"Cookies and wine" you say? This grown up version of the vernal "cookies and cream" that we are all familiar with combines ChocolatRouge, a red wine and chocolate blend from Modesto, California, and Fudgee-O cookies, a personal childhood favourite brought to you from the Christie production lines in Don Mills, Ontario. The cake is ChocolatRouge based, with Fudgee-O cookies mixed into the batter. Each cake is frosted with a ChocolatRouge cream cheese frosting and topped with a Fudgee-O medallion.
Reduced Wine
The process of evaporating a portion of the liquid to concentrate the flavours present in the initial product. Using your best judgment, you evaporate and evaporate until only half the original volume is left. I reduced 2 cups to 1 to have enough for the recipe below, I did have a bit left over.
Chocolate Wine Cupcakes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup reduced ChocolatRouge wine
1/4 cup almond milk
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
red food colouring
2/3 cup crushed Fudgee-O cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan(s).
In a large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl combine the reduced wine, almond milk and vanilla extract, set aside. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the milk/wine mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until combined. Add in red food colouring to reduce the level of grey and stir in the Fudgee-O crumbs. This batch yielded 12 regular and 12 mini cupcakes baked for 14 and 10 minutes respectively.
In a large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 minutes). Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl combine the reduced wine, almond milk and vanilla extract, set aside. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds alternating with the milk/wine mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until combined. Add in red food colouring to reduce the level of grey and stir in the Fudgee-O crumbs. This batch yielded 12 regular and 12 mini cupcakes baked for 14 and 10 minutes respectively.
ChocolateRouge Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup (1stick) butter, room temperature
3oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powder/confectioner sugar
2 tbsp reduced ChocolatRouge wine
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until well combined. Add wine and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
Once cooled and frosted I topped each cake with additional Fudgee-O crumbs and a half cookie. I kept them refrigerated overnight due to the cream cheese content of the frosting and thawed them two hours prior to delivery.
1/2 cup (1stick) butter, room temperature
3oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powder/confectioner sugar
2 tbsp reduced ChocolatRouge wine
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until well combined. Add wine and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
Once cooled and frosted I topped each cake with additional Fudgee-O crumbs and a half cookie. I kept them refrigerated overnight due to the cream cheese content of the frosting and thawed them two hours prior to delivery.
The Panel:
Definitely an array of responses to this weeks treat. Some found the cake moist, others dry. Some found the cream cheese in the frosting to be a little much, others barely tasted it. Some found the cake a little sour due to the wine, others were unable to detect it at all. Overall the colours, presentation and textures were well received. Kupcake and Sugar Princess suggested adding a filling of some sort to add a little extra something.
Eat Freak: "Only you would use wine in a cupcake...Great job!"
Cupcake Canine: "Overall, awesomeness in a cup."
Sugar Princess: "Wish I had a glass of wine to go with it!"
My comments:
I LOVED this cupcake! Regardless of aforementioned commentary, it would be a staple in my shoppe. Not only could I have personally eaten the entire batch (thought this often applies), I much appreciated the unique and endemic touch of ingredients. The presentation and colours were wonderful. The frosting had a hint of cheese which paired well with the wine and chocolate and I found the cakes had a good level of moisture. IN the future I might add a little more frosting to individual cakes, in addition to topping them with the medallions the morning of as they became slightly soft overnight.
Definitely an array of responses to this weeks treat. Some found the cake moist, others dry. Some found the cream cheese in the frosting to be a little much, others barely tasted it. Some found the cake a little sour due to the wine, others were unable to detect it at all. Overall the colours, presentation and textures were well received. Kupcake and Sugar Princess suggested adding a filling of some sort to add a little extra something.
Eat Freak: "Only you would use wine in a cupcake...Great job!"
Cupcake Canine: "Overall, awesomeness in a cup."
Sugar Princess: "Wish I had a glass of wine to go with it!"
My comments:
I LOVED this cupcake! Regardless of aforementioned commentary, it would be a staple in my shoppe. Not only could I have personally eaten the entire batch (thought this often applies), I much appreciated the unique and endemic touch of ingredients. The presentation and colours were wonderful. The frosting had a hint of cheese which paired well with the wine and chocolate and I found the cakes had a good level of moisture. IN the future I might add a little more frosting to individual cakes, in addition to topping them with the medallions the morning of as they became slightly soft overnight.