Cupcakes!

Melissa, fan of all things cheesy and savory (which is probably why she likes Mike the omeletologist) suggested during the course of a Steelers game last week that we try making savory cupcakes. Brilliant, I said. Instantly, images of cheese frostings and meat fillings came to mind, and we set the date for last night.

Armed with some tasty goodies from work, and with Mike as my sous chef, I set about creating several savory cupcake options. Credit must go to Gourmet Magazine for the basic structure, but I really felt that any good cupcake deserves a filling and an icing, and I wanted to spice up the cake a little.


In the end, we had a truffle mousse-filled cupcake with cheese icing, a cheese-filled cupcake with more cheese on top, a well seasoned corn muffin that went great with truffle mousse spread on top, and a corn cake layered with cheese frosting and accented with, what else, more truffled liver mousse. Mike made a side dish of green beans and mushrooms that were made in true Danger Mike style, with a first-degree burn and numerous vegetable casualties .

Everything could have used a little more salt, maybe some more spice, and the truffle liver mousse dominated a little bit (not really a bad thing), but overall, the experiment was a smashing success.

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Cheese Cupcakes with Two Fillings

2 eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large shallot or small onion, minced and sauteed until softened
1 handful finely chopped green onion
1 tsp herbes de Provence or a combination of your favorite herbs
a good grinding of pepper
a good shake of crushed red pepper
3/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk eggs, milk and oil together. Combine about 3/4 c of the grated cheese with the rest of the dry ingredients, and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Add the garlic, onions and spices. Pour into greased muffin tins and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are slightly golden brown. Allow the cupcakes to cool while you prepare the fillings.

Meat filling

1/4 lb soft meat mousse or pate, such as truffled liver mousse

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Cheese filling and icing

6 oz mascarpone cheese
6 oz gorgonzola dolce
1-2 T milk

Whisk the cheese ingredients together and place about half of the mixture into a pastry bag. Fill another pastry bag with the meat filling. You can make a quick pastry bag with wax or parchment paper and tape. Make a cone, cut the opening in the top to about 3/8", and pack the mix into the cone. Roll up the wide end and squeeze the filling to the tip. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke a hole into the bottom of each cupcake and pipe filling in. Frost the cupcakes liberally with the reserved filling and EAT!

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Savory Corn Muffins and Layer Cake

1/2 c cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c flour
1 c sour milk (1 T lemon juice in 1 c milk works)
1 egg
1 T bacon fat or oil
1 handful of finely chopped scallions
1 finely chopped shallot, fried until softened in olive oil
1 chopped clove garlic
1/4 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
herbs, spices, hot sauce, and seasonings

Heat the oven to 400. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk the egg and oil together with the milk, and add this to the dry ingredients. Stir in the onions, garlic and seasonings. You can make 12 muffins, or 6 muffins and a little corn cake. Pour about half the batter into six buttered muffin tins, and pour the rest into a buttered ramekin. Sprinkle some cheese and herbs over each one. Bake the muffins 15 to 20 minutes, and the cake about 20-25 minutes.

Mike had the great idea of making a layer cake out of the corn cake. We filled it with cheese frosting and a little accent of truffle mousse. It was over the top and delicious.




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Green Beans with Mushrooms

One medium pot of boiling salted water
1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
1/2 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced
2 T olive oil
1/4 c grated Parmigiano
salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the beans by putting them in the boiling water, bringing the water back to a boil, and cooking for two minutes. Remove the beans from the pot and refresh them in a bowl of running cold water for a couple minutes. This will give you cooked-yet-crisp, bright green beans.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, ginger and garlic and toss for a couple minutes, then add the beans and toss for a few more minutes until heated through. Season well with salt, pepper, and cheese.