Well, who woulda thunk it? On a Sunday in October, just about a year ago, The Daily Spud started a conversation with the world.
Happy first birthday to me!
Truth be told, the world didn’t say much back at first, but, happily, that changed over time and the Spud has had a fabulous year. There was, of course, all that awardy stuff, which bowled me over, but I also never imagined that I would get to know so many entertaining, knowledgeable and downright clever people, and even meet some of them in person, through the good offices of this blog.
As for the subject of potatoes, I don’t know about you, but I have certainly discovered that there’s a whole lot more to the humble spud than even I had imagined and, trust me, I’m only getting started. My status on twitter the other day kind of sums it up:
Chocolate Potato Buns
This momentous occasion naturally required that I should make some little cakey somethings. With potato, of course.
It’s not as strange as it sounds. As with bread, using a little bit of cooked potato will add moistness. In fact, the “Colour Book Of Baking” that I was given for my 12th birthday, and which I have still, had a recipe for a chocolate potato cake. I tinkered a bit with that recipe and made these simple cocoa buns (that would be Irish for cupcakes, in case anybody was wondering).
Now, I’m not often given to icing my baked goods, but, in this case, I even went as far as to try out a recipe I had found for a buttercream icing with mashed potato. Let’s just say that I made it and I abandoned it, figuring that there are some places that a potato does not need to go. For everything else, there’s The Daily Spud.
You’ll need:
- 75g potato, cooked, mashed and sieved
- 175g plain flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 2 tblsp cocoa powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 125g butter, softened
- 175g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tblsp milk
You’ll also need:
- 12 piece muffin tin or you could use individual paper bun cases.
The Steps:
- If you don’t have any leftover potatoes on hand, you will need to boil or steam some for this recipe. You only need a small amount, but you may as well steam or boil more potatoes than you need for these and put the remainder to some other use. When you have cooked and drained the potatoes, allow them to sit, covered with a tea towel, until cool enough to handle. Then push some of the cooked potato through a sieve, until you have the weight of potato needed. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 200C.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt together into a large mixing bowl, then whisk them together to make sure that they are well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, or in a stand mixer if you have one, beat the butter well, until pale and fluffy, then add the sugar and continue beating until very light.
- Add the mashed potato and beat well to mix.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring just to combine, then stir in the vanilla.
- Now add all of the flour mixture and stir gently, just to combine.
- Finally, stir in the milk. The mixture should now have a soft dropping consistency.
- Distribute the mixture among the muffin tins (or paper cases if you prefer). This mixture gave enough to about half-fill each individual tin.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until well-risen and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a bun comes out clean.
- Ice them if you like or just eat them as they are.
The Variations:
- These are really as infinitely variable as your basic madeira mixture, so you can switch the vanilla and cocoa for whatever other flavourings you like.
The Results:
- Makes around 12 birthday buns
Congrats on the blog birthday! These desserts look like a wonderful way to celebrate it. Who would’ve known potatoes could be so sweet. Awesome recipe.
happy day!
Happy blogiversary!!!!! Happy day indeed. You couldn’t have picked a more perfect recipe to celebrate it with. Pass some of that down to m, would ya?
Happy Blogiversary! I bet this cake was delicious. Potatoes work in bread so I can see how this would work as well. That’s funny about the buttercream. I can’t imagine what that would of tasted like.
Happy Birthday Spud! Who would have thought a blog about potatoes would be so much fun and a peeling! Know you’ve had to work out of your potato skin but pleased to hear that there is a lot more new potato articles to come. Keep chipping away at our ignorance of all things spud like!
Well happy 1st blog birthday. Chocolate spuds? Sounds awesome.
Congratumalations! Cakey buns AND potato? That’s got to be a winner. I shall rush off to the kitchen as soon as I’ve despatched the smalls to school! Happy bloggiversary, my lovely xx
Congrats on a great year Spud! and here’s to the next one!
Deseree: welcome & thanks! potatoes do have their sweet side too, I should try to cover that more often :)
doggybloggy: cheers doggy
jenn: these really were the most appropriate thing to make in honour of the day – I’ll send some over pronto!
Reeni: The thing about the buttercream was that it tasted, well, like starchy potato, which is not a taste you want in buttercream! It improved with salt (which the original recipe didn’t have) but then the alcohol that the recipe did call for (rum, though I subbed kahlua) just overpowered the thing. Definitely time to abandon ship!
Rufus: aye, aye, sir – more spudness to come and nothing half-baked about it!
kickpleat: thanks! now you have me thinking about actual chocolate spuds – hmm, I will have to hold that thought :)
English Mum: thank you m’dear – as you know, one can never have too many cakey buns!
Jane: thanks and, yes indeed, here’s to year 2!
