Christmas Cupcakes

 After much debate as to how to decorate my Christmas themed cupcakes I finally settled on using vanilla cupcakes with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream. I didn't do anything fancy with the frosting I just spread it on. To top the frosting I dipped some in coconut and some in white sanding sugar. I then used candy spearmint leaves and little shortbread I had baked and cut into tiny snowmen to top them. The amazing reindeer pulling the sleigh were a gift to me from a family member at thanksgiving. I love them and think they are just adorable, they came in a little kit with pretty cupcake liners too.  The cupcakes are made of my favorite vanilla cake from the book More from Magnolia by Allysa Torrey. Her cupcakes are some of the most reliable and I use her vanilla and chocolate all the time. I also used an amazing shortbread recipe that I've been using for years, especially around Christmas time. Every year in my neighborhood we bake cookies for all of the neighbors and my shortbread are always a hit!
Here's the recipe from The Family Baker by Susan G. Purdy:
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.(not soft), cut up
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. in a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and confectioner's sugar until smooth and well blended.  Sift on flour and salt just until the dough forms large clumps.
3. Turn the dough out onto a counter (not floured). And use your lightly floured hands to gather into a ball. To keep  shortbread tender, it's important not to overhandle it.
4.  Using a rolling pin roll out dough until about 1/4- 3/4 inch thick(depending on your personal preference, I usually make them about 1/2 inch thick)  and using cookie cutters of your choice shape and place on a cookie sheet. (I like to use simple shapes like stars and hearts).
5. Dust with sanding sugar if desired and bake for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie cutter, cookies should be lightly golden so keep an eye on them as they bake.
6. Cool 2-3 minutes un pan before removing them with a spatula onto a cooling rack to cool completely ( cookies should be totally cooled before eating
Enjoy!
The Family Baker: 150 Never-Let-You-Down Basic Recipes

Coffee Cake Streusel Cupcake Muffins

 I made these muffins for our new neighbors and they loved them.  I kept some for my family and they vanished in record time!  These muffins have a cinnamon and dark brown sugar streusel baked in a yummy cake topped with a milk glaze drizzle. They are perfect for brunch as they may be too sweet for some (definitely not me!) to have for breakfast. These cupcake muffins (I decided they are somewhere between the two, which is why I use the two names interchangeably throughout this recipe) are everyone's favorite because muffin-lovers and cupcake-lovers alike enjoy these tasty treats!  I love giving them to people and watching as they take a bite into the moist cake dotted with cinnamon streusel pieces. The milk glaze to me is key because it makes it special because not only does it taste good but it makes the cupcakes look so amazing and cute! I love that this recipe from Cupcakes by Martha Stewart is so quick and easy, you can make the streusel and then use it when you need it. I personally like to make it the night before and chill it over night. I lay out my ingredients and then in the morning just mix them up and throw them in the oven and you've got fresh baked muffins!

Recipe for Coffee Cake Streusel Muffins:

Streusel Ingredients:
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup all-purpous flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cut in small pieces
Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpous flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Milk Glaze Ingredients:
1-1/2 confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1. To Make the Streusel: In a medium bowl stir together brown sugar, flour and salt.  With a pastry blender or your finger tips (or two small knives) knead the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate at least a half hour before using.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the muffin tins with butter. To Make the Muffins: Whisk together four, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Stir in vanilla by hand.
4. Add flour mixture and sour cream and stir until just combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly among cups. Sprinkle with half of the streusel and lightly press it into the batter. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the cupcakes and bake for about 20 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean, rotating half way through.
6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Whisk together the milk and confectioner's sugar, making sure that there are no clumps, use immediately. Once completely cooled drizzle the milk glaze over the cupcakes. These muffins will keep for 3-4 days after being glazed at room temperature in an airtight container. They can be frozen in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks before being glazed.

