Tomato Tart Squares

It seemed like my tomatoes would never turn red. Now they all are! Of course, they're wonderful in sandwiches, soups, salads and pasta; but there's nothing quite like a tomato tart. This is one I cut into 2-inch squares for hors d'oeuvre. 

Someday there will be parties again, and these tomato tart squares will be the first hors d'oeuvre I trot out. Of course, I'll probably take the time to pretty them up with a bit of basil chiffonade, but I had no fresh basil on hand so we "made-do" without garnish.

I used a simple all-butter pie dough that comes together quickly, but you could also use puff pastry as I do for my Tomato Tart. No garden tomatoes? Time in the oven makes even bland store-bought tomatoes taste good, as the flavor is condensed.

Just having a little fun making watercolor sketches of
 things from the garden. I don't know what I'm going to
do with all these tomatoes, but you'll be hearing about it!

To ensure a crisp crust, I give the tomato slices a bit of a roast beforehand to take out some of the moisture as well as intensify the flavor. And I use the tiniest bit of shallot and no garlic so that nothing overshadows the bright and deep tomato flavor.

Allow the tomatoes to shine. Don't let the simple, pantry-staples ingredient list fool you into thinking you need to add something else or more of something. This is a very tasty little hors d'oeuvre or teatime savory.

What do you do with a bumper crop of tomatoes? 

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Tomato Tart Squares

(Makes one 12x8-inch tart, 24 2-inch squares)

The Pastry

1 dip-and-sweep cup (5 ounces/142 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces/71 grams) cold unsalted butter, coarsely shredded3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces/44 ml) ice water plus 1 tablespoon, only if needed

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

The Tomatoes

2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce/30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
About 3/4 pound (12 ounces/340 grams) tomatoes
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
3 tablespoons 0.75 ounce/21 grams) finely grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 cup (1 ounce/28 grams) finely shredded mozzarella

1 Preheat oven to 450F/230C/Gas8. Line a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan with baking parchment paper and brush it with a teaspoon of the olive oil. 

2 In 1.5- to 2-quart mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Using a coarse grater, shred the butter into the bowl. With your fingers lightly toss and coat the cold shredded butter with the flour, working it gently, leaving lots of big pieces. Combine the 3 tablespoons water with the apple cider vinegar and sprinkle over the flour mixture. With large fork, stir to form a dough that will clump together. Only if necessary, sprinkle on a bit more water. Wrap the dough in a square of plastic wrap and flatten it slightly into a 5x3-inch rectangle; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you proceed with recipe.

3 Slice tomatoes somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 inch (5 to 6 mm) thick. Place them on the prepared quarter sheet pan; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool a bit while you proceed with the recipe. 

4 Preheat oven to 400F/20C/Gas6. In small pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and sauté shallot; cool. Measure Parmesan and mozzarella.

5 On lightly floured 12x8-inch piece of baking parchment paper, roll out chilled dough. This recipe makes just enough dough to roll out to that size with no waste. Place the pastry on its parchment paper onto quarter sheet pan or other baking sheet.

6 Spread shallot and oil over pastry. Sprinkle Parmesan over pastry. Place cooled roasted tomato slices over pastry. Sprinkle with dried basil and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Scatter shredded mozzarella over top, not completely hiding the tomatoes.

7 Bake for about 25 minutes, or until crust is crisp and golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before *cutting and serving. Cut into 24 2-inch squares for an hors d'oeuvre or afternoon tea savory. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* The OXO Good Grips Pizza Wheel for Non-Stick Pans is perfect for this!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Quick and Easy Toaster Oven Dinner Rolls

Quick and Easy Toaster Oven Dinner Rolls can, of course, be made in a regular oven as well.

We love homemade dinner rolls all year round, but in hot weather I hate the way running the oven heats up the kitchen. So that's when it's time to break out the toaster oven.

As I was trying to decide which part of the counter to give over to it for the summer, Mr Delightful got the brilliant idea of not bringing it into the kitchen at all. Instead, he said, just bring it out of the garage as needed and bake on the covered patio between the garage and kitchen. Is he brilliant or what?!

My kitchen would look like an appliance showroom if I kept them all on the counters, so I keep all but the electric tea kettle and toaster in the garage. I have a dozen appliances lined up out there, to be brought in only when needed. I call the area my Butler's Pantry!

