Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes

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Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes

Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes

When I lived in Montreal, my lovely roommate Jessa was the first to introduce me to the concept of baking and cooking with flowers. Until this point in my life, I reveled in the bold colors, soft lines, and sweet scents of buds and blossoms, but it hadn't occurred to me just how delicate they could become in food. The subtle aromas, the muted tones, the calmness they brought to a flavor storm of complexity—it was beautiful.

It opened a new door to how I perceive and interact with food.

Baking with Lavender

It started with a glass of lavender lemonade. Jessa brewed up a fresh batch in our small kitchen while I was away and greeted me with a tall glass when I arrived back home. I was hesitant at first. The scent of lavender reminds me of summer days and peaceful breezes, not sweet refreshments. However, after I took a sip, my opinion changed entirely. The subtle tones of lavender were the perfect match for a lemon's tart disposition.

[To this day, that lavender lemonade is the best lemonade I've ever had. When the weather gets warmer, I'll be certain to share it with you too.]

Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes

Later, Jessa introduced me to the small, quaint café Fuchsia, where I happened upon my first chocolate lavender cupcake. It was, undoubtedly, delicious, but deliciously simple. The cupcake wasn't covered in a sweet, buttercream frosting. It wasn't filled with lavender cream. A few lavender buds settled on top of the cupcake to reveal the secret within.

With a flavor so pure and effortless, it would be such a shame to cover it up.

Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes

These Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes have a delicate lavender tone that is not too perfumed or overwhelming. The chocolate and lavender complement each other well, creating a cupcake with a complex palate. Please be sure to use culinary lavender and not lavender labeled for another purpose, which may be sprayed with pesticides or coated in inedible solutions. Edible lavender can readily be found in most health food stores.

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Chocolate Clementine Cupcakes from Laura of A Beautiful Plate

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Chocolate Clementine Cupcakes from Laura of A Beautiful Plate

Clementine Cupcakes

Today's post is brought to you by the fabulous Laura of Blogging Over Thyme. Not only is she a lovely new friend of mine, but she can bake up one mean cupcake (seriously, how cute are these?!). Show her some love!

When Kristin asked me to write a guest post, I was both honored and thrilled! Kristin’s fabulous recipes, stories, and photography have been such a source of inspiration to me and it has been such a pleasure to get to know her. With the holidays coming up, we both decided that something sweet was in order.

Christmas Day, at my house, is filled with tradition. After slowly waking up and greeting the morning, my family sits down at our kitchen table, where we feast on Italian panettone, fresh fruit and berries, and warm mugs of hot coffee. Pajamas, robes, and fuzzy socks are the official attire of the day. After eating breakfast, we head to the living room, where we grab our stockings and slowly open them, one gift at a time, attempting to prolong the process as long as possible.

Every year, my sisters and I reach our hands deep into our stockings and pull out a fresh clementine. Amidst all the other gifts, it is the most simple, but also the most sentimental. We usually end up munching on tons of fresh clementines throughout the holidays, leaving small trails of peel wherever we go, the smell of citrus lingering on our hands and fingers.

Clementine Cupcakes Clementine Cupcakes

When I saw fresh clementines hit the shelves recently, I knew that I wanted to create a holiday dessert incorporating them and immediately began daydreaming up ideas. Chocolate was the next logical choice. Orange and chocolate is a classic combination and one of my all-time favorites.

Clementine Cupcakes

Tarts, cookies, and cakes all came to mind, but cupcakes inevitably won for their portability, cute factor, and individual portion size. The next step was getting into my kitchen, cranking up the oven, and whipping up several trial and test batches. It instantly brought back memories of my days working at the bakery!

While some cupcakes can be heavy and leave you feeling weighed down, these cupcakes are surprisingly light and airy, while still being decadent and full of flavor. The cake is infused with clementine zest and orange extract, dipped in rich (72%) dark chocolate ganache, and topped with candied clementine slices (optional). These cupcakes have just the right amount of citrus and chocolate flavor, without either taste overwhelming the other.

Clementine Cupcakes

When I took my first bite, I was instantly reminded of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, a favorite childhood treat. These cupcakes, on the other hand, are a bit more sophisticated, special, and sure to impress your family and friends over the holidays. Enjoy!

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Apple Cinnamon Cake

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Apple Cinnamon Cake

Apple Cinnamon Cake

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so says the old proverb. I've been on an apple kick lately, eating my way to dozens of apple cores in the last month. I ate apples with sandwiches instead of chips. I ate apples whenever I had the inkling for a snack. I ate apples before I sat down to meals, and then after. I'm an apple nut.

Though I haven't been sleeping as much as I should, I've stayed healthy and well. So does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? To settle the age old question, I'd have to say yes. Who knew it was actually true?

Apple Cinnamon Cake Apple Cinnamon Cake

The first awkward bite into a ripe apple makes my heart sing. The wide open mouth, the loud crunch, the sweet juice rushing to light up the taste buds—it's a marvelous experience. I love trying different varieties of apples simply to discover their own unique qualities. When I'm looking for a sweet apple, I choose a Golden Delicious. I'd argue Gala apples are the most balanced—slightly sweet, slightly sour, neither virtue overcoming the other. However, one apple has captured my attention in a way no other apple has before. Every year, I anxiously await the moment when the produce department of my local supermarket gives them a seasonal home.

I am talking about the glorious, almighty Honeycrisp apple.

I don't even care that they tend to be the most expensive apples in the store. I've gladly handed over my pocketbook for a dozen of these and I'll do it again. They are worth every penny.

Apple Cinnamon Cake
Apple Cinnamon Cake Apple Cinnamon Cake

My mother warned me to stave off my apple cravings until my grandmother's apple tree ripened, but I couldn't help myself. Every year, after the apples have been picked, my grandma sends out boxes of apples to the entire family. We picked up ours a week ago and I've been planning ways to use them ever since (my grandmother's tried and true applesauce recipe will be coming your way soon. Keep your eyes peeled!).

However, this Apple Cinnamon Cake was on this year's list long before the the apples on my grandmother's tree turned red. I've made this cake every fall for the last three years and it's quickly become an autumn tradition in my home. I hope you give this cake a chance to become a tradition of your own.

Apple Cinnamon Cake

This Apple Cinnamon Cake is layered with beautiful depth of flavor. A nutty, sweet whole wheat cake is interrupted with layers of cinnamon-coated apples. The apples give the cake an unbelievable moistness and density you have to taste to believe. A light dusting of powdered sugar really sets this cake off right. This is a good cake to enjoy with a cup of coffee and a fall afternoon.

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