Green Tea Cupcakes

It's been about 6 solid years since I studied abroad in Japan. There are certain delicacies that I miss such as Momiji cakes (cakes filled with sweet red bean paste) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=957g4MjzH9A), korokke ( コロッケ ) (essentially a kind of croquette with a potato base and other meat/vegetables), and of course anything made with matcha 抹茶, the most finely ground green tea available. 

Items made with Matcha include anything that has green tea flavor--green tea drinks, snacks, ice cream, etc. Inevitably, even though cupcakes are super trendy right now, I can't seem to find a shop that specializes (or has even attempted) to produce Matcha cupcakes in Connecticut. 

Being the genki 元気 (lively and energetic) person that I am, I decided that I would make them myself. The biggest challenge was finding matcha. There are plenty of Asian marts that sell "green tea powder", but that's the sort of thing that you add to bubble tea for flavoring. Matcha is different, and you can usually affirm you've found it by its hefty price. The only place I have found that sells a preferable grade is Teavana. A 40 gram tin (approximately 1.4 oz) is $19.95. When cooking, this relates to about 8.2 teaspoons, or about 3 tablespoons (ouch!). 

My gracious friends Nina and Randy gave me the rest of their 40gram tin (approximately 1.5 tablespoons), and I was able to make 12 matcha flavored cupcakes with matcha buttercream frosting. Here is the recipe that I used. Considering the price of matcha, the next time I will probably make them is on my next birthday...in July. 

Recipe for: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon matcha tea
1. Beat butter on high, until soft (about 30 seconds)
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes)
3. Add eggs/egg yolks one at a time. (I put the egg white in first, then the yolk, beating 30 seconds between each)
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to batter and mix to combine.
5. Mix matcha in with milk. Add to batter and mix until they combine.

6. Scoop batter into cupcake papers. 7. Bake for 22-25 minutes on 350ºF until a toothpick comes out clean.

Matcha Buttercream Frosting

1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon half and half or light cream
1/2 tablespoon of Matcha powder
1.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Mix matcha in with the half and half or light cream to make a paste.
2. Beat butter briefly, scrap bowl. 
3. Add the sifted powdered sugar and matcha paste.  Beat until smooth.

White Chocolate Frosting (1 cup)

The previous recipe for raspberry cream cupcakes yielded the correct number of cupcakes, however, I found it to be stingy on the raspberries because the cupcakes ended up being a little dry. A light dusting of confectionery sugar did not ease the dryness; so I opted for the book's recommendation on frosting.

The recipe in the book yield about 1/4 of a cup of frosting for 6 cupcakes (which is ultimately a tease), so I quadrupled the recipe for 18.

6 oz white chocolate chips/baking chocolate
8 tablespoons of heavy cream
4 tablespoons of butter

*Note: White chocolate doesn't normally go rancid or bad easily unless exposed to a ton of humidity/heat. It will be obvious in the fact that it appears more yellowish than white and that it will taste off.

I hate making frosting on a stove top. Instead, I got a glass Pyrex measuring cup (about 16oz) and melted the butter and white chocolate chips at the same time. (This is where knowing how to program your microwave for different heat settings comes in handy). Stick to about 35-40 secs at 50-60% power while melting. After each time the microwave goes off, stir the mixture with a spatula. Keep this up until the butter and white chocolate combine. (If you mess up and cook it too much, do not fear--the heavy cream will do the trick!)

Add the heavy cream 4 tablespoons at a time. Put the mixture back in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds at 50% power. Stir the mixture again each time you take it out of the microwave. When the mixture looks homogeneous, cover the container and stick it in the fridge until it cools into a soft solid.

Frost by slabbing it on with a spatula. I found that using a pastry tip was ineffective. This particular recipe while tasty has no substance. You can put a dab in the middle of your cupcake and it'll just spread out on its own.

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes (18)

I found a book called "Perfect Cupcakes" in the last chance bin at Barnes & Noble. This is the first recipe I tried from it. What I've noticed about this book is that it assumes you are making just enough cupcakes for you and 5 other people. For me, that is just plain blasphemous to my Italian heritage...I am used to making 7 dozen cookies in one recipe!


I chose to make 18 cupcakes as 2/3 of them are headed to a birthday party and the other 1/3 are staying here. Both people are born on the same day, but many years apart.

2 cups of all purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 pinches of baking soda
3 tablespoons + 6 teaspoons of light brown sugar
9 tablespoons of cream cheese
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
4 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of milk
4 1/2 oz of Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1. "Dry" Mixing:

• First whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a bowl.
• Next, stir in the brown sugar, (DO NOT USE THE WHISK, opt for a metal spoon).
• Then, use a pastry blender to cut in the cream cheese until the entire mixture
resembles little pea-sized crumbs. It won't look like peas, and it will take
awhile.

2. "Wet" Mixing:

• In a small bowl, combine the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
• Then, add all of this to the "dry" mixture and stir just until moistened.
(It sort of resembles oatmeal at this point)

3. Fold in fresh/frozen raspberries. You can substitute with other berries too.

4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. You know they are done if the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then take out of pan to cool completely.

5. Before serving, dust lightly with confectionery sugar. If you want more of a frosting, go with a white chocolate or a glaze.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

(And yes I realize that this may not be the most graceful picture of the inside, but at least you get the idea).



I find myself more often making cupcakes for special occasions. For instance, this weekend is my boyfriend's birthday. I decided that what he really loves in a dessert is the winning duo of chocolate and peanut butter. After many a Google search, I found this tantalizing recipe from Annie's Eats (http://annies-eats.com/). I had attempted to double this recipe and still only came out with 36 cupcakes. The reason being that the first 12 I had made I had filled too much and they became top heavy, looking more like muffins than cupcakes.

