Of Steaks and Superbowls

Well, I wasn't exactly invested in the Superbowl (but then again, I never am) but I do like it as an excuse to make fatty foods. So even though we only had one guest over, we had three kinds of dip, three kinds of things TO dip (potato chips, carrots, and pita chips), potato salad (deliciously prepared by Bill) watermelon - yes I know it's February - steak sandwiches with corn mayonnaise, caramelized onions, lots of gooey cheese, tomato and avocado...and of course, cupcakes.

Chocolate cupcakes. With salty peanut butter frosting. And chocolate ganache swirls (I still had some ganache leftover).

Sadly, I am currently too full to eat the cupcakes. But there is time.

The cupcake recipe comes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home, as does the peanut butter frosting recipe (which she attributes to Kathleen King of Tate's Bakeshop. I did make some substitutions, however. For the cupcakes, I substituted powdered buttermilk for fresh and drained whole milk yogurt for the sour cream. I also used dark cocoa powder since it was what I had. They turned out just as delicious as when made according to recipe. One thing to watch out for, though, is that these cupcake will dry out fast. They are not a boxed mix and so do not have the chemicals and preservatives that keep them fluffy and soft for a few days - eat them within a day or two of being made.

For the frosting, I added a little sour cream, extra salt (I like the frosting to be a little salty) and also used 1% milk instead of cream - since it is what we had. I halved both recipes and easily made and frosted 12 cupcakes - perfect for a Superbowl party of three!

Chocolate Cupcakes
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.


Peanut Butter Frosting
Tate's Bakeshop

* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.