Margaritaville Cupcakes

Warning: these cupcakes are delicious.  And addictive.  A fellow teacher made them for a cupcake challenge, and they were simply so wonderful I had to make them myself.  I am not a huge buttercrema fan, but this tequila & lime juice buttercream tastes like Jimmy Buffett himself whipped it up.

I would highly recommend these treats for any backyard bbq or sunny tiki party this summer.  Delicious!

Also I dded lime zest and used a littttttttle less tequila, but otherwise, the recipe is the same as found here, at Brown Eyes Baker.

*Back2ReportCards*

Strawberry Cupcakes for a Grown Up Luau

I’m back!!

It has been quite a long hiatus, but I am back writing about my one true love: cupcakes.  What have I been up to?  Substitute teaching.  Which is exhausting.  You might think subbing is the easiest job in the world.   I disagree.  Honestly?  I never really wanted to be a sub.  Because I knew it would be the single hardest job in education I’ll ever have.  I am at my professional best when I *know* my students.  Their middle names (boy are THOSE fun to use), birthdays, their pets’ names, where they went on vacation last summer, their favorite color, and of course, their favorite kind of cupcake.  All of this information, and the process of gathering it, helps me figure out my students as individuals.  How to talk to them, how to teach them, how to help them stay organized, and how to help them navigate social situations.  Being a new face every day does not fit into my personal style at all.  I figured students would all hate me, either because a) they love their teacher and do not want any alternative person to teach them, or b) they enjoy torturing new people.

Thankfully, after a crazyfied day this week, I got to return to classes and students I have already met  To my surprise, they remembered me.  And the classes went easier.  I thought that they might become more rowdy if they saw me again, but in every case, students were more respectful, more cooperative, and stayed on-task better.  All of this has given me enough energy to write!  It’s nice to have a good day immediately following a bad day that left me feeling like a complete failure, questioning my skills and wondering “What am I going to do if this is my class next year?” (Answer: I have no freaking clue.  Will be searching amazon later for titles like What To Do in The Classroom When Everything Goes Wrong”.)

I have a lot to catch up on, so I’m going to begin with the strawberries.

I *FINALLY* went strawberry pickin’ in Bluemont, VA.  It was a gorgeous day to be in the fields, sunny but not humid with a cool breeze.  We picked a lot of berries.  Everyone asked me what I was planning to do with them.

It wasn’t until I got home, and realized I had about 5 pounds of strawberries that I realized I needed a plan.  So, I looked through my cookbooks, but nothing was singing to me.  I wanted a strawberry daiquiri-inspired cupcakes, but I also wanted coconut.  On a whim, I googled “strawberry pineapple coconut”. I discovered this recipe for Strawberry Colada Cupcakes,  shown below.

How were they?  First, I made a Toasted Coconut frosting, but I would not do that again.  I would do a Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting, then garnish with toasted coconut and a maraschino cherry (preferably one with a stem).  The cupcake itself could use more pineapple, hence my frosting recommendation.  Here's my recipe:

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1 package cream cheese (full fat...just do it), softened

1/2  stick butter, at room temperature

3-4 cups confectioner's sugar

3-4 T pineapple juice

1. Blend cream cheese & butter until smooth, about 1 minute.

2. Add 1/ cup sugar at a tine.  When frosting becomes thick, add 1/2 T of juice at a time, until desired consistency is reached.  Don't go crazy adding liquid.  It takes  a lot of sugar to correct it.

Second, I wasn't satisfied with one recipe.  So I made Strawberry Daiquiri cupcakes too.

They were phenomenal.  I would highly recommend the cakes, with the frosting possibilities endless.

This Strawberry Daiquiri cupcakes consists of a Strawberry Lime cake, infused with a Malibu Coconut Rum Syrup, topped with a Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.  The garnish is strawberries and a line wedge on a cocktail stick, drizzled with Malibu.

I will definitely make these very grown up cupcakes again for a summer party near you!

