French Almond-Pear Tart

I know, a bit late -- but happy 2011!!

While new beginnings and fresh starts are always lovely, I'll skip the whole "new year" cliche and get straight to business. I mean, resolutions schmootions...who has time for those things anyway? ;) Between 8 weddings and trips to LAS/SAN/HKG/DPS/NYC/ORD/YVR already on the books for this year, we're basically just focused on keeping our day jobs and staying sane. Besides, do you really want to hear all 20 of my titillating resolutions??


#1, be more patient
#2, wear sunscreen every day
#3, don't be afraid to speak up more often
#4, try to eat more vegetables
#5, learn how to drive stick shift
#6, ......

Just kidding.


Anyway, one resolution -- errrrr, goal -- for this year was to make one of those beautifully magnificent tarts that you always see in the window shops of French bakeries and patisseries. Simple, elegant and utterly satisfying, they never seem to disappoint in both appearance and taste (funny how that works, huh).

This one is no exception. The crust is perfectly crumbly, buttery and sweet -- like a shortbread cookie. And the pears, which are poached in sugar syrup laced with lemon and cinnamon sticks, yield a delightfully delicate and mild fruit flavor. The best part, however, lies in the almond cream. I've always loved frangipane, but this one is especially nutty, soft and rich.



Dang you, French people, for making me lose resolution #12: no second helpings of dessert! I guess while we're at it, no point in trying to keep the rest of my resolutions either...right? :D

French Pear Tart
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan

Sweet Tart Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely - you'll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that's just fine. Stir the egg, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses - about 10 seconds each - until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before your reaches this clumpy stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change - heads up. Press lightly into the tart pan.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against the crust. Bake the crust 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer the crust to a cooling rack; keep it in its pan.

Almond Cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg
2 teaspoons dark rum or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put the butter and sugar in the workbowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended. Add the flour and cornstarch, process, and then add the egg. Process for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogeneous. Add the rum or vanilla and process just to blend. If you prefer, you can make the cream in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a bowl with a rubber spatula. In either case, the ingredients are added in the same order. Scrape the almond cream into a container and either use it immediately or refrigerate it until firm, about 2 hours.

Poached Pears
3 medium pears, firm
1 lemon
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 stick cinnamon (optional)

Peel the pears, leaving them whole. Bring the 4 cups water, the 1 1/4 cups sugar, the juice of the lemon, and the cinnamon stick to a boil in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears. Add the pears to the boiling syrup, lower the heat so the syrup simmers and gently poach the pears until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Cool the pears to room temperature in the syrup.

Assemble & Bake
Center a rack in the oven and lower the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the pears in half (from blossom to stem) and core them. Make sure to pat them dry - really dry - so that their liquid won't keep the almond cream from baking. Fill the baked crust with the almond cream, spreading it even with an offset metal icing spatula. Thinly slice each pear half crosswise, lift each half on a spatula, press down on the pear to fan it slightly and place it over the almond cream.

Put the crust on a lined baking sheet, slide the sheet into the oven and bake the tart 50 to 60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up around the pears and browns. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature before unmolding. Right before serving, dust the tart with confectioners' sugar.

Continue reading for recipe...

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

As we enter into this holiday season of celebrating and giving, I can't help but reflect on all the things that I'm thankful for. So much has happened since last Thanksgiving -- including a new place to call home, new travel memories, two new jobs, new friendships, a new car, and new opportunities for loved ones -- that I still can't believe we packed it all into just one year.



On numerous occasions throughout this year, AC and I have talked about how incredibly blessed we are. To live near family, to be able to go to work every day, to have so many college friends live close by, to see loved ones thrive and succeed in new places, to have plenty of food to eat (sometimes too much!) and a warm bed to sleep in every night...the list goes on and on. And while I don't want to bore you with all the little details of this list, somewhere a bit further down on it are these lovely matcha green tea shortbread cookies ;)


Remember my matcha green tea obsession last year? Well, like most things in life -- it comes and goes in cycles. And lucky for us, my matcha craving came back...just in time for the holidays!

