The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wrings of independent – Denis Waitley
It was the weekend of my Dad’s birthday so my parents made a trip to Austin to visit me. It was also partly to come see what I do as a tour guide at the UT Tower.
The police officer was super nice to let my parents, Patrick, and me go up to the actual clock tower and see behind the clocks.
Karen and me 🙂
Chocolate cupcakes.
-Adapted from Barefoot Contessa-
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.. Mix on low speed until combined.
- IN another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil eggs, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
- With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Pour batter into cupcake pans and bake for 20 minutes.
Coffee Swiss Meringue Buttercream
-Adapted from dinneranddessert.com-
Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp Kahlua (optional)
- Stir 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee into 1 tbsp hot water until dissolved.
- Put sugar, egg whites and salt into a double boiler over a pan of simmering water.
- Whisking constantly cook until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm.
- Pour heated egg whites into a bowl with electric mixture. Beat mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks.
- Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes total.
- With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tbsp at a time, eating well after each addition.
- Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes.
Photos courtesy of my favourite photography Patrick Lu. http://www.pluphoto.com
