Ruffling the Referee Cupcakes with Doubleshot Delay of Game Frosting

In my family, game day means lots of spicy and savory finger foods like homemade hot wings and plenty of chips and dips. But there still has to be a fun dessert that everyone will want to tear into. For the super bowl, I'll be making my entry into the Pepsico Game Day Grub Match, these chocolate-beet smoothie cupcakes with a creamy coffee-flavored mascarpone frosting. They are loaded with Pepsico products; a few of which might surprise you.

First and foremost is the Bare Naked Bright Beets 100 percent juice smoothie, a ginger-kissed sweet and hot pink juice blend that makes these cupcakes super moist and flavorful. It also contains coconut water, lemon and other juices. It has a refreshing taste and vibrant color. It also adds a great boost of vitamin A to these cupcakes. 

There is no salt added to these cupcakes. Instead I used ground up Ruffles original potato chips. The chips soften and melt completely into the batter. It is always fun to ask guests to guess the secret ingredient like these chips. They will also be front and center in their normal chip form next to all the dips and spreads we'll have out to snack on. 

The rich mascarpone frosting for these cupcakes is made perfect by the addition of two different Starbucks products: their Doubleshot Espresso + Cream that comes in cute little cans in your beverage isle at  your local store and their VIA Ready Brew Italian Roast. They are individual packets of instant Starbucks coffee and they are not just great to drink, but they also are fun to cook with.  

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we will February 7! #gamedaygrubmatchentry

Ruffling the Referee Cupcakes with Doubleshot Delay of Game Frosting

Cupcakes:

2 ounces (by weight) Ruffles original potato chips

8 ounces Naked Bright Beets 100 percent juice smoothie

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon Vietnamese Cinnamon

2 large eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

8 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Frosting:

1 Tablespoon canned Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso + Cream

1 Tablespoon Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Italian Roast

1/2 cup chilled mascarpone cheese

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups well chilled heavy whipping cream

Garnish:

2 ounces mini semi sweet chocolate morsels

21 small pieces Ruffles original potato chips

For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Line 21 standard muffin tin cups with paper liners; set aside.

Place potato chips in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the Bright Beets smoothie, pulse once or twice and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

To the food processor add the sugar, cinnamon, eggs, oil and cocoa powder. Process for 15 seconds or until smooth and blended. Add the cooled chocolate and process until smooth. Add the baking soda and flour and process just until blended.

Fill lined muffin tin cups with batter, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake on center rack for 19 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool completely in pan. Remove cakes with liners to a platter or serving plate.

For the frosting, heat doubleshot espresso in a small microwaveable bowl on full power for 6 seconds or until warm. Add the Ready Brew (instant coffee) and stir to dissolve. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl beat together the coffee mixture, mascarpone, vanilla and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and well blended. Add the cream and beat on medium low speed for 2 1/2 minutes or until stiff peaks form. (Do not overbeat). Spread or pipe frosting onto tops of cupcakes. Refrigerate while preparing garnish.

For the garnish, place semi sweet chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water on medium-low heat. Stir until melted.

To garnish, dip potato chip pieces in melted chocolate to coat a small portion of each chip. Place chips on a sheet of no-stick foil. Refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes until chocolate is set. Push a chocolate coated potato chip piece into the frosting on each cupcake.

Store in refrigerator. Makes 21 game day cupcakes 

Martha Stewart's Deep Dark Brownies

I've been on a search for the holy grail of brownie recipes for what seems like an eternity. A few years ago, I think I found perfection in Martha Stewart's Deep Dark Brownies, that, according to her website, are actually not her own recipe but created by Matt Lewis at Baked bakery.

First, let me say I like my brownies fudgy. By fudgy, I mean dense, like eating a block of slighty gooey, rich chocolate. Stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth fudgy. No fluffy cake-like brownies, here. This recipe meets all of my dense brownie-chocolate needs. A bonus: these brownies are pretty easy to make. I made a few changes to the original recipe, such as using chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate in the batter and dusting the tops with powdered sugar like my mom always used to do.

I tend to like my brownies cold so they are even more dense. Refrigerate after cooling to room temperature, if you desire.

Martha Stewart's Deep Dark Brownies

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon unsweetend cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch square metal baking pan with no stick spray with flour and set aside.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter, espresso powder and salt over medium low heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Add a very slightly rounded 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Whisk for 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.

By hand stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until blended. Cool mixture for 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs. Stir in cocoa powder and flour just until blended. Stir in remaining (slightly scant 3/4 cup) chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 29 minutes just until brownies are dry on top and slightly puffed. Do not over bake.

Cool to room temperature and refrigerate, if desired. Dust top lightly with powdered sugar, if you like a little extra sweetness on top. Cut into 9 squares.