Autumn Is In The Air....Can You Smell It?

Autumn is in the air for just 12 short weeks.

I welcome the cooling air of fall for so many reasons one of which is I’m simply not a fan of the triple H’s. Hazy, Hot and Humid, typical to Long Island in the summer. I much prefer to sleep with my windows open vs. having the CAC on constantly. As the temperature dropped into the 50’s at night this week I must say I was excited to pull out my big comforter. The only downside is that as the fall fades into winter, we wake up in darkness and we drive home from work in darkness as well. On the upside, I look forward to seeing the rich rust, red & orange colored mums. And I have noticed that pumpkins are slowly starting to appear as decorations on many stoops. I’m sure the vibrant colored vegetables are ready to be cultivated and are on the tables of the farm stands I spoke of in my first blog post are prepping for a new season and so am I.

There’s nothing better than cooking a rich vegetable soup on a cool day made with locally grown produce. Simply add local carrots, onions, celery to low salt chicken stock along with any combination of root vegetables such as turnips, parsnip, rutabaga, or potato and let simmer till tender, season and then blend to a creamy consistence. YUM!

The days are few and far between for picking apples and other produce; the fall is a perfect time to experiment with all the goodies our rich earth has to offer.

Here is the link to the locations of farm stands. http://www.lifb.com/FINDAFARMSTAND/FindaFarmstand/tabid/68/Default.aspx

In addition to grilling squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, onions and peppers as I do in the summer, some of these vegetables can be used in sweet dishes as well. My family and friends favorite chocolate cupcake is actually made with zucchinis. The runner up is a pumpkin cupcake. Believe me when I tell you they are the moistest chocolate cupcakes you’ll ever taste. The best part of the zucchini for the vegetable haters out there, is that you can’t tell there’s a vegetable in it. Great for children (and adults) who refuse to eat anything green, this is surely going to please. I have provided the recipe for you below. After years of experimenting, this is how I make it. As for the frosting I always make my own butter cream. A simple chocolate or a vanilla frosting goes very well with these cupcakes.

As the pumpkins finish plumping up in the fields I am pulling out all my recipes, which include pumpkin & zucchini bread, cake and soups watch for them in a future blog post. There is an abundance of delicious fall soups and desserts in my recipe box and I’ll provide a few of my favorites in my next blog post. In the meantime I hope you’ll enjoy this one !

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes : yields 24

Ingredients

• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated zucchini (I use my food processor)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar for about 10 minutes or until thickened and pale. Blend oil and cooled chocolate into the beaten egg mixture.
3. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Stir in the zucchini. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop batter into a 24 paper-lined cupcake pan filling the cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until fork or toothpick inserted in a cupcake’s center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely. Spread with chocolate or vanilla frosting.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter softened ,but not melted
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ (icing) sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (omit if you want vanilla flavor)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn mixer off and sift 3 cups of powdered sugar and the cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (otherwise the dry ingredients will blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk. Beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a stiffer consistency, add a little more icing sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time. When done, use a pastry bag and tip to decorate your cupcakes.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment. Stay tuned for my next blog post which will be about fall soups and a wonderful no knead country bread.