If you aspire to be any kind of chef or food-making person, it is very important to know and understand the MFA because baking, cooking, or really any kind of food preparation are all built on a foundation of awesome math. Check it:
Bacon=Awesome. Avocadoes=Awesome. Tomatoes=Awesome. Sourdough toast=Awesome.
THEREFORE
Bacon+Avocadoes+Tomatoes+Sourdough toast=Totally awesome oh-my-goodness delicious BLAT sandwich in my stomach. Mmmmmm MM! (Yes, I actually just ate one. Go me. =])
Simple stuff, right? Now here's another one:
Cheese=Awesome. Garlic=Awesome. Basil=Awesome. Paprika=Fairly Awesome. Parsley=Ditto. French bread=Best thing. All that awesome stuff together=Effing AWESOME cheesy bread. BAM!
Why, you may ask, am I telling you all this (besides the fact that it's an incredibly invaluable lesson that can pretty much be applied to all areas of life and help you achieve ultimate all-powerful awesomeness and world domination)? Why, I tell you, because I just used this very same little equation to make something you'll-never-guess-what-adjective. ;)
Imagine, if you will a cupcake (obvious awesome) snickerdoodle (duh, awesome) combination. Does the picture in your mind look a-something like-a dis?:
Or like-a deees?
If not, then your imagination either sucks or is too advanced for this world (congratulations!).
Yeah. So these cupcakes were awesome. I made them for a very good friend's birthday, and they were a huge success. As in, I brought 30 of them to the party, and they were all devoured with the voracity of a thousand locusts. Every. Single. One.
People also asked me how I made them. Whenever people ask me how I made any of my baked goods, I'm always just a little bit tempted to with-hold my super magic baking secrets. Visions of grandeur and power flash before my eyes. I imagine clamoring mobs bowing at my feet, crying out hysterical pleas for my recipes. And then I realize that that would actually be kind of weird and annoying. Not to mention delusional and extremely unlikely to happen (still, please don't ever do that). So, anyway, here's your freakin' recipe:
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
(makes about 20 cupcakes)
2 1/4 c. cake flour (or 2 c. all-purpose flour + 2 T. cornstarch, well-sifted)
2 1/4 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. unsalted butter, room temp. (that's 1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs, room temp.
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 c. milk
Snickerdoodle Frosting:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. shortening
28 oz. powdered sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon (half a T. is 1 1/2 tsps. ;])
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Mini Snickerdoodle Toppers:
(you can afford to half this, if you feel like dividing an egg and are also a crazy person who doesn't want to have extra cookies. I mean, seriously, if you are then please just stop reading my blog and go buy some self-help books or something. In fact, forget I said anything. Make the recipe just like this. Have extra cookies! That is an order.)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened slightly
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sugar and 2 T. cinnamon (mix in a small bowl and set aside for rolling cookie dough in)
Directcheeons:
1) Bake your cookies first. That way you can eat them all while the cupcakes are baking. Here is how:
a) Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
b) Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of your fancy robotic mixing device.
c) Mix your dry floury stuff into your creamy buttery stuff. You probably know what cookie dough looks like. Stop mixing as soon as the thing in your bowl looks like this.
d) Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (or, even better, 375° convection). Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly.
e) Shape cookies into cute little 1/2" balls (a 1/2 tsp. is handy for this), and roll in cinnamon sugar mix. Flatten slightly between the palms of your hands (I think they come out most perfectly round this way). Bake about 6-8 minutes or until cookies just start to get golden and delicious-looking.
2) Now it's cupcake time! First, line your cupcake pans. (Trust me. Once your batter is ready, it's better to get it in the oven sooner than later.) If you want, pre-heat your oven to 350°F (325° convection). I usually wait until just before I pour the cupcake batter to save energy.
3) Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (make sure your salt doesn't get stuck in your sifter). Set aside.
4) Using your fancy robotic mixing device, cream together butter, sugar, eggs (adding one at a time), and vanilla extract.
5) With your fancy robotic mixing device on a setting no higher than medium (or 3 on a Kitchenaid) alternate gradually add flour mixture and milk to your creamy mixture, ending with flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a baking spatula inbetween mixing. Don't mix any longer than it takes to make the batter smooth.
6) Using a big spoon or pouring from a handy dandy liquid measuring cup, fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Firmly tap your pan against the kitchen counter a couple times to level the batter and liners and also to let any air bigger air bubbles rise out of the batter.
7) Bake cupcakes for 12-15 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch. Let set 5 minutes before removing from the pan to cool on wire rack. Yes, you have to wait for them to cool ALL the way before you can frost them! You can do it. I believe in you.
8) While the cupcakes are baking or cooling, is a great time to make frosting. It's really easy. Pretty much just put all the ingredients in your mixer with the whisk attachment and mix them up. It works best if you cream the butter and shortening together and then add the powdered sugar gradually, scraping the sides of the bowl periodically.
9) DEVOUR THE AWESOMENESS!!!
I am quite done talking now. Listen to this awesome song that reminds me of *gasp* me!:
