Peanut Butter and Julie

A Colorful Chocolate Celebration Cake & Red Velvet Cupcakes

O.K.  Show of hands:  At some point during this past weekend, how many of you found yourselves singing the song from the viral wedding video that captivated America via YouTube last week?  In the event that you have been living under a boulder, please click here to catch up with the rest of us.

For me, this now infectious ditty popped into my head not once, but several times.  Absentmindedly pushing my shopping cart down the produce section, I suddenly started bobbing my head and smiling a goofy grin (which, incidentally, is a side effect of watching the celebration.)  Whether I was folding the laundry, waiting in traffic, or trying to fall asleep at night, there it was, accompanied by flashbacks of the joyous wedding party shimmying their way down the aisle. 

Now why didn't I think of that?  Oh, right. My rhythmically-challenged wedding party would have probably high-tailed it to the nearest exit if I had even hinted at such a thing. Well, my dad would have probably enjoyed it, but that's all...

By the way--just my two-cents--I think that Chris Brown owes this couple a really nice wedding gift, or at least a phone call, for giving his music some much needed positive PR.  There, I'm done.

All of this celebratory hoopla was very well timed, as I was put in the optimal mood to create a festive 31st birthday cake, although it may have caused me to go a bit overboard with the color scheme.  The cake was to be a surprise for someone's boyfriend, whose name is Louie (thus the Laverne-esque "L".)  She told me that his favorite colors are gold, black, and white.  My immediate response: "Oh, so he's a Steelers fan?"  It's a logical deduction, right?  I mean, it's not every day that someone's favorite color is white.  Well, turns out that he's not a Steelers fan, which sent his girlfriend into a bit of a panic that the cake would scream Pittsburgh.  So, we decided to add red and silver into the mix.  Problem solved.

The cake itself is chocolate (see the recipe from two posts ago), Louie's favorite flavor, but the cupcakes were his girlfriend's favorite flavor, red velvet.  Personally, I have never caught on to the whole red velvet cake craze.  Maybe it's the bottle of red food coloring that is added to each batch that deters me, or maybe it's because they are traditionally served with cream cheese frosting--I don't know.  That being said, because it is a popular flavor, I still needed to have a good red velvet recipe in my repertoire.  This one stays nice and moist, thanks to the buttermilk and oil.  Sometimes I'll add some mini chocolate chips to the batter, which give each bite a nice extra punch of chocolate.  Here are a few helpful hints for making this cheerful chocolate cake:

• The contrasting colors of this cake were formed by layers of fondant.  You can achieve a similar look, however, by frosting the cake with one color and draping the fondant with the letter cut-out over the frosting.  I opted for multiple fondant layers because it has a smoother look.
• I gave the cake a shimmering effect by using edible glitter.  I brushed the surface with water and then sprinkled the glitter over the top.  I brushed the surface again to even out the glitter.
• The silver dots are adhered to the fondant with royal icing.
• The cookies on top of the cupcakes are just basic decorated sugar cookies.  I found the fluted shape after rummaging through my kitchen drawers and finding a mini tart pan.  It's a great shape to use when you need to write a longer word on the cookie.
• The cake can be baked one day in advance, but I recommend decorating the cake the day that it will be served. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes about 24

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups canola or safflower oil

2 large eggs

1/4 cup red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with cupcake liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and the oil; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the food coloring and the vanilla, beating until well incorporated.  Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.

In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda and the vinegar.  Add this mixture to the batter and beat until combined.  Fill each of the cupcake liners slightly more than halfway full with the batter.  Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, about 18 minutes.  Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Decorate the cupcakes as desired.

Classic French Napoleons

Remember me?  Vaguely?  Ouch.  I probably deserve that.  After all, I did up and desert my faithful, intelligent-beyond-their-years, and incomprehensibly attractive readers (yes, I'm groveling) for almost one month without offering any sort of warning or explanation.

I have heard from a few of you who were wondering what was going on.  "Hey Julie!  Just wanted to check and make sure that everything's O.K!" or  "Are on a summer vacation or something?  You've disappeared!"  Stuff like that.  For those of you who inquired, thank you.  Knowing that I was missed made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.  I didn't know you cared.

O.K., so here's what happened:  I just returned from the most fabulous, glamorous, month-long vacation in the South of France.  I sipped Cristal on the beach in San Tropez. I hob-nobbed with Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis on their yacht.  I devoured French cheeses, wine, and pastries without gaining an ounce......O.K., so I just might have done all of these things in my dreams.  Those dreams were really vivid though, and that counts for something, right?

