Traced Elements

Tag: recipe

  • Spelt Bread for the New Pemberton Bakers

    Spelt Bread for the New Pemberton Bakers

    Hi everyone, and thank you for visiting this website and thank you as ever to Lisa for running it. It is a lot of fun to contribute to – now more than ever. I see at the Pemberton Supermarket that there are store-packaged containers of yeast! The usual small amount of yeast that the store stocks in jars is apparently not enough for everyone (including myself) making bread these days. I think it is wonderful. I have been making my own bread for years. A warning however – do not buy large quantities of yeast at a place like Costco, in bulk. Yeast loses its power after a while, so buy it in small jars (after this Covid crisis is over). Bread takes patience and time and it is very disappointing when your bread doesn’t rise due to outdated yeast!

    This is the recipe I have tweaked over the years. I meant to post it last June but I scrolled down today and noticed that either the recipe got bumped off or I didn’t actually post it like I meant to! Sorry about that. This bread is especially good for toast in the am. There was a butter shortage last week when I got to the Pemberton Supermarket so I bought what was left – organic butter at $10.00 per pound – yikes! We were rationing it at that price. Thank you to the Pemberton Supermarket which during regular times is well stocked, clean, friendly, and bright, but during this crisis is doing a wonderful job supplying our community.

    Delicious Fibre-full Spelt Bread (yield: 2 loaves)

    Ingredients:

    7 cups whole grain spelt flour

    (I used the Everland brand this time but Bob’s Red Mill works well too. I have recently had all my Anita’s brand sprouted spelt flour go rancid on me recently even being kept in the freezer so I am not going to use it or recommend it for the time being.)

    4 tsp instant dry yeast

    1 tbs table salt

    1 cup ground chia seed (MUST be ground first)

    1.5 cups slow old-fashioned oats

    3 ¼ cup water

    1/3 cup unsalted butter

    1 cup oat bran

    Method:

    Put 4 cups flour into stand mixer, and add: yeast, salt, oats, chia. Mix well with dough hook.

    In saucepan place water and butter, over low heat. When butter has melted remove from heat and add to mixer, with mixer on low speed.

    When flour and water mixture are well incorporated, add oat bran and 3 cups of flour slowly.

    Increase speed to medium. When dough is elastic and well mixed (10 minutes), remove dough and place in a large buttered mixing bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in oven with oven light on for 1 hour.

    After one hour, remove dough and divide in half. Take each half and roll into a cylinder. Place each cylinder into a greased loaf pan. You will have two loaves.

    Place loaf pans into oven with oven light on for 1 hour.

    Remove pans from oven after one hour and then turn on oven to 375C.

    Bake loaves for 30-32 minutes. Cool on rack. Enjoy!

  • Perfect for a cold day – Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken With Biscuits

    Perfect for a cold day – Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken With Biscuits

    You know those days.

    The ones that are cold, wet and miserable and you walk the dog only to feel chilled to the bones. Or it’s snowing so hard you just want to curl up in front of the fire with a good book and a huge mug of coffee. The ones when all you want to do is eat comfort food, but with the least amount of effort to make it.

    Well I found it in this recipe for Creamy Chicken with Biscuits. 🙂 Place all the ingredients (except the biscuits) in the slow cooker and leave it to do it’s thing for 3 to 6 hours, depending on the temperature setting you choose! Isn’t the slow cooker magic?

    And what makes this recipe even better are those biscuits. You could go the extra easy [ie lazy] route and buy some store-bought ready-made biscuits OR you could make up the simple recipe that’s included for Easy Drop Biscuits. Just put all the ingredients in a food processor and mix together. I ended up bringing mine together on the counter so I really felt that I had put the effort in, and because all I really have is a hand blender chopper thing so it doesn’t work quite as well! 😉

    Anyway, boy were they worth it! They made the dish even better and merited the 10 minutes it took to make them. Flaky, buttery and oh so yummy.

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup whole milk

    Directions

    1. Heat oven to 400° F.
    2. In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, baking powder, and salt; pulse until pea-size clumps form.
    3. Add the milk and pulse just until moistened.
    4. Drop 6 large mounds of the dough (about ½ cup each) onto a baking sheet.
    5. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

    Now you know what to throw in the slow cooker on the next cold, wet, miserable day. You’re welcome!

  • Another soup – Sweet Potato and Red Lentil!

