Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

My younger daughter made these delicious cupcakes for a charity bake sale at my office. Original source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes (2009).

8 oz. semisweet chocolate (use chocolate chips)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
12 small peppermint patties

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tin with paper liners. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until just melted. This should take about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth, then whisk in the eggs. Whisk in flour and cocoa until smooth. Do not overmix.

3. Spoon 1 heaping tbsp. of batter into each lined cup. Place one Peppermint Patty on top, pressing into the batter. Top with two tbsp. batter, ensuring you cover the patty completely. Bake, rotating the tin halfway through, until cake tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs. This should take about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before removing cupcakes.

4. Eat the cupcakes.

This receives the highly coveted Hungry Bob Seal of Approval.

St. Matthew’s Multi-Cultural Festival: A Foodie’s Delight

Slavic, Romanian, Lebanese, Greek, and even Mexican and American foods were on display at this annual suburban festival. Under large tents on a gorgeous fall afternoon, the family and I sampled pierogi, spanakopita, huluptsi (meat-filled cabbage), and various tasty desserts like Slavic nut rolls. These are not foods I eat often so I’m not a great judge, but they were definitely homemade and most were quite tasty. Most Orthodox congregations are comprised of a single predominant ethnic group (such as Russian or Greek), but according to Father Ray, St. Matthew’s is a very diverse ethnic mix, which explains the wide range of offerings.

Inside, Father Ray gave us a tour of the beautiful, ornate sanctuary and took delight in explaining the significance of various Orthodox icons and traditions. He also demonstrated the wonderful acoustics of this roughly three year old building. Outside, Balti Mare, a traditional Eastern European folk band, belted out tune after tune in keys and tempos reminiscent of music we’d heard at a recent Bat Mitzvah. [Side note: I would love to chat with a musicologist about the commonality between Eastern European Christian and Jewish folk music.] Diverse food, folk music, great weather and a touch of theo-cultural education made for a memorable event.

We’ll be back next year.

http://stmatthewfestival.org/
Date visited: October 3, 2009