Cupcake Monday ~ Meatloaf Cupcakes

In a savory kinda mood today!

Happy Monday! =D

Ingredients:

Meatloaf

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Mashed Potatoes

4 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish

3 tablespoons chopped chives
4 pieces of bacon cooked and them chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

While the meatloaf is cooking, make the mashed potatoes.  Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Put potatoes into a ricer for best results.  Return potato to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; stir with a spoon to desired consistency.  If they are not creamy enough for you, add up to 1/4 cup more milk – although they need to be stiff enough to pipe on top.

Put the potatoes into a pastry bag with a wide star tip and pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the meatloaf.  Sprinkle with bacon crumbles and chopped chives.

Cupcake Monday ~ 4th of July Cupcake Kabobs!

How cool are these!?!  =D

Happy Monday!

Cupcake Monday ~ Banana Mocha Cakes

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
Nonstick spray for baking
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
Dash salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3)
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 recipe Banana Butter Frosting
Banana slices or banana chips
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
1. Allow cream cheese and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Lightly coat twenty-four to thirty 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, the 1-1/2 cups sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and the 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in one of the eggs, the espresso powder, and the dash salt. Stir in melted chocolate. Set aside.
3. Add mashed bananas, buttermilk, shortening, and vanilla to flour mixture; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add the remaining two eggs; beat on medium speed until combined (batter may climb beaters).
4. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of the batter into each prepared muffin cup. Drop a rounded teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin cup. Spoon the remaining batter over cream cheese mixture in muffin cups, filling each two-thirds to three-fourths full.
5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
6. Pipe a swirl of Banana Butter Frosting on top of each cupcake. If desired, top each cupcake with a banana slice. Dust with cocoa powder. Makes 24 to 30 (2-1/2-inch)
from the test kitchen
Variation Mini Cupcakes:Lightly coat seventy-two 1-3/4-inch muffin cups with cooking spray. Spoon a rounded teaspoon of the batter into each prepared muffin cup. Drop 1 level teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin cup. Spoon a dollop of the batter over the cream cheese mixture in each muffin cup (cream cheese mixture will not be completely covered). Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks. Frost as directed above. Makes 72 cupcakes.


Banana Butter Frosting

Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
6 1/2 - 7 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
Allow butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in banana. Gradually add 3 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar until frosting reaches piping consistency.

Cupcake Monday ~ Brownie Cupcakes with Hazelnut Butter Cream

Happy Monday!

BROWNIES
1 (19.5) ounce Pillsbury® Family Size Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
1/2 cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, plus additional for garnish

HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM
1/4 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
Or 1/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup Jif Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

For Brownies: HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions using oil, water and eggs. Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts. Divide batter evenly into baking cups.
BAKE 30 to 32 minutes or until centers are set. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire racks.

For Frosting: BEAT shortening, butter and chocolate hazelnut spread in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat slowly until combined. Beat on high, 3 to 5 minutes, adding an additional 1 tablespoon milk at a time to desired consistency.

FROST cupcakes by placing frosting into corner of resealable plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch off corner of bag. Starting at outside edge, work in circular motion to build up frosting moving towards center, creating a swirl effect. Sprinkle with reserved chopped hazelnuts.

Cupcake Monday ~ Cone Cakes!

Summer is officially here and we have a Cupcake Monday perfect for the warm weather!

Happy Monday!

Ingredients:

    2/3 cup all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1/8 teaspoon salt

    1/3 cup baking cocoa

    2 tablespoons butter, softened

    1/2 cup sugar

    2/3 cup buttermilk

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 egg white

    10 flat-bottomed ice-cream cones

    Frosting (see recipe, below)

    Optional: colored sprinkles, 10 maraschino cherries with stems

Directions

- Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

- Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat at low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Add egg white, mixing well.

- Fill cones to within 1/2 inch of the top; carefully place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes; cool completely on wire racks. Spread evenly with Frosting. Top with colored sprinkles and a cherry, if desired.

Frosting Recipe:

Ingredients:

    2 tablespoons butter, softened

    1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

    2 tablespoons buttermilk

    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add buttermilk; beat until spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

Cupcake Monday ~ Death By Oreo

One day late, but worth it! ;D Happy Tuesday!

Death By Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake). Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner. Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well. Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine (I put the cookies in the food processor instead of trying to chop them up super fine and it worked out really well). Add to frosting. After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos.

Cupcake Monday - Raspberry White Chocolate

Happy Monday!

Raspberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

Vanilla Cake:


Sift together and set aside:

1 & 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Cream together until fluffy:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after every additioon;

4 eggs at room temperature

Beat in 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with

1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter evenly into paper lined muffin pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch them carefully, you will not want to over bake these cupcakes, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack once you have removed them from the pan.

Raspberry Compote:

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1 ounce water

Slowly simmer the berries and sugar over low heat for about 10 minutes. Dissolve the corn starch in the water and slowly pour into the boiling berries stirring constantly until thickened.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
3 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
a little milk

Blend together the cream cheese, vanilla extract and butter, then slowly add the icing sugar adding a little milk (a tablespoon or two) with it until all the icing sugar is used and the icing is a smooth, creamy, spreadable consistency. Use only enough milk to get it to this point.

When the cupcakes are completely cool fill them with Raspberry Compote. Using a piping bag with a large star or a large round piping tip, fill the center of the cupcakes from the top pushing the tip to the middle of the cupcake and squeezing as you retract the tip. Do not overfill.
Pipe or spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cupcakes after they are filled.