We made these the other day when a couple of friends came over for an "Asian themed" dinner. While they seemed to enjoy the meal thoroughly, their hands kept reaching for these cookies. Incredibly stunning, healthy (what? antioxidants!) and GREEN, these treats taste even better than they look. Like any respectable shortbread cookie, they're delectably crumbly and buttery. But their unique matcha green tea flavor is what really makes them shine. Subtle, delicate, and not too sweet -- no wonder why they won Golden Scoop's Best Bakery Recipe award!



Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone! We're so thankful for love, family, friends...and of course these delightful cookies. What about you?

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies
Recipe from Lovescool

3/4 cup Confectioners sugar
5 oz Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
3 Large egg yolks
1.5 TBS Matcha (powdered green tea)
1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating)

* Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
* Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
* Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color.
* Add the flour and mix until well combined.
* Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
* Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
* Roll the dough out to ½” thickness.
* Cut the dough with a cookie cutter.
* Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
* Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.
Continue reading for recipe...

Boston Cream Pie

Some things just don't need an explanation.



Especially when there's cake and presents involved :)



Yup, it's birthday time...Round 2! 60 and fabulous -- that's my mom!! :)



Happy birthday, mother! Looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you in the years to come...
Continue reading for recipe...

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

I hear (or so I've been told) that "life events" come in waves. Engagements, weddings, golden birthdays, promotions, 10 yr HS reunions, babies, etc -- they're all starting to trickle in lately. Not that I can complain. Who doesn't love birthday cakes? Or an excuse to see old friends? Or all the free booze at weddings (best life event ever!)??


Anyway, one of our friends recently hit a huge milestone that definitely warranted celebration -- becoming homeowners in Alameda! Though this actually happened late last year, they just had their housewarming party the other weekend (better late than never, right?), and we were tasked with bringing a dessert.

I decided to make these because they are #1 relatively quick and easy and #2, deliciously tart and creamy. Call me crazy but when it's hot outside, the last thing I want to eat is something heavy, rich, and chocolate-y. These dainty cheesecake bars are refreshingly light and simple, and make the perfect finger food. The buttery graham cracker crust offsets the smooth tart filling wonderfully, and the fresh berries add a bit of "summer" to each bite.



Speaking of which....when did it suddenly become Fall?? Next thing I know, we'll be 50.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2009

Crust:
9 whole graham crackers
6 tablespoons butter

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh berries
[note: you can also double the filling to make it more like a cheesecake, rather than cheesecake bar cookie]

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Fold 16-inch long piece of foil to 8x16-inch strip; place in 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil in opposite direction, lining pan completely. Butter foil.

Place graham crackers in heavy-duty plastic bag. Using rolling pin or mallet, crush crackers finely. Melt butter in medium skillet over low heat. Remove from heat; add crumbs and toss to coat. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Cool crust while preparing filling.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and sour cream, then lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla. Spread batter over crust.

Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed and set in center, about 25 minutes; cool completely in pan on rack. Chill cheesecake until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.

Using foil overhang as aid, lift cheesecake from pan. Cut into 16 squares; arrange on platter. Top each square with a small dollop of whipped cream and berry on top. Chill until ready to serve, up to 3 hours. Serve chilled.

Continue reading for recipe...

Strawberry Mochi Cake

A chewy, Asian dessert and sweet, Western cake in one?? Ummmm...yes, please :P



This absolutely ingenious creation has quickly risen to the top of my "best things ever" list. No joke, I'm obsessed (...and here we go again!, as AC says). It's just like mochi, only mochi with a makeover -- jazzed up and a zillion times better. Don't get me wrong, I love mochi. It's just that sometimes, I find it a teensy bit plain and boring.

While the heart/core of this cake still remains mochi, it's given more texture and taste with a delectably crisp and chewy outer edge. This small but important detail makes all the difference in the world, and transforms the mochi into an entirely different treat. Ultra chewy and tasty, the outside layer contrasts the soft, smooth mochi perfectly. And the small addition of butter makes it taste more like a cake or pastry rather than typical Asian dessert (which is usually the antithesis of sweet).



Since it's summer, I made this batch strawberry flavored. But apricot, mango and peach are all solid contenders as well. Mochi cake, check. Next up -- mochi ice cream! ;)

Strawberry Mochi Cake
Recipe adapted from Auntie Lynn and Gourmet, May 2005

1 lb box mochiko
2 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1 stick butter, melted
2 t vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 11.5 oz can strawberry nectar
1/2 C water

Preheat oven to 350 degree. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Whisk in remaining ingredients, and divide batter into cupcake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned.
Continue reading for recipe...

