Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes

Phillip & I got invited to a pheasant fry tonight. I haven't made a new cupcake creation in a while, so I thought that this would be the perfect occasion for a new recipe. I wanted something chocolaty to appeal to the masses, and I thought these Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes looked like a good mix of chocolate and fruit.

I used my favorite chocolate mix for the base, filled it with raspberry jam, and topped it with my basic buttercream spiked with raspberry jam. The real treat of these is the chocolate filled raspberries on top... mmm!

Raspberry Truffles

2 pints of fresh raspberries
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and jam in heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour cream over the chocolate and jam. Let stand for 3 minutes, whisk together until combined. If any lumps remain, microwave for a few seconds and stir. Let the ganache cool a bit until it thickens slightly. Using a pastry bag, pipe into the center of clean raspberries and refrigerate until set (about 15 minutes). Place on top of frosted cupcakes.

Inspired by: Annie's Eats

Croissant Bread Pudding

Yum, what a great holiday dessert! Thanks this week go to Peggy of Pantry Revisited for choosing this festive treat. Growing up, bread pudding was my dad's favorite dessert, but I wasn't a fan. Well, I guess tastes do change as we mature, because I could have eaten the whole pan of this. The custard was luscious, and the plump raisins were the perfect treat in each bite.

I think I'm going to make this again next week when I head back home for Christmas!

Ingredients

3 extra-large whole eggs
8 extra-large egg yolks
5 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Creme Brulee

Thanks to Suzie from Munch & Nibble for forcing me to make my favorite restaurant dessert. Whenever I go out and get to choose dessert, I choose creme brulee. The mix of sweet and creamy finishes off a meal with just the right note. So why hadn't I made it before? I have no idea! This was a great recipe that would be perfect for entertaining, because you can make the custard ahead of time and just torch it after dinner.

Ingredients

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I've been hearing grumblings at school recently. "Where are the cupcakes?" "We haven't had any goodies recently." They're right. I've gotten lazy about spoiling my friends. I had some extra time today, so I made them these fall treats to take to school in the morning. My future sister-in-law, Hannah, was my assistant for this recipe (and Phillip's birthday torte), and we both made sure to test these to make sure they passed our standards. They were soft and pumpkin-y, perfect for my friends!

Ingredients:

For the pumpkin cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup canola oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the maple cream cheese filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the pumpkin cookies, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk sugars and oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets (about 1.5-2 tablespoons.), about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until smooth with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling or it will lose structure.

To assemble, turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe filling onto the flat side of the overturned cookies. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Happy Birthday Phillip! I let Phillip peruse my favorite blogs to choose his birthday dessert, and he chose this beauty from Annie's Eats. It made the perfect dessert for his birthday dinner tonight. It was salty and sweet, but not too dense. It was a big hit!

Ingredients:

For the crust:
32 Oreo cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt

For the crunch:
1 1/4 cups salted peanuts, finely chopped, divided (for the filling, crunch and topping)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg

For the filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (not natural)
2 tbsp. whole milk

For the topping:
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

To make the crunch, in another small bowl combine 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with a fork to mix and set aside.

To prepare the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the mixer bowl, replace the whisk with the paddle attachment, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, whole milk, and 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts until well combined.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To finish the torte, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan. Bring the 1/2 cup of cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and smooth.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, at least 20 minutes. When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Annie's Eats

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

What a perfect Barefoot Blogger choice from Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen. I was given a bucketful of fresh blueberries from my future sister-in-law, Hannah, just last week. I was also able to find beautiful ripe peaches at the Broadripple Farmers' Market. The crumble was perfect, and I know that I will use the recipe with different fruit.

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

For the fruit:

2 lbs firm, ripe peaches (6-8 peaches)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the Crumble:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and back for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner. Serves 5 to 6.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, Page 197-198

Brownie Pudding

This is the first month that I have has it all together enough to be able to make a bonus recipe for Barefoot Bloggers. Each month, two mandatory recipes are chosen, along with a bonus recipe for those of us who want to join in for more fun. When I saw that Tia from Southern, Eh? had chosen this brownie pudding as this month's bonus recipe, I knew that I had to make it. If you've noticed that I haven't posted much this week (admit, it... you've missed me, haven't you?), it's because I'm on Spring Break! I'm staying with my in-laws this week, and I left my camera at home (insert *gasp* here). I made dinner for them tonight, along with Phillip's cousin Jeremy and his lovely wife Melanie (they are becoming frequent guest stars on my blog), so I thought that this would be the perfect dessert.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional (I didn't use this)
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Meringues Chantilly

