Results on Baking Very Dark Tings

[mattbell]

Here are the results from our baking-very-dark-things adventure -- my attempt to create bittersweet desserts that aren't available in the market.

Recipe #1 -- a standard dark chocolate cupcake recipe (makes 6 cupcakes)

1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate powder (used Dagobah brand)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 whole egg
1/2 egg yolk
1/8 tsp vanilla

Recipe #2 -- modified version of recipe #1:

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons (almost 1/2 cup) unsweetened chocolate powder (used Dagobah brand)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 stick butter
4 tsp sugar (1/3 the original amount)
1/2 whole egg
1/2 egg yolk

Recipe #3 -- recipe 2 + a dash of Yellow Masala Curry powder.

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Frostings:
Frosting #1 was whipping cream + a small amount of sugar + vanilla
Frosting #2 was whipping cream + a small amount of sugar + vanilla + unsweetend chocolate powder
Frosting #3 was whipping cream + a small amount of sugar + vanilla + ground nutmeg (1/2 nut for 6 cupcakes of frosting)

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Recipe #1 -- the standard recipe -- was a bit on the sweet side but had great texture.
Recipe #2 -- the low-sugar, extra-chocolate recipe -- had a less sproingy texture due to lack of sugar, was a little doughy in terms of the flavor, had somewhat limited expression of the chocolate flavor despite the extra chocolate, but was at the right level of sweetness for me.
Recipe #3 -- the yellow Masala curry -- had the texture problems of Recipe #2 but had the best flavor.  It's proved once and for all that yellow curry belongs in cupcakes.  

Going forward, we are going to try modifying recipes #2 & #3 to add a bit of salt to enhance the chocolate flavor and another egg to help create a more spongey cupcake texture.  

Frosting #3 was the most interesting -- the intense nutmeg flavor only slightly cut by sugar added a strong kick to the frosting.  

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Thanks to Aviva for providing the cooking mastery and to everyone else for helping.  

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After baking, we played Bananagrams.  Look closely at the crossword on the lower left.  Someone's mind is a little dirty.



Also, this is a Water Caltrop, a relative of the Water Chestnut.  The flavor is uninteresting, but the fruit looks like something out of Hades:


 

Comments

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

i must find these water caltrops. water chestnuts are one of my favorite things in the world (no clue why) and that is just the coolest looking version of something similar i've ever seen. where in the hell did you come across it?

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

Berkeley Bowl, the best supermarket in the world. Texture is a bit more like potato, but flavor is more like water chestnut. The taste isn't the interesting part.

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

well water chestnuts don't have much flavor either, neither do potatoes really, and i love both of those. can't decide which i love more at the moment. i can eat water chestnuts and/or potatoes all day. i know i'm strange... but look at that little guy! it's like an evil bat or satan grinning or maybe even a gremlin or something. i should check our asian market maybe.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

I could see you drying one out and making it into a necklace. The asian market is a good bet. If you do decide to eat them, boil them thoroughly first. (there are toxins *and* parasites to worry about)

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

oh i read up and will do, but yes, i also want to see what i can do with the husks/shells/whatever as well. also, i could make a rubber injection mold to boot, which would be awesome.