A Small Celebration

Sometimes I don't have time to make a whole birthday cake with frosting and decorations. It's when your birthday falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday that this often happens. We're not close enough to the previous weekend that I could have made the cake ahead of time and I can't quite justify putting my homework off til the next weekend yet. Darn.

So I convince myself that your special day is worth me getting up 25 minutes earlier to bake you a very individual gift. It's a gift that will be consumed quickly, and hopefully, won't be repeated, because next year you'll have the common sense to put your birthday on a Monday like normal people do. But, if you are so unfortunate as to have a second birthday in the middle of the week, I think that this particular cake will not be too much of a hardship to endure twice.

Honestly, it's the perfect amount because you can share with your friend or just eat them both without feeling terribly guilty at all--it's your birthday after all, and no one expects you to share.

Spiced Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from 

Makes 2.

Originally, this recipe was "baked" in the microwave. I, personally, never use this approach, and since, at the time, I didn't have silicone baking cups, I would have exploded the house using metal tins, I decided to bake them until a toothpick inserted yielded a clean tip.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 ½ teaspoons milk
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ egg (approximately 2 tablespoons), lightly beaten
• Whipped cream, to frost
• Sprinkles, to decorate

Instructions:

1) Whisk flour, brown sugar and spices in a small bowl. Mix in milk, butter and egg. 

2) Divide evenly between two muffin liners, either in a tin or the silicone variety. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. 

3) Check it and then continue cooking if a toothpick inserted comes out with wet batter.

4) Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired.

Defying Green-ity

So, let's just say, theoretically, that you have some chocolate bars leftover from Valentine's Day. And, continuing in this hypothetical universe, let's assume that you like to bake, but there's just so much sweet matter lying around that you can't justify it without using up something else. And then there's the issue of getting some healthiness into your diet without eliminating the chocolate.

You'll never guess what's in these. Okay, maybe you will. The idea has been circulating the food quadrant of the Internet recently.

Maybe you've heard of a leathery-skinned, green-fleshed ellipsoid called avocado? You know, the one that's been touted for its good-cholesterol qualities and generally healthful properties?

Well, those delicious nuts are mashed and smashed into this recipe. So thoroughly incorporated, in fact, that they take on a buttery, creamy, downright fudgelike texture.

This goes out to my friend Anna, who enjoys chemistry, especially {guaca}mole by Amadeo Avocad{r}o.

Fudgy Avocado Brownies (aka Greenies)

adapted from http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/08/fudgy-avocado-brownies/
These are possibly the riches brownies I've ever had. I had my friends test them blindly--without knowing that there were avocados in them. They didn't suspect a thing. You should definitely go check out the original website: beautiful photos of the process and a witty commentary throughout make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 8 oz chocolate, primarily dark
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• Chopped up chocolate, optional

Instructions:

1) Melt chocolate in a glass bowl over a double boiler or in the microwave using low heat. 

2) Mash avocado in a large bowl. Pour in chocolate and mix thoroughly.

3) Add sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.

4) Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add the dry to the wet, only mixing until combined.

5) Add oil and chocolate chips, if using. Mix together briefly and pour into a lightly greased 8x8-inch pan.

6) Bake for 30-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

7) Serve to your friends, tell them the truth once they've gotten a bite and enjoy their shocked faces.

Makes 6.022x10^23 brownies. Just kidding. It's about 16, depending on how generous you are.