Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Peanut Butter Crack or Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
Chocolate Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Icing from my BFF Ina
Recipe here

So, I dream of getting invited to Ina Garten’s house in the Hamptons for dinner. Or lunch. Or brunch. Or breakfast. Okay, I’ll take anything – package of ramen, box of Mac & Cheese or a McDonald’s Happy Meal. I just love the Barefoot Contessa. And her husband, Jeffrey is just too sweet and way smart.

However, since that probably won’t be happening anytime soon, I’ll have to satisfy my Ina obsession with a few of her recipes.

The cupcakes are made with Dutch-processed cocoa (I get mine at Penzey’s or Surfas) and the peanut butter is Skippy creamy (you need a non-natural peanut butter so the, um, chemicals and emulsifiers keep the stuff together).

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
It is actually faster to pipe the frosting (and it looks pretty cool) than apply by hand. Now I know why bakeries do it this way! I have yet to buy a pastry bag and use a Ziploc freezer bag and a big ‘o star decorating tip. (Since Los Angeles has a never ending drought, I figure it might take me more water and natural resources to clean a pastry bag than to use a freezer bag…but I haven’t calculated my carbon footprint yet.).

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
These chocolate cupcakes are very easy to make and go perfectly with this frosting. I wouldn’t use my favorite Dorie Greenspan Chocolate Chocolate cupcake with this frosting. This cupcake has a milder flavor (using only cocoa and no melted chocolate) and is moist from the buttermilk and sour cream.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
The recipe says 14-15 cupcakes, but I got 20 out of the batter.

These were a hit at work. Especially with the not-so-secret society of peanut butter and chocolate admirers. Their eyes lit up at the sight and smell of these! One said I could barter anything with her simply with peanut butter payment. If you have one of these people in your life, make these cupcakes for them!

Gold medal beach volleyball game tonight with Misty and Kerri!! And I can’t wait to see BMX biking – who knew the neighborhood kids could have grown up to be Olympic athletes! Who needs Project Runway and reality TV when we have real life drama! :) [Well, that's what the DVR is for...]

21 comments:

  1. KanaAugust 21, 2008 at 4:00 AM

    Me too, I would eat, cook and do a bit of shopping with Ina all day - would be wonderful!! I actually saw her one weekend at a gas station with the BMW of hers and Jeffrey was driving.

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  2. Engineer BakerAugust 21, 2008 at 5:26 AM

    So unfair! I've been *craving* chocolate cupcakes with PB frosting, but haven't gotten off my butt to make them. And then there they are, showing up in my Google Reader. Now I have to make them too, because seeing is not the same as eating. All your fault :)

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  3. Patricia ScarpinAugust 21, 2008 at 5:43 AM

    Oh, these are fantastic. I'm a sucker for peanut butter and it goes perfectly with chocolate!

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  4. JewelsAugust 21, 2008 at 6:44 AM

    One word. YUMMY :)

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  5. JewelsAugust 21, 2008 at 6:45 AM

    One word. Yummy :)

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  6. AnonymousAugust 21, 2008 at 8:47 AM

    OMG, these look so yummy! And so very pretty too! I have been on a peanut butter craze lately, filling my need with PB&Js. I really need to make these very, very soon.

    I just watched Project Runway last night (very clever of Bravo to put the past episodes right before the current one!). It was really good! I need to put DVR on top of the list of many things that I need to buy.

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  7. ShannonAugust 21, 2008 at 9:32 AM

    Wow... those look amazing and so yummy.

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  8. MariaAugust 21, 2008 at 9:42 AM

    I love how you piped the frosting! Your cupcakes are so cute!

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  9. Jules SomeoneAugust 21, 2008 at 10:54 AM

    Those look pretty tasty!

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  10. AnonymousAugust 21, 2008 at 1:32 PM

    These look wonderful! I have a weakness for peanut butter and chocolate. I want to try these soon!

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  11. PheMomAugust 22, 2008 at 1:36 PM

    YUM! I wish I could eat all of these now!

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  12. Lynne DaleyAugust 23, 2008 at 5:34 AM

    The peanut butter icing looks perfect.

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  13. DiAugust 23, 2008 at 12:01 PM

    Those cupcakes look fabulous. I also recently discovered that it's easier and faster to pipe than frost. And it looks so cool! =)

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  14. SihanAugust 23, 2008 at 6:10 PM

    oh gosh.. those look lovely. I wish i could lick that heavenly pb frosting right off now. *groanz*

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  15. Snooky doodleAugust 23, 2008 at 11:07 PM

    i like peanut butter and chocolate . these look really delicious. i just visited your blog for the first time and i really like it . Added it to my favorites :-) the photos are really nice,

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  16. AnneAugust 24, 2008 at 9:06 PM

    Yeah, I would die to hang out with Ina. Love her!

    Those cupcakes look perfect! I made those long ago but yours look just amazing. Nice photos too! :)

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  17. ErinAugust 25, 2008 at 8:45 AM

    I agree, Ina is the best! Any meal at her house would be amazing, for sure! This icing sounds fantastic. PB and chocolate is the best dessert combo, in my opinion.

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  18. eatme_deliciousAugust 25, 2008 at 6:20 PM

    Wow those are so awesome looking! I love the photo with the army of cupcakes. Yummmm.

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  19. AnonymousAugust 25, 2008 at 10:29 PM

    Mmmmm. I've been wanting to make these (I love Barefoot Contessa too... is there anyone who doesn't?) and your photos have me drooling. I might have to make them this weekend! Great photos! Your chai cake looks lovely too-- I am suddenly very hungry for dessert.

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  20. KKAugust 31, 2008 at 2:19 PM

    i'm still so clumsy with the ziploc bag (any tips)...also how do you get the star tip to stay on?

    these look awesome...

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  21. EsiMay 13, 2009 at 4:32 PM

    I think Jeffrey is the cutest thing ever! I only WISH I could be part of Ina's circle...so faaaabulous :)

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