As I was putting together my holiday cookie tin I realized there was a severe problem. Not enough chocolate. And then I realized there was another severe problem. I was already out of butter. Fortunately there are a few cookies you you can make without butter, and this is one of them.

I added instant espresso and I don’t think I’ll ever make them the regular plain chocolate way again. They were definitely popular both at home and at work, where I had to take a bunch of them so I wouldn’t inhale the entire plate. Once they were all packed up it was back to Sunday grading with a little vegetable and hummus snack.

My weekends are thrilling!

I love the way these are transformed in the oven. You’ll need to plan ahead a little bit because the dough needs to chill, but it’s definitely worth the wait. (And I promise I will post some healthier stuff very soon, but right now all I can think about is baking for Christmas!)

Recipe:
(adapted from Betty Crocker)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix the oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and instant espresso.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until firm

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment. Put the powdered sugar in a bowl.

Roll about a tablespoon of dough into a ball between your hands, then coat with powdered sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheets, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until just set.

Let cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

I am doing cupcakes and cake for a wedding in a few months, and I have been using that as an excuse to try tons of new recipes. The last time I attempted a marble cake I stirred far too much and ended up with a light brown cake and no marble at all. Huge bummer. This time I gently dragged a spoon through the cake pans just a few times, and I was really excited to cut into the cake and see the pretty marbling I was hoping for!

This recipe was supposed to make a 2-layer 8″ cake but I made 2 6″ layers and 2 cupcakes. I like thick layers, so next time I might skip the cupcakes and just make the 6″ layers. The frosting is simple but rich, and plays nicely off the vanilla-mocha cake

This cake was also my first experience working with marshmallow fondant. I realize marshmallows are not vegetarian, but since I’m more in the not-eating-meat camp than the strict-vegetarian camp, I tasted a bite, and it was actually better than I was expecting. I think it really helped that it was right on top of a layer of rich chocolate frosting! My biggest piece of advice when working with fondant is to not be shy with the powdered sugar. I had it all over my counter and hands, but it definitely kept it form becoming a sticky mess. With the right amount of powdered sugar, it’s incredibly easy to work with. I found the recipe for the fondant at About.com.

Recipe:
(adapted from Zoe Bakes)

cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 full-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons milk
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

frosting
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line the bottom of two 6″ round pans with parchment.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, yogurt and vanilla, and mix well. Add the milk 2 tbsp at a time, alternating with the flour mixture (mix until smooth after each addition).

Combine the chocolate and espresso powder and stir until smooth.

Divide the batter in half and add the chocolate mixture to one half. Spoon some of the vanilla batter into the bottom of each pan, then top with a few spoonfuls of mocha batter. Add more vanilla batter, then gently drag a spoon through to create a marble pattern.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the layers are completely cool, make the frosting. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then let cool slightly.

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 1 minute. Add the chocolate, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and beat until creamy and smooth. If the frosting is too stiff, add milk 1/4 tsp at a time, until the frosting is spreadable.

I wasn’t going to bake for a few weeks. I made those Double Ginger Cookies a few days ago, ate way too many of them, and realized it would probably be best for that marathon I’m running (in 11 days. OMG.) if I didn’t go crazy with sugar for awhile.

But today was my Sister-in-Law’s birthday AND Mike found out he got a new job (!!!) so the no-baking plans were scrapped and celebratory cupcakes were made. My sister-in-law drinks a lot of coffee, so dark chocolate mocha cupcakes with coffee buttercream seemed like a natural choice. The dark chocolate stars are just piped melted chocolate – easy but decorative and delicious.

Obviously, if you like either coffee or chocolate, these will be hard to resist. I think it’s easiest to use instant coffee for baking, so that’s what I did here, for both the cake and the frosting. If you’d rather brew some espresso, I’m sure that would work too.

Recipe:
(adapted from Evil Shenanigans)

cupcakes
3/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons strong coffee (or three tablespoons warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon instant coffee)

frosting
4 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

a few ounces of dark chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cocoa) in a medium bowl.

Beat the egg and egg white gently with a fork, then stir in the buttermilk, vanilla, melted butter, and coffee. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until most of the lumps are gone. Divide evenly among the cupcake tins and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, dissolve the coffee in the warm water. Beat the butter, coffee-water, and vanilla in a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy and spreadable, adding a few drops of milk if too dry. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

To make the chocolate decorations: Put the melted chocolate in a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe designs onto parchment. Transfer to the fridge for about 30 mintues to set, then place the decorations on the iced cupcakes.

This cake is pretty rich, so cut the pieces small, but if you like mocha, you’re in the right place!

Chocolate Genoise(from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard)

6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) melted butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted 3 times<

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line the bottoms of two 9 x 2" round pans, and grease the sides.
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer.  Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over the simmering water, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to 110 F.
Remove the bowl from the heat and place on the mixer.  Beat with a whisk attachment on high for 5 to 8 minutes.  The eggs should be very light in color and 3 times the original volume.  Turn down to medium and mix 2 minutes more.
With the mixer on low, drizzle in the melted butter and mix until incorporated.
Combine the cocoa powder, hot water, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir well to eliminate any lumps.  Carefully fold into the egg foam using a balloon whisk.
Add the flour to the foam all at once and fold it in carefully with the whisk, just until incorporated, maintaining as much of the foam as possible.
Pour into the pans, and tap each pan lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles. Swirl the pans a few times so the batter comes up the sides a little.  
Bake about 25 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you press lightly on the middle.  It will also pull away slightly from the sides of the pan.  
Let cool on a rack (still in the pans) for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and remove the parchment to cool completely.<

Coffee Cream
(adapted from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard)

1 3/4 cups milk (I used 1% and it worked just fine – I wouldn’t use skim though!)
1/4 cup hot water mixed with 1 tbsp instant espresso powder (or 1/4 cup espresso)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch salt
3 large eggs, chilled
1 tbsp softened butter

Sift together cornstarch, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl and add sifted dry ingredients.  Whisk until fluffy.
Bring milk, espresso, and 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
Drizzle slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.  Transfer the entire mixture back into the pan that the milk was in.
Rapidly whisk the mixture, and allow to boil for about 3 minutes, or until it has the consistency of pudding.  
Remove from heat. 
Rinse the bowl the eggs were in and dry it. 
Strain the pastry cream into the bowl and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill for several hours, until cool. If you want to speed the cooling process, place the bowl in an ice bath and stir every few minutes until cool.

Mocha Frosting
(from epicurious.com)
10 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant espresso
1 tbsp corn syrup

Mix the vanilla and instant espresso in a small bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (with a paddle attachment), beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy.  Pour in the melted chocolate and continue to beat on medium speed.
Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, a little at a time.  
Add the vanilla mixture and corn syrup and beat on medium for about 1 minute, until uniformly mixed.
To assemble the cake, cut each layer of genoise in half.  Spread the bottom with 1/3 of the coffee cream, then place another cake layer on top of it.  Spread this layer with another 1/3 of the coffee cream.  Repeat, then place the last cake layer on the top.  Frost with the mocha frosting