Buttermilk-Vanilla Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

When someone turns the big six-o, you better make something good. But when that person turns 60 twice? You have got to make something even better.

Ok, so what lucky duck gets two birthday parties in one year?? Turns out it's my mom, who is turning the nifty sixty this coming fall/winter...but somehow managed to finagle an early birthday celebration this summer as well (I really need to learn from her negotiation skills!).



My sister was actually in town from NYC for her last home visit before moving to Hong Kong next month for work. So of course, we had to send her off the Wong way ;). Besides eating our way through Champa Garden, Boca Nova, Wood Tavern, and Asian Pearl (errrrr...my sister was supposedly "writing a food article" for the WSJ!), we also got together for my mom's early birthday celebration since everyone was around.

Which brings me to these cupcakes. Moist, soft, airy and slightly dense, these cupcakes are versatile enough to go with any type of frosting. It's not an overtly sweet cake due to the buttermilk in it, and its vanilla flavor is actually quite subtle -- almost unrecognizable. But the wonderful texture and "mellow" vanilla flavor works, especially when paired with an intensely rich, dark chocolate frosting. Mind you, this frosting will quickly become the highlight of any cupcake or cake ensemble. Everything about it, from the smooth and creamy texture to intensely chocoholic taste, is perfect. And besides, if this is the "editors choice" for chocolate frosting at Martha Stewart Living, it better to be good.



Lucky for us, these cupcakes were round #1...which means round #2 in a couple of months can only get better! Feliz cumpleanos!! :D

Vanilla-Buttermilk Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

Buttermilk-Vanilla Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixer bowl. Transfer bowl to mixer, and add egg, yolk, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until mixture is well combined and smooth, about 3 minutes.

3. Divide batter among liners, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks for 30 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks, and let cool completely. (Cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days.)

Dark Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds best-quality semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again. Continue reading for recipe...

Cherry Clafoutis

3 appearances in less than 2 weeks -- that's how many times this bad boy was made. A little obsessed?? Perhaps. Good for our waistlines? Probably not. But are we still contemplating making another cherry clafoutis this weekend? Absolutely. Trust me, you'd be in the exact same boat if you got your hands on these as well. So don't judge.

While the recipe's official name is "brown butter tart", I think clafoutis is a bit more fitting. Besides sounding much more refined (which of course, is the most important part!), it's exactly what a rustic French baked dessert of black cherries should be: simple, elegant, and utterly divine. And to tell you the truth, when else can I say I made a dessert that semi-rhymes with my father's carefully picked first name, Otis? ;)


Anyway, this stunning tart is both easy-to-make and as mentioned before, dangerously addictive. The pastry crust is delightfully crisp, buttery, and sweet. And the smooth, rich filling which resembles baked custard or flan -- only better due to its brown butter depth -- provides the perfect contrast. Of course, you'll covet the bites that have soft, juicy cherries in them: not only do the meaty chunks of fruit add texture, but the juices that ooze out of them add a subtle sweetness and summery flavor as well.



Good thing cherry season is quickly coming to an end, otherwise this could pose a serious problem for us. Which actually reminds me, better make the most of it now... :P

Cherry Clafoutis (Brown Butter Cherry Tart)
Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009

Crust:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
30 fresh cherries, pitted (around 1 lb)

For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to 15x4 rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto sides and bottom of pan.

Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes (crust will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Cook butter in heavy small saucepan (using a light-colored bottom so that you can gauge the color of the butter) over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

Arrange cherries, stem up, in bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over berries. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake tart until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve. Continue reading for recipe...

Magic Bars

Got 10 minutes -- even 5?



Then you can make these magic bars. All you have to do is layer and bake 7 delicious ingredients together in a pan, and voila -- you have these incredibly rich, sweet, gooey, sticky cookie bars that are slightly reminiscent of blondies...only much more decadent from all the chocolate, butterscotch, pecan and coconut goodies piled on top. They are seriously magic, I tell ya ;)



So make these indulgent treats if it's already 10pm at night and you suddenly realize that you need something for your company's bake sale the next day, or if you're craving something sweet but are feeling just a smidge bit lazy...or if your hubby forgets to tell you that his close guy friends are flying in for the weekend until only a couple of hours before they arrive :P

PS - between the three of them, those boys killed the entire batch by Saturday night...word.