-Adapted from Krystina Castella

Strawberry Lime Cupcakes

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/ cup milk

1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced

Zest of 1 lime

1 - 1 1/2 T fresh lime juice 

*Preheat oven to 350

**Slice strawberries into small pieces

*Zest lime first, lime juice will be used later

1. Cream butter and sugar using electric stand mixer.  Star on low, then gradually increase speed to medium.  Batter should look creamy in about 30 seconds-1 minute.  Add one egg, then mix.  Repeat with second egg.

2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix.  Alternate adding dry ingredients to batter with milk.Mix 2 minutes.  Stop mixer, scrape bowl.  Add lime zest and lime juice Mix 30 seconds longer.

3. Fold in strawberries.

4. Scoop about 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake liner.

Bake for 21-24 minutes.  Check t 21-press cupcake.  if it springs back, they're done.

Malibu Rum Syrup

 Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in saucepan.  Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Add one pat of butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of Malibu rum.  Cook, stirring, until mixture becomes thick, about 6-10 minutes.  Let cool.

When cupcakes have cooled, remove from pan.  Jab tops with a fork.  Using a pastry brush, brush tops of cupcakes with Malibu Rum Syrup.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/ stick butter, at room temperature

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup diced strawberries

1. Blend cream cheese & butter until smooth, about 1 minute.

2. Add 1/ cup sugar at a tine.  When frosting becomes thick, add a little strawberries, until desired consistency is reached.  Don't go crazy adding berries.  It takes  a lot of sugar to correct it.

Frost cupcakes.

Garnish with skewered fruit, colored sugar, coils of lime peel, candied lime peel..endless possibilities.

In the future, could also be fun with a Rummed whipped cream, with a garnish of a strawberry and cocktail umbrella.

This cupcake is good because it delivers on the flavors.  The fresh lime gives it a delicious citrus splash.

New Year's Eve Cupcakes

For the last few NYEs, I have kept a looow profile.  I was very bahhumbug over the idea of banding together to countdown to a new year.  This is so not me.  I am a happy, sunshiney person.  I never think for one second that the worst will happen to anyone I love.  But when you have a string of crummy things happen,  your personal optimism get a bit shaken.  And then, you're a little surly.  A little unwilling to throw on a party dress and be hopeful for better things to come.  And where has this atitude gotten me?
I've become, over time, an eroded, think-the-worst, hope-for-the-best (but actually, don't, because it might not happen) sort of person.  But I just decided, five or so days in to the new year, my resolution is to THINK POSITIVE! I'm a little late, yes, but I just needed some inspiration.  I've found mine in  a sequined dress, a great cupcake, and a playlist called "Hopeful".  Cheers to 2012!
                        Strawberry Cupcakes with Champagne Cream Cheese Frosting
                                               Makes 2 dozen mini cupcakes
1/2 cups strawberries, diced
1/2 cup sweet champagne ("I don't believe I've ever had French champagne....")
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter softened
2/3 cups sugar
1 egg (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 vanilla bean, scraped
3/4 cup milk (room temp)

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Soak strawberries in champagne. Let sit until later in the recipe.
 Also, if you are of age, you may care to pour a glass for yourself.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Combine milk, vanila, and vanilla bean seeds in bowl/large measuring cup.
4. With electric mixer, cream together sugar and butter.  Add egg, mix 30 seconds.
5. Add bowl of sifted dry ingredients, alternating with milk mixture.  The batter should be well combined, but rather liquidy.
6. Drain strawberries and fold into batter with a spatula.
7. Fill gold-foil mini liners 1 tablespoonful per cup.
8. Bake about 10 minutes, or until a stick inserted comes out clean.
9.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Champagne Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese, at room temp

1/2 stick butter

about 3 tablespoons of champagne

5c ups powdered sugar

DISCLAIMER: Champagne frosting is very tricky.  I have made 2 btches of champagne buttecreram that were disgsuting.  this however, was fantastic. 

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.

2.  Add a cup of sugar, and then 1 T of champagne.  Mix another cup of sugar in. 

3.  Continue alternating sugar and champagne, until the right consistency is achieved. 

Garnish:

Slivered strawberries

1/2  cup champagne

Gold Sugar

Edible Cake Stars

Soak slivered strawberries in champagne for about 30 minutes.

