Thursday, September 23, 2010

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!

What makes the history of Snickerdoodles so interesting?
 

1. You won't find recipes for snickerdoodles in early American cookbooks.
---You WILL find plenty of recipes for currant (they are like raisins) cakes and jumbles combining sweet spices, nuts and dried fruits
2. Some food historians say snickerdoodles are a New England recipe [English origin].
---Others say it is from the Pennsylvania Dutch or German origin.


ACTUALLY! None of that is that interesting to me….what I find most fascinating about the snickerdoodle..is its taste- it is so damn good!
This past Wednesday Top Chef “Just Desserts" premiered! So in honor of the show’s début I had to bake something! (What? I can’t watch a cooking show especially one dedicated to desserts and not eat while watching! )
Since Snickerdoodle cookies are the office favorite I decided to instead bake the classic cookie as a cupcake! Ironically enough the first “quick bake” challenge on the show was a cupcake challenge.
There is not much more I can really say about this cupcake, it is really quick and easy to make, and the icing is divine. Best icing I have made yet-due to the use of a real vanilla bean I am sure!

Warning: my camera broke... of course it would..perfect timing..after telling the world about my blog..sigh..anyway a new camera is coming my way soon, so for this entry please bear with me. I took the photos on my cell phone..however if you'd like to see a more aesthetically appetizing photo visit the busty baker site!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes
Makes 28 cupcakes

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
4. Divide the batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full (about 2 tablespoons batter). Bake, rotating halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool in tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, for dusting
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for dusting

If you are not aware of how to scrape a vanilla bean see below:
-cut vanilla bean down the middle in half
-scrape our sides of vanilla bean

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, vanilla beans, and salt, and beat until combined. Add confectioner’s sugar, a half cup at a time, beating until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Using a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip, pipe frosting onto cupcake: hold bag over cupcake with the tip just above the surface and squeeze to create a blob of frosting, then release pressure and pull up to form a peak.
3. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Dust mixture over top the peaks.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I made these also when I was trying to decide on what cupcakes to make for the wedding! Snickerdoodles are kevins favorite cookie, so i thought it would be good for the wedding...they were really good, but after a day or so they got to dry. And since I was the one cooking for the wedding a day or so inadvance was what i needed...so needless to say I liked them but I didn't use them for the wedding day, I did make a swiss meringue icing instead...my fav icing!

Unknown said...

yummy!!!! i want one :)

Jillian said...

I was going through all of your recipes and I decided that I am going to make these in the morning to take to North Carolina tomorrow. It will be just my mom, sister and me and we need something sweet to snack on all weekend! These look amazing!

Kimmie said hers turned out dry, what can I do to change that??

M.E. said...

you are too sweet jillybean! mine were fine..but i did have 4 guys helping me consume these babies!
so i didnt really experience the dryness. i really feel that it depends on every persons oven.
sometimes my sweets are moist, not cooked enough..or on the dryer side. if you rather a snickerdoodle cookie recipe..i have one..just havent gotten around to posting it yet! let me know..and lets catch up soon! xo-m.e.