Hi Hat Cupcakes I did it. I finally made them. Hi Hat Cupcakes have consumed my cupcake thoughts since I first saw their tall chocolate dipped tops online after I started blogging. But, I have to tell you, I’ve been nervous to make them. They scare me. But this weekend, I tried them. So I decided to use the only recipe I remembered seeing. > Update: I just realized this recipe is also from the book, Cupcakes! Chopped chocolate. But even better with the frosting. If I had paid attention to the directions beforehand I don’t know if I would have been as eager to get started. 12 minutes later and a candy thermometer in check to make sure the frosting formed stiff peaks at the right temperature. Actually, it never made it to just the right temp, but after 12 minutes… I was over holding the hand mixer. So I took a leap of faith it would work and piped it on the cupcakes… as tall as I could get it. The cupcakes went in the freezer while I prepared for the scary part. One bag of semi-sweet chocolate. Tasty. More…
One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes For Two Let’s face it: sometimes we all need a dessert that only makes two servings. Sometimes we just can’t handle 12 servings. Sometimes we eat them all by ourselves. Sometimes we eat them all by ourselves in two hours. FYI: I have no idea what that is like. Haven’t you always wished you could make just enough dessert for yourself? Or… just yourself? Me too. But more often than not, I’ve found it to be a hassle to drag out the mixer, cream the sugar and butter, sift the dry ingredients and all that fun stuff for a measly two cupcakes. What can I say? Well, I was lazy. It is definitely your typical white cake; fluffy and soft, full of vanilla flavor, and the perfect vehicle for some fluffy white frosting. And it only takes one bowl! I think what I love most about these cupcakes is their customizability. [print_this] One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two serves 2 1 egg white 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla (yes, a full teaspoon – they are super vanilla-y!) 1/4 cup flour
Pumpkin Pie Bites I’ve been in a mini-mood lately when it comes to baking and these bite-sized pies met my big craving. They are really, really easy. Let me show ya. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I used ready to roll refrigerated pie crust. Then, stuff each one in a mini muffin baking pan. Press the dough down, in and around the edge of each muffin cup. Fill each pie crust with pumpkin filling all the way to the top. When they come out of the oven, they’ll be puffed up like this. But no, after they cool for a few, they’ll fall and be flush with the pie crust. See… easy mini pumpkin pie bites. You can even drizzle them with melted chocolate to jazz them up a bit. But wait… you say you don’t want to wait until Thanksgiving. I don’t blame you. So… pipe some chocolate faces on and make them in October. Cute! And I’ll say it again… easy! Pumpkin Pie Bites 2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts Optional 1/2 cup chocolate morsels vegetable oil re-sealable plastic bags Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Makes 24 pies. Enjoy!
Coca-Cola Cupcakes I don’t drink coca-cola. But I do eat it. Weird. It’s way better eaten. There’s some dark and white sugar cooked with dark dutch processed cocoa powder…and a can of coke! There’s some the ol’ that pouring into this and this pouring into that. There’s some mixing. Take a little PAM and spray the liners–this is a sticky cupcake batter. UPDATED TIP ALERT: A few of you tried this recipe and sprayed them and the cupcake still stuck. These cupcakes are chocolately, decadent, rich and kind of amaze. This frosting isn’t frosting–it’s just whipped cream. And guess what? Next, cherries on top! P.S. Coca-Cola Cupcakes Recipe adapted from Baked: The New Frontier Yields 15 cupcakes Print this recipe! Cupcakes: 2 cups Coca-cola (do not use diet!) Whipped Cream Frosting: 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract Maraschino cherries (for topping) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Strawberry Margarita Jell-O Shooters Strawberry Margarita Jell-O Shooters Margarita Jell-O Shooters ~ A fun farewell to summer and a festive edition to your Sunday football tailgate party or gatherings. For another Jello shooter variation like this one, check out my Lemon Drop Jello Shooters cut into the shape of lemon wedges and my Rocky Candy Shooters shaped just like the rock candy you loved as a kid. Strawberry Margarita Jello Shooters As many of you know, my Lemon Drop Jell-O Shooters are my issued dish from my girlfriend who holds the annual tailgate kickoff amongst our friends. Now that we can finally make the next one in two weeks, she has again requested Jell-O shooters. That being the case, I opted to try what you see here. Besides how cute and fun are these? Printthis recipe Saveto recipe box Yield: Makes 24-30 Shooters Ingredients: 24-30 Strawberries Margarita Mix 1 box Strawberry Jell-O8 ounces tequila, preferably reposado or blanco6 ounce CointreauSalt for garnish Directions: Strawberry Prep: A few notes: Leave a Comment
Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Egg Shells I watched my Grandmother’s face when she realized that I hadn’t handed her a hard boiled egg but rather a cake baked inside a real egg shell. Her eyes were filled with wonder and I could envision what she must have looked like as a tyke the very first time she saw a red balloon float across the sky or the the trunk of a giant elephant spewing a stream of water. “Crack it on the table,” I told her. Eggs were cracked, cupcakes were eaten, and I was perceived as a cupcake Houdini. Update 3/19/2012: For the basic instructions on these Easter cupcakes, keep reading. To see another example of them with dyed eggs and cream cheese “yolk” filling, see my latest version of these Easter cupcakes. I modeled my cupcakes in egg shells after Nicky’s egg shell cupcakes from Delicious Days. Yield: 10 large egg cupcakes What you’ll need: 9 large eggs (Only one will get used in the cake. To prepare the eggs: Carefully poke a small hole in the top of each egg. Turn the egg upside-down and dump out the contents.
Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream It’s a Nutella nation lately. Nutella is everywhere: in cookies, on toast, topping graham crackers and being baked into brownies. This time I baked it into the cupcake and then topped the whole thing off with more chocolate and hazelnut spread. Take it a step further and pipe some unaltered Nutella straight into the center while the cupcakes are still warm before frosting. Cupcakes: adapted from GoodLife Eats 2/3 cup Nutella 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup butter, softened 2 1/2 cups buttermilk Filling: 1/2 cup Nutella Nutella Buttercream: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup Nutella 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add in flour 1-2 cups at a time, mixing in after each addition. Beat together butter and Nutella until creamy.
Rainbow Cake For Cake: 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces) 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature 2 teaspoons almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces) 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring For Frosting/Filling: 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 10 large egg whites 2 pounds (8 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 pound best-quality white chocolate, melted and cooled Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your cake pans by first liberally buttering the pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes.
Tiramisu Pancakes A few days ago, I put a call out on Twitter for help. Marscapone help, to be specific. Many people came to the rescue, however it was @Ivoryhut her responded with a recipe idea that went beyond delectable. Tiramisu Pancakes. oh. hell yeah. Why not have dessert for breakfast? huh?! And while you're at it, come visit Ivory Hut food blog - This woman can make bread, the most beautiful striped bread even! These photos and recipes are from Ivory Hut - enjoy! ~Jaden These amazing Tiramisu Pancakes started out as a casual idea spurred by a tweequest for things to do with half a cup of mascarpone, and the fact that I had just posted a pancake recipe on my blog. The maple-butter glaze is optional, but it gives the pancakes a nice boost of sweetness and extra maple flavor to remind you that these are, in fact, pancakes. I also maintain that, as decadent as it sounds, it might be a tad healthier than regular pancakes because you're not drowning it in syrup. ~Ivory Hut Tiramisu Pancakes Instructions:
Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries Call me easily amused, but these little torch-topped cupcakes delight me. Besides being a cute novelty item for a party, I think they would add a little drama to the end of a romantic meal. I've been looking for something different to serve for Valentine's dessert, and this is definitely different. For the cake portion, I chose a One Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe because 1. it's quick 2. it is easy, and 3. it fits my prerequisite for a light ending on date night. I should say, a light ending provided you don't eat too many. The cakes are just sweet enough, and have a light, fluffy crumb - the perfect vehicle for rich chocolate buttercream. Notes for flaming strawberries:Any alcohol below 80 proof will not ignite well. Shaina made a margarita version of this on Babble Food. Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries Yield: About 20 cupcakes [click to print]Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside. Hollow the strawberries carefully.
How to Pipe Icing Roses I baked this spring bouquet of cupcakes for my Weekend Baker post on the Cooking Channel blog. I was limited in space and wanted to go into a bit lot more detail on how to pipe the icing roses. Creating these flowers is not at all difficult, but it helps to have some simple tricks of the trade. You can find my recipe for the cupcakes on the Cooking Channel Piping Icing (This recipe is easy to pipe with and it has lots of body, so the flowers will have structure and not flop over. (makes about 8 large roses. 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 tablespoons shortening (This gives a little insurance that it won’t melt in your hands as you are piping) 4 cups confectioners’ sugar pinch salt 4 to 6 tablespoons cream (you can also use sour cream, which cuts the sweetness a bit) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon extract (use an extract that is clear, so it won’t interfere with the colors you are piping) Food Coloring (I prefer gel or paste for intense colors) 16-Inch disposable Decorating Bags (Ateco #914)
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries | Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries These cheesecake stuffed strawberries are the perfect dessert treat! Can I just say that I have died and gone to heaven. Making up the filling was a breeze too. Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries Yield: 10 - 12 strawberries (depending on size) Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 pound large strawberries 8 ounce block cream cheese – softened 3 – 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (depends on how sweet you want the filling) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or use almond, lemon, etc. ) Graham cracker crumbs Source: Inspired by pictures seen on Pinterest Directions: Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer or by hand. You could also drizzle or dip strawberries in chocolate if desired. Enjoy!!! I stored my stuffed strawberries in the fridge although I find they taste best the day,or second after, they are made.
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting I couldn't believe my eyes this week when I saw the ad for Pumpkin Spice Lattes in my local Starbucks. Pumpkin Spice already? But there's still a little more summer to be had, isn't there? Of course, it was impossible to stay upset for too long; after all, this is lovely pumpkin -- one of my favorite flavors of all time -- that we're talking about! Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from AllRecipes Ingredients For cupcakes 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 teaspoon ground allspice1/2 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup butter, softened1 cup white sugar1/3 cup brown sugar2 eggs3/4 cup milk1 cup pumpkin puree For frosting 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened1/4 cup butter, softened3 cups confectioners' sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Image via shimelle/Flickr