Little Gem Cupcake Donuts by La Cucina Laurenti

Little Gem Cupcake Donuts

I was in my kitchen thinking about when I was younger with my Grandmother "Mimi" in the kitchen.  I remember how she always loved cakes, chocolate and vanilla glaze.  Indeed, Mimi was a great baker and a cook as well, but her love was chocolate, anything with chocolate!  She stayed fit all her life eating chocolate and cakes and walking several miles daily, even in the rain.  I remember spending summers and winters with her and after we would eat a slice of vanilla chocolate cake, we would put our coats on to walk for miles and chat away.  She had the most delicious Belgium chocolates and she always had a fresh baked cake ready for me to glaze when I walked in the door. Such great memories that I will cherish. She was always so sweet and loving; thanks for the great memories "Mimi". 

So, I decided to play in la cucina and I created these delicious and adorable cupcake donuts.  Not fried, but baked cupcake donuts with a simple cake batter.  I used different sprinkles; chocolate (of course), coconut and a red sugar sprinkle.  These Little Gems are just one bite deliciousness!

Sprinkles; chocolate, red sugar and coconut

Little Gem Cupcake Donuts

Little Gem Cupcake Donuts Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup              cake flour

1/2 cup          rice flour

1/2 cup          organic natural cane sugar

1/8  tsp          cinnamon

dash               nutmeg

1 Tblsp           baking powder

3/4 cup          organic soy milk (vanilla flavored)

1                      whole egg

2 Tblsp           unsalted butter (melted)

One large straw

Preheat oven to 425F

Butter the inside of a mini cupcake pan.

In a mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix well.  Add milk, egg and melted butter and mix until well blended.   Fill each cupcake cup 1/2 full.  Bake about 6-8 minutes.  To test touch the cake; if you lightly press on cake and if it springs back, it is done.  Do not brown tops.  Remove from oven and place on cookie cooling rack (keep the cupcakes in the pan for a few minutes before you remove them).  Take a large straw and poke through the center of the cupcake to create a whole in the middle. Remove from pan and add glaze, sprinkles or any topping you would like to your Cupcake Donuts.

Variations:

2 Tablespoons of the following to create a different flavor:

Add Belgium Chocolate powder to make chocolate cupcake

Chai Tea instant powder

Green Tea instant powder

Instant Coffee (blend instant coffee in the soy milk)

Vanilla Glaze Frosting

This is the traditional vanila glaze that everyone knows how to make:

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1 1/2 cups    confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp          vanilla

2-4 tsp         hot water

Mix melted butter, sugar and vanilla and stir together.  Add hot water 1 tsp at a time until frosting consistency.  Stir until smooth and shiny.

Recipe created and tested by Chef Sadie Laurenti Whitley in La Cucina Laurenti - recipe dedicated to my late Grandmother "Mimi".

Buon Appetito!

Sea Bass in Cartoccio with Carmelized Apples and Cinzano

I love many types of fish, but one of my favorites is Sea Bass; if cooked well, you will end up with a moist delicious fish.  As with most "Lean" fish, you cannot overcook it as it will turn dry and rubbery.  I was inpired by Dave Pasternack's recipe from his book "The Young Man & The Sea", if you do not own this cook book, I suggest you order one through Amazon and have in your collection as an essential. 

There are many methods for cooking fish, I used a steaming technique with parchment paper.  In Italy, it is called Cartoccio and in France, it is Papillote.  You enclose the fish, seasoning and sauce in a paper parchment and tightly  fold the parchment so that the steam does not escape.  When baked (usually takes no more than 12 minutes), the paper puffs up and turns golden brown (when covered with an egg wash) and all the flavors, juices and aromas are held inside covering your fish.  The parchment is usually sliced on the top to serve to your guest.  Enjoy my version of this recipe that was altered from the original.  However, the original is just as delicious.

You can alter this recipe with other fruit such as pears and figs (I've done this as well and it is delicious). Enjoy!

Sea Bass In Cartoccio with Carmelized Apple and Cinzano

Serves 6

1 stick of unsalted butter
2 Gala apples, peeled and cut medium dice
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 oz of dried Porcini mushrooms (hydrated in water for 30 minutes), chop
1 tablespoons of tarragon
1 tablespoons of thyme
1 tablespoons of chives
1 garlic clove minced
1 large egg for egg wash
6 4-6 ounces (depending of size you wish to serve) of Sea Bass
Kosher salt
White pepper
6 Tablespoons Washington Gala Apple Juice (if available in your State) or any organic apple juice
3 Tablespoons of Cinzano or cooking vermouth
6 squares of parchment (20x15)

Preheat oven to 450F

Rehydrate Porcini (if you do not have fresh) in cold water just reaching above the top of the porcini. Leave in water for about 20 minutes until well hydrated. When hydrated, squeeze water from porcini mushrooms and chop.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over a medium heat; in a saute pan and add the diced apples. Using a spatula, toss apples lightly until they are carmelized. Careful not to mash the apples while carmelizing. Transfer apples to a sheet pan to cool.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan and heat over a medium-high flame; add the porcini and saute, stirring frequently, until browned add garlic and stir just at the end. Transfer porcini to a sheet pan to cool.

Chop and mix tarragon, thyme and chives. Set aside.

Combine apple juice and Cinzano. Set aside.

Cut remaining butter in 1/2 tablespoon squares. Set aside.

After apples and porcini have cooled completely, combine and make six piles on the sheet pan; to begin building the fish in the parchment squares.

Fold the parchment squares in half to make a crease. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the center of each square with a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper and coat both sides of fish. Place fish on parchment and layer with apples and porcini, mixed herbs and place two 1/2 tablespoons on top of fish. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of apple juice and Cizano over each fish.

Fold corners of each parchment first and then twist edges all around to seal. Brush parchment with egg wash and place on sheet pan.

Bake packets for about 8 - 12 minutes. If you have opted to serve 4 ounces of fish, it will take about 8-9 minutes, for a 6 ounce fish, it will take about 12 minutes. Bake packets until the paper has puffed up and turned golden brown. Transfer packets to serving plates. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the top of the packet in a cross, to open packet easily.



Preparing the Sea Bass on parchment with olive oil, salt and pepper

Placing the apples and porcini on the sea bass

 
I served the Sea Bass with a Black and Mohogany Rice Cake, which complimented the flavors of the fish very well.

Chef NOTES:
You can also make this recipe with Halibut or Salmon!

Buon Appetito