Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

 

first off.... happy birthday to my sweet momma! we love you, tante...

.......

having a little guy can certainly change the way you look at things. with halloween approaching there's been lots of talk of spiders, monsters, skeletons and "ooey" eyeballs. i lose count each day of how many costumes he changes in and out of. (i guess if i'm honest, this could describe any given day of the year at my house, but it does seem moderately more frequent lately.)

my boy is definitely excited for daddy's work halloween party. after a short discussion, the executive decision was made to wear batman, since spiderman was worn to school and ironman will be worn halloween night. oh, those important decisions 

when you're three and a half.

my job, of course, was to make and bring some gluten-free cupcakes. with spiders on the brain, and not so much time or desire to spend too much effort in the kitchen, 

these were born.

if you've even glanced at my recipes page, it is quite clear that i really love to bake. but sometimes, a box-mix cake is in order. this was one of those times. and since some rather delicious mixes are out there (hello, betty crocker gluten-free), i'm all for it. especially when it buys time for a little extra pumpkin decorating and ooo-blech sessions with my hilarious little skeleton kid.

but homemade icing is easy. and so much better than the canned stuff. this is a caramel frosting, reminiscent of leche quemada, a heavenly mexican burned sugar candy. delicious enough to be eaten from the bowl, but divine when topping a chocolate cupcake.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Cupcakes:

Gluten-Free Devil's Food Cake Mix

Caramel Frosting:

1/2      cup butter

1         cup brown sugar

1/3      cup heavy cream

1         tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8      teaspoon salt

1         pound powdered sugar

Spider Webs:

1         cup dark chocolate candy coating

Edible glitter

1. Prepare cupcakes according to package directions. 

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cream; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Stir in vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add additional cream, if frosting is too firm, one teaspoon at a time.

4. Melt candy coating in a microwave in 30-seconds intervals, stirring well in between, just until melted. Transfer melted candy coating to a piping bag or plastic zip-lock bag; snip end of bag. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Pipe spiderweb design using a template or freehand. Sprinkle with edible glitter. Repeat to make 12 spiderwebs. 

5. Frost cooled cupcakes with Caramel Frosting. Top each cupcake with a Spider Web. (now, sneakily steal your kid's spider rings to decorate platter.)

Yield: 12 cupcakes.

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the frosting was adapted from ms. paula dean's recipe. and find a good-looking spider web template here.

Recipe Redux: Baked Mini Pumpkins

 

this month's recipe redux has been titled "fresh from the pumpkin patch". these sweet, tiny pumpkins are exactly that. i couldn't resist them when visiting our local orchard/patch. (i will admit, i get a little too excited about crooked stems & curly tendrils on pumpkins and perfect green leaves & stems left on apples pulled fresh from a tree.)

  

so often these little pumpkins are overlooked as a culinary treat and considered only a fall table decoration. so for those of you who didn't know... yes, you can eat them too! they're adorable as a side dish on a thanksgiving dinner plate or as an appetizer waiting on the table for an autumn dinner.

they're so easy and a great way enjoy fresh, pure pumpkin and take advantage of all the anti-oxidants and fiber it contains. i filled these with crispin apples (which is a fantastic apple, if you've never had one), pecans and a combination of spices worthy of the season. after baked, remove the top of the pumpkin and the tender flesh scoops with a spoon right off of the inside of the pumpkin, along with the delicious filling. you'll find yourself scraping off every last bit, i promise.

Baked Mini Pumpkins

4     mini pumpkins

1/4  teaspoon salt, divided

1     cup diced, unpeeled apple

3     tablespoons chopped pecans

2     tablespoons melted butter

2     tablespoons brown sugar

1     teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4  teaspoons ground cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

pinch ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350`. Carefully cut off top 1/2-inch of pumpkins with a serrated knife. Scoop out seeds and membranes in pumpkins; discard. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt evenly among cavities of pumpkins.

2. Combine apple and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine. Fill pumpkin cavities with apple mixture. Replace tops of pumpkin on top of apple mixture.

