Pumpkin Whoopie Pies - Come on Fall!

Matt & Renato couldn't have said it better "try as we might, we were never huge fans of the traditional whoopie pie." Their version below was listed as one of the top 100 tastes of 2007 by Time Out New York. Their whoopie pie would satisfy any midnight craving, with its soft, cake like cookie and chilled cream cheese filling.

It was the first day of Fall today. This is my favorite time of year and seeing all of the pumpkins displayed at our local farms put me in the mood to make these babies! So here they are and maybe, just maybe, they will inspire nature to bring on the typical fall weather for us!

These were easy and fun to do with  my 6 year old daughter. A word of warning: don't assume you have enough of the spices on hand...I usually have small containers and they use take tablespoons rather than teaspoons here. Quick and painless to make so go ahead....try them! You won't be sorry...ok, maybe your hips will be, but your taste buds won't! Ha!

FOR THE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbs cinnamon

1 Tbs ginger

1 Tbs cloves

2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups chilled pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste since it was being baked)

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

MAKE THE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES

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

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until combined.

Use a small ice cream scoop (I used a cookie dough scoop) with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the  pan while you make the filling.

MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLINGSift the confectioners sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to over beat the filling, or it will lose structure. (The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using).

ASSEMBLE THE WHOOPIE PIES

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).

Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

Sweet & Salty Cake - the good, the bad, and the ugly

Well, this cake definitely had it's good, bad and ugly. By the time I was finished, I had an hour and a half to get a bit of sleep before the new day began. I really wanted a reason to try out this recipe that I found in "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking". The recipe sounded so interesting and with a lot of depth. I love caramel and with homemade salted caramel....how could it go wrong!? By the time I was finished I made 4 batches of homemade caramel and purchased a new medium sized covered pot! (I've been looking for an excuse to replace my pots I've, so I wasn't too heart broken!)

THE GOOD:

Wow, the accolades I received on this little bugger! This cake would make fantastic cupcakes by the way! I've never had such a response. This made all of the "downs" of this cake in making it for the first time worth it! Not so sure about the lack of sleep....but I think so!

This was the most level baking cake I've ever seen! I'm not sure if it's because of the new cake pans or if it was the recipe. I'll have to make cupcakes to test this. I was shocked when I checked on them and realized I didn't need to use my cake leveler. This perfection also lead to a "down" side of the cake...if that's really what you want to consider it. The down-side of this can be remedied though. I'll cover that in a bit.

Another point for the good is that it was easy to make outside of my learning curve and hopefully I can give enough tips that you will avoid some mishaps. If you expect out of the box easy...this cake is not for you. It does require you to make the cake, the filling and the frosting, but there are not any crazy tedious steps to the cake. I'll try my best to remember to give all of the hints in the instructions.

THE BAD:

Recipe called for dark amber
...looks dark to me...but it was burnt!

First...trying to find fleur de sel in Greenland, NH is next to impossible! Maybe in a typical city you can find it. I settled for another French sea salt that our local kitchen store sold and it worked out just fine...apparently everyone was happy with the resulting tastes! You can't use your typical Morton's sea salt so be prepared to find gourmet! If you live in an area like mine and can't find Fleur de Sel, either find another French subsititute or order online!

If you are experienced with your stovetop and making caramel, this will not be a downside for you. It was my first attempt so it took 3 times to get it right. But not only do you have to make it for the layers, you need to make caramel for the chocolate ganache frosting as well. Three times to learn was a charm for me. Good side...no expensive ingredients were lost and I learned that my caramel will continue to cook a tad after it's removed from the heat.....oh, and a new pot came of this too! Ha!

The bad side to the level cakes...I didn't use a leveler and therefore the layers still had the crust/shiny layer on the cake did not peel off much at all. I thought it was a good thing...help keep the moisture in. Well, the caramel was supposed to soak into the cake and with the first layer it didn't. I added a dam around the circumference to prevent leakage of caramel but that didnt' stop it from leaking out. I added more than the 1/4 cup to soak, which lent to the leaking as well. To prevent this leakage...1st remove the shiny top coating of the cake or a good portion of it. Second...use only 1/4 of a cup of caramel. Plan ahead and make room in your freezer for a quick setting of the cake and frosting for layering as well.

THE UGLY:

Well, my top photo speaks for itself! I think that if it's humid, this cake is best made into cupcakes or some other form of decorating. I was going for the smooth look and it just didn't work out. I couldn't use various techniques to smooth as I have had problems with the book's frostings not thickening enough. So here are 2 tips: 

1. BEAT BEAT BEAT AND BEAT SOME MORE: When you think you've done enough and stop to see just how sloppy it is....beat it some more. This is where the stand mixer earns it's keep in my kitchen. It took beating for 15 minutes or more.
2. THE FREEZER IS YOUR FRIEND: By placing the cake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, it will add a nice cold surface for your crumb coat. The crumb coat is a great way to work out the smoothness of your cake. Just add thin first coat to your cake and get as smooth as possible. Stick in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, add your final coat to your cake and the frosting will just grab and stick as the cold crumb coat make the butter harden a bit. To further smooth out if it gets too hard to fast...Run your frosting knife under warm/hot water and throughly dry then run it over the frosting. It will smooth right out. I didn't do this step as it was 4:30 in the morning at this point and I just wanted to finish!

