Bacon Maple Apple Cupcakes

After finding some super lean and lovely Hertelz's bacon at work, I decided to develop some bacon cupcakes. At first I considered bacon chocolate, but wound up on using maple and apples instead.

I free handed this recipe and am satisfied with the results.

Bacon Maple Apple Cupcakes

1 c margarine

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 c milk

1 tsp b. soda

1/2 tsp b. powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 c chopped apples

2 c flour

1/2 c diced well done bacon

Add first 5 ingredients into eclectic mixer. Mix until well Incorporated. In separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, b. powder and b. soda. Alternate adding milk and flour mixture to egg mixture. Eventually add in apples and bacon. Bake at 350 or 12-14 minutes.

These cupcakes have a nice light apple flavor and aren't very sweet, and when you hit a piece of baking it is a nice salty surprise. The maple flavor didn't come through very well in the cupcake so I made a cream cheese maple syrup frosting. The flavors worked well and is a unique way doing salty/sweet.

Also I decorated them with piggy sprinkles to express the bacon in them. When bringing them to work tomorrow I will write a sign warning vegetarians of the contents.

Spice Cupcakes With Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Spice Cupcakes

1 2/4 c brown sugar
1 c margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 1/4 c flour
1 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda

Blend margarine and sugar together, add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda and spices together. Alternate adding flour and sour cream. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

I improvised with the chocolate cream cheese frosting by using 1/2 c margarine, about 1/4 c cream cheese, about 1/4 c cocoa and enough icing sugar to get desired texture.

These cupcakes are nicely spiced and paired well with the chocolate frosting...even if it looks like dog poopy.

Strawberry Banana Rainbow Cupcakes

Rose Water Cupcakes + Guava Juice Cupcakes = Valentine's Day Cupcakes!

I was planning on making Valentine's Day macarons but I'm scared to waste that many egg whites and almonds again. Sooooo I decided to play it safe with cupcakes.
I stopped by the super store and was browsing exotic Indian/Chinese/Japanese isle when a bottle of rose water caught my eye....only 2.09 so I went for it. And then a carton of Guava juice caught my eye as well, so again, into my cart it went.

Rose Water Surprise Cupcakes
(makes 12....maybe less)

1 c margarine
1 c sugar
1 tbs rose water
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 c milk
1 1/4 c flour
12 caramel Hershey's kisses (or any flavor)

Cream margarine and sugar together, add egg and rose water blend well. Add baking soda. Alternate milk and flour and mix until fully Incorporated. In cupcake tin, place a small amount of batter and then place kiss on top and cover 2/3s full. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Guava Juice and White Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes 10ish)

2 oz white chocolate, melted
1/2 c margarine
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 c guava juice
1 1/2 flour

Cream margarine, melted chocolate and sugar together. Add egg and almond extract. Add baking soda. Alternate adding juice and flour. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

ICE: Chicken Noodle Soup Cupcake (meat free!!)

After the first IRON CUPCAKE EARTH entry that I posted, I just wasn't satisfied. I told my mom about the contest and she said chicken noodle soup...jokingly. But the more I thought about the idea the more appealing it became! So last night while laying in bed and attempting at sleep, I began thinking about a chicken noodle soup cupcake. And this morning I went straight from shower to kitchen and mapped out a plan.
I threw ingredients in the mixer and the out come was beautiful. The cupcake rose beautifully and had a taste like sweet cornbread. I loved it. But for those of you worried about the meat content, don't be because there isn't any! This only made 9 cupcakes because I was hesitant that it would be a disaster and wanted to waste as little as possible. Little did I know!

Chicken Noodle Soup Cupcake

1 c melted butter
1 c sugar
1 c and 4 tbs flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
3 fresh green beans chopped up
1 c shaved/shredded carrot
1/2 c milk
1/2 a cube of McCormick all vegetable chicken flavored bouillon
1/4 tsp of dried parsley, basil and ground rosemary and sweet paprika (you could probably add more of the spices or any other spice to taste)
1/4 c mini bow tied pasta (place in microwavable bowl, cover with water, microwave for 2 minutes or until el dente)

Mix butter, flour, sugar and baking soda in electric mixer. In separate bowl whisk together rest of ingredients, Add liquids to electric mixer. Gently fold in pasta.
Fill muffin cups 2/3s full and bake for 15 minutes at 350 or until toothpick comes out clean.

