Fancy Pumpkin Cupcakes

I want to preface this post with the disclaimer that these are EASY!!!! The following pics are my first attempt at making these. My daughter Hailey actually mixed all the dry ingredients, cracked the eggs, and ran the mixer (with my help) to blend the eggs and pumpkin. The only thing I did for the cupcake part was to mix the wet and dry ingredients together. I don't usually make cupcakes from scratch, but I really wanted to try this and see if it was as easy as the author claimed. It was!
I want to be sure and give credit to the author of this recipe. She did an amazing job and I am indebted to her for this wonderful creation. http://kitschygirlsguide.blogspot.com
These were a breeze to make and looked like a gourmet cupcakes. Several people commented that there was NO WAY I had made these at home, and if I did I must be 'Martha Stewart'. Well...I am not Martha and I did make them at home. I have Kitschy Girl and Demarle to thank for my 'gourmet' looking/tasting cupcakes. So, without further delay, here they are!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

 1 cup brown sugar packed

1 cup granulated sugar

In a bowl whisk together spices, flour baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add both sugars slowly ad whisk so there are no lumps.

NEXT:

4 eggs

2 sticks melted butter unsalted

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

In a large, separate bowl beat eggs with an electric mixer until yokes and whites are combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix. Add melted butter and mix again. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

 Fill cupcake wells 3/4 full and bake for 25 minutes. I was able to get 30 each of the Demarle Mini Muffin Tray and 12 each of the Demarle Regular Muffin tray. I baked the mini muffin and the regular muffin at the same time and then refilled the mini muffin (remember to fill the empty wells half full with water).

While you are waiting for the cupcakes to bake you can make the Cream Cheese Frosting and put it in the Demarle At Home Pastry Bag fitted with the large round tip:

8oz softened cream cheese

6 tablespoons butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients. I used a hand mixer to blend them together and get it really smooth.

This is not a super stiff or sweet frosting so I wouldn't recommend a fancy piping job. I used the large round tip on my pastry bag and I frosted them slightly in from the edge, so you would see the chocolate.

 Ganache

1 4 oz Ghiradelli Semi Sweet bar

1 4oz Ghiradeli 60% bar

or

8oz of dark sweet chocolate, shaved

6 tablespoons of butter (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a double boiler (or a pot of boiling water with a metal bowl on top). Melt chocolate with half the butter. Remove from heat, add remaining butter and add vanilla.

While ganache is hot dip each cupcake into it and set aside to cool.

The ganache will get firm and glossy as it cools and makes a beautiful presentation. Don't be afraid of ganache if you haven't worked with it before, it's unbelievably easy. Really!!

Cooking 2gether-March 2010 Recipes



Favorite Granola
4 c. rolled oats
½ c. wheat germ/flax seed meal
¾ c. ground almonds or whole sunflower seeds
½ c. cashew pieces
¼ c. sesame seeds
½ c. unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. raisins
2/3 c. maple syrup
½ c. canola oil
1 tsp. cinnamon

-Mix all dry ingredients except raisins
-Mix wet ingredients.
-Pour wet into dry & mix well.
-Bake at 200° until crispy, approx 1 ½ hrs.
-Add raisins just after removing from oven.






Gary’s Blueberry Muffins
Streusel Topping
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 TBLS firm butter

Muffins
¾ cup milk
¼ cup oil
1 egg
Mix together with wire wisk.

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
Mix all dry ingredients together in separate bowl from wet ingredients.
When well mixed add to wet ingredients and mix just till flour is moistened (batter should be lumpy).
Fold in 1 cup fresh, canned (drained), or frozen blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and sprinkle with approx. 1 TBLS. of the streusel topping. Yummy!!
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.





“Layered Sandwich” Casserole

Bread
Canadian Bacon or ham
Pineapple
Olives
Tomato
Cheddar cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Any other topping that you like

Using a Demarle mold (if you use a Pryex or anything other than Demarle, be sure to grease the dish). Line the bottom of the mold with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, then place bread on top (if you need to, cut to fit the shape of the mold). Top the bread with a layer of the above ingredients, top with cheese. Repeat the bread and the layering. Cover the top layer with cheese and thick slices of Velveeta (I don’t usually have this on hand, so I use shredded cheese).
Turn the oven to 350 degrees. While it warms, crack four eggs into a bowl and beat, add 1 cup milk (whatever you have on hand). You can add a couple of shakes of Tabasco (I think it taste better with it, but my husband doesn’t know I do this, because he doesn’t like “spicy”). Mix till blended, pour over the bread layers. Cook in oven for 30 minutes, or until when you shake the pan, it looks firm.
We like fruit salad or yogurt and fruit with this!! It is even good for breakfast. It is a very versatile dish, you can make it Mexican, pizza, or whatever you want!