We always cook bacon out there as well, in the Cuisinart Griddler. Bacon might smell wonderful as it is cooking, but nobody likes it stinking up the house for three days afterward! Anyway, back to the rolls.

I've always baked my Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls in a 13x9x2-inch Pyrex baking dish, but Pyrex is not meant for toaster ovens (though many people have done it without incident) and that size Pyrex dish won't fit in even my huge toaster oven.

So I scaled my recipe down to work in an 8x8x2-inch baking tin. And, because "it's summertime and the livin' is easy," I made changes to speed up the whole process so you can get these rolls on the table in just a couple no-muss-no-fuss hours. 

No need for a stand mixer; just stir up the dough with a spoon. No need to knead. Just let it rest in the bowl, then shape the rolls and let them rise for about 30 minutes, then bake.

If you're gluten-free, try my Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls.

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Quick and Easy Toaster Oven Dinner Rolls

(Makes 9 2.5-ounce rolls)

2 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (12.5 ounces/354 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons (0.875 ounces/25 grams) sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (7 fluid ounces/207 ml) water, or half water half milk

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/43 grams) unsalted butter

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 In a 2- to 2.5-quart mixing bowl, measure or weigh the flour. Take out 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) and set it aside for later. Whisk in the sugar, yeast and salt. 

2 In a 1-cup glass measure, measure the water, or water and milk; heat in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Stir in the butter until it is melted. Check that the temperature of the mixture is very warm (120 to 130F/49 to 54C).

3 Make a well in the center of the flour, then add warm liquid and egg to the well. With dough whisk or large wooden spoon, slowly stir until soft, shaggy dough comes together. Stir vigorously for a minute or two.

4 Cover the bowl and let rest for 20 minutes. Grease well an 8x8x2-inch square metal pan with butter. Line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper; butter it as well.

5 Now's the time for the reserved 2 tablespoons of flour. Scrape dough onto lightly floured work surface and use more of the reserved flour as needed to make the sticky dough easier to handle. With a bench scraper, divide dough into 9 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Place in prepared pan. 

Note: To turn a piece of dough into a smooth ball, roll it between your palms and then on the counter with your hand cupped over it, making a motion like moving a computer mouse around. 

6 Cover (I use my Nordic Ware Microwave Splatter Cover and a towel) and let rise until they are crowded together and puffy, 30 to 45 minutes or so. During last 10 or 15 minutes (you know your oven) preheat toaster oven (my toaster oven takes about 5 minutes) or oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

Note: If using my regular gas oven, I go with 375F/190C/Gas5. The lower temperature for the toaster oven ensures that tops won't overbrown before rolls are done. Bake for a shorter time at the higher temperature. I've baked the rolls in the toaster oven at 375F for 18 to 20 minutes, and they were perfect. But, like every oven, every toaster oven is different. Experiment!

7 Bake for about 25 to 28 minutes, or until well browned. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn out of pan, pull apart and serve. 

Note: To freeze the rolls for a later date, remove rolls from baking dish in one piece and cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Double-wrap with foil (probably one layer of heavy-duty would be sufficient); freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, remove from freezer 2 1/2 hours before serving time. Defrost, wrapped, at room temperature for 2 hours. During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place foil-wrapped rolls on a cookie sheet and bake about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Brown Butter Rhubarb Cake

My Brown Butter Rhubarb Cake might look Plain Jane, but it tastes wonderful. And, with just 3.5 teaspoons of sugar per serving, it is well within my self-imposed daily sugar allowance of 6 teaspoons.

Since I’m a confirmed tea drinker, I don’t call it a coffee cake. And a coffee cake might call for a streusel topping and drizzle of icing sugar glaze, both of which would significantly up the teaspoons-per-serving of sugar, so Plain Jane it is.

Those willing to throw caution to the wind might up the sugar to 1 cup or add a thin layer of cream cheese icing. But we don’t think this light, fluffy, tender cake with little pinkish pockets of tangy rhubarb needs a thing.

Since the “you might also like” feature at the bottom of each post seems to have disappeared for some unknown reason, … You might also like: Rhubarb Crumble – A British Classic.