    Another soup – Sweet Potato and Red Lentil!

    As I sit here it is -5 (feeling like -10 and going to drop down to -13 later). So that calls for only one thing. A big bowl of something steaming and filling and nourishing for the soul.

    I’ve wanted to make a soup with lentils for ages, mainly because I have a tried and tested Chicken and Red Lentil Curry with Toasted Cashew Nuts that I absolutely love! So, after a quick search on Pinterest, this recipe for Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup caught my eye.

    It’s a super thick soup, almost a puree, hence really filling. Plus:

    • There’s 485% of your daily recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A. Essential for keeping all your vital organs in working order!
    • There are only 309 calories per serving, or 15% of calorie intake on a 2000 calorie per day diet.
    • The fat content is just 2g, only 3% of your daily recommended dietary allowance.

    With it being so low in calories and fat it’s good for those currently on a weight loss plan (like me – again!). Although I may have negated all the goodness with the “drop” of cream and fresh slices of bread!

    Let me know if you have any other lentil soups for me to try and I hope you like this one!

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 onion diced
    • 1 kg sweet potatoes peeled and diced
    • 1.5 L vegetable stock
    • 210 g red split lentils
    • 1 tsp ground turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
    • Freshly ground salt and pepper
    • 1 tbsp coriander chopped

    Directions

    1. Gently heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the diced onion to soften it, stirring occasionally for about 4 – 5 minutes. Then add the diced potatoes and continue to stir for a further 3 – 4 minutes.
    2. Add the vegetable stock, lentils, ground turmeric and mild chilli powder.
    3. Stir well, bring to the boil and turn down to simmer gently for 20 –25 minutes until all the mixture is completely softened. Remove from the heat.
    4. When the soup has cooled a little, blitz it in a blender / food processor and return to the pan, season to taste, garnish with the chopped coriander and then serve.
    5. Serve with fresh bread.
  • Soup for (F)all seasons!

    Soup for (F)all seasons!

    I just took the dog for a walk. It was chilly and windy. It was Fall in Pemberton.

    There’s only one thing for those kind of days and that’s a delicious, hearty bowl of soup with some fresh crusty bread, still warm if you can find it.

    I have two go to recipes. Roasted Butternut Squash, one of my all-time favourites, and Cock-a-Leekie which I love because it harks back to the Scottish side of my family and is quick and simple to make, well my version anyway!

    To make my uncomplicated variation all you will need is celery, leeks, carrots, potatoes and chicken breasts cooked together to miraculously become a wonderful warming soup.

    The traditional version includes other ingredients including prunes and oatmeal, and I have never made it this way, but the simplified version allows all the vegetables to shine – especially the leeks who are the stars of the bowl!

    Whichever version you attempt this will certainly warm you up on a cold Fall, or even Winter’s, day. Enjoy!

    Ingredients

    • 2 sticks of celery, sliced
    • 2 leeks, sliced
    • 2 carrots, sliced
    • 4 to 5 potatoes, diced
    • 2 chicken breasts, cubed
    • 1 to 1.5 litres chicken stock
    • Salt and pepper

    Directions

    1. In a large stock pot heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and add in the celery and leeks and cook over a medium-high heat to soften.

    2. Add in the carrots and potatoes.

    3. Pour over the stock.

    4. Add in the chicken.

    5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    6. Bring everything up to boil and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes have softened and the chicken is cooked.

    7. Serve with fresh bread.

  • Peaches, from Peachland no less!

    Peaches, from Peachland no less!

    Recently we went on a bit of road trip, starting out by heading to the Canmore / Cochrane area and then heading down to Fernie and Nelson. Our last stop, while covering some 3,000 kms, before heading home was to Peachland. We found a lovely little AirBNB right slap bang in the middle of wine country! (Don’t worry we both sampled wine and brought some back with us! 😉 )

    However, it was our host that offered us the peaches, and right from her very own garden.

    (Did you know? Peaches have been cultivated in the Okanagan since the 1890s and are available July through September.)

    Anyway, who was I to say no? Of course, having received said peaches I had to find the right recipe with which to showcase them.

    Okanagan Peaches
    Okanagan Peaches

    I wanted to make some kind of pie and have been searching for the ultimate pastry recipe for ever. Well I think I finally found it with this recipe for a Rustic Peach Galette with Orange [and Ginger – which I didn’t add as it’s not my very favourite!].

