Say Cheese!

I love cheese.  All kinds of cheese.  So finding a way to incorporate cheese into a cupcake is heavenly for me!  As I was looking through all the cupcake sites that I frequent, I found a recipe from Buttercreamblondi for some chocolate cupcakes with goat cheese frosting drizzled with a red wine reduction.  I was so excited to try them.  I love goat cheese.  I don't get to eat it often, because lets face it, not a lot of people are excited about goat cheese.  Even more exciting is the fact that I could put it into a cupcake!  So I finally made them and they were amazing!  I love cream cheese frosting to begin with, and the tartness of the goat cheese really went well with the chocolate cupcakes.  Normally I like sweeter cupcakes, I generally use devil's food cake for my chocolate cupcake of choice, but these cupcakes had coffee and buttermilk in them so they were less sweet, more like dark chocolate. And the red wine reduction really finished it off nicely.   It was not surprising, though, that I had a hard time finding people who would try them.  Thankfully my ever loyal BFF and sweet Boyfriend are always willing to try my creations!  They both loved them.  To be sure, these are sophisticated and fancy cupcakes.  Not something everyone would love.  The are definitely for a special, hoity toity sort of event.  (unless you're like me, then you can eat them to make your day special and hoity toity!)

I am pretty sure that I would be hard pressed to find a kid who would eat these cupcakes.  Not many of them would get past the name.  Even if I didn't tell them the name of the cupcakes, I'm pretty sure that they would take one bite and be over it! 

But, as I was making these cupcakes I was thinking of a kid who was here at the center.  He was pretty young and he had just finished his interview and was waiting for his brother to get through.  He decided he  wanted to play a game called Headbandz.  The point of this game is to put a card on your head (using a headband ) without looking at it and try to guess what the image is on the card by asking the other persons questions about your card, much like 20 questions.  Younger kids don't really understand how to play this game and so they often just repeat the questions that I ask.  So, to help them along, I just ask questions about my card that they should ask about theirs.  This particular game had me with a goat on my head and him with a lollipop on his head.  So, of course, I was asking questions like can you eat me, am I sweet, am I on a stick, am I hard, etc.  This little boy laughed and laughed and laughed at me because I could not figure out that I had a goat on my head!!!  He was so excited to win the game and told everyone he talked to that he won and that I could not figure out that my card was a goat!!!

Again, I am amazed at the capacity for joy and happiness that dwell in children.  This kid had been in the room, talking about terrible things, just moments before and he was still able to laugh and joke and be happy.  Sometimes I let things ruin my whole day.  Something happens and I go home and pout, but these kids go on about their lives.  Happy and joyful and so brave.  I hope I can be like a kid when I grow up!!!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Frosting and Red Wine Reduction.

(Recipe is from Buttercreamblondi)

Ingredients for cupcakes

*4 oz of unsalted butter

*1/2 cup sugar

*1/2 cup light brown sugar

*1 egg
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*1 1/2 cups flour
*1/2 cup cocoa powder
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 cup coffee

*1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions for cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with liners. Make coffee and set aside.
• Cream butter, sugar and light brown sugar together until light an fluffy. With electric mixer on medium, add egg and mix until well blended. Add vanilla and mix until well blended.
• Sift together flour, cocoa and baking soda.
• Alternate add flour mixture into the sugar mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the coffee and buttermilk until well blended.
• Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until done.

Ingredients for frosting

*16 oz of Goat Cheese

*1/4 plus 2tbl light brown sugar

*1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

*1 cup heavy cream

*1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions for frosting

• Cream goat cheese, light brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until creamy
• Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff
• Fold whipped cream into goat cheese mixture and refrigerate until ready to use.

Directions for red wine reduction

• Bring 1 cup of your favorite red wine to a boil.  Lower heat to medium-low heat and simmer down to about 1/4 cup liquid and is syrupy, about 12-14 minutes.

Frost cupcakes and drizzle with reduction just before serving.