Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Bacon!!  Don't think your eyes are deceiving you, those are crispy bits of bacon on top of these cupcakes.  If you've ever "accidentally" gotten maple syrup from your pancakes onto your bacon, and thought you had found a little bit of heaven, then these maple bacon cupcakes have your name on them.

The batter is very simple. Only change I made to the recipe was using maple bacon, which I think helped blend the flavors together nicely without losing the sweet and salty contrast.  The hardest part about this recipe is cooking the bacon.  These are best still slightly warm, enjoyed immediately after frosting.  If you closed your eyes, you might even think you're enjoying a bit of a warm pancake topped with maple bacon. ;]

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
Adapted from The Cupcake Bible, Publications International, Ltd.
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8-10 slices of maple bacon (cooked crisply, chopped into bits)

Maple Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablspoons milk
• 3 cups powdered sugar

~Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and sugar.  Add eggs and 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and beat until mixed.

~In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder to blend.

~Gradually add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, alternating with the milk.  You should start and end with the flour mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.  Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of your bacon.

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

~Once your cupcakes are done, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

~For your frosting, beat your 1/2 cup butter, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a large bowl. Slowly add in your powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated and slightly fluffy. 

~Frost your cooled cupcakes, and top with your bacon that you saved earlier.  Now enjoy your maple bacon cupcakes!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes & Matching Cocktail

Nothing says America/1950's like Pineapple Upside Down Cake and cocktails!  Haha, I took it upon myself to turn the classic cake into a cupcake form.  I didn't want to lose the cupcake shape by flipping them, but I wanted to keep the signature pineapple ring design, so I cheated and actually cooked the pineapples separately.  You can do this while baking, so it doesn't add very much time.  I couldn't decide on the design, so I did two variations using some cream cheese frosting.

The reason I decided to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake was due to the discovery that there was such a thing as a Pineapple Upside Down Cocktail!  You only need two additional ingredients, so I highly recommend having a toast to your delicious cupcakes when you're done. ;]

This is a very simple batter.  These cupcakes are all about what's on top!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter (room temp.)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk

For the Pineapple topping:

• 12 drained pineapple rings (Canned in juice, save the juice!!  You'll need it for the cocktail)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 jar maraschino cherries (with stems)
• 1 can cream cheese frosting (I used so little I went with canned for once, but if you need a recipe,  I like this one: cream cheese frosting )

~Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, cream together 1/3 cup butter and sugar.  Add in egg and beat until mixed.

~In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt to blend.

~Gradually add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, alternating with the milk.  You should start and end with the flour mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

~While the cupcakes are baking, take a large saucepan and melt 1/3 cup butter with the brown sugar.  Once sugar is dissolved, arrange pineapple rings in pan and heat on low for 5-7 minutes per side.  Spoon the butter/brown sugar mixture over the rings as they cook.  Once done, remove from pan and set aside to cool.  Save pan syrup. (Be gentle when flipping, don't break your rings!)

~Once your cupcakes are done, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. 

~Take your cooled cupcakes and prick holes in the top of them.  A toothpick or small knife will work.  Take your syrup mixture you created from cooking your pineapples, and brush onto the top of your cupcakes.  (If this mixture has cooled too much, it may have started to separate.  If this has happened, just heat up slightly until clear again.)

~You are now ready to decorate your cupcakes!  You can be traditional and go simply with a pineapple ring on top with a cherry in the middle, or you can twist this slightly and pipe a small amount of frosting in the center of the ring before adorning with your cherry.  (This is what I did in the main image.)  Another option is to pipe your frosting more like a traditional cupcake, and arrange a wedge of pineapple and a cherry as garnish.  

~Either way, you are now ready to enjoy your delicious cupcakes! If all this baking has made you thirsty, read below. ;]

Pineapple Upside Down Cocktail

• grenadine (you'll need a splash for each drink you are preparing)
• maraschino cherries (from above)
• 1 part Cake flavored vodka (Pinnacle!)
• 2 parts pineapple juice (from above)
• (Martini glasses and shaker fun but not required!)

~Arrange a maraschino cherry in the bottom of each glass.

~Mix the pineapple juice with your vodka in an ice filled shaker, and pour into your prepared glasses..  Leave room for a little more liquid to be added.

