Shiitake Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

I know the title of this blog is Vanesscipes, suggesting that these are all Vanessa’s (that’s me) recipes. That’s why I feel compelled to mention right at the very start of this recipe that this is NOT my recipe. It is in fact the brainchild of my dear friend Emily, who happens to also be the Director of Catering at the Met. My input on this dish pretty much started and ended with, “Mac and Cheese Cupcakes - good God YES!” So, if I’m a genius for recognizing the genius of putting mac and cheese in an easy-to-eat cupcake format with wonderfully crispy golden edges and an ooey gooey center, then I’m just waiting for my MacArthur grant check to come in. (MacArthur people - you can get me at vanesscipes@gmail.com)

Emily developed these cupcakes for a Hors D’oeurve party we helped host at the LondonParisNewYork event space/art gallery in Williamsburg. We had a full list of H’ds which included such specialties as truffled popcorn and vegan apple cider donuts, but I think these cupcakes were the favorite.

For all you sticklers out there, please note the below photos were taken a few hours before the party during a Mac & Cheese Cupcake test run (aka: dinner for me!) so none of the shiitakes or smoky autumn-flavored thyme can be witnessed. Let me also mention that if you’re interested in tasting something like this in person, please sign up for my events mailing list by emailing me at vanesscipes@gmail.com, or just wait until I accept my MacArthur award, in which case Emily will provide thousands upon thousands of these little gems.

Time: 30 minutes prep, 20 minutes for each batch (makes about 4 batches of 12)
Makes: about 48 mini-cupcakes

Shiitake Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

1/2 lb elbow noodles
olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, destemed and sliced
4 Tbsp organic butter + more to butter cupcake pans
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups organic whole milk
2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
salt and fresh ground pepper
panko breadcrumbs (less than 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375

Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Sauté shallots in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until wilted, about one minute. Add mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 5 more minutes. Toss with butter, thyme, season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.

In small sauce pan, warm milk over low heat. In large sauce pan, melt butter. Add flour to the butter and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously until smooth and bubbly. Slowly pour the warm milk into the butter mixture and stir or whisk to combine. Let liquid come to a boil; mixture will start to thicken. Add the grated cheeses and turn off the heat. Stir until the cheese has melted.

Pour the cheese mixture in with the noodles and mix. Fold in mushroom mixture and thyme. Adjust for salt and pepper.

Grease mini cup cake pans with butter. Sprinkle pan liberally with panko and shake pan to adhere the panko to the sides. Dump out extra panko. Spoon mac and cheese into the top of each cupcake mold.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until edges and top are golden.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly. Flip pan over onto a plate or sheet pan to remove cupcakes. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 at 11:38 pm and is filed under Party Planning, Appetizers & H'ds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.