Today is a blog-birthday
I wonder for whom?
I think it’s for someone right there in that room!
So look aaaalllll around you for somebody who
Is laughing and smiling–
My goodness; it’s you!!!
Happy birthday to The Daily Spud–and many more!
Happy Blogavsary and I am so happy that it made such a positive impact on your life, and mine for that matter as I never would have had the opportunity to meet you on both sides of the pond. I cannot wait to see what this new year holds in store for the Spud. Given the last year its got a lot to live up to.
Can’t wait to try these chocolate potato goodies.
Happy Birthday! I’m about the same age (bloggy-wise) and have had a similar experience. I’ve enjoyed your blog and looking forward to more great spud recipes. Chocolate and potatoes – two of my favorite foods, not often together, but the crumb on the cupcake looks amazing.
Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to yoooo-hoooo, dear Spuddy, Happy birthday to you!
COngrats on your first year! I love, love, love that you made a recipe from a book you got when you were 12! They look wonderful :)
HUGE congrats on your 1st Anniversary, Spud! You’re right, such occasions do call for cake and I love that you’ve made it with spuds. More’s the better that there’s chocolate involved as well. It looks so moist and delicious.
Personally, I’m glad you work is far from done. Happy Anniversary and here’s to many, many more!! :)
Keep up the good work, Spud! ;)
Jenni: big grins all ’round :) and I fully expect PMAT to keep me company in the blogosphere for many years to come!
OysterCulture: a lot to live up to, yes, but I think I’m up for the challenge :) – and it has been great to meet you both here and over yonder
gastroanthropologist: thanks and it goes without saying that I’ve likewise enjoyed your blog – long may we both continue!
Caroline: aw shucks, thanks a million
Lori: I’ve been eating more of those buns today and they actually really surprised me in a good and I-must-make-this-again kind of way :)
Diva: hear, hear! more spuds, more chocolate, my mission is clear :D
Matt: thanks, I have every intention of doing just that!
Happy Birthday Spud, Congrats for the 1st year!! and keep up with more sweetness like these delicious chocolate potato buns :)
Cheers!
Gera
feliz cumpleanos, spud!!
Congratulations on a wonderful year of blogging! These scrumptious chocolate potato buns are a perfect way to celebrate!
Happy 1st Blog anniversary!! Enjoy!!
I so love your friendship & you teach us something new every day,…I wish you a lot of inspiration & good fun in blogging in the future,…
By the way, this potato & chocolate buns look stupendous!!!
Happy Birthday! The buns looks scrumptious :)
Happy first blog birthday!! Best wishes for many more happy blog years.
I’m drooling at the thought of the potato & chocolate buns.
Happy blog birthday!! So glad to have found your awesome blog. Looking forward to more interesting recipes like these chocolate potato buns!
ps. who are these spud haters who could think potatoes are ‘boring’?! I heart potatoes :)
So happy blogiversary,Spud, and may you have many- many more!!
Gera: hi there & thanks for the birthday greetings – more sweetness to come I’m sure :)
Heather: muchas gracias!
Natasha: thanks, the buns were a great little birthday treat
Sophie: ah thanks for the good wishes – continued inspiration, fun and friendship sounds like a good formula to me!
aoife mc: thanks girlie, the buns hit the spot, I recommend
George: thank you, I do aim to keep going for another while at least!
Phyllis: I like to think that they are only spud haters because they haven’t found this blog yet :D
History of Greek Food: aw thanks so much, I certainly hope to :)
Happy, happy blog-o-versary! St. Expy is working over time for me, I’ve gotten so bad. And of all blogs and posts to be late . . . !!
My one-year b-day is coming up as well and I remember fondly the first time I ever saw that Spudly face! How happy I am to have found your wonderful site; I truly hope we’ll have an opportunity to meet one of these days. We’ll have a coconut-potato exchange!
Congratulations on a marvelous year and wishing you many, many more full of great food, great drink and great friends!
Well, it was a happy day when the Spud found the Noodle (or maybe the Noodle found the Spud, either way my year would have been much the poorer if I have not made your acquaintance).
So I think we should certainly aim for a coconut-potato exchange one of these fine days TN. I also owe you a rice recipe, yet another exchange that we talked about. I have no doubt that we’ll get there eventually, despite the best efforts of St. E!
congrats. the chocolate buns look delicious!
Thanks so much Rita!
It is great to know that Spud has just completed a year and already has so many followers. I must say it was quite a feat. Keep up the good going.
Thanks for the good wishes wii, will do!
hello and congrats the persuit of spud heaven is never done there are still unbelievers.
remember
Almost any potato if seen at the right moment can be confused with paradise.
doug hack
Thanks Dave – it’s been considerably more than one year at this stage! And I like the quote – potatoes = paradise works for me :)