Week 41, November 9, 2014 ~ Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cupcakes

I guess this cupcake is similar to the first pumpkin cupcake I made ( the pumpkin praline cupcakes) but I don't care because pumpkin cupcakes are delicious! The cake is my go to pumpkin cupcake recipe. Then it is filled with pecan pie filling and topped with a pumpkin spice mascarpone whipped cream. Since is a heavier cupcake I wanted to top them with a lighter frosting. Then I topped with with pecans leftover from the filling. For the filling I baked a crust less pecan pie and once it cooled a little bit I filled the cupcakes with it. 

The recipe makes 24 cupcakes

- 1C karo light corn syrup

- 1C sugar

- 3 eggs, well beaten

- 2 tbsp butter, melted

- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

- 1 1/2 C pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix all the ingredients except for the pecans with a spoon and then fold in pecan halves

3. Pour mixture into a pie pan and bake for 60 minutes.

4. Let cool on a wire rack while preparing the cupcakes.

For the Pumpkin Cake

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
2. In the mixer, cream together the sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. 
3. Add the flour mixture and blend until well incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and make sure it's all mixed in.
4. Fill cupcake tins 2/3rds full.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.
6. Core the cupcakes and fill with a tablespoon or so of filling. Reserve some of the pecans from the edges of the pie pan to garnish the cupcakes.

For the Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream:

• 12 oz Mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• splash of vanilla
• 3/4 cup of sugar

1. in a bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Gradually increase the speed over a few seconds till on medium-high.  Slowly pour in the sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form--this should not take more than a minute or 2...gradually lower the speed until you turn off the mixer.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the pecans.

Week 36, October 6, 2014 ~ Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

These have quite possibly ruined pumpkin pie for me, and everyone knows I love pumpkin pie. These are just so much better. I usually only eat 1 or 2 of the cupcakes I make but I am pretty sure I ate about 6 this week. They are like blending pumpkin pie together with whipped cream with just a little bit of tang. The crust is a pecan gingersnap crust and they are topped with a vanilla mascarpone whipped cream. 

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes:

For the crust:

• 16 gingersnap cookies
• 2 graham cracker rectangle
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake tin or spray with nonstick spray.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind all ingredients for crust, except for melted butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add melted butter and process until mixture resemble wet sand. 3.Press mixture by the tablespoon into each cup. Bake for 10 minutes.

For Cheesecake:

• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened well
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger until no clumps of sugar remain. 

2. Add cream cheese to mixer, then pour sugar mixture over cream cheese and blend together until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time. Blend in pumpkin and vanilla, then mix in heavy cream. Tap bowl forcefully against countertop to release some of the excess air bubbles.

3. Divide mixture over crust in muffin liners, filling nearly full. Bake in preheated oven until nearly set, about 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack at room temperature, 30 minutes. Then transfer to refrigerator and chill 3 hours until set. 

For the Vanilla Bean Mascarpone:

• 8 oz Mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup of sugar

1. in a bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream and vanilla bean. Gradually increase the speed over a few seconds till on medium-high.  Slowly pour in the sugar. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form--this should not take more than a minute or 2...gradually lower the speed until you turn off the mixer.
2. Frost cupcakes 
   

Sticky Apple Bacon Pumpkin Biscuit Bake

OK so this isn't a cupcake but it is a delicious fall treat that the world should not be deprived of experiencing! and I can barely maintain 1 blog I am not about to start 2 for non cupcake things and who knows what this will evolve into once my year of cupcakes is over... Unfortunately I didn't think take a picture of these as a whole so I apologize for the subpar photo. This photo does not accurately convey there deliciousness. Yes I am aware that they look like a big pile of you know what; but don't all the best tasting things look like that?  These are pretty much perfect for everything. They would make a good breakfast or a good dessert with a whipped cream or ice cream. But i guess I should probably tell you what they even are...these are pumpkin drop biscuits with apple and cheddar with a bacon praline topping. These are the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The bacon and cheddar balances out the apple and sweet maple topping, and the pumpkin meets everything somewhere in the middle. While they are perfectly good cold they are best served warm!

This recipe fills 2 round foil casseroles tins. These worked well because the dough rises a decent amount. Spray whatever you use with nonstick spray

For the Sticky Topping:

• 1 pound of Bacon cut into small bits, cooked
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
•  4 Tbs of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of pecan pieces

1. Preheat oven to 475.
2. Mix your syrup ingredients together and spread over the bottom of the pans. 

For the Biscuits:

• 4 cups All-purpose Flour 
• 3 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cups Cold Butter Cubed 
• 1 1/3 cups Buttermilk 
• 1 can (15oz)  Pumpkin Puree 
• 1 large or 2 small apples--I used honey crisp 
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

1. In a large bowl whisk together your dry ingredients. Work butter into the mixture using a pastry blender until you get pea sized bits. Mix in buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
2. With a cookie/ice cream scoop drop mounds on top of the Syrup mixture.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes or so and then flip onto a plate and scoop whatever topping that stayed in the pan onto to top of the biscuits. 
4. Pull apart and eat them all!! or share...

Week 32, September 8,2014 ~ Pumpkin Praline Cupcake

This could quite possibly be the PERFECT fall cupcake! This was my kick off to the "I wanna bake all the fall things" season. If fall was a flavor it would taste like this cupcake. It is a upside down pumpkin pecan cupcake with a praline topping and cinnamon mascarpone whipped cream. If you only make one pumpkin dessert this season MAKE IT THIS CUPCAKE!!! you won't regret it! This definitely won't be the last pumpkin cupcake I bake this season! If you want to take these cupcakes to a whole other level you could definitely add bacon to the praline mixture! but maybe thats just me!

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 and either spray the muffin tin with non stick spray or line with foil liners for less mess!

For the praline topping:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Place butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small saucepan on the stove.  Heat on medium heat until butter is completely melted and ingredients are combined.  
2. Take off stove and stir in pecans.  Distribute praline mixture evenly amongst the liners.

For the Pumpkin Pecan Cupcake:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 can pumpkin puree (freeze the rest in a baggie for next time!)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
2. In the mixer, cream together the sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. 
3. Add the flour mixture and blend until well incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and make sure it's all mixed in.
4. Put a large spoonful of pumpkin cake batter in each muffin tin on top of the praline mixture. Make sure to only fill the cupcakes 2/3rds full or the praline mixture will bubble over and get messy. But its not the end of the world if this happens.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.

For the Cinnamon Mascarpone Whipped Cream:

• 8 oz Mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• splash of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of sugar

1. in a bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Gradually increase the speed over a few seconds till on medium-high.  Slowly pour in the sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form--this should not take more than a minute or 2...gradually lower the speed until you turn off the mixer.
2. Frost cupcakes and try not to eat all of them!