Happy Halloween everyone! We’ll get to the creepy (and maybe somewhat gross?) treat I made in a moment, but first I wanted to tell you about the exciting day I had on Friday.
Shane’s mom and I got on the road bright and early to make our way to a local Williams-Sonoma store where Ina Garten was signing copies of her new book! We knew the crowd would probably be huge so we got there about 2 hours early, and surprisingly, the line wasn’t that big yet. We were probably about 200th at that point. As the hour of the signing approached, though, the line got longer and longer and longer.
To expedite things we were warned by several employees that Ina wouldn’t be able to personalize books nor would she be posing for photos. As books were being signed, an employee took your camera and snapped a few shots and unfortunately, none of mine turned out great but still, the 3 hours we waited were more than worth it for the opportunity to meet the Barefoot Contessa. Even though they were trying to move things along, Ina looked up at each and every person, smiled warmly and said hello. She even thanked me for waiting in such a long line to see her. I don’t think there’s another tv personality I’d have been so eager to stand in line for, but I had no problem doing it for Ina. I absolutely love her show, her recipes and her approach to cooking.
I’m eager to begin making my way through her new book, which focuses on creating dishes that are elegant enough to serve when you entertain, yet still relatively simple, without long ingredients lists or time consuming cooking methods. I’ve been flagging a lot of the recipes, including this one for red velvet cupcakes which I’m excited to share today.
I’ve wanted to try making these brain cupcakes on Halloween for the past 2 years but I always chicken out. This year I wasn’t going to let it happen. Hopefully Ina won’t mind that I used her red velvet cupcake as the base for my brains 🙂 The cupcakes come together easily, a pretty standard red velvet recipe utilizing cocoa powder as well as red food coloring. I’ve noted this below as well, but Ina makes giant cupcakes. I filled the tins almost completely (versus the 3/4 I would typically do) in order to match the yield the recipe indicates. On the plus side, the cupcakes do bake up instead of spreading a ton, though next time I make them I’ll spray the top of the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray as I did have to pry them off a bit.
I had some cream cheese frosting in the freezer already (my current favorite from Martha Stewart, recipe here) which I used so I didn’t try Ina’s recipe this time, though I’m sure it won’t be long before I do. The process of coloring the frosting was purely a case of trial and error. I started with red gel coloring and a bit of brown. It still looked bright red to me so I added blue until it was more purplish and was a closer approximation to the color I guess brains might be. Then I piped it on in a squiggly pattern, attempting to dome the frosting in a brain shape.
We brought the brain cupcakes to our friends’ house this evening where we’re watching the Patriots game and handing out candy to trick or treaters. Everyone’s tried a cupcake and they’ve received rave reviews all around. The cupcake itself is moist and light with almost a springy (in a good way) texture. This cream cheese frosting is to die for, and complemented the cupcakes perfectly. There probably aren’t too many circumstances in which it’s acceptable to make brain cupcakes, but I think these are the perfect creepy Halloween treat!
Red Velvet Cupcakes
from Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That, by Ina Garten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners (the recipe makes approx 15 large cupcakes, more if you make them smaller).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla in a 2-cup measuring cup.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until light. One at a time, add the eggs, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the bowl, beginning and and ending with the dry ingredients (so, dry, wet, dry, wet, dry). Beat just until everything is combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners. (Note: Ina makes really big cupcakes – using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop to divide the batter, almost completely filling the cups. You could definitely make them smaller, but I’d start checking around 20 minutes in the oven if you do.) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Makes 15 large cupcakes
I LOVE these. You are so good with all this. Me, I have brain freezes, not brain cupcakes…..
Those are awesome-looking cupcakes, and since you used Ina’s recipe I’m sure they tasted amazing too. How cool that you got to meet her – I just got the new book and my daughter actually flagged 14 “resipees” that she wants us to make.
Very cool! Both the cupcakes and the fact that you got to meet Ina. I really enjoy her show as well, though I haven’t made a lot of her recipes.
Ooh… I love red velvet cupcakes. I actually need to find the “perfect” red velvet recipe for some of the cupcakes for my brother’s wedding (I’m doing their cake, which thankfully is a small cake and lots of cupcakes). I will add this recipe to the list. I won’t be decorating them with brains, though 😉
PS – Totally jealous that you got to see Ina… She is one of the few food “personalities” that I really like!
I am always looking for new Halloween cupcakes to make for my students, I love the idea of brain cupcakes! so cute!
You met the QUEEN~ I love her, awesomely grea cupcakes too
So exciting that you got to meet Ina! She will be in NYC in a couple of weeks and I’m taking a half day off from work just to go see her!
That is awesome that you got to meet Ina! Your cupcakes are very cute! I bet they were delicious, as well as cool looking :)!
Love these Tracey! I’m saving these as an idea for next year!
You’re so lucky to have met Barefoot. I love her. And what a great tribute…brain cupcakes. Perfect for Halloween.
How totalllly exciting to get a book signed by The Ina! 🙂 and these cupcakes look wonderful – so festive! – mary
How exciting. I’ve adored Ina since day one, and I would have happily waited in line to meet her too. I have to get her new book to complete my Barefoot Library!
🙂
ButterYum
Is there anything better than red velvet cupcakes or cakes, the color is always so crowd pleasing.
I love the brain cupcakes! How cool that you got to meet Ina, she seems so nice!
Wonderful cupcakes. Great job on the icing.
How lucky, she is the ONE cook I would love to meet.
Those are awesome! I’m totally making them next year 🙂 How fun to meet Ina!
Ina is my favorite ever! I so want to be her BFF but looking at your pictures and how many other people have the same desire I don’t think my dream will come true. I totally want her book though. Everything I’ve made of her’s is awesome. She is pure awesomeness.
So cool that you got to meet her!! I am so out of the loop, I didn’t even know she had a new book coming out. Looks like a good one, just like the others. Nice work on these cup cakes. 🙂
how cool that you got to meet Ina! i can’t believe you came 2 hrs early and were STILL 200th in line!
the brain cupcakes are cool too 🙂
The brain cupcakes are fun and perfect for Halloween! That’s so cool that you met Ina and got her autograph. I love her show – she seems like such a nice person.
What a fun Halloween treat! How cool that you got to go to the book signing! I made salmon from Ina’s new book last night and it was great, I can’t wait to try more recipes from it.
These are so cute and clever! I once stood in line for several hours at a Thomas Keller book signing at WS, and they told us the same thing, but TK was charming and insisted on taking photos with each person in line.
It’s so awesome that you got to meet her, even if for such a short time. Those cupcakes look great, definitely brain-y!
I don’t know if you’ve heard of Ms. Humble. She has a blog that periodically does science cookie/baked goods roundups. I think she’d like your brain cupcakes and it could get more exposure for your blog, which is always a good thing. Here’s a link to her latest roundup. http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/2010/08/science-cookie-roundup-6.html
Oh my god, these look soooo yummy!! do you think it would be too much if I fill them with some strawberry jam for a blood effect? Do you think the flavors would go well? I’m really curious to know your opinion, my nephew wants these for his birthday party next week, my mail is annie.solis@hotmail.com