Martha Washington Cupcakes Food

MARTHA WASHINGTON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with paper baking cups.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Cream butter, then slowly add to the egg whites.
• Slowly add sugar to the egg white/butter mixture, then add egg yolks.
• Add flour, mace, nutmeg, and orange juice gradually.
• By hand, stir in fruit and nuts.
• Pour into muffin tin and fill cups 1/2-2/3 full.
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done.
• Frost with any cream cheese frosting, or just dust with powdered sugar.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
• Melt chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water. In a bowl, stir baking soda into the boiling water; stir this mixture into chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until the mixture is light and pale yellow in color. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add flour and buttermilk, alternating between small amounts of each, and blend well.
• Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the batter, and stir well. Pour the batter into the paper cups, and bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake, about 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven, and allow them to cool briefly in the muffin tin before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. Ice, and serve.

FROSTED VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture and sour cream in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean and the top is springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before spreading with frosting.

MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until blended. Stir in coconut and pecans. Divide dough in half; refrigerate, covered, 1 hour., Working with half the dough at a time, shape mixture into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate 30 minutes longer., In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Return to waxed paper. Refrigerate until set., To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator., Freeze option: Freeze candy, layered between pieces of waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw in refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

MARTHA WASHINGTON'S GREAT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Soak raisins and currants in water in small bowl overnight.
• Combine orange peel, lemon peel, citron and cherries in mediumsize bowl, sprinkle with brandy; let stand overnight.
• Grease two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch pans.
• Beat egg whites in medium-size bowl with electric mixer until foamy white. Beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar slowly until meringue forms stiff peaks; reserve.
• Beat butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
• Sift flour, mace and nutmeg onto wax paper. Stir into batter alternately with sherry, blending well.
• Drain raisins and currants. Add to batter with candied fruits and brandy, mixing well.
• Fold in reserved meringue until no streaks of white remain. Pour batter into pans. Place in a roasting pan on lowest rack of oven. Fill halfway with boiling water. Place cakes on middle rack of oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees and bake 55 minutes longer until centers spring back when lightly touched with fingertip. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
• To store: wrap in sherry- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth; place in tightly covered containers for a month or longer. Pour more sherry or brandy over cake when cheesecloth dries out.
• Garnish with candied cherries, if you wish.