Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

I had some leftover pumpkin pie filling from making pumpkin chocolate chip muffins last week... I had the urge to bake tonight, and this is what came of it ;)

CUPCAKES:

Makes about 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or pie filling

FROSTING:

1 recipe Wilton class buttercream (substitute softened butter for the shortening, and add enough liquid to achieve desired consistency)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with oil or paper liners. 

2. Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together (or stir together with a fork ;). Set aside.

3. Beat oil and both kinds of sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next. Add pumpkin.

4. Alternate adding the flour mixture with adding the milk (part flour-mix, part milk, part flour-mix, etc...). Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Comments: There is a great story behind tonight's cupcakes. After they had come out of the oven, we got a knock on our apartment door. We opened it to a good-looking young man who had been playing with friends out in the sand volleyball court. He told us that the guys outside could smell my cupcakes from all the way out there at the volleyball court! He offered to come back later and help me frost them... and after he left, I submitted to my roommates that I should cook with spices more often!

But no, these were great. Nice and spicy, which was tamed nicely by the vanilla frosting. Boy and roomie approved :)

Credit: 

Cupcakes: This is kind of complicated... the original recipe is from user Javaru off allrecipes.com, although the recipe above varies significantly in some important ways. I decided to use many of the suggestions of the user Gwenith Lammers, who included her modifications in a rating/review after the original recipe. I also switched up the order and manner of steps involving mixing towards the end, based on what I've done with cupcake recipes out of Martha Stewart's cupcake book.

Frosting: Wilton , but the butter was my doing, as I am nearly out of shortening :)

Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

I found this originally on Pinterest and have been wanting to try it for a little while now... and I'm glad I did!


Makes 6-8 servings

4-6 boneless chicken breasts, frozen
1 bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup cornstarch
Water
5 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
6-8 servings instant white or brown rice

1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour bottle of BBQ sauce over chicken, then add the pineapple.

2. Close up crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours. I assembled the dish before I got ready for Church this morning, and it was done when I got home!

3. Begin preparing rice. I used instant, but if you plan ahead you can definitely use non-instant :)

4. The original recipe didn't call for this, but I saw when I came home that the liquid in the pot was more, um, liquidy than I personally wanted :P  I wanted to eat this over rice (like in the blog post) and have the sauce sit more on the rice rather than penetrate it, so I thickened it by stirring in a cornstarch/water mixture until the liquid's consistency more resembled a thin gravy. I also added some Tabasco sauce (also not in the original recipe) for a little extra kick (those who know me well will not be surprised by this ;).

5. Serve crock pot mixture over prepared rice and dig in!

Comments: Hooooo-wee! This was amazing. I had some small reservations about this dish initially (sweet and savory together doesn't always work for me) but I began craving it one night and had been intending to make it at some point... and wow! The flavor was lovely, the chicken was perfect, and it made my little apartment smell awesome. I will definitely make this again and gladly recommend it to you, my friends!

Credit: The Ellis' of Six Sisters' Stuff blog. I originally found the link through someone else's repin on Pinterest. Click here for the link to the original recipe and post.

Simple Beef Stroganoff

Hehe, so... I don't have a picture of this because I didn't think to take one until after everything but some leftover egg noodles were long gone! 


This is another dish from my growing up. It is super easy, quick, and relatively cheap to make. It is also delicious... considering my roots, that is no surprise! :) When you're up for something a little simpler one of these nights, give this one a whirl.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb egg noodles (I used extra-wide tonight)
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken
1 dollop sour cream
1/2 can water
Salt to taste

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles until al dente, then drain.

2. While the noodles are boiling, dash the (thawed or fresh) ground beef into little pieces in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little salt for flavor, and cook until well done.

3. Turn heat down to medium and add the can of cream of chicken, as well as the water. Whisk ingredients together until incorporated, and add the sour cream. Salt to taste. You should have something with a thick, gravy-like consistency. Serve over egg noodles.

Comments: I made this for our dinner group tonight and got great reviews! It is a tried-and-true comfort food, perfect for when you want something delicious but don't want to work a lot for it. I had forgotten how good this stuff is after not having made it in a while, but I'm glad I did! :)

Credit: My mom! <3

Better Than "[Anything]" Cake

Pardon the odd picture... I wasn't as willing to stage this one nicely cuz I was more interested in going upstairs and eating it! :P

Whilst walking around the BYU the other day, I was having visions of this cake. This cake of my growing up. When I went home this last weekend while Alicia and her wee one were in town, we decided to make it for our Sunday treat.

Goodness gracious.

Now, I'm sharin' the fun with you. Give her a shot. You won't be sorry!

Makes one 13 x 9 inch cake

1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared and baked according to box directions

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 jar caramel topping

1 bag Heath chips, plain or chocolate-coated

1 8 oz tub whipped topping

1. Prepare cake according to box directions. Allow to cool.

2. Poke holes into the cake, each hole being about an inch or so apart.

3. Stir together sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping. Pour the mixture over the holes in the cake, and set the cake in the fridge to soak for a couple hours or so.

4. Sprinkle half a bag of Heath chips over the cake. Spread whipped topping over entire cake, and sprinkle with remainder of Heath chips.

5. Set her back in the fridge for another hour or so, but, if you're not feeling the waiting period, it would probably be pretty great at this point too ;)

Comments: Ah, this cake... It is certainly rich, being saturated with the Eagle Brand milk/caramel mixture and topped with other sorts of glories... but I had no problem putting away a number of slices while I was home ;) Definitely a keeper for the sake of the sweet tooth!

