Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Cranberry Orange Buttercream

This idea was 100% my mom's creative thinking.  After watching me bake dozens of lemon blueberry and lemon cranberry cupcakes this past week, she suggested I make a cranberry orange cupcake.  One of her favorite foods during the holidays is a cranberry orange relish served with Thanksgiving dinner.  I know you are probably envisioning the can-shaped cranberry sauce being sliced up and plopped down next to some turkey, but I ensure you this is not what I am talking about.  This cupcake is light, and refreshing, yet subtly sweet!


Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Cranberry Orange Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened

4 1/2 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

4 tsp orange zest

1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)

12 oz fresh cranberries

2 cups water

Frosting:

2 cups butter, softened

2 tsp orange extract

1/2 cup cranberries, boiled and pureed

6-8 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.  Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and 12 oz cranberries in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil until cranberries begin to burst.

3.  Strain cranberries and toss with 1/4 cup sugar.  Set aside to cool.

4.  Beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

5.  On low speed, add eggs one at a time, being sure to let fully incorporate before adding the next.

6.  In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together

7.  In another bowl, combine buttermilk, orange zest, and orange juice.

7.  Add about 1/3 dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, then buttermilk mixture, then 1/3 dry ingredients, sour cream, then final 1/3 dry ingredients.  Make sure to let the ingredients fully combine before adding the next.

8.  Fold cooled cranberries into batter.

10.  Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

11.  To make frosting:  repeat step 2 with a second bag (12 oz) of fresh cranberries; strain and set berries aside to cool.  Puree cooled cranberries and set aside.  Beat butter and orange extract until light and fluffy.  Add cranberries.  Gradually add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

12.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Citrus-Glazed Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

This is probably my most requested cookie, and a family favorite.  If you are looking to take an oatmeal raisin cookie to the next level, this is how you do it!  It all started with a Cooking Light recipe and some substitutions due to a lack ingredients.  Many are wary of this cookie at first because of the name.  Citrus . . . oatmeal . . . and . . . cranberry all in one cookie sounds far to healthy to be enjoyable.  When I first bring these cookies to an event or a party, they are often overlooked because they are not your easily recognizable chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie.  They sit on their tray just waiting for someone to be brave enough to test this unfamiliar creation.  Once I get one person to step outside their comfort zone and try it, word spreads, and soon those chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies aren't looking so hot next to these beauties.  This cookie also inspired my Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream.  The flavor combination is both unbeatable and unforgettable, and you won't be disappointed!

Citrus-Glazed Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1.     Preheat oven to 350°.

2.     Combine flour, quick-cooking oats, baking powder, cinnamon,baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3.     Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in a large bowl;beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.  Add vanilla and eggs;beat well.

4.     Gradually add flour mixture and cranberries; beat at low speeduntil combined.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

5.     Place the balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated withcooking spray.

6.     Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until almost firm.  Let stand on thebaking sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool completely ona wire rack.

7.     To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredientsin a bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Spoon mixture into a small zip-top plasticbag.  Snip a small hole in 1 corner of bag; drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

First Holiday Order of the Season

I'd like to thank the ladies of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority for the first holiday order of the season!  It was a pleasure baking for your event!  I apologize in advance for the poor quality of pictures that will accompany this post, but the thought of photos crossed my mind far too late in my baking marathon.  This order included three different types of cake pops (white, chocolate, and lemon), 3 types of mini cupcakes (red velvet, hot chocolate, and pecan pie), and 4 types of mini cookies (chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal raisin, and strawberry almond thumbprints).  Red velvet is a personal favorite of mine, so I was thrilled to make those even though I knew I would have red fingers for a few days.  It seems that no matter how careful you are, when red food coloring is involved there is no chance you won't end up stained.  Luckily, my countertops and all other kitchen items came out unscathed.  The hot chocolate cupcakes are an interesting cupcake.  I was a bit concerned the very first time I made these cupcakes because in order to get the true hot chocolate flavor you need to add boiling water.  The batter is thin when you make it, but it results in an amazingly moist, airy cupcake.  Hope you enjoy the photos and recipes!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake recipe

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

3 T cocoa powder

2 oz red food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 T vinegar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 T unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl.  Add eggs one at a time; mixing well after each addition.

3.  In a small bowl, combine cocoa and red food coloring.  Add cocoa mixture to creamed mixture and mix well.

4.  In another medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

5.  Add vanilla.

6.  In another small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar, and then add to mixture.

7.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8.  Cool in pans for 2 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely. 

9.  To make frosting, combine cream cheese and butter.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth.  If frosting is too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.  If frosting is too thin, simply add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

10.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream
Adapted from Gale Gand's Hot Cocoa "Cupcake" recipe


1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup boiling water


1 cup butter, softened
7 oz marshmallow fluff
1-2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and begin boiling water on medium heat.
2.  In medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3.  Add eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix well.
4.  Add boiling water to mixture and blend until just incorporated.
5.  Fill cupcakes liners 3/4 full and bake for 12-15 mins, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6.  Cool in pans for 2 mins, then move to wire racks to cool completely.
7.  To make frosting, combine butter and marshmallow fluff until smooth and creamy.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.  
8.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.