I feel right on top of things, getting my hands on some rhubarb in April. Last year I didn’t manage to until July. A small victory, yes, but a victory nonetheless!

What will you be making with rhubarb?

Brown Butter Rhubarb Cake

(Makes one 8-inch square cake, 9 servings)

8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Milk to make 1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk
1 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (8.75 ounces/248 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (4.67 ounces/132 grams) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons non-GMO baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cardamom or ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (9 ounces/254 grams) diced rhubarb, 1/4-inch dice

1 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking dish or tin with butter or cooking spray. Dice the rhubarb into 1/4-inch dice.

2 In a 1-quart saucepan with a shiny interior so you can judge the color of the butter as it browns, melt 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) of the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring or swirling frequently, until butter gets foamy and bubbly and just starts to turn light tan and smell nutty. You cannot take your eyes off it; it can go from brown to black in a flash! Let it cool slightly.

3 In a 1-cup glass measure, stir together cider vinegar and milk; set aside to thicken a bit.

4 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom or ginger and cinnamon. Take out 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture to coat the diced rhubarb before adding it to the batter. With your fingers, rub the remaining 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of butter into the flour mixture.

5 Add the soured milk to the brown butter, and whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. Add thoroughly whisked wet mixture to thoroughly whisked dry mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the diced rhubarb.

6 Scrape batter into prepared baking dish or tin. Bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Jean

Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

I was in the mood for German chocolate cake, but it was too hot to run the oven and get into a big deal. So I baked a little quarter-sheet chocolate cake in the toaster oven and spread the coconut-pecan frosting on it right in the pan.

Didn't bother scaling down the actual cake recipe because it's not the cake that most of us love about German chocolate cake, it's that frosting! Of course, I make the frosting a lot less sweet by using organic unsweetened shredded coconut.  

It was a lot less work making this than the three-layer real deal, and using the toaster oven kept the kitchen nice and cool. Though I still "get into a big deal" quite often in the kitchen, I'm really trying to simplify my life. But that will never include using packaged "convenience" foods instead of cooking "from scratch."

Can't wait for the seasonal produce and the cooler temperatures of autumn. What are you looking forward to cooking? 

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Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting 

(Makes 13x9x1-inch quarter-sheet, 16 servings)

The Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake 

2/3 cup water

8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter
1/4 packed cup (0.75 ounce/21 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (6.25 ounces/177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) buttermilk
1 large egg and 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Coconut-Pecan Frosting

1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk

2/3 cup (5.67 ounces/132 grams) sugar
2/3 cup (or 1 5-ounce can) evaporated milk
Pinch salt

5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces/71 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2.75 ounces/78 grams) organic unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) finely chopped pecans, toasted

1 Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Spray a 13x9x1-inch quarter-sheet pan with cooking spray.

2 In 1-quart saucepan, combine water, butter and cocoa. Heat, whisking occasionally, over medium heat until the butter melts.

3 In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisking for about 30 seconds sort of sifts the dry ingredients. In small bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add warm liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine; beat for about 30 seconds. Add the buttermilk mixture and beat for another 30 seconds. (A wooden spoon works perfectly well, but I use an English cake whisk, a kind of stainless steel wire spoon that has been made in Britain for over a hundred years.)

4 Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack while making the frosting.

5 In 2-quart saucepan over low heat, whisk together eggs, sugar, evaporated milk and salt; add butter pieces. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low to medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and then for about 8 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, shredded coconut and toasted pecans. 

6 Spread the warm frosting over the partially cooled cake. Serve at room temperature. If serving the next day, store cake, covered, in the refrigerator.

Jean

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Magical Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes

Since childhood I've been fascinated by pudding cakes that magically form two layers from just one batter. This one was inspired by America's Test Kitchen and several others, and I made it 4 servings rather than my usual 8 in order to fit in my toaster oven for cool baking on a hot day.

What is more refreshing than lemon on a hot summer day? Especially Meyer lemon (but you can use whatever lemons you happen to have). And I've made this as no-fuss as possible because who wants to be slaving over a hot stove--and then afterward, over a hot sink!--in weather like this? If you don't have a toaster oven and an immersion blender, just use a regular oven and a mixer.

I can't decide which is my favorite part--the airy layer of cake on top or the luscious layer of lemon pudding on the bottom. Are you a lemon fan?

