Treat Day Wednesday–Halloween Treats!

Ok, so I’ve been a little remiss on sharing my treats over the past couple weeks but rest assured I did make them.

So here we go:

Witches Cupcakes:  Here I made simple chocolate cupcakes, covered with black chocolate icing and topped with an airbrushed sugar ice cream cone.  I also added the fondant details.  If you don’t want black lips, tongues and mouths then I’d suggest a different colour for the hair/icing.

Spookie Cookies:  Left over cookies, icing and some wet on wet techniques!  Super simple, super fun and super tasty.  The black icing is chocolate royal icing with a bit of black gel colouring.  It’ll still colour your mouth but won’t have a bitter taste because it tastes like chocolate!

 

My Chocolate Royal Icing: Take a cup of already made royal icing, add 2 tbsp of cocoa and mix together.  It will be quite thick.  Add 2-3 drops of black gel colouring and completely combine.  It won’t be so dark but let it sit for an hour and it’ll be jet black.  You also won’t require to add water to loosen it up as it will do that too.  This is just what I did, you may need to play with your icing to get the right consistency.

So give it a go.  It’s nice not to have aweful tasting black icing for a change.  I hope it works for you too!

Thanks for looking!

Chocolate Salted Caramel and Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

First off, these should be illegal and that’s saying something from me since I’m not the biggest fan of cupcakes in general.  Don’t hate me but I’d rather eat a cookie or a piece of cake than have a cupcake.  Most cupcakes have too much icing on them.  In my opinion there should always be more cake to icing ratio and in all those fancy cupcake stores, the icing is usually twice as much as needed.  It’s a cupcake not a cupicing.

I digress.

So why did I make cupcakes?  Someone asked me if I would and I said yes.  When I asked what they wanted they asked if I could do a salted caramel and a strawberry.  So there you have it :)

I already had a kick ass chocolate cake recipe and a vanilla cake recipe that I could rework into a strawberry.

First the Chocolate Salted Caramel cupcakes.  These require three things, the cake, the icing and most importantly the caramel.  Now you could make your own if you have the gift.  I don’t so I use the salted caramel sauce from Trader Joes.  You can eat this right out of the jar if you were so inclined. I was ;) 

I then needed a really luscious icing recipe.  I thought a cream cheese icing might work really well with the salted caramel.  The icing should always balance out the cake not over power it.

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee

1. In bowl of stand mixer, combine dry ingredients.
2. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla slowly until just combined
3. Slowly add coffee until just combined.  Remove bowl from mixer and fold to make sure all in incorporated.
4. Scoop into regular cupcake pan. I use a standard icecream scoop to make all the cupcakes the same size.
5. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Let cool 15 minutes before removing to cool  completely.

Salted Caramel Icing

• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 8oz package softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (I use Trader Joes)
• 6 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese.
2. Add the caramel sauce and vanilla until combined
3. Mix in the 6 cups of sugar until the icing stands up on it’s own.  The thing with using cream cheese, the icing is a lot softer than traditional butter cream.

Putting it together!

1. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (1M).
2. Starting in the centre, pipe circles outward to create a rosette.
3. Drizzle more salted caramel sauce over the icing.
4. Sprinkle with Fleur-de-Sel and chocolate curls.

Next up in the Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes.  I use actual fresh strawberries but add a small package of strawberry jello powder to really enhance the flavour.  I got this idea from Sweetapolita.  I also used fresh strawberry puree in the buttercream as well.

Fresh Strawberry Cake:

• 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (85 g) package strawberry flavored Jell-O
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree

1. To make the puree, remove 1 cup of frozen strawberries and add to a blender.  Let them sit out for about 5 minutes.  Add 2 tbsp of apple juice and blend until no big frozen chunks are left.  Put aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and jell-o until fluffy.
3. Add eggs until combined.
4. In one separate bowl, combine milk, vanilla and strawberry puree.
5. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Alternate adding each bowl contents to butter mixture.  Starting and finishing with dry ingredients.
7. Scoop into prepared cupcake pan.
8. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Let cool.