3. Place pumpkins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350` for 55 minutes or until pumpkins are tender when pierced with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

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want more ideas of how to use those fall pumpkins? 

cherie of grain crazy made fresh pumpkin risotto

alexandra of delicious knowledge made pumpkin enchiladas

katie of healthy & happy hour made pumpkin bacon ravioli

alysa of inspired RD made sweet & spicy pumpkin fries

everyday tastiness made pumpkin smoothies

dr bar of nutrition budgeteer made pumpkin chili chicken pizza

elizabeth of don't (white) sugar coat it made vegan pumpkin soup

kirsten of swanky dietitian made baked pumpkin oatmeal

marie made gluten-free pumpkin muffins

regan of the professional palate made pumpkin ravioli in a walnut-sage cider sauce

danielle of food confidence rd made pumpkin goulash

emma of the hearty heart made vegan cocoa pumpkin mousse

emma of the scoop on nutrition made chermoula chickpea & pumpkin sliders
janel of eat well with janel made pumpkin pie smoothie
nicole of whole health rd made candied pumpkin with yogurt and meat sauce
yuri of chef pandita made pumpkin apple soup

lisa of healthful sense made pumpkin cream pie filling & pudding
jessica of nutritioulicious made pumpkin pancakes
jane posted pumpkin coconut soup
kat of eating the week made pumpkin yogurt dip for waffle sticks
katie of east meats west made pumpkin stuffing
serena of teaspoon of spice made whole pumpkin cheddar gratin
kristina of love and zest made pumpkin mash
carrie of nutrition know how made baked stuffed pumpkin & pumpkin orange muffins
ann of eat to nourish, enerize & flourish made pumpkin, squash and apple soup
kara of peace, love, and food made pumpkin yogurt dip
stephanie of give them something better made fall harvest chili
karman of nutrition adventures made pumpkin-potato breakfast hash
ayla of eat simply made salt & vinegar pumpkin seeds
heather of dieitian on the run made pumpkin, rosemary & mushroom quinoa
jill of the relish dish made ham & cheese stuffed pumpkin
 ea of the spicy rd made pumpkin pesto bruschetta
liz & janice of meal makeover moms' kitchen made ghoulishly good stuffed sugar pumpkin
dianne of eat well, eat clean made pumpkin cranberry scones
rebecca of it's a savoury life made fall pumpkin chili

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

in my humble opinion, everyone needs a couple flourless chocolate recipes in their baking arsenal. these are the easy go-to desserts that are obviously gluten-free and equally enjoyed by everyone. they don't even require odd flours or flaxmeals. and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry right this minute. 

crispy, chewy, chocolate-y, deliciousness. see... proof that indulgent and decadent cookies need no flour at all!

 Flourless Chocolate Cookies

3        cups (350 grams) powdered sugar

2/3     cup cocoa powder (i like the dark version)

1/4     teaspoon salt

1 1/4  cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

4        large egg whites

2        teaspoons vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 350`.

2. Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla; stir until well-combined. (batter should be about the consistency of school glue... not too runny. if it's runny, add more powdered sugar to achieve correct consistency.)

3. Spoon batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets in 2 tablespoon mounds or a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop. Bake at 350` for 14 minutes or until tops are cracked and glossy, and edges look done. Cool slightly; remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Peel carefully off of parchment.
Yield: almost 2 dozen.

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equally as exciting as a mouthful of chocolate cookie, i'm completely thrilled to return in january to birmingham, al. first of all, i can't wait to return to that town. i've not been back since i left almost 10 years ago. so many great memories, fantastic eateries and cool, unique shops. second, i can't wait to see old friends, return to the test kitchen & photo studios for a visit and meet the new friends i've only known through this blog world. speaking of which... last, but oh so exciting, i'll get to attend a very cool food blog conference, food blog south. if you want to come too, use the code IReadKumquat when registering to get 10% off! the speakers include helene dujardin, colleen duffley, virginia willis and dianne jacob to name just a few.

so. excited.


