Winter
Persephone was born just six months after we moved to Utah, and Kristina Erickson, a member of our new congregation, brought us this soup. It was the best taco soup I (Kate) had eaten, and I asked for the recipe right away. And then I didn’t believe that was the correct recipe because it looked simple and the soup had tasted too-wonderful for this level of simplicity. I was wrong. The amazing soup really was that simple.
Read MoreMom often describes these as more than a cookie. They’re heartier and, in my opinion, more delicious. The ingredients add a toastiness and texture that a plain old chocolate chip cookie can’t match.
Read MoreI (Amelia) know some people hate the word moist and have inspired others to apologize after using it. I’m here to state that I will NOT apologize for using a perfectly acceptable adjective to describe a texture. You just can’t replace moist with damp or steamy or any other synonym.
I mean, would you rather have a damp cupcake or a moist one?
These are some damp tasty cupcakes
All that is to say that these cupcakes are very moist. The base is dates (think sticky toffee pudding minus the toffee) and the frosting… sigh. Cream cheese pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate molasses is wonderfully sweet and acidic, both brightening and adding interest to the flavors. This is my favorite frosting of all time (trust me, I’m an experienced spatula licker). The combination of dates and pomegranate is one that came to me when I was considering all things winter produce. Dates are very sweet and rich, while pomegranates are light and tart, and I just knew what I had to do. One year later, I proudly present to you my brain child and new favorite cupcake recipe.
Please note: If you don’t like dates, this isn’t the cupcake for you. If you’ve never tried and/or are afraid of dates, on the other hand, I’d give this a shot. These are dense cupcakes, packed with gentle sweetness and flavor. Not really decadent or light, they fall somewhere in the middle, a little rich, but not overwhelming. All who have tested/tasted this recipe have been very pleased, so if you’re looking to impress, this is the recipe for you.
Makes 21-23
Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups dates (pitted for an easier time)
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (use a ¾ tsp measure)
8 tablespoons (1 stick, ½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon fine sea or table salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pomegranate arils, for decoration.
Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese (1 package)
2 Tbs softened unsalted butter
1 ½ tsp pomegranate molasses
1 pinch salt table
1 cup powdered sugar
Set a kettle of water to boil. Roughly chop pitted dates and toss them in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over them and stir in the baking soda. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Line or grease two standard size muffin pans, the recipe will yield 22-23 cupcakes (just leave the remaining cups empty).
Blend date-water mixture with an immersion or standard blender. In a separate large bowl, combine the melted butter and sugars. Whisk in egg, followed by the salt and vanilla. Stir in the flour until no floury spots show, then whisk in the date puree until smooth. With the ¼ measuring cup you used for the dates, scoop up the batter into the prepared pan, ¼ cup of batter per cup. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until no wet batter (but a few moist crumbs) sticks to an inserted skewer, and the cupcakes are lightly golden brown. The skewer should not come out completely clean before pulling them out, these are meant to be dense and moist. Let cool in the pan for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting: While cupcakes are baking, combine cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer. Add in 1 ½ teaspoons pomegranate molasses and a pinch of salt, mixing again until combined. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until it’s all one frosting. Lick the beater and sigh in delight.
Once cupcakes are cool, frost them simply with a knife or spatula and top with the pomegranate arils.
Not pictured: Giant worm in the grass
At home even friends who’ve lived in Italy enjoy this recipe, so we’ve continued to serve it for company as well as our family. I started to prepare it this afternoon just as Amelia was beginning a Zoom interview for a college she’d love to attend. I had some butterflies in my stomach on her behalf, hoping she’d learn from the interview experience and feel that her preparation time had been well-spent. As I chopped the onion and smashed the garlic, the old calm came to me that preparing this soup had afforded twenty years ago. Here’s hoping it will offer you the same.
Read MoreThis salad reminds me (Amelia) of a disagreement I had last year with a friend. We had just entered French class, and were desperately tucking in the last corners of our conversation before the bell rang. At least, I felt desperate, because my friend had told me something I hear all too often: she doesn’t like salad. I was aghast and pushed her to tell me why.
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