The Best Cupcake I have ever made

Who would have thought stout beer in a chocolate cupcake would be a good combination?  Certainly not me.

I am "game" for any recipe.  I was intrigued by the beer in a dessert. Let me just say, the stout and chocolate plays off of each so well.  I found this recipe on this website.

Guinness Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes

1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Scharffen Berger Cocoa)
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1 stick salted butter – room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter – room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
4 tablespoons very cold milk

DIRECTIONS:

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.

4. Butter 24 muffin tins and divide the batter among the muffin tins.

5. Bake 25 minutes, until risen and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out of the tins.

For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1. Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer.

2. Add the clear vanilla extract and combine well. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition.

3. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk one tablespoon at a time, combining very well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency.

The Crazies of Life

This past year I have gone back to work.  A friend of mine called to see if I would be interested in working as a childcare provider for a  Home for Teen moms.  I was skeptical at first, but once there I just loved being around little ones again.

Since my last post I have done so much cooking, not that I get a chance to post since school is back in session and the boys hog the computer.  I know still no excuse of posting.  

I truly love cooking and have attended a couple of classes.  I vow to get back to blogging and hope to reach out to more people. 

Homemade Valentine Chocolates & Fortune Cookies

This year I wanted to try my hand at making homemade chocolates for my three favorites guys.  How hard could it be to melt chocolate, pour into molds, fill with ganache filling and seal.  Oh boy, was I in for a rude awakening.  It took me all day to make them. 

First, I made the boys simple chocolates out of a couple different molds.  The for my husbands I decided to add some flavor to his chocolates.  I made some basic chocolate ganache.  I made a couple with the plain ganache.  Then I stepped it up and added some Bailey's Irish Creme to the rest of the ganache.  Yummy!!!  For the third flavor I decided to make a Mounds style filled chocolate.  Mmmmm.... 

The boys devoured them in a day or so.  My husband liked them even though he is not a big chocolate person.

Since my husband always brings me flowers, I wanted to make something special for him.  While looking at a quilting website I noticed the lady had made some fabric fortune cookies.  Ding Ding Ding the bell went off in my head.  I collected the things I needed to make them.  Good thing I love my husband very much.  These fortune cookies were very labor intensive.  When I finished assembling the two dozen of them, I printed off a bunch of fortunes.  The fortunes were comprised of  valentine sayings, quotes, lines from songs, sayings in different languages and my own personal feelings.  It took home several minutes to crack them open and read the fortunes.  Then he looked at me and said the sweetest thing, "It's hard to compete with your homdemade gifts."  Awww....

Peanut Butter Parfaits

All I have to say about this recipe is, Heavy Heavy but Heavenly.  I could give you a guess who's recipe this is...  Yup, Paula Deen's... I was watching this particular episode with my husband and told him I had to make it.  I love Nutter Butter cookies.  Most of all I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches. 

Peanut Butter Parfait
by Paula Deen
 
Ingredients

• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 (3.9-ounce) box instant chocolate-flavored pudding mix
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup whipped cream topping
• 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup chopped peanuts, plus additional for garnish
• 1/2 (1-pound) package peanut butter sandwich cookies, crumbled, plus additional for garnish

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the cream cheese, beating until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream topping, mixing to combine.

In serving glasses, layer the pudding, bananas, peanuts, peanut butter mixture, and crumbled cookies, as desired. Garnish with cookies and chopped peanuts, if desired. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

P.s. Make sure you wear your elastic waistband pants while eating this recipe.... lol  Enjoy!!!

Limoncello Cupcakes

I have found a use for my homemade Limoncello other than drinking it.. lol...  Now who wouldn't want a refreshing lemony cupcake.

I found a recipe from Brown Eyed Baker for Lemon-Limoncello cupcakes... I made these the other night and let's just say thankfully they only made a dozen.  I loved them.  One thing I would change in the recipe is the amount of lemon zest in the lemon curd.. 


Lemon-Limoncello Cupcakes
Yield: 1 dozen

For the cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons limoncello
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

For the lemon curd:

Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk

For the cream cheese limoncello frosting:

2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon limoncello
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Prepare the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an additional minute. On low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the lemon curd. In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely.

3. Prepare the cream cheese limoncello frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the limoncello and beat for an additional minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

4. Assemble the cupcakes. Cut a hole into each cupcake with the large end of a melon baller or the back end of a large pastry tip. Fill each cavity with the lemon curd. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip (I used Wilton 1M) with the cream cheese limoncello frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with lemon and berries, if desired.

Spicy Pop Pulled Pork

As I mentioned I follow the Pioneer Woman's blog.  Can you believe I have nevered watched an episode of her show on the Food Network?  My best friend Melissa sent me emails reminding me to watch it. 

Last Saturday I watched her Ranching in the Mist episode.  I felt like I was watching some old friends.  This episode she was making her Spicy Pop Pulled Pork.  Now I have heard of using soda/pop in pulled pork recipes but I was reluctant to use it.  She proved me wrong.  Another thing she proved to me is that a Pork Butt (no it is not the butt of a pig, actually it is from the front shoulder) can be delicious.  I had made a pork butt once and was devastated with the results.

This recipe was a pleasant surprise.

Spicy Pop Pulled Pork

Pioneer Woman - Ree Drummond

Ingredients

• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 whole pork butt (pork shoulder roast)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 11-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 cans pop (I use Dr Pepper)
• 4 packed tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Start by placing the onion quarters in the bottom of a pot. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, and then place on top of the onions. Pour the chipotle peppers over the top, and then crack open the cans of pop and pour them over the whole thing. Add the brown sugar to the liquid and stir.

Cover the pot, put in the oven and cook for at least 6 hours, flipping the roast 2 or 3 times during the cooking process. When it's done, the pork will be dark and weird and wonderful. It'll also be fork-tender. That's when you know it's done.

Remove the meat from the pot and shred completely. Then return the meat to the pot and keep in the juice until you need it.

Pioneer Women's Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders

I usually check Pioneer Women's site every day.  I happen to have checked it on the day she blogged about her Spicy Whiskey BBQ sliders.  Once I saw that recipe I knew it was part of the New Year's Eve menu.  They are simple and easy to make.  And, they were the hit of the party.  I have made them one other time since. 

Spicy Whiskey BBQ Sliders
Pioneer Women - Ree Drummond

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Ground Meat (beef, Bison, Turkey)
• Salt And Pepper
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1/2 cup Whiskey
• 1 cup Barbecue Sauce
• 1/4 cup Jarred Jalapeno Slices (more To Taste)
• 12 whole Slider Buns Or Dinner Rolls, Split

Preparation Instructions

Form the meat into 12 (or so) miniature patties and salt and pepper them on both sides. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the patties until just about done in the middle, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the patties from the skillet and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of grease, then return the skillet to the stove.

Throw the diced onions in the skillet and stir to cook, about 3 minutes. Pour in whiskey (be careful if you're cooking over an open flame; turn it off momentarily to be extra careful) and stir. Allow the whiskey to reduce by half, about 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in jalapenos and the barbecue sauce.
Reduce the heat to low and place the patties in the barbecue sauce, turning to coat. Allow the patties to simmer in the sauce until everything's hot and bubbly.

Place the patties on individual buns and be sure to spoon extra sauce (with the jalapenos!) over the top of each one before topping with the other half of the bun.