Brown Bottom Cheesecake Cupcakes

This rarely happens, but earlier this week, Dan made a request for these cupcakes/muffins that his friend, Logan's mom used to make for them in university.

These cupcakes/muffins (not sure what to call them) turned out delicious. I love them. The only thing I would change next time is to make extra cheesecake filling because it's extra tasty! I would recommend doing one and a half of the cheesecake top recipe below.

Here's what you'll need for the chocolate bottoms:

1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/3 salted butter, melted
1 cup water
1 tbsp vinegar
1tsp vanilla

Here's what you'll need for the cheesecake tops:

1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 heaping cup of milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line two muffin pans with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Make a well in the middle. Add melted butter, 1 cup white sugar, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Using a large wooden spoon or a whisk, stir together until combined. Set mixture aside.

In another large bowl, beat together the cream cheese (make sure it is softened, but do not melt it in the microwave), egg, 1/3 white sugar, and salt. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the milk chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin cups 1/2 full with the chocolate bottom batter, then top with a heaping spoonful of the cheesecake toping.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy with a glass of cold milk :)

Grapefruit Loaf

So, this loaf is very similar to the Lemon Blueberry Loaf that I made last week, but a bit more tart, especially after the loaf has set for a couple of days and absorbed the flavours. I think it's absolutely delicious and if you like "citrusy" desserts, you will love this grapefruit loaf. I got the recipe from my friend, Rachel at The Youngest Dragon. Rachel is an amazing baker AND cook, so I definitely recommend heading over to check out her blog.


Here's what you'll need for the bread:

2 cup AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk (other milk will work if you don't have whole)
3/4 vegetable oil or melted butter
2 Tbsp grapefruit zest
1 tsp vanilla

Here's what you'll need for the grapefruit syrup:
1 cup grapefruit juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Here's what you'll need for the grapefruit glaze:
3 tsp grapefruit juice
1 cup confectioner's sugar (more if you want a thicker glaze)


Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 " loaf pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Then, in the following order, add the milk, oil, grapefruit zest, and vanilla, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next ingredient.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean (or nearly clean).

While the loaf is in its final few minutes of baking, combine the grapefruit juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low. Remove from heat and set aside. Note: As with the lemon blueberry loaf, you can also do the grapefruit syrup in the microwave; just be sure to stir the mixture every 30-45 seconds.

As soon as the loaf is finished baking, use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes in the loaf. Pour the grapefruit syrup all over the bread. Again, as with the lemon blueberry loaf, this loaf will likely appear to be drenched in syrup; however, don't worry because it will soak into the bread as it cools.

Once the bread has started to cool (~ 45-60 minutes after coming out of the oven), run a knife along the sides of the loaf pan to loosen the bread before turning it upside down and placing it on a wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the grapefruit glaze, simply combine 3 tsp of grapefruit juice and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar in a bowl. If you like a thicker glaze, you may need to add more confectioner's sugar; just play around with it until you get it at your preferred consistency. Spread the glaze over the top of the loaf and let harden before serving.

Enjoy :)