Magical Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes

(Makes 4 servings)

2/3 cup milk (I always use organic 2%)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 In small saucepan heat milk and cream to a simmer. Stir in lemon zest; cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a small bowl or 1-cup glass measure.

2 Preheat toaster oven or oven to 325F/165C/Gas3. Place a dishcloth in the bottom of an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Set four 7-ounce ramekins in the dish. Add cold tap water to the dish to reach about 1/3 up the sides of the ramekins.

3 In small bowl whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. Add yolks, vanilla extract and lemon juice. whisk just until smooth, then whisk in milk and cream.

4 With immersion blender's whisk attachment in place, whisk the two egg whites for about a minute on low speed until they're getting foamy, then about a minute on high speed to soft peaks. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons sugar. Do not overbeat egg whites; if beaten to stiff peaks they will not fold in well.

5 Whisk about a fourth of the whites into the batter to lighten it, then lightly fold in the remaining whites. Pour into ramekins, nearly to the top. Bake for about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of one of the puddings should register 172F/78C.

6 Cool in water bath for 10 minutes, then remove ramekins to wire rack to cool completely. It could be served slightly warm or cold, but I like it best at room temperature. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Small-Batch Banana Muffins

I love banana muffins, but I don't want to have a whole dozen of them hanging around all day saying "Eat me, eat me." So I like to make just six of them. If you have a toaster oven, you don't even have to heat up the house on a hot summer day.

(I over-baked the batch pictured above because I got so engrossed in something I was reading that I ignored the timer!)

This recipe makes six perfect muffins you can stir up quickly by hand, using a minimal number of utensils. And isn't that what it's all about during summertime when the livin' is (supposed to be) easy?

These have a lot less sugar than most banana muffins, so the natural sweetness of the banana really comes through. So many muffins in restaurants and bakeries are so sugary they should be called cupcakes.

Low-sugar enough for breakfast, I love them for dessert as well. Add a tiny drop of frosting and call 'em cupcakes. The kids will never know! Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are good, too. Oh, and, of course, Blueberry Muffins. What is your favorite kind of muffin? 

Banana Muffins

(Makes 6)

2/3 dip-and-sweep cup (3.33 ounces/94 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup (1 ounce/28 grams) finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 milliliters) organic canola oil
1/4 packed cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2/3 cup (5.85 ounces/166 grams) mashed very ripe banana (1 large 8.25-ounce/234-gram banana in its skin)

1 Preheat oven (toaster oven is perfect for hot summer days)  to 375F/190C/Gas5. In 2-cup glass measure or small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir in finely chopped walnuts.

2 In 1-quart glass measure or bowl, melt butter. Stir in canola oil, then brown sugar and vanilla extract. Beat in egg, beating well. Stir in mashed banana (a fork works just fine on a very ripe banana). Add flour mixture to wet mixture, and mix just until combined; do not overmix. 

3 Spray 6-cup standard muffin tin with cooking spray. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, divide batter between cups. Bake for about 18 to 23 minutes (19 minutes in my toaster oven is perfect), or until one tests done with a toothpick.

4 Turn out onto a pristine kitchen towel. Place on wire rack to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Small-Batch Coconut Cupcakes - Rum Buttercream Frosting

Don't you just love coconut cupcakes? When I was growing up everyone in town, except my mother, was using the popular brand of sweetened coconut. Ever look at the label? Besides added sugar and water, it contains propylene glycol and sodium metabisulfite. Well, I'm not having any of that! 

I make my coconut cupcakes with organic unsweetened shredded coconut and less sugar than usual, but even my "sweet-tooth" friends like them. Like the Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes I posted last week, this recipe can be stirred up quickly by hand and makes exactly six generously frosted cupcakes. 

My Cuisinart convection toaster oven easily handles a 12-cup muffin tin, but even if yours has a smaller capacity it can likely handle a 6-cup tin. If you don't have a toaster oven, you can pop a little batch of six cupcakes in with whatever else you've got going in your regular oven. 

Since there is no water added to the organic unsweetened shredded coconut, I stir the coconut into the melted butter and give it a few minutes with the wet ingredients to soften it just a bit before adding the dry ingredients. 

I'd love to hear your comments on cupcakes, coconut, organic, food additives or whatever's on your mind! 