Fresh Strawberry Icing

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4-6 tbsps strawberry puree
• 4 cups confectioners sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and Crisco until combined.
2. Add the 4 cups confectioners sugar
3. Add the milk, vanilla and strawberry puree.  Whip until nice and fluffy but holds it shape.
4. Pipe onto cupcakes using the 1M Wilton star tip. This time start at the outside and circle to center.
5. I made small fondant strawberries and added them to each cupcake for a little accent.

Each of these recipes makes two dozen cupcakes.  I only needed three dozen total, so the last dozen I froze and will use when I need a quick dessert.

So I hope you don’t hold it against me that I’m not a cupcake lover but I would totally make these again in a heartbeat!

Thanks for looking!

Treat Day Wednesday–Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes

I got today’s recipe while watching the Barefoot Contessa with Abby.  Actually Abby saw this and said we had to make them and since I needed an easy treat, here we are.  Now Ina made hers into a cake with blueberry sauce and I made mine into cupcakes and left out the sauce.  These are for kids and that’s just too messy. Especially for my kids.

I also made a couple extra for my friend Tara as it’s her birthday today!

Lemon is one of the most revered flavours in our house and these are perfect. Making the batter into a cake would also be fabulous but as a little bit sized treat, you can grab and go!

To find the recipe, just click here.  Thank you Ina for another great one :)

Thanks for looking!

Treat Day Wednesday–Rainbow Swirl Red Velvet Cupcakes

Well welcome back to another school year.  What with so much travelling and goings on here at the Bond/Bissett house, I decided to take the summer off from Treat Days.  But now that school is officially in, both kids are now full time, I’ve started it back up again.

Abby is now in 3rd grade and Rowan started kindergarten.  Honestly I’m happy and sad and I have no idea what to do with myself.  I don’t have to entertain every afternoon or watch either Disney Channel or Cartoon Network anymore during the day.  I get to do whatever I want (she’s says like there isn’t a ton of laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping to be done).  Anyway, it’s a big day here!

I’ve been so off of the baking kick lately that I didn’t have any ideas of what to make for the first 2013-2014 Treat Day Wednesday.  So I cheated.  I used a mix (please don’t take away my baker card) and then I used what I had in the pantry and gave them a wee bit of a makeover.

I used this mix I got at BJs:

Instead of water I used milk in the cake mix and in the icing I used 3 tbsp of milk instead of water,  added a cup of extra icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and used a combination of cream cheese and butter.  If you are dead set against using the oil, use applesauce or pumpkin puree in its place in the same amounts (I didn’t have any).  For making the cake extra moist, add an additional egg.

Then I went all fancy and pulled out the Americolor gel colours and made me a rainbow.  I divided the icing into 6 bowls evenly (I used a large ice cream scoop).  I then coloured them red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.  I put half of each amount in stripes next to each on top of some plastic wrap. Then I folded it over and made it into one pouch for an icing bag.  I then inserted into the tip and piped onto the cupcake.  It gives it a really pretty rainbow look.

Then I took a dragonfly cutter and cut a few out of some left over rolled fondant and painted them, again with Americolor gels.  I let them dry and added them to the tops.  Why dragonflies you ask? Well that is the mascot of the girl’s elementary school.

As for the taste?  DELISH!!!  (As quoted by Abby and Rowan in unison)  So never feel bad for using a box, lots of people do or they wouldn’t keep making them.

I hope you enjoyed our first treat day back and I hope you come back every Wednesday for fun treat ideas.

Thanks for looking!

*****

For those of you who are new, I started this Wednesday Treat Day when we moved out of the apartment complex we were living when we first moved to the USA.  The business office did treats for the kids getting off the bus every Wednesday and the girls loved it, so I kept it going.  Except now, instead of treats in the form of store bought cookies and chocolate bars, they get homemade treats with love from me!

Treat Day Wednesday - The Easy Peasy Cupcake

Sometimes you want an easy peasy cupcake right?????  My kids and I have gotten on the icing free cupcake kick.  You get a nice treat without OD’ing on icing. But sometimes you want a little extra something something.  So I thought, “how about dipping them in chocolate ganache?” 

BRILLIANT, that’s what I say!  My kids would concur.

So make your favourite cupcake,  make ganache and then if you are feeling crazy you can decorate with royal icing.  I did, but only because I had some already bagged after teaching a friend how to decorate cookies.

I also got a new cake plate, isn’t it pretty???? Love Homegoods!!!

Ganache:

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Bring cream to a boil. Careful, this happens a lot faster than you would think.  Keep an eye on it.
2. Drop in chocolate and melt completely.  If too thick add a little cream at a time.
3. It’ll be pretty runny but that’s what you want to dip the cupcakes into.  Just dip the tops, place on rack and let dry.
4. Use royal icing to create designs.  I just made flowers.
5. For the leftover ganache, place in fridge and when it’s completely set up.  Spoon into little balls and roll in powdered sugar.  Voila…chocolate truffles! The added bonus

So simple and so tasty.  A true treat day treat!

Thanks for looking!

Earthday!

Today is Earth Day!!!  I made earth cupcakes for the kids.  I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought my girls would love them.  I was right!

Just mix half a cake batter green and the other half blue.  Then using a spoon, spoon alternating green and blue batter into the cupcake pan and voila, earth cupcakes!

I’m also going to plant some veggies into our garden so we can have fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers during the summer!

What are you doing????

Happy Earth Day, enjoy it!

Happy St. Patty’s Day–Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes w/ Irish Cream Buttercream!

I must be on the mend because I woke up this morning with the need to bake.  It’s pretty funny considering we held an impromptu bonfire last night with our neighbours and while I have been known to stay our with the best of them, I went to bed at the crack of 10:30pm (which considering 8pm has been the latest in the last week).  Now I also haven’t been able to get up and eat anything but dry toast or saltines until today.  It’s a little funny because the rest of the group, including my husband were “overserved” and now today, since it’s St. Patty’s Day, I decided I’d make a nice treat for them all.  An apple cinnamon cupcake with an Irish Cream Buttercream.

Is that mean?  LOL

I have to say they are super yummy, a nice light cake with a really fluffy icing.  For fun I added melted chocolate shamrocks to make them complete!  I made some non-adult versions for the kids on the street too!

Recipe: Apple Cinnamon cupcakes

• 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
• 5 egg whites
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 3 cups flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the sugar and butter, then add the egg whites. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the applesauce and flour mixture in two parts.
4. Using an icecream scoop, scoop into muffin tins.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Made about 21 cupcakes.
5. Cool completely before icing.

Irish Cream Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup crisco
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean
• 1 tbsp Irish Cream (or more depending on how thick or thin you want it)

1. Whip all together and ice cupcakes as desired.

Sometimes the best recipes come to me whilst I sleep, this is no different.

Happy St. Patty’s Day everyone!  I hope your year brings you love and wonder and may you find your pot of gold!

Thanks for looking!

Pumpkin Week 2012 - Pumpkin Gingerbread Streusel Muffins

Day two of pumpkin week is upon us! I never thought that pumpkin was so versatile, so I am pleasantly surprised.  I mean I’ve been using pumpkin in place of oil for a long time, but rarely let the pumpkin shine for the main flavour.  As I was thinking up ideas for this years recipes, I tried to think of things that I thought would go together and I believe today’s combination is one that will stand the test of time.

Not only does pumpkin and chocolate go together, so does pumpkin and gingerbread!  I mean way better than I could have hoped for :)  I love gingerbread, both in cookie form and in loaf form.  Adding the pumpkin really makes a moist muffin and in my opinion, that’s essential.  There is nothing worse than a dry muffin.

Recipe:

Struesel:

• 1/4 unbleached flour
• 1/4 packed brown sugar
• 1/4 dry oats
• 2 tbsp cold butter

1. Combine flour, sugar and oats. 
2. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like lumpy oatmeal
3. Set aside.

Muffin:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice mix
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add remaining ingredients and combine until well mixed.
3. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop into prepared muffin pan.
4. Top with streusel.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool and enjoy!

These would be an excellent addition to any brunch or with a big ol’ cup of tea (that’s how I roll)!

I hope you enjoyed today’s pumpkin recipe and thanks for looking!

Sharing With These Pages including Today’s Creative Blog

Treat Day Wednesday–Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Some days it’s a challenge to think up something for treat day and some days, not so much.  Today was that day.  I just wanted to bake.  I had the itch to bake and I had the itch to make these, Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.  I always find cupcakes so heavy but these are oh so light.  Using pumpkin puree removes the fat, which we all love and then adding the pumpkin spice adds a little something something!

They are so moist too which means no need for frosting.  I mean you can, totally, but it’s not needed.

Recipe:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Prepare muffin tins, I used both small and normal size.  pre-heat oven to 350*F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add eggs, milk, pumpkin and spices.  Beat for one minute.
4. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don't worry, this is right).
5. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely then decorate!

I had all these fun Halloweeny sprinkles and just decided to dip the tops of the cupcakes into them.  They look so fun and festive!

I also used my heart shaped donut pan and used these for the girls treat day!  I took some marshmallow ghosts and added some eyes, they loved them!

It’s also a fairly big batch.  It made 12 regular cupcakes, 24 mini cupcakes, 6 heart shaped donuts and 1 mini heart cake.    All the extra’s went into Rob’s work because they are so not on the diet!  Yes, low fat but sadly sugar also heads right for my hips :)

So if you are looking for a low fat, yummy goodness cupcakes, these be the ones!

Thanks for looking!

Treat Day Wednesday–Candy Corn Cupcakes

Yup, another candy corn treat for the girls.  They love love love them!  I had to make a cake for an upcoming United Way Dessert Auction, which I’ll tell you about in another post, so I made some cupcakes. 

I used my wonderful vanilla sponge recipe and then separated out two bowls and used Americolor gel food colouring and coloured them yellow and orange.  I layered appropriately and baked.  Then I topped with some vanilla buttercream and some chopped up candy corn.  Et Voila!

Vanilla Sponge Recipe (makes 2, 8x2” rounds or 24 cupcakes):

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbls plus 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup if using liquid egg whites)
• 1 ½ cup whole milk
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar together. 
3. Add egg whites and vanilla.
4. Alternate flour and milk into the butter.
5. Mix until combined.
6. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes
7. Let cool.
8. Ice with buttercream and top with candy corn!

Your kids will love it!  I’m not sure Rowan chewed hers it went down so fast!

Thanks for looking!

Tiled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!! 

First Day of School!!!

What can I say, all you mothers out there love it too!  Abby started second grade and got up so early this morning and by the time I got downstairs she had got out her breakfast, made her lunch and was dressed and her bed was made.  Nope not excited at all :) 

I’m a pretty proud mum too because her lunch didn’t consist of candy and sweets.  She actually had carrots and hummus, vanilla yogurt, and a babybel cheese.  I added some strawberries and a plum and some cookies for fun! 

Then I walked her to the bus stop and I’m pretty sure she said goodbye as she went running for the bus. But I’m not sure.

I thought I’d make her a back to school treat.  Abby goes to Dillard Drive Elementary school and their mascot is a dragonfly.  So I made her favourite cupcakes and topped them with a painted mosaic.  I’d seen this idea on cupcake wars and decided now was the time to do it.  It requires no expert decorating techniques. It does require some fondant, gel icing colours and some vodka (for the paint not for you, but feel free I don’t judge)

Roll out the fondant to 1/4” or less in thickness and cut into a rectangle.  I then painted the dragon fly onto the fondant and added the text.  I take the Americolor gel colours and put a dollop on a plate and then put vodka in a ramekin.  I dip my desired brush into the vodka then take a bit of the gel colour and mix it about.  Then I paint onto the fondant.  It’s like watercolours except the vodka evaporates leaving just the bright colours.

Then let it dry.  Once dry cut it into the number of squares you require for the number of cupcakes you made.  I made twelve and my rectangle was too big, so I trimmed it a bit.

Then I took each square and topped each cupcake with one and voila, a mosaic cupcake picture.  I love the way this turned out.  Rowan helped too, she put the squares of fondant onto each cupcake, she was pretty proud of herself.