Pipe frosting on cupcakes.  Use tiny spoon to gently sprinkle on sugar and cake stars.

Drain strawberries and gently press on top of cupcakes. Voila!

12 Days of Christmas Cupcakes: Egg Nog Cupcakes w/ Rum Syrup

I made these cupcakes to give to my old coworkers.  The rum syrup really makes these delish (and grownup.)  I'm not much of an egg nog girl, but these tasted rich and satisfying little holiday cupcakes.

Egg Nog Cupcakes (Makes about 12)

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon rum

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup egg nog

 Preheat oven to 350. Line one cupcake pan with liners.

1. Cream together the butter & sugar.  Beat well, until light & fluffy (4-5 minutes)

2. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.  Scrape down sides of the bowl.  Add rum, vanilla, and almond extract, and beat for 30 seconds.

3. In  a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Mix well (if time, I'd advise to sift).

4.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a little at a time.  Alternate the dry ingredients with the egg nog.  

5.  Fill liners full, and bake until a  stick inserted comes clean-17-20 minutes, depending on how full the liners are.

When cupcakes have cooled, ad rum syrup to the tops.  Let dry on a rack, so that excess syrup may drip off (put a paper towel or cookie sheet underneath the rack to catch the sticky syrup.)

Rum Syrup (Krystina Castella)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons rum

1. make a simple syrup: in a sauce pan, add water and sugar.  Stir constantly over medium-high heat, so sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil.

2. Boil syrup for 5 minute.  Add remaining ingredients, and continue to cool until syrup become thick.  Stir to avoid burning.

3.  Cool syrup for about 1-2 minute,s then apply to top of cupcakes. 

12 days of Christmas: Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

The computer I am using to type this blog entry is pretty old.
                         In fact, when I got it, I looked like this:

I got my computer back in my Wahoowa days.  It was the fall of 2002, and I was in my first year at college, living in possibly the most amazingly decorated dorm room ever, with my awesome roomie Nitty.  I have no idea what paper I was writing at the time of the photo...it couldn't have been my History of the Middle East final, because I didn't even come up with a topic for that one until midnight, the day before it was due.  My first all-nighter made me feel like such a grown up, and so miserable, all at the same time.

So, why am I getting nostalgic about my time as an exhausted paper-writing undergrad?  Because my computer is about to breathe its last breath.  Thanks to an amazing entourage that has solved all my computer problems for nearly a decade, my computer still runs.  But not very well.  And once agsin, I have enlisted the assistance of a friend to switch from the dark ages, one-working-USB port-in-the-very-back computer to a brand new one!  I bribed hm with cupcakes.  Not just any cupcakes, but chocolate stout (Guinness) cupcakes.

The cupcake recipe I followed is from Baked Perfection (under Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.)

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

1 cup Guinness

1 cup butter

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

Diections:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners. Bring Guinness and the butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Then, add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Allow to slightly cool.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a  medium bowl.  In another bowl, combine eggs and sugar, and beat with an electric mixer.  Add the beer/butter.cocoa mixture to the creamed egg/sugar.  Then, add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, stopping to scrape down the bowl.
Scoop about 1/3 cup batter in each liner.  Bake 18-20 minutes. This batter is runny, so use a stick to test.  When it comes clean, the cupcakes are done.

I *had* a fabulous idea for a Guiness-reduction buttercream.  But I think I reduced it too much.  I read that if you add a tablespoon of sugar to about a bottle of Guiness, and simmer it until it reduces to about a tablespoon of liquid, you add this to frosting for beer flavor.  I would have reduced it to more liquid, because you could not really taste the Guinness in the frosting.  And the frosting was not fabulous anyway, so I used it as glue for the little Root Beer barrels. My plan B? I dipped the cupcakes in dark chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache:
I heated about a cup of heavy cream in a pot on the stove.  When it was hot, but not boiling, I added broken up Ghiradelli 60% Cocoa bar, and stirred until melted.  Dark chocolate ganache=heaven!

To garnish, I added Root Beer Barrel candies benetah a ball of frosting and some chopped nuts. Yummy!