For an icing I just used a simple milk and icing sugar glaze since I don't think a sweet over bearing frosting would do. I used carrots and fresh parsley for the top decor from my garden...even though its is mid January there is no snow on the ground and the plants seem to be at a stand still. Which I love!!!

Vanilla Mint Cupcakes

I made some very expensive purchases today,

vanilla beans- 6.99

mint bunch, (small)- 1.99

And I am going to put them to good use.

In the oven are vanilla bean cupcakes, recipe adapted from http://http//mymadisonbistro.com/archives/vanilla-bean-cupcakes-with-white-chocolate-buttercream.

I cut the recipe in half and made some minor changes like, regular sugar, AP flour with some cornstarch.

The cupcakes were not overly vanilla....not enough for the effort I put in involving vanilla. The frosting I made cream cheese frosting with chopped up mint leaves mixed into it and then topped with chocolate drizzle. They looked beautiful though!!!!

Raspberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Cupcakes...Good or Bad???

Today I attempted something new. Raspberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Cupcakes.
I got the idea from a demo we often do in the deli, cream cheese and jalapeno jelly on a cracker. It is very delicious and our lovely demo lady always sells a lot of it.
I gave it a go with the idea of using the 'black bottom cupcake' technique for the cream cheese and a vanilla cupcake recipe from the blog Baking Bites, with a few alterations.
The cream cheese middle layer seemed to somehow disappear into the cake part and I was left with the jalapeno chunks and a pinkish color, I probably should have upped the cream cheese amount. The cake itself was tasty and all in all it wasn't a disaster...the jalapeno wasn't intensely spicy, just subtle. I then frosted them with a cream cheese raspberry frosting. Here are the recipes if you are feeling adventurous.

Jalapeno Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling

1 c cream cheese, room temp (I used 3/4 c but I think this amount will work better)
1/3 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c frozen raspberries thawed, or fresh
3 tbs finely diced jalapeno

Blend ingredients in electric mixer with whisk attachment until smooth.
Set aside in fridge.

Vanilla Cupcakes (altered)

2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c butter (or margarine) room temp
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together the baking soda and powder and flour into an electric mixer. add sugar and blend. cut butter into chunks and toss in. Blend until mixture looks likes sand. In separate bowl combine milk, vanilla, eggs, whisk for a minute and then add to electric mixture. Mix until fully Incorporated.

Drop 2 tbs batter into lined muffin tins, top with 2 tbs cream cheese mixture and then 2 more of batter (or use your own judgment with layering the 2 components, but make sure liners are almost full to the top). Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

The reviews for the cupcakes were surprisingly good.
Boyfriend liked them until I told him the 'secret ingredient' at which he proceeded to spit out what was remaining in his mouth.
At the deli everyone enjoyed them and were impressed by them...some said that they didn't taste jalapeno, so maybe some cupcakes didn't receive as much pepper pieces as others. One said that they tasted like the something special jellies (which is what I was copying the idea from) so that was good. The raspberry cream cheese frosting definitely over ran the jalapeno taste though. But all in all successful taste tests.

Say No To Cake Mixes!

A cake mix is something that I despise, being still young and with a reasonable amount of time on my hands. Maybe in 5 or so years when I have babies and toddlers I will be able to appreciate the necessity, but for now I tell you, MAKE YOUR OWN!!! It is so simple and what is an extra 15 minutes?

I made these In the Night Garden cupcakes for my friends 2 year olds birthday. They were pretty simple to make but I wasnt THAT happy with the results. She was though so I guess that is all that matters. A trick that I have learnt is to melt the icing ( I always use store bought vanilla or chocolate icing in those tubs..I know that sounds hypocritical to the cake mix, but the icing is so consistant and a joy to use)melt the icing untill it is liquidy and then plop cupcakes upside down in it and roll around untill cupcake top is fully covered. Drip off excess icing and then allow to harden/cool. You will now have a completly smooth colored surface to add other intricate icing patterns. A few notes on that is to add food coloring and fully incorperating it into icing before melting in microwave. And I always bake my cupcakes day or days before icing them, and then place them in freezer so that I am working with a Frozen cold cupcake, which allows icings to harden faster and avoids pesty crumb residue while icing.

Memo to myself: tea cupcakes, cardamom mango (lime?) cupcakes.