Malted Espresso Cupcakes

From our library here I brought home 125 best Cupcake recipes. So far it seems to have some yummy recipes. Over the next while I will be making a few of them. The Malted Espresso Cupcakes are really good, nice and moist. The frosting really adds to them. Definitely one to try.

Malted Espresso Cupcakes


Preheat oven to 350F
Line muffin tin with paper liners

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1/4 cup freshly brewed espresso or dark roasted coffee
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together with a whisk, flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In another small bowl, whisk together malted milk powder and espresso until smooth.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, butter and eggs, until smooth. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and espresso mixture, making three additions of flour mixture and two of espresso mixture, beating until smooth.

4. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.


Malted Milk Espresso Frosting

2 Tbsp. strong brewed coffee
2 Tbsp. malted milk powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

1. In a small cup, mix together 2 Tbsp. coffee and 2 Tbsp. malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.
2. In a bowl, add butter beat until smooth, add pinch of salt and vanilla. Add icing sugar a bit at a time and add coffee mixture until consistency is smooth and spreadable.
3. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Started a New Blog of Photography

I decided to start another blog besides the baking one for our photography. Here is the link to the blog sight.

Butter Tarts

We found this recipe on the becel website. We have made them a few times and they have turned out good each time. You could also use the pastry we have used The perfect Pie Crust.

Pastry

1 1/3cups all-purpose flour
1/4tsp salt
1/2cups Becel margarine
3tbsp ice water
1tsp white vinegar

Filling

1/2cups corn syrup
1/4cups brown sugar
1 egg
2tbsp Becel margarine, melted
1tsp each vanilla and white vinegar
1/2cups raisins, preferably sultanas

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190C). Spray using non-stick cooking spray, 10 preferably non-stick, muffin tin cups. In a medium bowl, stir flour with salt. Using your finger tips or pastry cutter, mix in Becel just until large crumbs begin to form. Whisk water with vinegar. While stirring flour mixture with a fork, gradually add just enough water mixture for dough to come together. Gather into a ball and place on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap overtop, then use plastic to flatten dough into a disc. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk corn syrup with brown sugar, egg, vanilla, Becel, vanilla and vinegar. Roll out dough about ¼-inch (0.5 cm) thick. Then cut out 10 (4 to 4 1/2-inch/10 to 11-cm) circles, using a lightly flour glass or circle cutter. Press circles into muffin cups. Divide raisins among tart shells. Then fill with corn syrup mixture.

3. Bake until a deep golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Let stand a couple of minutes. Then remove to a rack to cool.

Happy April Fools Day

Caramel Puddle Cupcakes

I found this recipe in the Hamilton paper last week. In showing it to my son, he wanted to make them. He came up with an idea of making a well in the middle and adding caramel sauce which has been made thicker than normal. The cupcake is almost like angelfood cake. We really enjoyed them.

Caramel Buttercream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup regular or low fat sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In large bowl using electric beaters, beat butter for 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugar, beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using wooden spoon, alternately stir flour mixture and sour scream into butter mixture, making three additions of flour and two of sour cream.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about three quarters full.
Bake in centre of oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Transfer to rack for 5 minutes.
Remove cupcakes to rack; let cool completely.

Icing:

Makes 2 cups

2/3 cups unsalted butter, very soft
2 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 tbsp milk

In large bowl, using electric mixer, beat icing sugar and butter on low speed, adding enough milk in between additions to achieve spreading consistency.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup of sugar

5 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1. First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.

2. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir slowly with a whisk or wooden spoon.

3. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

4. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.

5. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.

Deluxe Marshmallow Bars

When I saw these on Good Eats 'n Treats I knew I had to try them. They are worth making. Next time I will add more peanut butter to them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (I omitted these)
4 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping:
1-1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter (1 1/2 cups peanut butter)
3 tbsp butter
2 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. Spread in a greased 15 x 10 x 1" pan.

Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over cake; return to oven for 2-3 minutes. Using a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows evenly over cake. Cool. (I did not spread them, when I took them out of the oven they seemed fine the way they were. )

For topping, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well blended. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Immediately spread over bars. Chill.

Yield: 3 dozen

AppleSauce Coffee Cake With Caramel Sauce

Today was my co-worker's Birthday. Last night I made a cake for her. I was going to bake a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, but, after going to Cookie Madness blog decided to bake her Quick Applesauce Coffee Cake. And it was worth baking. Everyone loved it. The Applesauce.. I made from scratch and my son made Caramel Sauce to go with it. This recipe is included as well.

Applesauce Streusel Coffee Cake

Cake:
1 2/3 cups cake flour or 1 ½ cups all purpose
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup applesauce**
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg

Streusel:
1/4 cup cake or all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash fresh nutmeg (1/8 tsp)
4 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans (don’t need to toast)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 inch round spring form pan or an 8 inch square metal pan with flour-added cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together flour, soda, cinnamon, allspice and brown sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix melted butter, applesauce, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and stir until mixed. Pour into pan.

Make streusel. In a mixing bowl or food processor, mix together all dry ingredients then cut in butter.

Sprinkle over top of cake. Sprinkle nuts over top of streusel.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

Cool slightly. Remove sides of pan and cut into triangles.
Serves 6

I have included the site I found the Caramel Sauce Recipe.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup of sugar

6 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.

2. Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir slowly with a whisk or wooden spoon.

3. As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

4. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.

5. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.