S'more Cupcakes

For about a week we had nice fall weather and what better way to celebrate the the cooler weather than with some s'mores. I admit that other than the nice cool weather, I wanted to try out my new kitchen torch so these cupcakes were a must. These cupcakes were fun to make and incredibly gooey to eat. Everyone loved them and I can see making these again with some slight changes (see notes section).. Eating them with a fork is totally acceptable, at least in my house to limit getting frosting all over your face and hands.

S'more Cupakes - yields 24 cupcakes

Recipe Adapted from Annie Eats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake pan(s)

Graham Cracker Crust:
1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (most of one sleeve)
1/4 cup of sugar
5 1/3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
4 oz bittersweet chocolate

Using a food processor or bag/rolling pin method, crush the graha m crackers and put into bowl. Add the sugar, melted butter and mix well. Scoop 1 tablespoons to 1.5 tablespoons of graham cracker mixture into prepared cupcake pan and press the mixture down to form a crust (the bottom of a squeeze bottle works well for this). Chop the bittersweet chocolate very finely and sprinkle a little into each cup, on top of the graham cracker crust. Bake for 5 minutes then put on a cooling rack to cool whole making the cupcake batter.

Cupcakes:
2 cups and 2 tablepoons sugar
1 3/4cups AP flour
 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Put all of the dry ingredients into bowl of mixer and mix until incorporated or you can whisk the dry ingredients together if you don't have a stand mixer. Whisk together the wet ingredients except the boiling water together in a separate bowl and slowly add to the dry ingredients. Mix together, stopping once to scrap down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add the boiling water and mix until just combined. Scoop the batter onto the top of the graham cracker crusts, making sure to fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cupcakes are done.


Frosting:
8 large room temperature egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Add the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar to your mixer bowl and place on top of a pot of boiling water. Place a candy thermometer into the bowl. Whisk the mixture until the the temperature reads 160 degrees. Using the whisk attachment, mix the mixture until stiff peaks form (several minutes) and add the vanilla extract.

Frost the cupcakes anyway you choose and either use a kitchen torch or your ovens boiler to toast the frosting.

Notes:

Next time, I think I would make the graham cracker crust thicker since there really wasn't a distinct
graham cracker bottom but still delicious.

The chocolate batter didn't rise as much so make sure to fill these up to the recommended 3/4 cup full.

Don't be shy with toasting the frosting. The general consensus was that I could have toasted the frosting a lot more. The cupcakes could have done with less frosting but you know, I personally love a lot of frosting.

Kahlua Red Velvet Cupcakes

These cupcakes are different than the traditional red velvet cakes that most people like but I actually prefer this over others I have tried. I have only tried these with cream cheese frosting but I bet a white chocolate frosting would also be wonderful. This recipe bakes up really well and I always get compliments whenever I make it. It also makes a lot, like tons of cake batter if you stick with the recipe as written, however, you can play with the recipe or just freeze the leftover batter like I do so it is easy to bake up a cake or cupcakes in a hurry.

Kahlua Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from Earlene's Cakes

Cupcakes:
2 white cake mixes
1 devils food cake mix
3/4 cup flour
32 oz or 2 pounds of sour cream
2/3 cup whole eggs
1 1/3 cup egg whites
1 1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoons Butavan
1 bottle of powdered red food coloring
2/3 cup Kahlua

Mix the first nine ingredients (mixes down to the red food coloring) until incorporated and then add the Kahlua and continue to mix until you can't see any streaks in the batter. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pans and bake for 12-18 minutes until done.

Cream Cheese Frosting (enough to frost 12 cupcakes):
8 oz cream cheese
6 Tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and mix until smooth.

Notes:

Instead of mixes you can use your favorite white cake recipe and devils food cake recipe.

Butavan is a butter/vanilla emulsion that Earlene loves and uses in all of her recipes. You can substitute 1/2 Tablespoon butter extract and 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract.

If you can't find red powdered food coloring, you can use the gel coloring however, you might want to use 2 bottles. The powdered food coloring works great and I always get a nice rich red.

Earlene has a recipe for Homemade Kahlua but I find it is easier to just buy Kahlua.

The recipe freezes well. I have done this and the cupcakes/cakes taste just like I made the batter the same day.

Breakfast Sweets - Cinnamon Rolls aka Cinnamon Squirls

My husband sent me this article from NPR, Showing Compassion Through the Gift of Food (recipe is at the end of the article) last week and he requested I try homemade cinnamon rolls or as we call them cinnamon squirls. I wasn't sure if I was up for the challenge but it was something new so I thought I would give it a shot plus my husband deserved some sugar since I haven't baked anything for two weeks.

These turned out great and the glaze was a wonderful touch, not heavy for the already rich cinnamon squirls. I will post my recipe after I play with it a little more, however the recipe as is would be great for a Sunday morning.

Guest Post over at Frosting for the Cause

Please take a moment and click over to Frosting for the Cause to see my post for the day. In honor of Anne Tison, a lovely lady who lost her battle with cancer I made apple pie cupcakes.

Please consider becoming a part of this and sign up to share a dessert and donate to charity.