For this week's Barefoot Bloggers post, BMK of Reservations Not Required picked this great recipe for meringues topped with stewed berries. I made this a few weeks ago when Phillip's cousin Jeremy and his wife Melanie came over to our house to go out to dinner. The meringues came out really nice, but they were not very easy to eat. The meringue part was crispy, while the berries and whipped cream were nice and soft. According to Jeremy, "this thing is pretty good once you tear into it with a steak knife!" I will definitely use this meringue recipe again, but I might make them more bite-sized next time. Also, I omitted both liqueurs (orange and raspberry), I couldn't see buying a whole bottle of each just for this one recipe. I'm sure that they made the recipe better, so if you have some lying around, by all means put it in!

Ingredients

6 extra - large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream with Orange Liqueur, recipe follows
Stewed berries, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small glass and a pencil, draw 6 (3 1/2-inch) circles on each piece of paper. Turn the paper face-down on the baking sheets.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a large pinch of salt on medium speed until frothy. Add 1 cup of the sugar and raise the speed to high until the egg whites form very stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the meringue. With a large star - shaped pastry tip, pipe a disc of meringue inside each circle. Pipe another layer around the edge to form the sides of the shells.

Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp but not browned. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.

Spread some of the sauce from the stewed berries on each plate. Place a meringue on top and fill with whipped cream. Top with berries and serve.

Whipped Cream with Orange Liqueur:

2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (I omitted this)
Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla and orange liqueur and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter!

Yield: 4 cups

Stewed berries:
1 half-pint fresh blueberries
3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons framboise (raspberry brandy) (I omitted this)

Combine the blueberries, one-half pint of raspberries, 1/3 cup water, the sugar and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. The juice will become a syrup and the berries will be slightly cooked. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise. Set aside.

Yield: 8 servings

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris, Page 176

Cream Soda Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to Rusty! These are for him, they're just yellow cake and buttercream frosting with cream soda extract added. Super yummy!

Vampire Cupcakes

These cupcakes were the first recipe that I saved in my "cupcakes" folder of my favorites list almost a year ago. The way I did it was so easy, it isn't even really a recipe.

Cupcakes: French Vanilla Box Mix
Filling: Cherry Pie Filling, pureed until smooth (I used the cone method)
Frosting: Plain Buttercream (You could just use canned frosting)
Bite Marks: I tinted a little of the frosting red, and used a toothpick to make the holes.

Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix (18.5 oz)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream

4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp milk

Cream butter. Add sugar slowly, adding milk as needed to lighten.

Decorating

Top cooled cupcakes with a large mound of frosting (dyed orange). Roll frosting in orange sugar. Use a skewer to draw lines on top of icing, and pipe more orange frosting in the creases. Add a piece of pretzel stick as stem.

S'mores Cupcakes

Graham Cracker Cupcakes

1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs
½ cup of flour
2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ cup of butter, softened
¾ cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
¾ cup of milk

In a small bowl combine the crumbs, flour and baking powder; set aside.

Beat the butter and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.

Alternately add flour mixture with milk, beating well after each addition.

Bake at 350F degrees for 22-25 minutes or until done. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and place on a wire rack.

Cut a small slit in the top of warm cupcakes, and insert a half of a snack size Hershey bar.


Swiss Meringue Marshmallow Frosting

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 egg whites
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional

Combine egg whites and sugar in the top of a double boiler (or a glass bowl over but not touching a pan of simmering water). Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until mixtures reaches 160°F, about 5 minutes. Pour egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high for 6 minutes or until room temperature. Add optional vanilla extract 1 teaspoon at a time until desired flavor.

Frost cupcakes and dust with cinnamon and top with remaining half of Hershey bar.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium sized tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped small (about 2 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl beat together the brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Beat until blended. Stir in apples.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 to 3/4 full (I did about 1/2) with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine were done at about 18 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I cut out a very small cone and filled it in with cooked, chopped apples. Then, I frosted over the apples with a brown sugar glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Milk

Cook in saucepan until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved. Cool before frosting cupcakes.

Strawberry Pie Cupcakes & Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

Today is both my older brother and his beautiful fiance's birthday, so I made them each their own batch of cupcakes to celebrate!


