Butterbeer Cupcakes

My friends and I have a kids book book club, and we are watching all of the Harry Potter movies in order to prepare for a trip to see the latest one in theaters. Yesterday we watched The Prisoner of Azkaban, and so I thought I would make Butterbeer Cupcakes.

So, how do you make Butterbeer cupcakes? Well, I looked at a bunch of Butterbeer recipes, and they all seemed to call for either beer or cream soda and butterscotch schnapps. Some of the more involved recipes called for additional spices to add warmth.

I decided on making a chocolate beer cupcake with some added spice, and a cream cheese frosting with butterscotch schnapps.

I based the cupcake recipe on Chef Chloe's recipe. I used a vanilla porter instead of chocolate stout, and substituted butterscotch schnapps for vanilla. I also added a teaspoon of garam masala spice to add some heat (it is a combo of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and other spices). I used my standard cream cheese frosting recipe.

Ingredients

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup stout beer (I use Trader Joe's oatmeal stout)
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure butterscotch schnapps
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together liquid ingredients. Mix just until everything is moist and bake at 350 for 16-20 min.

Frosting

8oz cream cheese

6 tbsp butter softened

3-4 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp butterscotch schnaaps

pinch salt

cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar to desired consistency. Add salt and schnapps for flavor.

Pretty Things Babayaga Tasting

Pretty Things Pint Glass
Originally uploaded by kel h

Babayaga....the beer that drinks like a scotch. It's a smoky porter from Pretty Things, a local brewer that hosted a tasting at The Independent in Union Square with trippy eastern european cartoons of Babayaga and the 1980 olympics or something and deep fried pireogis

periodic table of beer

periodic table of beer
Originally uploaded by John602

this looks handy

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.