Broccoli Slaw

It's gotten hot and baking has slowed down significantly.  Instead I offer this delicious salad recipe for the summer.  

Slaws are a great make ahead dish.  You can make them up earlier in the day and not worry about them sogging out.  I love a good cabbage slaw but this Broccoli Slaw is one of my favourites and it's very fast to put together.  A little creamy, a little sweet, great acid and wonderful crunch.  It's the best way to eat your broccoli.

Broccoli Slaw

                serves 6

1 head of broccoli

½ cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

½ small red onion finely chopped

optional:

2 slices bacon cooked crisp and chopped

¼ cup sunflower seeds

1. Wash and cut large stem off broccoli.  Cut off bottom and peel harder woody skin off stem.  Cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thin slices and chop small.  Cut head of broccoli into ½ inch planks and cut into smallish pieces.  Size is not really important but smallish, about the size of a thumbnail.
2. In a large bowl whisk the mayo, vinegar and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  (4 or 5 grinds of pepper and a big pinch of salt). Add broccoli and onion.  Options can be added here as well.  
3. Toss to coat.  This can be made ahead with options left out and added just before serving.

You Would Not Believe These Are Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

This is a wonderful chocolate cupcake recipe. Super chocolatey and moist with a lovely crumb.  Beets are finely grated and incorporated into the this beautiful silky batter.  It somehow lifts the chocolate to another level without even knowing the beets are there.  So yes, you can fool your kids or adult hating beets, into eating this without even realizing it.  (FYI, after i make or buy the cooked beets, I grate them and then measure out ¾ c into small bags and freeze it for my cupcake baking day.)

I was going to put the Chocolate Beet Cake (to come) and Cupcakes into one blog but explaining the two different ways of making them made my blog too difficult to follow, thus two different blogs for almost the same recipe.

These freeze really well so you can make them up ahead of time and for that birthday cupcake party, frost them that day or the day before. But beware.  This is a very fudgy frosting.  

You Would Not Believe These Are Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

                                     makes 24 cupcakes

For the Cake:

2 c. all purpose flour

⅔ c. cocoa powder*

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ c. room temperature butter

1⅔ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature**
¾c. finely grated cooked and peeled beets
1 tsp vanilla extract
1¼ cups hot water

For the Ganache Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
4.5 ounces dark chocolate 
(or little less than ¾ cup Chipits or chopped chocolate)

1. For the Cupcakes:   Place muffin or cupcake liners into 24 muffin tins***.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes.  
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined.
5. Mix in the grated beets and vanilla.  Slowly add half of the flour mixture and mix well.  Add the hot water and the rest of the flour (Go slowly or the hot water will spill out).  Mix on medium low once incorporated until smooth about 2 more minutes.  Scoop the batter evenly into pans.****
6. Bake the cupcakes in  350℉ not on convection oven for about 23 minutes.***** Rotate the pans after 10 minutes, turning the cupcakes facing front to face back and then switch pans from left side of oven to right.  Start checking the cupcakes 5 minutes beforehand.  When a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean, it is done.
7. Let them cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan and place on wire rack.  Let cool completely.
8. For the Ganache Frosting:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, pour in heavy cream.  Just bring to boil.  Remove from heat immediately and add chocolate.  Stir until completely melted.  Let fully cool.  About an hour. It shouldn't be runny but not too set.  Like the texture of soft butter.
9. When set you can use as is and spread over tops of cupcakes or if you want  to make that extra effort, place the frosting into a bowl and using the whisk attachment, beat until fluffy.  
10. Using a knife, carefully and lovingly swirl over the cupcakes.  (I use as is or a piping bag for an added oomph but be aware this takes a lot more frosting than this recipes makes for all the cupcakes.)

* Either Dutch Process or regular cocoa powder.  Dutch Process will be a darker chocolate flavour and colour.

**If you forgot to take the eggs out, no problem. Put them in a bowl with warm water for about 5 minutes or hot water for less.  Just not hot enough to boil them.

***The cupcake liners make a big difference in presentation.  The cupcakes rise much higher than directly in a muffin tin.

****If you don't have a cookie dough scoop with a sweeping arm and you make muffins on occasion, it's worth purchasing one. Whatever size, make sure you evenly disperse batter.

*****I almost always bake on convection but I find especially with cupcakes that the convection oven makes the tops dome weirdly.