Cupcakes and Cuban Food

Truth: There's nothing I like better than baking for people I love, and eating good food with people I love.

I try to do it as much as I can. Making people happy through food is the best. Food+Friends=Yes.

This weekend was my friend Sarah's birthday and I had to find a recipe to really knock her socks off. She has a major sweet tooth and is a lover of cookie dough and s'mores so when I found this recipe on Joy's blog I knew it was perfect. The look on her face when I described the components of the cupcakes was priceless...pure joy. Made it all worthwhile :) She absolutely loved them...Success!

These cupcakes require a bit of assembly...

Kitchen staff hard at work. They were paid well in leftover cupcake scraps :)

Boop! Topped with little balls of cookie dough!

Fluffy marshmallow meringue mountains. I would like to sled down that mountain...with my tongue. 

Put under the broiler to roast the marshmallow topping. Things are getting intense.

Can you handle it?

Brace yourselves. Because this recipe is not for the faint of heart. 

This recipe is dangerously delicious.

For the sweetest of sweet tooths.... Teeths? hm.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes
From: Joy The Baker

For the Cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 cups cold water

For the Cookie Dough Balls:

1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

For the Meringue:

4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
large pinch of salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.  Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, water, vanilla extract and vinegar.
Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to overmix.  The mixture should be wet.
Pour the batter until the cups are two thirds full and place in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cup comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack until completely cool before topping with cookie dough ball.

For the Cookie Dough Balls:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes in the machine.  Beat in peanut butter along with the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add all at once to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon a scant tablespoons size amount of dough in your hand.  Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet.  Make 24 little cookie dough balls, and refrigerate until ready to top the cupcakes.

For the Meringue:

In a large pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.
In a large, heat-proof bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and salt.  The mixture will be grainy, because of the sugar.
Place bowl over simmering water and whisk as it heats.  The sugar will dissolve after about 5 minutes.  Keep and eye on the mixture, it shouldn’t get warm enough to cook the eggs
Transfer the egg white and sugar mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  With a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, on high, until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes)  The mixture will be fluffy and glossy and look like melted marshmallows.  It is very sticky, too. Beat in the vanilla extract last.   Cover, and set aside until ready to frost cupcakes.

To Assemble Cupcakes:

Use a small paring knife to cut a 3/4-inch whole out of the top/center of the cupcakes.  Don’t cut the whole center of the cupcake out… just make a little hole for the dough ball to rest without rolling off.
Place dough balls on top of cupcakes.
Place meringue frosting in a pastry bag (or large Ziplock bag) fitted with a medium-large tip.   Pipe frosting around the edges of the cupcake and over the dough ball in a circular motion. 

Place 12 cupcakes on a baking sheet.  Place cupcakes under the broiler for about 1 minute.
Keep a close eye on them! I didn't even close the oven door. Frequently rotate the cupcakes while in the oven. Once toasted, remove cupcakes, and toast the remaining 12 in the same fashion.
Serve and enjoy!



We enjoyed an expertly cooked meal by the famous chef: Papa Lupe.
Traditional arroz con pollo with black bean soup, Cuban bread, and plantains.
Super yummy. Yes to all of the above.
It was the best meal I've had in a while!

Party hats. Necessary.

I would like to marry this

One of my favorite meals. Never ever will tire of it

Fresh Fruit Tart and Thoughts on Life

Leaving home, moving on, and finding yourself.
This all comes along with growing up.
Taking that first leap towards independence and adulthood is a terrifying, yet enlightening experience. Suddenly surrounded by unfamiliar faces and places, leaving home is anything but comfortable.
But through the ups and downs, I think moving on should be seen in a positive light.
You get to start a new chapter in your life, with new people, and a fresh outlook on life.
You feel a sense of empowerment as you make your own decisions and take responsibility for yourself.

Starting college has been bittersweet to say the least.
I'm a hometown girl; I've lived in my house my entire life, home is where I'm happiest and it's where I feel safe. 
I've always been really close with my family. They are the single most important thing to me and without them I would not be where I am, or who I am today. The hardest part about leaving home was definitely the separation from my support system.
The past few weeks have been filled with much nostalgia and memories of growing up. I've been reminiscing with tears in my eyes, but such joy in my heart. And I am so incredibly thankful for the amazing experience I had growing up, I couldn't have asked for a better childhood. The only thing I can do now is look back and smile at all the good times.
I always remind myself that you're never too old to go back home. I know things will be different in the future, and home may not always stay exactly the same, but being around the people you love and grew up with is the best sense of home you can get.