~Slowly pour a splash of grenadine against the side of your glass, until the desired amount pools to the bottom.  (Worried about messing up the layers?  Take a note from Black and Tan cocktails and pour onto a large spoon that is touching the side of the glass. Don't count yourself beaten too early either, waiting 5 minutes may be all you need for any stray grenadine to sink to the bottom.)

~Cheers!  Nothing goes together like cupcakes and cocktails.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

My dream come true, Guinness, whiskey, and Bailey's all in one, Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!  Guinness chocolate cake, whiskey ganache, and Bailey's frosting.  Although not politically correct, that is the name of the cocktail these cupcakes are based on, so for reference purposes I am calling them Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.  My surname is Irish, I'm nearly half Irish, and I've been drunk in Dublin, so hopefully I can get away with it. If not, póg mo thóin. ;]

The only whiskey we had in the house was Jack Daniels, (surprising, I know) so that is what I used.  I also stuck with the Bailey's Buttercream recipe I have used in the past because it has worked well for me, but no changes were made otherwise.

I was conservative while coring the cupcakes, so I had a good amount of chocolate ganache left over.  Rather than wasting it, I decided to pipe a mini swirl of chocolate ganache over the filling before topping with the Bailey's frosting.  This gave my swirls a little extra volume.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/

Makes 20-24 cupcakes

• 1 cup Guinness (or any stout)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process if possible)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

~Preheat the oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~Using a medium sauce pan, bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder, and whisk until it is completely dissolved and smooth. Cool slightly before proceeding.  

~In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream.  Slowly add the cooled Guinness mixture, while whisking, and mix just until blended. (You want your Guinness mixture to be cooled so you do not curdle your eggs.)

~In another bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to blend.

~Add the flour mixture gradually to the Guinness/egg mixture, mixing just until incorporated.  

~Fill cupcake liners three-fourths full and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Whiskey ganache and Bailey's frosting recipes follow below!

Whiskey Ganache Filling

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temp.
• 1 to 2 teaspoons whiskey, Irish if possible (optional, but not really...haha)

~Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl.

~Bring the cream to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Once simmering, carefully pour the cream over your chocolate.  Let sit for one minute, then stir until smooth. (Not melted? You can microwave the mixture in small, 5-10 second intervals.  As long as you avoid direct heat to the chocolate, you will be fine.) 

~Add the butter and whiskey to your chocolate mixture, and once again stir until smooth.

~Let ganache cool slightly.  You want it to thicken enough that you will be able to pipe it.  (Feel free to place ganache in the fridge to speed up the process, but be warned, it thickens up quickly!)

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Cupcake Rehab

http://cupcakerehab.com/2010/03/luck-o-the-irish-baileys-cupcakes/

(Double to be safe if you're piping the frosting!)

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (maybe more) Bailey’s
• 1/8th teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

~Cream/whisk the butter on high speed for approximately 3 minutes. 

~Add the Bailey’s, and mix thoroughly. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended.

~If necessary, add more Bailey’s to thin or more sugar to thicken your frosting to your desired texture. (This is the point I tasted the frosting and decided to add a little salt and the vanilla extract, but feel free to omit!)

Cupcake Assembly

~Take your cooled Guinness cupcakes, and core/cut out a small bit of the center. (See below.  I used a small paring knife, cutting at an angle in a circle. Great time to taste test the cupcakes! ;])

~Pipe your Whiskey Ganache into your newly cored cupcakes.  Do as much or as little as you like. (This is the point where I piped small swirls of ganache up and over the holes in the cupcakes.)

~Pipe/frost your filled cupcakes with the Bailey's Buttercream Frosting, add your sprinkles/decorations of choice, and enjoy!

Banana Crumb Muffins

As with most things I bake with bananas, these came around because I had some bananas on the edge of no return, haha, so rather than going in the trash or compost pile, these bananas turned into delicious muffins.

I added some fresh ground nutmeg and cinnamon to the muffin batter, and increased the butter in the crumb topping because I wanted slightly larger crumbs.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Adapted from "Banana Crumb Muffins," by Lisa Kreft

www.allrecipes.com

Makes 12 muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (1 tablespoon for finer topping)

~Preheat oven to 375 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with liners.

~In a large bowl, mix together the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and the 1/4th teaspoon cinnamon.

~In a medium bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter.

~Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture, and mix just until incorporated.  Fill your liners about two-thirds full.

