Cherry Almond Cupcake Recipe

 Today's Cupcake Recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens. It's a Cherry Almond Cupcake! Its looks absolutely delicious and the perfect cupcake for this beautifully approaching Spring weather! I would have never thought to put cherries and almonds together, so I think I'm going to be baking these this sunday.

So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 12 maraschino cherries, halved
• 1 recipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting
•     Maraschino cherries with stems (optional)

Directions:

1. Allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups (or coat with cooking spray). In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. Press a cherry half into batter in each cup.

4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting over tops of cupcakes. If desired, top with cherries. Makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting: 

Allow 1/2 cup butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or milk and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Gradually beat in 3 cups additional powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Makes 2 cups frosting.

Don't they just look soo scrumptious?! 

I'm not sure if you all are liking this new feature, because it's pretty quite around these parts lol... Sooo I would absolutely love it, if any one you who have any sort of opinion/suggestion/comment on not only this post, but my entire blog, please leave a comment to let me know what you're thoughts are and so that I know there's actual people out there lol

Thanks again for being soo super stellar and amazing guys!!

Have a truly fantastic Tuesday everyone!

xxoo

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Hazelnut Creme Brulee Cupcake Recipe

These scrumptious Hazelnut Creme Brulee Cupcakes from Better Homes and Gardens are absolutely amazing! Being that Hazelnut is my favorite, I can't get enough of these cupcakes.. they're simple, delicious and are a bit more sophisticated than your average chocolate or vanilla cupcake lol 

Make sure to give these a try and let me know if you do!! Recipe is below!

How delicious does that look!?

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts (filberts)
• 1 recipe Vanilla-Hazelnut Buttercream
• 1 recipe Caramelized Sugar Drizzle
•    Grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg (optional)
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and flour twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups (or line with paper bake cups). In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in nuts.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Spread Vanilla-Hazelnut Buttercream onto tops of cupcakes. Quickly drizzle with Caramelized Sugar Drizzle. If desired, sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 24 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.

Vanilla-Hazelnut Buttercream: Allow 1/3 cup butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 3 cups additional powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk (3 to 4 teaspoons) until buttercream reaches a spreading consistency. Makes 2 cups.

Caramelized Sugar Drizzle: In a large skillet cook 1/3 cup sugar over medium-high heat until sugar starts to melt, shaking skillet occasionally. Do not stir. When sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low and cook about 5 minutes or until all of the sugar is melted, stirring as needed with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Immediately drizzle over frosted cupcakes.

Plan on trying out this recipe? Well than, let me know if you do! I'd love to hear what you though of them!

xxoo

Recipe: Irish Car Bomb Cupcake

St. Patrick's Day is just about here!!! It's one of my three favorite holidays! [Christmas and my birthday being the other two] I love everything about St. Patrick's Day and love that my mom is part Irish so we can celebrate the most awesome holiday on the calendar. 

Below is a recipe from Brown Eye Baker where is takes the infamous Irish Car Bomb beverage and turns it into the most delicious cupcake ever!!! One of my good friend's had informed me of what an Irish Car Bomb was a few years ago. [I had never heard of the drink before.]  It wasn't until just a few months ago, that I had gone to this little Irish bar in the next town over called the 'Tilted Kilt,' where myself and my two friends, one them being the friend who had initially told me about Irish Car Bombs, had enjoyed (my first ever) Irish Car Bombs. And I fell in love! They're delicious, almost like a milkshake or chocolate milk. And of course half the fun of this beverage is the steps required to drink it. So below you can make your own Irish Car Bomb cupcakes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, or any day in my opinion because these cupcakes are way too delicious to only enjoy once a year!

Have a marvelous St. Patrick's Day, and of course 

make sure to enjoy a beer or two...or three!

xxoo