Credit: My mom! I believe it is a family recipe, as her mom had called it "Better than Robert Redford Cake". There may be some slight variations from the original (for example, the placement of some of the Heath chips before frosting), but the integrity of the cake is definitely still there ;)

Whipped Cream-Stuffed Strawberries

I made these for a Shabbat dinner a few nights ago. They go over well with friends and they are a cinch to make, even when you are pressed for time! So pretty but so simple!

Makes about 16 finished strawberries

1 lb fresh strawberries
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons sugar

1. Wash strawberries. Cut the stem portion off, leaving a flat end to stand the strawberries on. With a sharp knife, cut each strawberry from its point almost to the base, but leave about 1/2 inch uncut at the base. Repeat with another perpendicular cut. Your cuts should look like this:

2. Prepare filling - (Preferably) using a cold bowl and cold beaters, beat cream, vanilla, and sugar on high speed until stiff. Put whipped cream into a plastic bag with a corner snipped off or a pastry bag. Pipe filling into each strawberry (some man-handling of strawberries to keep them sufficiently open may be required ;). Best served immediately, but they hold up quite well in the fridge.

Comments: So easy! They made up very pretty and were much enjoyed at the dinner. These would be great as an hors d'œuvre or part of a light dessert. I have also used them as decorations on a friend's birthday cake! And these are great for when you don't have a lot of time to spend but want to turn out something beautiful!

Credits: Based on the recipe "Stuffed Strawberries" by IMVINTAGE on Allrecipes.com. I did not use the filling given in the recipe.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Growing up, my mom would once in a while make a fabulous recipe for Pink Lemonade Cookies from an old Christmas cookie magazine. Over the years they had grown to become one of my favorites. Having their great taste in mind, I was pleased to see this recipe on Tasty Kitchen for Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. They promised "a tart, lemony punch", so I had to give them a shot. Here's the scoop:

CUPCAKES:
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (18 oz box)
3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 whole egg whites
Red food coloring, if desired

FROSTING (not the one used in the original recipe):

1 recipe Wilton Class Buttercream, with the following substitutions:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature for half of the shortening
Pink lemonade concentrate for the water (add until desired consistency is achieved. You may want to start thinning it down with another liquid if the flavor starts to become a bit too puckery for your tastes :)
Red food coloring, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and properly grease 24 muffin tins or prepare them with liners.
2. Combine all cupcake ingredients in an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed for another minute. Add food coloring to tint the batter pink, if desired.
3. Divide batter evenly, filling each tin about 2/3 full.
4. Bake cupcakes for about 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
5. Prepare frosting. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Comments: These are fun cupcakes! With the cake and frosting together, they have great flavor. I got the idea to insert the straws into the cupcakes from the recipe page I used. They are a crowd-pleaser!

So next time you spot pink lemonade concentrate for a buck in the supermarket, consider giving these a try! ;)

Credits:
CUPCAKES: sweettooth via Tasty Kitchen (recipe page here). I did not use the recipe given for the buttercream.
FROSTING: Wilton Class Buttercream by Wilton, with some modifications by yours truly :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Streusel Topping

A delicious (and surprisingly easy) summertime pie! I saw it on Tasty Kitchen and had to try it out...

FILLING:

2 3/4 cups sliced fresh rhubarb, about 5-6 medium stalks
2 cups sliced strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (one stick), cold and cut into small pieces
*1 unbaked single pie crust (store-bought or your favorite recipe)

Makes 8 servings

1. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium-large bowl. Mix well. Mixture should be thick and syrupy after this step.

2. Roll out pie crust per recipe or store-bought instructions and place in a 9 inch or a 9 1/2 inch pie plate. Pour filling into crust, using a large spoon to spread evenly.

3. For the filling, combine flour and brown sugar in a small (I'd actually suggest medium) bowl. Cut butter into pieces and cut the butter into the flour/brown sugar mixture with two knives or a pastry cutter. It should have the consistency of coarse crumbs when you are finished. Sprinkle the crumbs over the rhubarb/strawberry mixture.

4. Place pie plate on a rimmed cookie sheet (this step is important ;) and into a 400 degree oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, covering the edges with foil halfway through to prevent overbrowning of the crust.

5. Let the pie cool completely before serving. Serve with freshly whipped cream, if desired (highly recommended ;)

*This is the crust I used (and the one I use for any pie that asks a pastry crust). A family recipe!
Makes 2 crusts

1 cup shortening
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
(1 1/2 cups ice water + 1 tablespoon vinegar) 6-7 tablespoons of ice water mixture

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Add water gradually, cutting it into the dough after every 1-2 tablespoonful addition. Roll out onto floured surface after dough barely comes together.

Comments: This pie is GREAT. The rhubarb packs a lotta punch without being totally overwhelming, thanks to the sugar and strawberries. And the streusel topping totally makes it.

Rave reviews from roommates and friends. Try it! :D

Credit:

PIE: Melanie of Mel's Kitchen Cafe via Tasty Kitchen. The recipe is pretty much the same... I just copied it in somewhat different wording  :)    

*CRUST: Recipe from my mom, who believes it is originally from her grandma, Delsa Hill Beck :) I may have put a little spin on the instructions over time (my hand-written ones were scant!), but I think the integrity is still there ;)