Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes

I've found the perfect cupcake to help you bring in the new year: Champagne Cupcakes! I love when the new year time rolls around. It's a time full of hope and new beginnings. Everyone gets a fresh start. Excitement is in the air as you make those resolutions, maybe you'll accomplish something that seems impossible. Go ahead, get those extra pounds off or, find your soulmate, quit smoking, pay of those debts, and take a chance on your dreams (you can do it). Whatever it may be, I wish everyone the best of luck and the happiest 2013. As you celebrate tonight, I hope you are surrounded by people you love. Raise your glass and make a toast: Here's to 2013, I hope yours is blessed. 

Recipe from sprinklebakes.com (here's the link - Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes)

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

1/2 c. butter, softened

1c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 3/4c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2  c. champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine.

for the creme filling

1/2 c. heavy cream, divided

1/2 c. champagne or prosecco

2  Tbsp. cornstarch

5 Tbsp. sugar

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

2 Tbsp. butter, unsalted

1 tsp. vanilla

for the  frosting

1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. champagne or prosecco

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions

For the cupcakes (makes approx. 17 cupcakes)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in cupcake pans. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (this normally takes about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup sour cream (mixture will fizz a little). Add flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Batter will be thick. Fill cupcake papers with 1/4 cup level measures of batter. Bake for 17-22 minutes. Set aside. 

For the creme filling

In a medium bowl, whisk cornstarch in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Combine the remaining heavy cream, sugar and 1/2 cup champagne in a sauce pan; bring to boil then remove from heat. Beat the whole egg and egg yolks into the cornstarch/heavy cream mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling champagne mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs do not cook. Return the remaining champagne/heavy cream mixture to a boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. Cut a divot into the top of each cupcake and fill with pastry cream. Trim the cut-out pieces flat to make a "lid" and place on top of the filled divot. 

For the champagne frosting

Place 1 cup of champagne in a small sauce pan. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Transfer to a small bowl or cup and cool. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar together. Once the frosting is thick and fluffy, pour in the reduced 2 tbsp. champagne plus 1 tbsp. champagne from the bottle and mix well. Frost the cream filled cupcakes and decorate. 

Note: I used a prosecco for the cupcakes shown here. For those who don't know, prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine, it has a slightly sweeter flavor than champagne. The one I chose had flavors of peach and sweet apple. I thought it would work perfectly for these cupcakes. Feel free to use whatever you like. Trust me, you can't go wrong. 

Christmas Goodies

Happy Holidays! I want to celebrate by sharing some of my favorite Christmas cookie and candy recipes. I wish everybody the Merriest of Christmases and Happiest of New Years from the bottom of my heart. 

Mom's Molasses Cookies
3/4c. butter        2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar          1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg                1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4c. molasses  2 tsp. vanillla
2c. flour             1 tsp. salt

Directions:
     Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Add molasses, flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Chill dough 1-2 hours. Roll ball in brown sugar. Bake until light brown in a greased pan.

                               Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1/2c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped nuts

Directions

Preheat oven 325 degrees. Cream sugar and butter together; add dry ingredients. Add chopped nuts. Place rounded tablespoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm.

Fantasy Fudge

click on the description for recipe

Peanut Butter Blossoms

                          Turtle Cookies

English Toffee

White Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Dark Chocolate Fudge Mint Cake

I came up with this cake recipe for my little brother's birthday. I can't believe he's 17 already. He loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, so this was definitely the perfect birthday cake for him. However, I really love this flavor combination for the holiday season. This recipe is perfect for a holiday party or a get together because it uses a cake mix. It is simple and easy to pull together if you're in a time crunch but it tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen making it from scratch. This cake is so decadent and rich, everyone will ask you for the recipe. Give it a try, you'll definitely be the hit of the party!

Ingredients

1 Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix

4 eggs

2/3c. butter, melted

1 c. milk

2 Tbs. strong coffee

Icing

4c. Powdered sugar

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp peppermint extract

dark chocolate, finely chopped

green food coloring

Glaze

1/2c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2-3 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour 2 8" or 9" round cake pans, set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, melted butter, eggs, milk and coffee. Mix well to combine all ingredients. Evenly divide cake batter between cake pans, bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

for the icing:

Cream together butter and powdered sugar in mixing bowl, until light and fluffy. Add mint extract and finely chopped chocolate pieces, mix well. Add food coloring until desired color of green is reached. (To achieve mint color, use 12 drops of blue and 12 drops of yellow food coloring). If frosting is too stiff, add a small amount of milk until desired consistency is reached.

for the glaze:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butter, and milk. Microwave 30-45 seconds at a time until chocolate and butter are completely melted and glaze is shiny and smooth. Pour glaze on top of cake, spread to edges with spatula and let glaze run down sides of cake. Decorate as desired. Enjoy!

