Soft & Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently purchased a Kitchenaid Stand mixer, finally and I couldn't be happier. I was so excited to bust this beauty out and oh was it worth the wait. 

My new toy :)

I felt like a genuine Martha Stewart in the kitchen while I made some standard chocolate chip cookies. I must say, however that these were indeed the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. 

And my willing genuine pig coworkers agreed: they disappeared faster than I could say "homemade chocolate chip cookies up for grabs." Who would of thought one beautiful and amazing piece of equipment would make such a difference? 

Without further delay here is the recipe for these oh so soft and delicious cookies:

Soft & Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Using your stand mixer, with paddle attachment on high speed; cream together butter and the sugars until light and fluffy. Scraping down bowl as needed. 

2. Add an egg at a time until well mixed in then beat in the vanilla. 

3. Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. With mixer set to medium-low, slowly add the flour mix until well combined. Scraping down the bowl as needed.

4. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in the various chocolate chips. Mix it up: replace some of the chocolate chips listed above with whatever you'd like: butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips or why not throw in some score bits?! Have fun with it! :)

5. Using a tablespoon measure out batter and form cookies on a cookie sheet or plate and place in the fridge for at least an hour to chill. 

6. Bake a 350 degrees F for about 15 mins or until they just start to brown. Remove from oven, let cool on wire racks and then serve. 

Eat and be merry! 😊

[Recipe adapted from: http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/01/28/soft-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/]

Funfetti Cupcakes

I made these for myself and my coworkers to enjoy over the Easter long weekend because yes we had to work. At least we had some wonderful goodies to help us through the tough times of working a long weekend. I got rave reviews from all who tried the cupcakes and they were quickly devoured. I was even asked for the recipe by a few people as well.

I adapted the white cake recipe form America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook into cupcakes with added Spring-coloured sprinkles into the funfetti cupcakes shown below.

I was originally given the idea to do a rainbow cake-inspired homemade version of the boxed cake mixes from my sister-in-law. She had grown up loving the rainbow flavoured cake box mix as her favourite cake from her childhood and I was inspired to recreate this childhood favourite but from real ingredients and made from scratch.

So to Pinterest I went and low and beyond I found so many of these so-called 'funfetti' cupcake and cake recipes. I decided to take the basic technique and tweak it into my own favourite white cake mix recipe and low-and-behold; I was able to create a homemade version of the rainbow cake mix that was in my sister-in-laws opinion comparable, if not better, than the cake box mix cake she had grown up loving. Nailed it! :)

Without further ado, here is the recipe for the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing.

Funfetti Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, softened
1/2 cup sprinkles of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pans with cupcake papers (I used ones with an aluminum foil inside so the oils don't seep through and ruin the patterns).
2. Whisk milk, egg whites and vanilla together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk flour, sugar and baking powder together in bowl (of stand mixer if you have one).
4. Beat in butter 1 piece at a time, on low speed (with paddle attachment), into flour mix until only pea-size pieces remain.
5. Add all but 1/2 cup milk mix, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mix, and beat until incorporated.
7. Add sprinkles, stir by hand until incorporated and stop before the colours start to run.
8. Divide batter into pan (I use a large ice-cream scoop for uniformity) and bake at 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcakes comes out with a few dry crumbs.
9. Remove cupcakes from the oven, cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely on wire racks for at least 1 hour before frosting.

Icing Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

4-6 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Beat the softened butter until smooth.
2. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla and 1/4 cup cream and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Add more powdered sugar and or cream depending on desired consistency and flavour.
4. Using a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip: pipe icing onto cupcakes starting from the outside, making a circle and then finishing with a star in the centre. Sprinkle with desired sprinkles.

So if you want less buttery tasting buttercream then add more sugar (and probably cream as well). If you want a really thing icing add more cream or add more sugar for a thicker icing thats better for piping. It's totally up to you on what flavour and/or consistency you want your icing.

For storage: it's best to keep these cupcakes out of the fridge because they will dry out due to the use of butter instead of shortening. Without icing these cupcakes will stay most and delicious for up to 3 days, if they last that long! They can also be frozen in a airtight container for longer and then let to defrost before icing. Don't forget to taste test, serve and enjoy! :)