    The pastry in this galette is melt in the mouth soft, explodes with the flavour of the oranges (even more so as I used the orange juice to bind it all together) and has a lovely crumbly texture. In fact, it was to die for – no exaggeration!

    The peaches were soft and not too sweet and really showcased the very best of the Okanagan.

    For all the above reasons, this recipe is a keeper and I would encourage you all to try making it before peach season is over. It is can be especially enjoyed warm from the oven with a nice helping of decent vanilla ice cream.

    Peach Galette
    Peach Galette

    Ingredients

    Pastry

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tsp granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
    • 1/4 cup ice water

    Filling

    • 4 peaches, sliced 1/2 thick
    • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
    • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp orange juice
    • 2 tsp grated ginger
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp butter

    Additional Ingredients

    • 1 egg
    • 2 tbsp milk
    • 2 tbsp coarse sugar
    • 1 small sprig basil
    • 1/2 cup ice cream

    Directions

    1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the butter, and using a fork crush and mix the butter into the flour until it is coated and becomes the size of small peas. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until it forms into a dough. Shape into a 1 inch disc, wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

    2. Preheat oven to 425°.

    3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, orange juice, grated ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, until smooth. Add the peach slices and toss gently to coat.

    4. Remove the dough and place on a large, lightly floured, piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough out to a 14-15 inch circle. Starting from about 1 inch from the edge, layer the peach slices on their sides clockwise, one at a time, ensuring they lay on top of each slightly. Continue, working your way to the centre of the galette until the galette is filled. The peaches will be higher in the centre than the edges. Fold the edges of the dough up in 2-3 inch sections, over top the outer layer of peaches covering them by about half. Dot the peaches with 1/2 teaspoon chunks of butter.

    5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make egg wash. Brush a light layer of egg wash on the crust then sprinkle with coarse sugar.

    6. Place the galette on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for 20 minutes, until the peaches are bubbling and the crust is gold brown. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

    7. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few small basil leaves.

    Peach Galette
    Warm Peach Galette with vanilla ice cream

     

  • Zucchini – again!

    Zucchini – again!

    It seems to be that time of year again! So many people I know are offering up their excess zucchini’s as they have too many and don’t know what to do with them!

    So when my neighbour put out a post saying she had some up for grabs I volunteered to take one of her hands. And it was a monster! So much so that I made to make up half as much again of the recipe I found. This meant that I could make four mini-loaves and one standard size loaf. Good job I’m a fan of zucchini bread.

    Besides, I gifted back two of the mini-loaves for her, and her family, to enjoy! 🙂

    The Mini Zucchini Loaf recipe I found included walnuts which I didn’t have on hand, but the pecans worked just as well!

    So, if you have any spare zucchini’s I won’t say no. 😉

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2-3 zucchini)
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 cup chopped walnuts

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two [or three] 5 1/2 by 3-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and then spray paper.
    2. To reduce the moisture, press the grated zucchini between sheets of paper towel. When most of the moisture has been absorbed, you can fluff with your hands or a fork and then set aside.
    3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
    4. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, almond extract and eggs and mix until well combined. Stir in the zucchini.
    5. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in nuts. Divide batter between the two mini loaf pans. If you have extra batter, you can drop liners into a muffin pan and make a few zucchini muffins.
    6. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Use a toothpick to test – if it comes out clean, it’s ready to take out. Let cool for about 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from the pan to cool completely.

  • Dirty Apron – Cooking School

    Dirty Apron – Cooking School

    For Christmas my OH surprised with an experience of a 4-hour hands on cooking class at the Dirty Apron in Vancouver. Not, he hastily added, because there is anything wrong with my cooking, but that it may give me tips and the confidence to try new things.

    After Christmas I browsed on their website for available dates and to see what course I would like to try based on ingredients used and techniques I could learn.

    So on 12th May I headed to Beatty Street for my “BC Dine & Vine – Wine & Food Pairings From Our Own Backyard” class.

    Along with 17 other people I first sampled some freshly baked bread with sparkling wine before we got down to the real business at hand.

    Each course was individually cooked in front of us by our instructor, giving pointers along the way, ie how to hold the knife when cutting, how to know when your sauce has reduced enough etc, and then we were sent to our stations to cook each course ourselves. The ingredients were all provided, along with the equipment we needed, so all we had to do was cook everything and then we got to eat it, paired with a BC wine. And while we were eating the kitchen fairies came in and cleared everything away in preparation for the next course!

