Now that’s a cupcake!

Last Thursday’s meal contained the most spectacular dessert – a Decadent Chocolate Cupcake.  We made these cupcakes using an old recipe that contains an unusual ingredient that became a popular baking ingredient about 30 years ago – mayonnaise.  I am sure that it was Kraft or Hellmans that first thought this one up, but it make sense when you think about it.  Real mayonnaise is essentially an emulsion of eggs, oil and a bit of vinegar. I am sure this recipe was born out of necessity, when some creative cook ran out of eggs for her chocolate cake.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
1 1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (we only use organic fair trade Cocoa Camino chocolate)

Whisk the wet ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients.  Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well until combined.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour into 9″ round cake pan (well oiled) or in 24 lined muffin tins.  Bake cake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.  Test for doneness.

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Moo Shu

For years Mu Shu (or Moo Shu) pork was the most popular Chinese food restaurant dish in North America.  In Cantonese this dish is called “muk see yuk” or “wood shaved pork.” Traditionally, Mu Shu Pork is served in pancakes brushed with hoisin sauce. We decided to challenge ourselves this week by cooking a few things that we have never cooked before.  The Heritage Ontario Berkshire pork was slowly braised in our own ‘hoisin’ sauce, made with miso, organic brown sugar, and aromatics like cloves, cinnamon & coriander.  Once cooked and cooled, the pork was shredded.

The dough recipe is quite simple – just flour & water.  After it has rested for some time, the dough was cut into small, uniform pieces and rolled into a ball, then flattened.  Two pieces of dough were placed one on top of each other with a generous layer of sesame oil in between.  These two pieces of dough were then rolled out in flour to form a ‘pancake’

The pancakes were fried on a dry griddle for about 1 minute each side until they puffed up in the middle.  When they were removed from the pan, it was possible to separate the one pancake into two because the oiled layer in the middle.  It was all quite fascinating!

Here is the recipe:

Makes 12

1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) unbleached flour
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix the flour and the boiling water. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board, gather it into a heap, and knead it until smooth, about 3 minutes. Cover with a towel and let it rest for about 1/2 hour.

With your hands, shape the dough into an even cylinder about 12 inches long. With a sharp knife, preferably serrated, cut the roll into 1-inch pieces.

Lightly flour your palms and use them to flatten the pieces into 2-inch rounds. Brush the top of each round generously with sesame oil. Lay one round on top of another, oiled sides together. Flatten the pair together with the heel of your hand. Continue until you have 6 pairs.

With a floured rolling pin, roll each pair into a thin pancake about 7 inches in diameter, flipping the pancake over now and again to roll evenly on both sides. Stack the pancakes as you finish rolling them.

In an ungreased cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high heat, cook the pancakes one at a time. Heat one side until it becomes less opaque and starts to bubble slightly, and just a few brown spots appear, about 1 min. Flip it over and cook it until a few light brown spots appear on the other side, about 30 seconds.

While the pancake is still hot, pick it up, look for a seam to grab, and separate it into two very thin pancakes. Stack them on a plate as you go and wrap them in foil to keep them warm and prevent drying. If not using right away, refrigerate until ready to use.

Filed Under:  Recipes, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized