Halloween Cupcakes...Chocolate PB Spiders and Pumpkins

Halloween Cupcakes...Chocolate PB Spiders and Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by kel h

These are the cupcakes I made for Halloween. I used the recipe for the Peanut Butter filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting. I then used a peanut butter cup and snack sized whopper to make the body and head of the spider. I used frosting to draw legs and eyes. You can also sub thin pretzel sticks for legs as seen here:



The pumpkin cupcakes are pumpkin with ginger cream cheese frosting colored orange, with a candy corn for a stem and a spearmint leaf.

Pumpkin Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350, fill tins with liners
cream 1 stick butter, 1 c brown sugar, 1/3 c white sugar in mixer. Once fluffy, add two eggs one at a time.
Add 2 c flour (I sometimes like to do half whole wheat, half all purpose), 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground clove, 1/2 tsp salt along with 1/2 c milk.
Add 1 can pumpkin and 1 tsp vanilla.
Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 min

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream 8 oz cream cheese (I usually use the low fat kind) and 3/4 to 1 stick butter
add 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp vanilla and mix
add in 3 c powdered sugar a bit at a time until you get the right consistency (may need a little more)

Mojito cupcakes and Margarita Jigglers

Mojito cupcakes.jpg
Originally uploaded by kel h

I have successfuly made a mojito cupcake that i like. 1 cup softened butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 cups self rising flour .25 tsp baking powder 4 eggs (aka your basic cupcake recipe) zest of one lime juice of one lime 1 shot of rum 1 tbsp mint (or chop up a handful of fresh mint) mix it up, then put it in cupcake wrappers in a tin. bake for 20 minutes while that's going on mix 3 tbsp rum, 2 tbsp lime, 2 tbsp brown sugar and a tsp mint together in a saucepan and simmer it for 5 minutes. when the cupcakes come out, poke a few holes in the top and then pour a tsp or so of the syrup into the holes. (if you're feeling really wacky, also pour a bit of rum in the holes). the frosting i made was 3 tbsp softened butter 1.5 cup powdered sugar a shot of rum 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp lime zest some chopped up mint brown sugar to taste/texture mix it up.

I also made some scary margarita jigglers 4 packets of lime jello .5 cup lime juice 1.5 cup water or seltzer .5 cup tequila (i did mine with 1 cup seltzer and 1 cup tequila, but i think they are too strong) heat up the lime juice, then mix in the jello. once it's all disolved, turn off the heat and add the tequila and water. pour in a pan and let it set. the great thing about doing it this way is that it sets wicked fast, AND they are solid enough that you can pick them up with your fingers.

Cherry Coffee Cake Muffins

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Originally uploaded by kel h

Cherry Coffee Cake Muffins (based on a recipe from Rachel Ray December-January 2008)

4 1/2 cups flour (I used half regular and half whole wheat in the cake batter, and all white for the crumb topping)
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used plain yogurt)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
! 10-ounce bags frozen cherries, thawed and drained (if you want to do a giant coffee cake instead of muffins, use two bags)
I also added 1/2 tsp butter extract, and 2 tsp almond extract to the batter
I also added 1/2 cup sliced almonds to the crumb topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, using your fingers, combine 3 cups flour, the brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in all but 2 tablespoons butter until large crumbs form; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the egg and the buttermilk.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the egg mixture and stir to form a thick, smooth batter. Fold about a third of the reserved crumb mixture into the batter; If you're making a cake, then spread evenly into the prepared baking dish. Otherwise put liners in your muffin pans and fill each one about halfway up.

3. Scatter the cherries over the batter; (if making muffins, make a well in the batter and then put four cheries per muffin. sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top of the cake or each muffin (be sure to shape the muffin top a bit so the crumbs stick together). Bake the cake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes (muffins are more in the 25 min range). Transfer to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes before serving. I would go the full forty minutes, cause the cake takes a while to bake.

wedding cupcakes

wedding cupcakes
Originally uploaded by kel h

My sister got married earlier this month, and we made cupcakes for the reception...a LOT of cupcakes. Seriously. Like 120 of em. We did half Guiness Chocolate with Bailey's frosting for the groom, and half Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting for the bride. She got these cool laser cut wrappers to dress em up.

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 325 and add liners to pan (this recipe makes a TON of cupcakes, like two dozen)

Mix together 3/4 veggie oil, 4 tsp white vinegar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract (wierd, i know).

In another bowl combine 3 c flour, 2 c granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 c cocoa powder.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the oil mixture into the center. Then pour 1 12oz bottle of guinness (or other beer) into the well as well as 1 1/2 c water. Beat with a mixer til blended.

Fill liner's 3/4 full and bake for 20 min.

Irish Cream Frosting
Mix 1 lbs confectioner's sugar, 5 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp, 1/4 c milk, 1/4 tsp salt and 3 tbsp Irish Cream until fluffy.

Low Fat Carrot Cake Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 and put liners into pans (this recipe i think made 18 cupcakes)

combine 1 1/2 c flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger in a bowl, mix well.

In separate bowl combine 1 large egg, 2 tbsp veggie oil, 1/4 c raisins, 1/4 c chopped nuts, 1/2 c low fat milk, 1 8oz can crushed pineapple, 1 1/2 c grated carrots, 1/4 c brown sugar.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir to blend.

Fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a bowl mix 1 8oz pkg of Cream Cheese and 6 tbsp of unsalted butter, both at room temp

add 3 c confectioners sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and mix til lumps are gone.

The beer cupcakes were the favorites. They came out nice and moist and were tasty, especially with the frosting. I'm also psyched about how many come out per batch since I'm making so many. The frosting was also very tasty. Tasty enough to eat straight from the bowl.

I think dates instead of raisins would be interesting for the carrot cake, and I am always wanting to add more ginger. Maybe use the ginger variation of the cream cheese frosting where you add 1/2 tsp ground ginger.

Me and the cupcakes.

Our Dad, my sister the bride, my freshly minted brother in law, and me.

mount saint birthday

mount saint birthday
Originally uploaded by kel h

its a volcano birthday cake I made with carrot frond palm trees, berry jam lava, inhabited by teddy grams, and a blue berry vodka jello ocean filled with peach shnapps soaked swedish fish.

Sweet & sour cabbage. One of my favorite recipes!

Sweet & sour cabbage. One of my favorite recipes!
Originally uploaded by kel h

Melt half a stick of butter in a pan. Quarter, core and then thin slice a head of purple cabbage and sautee for about 7 minutes. Add 3 tbsp red wine and 1 tbsp cider vinegar. Cook it for a while til it turns an awesome bright pink and the liquid is pretty much absorbed. Add Salt and pepper to taste. It's simple and addictive.

chocolate peanutbutter cupcakes

I am going to a cookout today at a friend's house, and I decided to bring chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. I used the Rich Chocolate Cupcake and Peanut butter Frosting recipes from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella

Preheat the oven to 325 and put your liners in the pan
chop up 3 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate and a stick of butter and put in a mixing bowl
pour 1/2 cup boiling water over butter and chocolate and let it all melt, then mix it
Add 1/2 c sour cream (or do what I do and use a half cup vanilla yogurt and then omit the vanilla in the recipe)
then mix in 2 c flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1tsp baking soda, (and if you're like me, 1/2 tsp salt)
in a separate bowl beat 2 egg whites (don't use pasteurized ones from a box because they don't stiffen) until stiff. Fold the whites into the cupcake batter.

Fill cupcake liners a little over halfway. I then sunk an unwrapped mini reeses peanut butter cup until it was slightly countersunk to the top of the batter (when it bakes it will mostly cover it, and then you frost the top. Bake for 20 min or so.

For the frosting heat 1/2 sticks butter, 4tbsp water and 2c brown sugar to a boil (I microwaved it for about 3 minutes, but my microwave is powered by small hamsters with arthritis and is kinda crappy). Stir in 1 1/3 c peanut butter and 2 tbsp vanilla. I also added approx 1 c powdered sugar and maybe 1/2 c shortning. The book says to use it warm, but what i did is let it cool and then whipped it in my mixer (i <3 href="http://pics.livejournal.com/joyfulkel/pic/00041q7e/">