Peach Tart with Almond Crust

This peach tart has a delicious buttery almond crust topped with toasted almonds. It is easy to make and doesn't take too long but there is some planning ahead of time required. I learned that the best peaches to buy are Southern and not those from California when eating them plain, but this tart is perfect to use up any unwanted peaches. The almonds are used all over the tart, in the crust, with the peaches and on top. The almonds give the tart a unique flavor beyond sweet peaches and buttery crust as well as adding a bit of a crunch! When I served the tart I topped it off with a dollop of vanilla ice cream from my favorite place, Four Seas Ice Cream in Centerville, Cape Cod.  I baked this tart last night for a dinner party for my parents and it's so good they asked me to bake another for the World Cup barbecue tonight!
Peach Tart with Almond Crust Recipe:
Serves 6 to 8 people
Read through entire recipe and instructions before starting.
Ingredients:
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
2 tablespoons peach preserves
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 tablespoons lemon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 table spoons unsalted butter, diced
1 pint vanilla ice cream (optional- but I definitely recommend it!)
Directions:
Crust:
1. Butter a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom (I used a spring form pan and it worked just as well)
2. Coarsely grind almonds in food processor, add flour and sugar and process until nuts are finely ground
3. Add butter and pulse until combined.
4. Pour egg yolk and vanilla and mix until large clumps are formed
5. Press dough evenly onto bottom and cover and freeze for 30 minutes
6. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown about 15- 20 minutes and pierce bottom with a fork if crust bubbles. Remove from oven and cool crust 5- 10 minutes
Filling:
1. Spread preserves evenly over bottom once crust has cooled for 5 minutes.
2. Coarsely chop 4 tablespoons of the almonds and sprinkle across bottom of tart
3. Arrange peaches in an overlapping spiral pattern in shell, and sprinkle them with sugar and then lemon zest
4. Dot with butter and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons almonds over top
5. Bake until peaches are tender, about 35 minutes.
6. Tart is best served warm or room temperature (my preference is warm) with ice cream, if desired.
Recipe from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking by Betty Rosbottom

Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream and Fresh Raspberries

I baked lemon cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and topped them with fresh raspberries and blueberries, the perfect red white and blue! I made them for a Fourth of July celebration and they were a HUGE hit! Everyone loved them and they all got eaten. I love their lemony flavor and the cake is moist with a golden top. Raspberries are the perfect addition because they look cute and taste delicious with lemon cake. I used a simple vanilla buttercream that is nice and stiff so it's great for piping, but easy and quick to make. Everyone had one (or more) because they are simply too good to resist! I even tried baking in raspberries in two of them so that made for a fun (and yummy) surprise for the lucky ones who picked them!

The Lemon Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temp.
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line standard muffin tins with papers
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. With an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in zest and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with lemon juice and buttermilk until each is combined.
5. Divide batter evenly among cups.
6. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a tester comes out clean when inserted. About 25 minutes.
7. Cool cupcakes on wire rack and decorate them however you like!
Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes by Martha Stewart.- This book is a must for any lover of cupcake baking!

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Directions:
1. Cream butter and shortening with an electric hand mixer (or bowl with whisk attachment) and add vanilla.
2. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time while beating.
3. Add milk and beat until light and fluffy on medium speed.
4. Cover with a damp paper towel until used. Buttercream can be saved in a freezer for up to two weeks.
www.wiltons.com is a great website for frosting recipes!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I made chocolate cupcakes with swiss meringue buttercream. The swiss meringue is tricky but worth it because it looks cute and is nice and stiff for different frosting piping designs. I have some pictures of these absolutely amazing chocolate cupcakes with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream and decorated and piped in peaks. These chocolate cupcakes are definitely a must try, so light and fluffy and tasty!
Recipe for the cake:
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, 4 large eggs, 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup buttermilk( 1 tablespoon lemon and a cup milk will make the buttermilk just allow it to set for at least 15 minutes before use), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer cream butter and then add sugars and mix for about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add the chocolate (I find using a double boiler the best way to melt the chocolate. Melt for about 5-10 minutes until completely melted and hen allow to cool for 5 minutes). Add the dry ingredients in three parts alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Put into lined cupcake tins makes about 2 dozen. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Recipe from More from Magnolia by Allysa Torey.