    There were four courses in all:

    • Spot Prawn Gyoza with Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
    • Crispy Seared Duck Breast with Orange Gastrique and Apple and Green Bean Sauté
    • Crisp Seared Salmon with Horseradish Crème Fraiche and Scallion Potato Rosti
    • Apple Almond Tart

    What did I learn? How to mince my own garlic so much that it was almost a paste, not to panic when water hits a gas flame (thank god I use an electric ceramic hob!), leave the ingredient in the pan and not move it around constantly (ie have patience) and it’s okay to cheat (ie buy store bought puff pastry!).

    If you ever get the chance to head down, either for a demo class or a hands on class, I highly recommend it. Even better if you can get a small group of you together, although I am sure that everything would pretty soon become a competition! 😉

    So, as promised, here’s the recipe for Spot Prawn Gyoza with Dipping Sauce:

    Ingredients

    (Makes 10)

    Gyoza Filling

    • 60 g Prawn meat (minced)
    • 15 ml Carrots (finely chopped)
    • 15 ml Leek (finely chopped)
    • 15 ml Celery (finely chopped)
    • 1 pc Green Onion (finely chopped)
    • 1 tbsp Chives (chopped)
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 15 g Ginger
    • 10 mL Yuzu Juice
    • 5 mL Soy Sauce
    • 5 mL Sesame Oil
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 10 BC Spot Prawns
    • 10 Gyoza Skins

    Classic Dipping Sauce

    • 30 ml Soy Sauce
    • 15 ml Rice Wine Vinegar
    • 15 ml Chili Oil

    Directions 

    (For steaming but can be deep fried)

    1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
    2. Heat a pan to medium-high; add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
    3. Place gyoza in pan and sear bottom.
    4. Turn heat down to medium and add ¼ cup of water and place lid on top to steam for 3 – 4 minutes.
    5. Carefully remove from pan with a spatula.
    6. Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix.

    Folding Gyoza

    1. Place a spoonful of filling off centre on wonton wrapper. Lay peeled Spot Prawn atop filling.
    2. Using fingertip moisten the outer edge of the wrapper with water.
    3. Fold in half, using fingertips to crimp the two sides together, creating a seam on top of gyoza.
  • Dinner made easy – Chicken Divan

    Dinner made easy – Chicken Divan

    So my OH has been away, galavanting off to the UK and Spain, leaving me with the dog, and the chores, for just over a week on my own. (Don’t get me wrong – it’s been great catching up with episodes of Desperate Housewives and enjoying some peace and quiet!)

    It has also left me with the chance to take a day off work just so I can go and collect him from the airport. At least it gets me out of the “bubble”, right?

    The flight is due to land in the early afternoon so, with the drive and subsequent stops, on the way back, I thought it would be ideal if I could make something in advance for dinner that I can just reheat and serve when we get home. Luckily, Martha came to my rescue when this recipe popped in to my Facebook feed!

    Now, I’d never heard of Chicken Divan before but apparently it’s a chicken casserole usually served with broccoli, almonds, and Mornay sauce that was named after the place of its invention, the Divan Parisienne Restaurant in the New York City Chatham Hotel where it was served as the signature dish in the early twentieth century. So there you go!

    I have since seen a few recipes on Pinterest that use Cream of Mushroom Soup but there’s nothing more satisfying than making it all from scratch (time permitting). So, hopefully it tastes great and my efforts will be appreciated!

    Note this recipe serves 6 to 8 people – I guess we’ll have plenty of leftovers! 😉

    Ingredients

    • 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 5 cups)
    • 680g (1 1/2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
    • 225g cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
    • 4 tbsps unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 3 tbsps unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 3 cups whole milk, room temperature
    • 255g shredded medium-sharp cheddar (3 cups)
    • 2 tsps Dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
    • Cooked egg noodles or steamed white rice, for serving (or whatever you prefer)

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large straight-sided skillet, simmer 1/2 cup water over medium-high heat, then add broccoli and a pinch of salt. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain well, then transfer to a large bowl; set aside. Wipe out skillet.