I like this idea a lot and see it as something I’d do in the future with tons of ideas.

Thanks for looking!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix flour, powder, soda and salt in a bowl, set aside
3. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla together.  Add the apple sauce.
4. Alternate milk and flour mixture until combined.
5. Scoop into ready prepared cupcake pan.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

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Get Your Craft On

Pineapple Cupcakes

As I was surfing through Pinterest I saw a pin on how to make flowers from dried slices of pineapple, but the link went no where.  WHICH I HATE!!!!

Now I had an itch I couldn’t scratch as it were, so my friend Google found Annie’s Eats.  Which in the end was the original source of the pin.  YAY!

So I bought a pineapple and I made some flowers.  Now I have all this left over pineapple and only two of four in the family who will eat it.  I love pineapple but my sensitivity to acidic fruits makes me shy away from eating too much for fear of canker sores.

Ok, so lets try pineapple cupcakes.

SO GOOD!

I still had some puree left over so I added some powdered sugar and mixed it up.  Stuck it into a piping bag and inserted a squeeze into each cupcake.

I then topped it off with a pineapple (why not?) cream cheese  icing and a pineapple flower.

You would think with all this pineapple it would be over powering, but no!  It’s, in my opinion, perfect!

Recipe:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pureed pineapple
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and pineapple together.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
3. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk to egg mixture.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 mins. Makes about 12 cupcakes using the mid-size ice cream scoop.

Pineapple Puree

• 2 cups chopped pineapple with juice

1. Puree until smooth.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 3 tbsp pineapple puree

1. Whip together until smooth. 

Steps to complete the cupcake:

1. Bake cupcakes.
2. Pipe puree into cupcakes until they plump up.
3. Swirl icing on top.
4. Top with pineapple flower.

The day I made these we had an impromptu get together with friends down the street and I had to take something, so I brought these.  Not sure they lasted an hour!

I recommend these for sure!

Thanks for looking!

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Just over a month ago a threw a martini party.  I had bought some different martini mixes and since then always thought I should attempt a cupcake version of said martinis.

Now I’m not a huge drink drinker. I love a really good really cold red beer as well as a really nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.  But every now and again I’ll drink a martini. 

I decided to choose the Cosmo because it reminded me of my first trip to New York City some 15 years ago.  I went with my best friend, Sapna and we stayed with a friend of hers, Randy,  who lived in Manhattan.  Now Randy was the concierge at the Four Seasons hotel and his partner (at the time) was a modeling agent.  So basically we went to NYC and hung out in somewhat fancier digs then we were use to as well as with really beautiful people.  It was a blast and an eye opening experience all at once.

Now because we were hanging with the “beautiful” people we got to get into some pretty funky clubs.  At one club you needed to know someone to get in but then you needed to know someone else to go into the back room.  It was like being in a movie.  I actually walked into the bathroom whilst a stick figure did a line of what one would assume was cocaine, but who knows. I felt like I was invading her privacy but I really had to pee.  I know I’m all class!  Sapna and I decided to go fancy and order a Cosmo.  It was really quite tasty but the funny part of this story, or just proving how sheltered a life we led was when the bill came.  The waitress said 16 dollars please.  It didn’t take long to realize she meant each.  Che-Ching!  I mean it was good, but not 16 bucks good.  That’s 4 beers at a pub :)  Needless to say, it was the last drink I bought that evening.

So when I picked Cosmo, it reminded me of my first visit to NYC.  Good times!

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes (adapted by A Cup Full of Cake)

• 1/2 cup butter room temp
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs room temp
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cup Cosmopolitan Mix

Directions:

1. Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line muffin pans with cupcake papers.
2. With a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
   Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until well combined.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside
4. Combine the buttermilk and Cosmo Mix.
5. Add in 1 cup each of the dry and wet mixtures alternately, beating on low until the whole mixture is well combined.
6. Fill cups with batter two-thirds full. Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes
   spring back in the middle when touched lightly. Cool for 10 minutes in pan.