Butter Pecan Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

My mom and dad celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this week. I couldn't have asked for two better people to be my parents. Something I remember from my childhood that my parents always enjoyed together was butter pecan ice cream. I made them this cake to help them celebrate their incredible achievement. 

Recipe is adapted from Phyllis Edwards, Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients

• 1¼ cup butter, softened, divided 
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Icing:
• 2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 pkg (2 lbs) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 Tb milk, as necessary
• extra chopped pecans for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 9″ round cake pans.
2. In a medium heavy skillet, melt ¼ butter over medium heat. Add pecans; cook until toasted and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Spread across sheet of foil to cool.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine; set aside.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
5. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour (flour in 3 parts, milk in 2). Fold in toasted pecans.
6. Divide between cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pans. Cool completely.
7. For Icing: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat in enough milk, as necessary, to achieve spreading consistency. Frost cake. Store in refrigerator.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

These are the best little cookies! I feel like everyone should have this recipe in their collection. This recipe is very simple, and more importantly very tasty. Perfect for when you need something quick and easy. And, in my opinion, since there is oatmeal in them it gives you a good excuse to eat dessert for breakfast. 


Click here for the recipe!     

Banana Spice Cake with Cinnamon Cream Glaze and Candied Walnuts

I always have one or two bananas in the bunch that don't get eaten in time before they turn brown. But I don't waste them, it gives me a good excuse to use them for baking. These bananas make the best banana flavored desserts. They just give an unbelievable sweet flavor to the recipe. So next time you have extra bananas you don't know what to do with, don't throw them away. Give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

Cake

3/4c. butter, room temperature

1 1/3 c. brown sugar

3 over ripe bananas

2c. flour

1 1/2 t. apple pie spice

3 eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

2 t. baking soda

1/4t. salt

1 1/2c. buttermilk

Cinnamon Cream Glaze

1 1/2c. powdered sugar

1/4c. whole milk

1/4t. cinnamon

1/8t. rum extract

1/4t. vanilla extract

Candied Walnuts

1t. canola oil

1t. honey

2T. sugar

1/2t. vanilla

1/8t. salt

3/4c. walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions:

for the cake

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Spray cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mash 3 over ripe bananas and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add butter and brown sugar mix together with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs on at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in mashed bananas and vanilla extract. Sift flour, pie spice, baking soda and salt in separate bowl. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to batter, about 1/3 at a time mixing well after each addition. Mix until all ingredients all well combined. Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until done in the center. Let cool slightly before icing.

for the glaze:

In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, cinnamon, and both extracts. Mix well. Gradually add milk, until a thick pouring consistency is reached. Pour glaze onto cooled cake.

for the glazed walnuts:

In a small skillet over medium low heat combine oil, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Cook until mixture starts to bubble, add chopped nuts. Stirring constantly, cook until walnuts become caramelized. Remove from heat. Once cooled, sprinkle on to cake. 

This cake is best if eaten warm, fresh from the oven. It would be even more amazing with a scoop of butter pecan or vanilla ice cream. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes with Hazelnut Truffle Filling and Swirled Vanilla and Nutella Buttercream Icing

Because sometimes you just need to indulge a little. 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

2c. flour

2/3c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2c. sugar

1 1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)

2 eggs

1t. salt

1 t. vanilla

1 1/4t. baking soda

1/4 t. baking powder

1c. hot water

24ct. Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles (Lindt) 

Nutella Buttercream Icing

1/4c. butter

1/4c. vegetable shortening

1 c. Nutella

4c. powdered sugar

1/4c, milk

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

3/4c. butter

3/4c. vegetable shortening

4c. powder sugar

1 t. double strength vanilla extract

1/4c. milk

Directions:

for the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place liners in two 12 cup muffin pans. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; set aside. In a small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening and nutella with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and cocoa mixture about 1/2 at time, beating just until blended. Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. Remove from oven. Carefully, make a deep criss-cross cut in the shape of an "X" on the top of each cupcake. Place one truffle in the space that was cut, pushing the truffle down into the cake until fully submerged. Let cupcakes continue to cool in baking pan for 20 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
*cupcake recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's chocolate cupcakes*

for the nutella buttercream icing

Cream butter, shortening, and nutella together in a mixing bowl with electric mixer. Add in powdered sugar. Gradually mix in milk until light and fluffy.

for the vanilla buttercream icing

Cream together butter and shortening in a mixing bowl until fully combined. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mix well. Pour in milk gradually, mix until light and fluffy.

To frost cupcakes:

Put nutella icing and vanilla icing in separate piping bags. Snip the ends of both bags. In a larger piping bag, fit a coupler and tip, then place nutella icing and vanilla icing inside large piping bag. Twist top of bag and gently apply pressure, frosting should come out in swirled pattern. Frost and garnish cupcakes as desired. Enjoy!