What is black cocoa you might ask… Well, I’m sure you are familiar with the term “dutch cocoa” which describes the process (and not the nationality) of the cacao beans whereby the beans are washed in a potassium solution to assist in neutralizing the acidity. The beans are then roasted, ground, and pressed to remove the fat before the remainder is then grated to create the final cocoa powder we use. A side effect of dutch processing is a darkening of the powder, so if you think of a standard dutch cocoa as being a bright slightly red, earthy brown, then black cocoa is MEGA dutched so to speak.

Dutch vs. Black Cocoa

Because I just love the color of the cake it produces, I almost always sub a little black cocoa for regular dutch cocoa in my recipes…the key word here being LITTLE. The finished cake undeniably says, “This did NOT come from a box gents.” You DON’T ever want to substitute all the cocoa for black cocoa though. A little goes a long way. My rule of thumb is no more than 1/4 to 1/3 black to dutch in any recipe, and certain recipes are really meant for dutch only so don’t go bonkers with the stuff. My favorite brand when I was buying it in bulk for my bakery at 50 lbs a pop was Guittard. I doubt you need that much, so I suggest buying it from King Arthur Flour where you can order a 12oz bag for about $10 that should last you quite a while. But if you fancy yourself a faster alternative, run down to the store and grab some Hershey’s Special Dark which isn’t quite as black but should work nicely in a pinch.

Want to give it a go? Try my Stout Chocolate Cupcake recipe which you can find HERE.

I do love a good bar, and so I’m sharing one of my favorites with you that’s unexcusably easy and undeniably good. It’s the perfect blend of all things that make a bar delicious – sweet and chewy with a hint of saltiness and a mixture of flavors that just wouldn’t be the same if one was missing. I give you The Daydream Bar… they’ll have you dreaming of sweet goodness while you wait for them to cool and the kitchen will smell divine.  Makes about 12 bars or quarter cut them into smaller 2-bite pieces for party trays.

Daydream Bars Recipe

• Butter – 5 ounces
• Graham Cracker Crumbs – 1  1/2 cups
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – 1 can
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips – mini chips preferred – 1 1/3 cups
• Shredded Coconut – 1  2/3 cups
• Chopped Pecans – 1  1/3 cups

1. Spray or grease a 9×13 pan and line the bottom with parchment for easy removal.
2. Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs.
3. Press crumbs into baking pan to cover bottom of pan evenly.
4. Loosely crumble coconut over crust to cover evenly.
5. Sprinkle pecans over coconut.
6. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top.
7. Drizzle 1 entire can of condensed milk back and forth over toppings for even coverage.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, turning at 15 minute mark.  Check for light brown color when done.
9. Cool completely before cutting.

For a faster process, you can toss the coconut, chocolate and pecans together in a bowl and spread evenly over crust before drizzling the milk, but I like the chewy coconut middle layer that comes from distributing each dry ingredient separately.

My favorite stout beer is Saint Arnold’s Winter Stout. It’s got all the stout flavor qualities with its rich, smooth texture and hints of chocolate, but without the “muskiness” I find in some heavier stout beers. Unfortunately it’s seasonal to a winter batch and so it’s only available from about mid December to February. (I stock up to get me through St. Patty’s Day.) With that in mind, pick a stout you know and love. Bailey’s on the other hand, is a no brainer. I think you could pour it on cardboard and make something delicious.

The frosting is pretty rich so you don’t need a heaping pile of it, and these are dolled up with a little gold sugar…you know…from the leprechaun. Cheers!

Stout Chocolate Cake with Bailey’s Irish Cream Buttercream

Stout Chocolate Cupcake Recipe:

• Flour – 2 Cups
• Dutch Cocoa – 1/2 Cup
• Black/Dark Cocoa – 1/4 Cup *
• Baking Soda – 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
• Sugar – 2 Cups
• Stout Beer – 1 Cup
• Unsalted Butter (melted) – 1 Cup
• Vanilla – 1 teaspoon
• Eggs – 2 whole
• Sour Cream – 2/3 Cup

*You will see in a lot of my chocolate cakes that I combine dutch and black/dark cocoa. I like the richness in color and flavor that the black cocoa adds to baked goods, but if you prefer, simply sub the same portion of dutch cocoa to omit the black in the recipes.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, cocoas, baking soda and salt.
3. Whisk in the sugar.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine stout beer, vanilla, and melted butter.
5. Beat in eggs – 1 at a time.
6. Add sour cream and mix until smooth.
7. Gradually add dry ingredients mixing on low until combined and no signs of lumps.
8. Fill liners to about 3/4 full. Recipe will make 24-25 cupcakes…any more and you’ve not added enough batter to your cups.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. You may want to set your timer a little early and carefully give them a whirl/rotation once they are set (at around 20 mins.)
10. Cake should spring back to touch in center when done.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting Recipe:

