Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Frozen Coconut S'mores


Very tasty. The coconut flavoring is subtle. Even those who don't like coconut have really liked these frozen treats.


  • 6  (up to 8) graham crackers (the entire rectangle)
  • 1 1/3 cup(s) heavy cream
  • 4 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus more shaved, for serving
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoon(s) sugar
  • 1/2 cup(s) cream of coconut (not coconut milk - I found it in the adult drink mixers section of the grocery store)


Directions
  1. Line the bottom of a 9-in.-square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Place graham crackers in the bottom of the pan, cutting them to fit as necessary.
  2. Heat 1/3 cup of the cream in a small saucepan until it barely begins to simmer; remove from heat. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the graham crackers. Freeze for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form; set aside. In a separate large bowl, using the electric mixer (no need to clean the beaters), beat the cream of coconut and the remaining cup of cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the coconut-cream mixture until fully incorporated.
  4. Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the chilled chocolate and freeze, covered, for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, use the parchment overhangs to lift and transfer the s'more to a cutting board. Cut into 32 bars and top with shaved chocolate, if desired.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Boston Cream Cupcakes



Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups cold whole milk
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 12 pre-made cupcakes baked from a cake mix
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

Combine milk, instant pudding mix, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat mixture with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until it thickens. Place mixture in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip. Fill cupcakes with vanilla pudding filling by inserting tip into top of cupcake and squeezing a couple of tablespoons of filling into each cupcake.
Heat cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate morsels to pan, and whisk until smooth. Spoon or drizzle glaze over cupcakes, or dunk the tops into the glaze. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour, before serving.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

S'mores Cupcakes


I must say, these are sooooooo good! One of my favorites. I injected the core of these graham-crust bottomed chocolate cupcakes with a marshmallow cream filling. Mounded just enough marshmallow cream on the tops of the cakes to stick the mini-marshmallows on top. Then I toasted the tops with a kitchen torch and garnished with a single Hershey's square. Super adorable, delicious, and perfect for the summer months.

Ingredients:

Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. (Note: I found the bottom of my squeeze bottle to be the perfect size to do this job neatly and quickly.) Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.
  • To make the cake batter, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed just to combine. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and stir just to combine (batter will be thin).
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Return the pans to the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Marshmallow Cream Filling:
    1
    jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
    1/2
    cup butter or margarine, softened
    2
    cups powdered sugar
    1
    to 2 teaspoons milk
In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, butter and powdered sugar on low speed until blended. Beat in enough milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to make frosting spreadable.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Peanut Butter Chocolate Twist Cupcakes



ingredients
  • 1/2
    cup butter
  • 3
    eggs
  • 2 1/2
    cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2
    teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2
    teaspoon salt
  • 1/3
    cup peanut butter
  • 1
    cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4
    cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2
    teaspoons vanilla
  • 1
    cup milk
  • 4
    ounces milk chocolate, melted
  • 1
    recipe Peanut Butter Frosting
  • 1
    recipe Chocolate Frosting
  • Shaved milk chocolate and/or bite-size chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, halved


directions

1.Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line thirty-four to thirty-six 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter; beat until combined. Gradually add brown sugar and granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
3.Place half of the batter into a separate mixing bowl; add melted chocolate. Beat with electric mixer on low speed just until combined.
4.Fill prepared muffin cups by alternating spoonfuls of peanut butter batter and chocolate batter, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl batter.
5.Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
6.In a pastry bag fitted with a star or round tip place Peanut Butter Frosting side-by-side with the Chocolate Frosting. Pipe frostings onto cupcakes. Top with shaved chocolate and/or peanut butter cup halves. Makes 34 to 36 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.

Margarita Cupcakes


CAKE:
9 ounces Margarita Mixer, bottled liquid
3 ounces tequila
3/4 ounce Grand Marnier
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon lime zest
LIME BUTTERCREAM ICING:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime zest
green food coloring, if desired
small lime slices for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two dozen cupcake tins with paper liners.
2. Prepare cupcakes: Whisk together margarita mix, tequila and Grand Marnier in a small bowl. Measure out 1 1/4 cups for the recipe; pour the rest on some ice and drink it while making the cupcakes :)
3. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest and 1 1/4 cups of the margarita mix from step 1. Blend on low for about 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and blend for two additional minutes. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
4. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them to a rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare icing: Once cucpakes are completely cooled, prepare the icing. Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until butter is fluffy. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, salt, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting is of a good spreading (or piping) consistency. Mix in a tiny amount of green food coloring or gel paste if you'd like the frosting to have a green tint. Ice cupcakes in whatever manner you prefer... spreading or piping the frosting. Use small lime slices as garnish.

Tips:

*Conversions: 9 ounces = a little over a cup, 3 ounces = a little less than 1/3 cup, 3/4 ounce = 1 1/2 Tablespoons
*Grand Marnier is an orange liqueur- sub another kind if you'd like or add in some orange juice.
*Don't worry too much about exact measuring for the margarita mix/tequila/Grand Marnier. Just eyeball it and measure out the 1 1/4 cups that you'll need for the recipe.
*If you just spread frosting on the cupcakes (rather than piping), you'll probably have a bit of frosting leftover.

From: RecipeGirl

Monday, May 2, 2011

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes



Chocolate cupcakes baked in kiddie sized ice cream cones. These are incredibly simple. You literally just bake the batter in the cones as you normally would in tins.  I stood these tiny kiddie cones in a mini-cupcake tin while baking

Topped with cream cheese frosting. Assorted toppings: orange cream crunch, cookies n' cream crunch, chocolate nut crunch, and nut crunch.