The results are in, episode II

The contest for my belated 300th episode extravaganza required some dedication to UaKS: go through the first 300+ episodes and figure out which eight have been viewed more than 100 times. I had three entrants, each of whom figured out that it's all about the recipes. The eight episodes, in order of views from most to least, are:

1. The holy grail of chocolate chip cookies (Katherine Redford's CCCs)
2. Tinkering, episode II (hummus 2.1)
3. A big lentil moment (lentil stew)
4. 200th episode extravaganza (rice, beans, tofu, and greens)
5. A new favorite: unleashing the umami (black bean umami chili)
6. How to remember me (chickpea curry)
7. Uncle Clint's mac & cheese
8. Watch and learn (granola 2.0)

Everyone did well, picking all episodes that had been viewed at least 72 times each, but it was Cassie who squeaked out the victory with five correct responses (and she had the tiebreaker, too, by having the #1 episode in the right spot). Cassie wins the 6½-inch Lodge cast-iron skillet pictured in the belated 300th episode extravaganza, so she can make herself some Mini Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies. Good job, Cass!

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And here is another recipe tailored specifically for our contest winner, who loves her some cupcakes. Cassie and I made these last weekend. They were pretty scrumptious, but the recipe only made nine cupcakes, so I did some math to get the quantities below. Hopefully, it'll make a dozen cupcakes the next time. For anyone who doesn't think they like frosting (or who is such a philistine that he only likes store-bought frosting), even Brad loved this stuff.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Ganache Frosting

Adapted from Jennifer Perillo via In Jennie’s Kitchen (Feb. 11, 2010 & July 15, 2017)

The original recipes give you the quantities to (allegedly) make 36 cupcakes or two 9-inch round cake layers. We made a third of the recipe and only ended up with 9 cupcakes, so I increased the recipe by one-third to come up with these quantities to make a dozen small-ish, but rich and filling cupcakes.

Frosting
113 grams/4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces (we used Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate)
116 grams (½ cup) heavy cream
75 grams (6 tablespoons) granulated white sugar
10 grams (½ tablespoon) corn syrup

Cupcakes
165 grams (~1⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
33 grams (⅓ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
scant ¾ teaspoon baking soda
rounded ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
160 grams (⅔ cup) milk
60 grams (¼ cup) strongly brewed coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
75 grams (⅓ cup) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
133 grams (⅔ cup) granulated white sugar
1 large egg (~50 grams shelled) + 1 large egg yolk (~19 grams)

    1. For the frosting: Place the chopped chocolate in a small glass bowl. Stir the cream and sugar together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until hot but not boiling (bubbles should be forming around the edges). Pour over the chocolate. Using a silicone spatula, stir in the corn syrup. Let stand for 3 minutes. Stir gently until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, until the frosting is thick and spreadable, 1 to 2 hours.
    2. For the cupcakes: Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
    3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, coffee, and vanilla.
    5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed (4 on our KitchenAid) until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
    6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and yolk and beat on medium speed until well combined.
    7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour and milk mixtures (from steps 3 and 4), and stir on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high (6 on our KitchenAid) and beat for 15 seconds.
    8. Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the muffin tin; they’ll be between ½ and ⅔ full (a #20 disher works well for this job). Bake until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached, about 18 minutes.
    9. Cool the cupcakes still in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely before frosting. Makes 12 cupcakes.