Actually, I just needed a blogging break.  End of story.  I know, it's not a very interesting story, but that's the truth.  This hiatus wasn't really planned, it just happened.  If I ever lack inspiration when working on a writing assignment, the best solution usually is for me to focus on something else for awhile.  That way, I return to my writing feeling refreshed.  Well, after 305 posts, you might say that I needed to refresh, so I did.

Even though I didn't actually get on a plane an make the journey to the land of baguettes and bouillabaisse, it seems like French influences have been everywhere this month, what with Bastille Day and the arrival of my Rosetta Stone French language software.  I definitely consider myself to be a francophile, having developed a fondness for French culture, literature, and history, not to mention the cuisine.

That being said, I just do not understand the draw of the Tour de Lance, er I mean France.  Maybe it's because I had a bad spill on my bike when I was 17.....or maybe it's simply because I find the idea of watching a pack of indistinguishable men pedal for hours on end, day after day, to be a toss-up with getting a root canal.  Eric, on the other hand, can't get enough of "The Tour", as he so hip-ly calls it.  He records the race each morning and watches it upon returning from work.  If I'm lucky, I see him for about 5 minutes in between, enough time to ask him my daily question:

"Lance still in third place?"

"Yep."

Who would've thought that my husband would leave me for a guy sporting a yellow jersey?

So with a missing husband, my schedule has opened up, and I have time to work on recipes.  I decided to stick with the French theme for my return to the blogosphere, attempting something new, Napoleons.  I remember the very first time that I tried a Napoleon.  I was with my mom at a French bistro in Houston called La Madeleine.  We split one for dessert, and I thought that it was one of the best things that I had ever eaten.  The combination of the pudding-like pastry cream and the flaky, buttery layers topped with chocolate and vanilla glaze was unlike any dessert that I had ever tasted before. 

I was reminded of this sweet treat when I was flipping through Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, which contains a few different Napoleon recipes.  I opted for a variation on her more traditional Napoleons, which were surprisingly easy to prepare.  Here are a few extra tips for preparing these pretty Parisian pastries (technically, they are French pastries, but "Parisian" worked with the alliteration.):

• In Martha's version, she of course opted to used homemade puff pastry.  Guys and gals, I have attempted the homemade version before.  While this time-consuming method results in a buttery, flaky, and scrumptious product......I have found that the store-bought variety is just as good.  My advice?  Get thee to the frozen foods section.  Life is too short to make homemade puff pastry.
• The pastry cream can be prepared up to two days in advance.  Line the top surface with plastic wrap and keep chilled.
• Napoleons are a versatile dessert, allowing for creativity with the filling and topping.  You can alter the flavor of the pastry cream, or even opt for two different flavors if you are feeling ambitious.  The filling can also be supplemented with fresh berries, chocolate chips, or a layer of raspberry jam.  Sprinkle the glaze with chopped nuts, toffee bits, toasted coconut, or chocolate shavings.
• The pastries are best eaten the day that they are assembled, however they will keep overnight, covered and refrigerated.  The puff pastry will soften with refrigeration.

Classic French Napoleons

Makes 6-8 Napoleons

Ingredients:

For the vanilla pastry cream

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter, cubed

For the Napoleon

1package thawed puff pastry (approximately 1 pound--usually comes in 2 pieces)

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter, melted

3-4 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Prepare the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Cook the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch.  Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture.  Continue to add the milk mixture until it has been fully incorporated.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened, about 2 minutes longer. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter.  Mix vigorously until the butter has melted, and the mixture has cooled slightly.  Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream.  Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Prepare the Napoleons:  On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, stack the two separate pieces of thawed puff pastry, and roll them out into one 12X12 inch square.  Cut the square into three 12X4 inch strips and transfer the dough and parchment to a large baking sheet.  Prick the dough all over with a fork and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.

Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven.  Bake the pastry for 10 minutes, until golden around the edges.  Set another baking sheet directly on top of the pastry strips and continue baking for 6 minutes more.  Carefully remove the top baking sheet and bake until the pastry is baked through and golden brown, 6 minutes more.  Cool completely.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, corn syrup, butter, and enough milk to reach a consistency that is pourable but still thick.  Transfer a quarter of the glaze to a small bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder.  Transfer the chocolate glaze to a piping bad fitted with a 1/8-inch tip.

Pour the white glaze onto one of the pastry strips, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula.  Pipe lines of the chocolate glaze across the white glaze, about 1/2-inch apart.  Drag the tip of a toothpick down the length of the glazed strip in alternating directions to create a pattern.

Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip and fill it with half of the pastry cream.  Pipe an even layer of the pastry cream onto one of the remaining pastry strips.  Top with the remaining pastry strip, pressing gently to adhere.  Fill the pastry bag with the remaining pastry cream and pipe evenly onto the strip.  Place the glazed pastry on top.  Slice with a sharp knife and serve.