farmer's markets and red devil's cupcakes

Gah. I just love food. And my friends. And both together is a glorious combination.

Went to the Cville Farmer's Market this morning with Rudhdi. LOVED IT. As always. She is quite possibly my favorite person to be my psycho, foodie self around, because she understands me. I mean, how many people would walk around a Farmer's Market with me and literally just about cry with joy upon seeing baskets of multi-colored, locally grown tomatoes, misshapen butternut squash, or maple cashew butter?!

[The amount of excitement I feel even just recalling this is disturbing.]

All of the aforementioned were purchased. Along with a loaf of Ezekiel bread, a loaf of rye bread, focaccia with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil, and chocolate banana bread. Ugh. I need someone to pry me away from the market so I don't end up spending every dollar bill in my wallet.

BUT IT WOULD BE WORTH IT.

photo taken with Rudhdi's camera phone.

After the Market, we both went to a local joint, Eppy's for lunch. Salad, soup, and a side of pumpkin bread [PUMPKIN BREAD? I just about died and went to heaven]. A salad made with spinach, grape tomatoes, corn, goat cheese, and dates, and served with a champagne vinaigrette. Unique. And surprisingly delicious.

Just enjoying a delicious meal with an amazing friend, talking for what seems like hours about life and food. Honestly, one of the best feelings in the world.

After lunch, we went on a much-needed grocery trip [literally, there had been nothing but Greek yogurt in my fridge prior to today], and then I dropped her off and went to meet Raj, Hershil, and Kevin at their dorm to bake...

yes.

Cupcakes.

CUPCAKES.

I made cupcakes. Mostly to appease Raj, Hershil, and Kevin. Because they thought they could convince me that cupcakes are, in fact, delicious.

...to be totally honest, they were delicious.

But it was because of the frosting. The cake part was...meh. I mean, it was no different from any other cake. Not good, not bad, decent. [This is, in part, true, and also, in part, as a defense of my determined dislike of cupcakes].

We had to mix all the ingredients in a steel pot, and we had to ask the neighbors for nonstick spray, and we had to improvise with baking utensils, but I'd say it was a great success. [I hope the boys would agree with me!]

And fun! I love baking with friends. It's always an adventure. [Usually one that results in my friends asking me why on earth we're not baking at my apartment, where I have my baking pans, ingredients, and stand-mixer on hand].

This delicious recipe, red devil's cupcakes with sour cream mocha frosting, was found at Ming Makes Cupcakes. I'll type up the recipe here [but if you check the site, these are #14].

Red Devil's Cupcakes with Sour Cream Mocha FrostingAdapted from Ming Makes Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp red food coloring
• 2 eggs

For the frosting, you'll need:

•  8 oz. semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with paper, and lightly grease each cup.  In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add in butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add in eggs and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Pour enough batter to fill a little over half of each cup. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

To prepare frosting, melt chocolate and espresso in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water. Let cool. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, honey, and vanilla. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Yes, they were scrumptious. I admit it.

I'm still not sold, though. I mean, I would make this frosting and slather it on a layered cake and it would be just as good.

But, I will admit, maybe I don't hate cupcakes. I don't love them, but maybe they're not as despicably evil as I thought.

I do want to make a cupcake with some sort of filling, though. One day.

Baby steps, after all.

And now I'm full on Thai food. Delicious Thai food. Daniel and some friends called spontaneously this evening and asked if we wanted to join them for dinner. So we revved up the car and headed out. Chicken kapow. Best Thai dish on the planet. And now I am STUFFED.

But there's a frozen banana waiting for me in the freezer...

Thank goodness for stretchy pants.