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; stir into the shortening mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill well.

3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with Christmas tree and/or other holiday cookie cutters; transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not overbake.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until they are firm, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

5. Beat confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth, adding more sugar or milk as needed. If desired, divide icing among smaller bowls and tint with different food colorings. Decorate cookies with colored icings and sugars.

Via Epicurious

Rugelach

From Epicurious
Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 9 3/4 hr (includes chilling dough)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup apricot preserves or raspberry jam
1 cup loosely packed golden raisins, chopped
1 1/4 cups walnuts (1/4 lb), finely chopped
Milk for brushing cookies
Special equipment: parchment paper; a small offset spatula

Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten (in wrap) into a roughly 7- by 5-inch rectangle. Chill until firm, 8 to 24 hours.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a 1- to 1 1/2-inch-deep large shallow baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Chill 3 pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap, and roll out remaining piece into a 12- by 8-inch rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment, then transfer to a tray and chill while rolling out remaining dough in same manner, transferring each to another sheet of parchment and stacking on tray.

Whisk 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon.

Arrange 1 dough rectangle on work surface with a long side nearest you. Spread 1/4 cup preserves evenly over dough with offset spatula. Sprinkle 1/4 cup raisins and a rounded 1/4 cup walnuts over jam, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar.

Using parchment as an aid, roll up dough tightly into a log. Place, seam side down, in lined baking pan, then pinch ends closed and tuck underneath. Make 3 more logs in same manner and arrange 1 inch apart in pan. Brush logs with milk and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of remaining granulated sugar. With a sharp large knife, make 3/4-inch-deep cuts crosswise in dough (not all the way through) at 1-inch intervals. (If dough is too soft to cut, chill until firmer, 20 to 30 minutes.)

Bake until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to warm in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer logs to a cutting board and slice cookies all the way through.

Makes about 44 cookies.

Yum Yum Brownie Muffins

1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz.)

Directions: Mix the two ingredients together. Don't add anything else that may be mentioned on the box, such as eggs, oil, or water.



The mixture will be very thick and you will be tempted to add in other things to make the batter smoother. DO NOT DO THIS AS IT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING! Place batter into muffin tins (or mini muffin tins) lined with paper, or sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 12 regular or 36 mini muffins.

Found here. Bonus: Is a WeightWatchers recipe.
(1 Muffin, or 3 minis - 180 calories, 2.5g fat, 37 carbs, 2.5g, fiber, 2.5g protein - 3 WW points)

I have found you can add some other ingredients. So far I've tried some coffee and powdered ginger. Might try nuts. Even if you're not trying to be "healthy" this is a fudgy, not too sweet treat that is super yummy and dangerously easy.

Swedish Dreams

From Baker's Catalogue

The texture of these sweet butter cookies is ultra-crisp, crisper than any cookie you've baked before. Unless, that is, you already know about the cookie-baker's secret weapon: baker's ammonia, or ammonium carbonate. This old-fashioned leavener, originally called hartshorn (because it was ground from deer antlers), gives cookies a snapping-crisp, extra-light texture that's indescribable, until you experience it yourself. The closest comparison might be a Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookie, if you're familiar with that treat. If you don't have baker's ammonia, use baking powder; just be aware that though the cookies will taste good, their texture won't be nearly the same.

This dough comes together quickly and easily, and the cookies lend themselves admirably to all kinds of sugar decorations. They're pretty, they keep well, and like your basic black dress, they go with everything, making them a perfect addition to your holiday cookie gift plate.

1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract(1259)
1 teaspoon orange or lemon extract, optional
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baker's ammonia
coarse sparkling sugar or sugar decorations, for topping
*If you use salted butter, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets Place the different sugar decorations you're using into separate small bowls

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, and orange or lemon extract. Add the flour and baker's ammonia, and beat until the dough comes together, scraping the bowl once; it'll seem quite dry at first, but keep beating, eventually it'll become chunky and cohesive. Scoop the dough by teaspoonfuls (a teaspoon cookie scoop works wonderfully well here) into the bowls of decorations. Roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat. Put them on the prepared baking sheets, and use the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar if necessary to prevent sticking, to flatten the balls to about 1/4-inch thick.

Bake the cookies for about 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a very light golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake

For best results, don't make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too cold and stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low speed until the frosting appears creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens. Serves 10 to 12

Cake
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), very soft, plus extra for greasing pans
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces), plus extra for dusting pans
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate , coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (3/4 ounce)
1/2 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

Frosting
16 ounces semisweet chocolate , finely chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream (cold)

1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high cake pans with softened butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one-third of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.

3. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. TO MAKE FROSTING: Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over saucepan containing 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream to clean bowl of standing mixer and stir to thoroughly combine.

5. Place mixer bowl over ice bath and stir mixture constantly with rubber spatula until frosting is thick and just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1 to 2 minutes (frosting should be 70 degrees). Place bowl on standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth.

6. TO FROST CAKE: Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly across top of cake with spatula. Place second cake layer on top, then spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Cut into slices and serve.

Sweet Potato Praline Brulee

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, mashed or pureed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large egg yolks
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons gold rum
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Praline Topping:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 tablespoons gold rum
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Put the mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the
pineapple, rum, nutmeg, and ginger, and stir well to combine. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins.
Using a spatula, spread the sweet potatoes so they are even on top. Bake
15 minutes.

In a medium fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the
remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook just until warmed through,
about 2 minutes. Spoon the praline onto the tops of the sweet potatoes in
the ramekins, dividing the evenly among them.

Using a kitchen torch, fire the praline until it bubbles vigorously. Serve
immediately. Serves 6 - 8.