Author: Amy

Apple Cider Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

spicedapplecupcakesLet’s talk about fall spice mixes for a minute. Thrilling stuff, I know. Pumpkin spice is on every menu right now, and it’s a blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Its cousin, apple pie spice, has everything but the ginger. You can buy spice mixes or make your own and naturally, I make my own.

These cupcakes use apple pie spice instead of just cinnamon, along with apple cider and a caramel buttercream. I thought the caramel/apple combination would work well, and they taste just fine – but they’re not exactly what I wanted. Next time, I’ll go with a cinnamon buttercream instead, or apple pie spice buttercream. We’ll see.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup apple cider

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
  • Apple chips, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe makes 18 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt; set aside. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and apple cider and beat on low to combine, then stir in flour mixture.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, fill cupcake wells about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove cupcakes from tins; cool on a wire rack before frosting.

To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until all of the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla and caramel sauce and beat to completely combine. Fit a large piping bag with a large open start tip (I use the Wilton 1M) and pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish with an apple chip.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

chocolatetoffeecookiesWhat exactly is toffee? It’s a cousin of caramel, cooked longer so it hardens and becomes brittle. Think Heath bar, but without the chocolate – that’s toffee.

This recipe came from the back of the Hershey’s Heath Bits O’Brickle Toffee Bits (just the plain toffee bits, not the milk-chocolate covered ones) and while it wasn’t exactly what I expected, it’s delicious. The cookies turned out really flat, likely because I didn’t chill my dough before I baked them – but regardless, they’re really good.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 8-ounce package Hershey’s toffee bits

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a mixer, cream together butter, sugars, and vanilla extract. Add egg and beat to combine, then add flour mixture. Stir in toffee bits. If desired – and though I didn’t do this, I do recommend it now – chill your dough for about 30 minutes before baking.

Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, scoop generous portions of dough – about the size of a walnut –  and roll into balls. Place about 3 inches apart on your baking sheets; I baked 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes, until edges are set. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 22.

Maple Snickerdoodles

maplesnickerdoodlesIt’s fall, yeah? So that means flavors like maple and cinnamon – though I admit that these maple snickerdoodles are more cinnamon than anything.

I found this recipe at A Latte Food, and I think if I make them again I’ll adapt them a few ways. First, I’ll substitute the granulated sugar for maple sugar, because the maple flavor is pretty subtle. Second, I won’t use quite as much cinnamon in my sugar/cinnamon mixture for rolling. In any case, they’re a decent fall cookie.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • Additional 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, for rolling

Preparation

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and egg and mix well. Add flour mixture and beat to combine. Chill your dough for at least 1 hour, until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on baking sheets; I baked six cookies at a time. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until centers are puffed and edges are set. Remove from oven; cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 24.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

pumpkinchocolatechipcupcakeOf all the flavor combinations that exist, pumpkin and chocolate –  especially semisweet or dark chocolate –  is the most mysterious to me. It’s not like the salty/sweet combination of peanut butter and chocolate, or the sweet/tart combination of chocolate and raspberry. And yet here it is, being absolutely delicious.

These pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes are no exception. I was hesitant about the frosting, but it works really well – although I think these would be just as delicious without frosting of any kind too.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Dash of cloves
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons heavy cream
  • Miniature chocolate chips for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners; my recipe yielded 18 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In a large glass measuring cup, combine pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until well-combined and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, fill cupcake wells about 2/3 full.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven; immediately remove from tins and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, then add powdered sugar and cocoa powder all at once and beat on low until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and heavy cream and beat until smooth.

Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe swirls of frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle miniature chocolate chips on top. Store at a cool room temperature for 2-3 days; these cupcakes are very tender and will get a bit sticky if they’re left out much longer.

Kit Kat Cupcakes

kitkatcupcakesThese cupcakes came across my Pinterest feed recently, and as the Kit Kat is my second favorite Halloween candy – and there’s Halloween candy everywhere right now – I figured it was a sign from the universe. The cupcakes themselves are absolutely delicious – exactly what I wanted them to be. But the frosting? It’s only okay.

I’m honestly not even sure what it needs…other than maybe it would be better as a chocolate buttercream with Kit Kat dust mixed into it. Maybe I’ll try that next time – but it seems like there’s just something missing from this recipe. Granted, I’m a really tough judge of my own baking, and everyone else will probably love them. But I’m always afraid I’m one mediocre recipe away from losing all of my baking cred.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  •  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee

For the frosting

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 16 snack-sized Kit Kats, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tines with paper liners; my recipe yielded 16 cupcakes.

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.

In a large glass measuring cup, combine egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Reduce speed and mix in coffee, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times. Beat for another minute; batter will be very thin and watery.

Using a cooking scoop, fill cupcake wells about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove cupcakes from tins; place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting, place 12 Kit Kats in a food processor and pulse them into dust. Cut the remaining 4 bars in half and set aside for garnish. Beat butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment for 1 minute, then add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until all of the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract and beat, then add Kit Kat dust and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. You may need to add an additional tablespoon to thin the frosting enough to pipe it.

To frost, place frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (I used the Wilton 4B) and pipe swirls onto cupcakes, then top with a half Kit Kat piece. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Biscotti

orangebiscottiSo I’ve been pinning tons of biscotti recipes lately, and an orange/dark chocolate chip one came across my feed. I have a reliable anise biscotti recipe that’s one of my favorites, and I adapted that for this recipe. Instead of anise, I added orange zest and orange extract, then chopped up some dark chocolate chips and mixed those in as well.

The end result tastes almost exactly like an orange Milano cookie, one of the best store-bought cookies ever. These treats will go into my Christmas baking rotation this year because they’re absolutely delicious (and will ship well). This week’s batch is destined for my friend Diana, a fellow baker, who I’m seeing for dinner this week. She’s the only person in my life who actually bakes for me!

Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Zest of 1 medium orange
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine vegetable oil, sugar, orange zest, orange extract, and eggs and beat on medium speed until combined. Add flour all at once; beat until combined, then beat in chopped chocolate chips. Dough will be very thick and sticky; I used my bowl scraper to get it out of the mixing bowl.

Wet your hands – this dough is easier to handle that way – and divide the dough into two portions. Shape each into a log, then flatten to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Line a second baking sheet with parchment.

Slice each log into 1-inch slices, then place slices on baking sheets and return to the oven and bake for another 6 minutes on each side. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen.

Vanilla Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

cinnamonchipbiscottiWe’re about 24 hours into fall here in Pittsburgh, and the weather feels like it: 60-something degrees and rainy. For some reason fall makes me think of biscotti, so here we are with some vanilla cinnamon chip treats based on a recipe I found at A Family Feast.

I adapted mine to include vanilla bean paste and to skip the walnuts, as well as the melted cinnamon chip/white chocolate chip drizzle – I also cut my biscotti into more generous 1-inch slices than the original recipe recommended. These treats are bound for my dear friend Carrie, who lives a few hours away in State College, Pa.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 1 cup Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla bean paste and eggs and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, then stir in chocolate chips.

Divide dough into four portions and roll each into an 8-inch log; place two logs on each baking sheet and flatten to 1 1/2 inches wide.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into each log comes out clean and the outside feels firm. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes, then slice into 1-inch pieces. Place biscotti cut-side down on your baking sheets and bake for another 8 minutes; flip and bake on the other side for an additional 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

vanillabeancupcakesA few weeks back I made marble cupcakes, and they were both easy to bake and really delicious. This weekend I wanted to do something basic, so I adapted the recipe to leave out the cocoa and include vanilla bean paste, a substitute for vanilla extract that has those little flecks of vanilla seeds in it. Think of that Breyer’s Ice Cream commercial from the 80s – you could actually see the vanilla seeds in it, and that was a big deal for some reason.

Add some chocolate buttercream to the cupcakes and you’ve got a basic but awesome combination. These would also be delicious with vanilla buttercream if you wanted an all-vanilla treat.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 1 2/3 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; my batch made 15 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter, then add sugar and stir to combine; mixture will be grainy. Refrigerate for 1 minute, then remove and add egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla bean paste. Stir in flour mixture until no lumps remain.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into tins and fill about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and place cupcakes on wire racks to cool completely.

To make chocolate buttercream, place butter in a mixing bowl and beat for a few minutes using the paddle attachment. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and beat on low speed until the sugar and cocoa are fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract and beat; add milk 1 tablespoon at a time; you may not need both tablespoons.

Fit a large piping bag with a large open star tip (I use the Wilton 1M) pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes; you’ll have some frosting left over that you can use for other treats.

Butterfinger Cupcakes

butterfingercupcakesThe Butterfinger vs. the Clark bar: do you have an opinion? As a Pittsburgher, I’m more of a Clark bar person, though I’m not really that much of a candy bar girl despite being a baker and really fond of sweet things. Also, if you’re reading this blog and don’t know what a Clark bar is…it’s like a Butterfinger but more mellow in flavor, and used to be made here in the ‘Burgh.

This recipe came from Baker by Nature, and it’s pretty tasty. I’d like to do a Clark bar version, so stay tuned for that sometime. Also, a note about the frosting: I added more chopped up Butterfinger bars than originally called for, and once again, like my cookies & cream cupcakes, couldn’t pipe it through an open star tip like I’d planned. No worries, though – just slather this frosting onto your cupcakes and call it a day. It’s delicious no matter what it looks like.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup very hot water

For the frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons chopped Butterfinger candy bars
  • Chopped Butterfinger pieces, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with paper liners; my recipe made 24 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a small saucepan over very low heat (or in a microwave-safe bowl), melt peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool just slightly. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and milk alternatively in two batches, whisking to just combine. Stir in hot water.

Fill cupcake wells with 3 tablespoons of batter, about 3/4 full. Bake for 16 – 18 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove cupcakes from tins; cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat peanut butter and butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes to fully blend. Add powdered sugar and beat to incorporate fully; add vanilla extract and milk, then stir in Butterfinger pieces. Frost cupcakes by hand (or pipe them if you can!) and top with Butterfinger pieces.

Peanut Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Blondies

peanutbuttertoffeechocolatechipblondiesYou cannot imagine how many bags of chocolate chips I have in my house at any given moment. Milk chocolate, semisweet, dark chocolate…not to mention cinnamon chips, espresso chips, caramel bits, toffee pieces…the list goes on. There’s a basket in the pantry area of my basement filled with them, bags upon bags of delicious little nuggets just waiting to enhance a recipe.

Blondies, like brownies, are one of my favorite things to bake because you can create whatever you want with them – and this time I wanted a peanut butter toffee chocolate chip combination, like a hybrid of the chocolate chip toffee blondies I baked earlier this summer crossed with Reese’s Pieces blondies from a few years back. The end result, I’m happy to report, is delicious. My nephew Roman started his junior year of high school in North Carolina a few weeks back, and these are his back-to-school treats.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled for 3 minutes
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons toffee bits, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter, then eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until well-combined.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir together using a rubber spatula; batter will be very thick. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup toffee bits, then spread batter into the baking pan, flattening as best you can to create an even layer. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and toffee bits on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then insert a cake tester in the center; blondies are done if the cake tester comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to over-bake these; peanut butter treats tend to dry out if they’re baked too long.

Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan; lift out using parchment paper and cut into 24 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. If shipping, pack between layers of waxed paper.