PB&J Cupcakes

This is my first time posting a failed dessert. It isn't the first time something didn't turn out great in my kitchen. I have a very temperamental and old oven and sometimes rush and skip over ingredients. What can I say? I am not perfect. Because of this I have had several cupcakes/cakes that have seen the trash can after my first bite. Sometimes, my husband will still eat the so called failures because he loves anything with sugar.

That was the case with these cupcakes. There are still a few in the fridge but at this point I just need to toss them and move on. The cupcake was very dry and crumbly, almost cookie like. That would be great if I was making cookies but I wanted a nice, fluffy cupcake. It made me think of linzer cookies with frosting on top.

I am not even going to post the recipe. I am still on the search for a good peanut butter cupcake recipe. Do you have one? Willing to share? I am sure it exists somewhere.

Butterbeer Cupcakes

We have been fascinated with this drink ever since we read that it was available at Universal. With the opening of Harry Potter World we planned a trip last year and had the joys of purchasing several cups, mugs whatever you call it of this butterscotch, cream soda bliss. Nothing else compares to walking around Harry Potter world, hearing my husband laugh like a little boy and enjoying a nice cool butterbeer in 90+ degree heat. We could have easily spent most of our vacation budget on this drink alone. This drink is worth the trip alone, that should tell you something.

Take a trip down there at least once and enjoy the rides and make sure to have butterbeer in your budget. Think $50 or more if you like butterscotch and cream soda. It is a fabulous addition to the whole Harry Potter experience.

You can read about our adventures here

Now back to the cupcakes...

I have to admit that even though these are very delicious, I really didn't think butterbeer. I don't know if my brain could relate the drink being in cupcake form or what so I can't say they are a true representation of butterbeer but they were wonderful butterscotch cupcakes. I would make them again and probably call them, Triple Butterscotch Cupcakes or something unoriginal like that.

Butterbeer Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Sweet Tooth

Cupcakes:
2 cups flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teapoonp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted room temperature butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake pan(s. In a bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together and set aside. Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat the eggs in one at a time or be like me and just toss them all in making sure they are fully incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and then add the butter and vanilla flavoring. At this time you should combine and cream soda and buttermilk together. Start adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk/cream soda mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Fill your cupcake pan and bake for 15-17 minutes. I did my first batch for 15 minutes and they were perfect but my second batch I had to keep them in the oven a little longer. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack and start on the ganache and buttercream.

Butterscotch ganache:
1 package of butterscotch chips (11 oz)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Using a double boiler, melt the chips and cream together until smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. I didn't have a squeeze bottle so I just kept my ganache in the bowl.

Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted room temperature butter
1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/8 tsp salt
l pound of powdered sugar or roughly 4 cups (I think - I just add until it is the right consistency)
Heavy cream or milk, use as needed

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and then add the ganache, flavorings and salt. Turn the mixer to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep mixing until the powdered sugar is combined. If the buttercream isn't nice and smooth you can add the cream, a little at a time until you get the consistency that you like.

I used the cone method (cut out a cone shape from the middle of the cupcake) to fill the cupcakes with the butterscotch ganache. I piped a buttercream swirl on top and drizzled the ganache on top. I let my ganache firm up and then didn't get a good drizzle so be prepared to warm up your ganache again at this step.

A lot of work but worth it.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

The bars are awesome, wonderful, amazing! If you love chocolate chip cookies and you love cheesecake then this dessert is for you. Think chocolate chip cookie and a cheesecake had a love child - IT WOULD BE THESE! I adore cheesecake and would love to have it everyday (in fact, I know I can eat a whole 6 inch even a 10 inch cheesecake in a day, maybe even an hour). If you can't tell my love for cheesecake runs deep then you are not paying attention yet, I don't feel any shame for this....

Onto the dessert, these are great little bars that are worth making at least once and the good news (or would it bad news?) that the recipe is made in a 8x8 pan so there are not a ton of bars. I would say enough to space out for a week or if you are me, just a couple of days.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Recipe Adapted from Beantown Baker

Take a 8x8 pan and prepare it as you will. I put down parchment and used my CK Pan Grease but you can butter the pan and it should work fine.

I made the cheesecake first and put it in the fridge while I made the crust and then the cookie dough.

Cheesecake Layer:
10 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until everything is combined. If you make this first, I would put it in the fridge but you can also choose to make this last.

Crust:
1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
5 Tablespoons of butter

Stir the crumbs and butter together, making sure all of the crumbs are moist. Press the crumbs down into the prepared pan. Put the pan in a preheated 325 oven for 6 minutes. Place the pan on a cooling rack to cool.

Cookie Dough:
5 Tablespoons room temperature butter
1/3 cup brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup AP flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Using a mixer, mix the first 5 ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the flour making sure to not over mix. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Once the crust is cool, add the cheesecake layer and then drop/place teaspoon size portions of the cookie dough on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until it set. Place on wire rack to cool.

Don't be like me and be impatient and cut into these while they are still warm. Still delicious but the picture would have been better. I have to learn to be patient, which is impossible when it comes to anything cheesecake.