• Unsalted Butter – 1 Pound (or 4 sticks)
• Confectioners Sugar – 12 Cups
• Bailey’s Irish Cream – 1 Cup
• Heavy Whipping Cream – 1/3 Cup

1. Cream the butter till light and fluffy.
2. Add heavy cream, Bailey’s and sugar and beat until well mixed.
3. Finish with whip/whisk attachment to make it extra fluffy.

My all-time fave  aprons are by Cupcake Provocateur.  I own several of these lovelies because you just never know what color you’re going to be wearing at the time, and you of course don’t want your apron to clash with your clothes, so it’s imperative you have choices. Cynthia’s aprons are wonderfully handmade and the detailing and sewmanship is spot-on. I love her vintage inspired and retro fabrics, the oversized ruffles, piping, and of course THE POCKETS because you might need to freshen your lipstick (you keep lipstick in your apron as well, right?)  She has some mini-me versions too!

Cupcake Provacateur Apron

Now for something a little more traditional, Jessie Steele‘s vintage inspired selection is quite adorable. Some of her shapes are a little more “forgiving” around the middle with a cute empire style waistline (see Mia design below) that comes in handy when you start eating everything you’re cooking… which is prone to incidence in my home once the official “I’m cooking” bottle of wine opens up. Jessie also offers “Mommy & Me” matching aprons for the budding bakers.

Bib Mia Giant Houndstooth Apron by Jessie Steele

My final go-to for these kitchen style essentials is Anthropologie. I mean, can you go wrong with anything there? Mais non. There selection changes often but there’s always one or two I see that I feel like my life would not be complete without…or maybe it’s the fact I know their selection changes so often and if I wait and come back a week later, because I’ve thought about it all week and then decided I cant live without it, it won’t be there. Is it just me? No bother.  There stuff is deliciously lovely.  I swoon over the fabrics that not only look vintage but they have that worn feeling like they’ve been tucked away in mum’s cupboard since she hit retirement, and you just found it and forgot to tell her you “borrowed” it. This dandy Mildred apron is one of my faves, and since it shares a name with my late grandmother, it’s extra special of course and absolutely MEANT TO BE in my collection.

Mildred Apron by Anthropologie

So who’s your go-to for stylish kitchen cover-ups? Have a brand of your own? Send me the deets and maybe we can feature them on this blog.

Hugs

French Macarons – VERY different from the American coconut macaroon you may be more familiar with – are not an easy undertaking. To be completely honest, I considered wrastling with this little morsel myself but in my soggy climate, they’re a bit unpredictable. The most famous macaron makers have got to be Laduree. Aside from the fact that they’ve got an ever evolving selection of flavors and macaron themed goodies, these macarons are perfectly gorgeous, their packaging is exquisite, and their shops are what dreams are made of. I mean seriously…look at this place!

Unfortunately, I don’t live in Paris or foresee a jaunt to France in my near future, so I won’t be perusing it in person any time soon. I hear they’ve graced us stateside with a new location in NYC, but that too is a bit off my route, and they don’t ship from their U.S. store. Turns out I found a couple of cheeky French pastry chefs in NYC that have made it their primary focus in life to perfect the macaron, and their selection and quality shows they are doing a darn good job of it. Check out their website at Mad Mac NYC. I’ve ordered their macarons for my shop, and they’ve done smashingly with the clients. My husband loves their coffee and chocolate flavors, but I’m a fan of the pistachio with it’s traditional soft green color and light flavor, and the chocolate/orange when it’s available seasonally during the Fall/Winter months. Mad Mac is kind enough to offer online ordering and they ship quickly and arrive intact. Easy peasy.

Macarons are small by design, but don’t let the size fool ya. They pack a flavorful punch of sweetness, taste and texture, so it’s not the kind of thing you would sit and eat a boxful of… and because they are traditionally made from almond flour and all natural flavors, they are gluten free and perfect for those that have to decline most other baked treats. I highly recommend trying one – maybe in a more traditional flavor for you first-timers – and then you can go for some more adventurous flavors as you acquire a taste for them.

Hope you find some juicy tidbits here and I look forward to sharing with you.

B