Lemon Buttercream

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 6 tbsp lemon juice

1. In stand mixer, combine all ingredients together and beat on med-high until smooth.

Now you can add red food colouring to the cupcakes it you want them a more true cosmo colour.  I really liked these, however Rob wasn’t a huge fan.  He did say the buttercream has the perfect lemony flavour.  The leftovers went into Rob’s work and were demolished.  So despite Rob’s nonchalance towards them, they were well received by his office.  So I say success!

Thanks for looking!

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Treat Day Wednesday - Apple Cider Cupcakes

Last week at the grocery store they had apple cider on sale.  I love it but apparently I’m the only one :( 

So I decided I’d use it in a recipe and since the girls like cupcakes why not make Apple Cider Cupcakes.  I also had some leftover pumpkin puree, so I used it instead of the oil in the original recipe.

Recipe: Apple Cider Cupcakes (adapted from Epicurious.com)

3 cups unpasteurized apple cider

1/2 pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan boil the cider until it is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups and let it cool.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together the puree and the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
3. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the cinnamon, the baking soda, and a pinch of salt, stir in the reduced cider, and combine the mixture well.
4. Divide the batter among muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. This made about 21 cupcakes.

I used candy melts and a Halloween icecube tray for the toppers!  Don’t they rock :)

Thanks for looking!

Pumpkin & Chocolate Cupcakes for National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

To celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake day I decided to change today’s post and do this one instead.  No worries, I’ve combined my theme of Pumpkin with National Chocolate Cupcake day.  I mean really, one should always celebrate a day about celebrating chocolate cupcakes.

So I took the already amazing chocolate cupcake recipe from Glorious Treats and pumpkined it! I took out the oil and added pumpkin puree.  An already genius recipe made better??? Not going to lie, I think they are pretty damn good and “non-fat”. I may need to do a side by side taste test, anyone wanna join me?

Recipe: Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Glorious Treats)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Prepare muffin tins, I used both small and normal size.  pre-heat oven to 350*F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add eggs, milk, pumpkin and vanilla.  Beat for one minute.
4. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don't worry, this is right).
5. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely then decorate!

I also tried Chocolate Meringue Buttercream.  The last time I made meringue buttercream was when I made my cousins wedding cake back in 1995, at least I think it was 1995.  So a long time ago.  It was a hot summer day, and all things that could go wrong, did.  It eventually worked out but vowed not to try it again.

I guess it’s time to try it again.  (hangs head in shame)  Since so many amazing bakers rave about it, why not!

I used a Martha Stewart Recipe because I tend to go with reliable resources when I’m a little leery.  So from Martha Stewart Online

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 ounces melted semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, whisk in vanilla.
4. Fold in chocolate
5. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day.  It makes about 5 cups.

It’s also the Halloween season so I decorated with the coveted black Wilton candy melts and made spiders and webs.  The tombstones are the Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies, which I love more than I should, stuck into the buttercream.  They worked quite well.

This made about 24 large cupcakes and 20 mini cupcakes and I only used about half the meringue buttercream. 

So what did I do with them all?  NO I didn’t eat them…all!  I gave a bunch to next door and then I took some to the ladies of Monday night tennis.  Well I’m happy to say although my tennis was sub-par, the cupcakes received accolades. Now I didn’t take the Halloweeny ones because they were for the girls. The ladies cupcakes had simple dollops of icing on top. Since I didn’t play well, at least they got cupcakes :)

Thanks for looking!

Next up on Pumpkin Week – Pumpkin Sugar Cookies!

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Baking withdrawl

A week away and no cooking or baking…what’s a girl to do????

Buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and these!

Since everyone has been posting Halloween themed stuff, I decided to jump on the band wagon.  Vanilla cupcakes with orange/black icing and fondant ghosts.

I’ve made these before and they are amazing.

Vanilla Cupcakes: (from Glorious Treats)

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil together.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
3. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk to egg mixture.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 mins. Makes about 12 cupcakes using the mid-size ice cream scoop.

I feel much better now that I’ve baked something. Now I can continue with this cold I’ve got.  Back to bed :)

Thanks for looking!

Linking with:
Recipe Sharing Monday
Joy of Desserts
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