For now, you’ll just have to suffer through another cupcake recipe. I hope you’re detecting the sarcasm, because these cupcakes are delectable. I just may have licked the bowel clean… but really, there is no way of telling. I mean honestly, who could resist this?

So here you are my friends:

Mocha Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 ½ tablespoons of Fabbri Moka delipaste

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

¼ cup Ghirardelli Sunrise unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

¼ cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and Moka delipaste.
In a separate bowl Sift together the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder and salt.

3. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.

-Makes 12 cupcakes

Mocha Butter Cream:

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar

½ cup butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons Ghirardelli sunrise unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon finely ground coffee beans*

Directions:

1. Cream together butter, vanilla, half of the required powdered sugar and half of the milk. Once this is blended well, add the second half of powdered sugar and milk.

2. Secondly, add in Ghirardelli cocoa until blended.

3. Finally, add in ground coffee beans. Start with a tablespoon, and then increase to taste.

* Use espresso beans or a darker roast for a more authentic “Mocha” flavor.

UMG is now making our own gourmet scone mix. You can make delicious scones in as little as 15 minutes from the bowl to you display case. They smell amazing as they’re baking and taste even better. How’d you like to save $1000′s of dollars every year and double your bakery business? We know your sales will increase with the very first case you buy. If you’re paying .75-$1.00 (or more) a scone now you’ll save over $1000 dollars, enough to buy a Cadco counter-top convection oven with just 3 cases of scone mix and after that, the $1000 goes into your pocket every 3 cases. You control the flavors, you control the quality of ingredients. It’s so easy you can teach any employee to make them. Never again will you run out of scones at noon and turn away customers for the rest of the day. You’ll just bake more in 15 minutes!!! The smell will cause more sales and customers will drool as they watch you pull the fresh pans out of the oven. Don’t over order from your supplier because you might run out and then have to sell day old at half price. Don’t sell day old delivered product as fresh either. Bake bake bake, did we mention it was easy? Call us now for more info on the great mix and Cadco’s great new counter-top oven. Stop by the showroom and we’ll bake a batch for you to try. You will never regret baking your own. Stop by our booth at the Milwaukee restaurant show March 8th-10th and try them there too. I’m going to go eat another, darn they’re good.

Cheers, David

Newco OCS-8 Coffee Maker

* The quality and durability of a commercial machine in a home model.
* 8 cup thermos carafe with patented brew through pour lid.
* High quality polycarbonate construction.
* Easy pour over feature for brewing coffee.
* Pour and serve allows you to get a cup of coffee while brewing.
* No temperature or water volume adjustments.
* Markings indicate water needed to make corresponding number cups of coffee.
* Filter basket swings open for easy insertion of filter.
* Audible beep and automatic shut off after brew cycle is completed.
* 1500 watt heating element for fast brewing.
* Lead free construction.
* Color is black.
* 7 1/2″W x 10″D x 15 1/2″H.
* Bunn Filters sold separately.
* Sold As: 1 ea.

Newco Warranty:

* 1 year limited.
* Lifetime technical support.

The Newco OCS-8 carafe holds temperature for 4-6 hours. The patented self sealing, dual action brew through and pour out lid is an industry standard. The OCS Brewer uses a high wattage heating element for fast brewing up to ten pots per hour. The near boiling temperature is ideal for hot tea or specialty coffee.

Newco OCS-12 Coffee Maker

* The quality and durability of a commercial machine in a home model.
* 12 cup stainless steel thermos carafe with patented brew through pour lid.
* High quality polycarbonate construction.
* Easy pour over feature for brewing coffee.
* Pour and serve allows you to get a cup of coffee while brewing.
* No temperature or water volume adjustments.
* Markings indicate water needed to make corresponding number cups of coffee.
* Filter basket swings open for easy insertion of filter.
* Audible beep and automatic shut off after brew cycle is completed.
* 1500 watt heating element for fast brewing.
* Lead free construction.
* Color is black.
* 7 1/2″W x 10″D x 15 1/2″H.
* Bunn Filters sold separately.
* Sold As: 1 ea.

Newco Warranty:

* 1 year limited.
* Lifetime technical support.

The Newco OCS-12 carafe holds temperature for 4-6 hours. The patented self sealing, dual action brew through and pour out lid is an industry standard. The OCS Brewer uses a high wattage heating element for fast brewing up to ten pots per hour. The near boiling temperature is ideal for hot tea or specialty coffee.

(For pricing or additional product information, please Contact Us. Thank you.)

We now have Press pots in 2, 3, 6 and 8 cup sizes.  French press is a great way to brew at home. Home coffee pots may not be able to reach ideal temperatures, but with a press pot you use boiled water that will extract all the flavor from your coffee or tea.  Consider using these at your own homes or stocking them in the retail section of your store. The holidays are fast approaching and gifts like these won’t stay on your shelves! Contact us today to get your own French press.

612-728-7208

orders@uppermidwestgourmet.com

And now we mix cases!  Try any of the following in a mixed case:

Mesquite BBQ, Rosemary Olive Oil, Asian Sweet N Spicy, Salt N Cracked Pepper, Sweet Maui Onion (Fries N Chips),  Salt and Vinegar, Original Salted, and Cheddar Jalapeno Fries

Cheers, David

It is part of my daily mission at Upper Midwest Gourmet to find ways to:

a: Be a greener company (improve our environmental impact on the earth)

b: Lower operating costs to help offset price increases

c: Improve quality of life for staff

I came across an article in this weekends Minneapolis Star and Tribune that addresses all of these issues through the conversion to a 4 day work week.  If you paste the following link into your browser you can read about how this change can work to benefit a company like ours and in turn help us to benefit your company as well.  The link:

http://www.startribune.com/local/28333109.html

I’m looking for feedback from all our customers as to what you would think of this change?  We would adjust our hours to be open Monday – Thursday from 7:30 am to 5 pm (currently M-F 9am-4pm).  We would be consolidating the Tuesday and Friday Van routes to both take place on Tuesday.  This should save us money on: fuel, labor and utilities while giving our staff the ability to enjoy more time with their families on the weekend.  While price increases are still unavoidable, this may be able to help offset the significance of some of the increases we’re seeing on the horizon.

If there is no uproar from our customers I’d consider implementing this change, on a trial basis, some time in October?  If it turned out that it was causing customers problems and we did not see any benefits to the change we could always change back to our traditional 5 day work week.

I’d really appreciate any feedback you may have so I have set up an online poll.  Please take a moment to check whether you’d be for or against this change.

Thanks in advance for your business, all of us here at Upper Midwest Gourmet appreciate it very much.

Cheers,

David Chall

 Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Congratulations Minnesota on a project quickly completed.

 I want to tell you all that you have been absolutely lovely. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all of you. You have made me laugh and made me cry (well, almost). It has been my pleasure to have had the priveledge of working with all of you. You guys rock! Thank you for all the memories; shows, barista jams, gelato, coffee (which, much to the dismay of the guys at UMG, I still do not drink), mispronouncing words, silly sayings, and just laughing in general. I’ve really loved it here. Thank you so much for everything.

Every time I hear a phone ring I will look around like a crazy person needing to answer it. And then I’ll remember that it is no longer for me and I’ll laugh at my silliness. Thank you again for everything. Don’t forget to work hard AND play hard! You are all wonderful.

“It’s a beautiful day at Upper Midwest Gourmet. This is Kelsey.” I’m going to miss helping you.