Told You I've Been Busy!

So I know that the SuperBowl was more than 2 months ago but I never got around to posting a blog about the food I made for the party I went to!

We went up to my friend Mary Grace’s place to watch the game and she had asked me to make something for the party but I had the hardest time coming up with just one thing to bring to the party so I decided to make 3 things: Cream Cheese & Chicken Rolls, Cappuccino Cookies and Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Carmel Swiss Meringue Buttercream (which I had originally seen on Beantown Baker ) I wasn't so sure about the Chocolate Bacon cupcakes but I figured 'Hey its the SuperBowl, why not?!' Well they were a big hit with the guys so it is definitely a keeper!

First there is:

Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

200 grams of dark chocolate, chopped
3 sticks butter (340 g), at room temperature
2-1/4 cups sugar (250 g)
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour (165 g)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (23 g)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 pound uncooked bacon

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Cook the bacon until crispy. Chop the bacon into very small pieces and set aside.

Place chocolate and butter in a metal bowl and put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until everything is melted.

Remove the bowl from the water and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.

When the chocolate mixture is cool, beat with an electric mixer or your stand mixer for 3 minutes. The mixture will get just a tad thicker.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between each one. After two or three eggs, the mixture will start to get thicker and shinier.

Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the dry ingredients. Mix on a low speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Add the bacon and fold it in with a spatula.

Scoop the batter into cupcake cups until 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.

Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1 1/4 cups sugar (250 g), separated in half (1/2 c + 2 Tbsp per half, or 125 g)

1/4 cup water
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 large egg whites or enough powdered egg whites and water
Pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
1 tsp vanilla

Make the caramel

Place half of the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear. Let the syrup come to a boil, washing down the sides with a wet pastry brush if necessary to prevent crystals from forming.
Boil the syrup, swirling occasionally, until it changes color to dark amber (~340° on a candy thermometer).

Immediately remove from the heat (the sugar will burn if it gets to 350°). Carefully add the cream, standing away from the pan since the mixture will bubble a lot. Stir the caramel until smooth and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool. (I actually put the bowl into an ice bath, stirring occasionally, to help it cool faster.)

While the caramel cools, place the rest of the sugar, the egg whites and the salt in the metal bowl of a standing mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water. Whisk continuously until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 140° Fahrenheit.

Fit the standing mixer with the whisk attachment and put the bowl in place. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it is stiff.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and begin adding the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time. Beat until the butter is no longer visible, and add in more, until it is all added. At some point it will look curdled and broken, but just keep on beating and beating until it gets smooth again. This could take a few minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment and add the caramel and vanilla extract. Beat on low until combined and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

At this point you can frost your cupcakes, or you can refrigerate the buttercream for up to 2 days. When you want to use it, take it out of the fridge and bring to room temperature, about an hour. Rebeat in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

***Swiss meringue buttercream has become my absolute favorite frosting! It is so light and fluffy but has a great buttery taste!***

Next we have:

Cappuccino Cookies from I Heart Sugar

Makes About 30

Ingredients:

2 envelopes instant cappuccino powder

1 Tbsp. hot water

1 Cup butter, softened

Scant ¾ Cup superfine sugar

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

2 ½ Cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

6 oz white chocolate, broken in pieces

Unsweetened cocoa, for dusting

Directions:

Empty the cappuccino envelopes into a small bowl and stir in the hot water to make a paste. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, then beat in the egg yolk and cappuccino paste. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Halve the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Stamp out cookies with a 2 ½ in round cookie cutters and put them on the prepared cookie sheets, spaced well apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on the sheets for 5-10 minutes, then using a metal spatula, carefully transfer to wire racks to completely cool. When the cookies are cool place the wire racks over a sheet of parchment paper. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of gently simmering water until melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool, then spoon the chocolate over the cookies; gently tap the wire racks to level the surface and let set. Dust with cocoa before serving.

And Finally:

Chicken Crescent Rolls

By Me!

2 Cans Crescent rolls

1 can Tyson Chunks White Chicken, drained and shredded

1 8oz package cream cheese, semi softened

Salt

Pepper

Other seasonings to taste

Combine chicken, cream cheese and all seasonings in a bowl till well combined. Spoon about a tablespoon or more of filling onto each crescent roll, wrap up the crescent rolls and place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving them.