~In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in the 1 1/2 tablespoon butter until evenly mixed in.  Sprinkle evenly over muffin batter in tins. (Using my fingers for this part helped me to break up the pieces even further)

~Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I checked after 16 minutes)

~Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then continue cooling on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Dog Treats

During my previous employment at a Doggie Daycare, I came to learn that dogs actually LOVE canned pumpkin.  Not only do my dogs go crazy for it when mixed in with their food, but it's a great source of fiber as well.

As I've asked in the past, please make sure your dog doesn't have any allergies to these ingredients!  Try in small doses if unsure, and make sure there aren't any upset tummies.  Yes, this recipe calls for cinnamon, which is fine for dogs in small doses, and has even been said to help increase blood flow.  If at all concerned, please leave it out, I'm sure your dog will still enjoy them. ;]

Some of the cookies I rolled into small balls and pressed slightly in a criss-cross pattern with a fork to resemble peanut butter cookies, others I used a small maple leaf cookie cutter.  I wanted some softer cookies as well as crunchy ones.  For softer cookies take them out of the over right away, whereas for harder cookies leave them in the turned off oven until they get as hard as you like.  If still not as hard as you want your treats to be, consider baking them for 5 minutes longer.

The only change I made was increasing the amount of canned pumpkin, as this made the dough more manageable without the addition of water.

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Adapted from "Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats," by Kelly
www.allrecipes.com
Makes 25 medium servings, or 40+ smaller servings

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (plus some extra to flour surface)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT PUMPKIN PIE MIX)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

~Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

~Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a heavy spoon until a dough forms.

~Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it. You will then want to roll out your dough until it is about 1/2" thick.  At this point you can use your cute cookie cutters, or whatever means you like, to get your desired shapes and sizes.

~Bake your treats on your lined baking sheet for roughly 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly hard to the touch.  For a harder treat, rather than removing them from the oven at this point, turn your oven off, and let the treats sit for another 10-30 minutes. (If worried too hard, make sure a butter knife can break one)

~Cool them off completely, and let your puppies enjoy!  These should be stored in an air tight container or zip lock bag.

Daisy gets more of these than she should, haha, but how could I resist that face! xxoxx

Quickie Black Forest Cake & Cherry Bomb Cocktail

Another "Quickie" recipe using a cake mix and canned frosting.  This was a last second birthday cake for my dad, but I think it turned out great! Devil's Food Cake, white frosting, chocolate and Kirsch-soaked-cherry filling, shaved semi-sweet chocolate on top.

This recipe could easily be adapted for cupcakes, simply change the baking time according to directions, and put the filling in the center of the cupcakes after coring them.

Cherries are currently out of season, but I found amazing jarred and pitted Bing cherries that were perfect for garnishing.  For the filling, I used more traditional and cheaper canned cherries.

Make sure you use cake pans for this recipe, as we are going to be layering, and straight sides will make your life much easier!  Unfortunately my cake pans taper out slightly, which created uneven sides, but frosting covers this up pretty well. ;]

Next time I will do more cherries on top to accommodate smaller slices.

There were some leftover ingredients that resulted in a yummy cocktail I have dubbed the "Cherry Bomb."  Recipe will follow the cake recipe.

Quickie Black Forest Cake

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 2 cups of strong coffee at room temperature, separated (you may not need it all)
• 2 cans white frosting 
• 1 can chocolate frosting (for the filling)
• 2, 14 ounce cans of pitted cherries (Bing cherries recommended)
• 1 ounce grated semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1 200 ML bottle of Kirschwasser (clear cherry flavored brandy)
• 8-16 pitted Bing cherries with stems (optional, for decorating, can use canned if out of season)

~Drain the 2 cans of cherries, saving the juice from at least one of them in a separate container.  Place the drained cherries in a bowl, and soak in Kirschwasser. Use the whole bottle, or just until the cherries are covered.  Let them soak until you are prepared to start assembling your cake.


~Follow the directions on the cake mix for preheating and mixing instructions, substituting the coffee for the amount of water the recipe calls for.  (I checked 3 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~You should have some coffee left over, as the mix I used only used 1 1/3 cups of coffee.  Mix 1 tablespoon of your extra coffee into your chocolate frosting.  If this makes the frosting too liquidy for you, pop it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking and cooling, and it should firm up.  (Worse comes to worst, add in powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency that you want)

~After the cakes have fully cooled, slice them in half horizontally.  You should now have a total of 4 layers.  You are now ready to assemble!  

~Drain your cherries that have been soaking in Kirschwasser, adding the runoff liquid to the cherry juice you had saved earlier.  This is what you will be brushing on top of the cake layers.  (You will have extra Kirschwasser/cherry juice leftover, which will come in handy for cocktails later! ;])

~Place a layer of cake on a serving plate, cut side up.  Brush lightly with the Kirschwasser/cherry juice mixture.  Spread a thin layer of your prepared chocolate frosting, and spread roughly 1/3 of your Kirschwasser soaked cherries as evenly as possible.  It is ok if your frosting crumbs up while spreading.

~Place another layer of cake on top, cut side up, and repeat the previous step.  Repeat the process with the third layer as well.  Place the fourth layer of cake on top of the last prepared cake layer, cut side down.  This will provide you with a smooth top surface for decorating.

~Frost the sides and top of your cake with your cans of white frosting, saving at least half of a can for the piping on top.  If possible, save an entire can for the piping.  Take your time, trying not to pull up any crumbs.  This really only matters on the sides, as the top will be covered in the next step.

~With the white frosting you have left over, pipe roses of frosting around the edges of the cake.  I used a 1M tip, starting in the center of where I wanted to pipe, working outwards.  Starting on the outside will give you a more traditional swirl of piping. (I originally piped 8 roses, but I will try to increase this number next time so the slices aren't so large! haha)

~Using a spoon, take your grated chocolate and sprinkle it in the center of your cake, and around the roses you just piped.  Top each rose with a Bing cherry, and you're now ready to enjoy!

Cherry Bomb Cocktail

• 2 shots of the Kirschwasser/cherry juice mixture leftover from recipe above (can substitute Kirschwasser and grenadine)
• 1 shot of whipped cream vodka (Pinnacle!)
• 1 cup of cherry flavor soda 
• Bing cherries for garnish

~Pour first two ingredients into a tall glass with ice.  Top with cherry soda.  Stir, and garnish with a cherry.  Cheers!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

I realized I've never done a vegan cupcake, and I had all the ingredients, so I gave it a shot!  The frosting is what really makes this cupcake yummy, and will definitely satisfy any chocolate cravings you may have.

The recipe calls for sunflower oil, the one ingredient I did not have, so I substituted canola oil.  That was the only change I made!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Cupcake Heaven by Susannah Blake
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 2 teaspoons boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For the frosting

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 cup powdered sugar

~Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sugar.  Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and pour in 1/2 cup of water, the oil, coffee, and the vinegar.  Mix just until incorporated.

~Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake, and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (These will rise a lot, so don't worry!  Mine were only about half full when placed in the oven, and were done after 13 minutes.)

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

~For the frosting, put the oil, cocoa powder, and coffee in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water.  (A double boiler would work of course.) Make sure the water is not touching the bowl.  Stir until mixed, and then add the powdered sugar in small batches while continuing to stir.  Continue stirring for roughly 2 minutes, or until thick and glossy.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon of water, and stir until incorporated.

~Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, and your frosting has cooled slightly, you can spoon the frosting over the cupcakes.  If either are too hot, the frosting may drip off of the sides, so try and be patient!  Either that or just eat them immediately, haha, enjoy!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats #2

The last Peanut Butter Dog treats I posted were more like scones, whereas these give you the option to cut out cute shapes like a traditional cookie dough.  As you can see however, I do not own any cute dog themed cookie cutters, haha, and this time around I did not feel like getting my counter dirty, so I simply rolled the dough into balls and slightly smashed them with a floured shot glass.

As I asked last time, please make sure your dog doesn't have any allergies to these ingredients!  Try in small doses if unsure, and make sure there aren't any upset tummies. I'm hoping to make some limited ingredient treats in the near future.


Peanut Butter Dog Treats #2
Adapted from "A Super Easy Peanut Butter Dog Treat Recipe,"
www.dogtreatrecipes.org
Makes 15-20 servings

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (plus some extra to flour surface)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth)
• 1 cup milk

~Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.


~In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and oatmeal. Once the ingredients are mixed, add the peanut butter and milk and stir with a heavy spoon until a dough forms.


~Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it. You will then want to roll out your dough until it is about 1/4" thick.  At this point you can use your cute cookie cutters, or whatever means you like, to get your desired shapes and sizes.


~Bake your treats on your lined baking sheet for roughly 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  For a harder treat, rather than removing them from the oven at this point, turn your oven off, and let the treats sit for another 10 minutes or so.


~Cool them off completely, and let your puppies enjoy!  These should be stored in an air tight container or zip lock bag.

Daisy gave these her seal of approval as well!

Quickie Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, Alice In Wonderland theme

Once again, a "Quickie" recipe means this calls for boxed cake mix and canned frosting.

I got asked to fill in for a Disney Princess themed shoot as Alice, and I of course said yes!  Please take a moment and check out C.TA Glam Couture: http://www.ctaglamcouture.com/

Designer/photographer/super woman Chelsea Tavis was nice enough to provide all of us with food, so I thought bringing some cupcakes was in order.  Didn't have a lot of time, so I went with a quickie recipe.  This one is an adaption on the Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes I posted previously.  Rather than using chocolate chips, I used some chopped up Andes Mints as well.

I knew one of the accessories she had designed was an adorable "Eat Me" necklace, so at the last second I decided to go with an Alice In Wonderland theme rather than normal piping.  If you've never seen the movie, go watch it! haha, but here's the necklace and other accessories, as well as a scene from the movie:

I will definitely be doing these again when I have more time to fool around with the decorating!

Quickie Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 1 can chocolate frosting (2 if piping frosting)
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped Andes Mints (feel free to have extra for toppings)
• 2 cups of strong coffee at room temperature, separated (you may not need it all)

~Follow the directions on the mix for preheating and mixing instructions, substituting the coffee for the amount of water the recipe calls for.  Fold the chopped Andes Mints into the batter right before scooping the batter into your muffin tins.  Fold just until incorporated.  (I like larger cupcakes so I got around 22, and as always I checked 2 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~You should have some coffee left over, as the mix I used only used 1 1/3 cups of coffee.  Mix 1 tablespoon of your extra coffee into your frosting.  If this makes the frosting too liquidy for you, pop it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking and cooling, and it should firm up.  (Worse comes to worst, add in powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency that you want)

~After the cupcakes are fully cooled and frosted, you can start decorating!  If doing traditional piping, I would recommend toping with some extra Andes Mint pieces.  Enjoy!

For the Alice Touches:

~I needed a very smooth surface to pipe the phrases on, so I added a little extra coffee to the frosting.  This allowed me to dip the cupcake tops rather than attempting to smooth the frosting myself. Add the coffee just a little at a time, as you don't want the frosting to become so liquidy that it will drip and run down the sides of the cupcakes.

~I added some violet food dye to a white buttercream frosting for the piped phrases, and used some sugar pearls for fun.

Snickerdoodle-esque Muffins

I loved these!  Was looking for baked doughnut recipes, and stumbled upon a doughnut muffin recipe instead.  I must agree with all of the comments from that recipe that these are more reminiscent of snickerdoodle cookies than doughnuts, but I would still highly recommend them with your morning or afternoon cup of coffee.

I used melted butter instead of shortening, added a little grated nutmeg to the batter, and brushed the top of the muffins with melted butter before dusting them.  Just in case you think yours look different than mine, I also tried to dust the top of the muffins with cinnamon sugar before baking, but I think that was unnecessary.  I used some store bought cinnamon sugar with a little extra sugar mixed in for my topping, as I don't think the large amount made in the recipe was really needed.

Snickerdoodle-esque Muffins
Adapted from Debbie's Doughnut Muffins
allrecipes.com
Makes 12 muffins

• 1/3 cup melted butter, slightly cooled
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg (I eyeballed this one, sorry!)
• 1/2 cup milk

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• 1/4th cup cinnamon sugar (roughly 1/4th cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)

~Preheat oven to 375 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with liners.

~In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg.

~In a large bowl whisk together the sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter.  Once mixed, beat in the egg.  Add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk.  Stir just until mixed.

~Fill your liners about two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

~Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  While the muffins are cooling, melt your 1 teaspoon of butter, and prepare your cinnamon sugar mixture.  After the 5 minutes are up, move your muffins to a wire cooling rack.  Brush the top of each with enough melted butter just to coat, and then use a small spoon to dust with cinnamon sugar.  (I suggest having your wire rack over either paper towels or a pan to catch excess) I recommend trying some with a cup of coffee, enjoy!

Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes

If you missed my last "Quickie" recipe, all that means is that this cupcake is from a mix rather than from scratch.  Still super tasty!

These are Double Devil's Food Cupcakes because there are also chocolate chips mixed in!  Sounds horrible, right? haha  If you want, you can even dust some cocoa powder over the top of them like I did.  (Could have called these "Triple" for that reason, but I like alliterations. ;] )

The only things you will need for this recipe that are not listed right on the box are some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and strong coffee.  If you want to dust them, you will also need some cocoa powder.

If you're thinking, "What is coffee doing in my chocolate cupcakes?" I stole that concept from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  In at least one of her chocolate cake recipes she uses coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, and I think it works wonderfully.  I also added some to the frosting.

Quickie Double Devil's Food Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, plus ingredients needed for mix (24 cupcakes size, normally you need eggs and vegetable oil)
• 1 can chocolate frosting (2 if piping frosting)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups of strong coffee at room temperature, separated (you may not need it all)

If you want dusting:

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, roughly

~Follow the directions on the mix for preheating and mixing instructions, substituting the coffee for the amount of water the recipe calls for.  Fold the chocolate chips into the batter right before scooping the batter into your muffin tins.  Fold just until incorporated.  (I like larger cupcakes so I got around 22, and as always I checked 2 minutes before the earliest recommended baking time)

~You should have some coffee left over, as the mix I used only used 1 1/3 cups of coffee.  Mix 1 tablespoon of your extra coffee into your frosting.  If this makes the frosting too liquidy for you, pop it in the fridge while the cupcakes are baking and cooling, and it should firm up.  (Worse comes to worst, add in powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency that you want)

~After the cupcakes are fully cooled and frosted, you can use a sifter to dust some cocoa powder on top if you like.  Enjoy!

Guava Chiffon Cupcakes

My favorite cupcakes I have ever made!  So light and fluffy, and lots of guava flavor in the topping.

*Update: These turned out even better the second time. I used more food coloring to get a richer color, and wasn't guessing so much on the baking time.*

I had so much trouble finding a guava cupcake recipe that resembled the guava cakes I have had in the past, with the signature bright pink guava topping, that I took a couple of guava chiffon cake recipes and adapted them to suite my needs.

These were for Valentine's day, hence the heart theme, but it would be much easier to pipe the buttercream like a usual cupcake, and then drizzle the guava topping over it.  For the adventurous, I will describe how I got the heart shapes.

These may take a little work, but these were seriously my favorite cupcakes I have ever made!  Definitely best to eat the day of.  Kept fine in the fridge for several days, but upon getting to room temperature some of the guava filling managed to break through the dam of buttercream, resulting in some sticky fingers, haha!  I think drizzling the guava topping as I mentioned earlier would help to get rid of this problem. (This is what I did the second time around, hence the first picture!)

I couldn't find guava concentrate to save my life, so I used guava juice instead.  If you can find guava concentrate, go with that for even more guava flavor!

DO NOT simply spread frosting onto these cupcakes, as they are very delicate and crumbs come up easily.  Piping is very much the recommended frosting technique.

Guava Chiffon Cupcakes
Adapted from I'll Have What They're Having-Legendary Local Cuisine by Linda Stradley
Makes 26-28 cupcakes

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup guava juice
• 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• red food coloring (optional)
• 8 egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

~Preheat oven to 325 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~In an extra large bowl, sift together the cake flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the vegetable oil, guava juice, egg yolks, and food coloring if desired. (Keep in mind you will be folding in egg whites, so make the color slightly darker than desired) Beat just until smooth.

~In a large bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiffer peaks form.

~Gently fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the prepared batter. (This helps to ensure that the rest of the egg white mixture won't deflate as much)  Once just incorporated, fold in the remaining egg white mixture until again just incorporated.

~Fill your prepared muffin liners nearly to the top, at least 4/5 full. (This batter does not raise very much while baking, so if you want that classic cupcake shape this is necessary) Bake for 13-15 minutes*, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

*Because I was guessing on the baking time, I raised the temperature to 335 °F after 10 minutes of baking to help set up the cupcakes a little more, as I was worried opening the oven too early to check would deflate the cupcakes.  Also, do not be afraid if your toothpick comes out wet after 13 minutes.  This batter sets up quickly, so just give it a few more minutes.  I had some done at 13, and others that needed the full 15.

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Guava buttercream frosting and guava topping recipe below!

Guava Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from a C&H Recipe

Frosts 10-12 cupcakes (double for this recipe)

• 1 lb. box powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup guava juice (guava concentrate, if you can find it, will give a less subtle guava flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup butter (2/3 stick), room temp.

~Mix together salt, guava juice, vanilla extract, and butter with a heavy spoon or mixer.  Add in powdered sugar in intervals.

