fifth (and 6th) stop - Dessert time

We’re gonna do a little traveling back to California and then onwards to Oregon in order to appreciate the desserts.

Fugi Mama offered her recipe for a tasty cupcake that might just get us up to Gareth’s house for his ever-so-scrumptious dessert.

Before we go to Portland, lets revisit Fugi Mama and her wickedly and delectable cupcakes.

See the line-up in this progressive dinner from my foodies.

FM's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes 
Makes 30 cupcakes

CAKE 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 3 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 2 cups ice water

PB FILLING

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg 1 cup milk

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (position rack in center of oven). Line cupcake tins with paper baking cups and spray lightly over top with cooking spray.

2. Make cake batter: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend.

3. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yolk. Add cocoa and beat until well blended.

4. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with ice water in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just blended and smooth after each addition. Set cake batter aside to make PB filling.

5. Make PB filling: Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, and egg together. Begin adding in the milk little by little until the mixture is smooth and creamy (and still quite thick). You may or may not use all of the milk depending on the type of peanut butter you use. Stir in chocolate chips.

Again, find more paramount recipes at:http://www.lafujimama.com/

Now on to Gareth Mark's house in Portland for a wonderful treat.

Here is the recipe from Gareth’s blog.

Strawberry Ricotta Tartlet

I started by making a Shortbread Dough. I used Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract instead of Tahitian, and replaced the vanilla paste with powdered freeze-dried strawberries to give the dough a bit of kick. I followed my own instructions, and didn’t worry when the dough cracked before baking. Remember to chill the tartlet shells before baking. I baked them for about 13 minutes at 350°F/175°C.

While the tartlet shells were baking, I mixed some whole milk ricotta with about a teaspoon of honey, some puréed strawberries, and a hint of cinnamon. Once the shells were finished baking and cooling, I filled them with the ricotta. If I had had some, I would have used strawberry honey, which is honey from hives in which the bees harvest pollen from strawberry fields.

The strawberries went into a bowl of cold water along with several sprigs of spearmint from the garden. Then it was just a matter of selecting berries that were just right, slicing them, and laying them into the shells, sometimes with mint leaves interspersed. To finish, I melted some strawberry jam and brushed it onto the berries.

As I said, I couldn’t decide exactly how the tart should look, so I made two sizes of tartlets and then decorated each a little differently. One of them featured whole berries.

Find more of Gareth's recipes and techniques at: http://stumptownsavoury.com/