Black Magic Cupcakes

Posted by: Annie

Confession: I actually made these cupcakes for Valentine's Day, but knew that I would not have the post ready, so I purposely set one cupcake aside and decorated it with non-Valentine's sprinkles. (Boo me and my slow posting.) These cupcakes were very rich, but the super light frosting balanced out the cupcake perfectly. I shared these cupcakes with my co-workers on Valentine's Day, and actually used them to bribe two students to finish their multiplication problems. Behold the power of cupcakes...

For the cake:

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong coffee

For the frosting:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powders, baking soda and powder, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to beat together oil and sugar, on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined, approximately two minutes. Beat in buttermilk and coffee. Reduce the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour mixture.

Fill each cupcake tin 3/4 of the way full. Bake 25 minutes until the top of the cupcakes appear firm. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly before frosting.

For the frosting...beat cream in a large bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form.

In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sour cream on medium speed until creamy. Add in sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt, and beat for approximately 2 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate and fold in whipped cream until well blended.

Frost cupcakes and decorate!
 
Source: Sugar Plum

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

Posted by: Annie

This recipe has been sitting in my favorites since early January and they were well worth the wait! These are hands down one of my favorite dishes I have ever made. 

I was unexpectedly off from work last week due to approximately five inches of snow that blanketed Philadelphia, and I took advantage of my time home and whipped up these addictive enchiladas.

8 large whole wheat tortillas

3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded

28 oz red enchilada sauce

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 large sweet onion, sliced

1 tbsp BBQ seasoning 

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook until golden (10 minutes). In a separate bowl mix enchilada sauce and BBQ sauce until well combined. 

Mix chicken, bbq seasoning and cayenne pepper in with the onions. Stir in 1/2 cup enchilada/BBQ sauce mixture and add in 1/2 cup cheddar, and 1/2 cup colby jack cheese. Stir until mixture is combined, and turn off heat.

Drizzle enchilada/BBQ sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. (I separated the mixture into eight sections in the pan to ensure an even fill). Roll each tortilla up and place in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada/BBQ sauce on the tortillas and add remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

Lemon Bars

Posted by: Maggie

Thursday through Saturday of last week were absolutely gorgeous here in Washington, DC.  While I'm typically a lover of cold weather, it was a really nice change to have a few 70-something degree days in a row, and it really got me looking forward to spring. 

I usually try to have some type of baked treat around on the weekend when Jeff is here, and I thought these lemon bars from Heather Christo's site (thanks!) looked like a nice fresh treat to match the sunny weather. 

These absolutely did not disappoint.  They had the perfect amount of tart lemon filling, and even my chocolate loving boyfriend really enjoyed these.  I meant to distribute the leftovers among my friends when I saw them yesterday, but I forgot the container in my fridge.  Now I have half a pan of these taunting me.  Sigh.  I guess I'll just have to eat them myself!

Here's what you'll need:

For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Using a pastry cutter/dough blender (or a food processor) thoroughly combine the crust ingredients.  I used a dough blender since my food processor is tiny, and this takes a good 10 minutes (and expect a sore arm!)

Firmly press the crust into the pan using a spatula, and poke a few holes with a fork to release steam while baking.

Bake crust for 15 minutes.  When you remove it from the oven, press down with a spatula to release air bubbles and make a more compact crust. 

While the crust is baking, make the filling.  Whisk together eggs in a medium bowl until fluffy.  Add the sugar, whisking constantly until well combined.  Add the flour and mix until well combined.  Lastly, add the lemon juice and whisk until thoroughly combined. 

Pour the filling over the hot crust when it comes out of the oven.  Return to the oven to cook for another 15 minutes.  Let the lemon bars cool completely (I stuck mine in the fridge because I'm impatient), and sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into bars.