daisycakes: "not so high" HI-HATS

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

"not so high" HI-HATS

I've always wanted to try Hi-Hats. I love how they look when sliced in half, not to mention I imagined they were super tasty. I had read a few stories of people who hadn't had very good experiences with these (they tasted nasty, their couldn't get the stickiness out of their hair, etc...) but, I decided to give it a go anyway.
I decided on using the recipe found on marthastewart.com. The picture was lovely and I was SURE mine would turn out just as nice!
What a silly girl I am!

Let me start by saying that they tasted great! However, and this is a biggie, visually, they were horrendous! Oh my goodness . . . I was sooo disappointed! I got the frosting as thick as I could, I even mixed for a bit longer than instructed to be extra sure. Later, I took them out of the fridge to dip them in the chocolate (what I thought would be the really fun part). The frosting didn't stay at all, in fact it actually fell off into the melted chocolate!

What the heck is going on?, I said out loud. This isn't supposed to happen! I put the cupcakes back for another 1/2 hour and the same thing happened again! I was too heartbroken to try again and just decided to keep them the way they were. I figured that I can always pour that chocolate syrup over them when I want one, you know, the kind that turns into a hard shell?

Thinking about it, I'm sure that the weather here had something to do with it. It's extremely hot and very humid today. I still have hope for these cupcakes and I'll try them again. But I think I'll wait until the fall comes!
If you are feeling lucky, please give these a go and let me know how it turned out!! I'll post your pictures if you send them!

GOOD LUCK and ENJOY!!!

CUPCAKES

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Makes 12 cupcakes.
2. Prepare the batter: Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, and set it over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. On low speed, mix in melted chocolate. Increase speed to medium, and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until mixture is creamy and color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream. On low speed, add half of reserved flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup water. Add remaining flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated.
5. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill each liner with enough batter to come 1/8 inch from top, about 1/3 cup. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
6. Use a small knife to loosen any tops stuck to the pan. Carefully invert cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn cupcakes right side up, and let cool completely.

FROSTING

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups chopped (about 12 ounces) semisweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1. Prepare the frosting: In a large heatproof bowl, combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 minutes; frosting should register 160 degrees; on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extracts, and beat for 2 minutes more until frosting thickens.
2. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain pastry tip. Leaving a 1/8-inch border on each cupcake, pipe a spiral of frosting into a 2-inch-high cone shape, using about 1/2 cup of frosting per cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet, and refrigerate while preparing the chocolate coating.
3. Prepare the chocolate coating: Combine chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and let cool about 15 minutes.
4. Holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip cupcake in the chocolate to coat frosting, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Spoon more coating around edge of cupcake and any exposed frosting; none of the frosting should show. Let cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
5. Carefully remove paper liners from cupcakes, and discard. Place cupcakes on a serving platter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let coating set. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours more. Serve cold. Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Labels: berry, chocolate, cupcake, delicious, hi hat, hi-hat, martha stewart

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16 comment(s):

looks tricky! I always have trouble with meringue-ish frostings. but heres three cheers for being brave and trying to make them!!=)

By Victoria, at June 06, 2007 6:22 AM

Hi! I found your link from another blogs link from another blog from cupcakeblog.com...i know...i'm weird.

Anyways, I've seen these cupcakes on Martha so many times and wanted to make them but I, for the life of me, can't get her recipes to work! Half the time I'm missing a step or it's not in the recipe...I found that if i watch her do it, I can have them turnout perfectly, but if there's not a video demonstration, some little piece of info is missing...have you had luck with any of her other recipes?

By Chelsea, at June 07, 2007 5:40 PM

Oh, I am sorry they didn't work out - it was probably the warm weather.

Maybe even freezing the frosted cupcakes would work?? I want to try this now. The kids wouldn't mind how messy it might look.

By Denise, at June 13, 2007 4:02 PM

Daisycakes,
We LOVE your BLOG!

I hate to leave this in the comment field, but I couldn't find your e-mail address to send you a private message.

You have a link to our store for cupcake liners, which we thoroughly appreciate! However, we just updated our store with a new look and feel, so the link has changed.

We are going to be posting some new liners tomorrow too. :)

Anyways, Into The Oven's new link for Cupcake liners is: http://www.intotheoven.com/Cake-Essentials-Cupcake-Liners/c46_72/index.html

Again, sorry for posting in the comment field.

Thanks and keep up the great information site!

By Unknown, at June 24, 2007 10:43 PM

hey hey! are you still alive? no update in a while.....

By How To Eat A Cupcake, at July 22, 2007 2:58 PM

Sorry about your bad experience with Hi Tops/Hats, I make them fairly often and haven't had any problems. They are fiddly and the recipe I use is by Elinor Klivans is provided by Cupcake Queen at 52 Cupcakes

http://www.accordingtolayla.com/pdfs/hitopcupcakes.pdf

I have read through the Martha Stewart recipe and I prefer Elinor's.

By cupcaketastic, at August 28, 2007 6:08 PM

Have you seen the recipe at http://glamorousgluttony.blogspot.com/2007/06/hi-hats.html? That might help you out with this recipe, if you've not already figured it out.

By Jill of Many Trades, at September 13, 2007 11:08 PM

These are a bitch to make but I've done it successfully acouple of times. The best way to put the chocolate coat on is to put a little extra oil on it and pour it over the top. You might end up with some frosting peaking through but at least it will still have frosting :-)

The first time I made these I ended up throwing chocolate and icing all over the walls I was so upset (I was pregnant).

By Mrs. Needham, at September 28, 2007 4:43 PM

I wanted to make these for awhile but Now I'm not so sure. They look a little scary!

By Megan, at February 15, 2008 9:55 AM

Kudos to you for trying I too have looked at these many times really thinking I should try them but never quite took that step. I will say Martha's recipes don't always give all the necessary details so blame it on her ;)

By Pamela, at May 29, 2008 1:47 PM

Hey there! I saw your blog on another cupcake blog and thought I would check it out.

I made the hi-hat cupcakes a few months ago and they worked out well. I wonder if martha's group left an ingredient out of the original recipe. I used the original recipe from Elinor Klivans fun book "cupcakes!"
Here's the link to mine to see them.
http://honeyedhashette.blogspot.com/2008/04/cupcake-athon.html

and here:
http://honeyedhashette.blogspot.com/2008/04/chocolate-covered-hi-hat-cupcakes.html

I made the coating again recently for a hobnail cake and it worked again.
I just thought you would like to know it is not you.

By Honeyed Hashette, at June 02, 2008 2:49 PM

I had problems making these, too. The marshmallow topping kept coming off when dipped in chocolate. I finally resorted to spooning the chocolate over the top!

By Jodie, at July 11, 2008 12:13 PM

not sure where is link is to contact you..my site is bomblicous.com thought you would like to see it. Thanks, Heather

By cupcakediva, at May 22, 2009 8:19 PM

oh wow these look great! the additin of sourcream works wonders and gives the cupcakes such fluffyness and moistness :O)

By Two fit and fun gals, at March 22, 2010 8:42 AM

Thanks for sharing!
http://solplantecakes.blogspot.com

By Cake eat easy, at September 12, 2010 2:49 PM

wow yummy cupcake and chocolate flavor is like very much and this recipe is helpful for me:)
fashion n'd style

By info korners, at July 21, 2012 7:03 AM