~If frosting is too stiff, add more guava juice a few drops at a time.  If too soft, try refrigerating your frosting for half an hour.  If still too soft, add in more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.

Guava Topping

Adapted from Kuki's Kookbook

http://kukikookbook.blogspot.com/2010/04/guava-cake.html

Tops 26-28 cupcakes

• 2 cups guava juice
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (normal sugar fine, but you may need more corn starch as a result)
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• red food coloring

~In a medium saucepan, bring the guava juice and sugar to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the cornstarch.  Add desired food coloring amount at this point.

~Stir over low heat until mixture thickens and will coat a spoon.  Add more sugar to taste if needed, but be careful tasting as it will be hot.  Remove from heat and let cool.  If too runny, return to heat and add more cornstarch or powdered sugar.  If too thick, return to heat and add more guava juice.  If the cornstarch is clumping on you, whisk the hell out of it and you should be fine!

~Keep in mind if drizzling the guava topping you will want it slightly more runny than if you are pooling it in the center.  

~Now for the fun part!  Pipe the prepared frosting onto each cupcake, finishing with a drizzle of the guava topping.  Details for the more intricate technique are below.  Either way you choose, make sure you take time to enjoy one of your amazing cupcakes!

Heart Cupcake Assembly

• Cooled Cupcakes
• Guava Buttercream
• Guava Topping
• 1-2 tablespoons guava juice

~Set aside about an eighth of your frosting, and use the rest for piping.  We will return to the other bit of frosting in a moment.

~To pipe the heart shapes that I did, start at the top center of the heart, and working around the cupcake in a heart shape, pipe a thick line of frosting. We are just doing the outline here!  If done correctly, you will meet back with where you started, at the lowest point of the top of the heart.  Keep in mind your line of frosting must be thick enough to dam in the guava topping.

~Once you return to the top center, rather than lifting up right away, pipe for a moment to ensure the ends meet, then continue piping in a line towards the top of the cupcake, pipe for another moment, then lift.  I found this gave the cleanest lines to the heart, as it covered up my starting point, and I liked the bow-like quality.  

~I recommend doing a deep set heart, as this will give you plenty of room to pipe your line of frosting at the end, and will make the heart shape more pronounced.  Make sure the frosting is touching the cupcake at all points, and that there are no gaps underneath the frosting.  This is important to make sure the fillings we add next does not spill out.

~Thin down the remaining portion of frosting with guava juice, just until runny enough to drizzle/spread with a spoon.  Using a small spoon, drizzle a small amount of this diluted frosting into the center of each heart you piped, spreading gently to ensure it meets up with the piped edge. Use as little frosting as possible, as you want just enough to coat the top of the cupcake so that the guava topping does not soak through.*

*If you're wondering why not simply spread the frosting over the cupcake and then do the piping, it is because I found this cupcake far too delicate to spread frosting onto without getting crumbs lifted up and mixed in.  Spreading the frosting first also resulted in frosting protruding past the piped heart edge.  Diluting and drizzling the frosting fixed both of these issues for me.

~Take your cooled guava topping, and using a similar technique to the one just used, take a small spoon and gently drizzle the topping into the center of the hearts.  You can spread gently, but spread too much and the guava topping will begin to mix with the frosting below.

~Pat yourself on the back at this point, because you're finally done!!  Here's a closeup of a cupcake if you had any questions on the steps just described. 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Banana Muffins

The original recipe called solely for chocolate chips, but I had some peanut butter chips lying around and I couldn't resist!  Bananas and peanut butter go together so well.

I enjoyed these, as they were not too dense and relatively easy to make.

I only had nonfat greek yogurt in the fridge, so that's what I used, and they turned out fine.

The best thing about muffins is that you don't have to wait for them to cool! haha

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Banana Muffins
Adapted from Lois Gordon's Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
allrecipes.com
Makes 15-17 muffins

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (took me 2 large bananas)
• heaping 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• heaping 1/3 cup peanut butter baking chips

~Preheat oven to 350 °F.  Prepare muffin tins with liners.

~In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

~In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, egg, vegetable oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Add flour mixture, and whisk just until incorporated.

~Fold in the mashed bananas, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.  

~Fill your liners about two-thirds full and bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (21 minutes was spot on for me, and I had 15 good sized muffins)

~Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then remove muffins to a wire cooling rack.  I recommend trying some while still warm, enjoy!