For the FILLING:

1 cup of confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla extract

For the CAKE:

1+2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1tsp baking soda
½ tsp of salt
1 cup sour cream (1/2 of container)
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1+1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs

For the FROSTING:

8 oz cream cheese (1 package), at room temperature
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3+1/4 cup confectionery sugar
1 cup (16 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. Make the filling first. Combine confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl. You can beat this with an electric mixer, but my friend Jess who was helping me said that she felt more comfortable using her hands. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and set aside on a flat surface such as a baking sheet.

3. Batter up! Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.

4. Go ahead and turn your oven on now to 350º F. Spoon a tablespoon or two of cake batter into each paper cup. Then place a peanut butter filling in each cupcake and top with remaining batter. (Make sure there is still some paper cup showing at the top).

5. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling completely takes a good hour or two.

6. Beating your frosting into Submission: Combine cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter using an electric mixer until smooth. (My Kitchen Aid Mixer's stainless steel bowl was almost filled to capacity as I made frosting for 36 cupcakes). Slowly mix in confectioner’s sugar, beating until smooth and well-blended. Mix in whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Frost cupcakes as desired. (I frosted them according to how high they could be without getting smashed by the cupcake carrier).

Kibbeh with Yogurt & Mint

According to the book I was inspired by, this is a Lebanese recipe made of seasoned ground beef stuffed into a pita-type bread. What initially attracted me was all the different spices used. In order to explain how to serve it, I like to think of it as kind of making a taco: (You have your seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato, and sauce (this time a tangy yogurt one)). Upon completion of dinner, my parents and I decided two things. One was that I should have added more salt, and secondly, I should only serve this meal in the summertime.

Before you make the beef kibbeh, you should actually start with the Cumin-Garlic yogurt (the tangy sauce you add to everything). This can be made up to 3 days in advance.

CUMIN-GARLIC YOGURT (PART I.)

1+1/2 cups of plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, mint, lemon zest and juice, cumin, paprika, and celery salt into well blended. (When I made this, we didn't actually have any celery salt so I used 1/2 teaspoon of celery seeds and ground them using a mortar & pestle. Then I added a little salt as well).

BEEF KIBBEH (PART II.)

After you finish the yogurt, go ahead and start on the beef kibbeh. (Finished picture in frying pan)




When I made this I measured out all the ingredients ahead of time before I started cooking the beef in the frying pan.
L-R: Dried spices, Minced Garlic, Mint/Parsley/Walnut

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 lbs of ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1+1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown it, breaking it up as it cooks, until cooked through. Remove from the pan (I put it in a bowl) and discard the extra fat/oil in skillet.

2. Lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne and cook for 1 more minute.

4. Return the beef to the pan, stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, mint, and walnuts.

To serve:

Cut pita bread in half. Spoon beef kibbeh inside. Additionally have fresh chopped tomatoes and lettuce available with tangy cumin-garlic yogurt.

Mango Lassi

Upon my second visit to an Indian Restaurant, by recommendation of my friend Duana, I tried the mango lassi. I now like to describe it as, "a little bit of heaven on earth". I'm still perfecting my recipe as it is rather difficult to get the perfect consistency using a sporadic blender.

I put my boyfriend in charge of mixing this drink as I worked on the rest of the dinner. I related to him that this drink costs about $4.50 at any restaurant and he said for the amount of work/labor involved, it is totally worth it.

4 ripe mangoes (peeled, pitted, and chopped)
2 cups of Plain yogurt
1/4 cup of honey

Now pretty much all you have to do is put all the ingredients in your blender and combine until smooth. Serve cold. Although if you don't have an industrial strength blender, this can be pretty challenging.

1. The honey doesn't blend too well. Sometimes you have to mix the honey and the yogurt first and then add the chopped mango.

2. I noticed that even if you freeze the mango and have cold yogurt that the drink is not cold enough and it is very thick. What I do additionally is I crush about 12 ice cubes and add that to the mixture. That way it is cold and you can actually suck it through a straw if you want.

3. This recipe makes A LOT of lassi. The cup pictured above is about 12oz full. If you drink the entire thing with your meal you will not be hungry for awhile. It's probably best to serve it as a 6oz with your meal and save the rest for later.

Tandoori Chicken (Without a Clay Oven or Grill)

Ever since my first bite of Indian food in an underground restaurant in Harajuku, Japan, I have been hooked. What better way to continue my addiction by none other attempting to make it at home.

This recipe is also refined sugar free and grain/gluten free. Mom was so used to this recipe for Tandoori Chicken that when she ordered it at an Indian restaurant she was disappointed because it was a lot drier (as it was actually cooked in a clay oven). I usually double this recipe to make for 4+ people.

2 lbs of chicken (preferably pieces with bone) (I usually use thigh pieces)
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
4 teaspoons of melted butter

1. Skin chicken and pierce all over with a sharp knife. Put in an appropriately sized roasting pan for the amount of chicken you are making. I happened to buy the chicken thighs that come 4 to a package. I skinned 12 chicken pieces and I had enough skin left over to constitute the size of 2-3 pieces of chicken!

2. In a blender/processor, combine the following: yogurt, garlic cloves, coriander powder and cumin powder. After it is blended to a smooth paste, add salt, pepper, red chili powder and lemon juice, and spread evenly over the chicken. At this point, I also turn the chicken over so every part of it is covered in this marinade. Cover and chill for 4+ hours.

3. Bake at 350ºF. After 20-30 minutes, baste the chicken with melted butter. At this point you should probably work on your accompaniments like jasmine rice and a vegetable dish. Bake another 20-30 min until chicken is done.