As I adjust to life back at college after a long Labor Day weekend at home, I do feel longing for home and the comfort of family, but being on my own is an important experience, and I know it's a step towards greater things.
Just knowing my family will always be there for me is what gets me through the days on my own. It's been a scary first few weeks, but the adjustment is slowly coming, and I know that soon enough things won't seem so bad. :)


Labor Day weekend was such a lovely little vacation from the first stressful weeks of college. The long weekend was almost a tease, as it felt so much like the relaxing summer months that seem like just yesterday. I got to squeeze a lot of my favorite things into one weekend.
Spending time with my family, doing yoga in the house with my sister, messing around on the boat, soaking up the sun on the beach, listening to Paul Simon in the car with the windows down, an early morning run, cooking breakfast, laughing around the dinner table, and reading next to the river. It was the perfect weekend. I loved every minute of it.

Being at college has one major setback. Finding space/time/ingredients to bake.
I have been going through baking withdrawals these past weeks.
I've been itching to break out the butter and sugar to create some new tasty treats.


Coming home this weekend, I immediately seized the opportunity of the readily available ingredients in the kitchen and returned to my dojo of baking!

This fruit tart is not only a beautiful dessert that everyone will gawk over, but it is so light and creamy, it just makes you feel elegant while you eat it. You can even stick your pinky out and be a fancy pants if you want. And who wouldn't want to?
I even felt fancy just putting this tart together. The fruit is just so beautifully arranged, and you can really assemble it however you want! Let your artistic side shine through! You can be the Leonardo of Fruit Tarts!

Also you can use so many different combinations of fruits to decorate! I used raspberries and blueberries...and was going to use kiwis on the outside but somebody in the grocery store forgot to bag the kiwis and I realized at the last minute they were missing! So I improvised with extra blueberries. But you can use only strawberries, only raspberries, or mixed berries with blackberries and blueberries if you want! However, try and stay away from really juicy fruits like mangoes and peaches because they will bleed all over the pretty white tart and make a huge mess. Oh! and also it's important that you do not wash the berries before you put them on the tart!

The crust is light and buttery like a sugar cookie, and the pastry cream is silky, smooth, and pairs wonderfully with the tartness of the berries. It was perfect for a Labor Day shindig. Although beware of heat, this thing will melt when you're not looking and will be difficult to serve. But hey, that's when you break out the spoons and overcome that obstacle right then and there.

Entire recipe from: Baking Illustrated Cookbook

Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups half-and-half
½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

5 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold, unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces

1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

3. When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering half-and-half into the yolk mixture to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Sweet Tart Pastry for Prebaked Tart Shell

makes one 9- to 9½- inch tart shell

Ingredients:

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour

⅔ cup confectioners' sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Whisk together the yolk, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process briefly to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 1-second pulses. With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper to a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a tart pan by rolling the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unrolling over a 9- to 9½- inch tart pan with removable bottom. Working around the circumference of the pan, ease the dough into the pan corners by gently lifting the edge with one hand while pressing it into the corners with the other hand. Press the dough against the fluted sides of the pan. (If some sections of the edge are too thin, reinforce them by folding the excess dough back on itself.) Run the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to remove the excess dough. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen tart shell and over the edge, and fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Or in my case, dried beans!

Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Remove from oven and carefully remove the foil and weights by gathering the edges of the foil and pulling up and out. Continue to bake until deep golden brown. Keep and eye on it! Mine was pretty much finished after 30 minutes so I only let it brown for about 2 more minutes, but you can go up to 5 if needed. Set the baking sheet with the tart shell on a wire rack to cool.

Assembly:

Ingredients:

Fruit, unwashed (I used 2 cups of raspberries and a heaping cup of blueberries)

½ cup apple jelly (I only used a small portion of this just for a glossy appearance)

Directions:

1. Spread the cold pastry cream over the bottom of the tart shell, using an offset spatula or large spoon. Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream in any fashion.

2. Bring jelly to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to smooth out any lumps. When boiling and completely melted, apply by dabbing and flicking onto fruit with a pastry brush. Remove the outer ring of the tart pan, slide a thin metal spatula between the bottom of the crust and the tart pan bottom to release, then sip the tart onto a cardboard round or serving platter.