The ugly...well, I didn't take any photos of my trash can after pouring out the burnt sugar. I believe we have finially removed the rest of the escaped caramel at the bottom. It burnt it's way through the plastic garbage bag...of course....I knew it would...but at the time, just didn't care...and down the sides of the trash can...which acted like glue and glued the bag to the trash can, which made double bagging a must. Not very green of me huh? :)

Ok, enough babbling, ranting and raving, and on with the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Classic Chocolate Cake Layers

3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups hot water

2/3 cup sour cream

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbs pure vanilla extract

For the Salted Caramel

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp fleur de sel

1 cup sugar

2 Tbs light corn syrup

1/4 cup sour cream

For the Whipped Caramel Ganache Frosting

1 lb dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

2 Tbs light corn syrup

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

To assemble the Cake

2 tsp fleur de sel, plus more for garnish

TO MAKE THE CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowlof an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until ribbonlike, about 5 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and beat until incoroporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.

Add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

MAKE THE SALTED CARAMEL

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and fleur de sel. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved.

Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream mixture so it doesn't burn, in a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar, and the corn syrup, stirring the together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees F, or until the mixture is a dark amber in color, 6-8 minutes. This is where I burnt mine twice. It burnt right after it read 350 degrees and was the right color. It seemed to continue to cook after being removed. I learned to remove this right before the 350 mark and just before it was the perfect color.  Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.

Add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture (NOTE: this is reactive! Drizzle the cream down the side of the pan slowly). Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container & refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.

MAKE THE WHIPPED CARAMEL GANACHE FROSTING

Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl & set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat.

Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream mixture so it doesn't burn, in a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar, and the corn syrup, stirring the together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees F, or until the mixture is a dark amber in color, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat & let caramel cool for one minute.

Add the cream to the caramel and stir to combine (NOTE: this is reactive! Drizzle the cream down the side of the pan slowly). Let the caramel and chocolate sit for 1 minute, then, starting in the center of the bowl, and working your way out to the edges, slowly stir the chocolate and caramel mixture in a circle until the chocolate is completely melted. Let the mixture cool, then transfer it to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the butter, beating until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat on high speed until the mixgture is fluffy.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

Place one cake layer on a serving platter, spread 1/4 cup of the caramel over the top (I wouldn't add more than the 1/4 cup or it may be too much and ooze out AND I would make sure to remove some of the crusty coating so that the caramel will absorb better)....(I piped a dam around the circumference of the cake first to help prevent leaking of caramel out the sides). Let the caramel soak into the cake, then spread 3/4 cup of the ganache frosting over the caramel. Sprinkle 1 tsp of the fleur de sel over the frosting. then top with the second cake layer. Spread with caramel frosting & sprinkle with 1 tsp of the fleur de sel. Then top with the third layer. Spread with caramel. Crumb coat the cake and put theh cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes (5-10 in freezer) to firm up the frosting. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

This cake will keep beautifully in a cake server at room temperature (cool and humidity free) for up to 3 days. If your room is not cool, place the cake in a cake server and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Orange Berry Muffins - TYVM Dorie G.

It never fails. If I want a delicious baked item, I pull out Dorie Greenspan's "Baking, From my home to yours". She has not let me down yet. Unlike another baking book of mine, whose recipes produce fabulous results yet they fail to tell give little secrets to make the first attempt successful... Dorie sets you up for success!

I loved her recipe as is, but I did create my own orange glaze to drizzle over the top of the muffins. It just sounded so yummy. According to my husband, it balanced the muffin off perfectly. Though not a professional taste tester...he's my best critic...and can be brutally honest. Take for example, last night's attempts at homemade salted caramel for a birthday cake for his boss. Three times was a charm at getting it right! But I'm glad I finally learned!

This recipe is the VERY first recipe in Dorie's book.

INGREDIENTS:
Grated zest & juice of 1 orange (I used navel)
About 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 Tbs honey
1 stick (8 Tbs) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries - fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)

Decorating sugar (I used raw) for topping (optional)
Orange glaze (an addition I made) (optional)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (375 if using nonstick or dark pan). Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange is strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that's just the way it should be. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake 22-25 minutes (my oven is hot and cooked in 20). If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes (check at 6 minutes...it would have been too late at 10 minutes in my oven). When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

FOR THE ORANGE GLAZE:  These are all approximates. Adjust to your liking

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1-2 tsp orange emulsion

1+tsp water (added until you get right consistency)

Combine the above 3 ingredients. Add the emulsion to your taste. Do the same for adding water. Add 1 tsp at a time. Icing/glaze should be thick but pourable to just drizzle over the muffins.