    2. Pat chicken dry; season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken; set aside.
    3. In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter, then add onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Slowly add milk, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 9 minutes. Add 2 cups cheese, Dijon, Worcestershire, cayenne, and sour cream; stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add cheese sauce to bowl with broccoli, followed by chicken and accumulated juices; toss to combine. Transfer to a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
    4. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, panko, and remaining 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle over broccoli-and-chicken mixture. Bake until bubbly and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then serve over noodles or rice.
  • Banana Bread – another variation, with cream cheese frosting!

    Banana Bread – another variation, with cream cheese frosting!

    I’d seen this recipe months ago while, undoubtedly, searching for something entirely different on Pinterest.

    However, it caught my eye and was one of those cakes I could imagine baking up for team-mates at work or for a large get-together with friends. I mean who doesn’t like banana bread or cream cheese frosting?

    So the opportunity to try this recipe came up because we were meeting up with two sets of friends and would be able to share the banana bread love. But then one of the get-togethers we had planned, cancelled at the last minute. This meant that there was far more cake to eat, on our own, than was anticipated! But, as it turned out, this cake is so light and the frosting is so dreamy that it was way too easy to eat more than one serving.

    There goes the waistline – again!

    Ingredients

    For the Banana Bread Cake

    • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup sour cream full-fat is best
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 or 3 bananas

    For the Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 1 bar (8 oz/227 g) cream cheese full-fat is best
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

    Directions

    1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
    2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Blend together until combined and creamy.
    3. In small bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to break up clumps. Add it into the wet batter and stir with spatula just until mixed and no flour pockets remain.
    4. Add mashed banana and gently stir together. Dump batter into the baking dish and spread out evenly. It makes it easier if you dump large spoonfuls of the batter all over the baking dish, instead of just one big pile of batter.
    5. Cook for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle does not come out with wet batter. The edges and top will be light browned. Mine takes about 32 minutes.
    6. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
    7. To make frosting: beat butter and cream cheese together until combined. Add in vanilla extract, 2 cups of the powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Beat together until frosting forms. Add more powdered sugar and/or milk until desired frosting consistency is reached.* NOTE: if you use anything other than heavy whipping cream, start with 1 tablespoon and work from there. Heavy cream is so thick that you need more of it, lower fat milks you will need less of.
    8. Cut into squares and garnish each piece with banana slices and chopped walnuts.

    Please don’t blame me if this becomes your next favourite Banana Bread recipe! I will certainly be making it again!

  • Just a couple of cupcakes!

    Just a couple of cupcakes!

    Monday 25th February was National Cupcake Day. Well, it was for SPCAs and Humane Societies across Canada, who encourage the baking and selling of cupcakes as a way to raise money.

    As Qanik was fortunate to have one of his images chosen to be part of the 2019 campaign it seemed only fair that I do my bit too.

    So, having chosen the Victoria Humane Society as my nearest participating society, I had to decide on what cupcakes I was going to make and then get people, mostly work colleagues, to purchase them!

    I decided on giving potential buyers the option of three different flavours:

    The orders started making their way to me and, on Sunday, I spent most of the day baking and icing 89 cupcakes! The flavour that received the most requests was the Dark Chocolate with PB Frosting so here it is for you to make and try for yourself!

    Ingredients

    For the Cupcakes

    •  8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
    •  2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
    •  ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    •  ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    •  ½ teaspoon baking soda
    •  ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    •  2 eggs
    •  ¾ cup granulated sugar
    •  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    •  ½ teaspoon table salt
    •  ½ cup sour cream

    For the Peanut Butter Frosting

    •  1 cup icing sugar
    •  1 cup creamy peanut butter
    •  5 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
    •  ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    •  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    •  ⅓ cup heavy cream

    Directions

    1. Make the Cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and pre-heat to 350˚ F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325˚ F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.
    2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat the mixture until the butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
    3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
    4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs then add the sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in the sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is fully mixed and thick.
    5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin pan cups. Bake until a skewer inserted into centre of the cupcakes comes out clean, approx. 18 to 20 minutes.
    6. Cool cupcakes in the muffin pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

    1. Make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Place the icing 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.
    2. Assemble the Cupcakes: Frost the cupcakes with an offset spatula, or with a decorating tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip and a rose pattern). Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

    Want to know how to frost in a rose pattern? Check out this quick video tutorial.

    My cupcakes were a success and I managed to raise over $300.00 for my chosen charity. Next up are muffins and dog treats for Treat Week for the Sea to Sky BC SPCA!