Small-Batch Coconut Cupcakes 

(Makes 6 standard-size cupcakes) 

The Cupcakes 

2/3 dip-and-sweep cup (3.33 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

The Frosting 

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 packed cups (6 ounces) powdered sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rum, optional
1 tablespoon cream or milk 

1 Preheat oven* to 350 degrees. Put standard paper bake cups in one 6-cup standard muffin tin. *I use a Cuisinart toaster oven. 

2 In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt to "sift." 

3 In 1-quart glass measuring cup or bowl, melt butter in microwave. Whisk in coconut, then sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract; whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and whisk vigorously for another 30 seconds. 

4 Using a 1/4-cup measure, fill the bake cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they test done with a toothpick. 

5 Immediately remove from pan and cool on wire rack for an hour. They must be thoroughly cool before frosting. 

6 In 1-quart bowl, with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract, rum and cream or milk; beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. You will likely have to add the liquid ingredients before adding all the powdered sugar.

7 With a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip or a 1M tip, pipe frosting on cupcakes.


Disclosure: Some posts contain links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com. If you purchase something from Amazon through one of my links, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use toward the expenses of running this blog. Thanks for supporting Delightful Repast when you shop at Amazon!

Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes - Makes 6

Do you ever get a craving for a little something sweet (and maybe chocolate), but there's nothing on hand and you're just not in the mood to make a big mess and a big batch of something? Maybe you're thinking a small pan of brownies wouldn't be much trouble, but you're out of eggs and butter. Well, here you go! 

Six chocolate cupcakes you can stir up quickly by hand in one bowl. No eggs, no butter, no milk? No muss, no fuss, no problem! It's the thing I love best about having a toaster oven. Sure I can bake big loaves of bread and 13-inch pizzas in it or cook a good-sized casserole, but what I'm really having fun with is developing recipes for quick and easy small-batch treats. 

I don't know about you, but there are a lot of us who really don't need to have two dozen cupcakes sitting around staring at us every time we walk through the room. Six is the perfect number, and the pan fits easily in the toaster oven. Actually, a full-size 12-cup muffin tin fits easily in it, but I don't need to have even one dozen cupcakes sitting around! 

My new Cuisinart convection toaster oven broiler has lots of features I haven't figured out yet. Like convection and speed convection. I'm sure they're going to be really handy once I sort it all out.

In the meantime, it's wonderful to be able to pull out of the freezer just enough frozen scoops of homemade Oatmeal Cookie dough to fill the 13x9x1-inch pan that came with the oven. Or pop in a quick batch of six cupcakes. It just never felt right to heat up my big gas oven for such small amounts of food. 

If you want to frost the fluffy chocolate cupcakes as pictured, this recipe calling for just 3 tablespoons of butter (or something else, if you're vegan), makes precisely enough frosting for 6 cupcakes. I absolutely hate waste, and does anyone ever actually use the leftover frosting they put in the refrigerator? Better to make only what's needed!

Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes 

(Makes 6 standard-size cupcakes)  

The Cupcakes (vegan) 

3/4 dip-and-sweep cup (3.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour 

1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water or cold coffee
3 tablespoons organic canola oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

The Frosting (not vegan) 

3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 packed cups (6 ounces) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cream, milk or cold coffee 

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put standard paper bake cups in one 6-cup standard muffin tin. 

2 In 1-quart bowl (I use a Pyrex 4-cup measuring cup), whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water or coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute, or until smooth. 

3 Using a scant 1/4-cup measure, fill the bake cups. You will need to scrape the bowl and measuring cup; there is no waste with this recipe! Bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they test done with a toothpick. 

4 Immediately remove from pan and cool on wire rack for an hour. They must be thoroughly cool before frosting. 

5 In 1-quart bowl (I use a Pyrex 1-quart glass measure), with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar, cocoa and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and liquid; beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. You will likely have to add the liquid ingredients before adding all the powdered sugar.

6 With a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip or a 1M tip, pipe frosting on cupcakes.

Disclosure: Some posts contain links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com. If you purchase something from Amazon through one of my links, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use toward the expenses of running this blog. Thanks for supporting Delightful Repast when you shop at Amazon!

Though Cuisinart provided the oven, the opinions expressed at Delightful Repast are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!