Cupcakes Week 48

Sweet Tooth? Child of the 80s? Or maybe you watch Toddlers and Tiaras like I do, and crave a pixie stick afterward. These are for you

Pixie Stick Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
12 ounces mixed berry 7-Up*
1 small envelope each cherry, orange, grape and berry blue (or tropical punch) Kool-Aid drink mix
Pixie Frosting (recipe & ingredients follow)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 15-18 paper liners and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix and 7-Up... that's it! No eggs, no oil--nothing! Just soda and mix. Beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Spoon about 3/4 cup of batter into two separate small bowls (3/4 cup batter per bowl). Stir in one packet of grape mix into one small bowl, and one packet of the berry blue mix into the other small bowl until each bowl is blended and flavored. If desired, tint the batter with purple or blue food coloring to enhance the color.

3. Put a heaping Tablespoon of white batter into each muffin tin. Then, top the white batter with one small teaspoon each of grape and berry blue batter. Using a sharp knife, swirl the grape, berry blue and vanilla batters together very lightly. Bake for approx. 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with light moist crumbs. Cool completely.

Now make your Pixie Frosting!

Pixie Frosting

2/3 cup butter, softened
2 tsp lemon juice
About 4 cups powdered sugar
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and lemon juice until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until light and fluffy. Divide frosting evenly among two bowls.

2. Stir half a packet of cherry drink mix into one bowl, and half a packet of orange drink mix into the other until combined. Portion frosting among two piping bags and pipe orange frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with cherry frosting. If desired, sprinkle frosted tops with more powdered drink mix or Pixie Stick powder for an extra pucker punch.

**Note: if you can't find mixed berry 7-Up, substitute it with 12 ounces (1 can) of regular or cherry-flavored 7-Up. I like the lightness soda adds to cake mix and the mixed berry flavor adds just a subtle sweetness to the cake that is so good.

Cupcakes Week 47

It's almost Valentine's Day so why not make something hot and spicy ;)

Red Hot Cupcakes
For the white cupcakes:
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
12 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 whole eggs + 2 egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
5-10 red hots per cupcake

For the red hot syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red hots

For the red hot frosting:
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp red hot syrup
1/4 cup crushed red hots
* If you want to frost all 24 cupcakes with as much frosting as I've pictured above (which is probably too much, but it's pretty) you'll want to double this recipe. If you want a less sweet version, try folding in 1/2-1 cup of whipped cream to break it up

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating on low between each addition. Add vanilla.
- Add flour slowly in 3 additions, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour.
- Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and place 5-10 red hots in each cupcake, using a clean finger to push them halfway down into the batter.
- Bake 15-17 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

- For the red hot syrup, bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan.
- Add red hots and stir occasionally until completely melted. A gummy clump of red hots will form, but keep stirring and eventually it will break up and melt.
- Allow syrup to reduce for 15-30 minutes.

- For the frosting, beat butter in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, until completely mixed.
- Add the red hot syrup and beat until well combined.
- Mix in crushed red hots (I used a food processor to crush them).
- Poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes and brush some red hot syrup on each before frosting.
- Load frosting into a piping bag fit with a large tip and decorate as desired.

Cupcakes Week 46

YUM!!

Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 (16-oz.) can mashed sweet potatoes
2/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnish: coarsely chopped pecans
Preparation

1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes.
3. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
4. Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place foil baking cups in muffin pans, and coat with vegetable cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
5. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool. Spread cupcakes evenly with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish, if desired.

Some fun for your Superbowl cupcakes!

Being from Massachusetts, you know I'm excited for Sunday!

Here's a little something I made to jazz up the cupcakes a little for this weekend. And of course, i refuse to make them team neutral, or make them for the Giants ;)

GO PATS!!

Here are a couple freebies for ya :) Clink on the names for the download

Cupcakes Wrappers

Cupcake Toppers

Cupcakes Week 45

A little wine to start your weekend off right? I think so!

Blackberry Cabernet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Macerated Berry Mixture | Makes 1 cup:

3 cups blackberries
½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 tablespoon sugar
Cupcake:

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Blackberry mixture
Blackberry Cabernet Frosting:

5 large egg whites
11/2 cup sugar
4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup Blackberry Mixture
Instructions:

Macerated Berry Mixture:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove mixture from refrigerator and place in a blender or food processor and process for 1-2 minutes to puree.

Cupcake:

1. Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a blow and mix thoroughly to combine. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add the butter and egg mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the blackberry mixture. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes in 350 degrees just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.

TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.

Blackberry Cabernet Frosting:

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 150 degrees F while whisking constantly.
2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume (about 10 minutes).
3. Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add blackberry mixture and mix to combine.

Guest Post! "Manly Chili"

"OK, well here goes nothing!

I have wanted to make chili for the longest time, and didn't want to make it in a crockpot (too lazy!) So my wife decided to get me a Lecruset Dutch Oven. One happened to come on sale on one of those deeply discount websites, so she ordered it up for me. A couple days later she decided to really read the description and said, 'hey this thing is only 2.5 qt! i think this is going to be midget' Me being the novice cook and not knowing the sizes of pot and pans, figured it would be fine. Until it showed up at our doorstep. and yup. it was midget alright. This put the trying to make my own chili on the back burner again.

On a random shopping trip, wifey found "the one" and scooped it up, and of course it made me very happy. it's my new bff.

I hope everyone enjoys my version of "Manly Chili" with no beans, because as wifey says 'It's not real chili if it has beans!' Remember a happy wife is a happy life, after all this is her blog and i'm just a guest....

Manly Chili

'The Spices'

3 tsp sugar

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp onion powder

4 tbsp cayenne pepper

5 tbsp chili powder

3 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp basil leaves

2 tbsp red pepper flakes

ground pepper to taste

Ingredients

2 large cans of tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 green bell pepper (chopped)

3-4 cloves of garlic (diced)

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 lbs. ground beef

1 tbsp olive oil

brown sugar to taste

kosher salt to taste

Directions

-Mix all spices together and set aside

-Brown the beef

-while beef is going chop green pepper, garlic and onion

-once beef is done drain it and add back to the pot.

-add cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes to pot, on medium heat.

-Now let's get ready to saute the veggies. take the olive oil to the pan and heat up on medium heat. add veggies for about 2 minutes.

-when veggies are done add them to the pot.

-now add the spices to the pot.

-add a couple healthy pinches of brown sugar.

-Bring all of that shit to a boil. Taste and see if you need salt or more spice, add as you go. less is best, cause you can always add more if you need to (wifey taught me that one!)

-Once you've got it just right, reduce heat and let it simmer for as long as you can. it should be at least 3 hours. stirring and tasting occasionally.

-We usually eat in a bowl with cheddar cheese on top and tostitos scoops.

Enjoy!"

Well there you have it folks. Househusband in Training's first ever blog post!

Cupcakes Week 44

Italian Cream Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1 stick of butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 cup cream of coconut
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup pecans, finely diced
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Frosting:
1 stick butter, slightly softened
8 oz block cream cheese, slightly softened
4 Tablespoons Cream of Coconut
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup coconut and 1/2 cup pecans, combined (for garnish…I toasted mine on the stove but this is optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine cake mix, butter, eggs, cream of coconut, and water. Beat on low speed for about a minute. Scrape sides of bowl and increase speed to medium high and beat for another minute. Fold in coconut and pecans.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
4. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, and cream of coconut until combined. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat on low until just combined. Increase speed to high and beat for a minute and half. Frost cupcakes and top with coconut and pecans.