Cake Pops

The Newest Member of my Kitchen

Holiday orders are in fully swing, so its been crazy around here!  Sorry for the gap in posting, but I will make up for it after this weekend when I post two cupcake recipes.  However, I would like to introduce you all to the newest member of my kitchen - my new Kitchenaid mixer!

This purchase has been a long time coming, seeing as I have been drooling over these mixers for probably a good two years now.  Up until this point I have used a Sunbeam stand mixer, which worked quite well, but with orders on the horizon, it was time for an upgrade!  As soon as I submitted my online order, I anxiously awaited its arrival.  I checked and rechecked the tracking information almost hourly and was thrilled when it arrived a day early.  It works just as I imagined it would, and I'm sure it will continue to be a great addition to my kitchen!   

White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

For most people, the phone ringing at 5AM is not a pleasant sound.  But when you work in a hospital, it can be the most beautiful sound in the world.  So when I got a call this morning at 5AM informing me of the low census in the nursery, I was excited to have the day off to relax, and of course . . . bake!  When I finally crawled out of bed at 1:30PM, I started thinking about what to bake.  I really wanted to make a white chocolate frosting, and even though it could go with just about anything, I decided on fruit because of its overt sweetness.  Since I happened to have a can of strawberry pie filling in my pantry, that was it!  Keeping with the theme of the day, laziness, I decided to pair this white chocolate frosting with a ridiculously simple cake.  However, if I make this recipe again, I wouldn't use the cupcake liners, but instead just grease the muffin pan with butter or baking spray.  The strawberries tend to stick to the liner when you peel it off.  Hope you enjoy!


White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 can strawberry pie filing (21 oz)
1 tsp of strawberry or raspberry extract
3 eggs


Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 oz white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
3-5 T half-and-half


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pan.
2.  In large bowl, mix together cake mix, pie filling, raspberry or strawberry extract, and eggs until combined.  You do not need to use a hand or stand mixer for this recipe, just a spoon works!  You may wish to cut the strawberries into smaller pieces by inserting a knife in the can and cutting them against the wall of the can.

3.  Spoon batter into greased muffin pan and bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4.  Move cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.  

4.  To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.
5.  Add in melted and cooled white chocolate and mix until combined.  Make sure the white chocolate is completely mixed into the butter and powdered sugar before continuing on to the next step.

6.  Begin by adding 3 T of half-and-half and mixing until combined.  You may need to add more half-and-half to achieve desired consistency.

7.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  

 

Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkle Cookies

Now you might think I'm crazy when you hear where I got the inspiration for this recipe, but trust me on this one.  Some of my favorite things to put on vanilla ice cream are cinnamon and sprinkles!  I don't know what gave me the idea for this combination, or exactly when I started doing this, but I find it to be delicious.  So as I was eating my vanilla ice cream, complete with sprinkles and cinnamon the other day, I had the idea to turn that flavor combination into a cookie.  The base of this recipe is a simple sugar cookie with these two added ingredients.  The cookie turned out just as I imagined it would.  At first it tastes similar to a sugar cookie, but the cinnamon flavor comes through at the end and the slight crunch of the sprinkles adds to the texture.  I have to say, I think these cookies would taste great with some vanilla ice cream!


Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkle Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup confetti sprinkles (I use Betty Crocker Parlor Perfect)
additional granulated sugar


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; set aside.
3.  In large bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar.

4.  Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

5.  Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture until combined.  Stir in sprinkles.

6.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
7.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls (or 1/2-inch balls for mini cookies) and roll in sugar before placing on greased baking sheet.
8.  Flatten dough balls slightly with a glass.

9.  Bake for 8-10 (6-8 mins for mini cookies) minutes.  Do not wait for the edges to brown!  Let stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I was recently asked if I could make these cupcakes for an upcoming event.  I have never made pecan pie cupcakes, or maple cream cheese frosting for that matter, but I was quick to accept the challenge.  No sooner had I sent my reply to this email request, did I begin to wonder . . . how on earth would I know if these cupcakes taste good?  I have never even eaten a piece of pecan pie!  I have avoided pecans, and most nuts for that matter, for the entirety of my life because I have never liked the texture.  So after talking to my future mother-in-law, who frequently makes pecan pie, I searched the Internet for a recipe to use as a guide.  I chose this recipe because it uses almost identical ingredients to the pie and I wanted to maintain as much of the similarity as possible.  After the cupcakes were baked I decided to try one.  I figured if I thought they were pretty good, and I don't like pecans, I should be in pretty good shape.  Much to my surprise they were delicious!  They have a gooey quality to the cake, which I was told is typical of pecan pie, and a subtle sweetness. Topped with the sweet maple frosting, they are quite the cupcake!   

Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 large eggs, room temp

½ cup whole milk, room temp

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

10 oz cream cheese, softened

5 T unsalted butter, softened

½ tsp imitation maple flavor

3 ½ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1.   Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.   In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.   In large bowl, cream brown sugar and butter at medium-high speed with electric mixer for about 5 minutes.

4.  Reduce speed to low.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5.   Add flour mixture to butter and mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Fold in pecans and vanilla.

6.     Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Tap pan against counter to release air bubbles.

7.     Bake 18-20 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan, and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

8.     Frosting:  Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add maple extract and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Gradually add pure maple syrup until frosting is stiff enough to pipe.  Add more sugar or syrup as needed to get the right consistency.

Source:  Cupcake Recipe from a Taste of the South Magazine