(and because i've shared this info with you, i get a discount too!)

Gluten-Free Ratio Rally: Mozzarella Pizza with Pine Nuts, Currants & Arugula

walking through my local whole foods market (which these day i lovingly refer to as "the office"), i noticed the brick-oven pizza guy sprinkling what looked like tiny olives over a freshly mozzarella-d pizza dough. as i got closer i realized... those are currants. with pine nuts, arugula, and a lemon-infused olive oil. i want that pizza. unfortunately for me, there's no gluten-free version there at the store, so... that's where this month's gluten-free ratio rally comes in nicely.

this month... is pizza.

 

ruhlman's ratio for bread and pizza doughs is 5 parts flour to 3 parts water. my recipe used 420 grams of flour and 8 ounces (236 grams) of water, so that makes my ratio about 5 parts flour to 2.6 parts water.

this dough is tender and pliable, and could be rolled out without parchment. it does have a tendency to break a little if you try to move it after it's rolled out, so parchment may be a good idea if you're transferring it to a pizza stone. the final product is a chewy but tender pizza crust, that totally hits the spot for any pizza craving. 

and, wow, this topping combination is brilliant... the sweet chewiness of the currants, salty cheesy mozzarella, crunchy perfect pine nuts, and peppery arugula. and finally a touch of the tart lemon oil... amazing.

this is also a sneak peek at what's going into the gluten-free cookbook i'm working on...

 

Mozzarella Pizza with Pine Nuts, Currants & Arugula

Pizza Dough:

1 1/2 tablespoons ground golden flaxmeal

3 tablespoons very hot water

420 grams (about 3 cups) kumquat's all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

5 teaspoons active-dry yeast

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup warm water (110`), divided

Olive oil for brushing

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pizza Topping:

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

8 ounces mozzarella (ciliegine) cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup currants

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup arugula

1.Combine flaxmeal and 3 tablespoons very hot water in a small bowl until a slurry is formed; set aside.

2. Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Combine yeast, olive oil, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Allow to rest for 3 minutes for yeast to activate. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture; mix for 1 minute. Add flaxmeal slurry to dough; mix until dough comes together in a ball. If dough is too dry, add enough water to for a tender, pliable dough. Set aside to rest for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 450`. Roll dough out to desired thickness; transfer to pizza stone or baking sheet. (i roll mine out directly onto lightly floured baking sheet.) Brush olive oil over entire dough and sprinkle evenly with garlic powder.

4. Sprinkle dough evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese and mozzarella balls. Top evenly with pine nuts and currants. Bake at 450` for 16 mintues.

5. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest and garlic in a small skillet or saucepan. Heat mixture over medium-low for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Strain mixture, discarding lemon zest and garlic.

6. Drizzle pizza evenly with infused oil, and sprinkle arugula over top of pizza. 

Yield: 8-10 servings.

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be sure to check out the rest of the pizza pies created this month. and thanks to karen of cooking gluten free for hosting all of us...

jenn of jenn cuisine made moitié moitié sausage & chanterelle pizza

meg of gluten-free boulangerie made provençal flatbread with olives & anchovies

tr of no one likes crumbley cookies made teriyaki chicken pizza

erin of the sensitive epicure made stuffed pizza pie: spinach, mushrooms and sausage

charissa of zest bakery made sauteed onion and sausage grilled pizza with basil

pete and kelli of no gluten, no problem made grilled pizza

mrs. r of honey from flinty rocks made pepperoni pizza & pineapple, black olive & ham pizza

 caneel of mame me gluten free made pizza crust

morri of meals with morri made everything peace pretzels & pizza blanca

meredith of gluten free betty made pizza

claire of gluten freedom made fajita pizza with cilantro pesto sauce

dr jean of gf doctor recipes made pizza

brooke of b & the boy made dessert pizza

karen of cooking gluten-free made garlic, artichoke, sun-dried tomato, pesto pizza 

lisa at gluten free canteen made rum raisin apple pizza pie