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In the Oven: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Keeping along with the Autumn theme, we’re diving in to pumpkin whoopie pies with a cream cheese filling. Posting date is November 18!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
 
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Ingredients
For the pumpkin whoopie cookies
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cloves
  • 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the cream cheese filling
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the pumpkin whoopie cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
  5. Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 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 Filling
  1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling, or it will lose structure.
Assemble the whoopie pies
  1. Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).
  2. 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.
Notes
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.The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

 

In the Oven: Vanilla Bean Caramel Apples

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Fall is in full swing — time to make some vanilla bean caramel apples! Posting date is November 4.

Vanilla Bean Caramel Apples
 
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Yield: 10-12 apples
Ingredients
  • 10 to 12 crisp apples
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Ice
Instructions
  1. Wash and thoroughly dry the apples. Remove the stems, then set them on parchment-lined baking sheets a few inches apart. Insert a small dowel (about 7 inches long, pencil-sharpened on one end) about three quarters of the way through each apple.
  2. Put the cream in a small heavy pot. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and, using the tip of the knife or a small teaspoon, scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the cream. Add the vanilla bean to the cream.
  3. Simmer the cream and vanilla over very low heat for 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the vanilla bean and any other fibrous pieces. Vanilla bean flecks will remain.
  4. Return the vanilla cream to the pot, then add the sugar, corn syrup, and butter, making sure that the mixture doesn’t splash onto the sides of the pot. Place the pot over very low heat and stir very gently until the sugar is dissolved, to prevent burning. When the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pot. Heat the caramel mixture, without stirring, to 245 degrees F.
  5. Meanwhile, put a few handfuls of ice in a medium bowl that is large enough to accommodate the pot with the caramel mixture.
  6. When the caramel mixture reaches 245 degrees F. (and stays there for at least 1 minute), remove from the heat and place the pot on top of the ice for 30 seconds to slow the cooking. Remove the pan from the ice.
  7. Tilt the pot toward you to create a big pool of caramel and, working fast, immediately begin dipping the apples in it. Dip each apple only once, and don’t worry about coating it evenly or completely (the more you fuss with the caramel the more difficult it will become to dip). Return the caramel-dipped apples back to the baking sheet and refrigerate until the caramel is set, about 10 minutes. Serve.

 

In the Oven: Almond Green Tea Cupcakes (Fortune Cupcakes)

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Enjoy our good fortune and bake up a batch of these delicate almond cupcakes with matcha frosting! Posting date is October 21.

Almond Green Tea Cupcakes (Fortune Cupcakes)
 
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Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the almond cupcakes
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup ice cold water
  • 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the green tea frosting
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • ¹/³ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened matcha powder
  • 1½ cups milk
  • ¹/³ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To assemble the cupcakes
  • 4 ounces (¾ cup) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 24 white-chocolate-dipped fortune cookies
Instructions
Make the almond cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are a fine powder. Put the powdered almonds in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the egg, and beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
  5. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the powdered almonds.
  6. Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on the rack to cool completely.
Make the green tea frosting
  1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar, flour, and matcha powder together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
  2. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  3. Add the vanilla and continue beating until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put it in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then mix again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and mix again.
Assemble the cupcakes
  1. There are many ways to frost a cupcake. If you have a pastry bag, simply fit the bag with the largest tip, fill the bag with the frosting, and pipe enough frosting to cover the cupcake. If you do not have a pastry bag, use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop the frosting and dispense it onto the top of the cupcake. You can also use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes. Top with a fortune cookie.

 

In the Oven: Marble Bundt Cake

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Next up on the schedule: a Marble Bundt Cake. The gentlemen bakers say that if you’re going to eat cake for breakfast, it should be this one! Posting date is October 7.

Marble Bundt Cake
 
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Yield: One 10-inch Bundt cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate swirl
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
For the sour cream cake
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 ¼ cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the chocolate swirl
  1. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely smooth, add the cocoa powder and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
Make the sour cream cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and ribbonlike. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix.
  5. Pour one third of the cake batter into the chocolate swirl mixture. Use a spatula to combine the chocolate mixture and the batter to make a smooth chocolate batter.
  6. Spread half of the remaining plain cake batter in the prepared pan. Use an ice cream scoop to dollop the chocolate cake batter directly on top of the plain cake batter. The dollops will touch and mostly cover the plain batter, but some plain batter will peek through. Use a butter knife to swirl the chocolate and plain batter together. Pour the remaining plain batter on top of the chocolate layer and smooth it out. Once again, use the knife to pull through the layers to create a swirl.
  7. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  8. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake and invert it onto the wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
How to store: The cake will keep for 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.