Magic Bars
Recipe adapted from the Joy of Baking

3/4 C butter, melted
2 1/4 C graham cracker crumbs (about 18 crackers)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C semisweet chocolate morsels
1 C butterscotch flavored chips
1 C sweetened flaked coconut
1 C chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 13x9 inch glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over mixture.
3. Bake around 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.
Continue reading for recipe...

Red Velvet, Take 2

Ok, so this is probably "red velvet, take 5 or 6"...but who's counting. When you've found something this good, you'll want to make it again and again as well :)


This is my absolute favorite red velvet recipe. The cake is incredibly moist, with a distinctive "red velvet taste" from the subtle hint of cocoa and buttermilk. And the cream cheese frosting is deliciously smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness (it's my go-to frosting for everything). These cupcakes are always a huge winner whenever I make them, which is why they've surfaced so many times. Plus, I don't mind the "extras" lying around my kitchen as well ;)

Anyway, I made these for a collective "83rd birthday" party in celebration of three different birthdays (mine included). I should actually call it a party of drunken boys because that's exactly what the shindig quickly became. Like any festive gathering, we started off with drinks and cupcakes...only the girls were drinking bubbly, and the guys were doing massive shots of bourbon and scotch. Typical.


You can only imagine what happened once we all headed out for Korean barbecue at Ohgane, which also just happens to serve delicious soju and beer as well. Good times all around! Let's just say that at the end of the night, someone mistakenly wore AC's shoes back to his home :P



Of course when we were all back at our place after Ohgane, more red velvets were quickly polished off. And some were even taken with guests in to-go boxes as well (per their request). Can't wait for next year's celebration. Until then, am just waiting for another excuse to make these lovelies again...

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe previously posted here

2 1/4 C sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 C buttermilk
1/2 bottle red food coloring
1 t distilled white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs

2 8-0z packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
2 1/2 C powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended.

Add eggs to mixed butter and sugar, 1 at a time. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Pour batter into cupcake trays. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10-12 min. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread frosting over cupcakes Continue reading for recipe...

S'mores

Probably the #1 reason why I go camping.



....although, who needs camping when you can do this at home?? :P



A rainy day treat at its finest. Too bad it rained so much that I had 3 the other day...whoops ;)

S'mores
Recipe by SC

1 graham cracker, broken in half
1 piece of dark chocolate
1-2 marshmallows, depending on taste

Hold marshmallows over flame until nicely toasted (I kinda like them burned). Place toasted marshmallows in between chocolate & graham crackers and indulge!

I think Sachi was scared of the fire, heehee :P
Continue reading for recipe...

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes

6 days! That's how long I was cooped up in our tiny little apartment, sick. I can't even begin to explain how fun that was. Turns out that I had the flu, which then developed into a bronchial infection...which basically meant that I couldn't go 10 minutes without having a major coughing fit. Good times all around.

Anyway, cupcakes always seem make everything better -- especially when they are this good. While I actually made these before I almost died, I do remember talking about how these have become one of our favorite cupcakes so far. Some cupcakes are noticeably dense or crumbly; these are extraordinarily soft, delicate and moist. Black coffee (our secret ingredient for everything!) brings the cake's chocolaty flavor to a "where's my @!&*#$ cup of milk?" level, and the Oreo cookie bits in the cream cheese frosting make everything all the more delectable. I mean really, when can you ever go wrong with Oreos and cupcakes?


In other news, we are moving to Rockridge in less than a week!! We can't wait -- especially for our new kitchen which will be ohhh, about 3x times the size of our current one :D

So yeah, posting will be fairly light over these next couple of weeks as we begin to pack, move, and unpack (who wants to help??). Pictures of the new pad coming shortly!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake recipe adapted from Hershey's Black Magic Cake
Frosting recipe adapted from Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 8-0z packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
5-10 Oreo's, crushed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (Batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into cupcake tins.

2. Bake about 10-15 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

3. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Pound Oreo cookies into crumbs, and mix into frosting. Frost cupcakes and serve.
Continue reading for recipe...