Kona Coffee Cupcakes

September 29: National Coffee Day

Whenever we visit Hawaii, we stock up on our favorite foodstuffs and edible souvenirs (Kona coffee, Kauai Kookies, macadamia nut chocolates, etc.). When we run out of our rations and don’t anticipate a trip back soon, Islander’s parents and friends send culinary care packages on our birthdays and Christmas! While e-commerce and online shopping have made it more convenient to make purchases from paradise, it is incomparable when loved ones want to give them as gifts. We appreciate the time and money they spend on us by sending specialty ingredients to support our blog!

For National Coffee Day, we baked Kona coffee cupcakes with a combination of ingredients we bought ourselves or received as gifts. Thanks to those who contributed to this cupcake’s components, this decadent dessert makes today’s food holiday extra delightful!

Recipe

(Adapted from Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen)

For the cupcakes

• ½ cup Kona coffee, hot
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup water, cold
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, unsalted
• 1 ¼ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)
• 2 eggs
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)

Directions

Dissolve the cocoa powder in the hot Kona coffee. Mix in the cold water until smooth. Set aside. Sift the cake flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with sugar.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Gradually add the coffee and flour mixtures, alternating until the batter is brown and smooth. Scoop into muffin tins lined with cupcake paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

For the frosting

(Adapted from Coffee Fair)

• 1 tablespoon instant Kona coffee crystals (we used Mulvadi brand)
• ¼ cup milk
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar (we used C&H brand)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)

Directions

Dissolve the Kona coffee crystals in milk. Sift the cocoa powder with the sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the cocoa-sugar mixture. Add the vanilla and stir until the frosting has a spreadable consistency. Fill a pastry bag and use a star tip to make decorative swirls on the cupcakes. Top with a chocolate-covered Kona coffee bean.

Notes

• Thanks to Islander’s Mommy for the chocolate-covered Kona coffee beans. Thanks also to Lisa L. for the Big Island vanilla.
• If you like Kona coffee cupcakes, try our Kona coffee cheesecake recipe, which we blogged about on National Cheesecake Day on July 30.

Corned Beef Hash (Island Style)

September 27: National Corned Beef Hash Day

Like many families in Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Rim, Islander grew up eating rice with a recipe of fried-up canned meat, such as Spam, Vienna sausage and corned beef. Canned meat became popular among GIs in the islands during World War II when fresh meat was scarce and among residents who stocked up on these staples during hurricanes and power outages. The practical locals started to incorporate canned meat into their recipe. Now Hawaii diners and even the famous chef Sam Choy feature canned meat on their menus.

Islander’s Mommy could turn canned meat into a culinary comfort food. Her island-style corned beef hash is hearty and flavorful when served with rice. Cook canned meat for a “local-kine” breakfast or a quick tasty meal and for National Corned Beef Hash Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Mommy)

Ingredients

• 1 small can of corned beef, crumbled
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 large potato, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Open the corned beef and place in a bowl. Use a fork to mash it. Crush the garlic, slice the onions, dice the potato and chop the tomato.

In a skillet, fry the garlic and onions in oil. Add the potatoes and fry. Crumble the corned beef and mix well until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from heat. Stir in the tomatoes. Sprinkle with pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Notes

• Thanks to Heeyoung K. for the wok-style skillet. Thanks to Auntie Maria B. for the fern-pattern ceramic serving bowl. Thanks to Mommy for the aloha print tablecloth.
• On St. Patrick’s Day, eat this island-style corned beef hash as a tropical alternative to the traditional corned beef and cabbage dish.

Émincé de Veau St. Moritz

(Curried Veal St. Moritz)

September 22: Feast Day of St. Maurice

During a tour of the Cathedral of Sts. Catherine and Maurice in Magdeburg, Germany, Islander and her friends Lisa and John L. noticed a rare dark, stocky statue that stood out from among the other Anglo-Saxon images in the church. It was of St. Maurice himself, a Christian knight from North Africa, and the statue is reputed to be the earliest icon of him in existence (circa 1240 A.D.). According to Wikipedia, “The Cathedral of Magdeburg is the first and oldest standing temple honoring the life of St. Maurice. When the new cathedral was built under Archbishop Albert II of Käfernberg (served 1205-32), the relic said to be the head of Maurice was procured from the Holy Land.”

We are glad that there is a display of cultural diversity in the church! And Islander feels privileged to have been able to see St. Maurice’s unique statue in Magdeburg, Germany.

In observance of his feast day, we cooked Curried Veal St. Moritz. The author of the cookbook from which we adapted the recipe notes that the dish came from a hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, a resort town named after the saint. He wrote: “The chef who originated it presented it as an entry in the Culinary Olympics of 1960. This recipe was so special it was awarded a gold medal.”

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds veal scallops
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• pinch of garlic salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons white wine

Directions

Slice the veal thinly and into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté in two tablespoons of butter until lightly browned on both sides.  Transfer to the bottom of a baking dish with a lid. Next, make the sauce. Sauté the onions in two tablespoons of butter and add a pinch of garlic salt. Stir in the curry powder and corn starch and mix until well blended.

Slowly pour in the chicken stock over the onion mix and stir until slightly thickened. Add salt, pepper and wine to the sauce. Pour over the veal in the baking dish. Cover with the lid and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for about an hour. Remove from the oven. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice (optional).