Devil's Food Cupcakes

Mix or scratch? That is the question. Whether tis truly nobler to sift and beat and use real buttermilk and sour cream and real cocoa powder OR to empty a box and throw in a couple of eggs and some water...that is the question. I made a batch of white cupcakes from a mix and a batch of the Ad Hoc Devil's Food Cupcakes for a party on Saturday. No one swooned or fainted when they ate the scratch batch, but they did disappear faster. We thought they were very good. The cake was a little denser, a little more intense, not quite as crumbly. Final answer: a mix will do when time is a factor. The truth is that I really like measuring and sifting and all the rest. So when time allows, I will make these again and again. I was actually hoping the cake would be like my mom's devil's food cake. Hers was almost pound-cake dense, but not quite. Still the best devil's food cake I've ever had. Will have to hold a seance to get her recipe.

I did not use the Ad Hoc recipe for the butter-cream icing this time. I discovered the refrigerated carton of pasteurized egg whites I bought was not suitable. The recipe said to beat into soft peaks and the carton said the egg whites would not do that. What to do? What to do? I didn't want to use 6 real egg whites, because I didn't know what to do with the yolks and didn't want to waste them. So I made my mom's standard frosting. It has enough butter and sugar to stop your heart and put you in a sugar coma, but it is so-o-o-o good! I was happy. Good, rich, chocolatey cake; lots of pink frosting; and Valentine sprinkles. Well worth the effort.

Scallion Potato Cakes

At this rate, it will take years to complete this cookbook. I actually made these a couple of weeks ago. Once again the fact that there are only two of us made adjusting the recipe necessary. The real recipe results in stacked up large pancakes of crispy potatoes topped with the green tops of scallions. Reducing it to serve two resulted in smallish pancakes that looked nothing like the picture, but were really delicious. The recipe was very easy and the only ingredients were shredded potatoes, corn starch, and salt & pepper. I am deliriously happy because I happen to love those frozen hash brown patties. Never knew the secret of getting the potatoes to stick together in patties. They have shredded potatoes and a list of unpronounceable ingredients. These, however, have just nice, fresh shredded potatoes and corn starch, period. The corn starch is what makes them stick together. Fried them up in canola oil, topped them with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and fresh thinly sliced scallion tops and had them with eggs for breakfast. The first two never made it to the table. We ate them standing over the stove while the last two cooked. They were so wonderfully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Another keeper that I will make often.

I'm going to try to pick up the pace. I have the ingredients for the chocolate chip cookies and the devil's food cupcakes. Making the cupcakes this Friday for a get together on Saturday. The recipe makes 24. I'll try to get at least half of them to the party.