My brother requested that his birthday cupcakes "taste like strawberry pie." My brother loves strawberry pie. So much so that I considered just making him strawberry pie so that he wouldn't be disappointed. I'm always up for a challenge, though, so I took on the beast and succeeded! For both kinds of cupcakes, I used a basic yellow cake recipe (advertised as "pie crust cupcakes," but just use yellow cake... box mix if you're short on time). I cut a large cone out of the cake, and filled it with chopped strawberries and glaze. I used my mom's recipe for strawberry pie glaze, which made the cupcakes taste awesome!

Marla's Strawberry Pie Glaze:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp white corn syrup
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp strawberry jello

Mix first four ingredients together and cook on medium until the mixture boils, thickens and turns opaque. Take off heat and add jello.

Let the glaze cool some before you fill the cupcakes, or all of the hot glaze will soak right into the cake. Top with whipped topping if your heart desires.

The beautiful future sister-in-law-to-be is a lemon fan, so I decided that these lemon meringue pie cupcakes would be so cute. I filled the base cupcake with lemon curd and topped with meringue.

Meringue:

3 large egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue whipping until egg whites hold stiff peaks when beaters are lifted.

Top cupcakes with meringue and brown under broiler (watch them... they brown fast!)

Cute Cupcakes!

I made these cupcakes while I was home at my parents' house this weekend for a family dinner. They are basic vanilla cake with raspberry filling and buttercream icing. The little flower on top is colored fondant with royal icing accents, so cute!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 package (1 pound) frozen cookie dough

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Cut the frozen dough pieces in half to make 24 pieces. Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 24 minutes.

Cookie Dough Frosting

cookie dough:
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup brown sugar, plus 2 tbsp
2 tsp water
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

frosting:
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
8 ozs cream cheese, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

For the cookie dough, cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in 1/3 cup Mini Morsels. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Break dough into 1/4 teaspoon sized chunks and place the chunks on a plate or in a plastic container, separating layers with waxed paper.Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the frosting, in a medium bowl beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat); set aside. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. Fold the frozen cookie dough chunks into the frosting and immediately frost the cooled cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate High Hats

As wedding gifts, I received three different cupcake cookbooks, so you are all in for some new yumminess! This recipe was inspired by one from the cookbook Cupcakes!, but I wanted to adapt it into my chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, so I did a little editing.

Cupcake base: Milk Chocolate Box mix

Filling:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted slightly
1 container Cool Whip

Mix together and pipe into cupcakes with a long piping tip (#230)

Frosting: Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Put egg whites and sugar into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees). Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes total. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add peanut butter a few tablespoons at a time and continue beating until incorporated.

Frost filled cupcakes with a generous amount of the frosting and refrigerate well.

Topping:
12 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Melt chocolate chips and oil in a double boiler until smooth. Transfer into a deep container (2 cup measuring cup), and dip chilled cupcakes in topping just to cover frosting. Chill until topping is solid.

Margarita Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcakes

10 oz. margarita mix
3 oz. tequila
white cake mix
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp lime zest

Combine the magarita mix and the tequila. You will only use 1 1/4 cups of this, enjoy the rest!

Add all other ingredients to margarita and beat on low for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes or until done.

I filled these cupcakes with lime curd.. yummy!

Lime Buttercream Frosting

1 stick softened unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp lime juice
green food color (optional, unless you're me, then it's mandatory!)

Combine all ingredients and beat until fluffy, adding more lime juice if it is too thick (mine was).

Garnish with a "sugar rim."

* If you are an observant blog reader (LH, that's you), you might have noticed a change in my photo quality this week. Phillip has my normal camera with him on his bachelor weekend, so I had to use the still function on my video camera - not bad!*

Turtle Cupcakes

I know... it's a little late, but hey it was a long weekend and I have finals next week. The base for this cupcake was a boxed swiss chocolate mix that I filled with caramel sauce and chopped pecans.

Caramel Buttercream:
1 cup softened butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup caramel topping

Cream butter and add powdered sugar slowly. Add vanilla and caramel. Add more powdered sugar or milk to adjust consistancy.

Top with pecans and melted milk chocolate chips.

Grandma Bonnie's Red Velvet Cupcakes

Growing up, my brothers & I always looked forward to the end of November, not because of Thanksgiving, but because it was my dad's birthday, and my grandma would make him his favorite cake... Red Velvet.. Mmmm.

For now, I'm not going to post the recipie because, well, it's a secret! If my grandma says it's alright, I'll post it later. For now, here are some pictures of my red frenzy: