Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Saw these online and thought they were so stinking cute that I had to give them a try. Not only were they fun to look at, but they turned out pretty too! The recipe is posted at the end of the pictures. I dropped a Whopper into each cupcake before I baked them for an extra littl surprise:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the cupcakes:
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1½ cups malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
½ cup malted milk powder
4 tablespoons unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
5 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
*Chocolate Covered Malt Balls and Straws to garnish (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In a large mixer bowl, whip the butter and shorting for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Sprinkle in malted milk powder and cocoa powder. Whip for 1 minute. Slowly add the powdered sugar a few spoonful at a time, letting it incorporate until the frosting becomes thick and stiff.


Fill bag with the frosting and pipe large swirls on top of cupcakes. Top with candies and straw garnish. Enjoy!

Summer Time (almost) Fun!

It's finally hit the 70 degree mark in Eastern Washington so you know what that means...time to break out the slip 'n slide! Luke loves water so every afternoon it's out to the yard for some garden hose action. Even Maggie got in on the action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upside Down Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Lime cupcakes with a graham cracker crust, filled with lime curd and topped with graham cracker frosting and a sugared lime slice

 

I had a few limes lying around and decided to make some key lime pie cupcakes for a neighbor's barbeque. I couldn't find a recipe though that sounded quite right to me so I pieced a few together and came up with this. Let me just say--sooo good! I'm not a big fan of lime but these were so refreshing--the perfect combo of tart and sweet. I didn't quite thicken the curd enough so it was a bit runny but the flavor was amazing!

 

For the graham cracker crust, mix 1 cup crushed graham crackers with 3 tbsp melted butter and 3 tbsp sugar. Press into the bottom of 12-15 cupcake liners and bake at 325 for 10 minutes. In the mean time, prepare your cupcake batter.

CUPCAKES
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream •
Heat oven to 350
• In large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed 5 to 6 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg, 1 tablespoon lime peel and 1 teaspoon lime juice.
• In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• At low speed, beat sour cream into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture.
• Spoon batter into muffin pan, filling two-thirds full.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

LIME CURD

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 2 eggs, beaten

• Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in the top of a double boiler; stir over medium-high heat until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the eggs and stir to blend.
• Reduce heat to medium until water simmers. Slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Cook over the double boiler until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon into a clean, glass jar. Cover and refrigerate until completely cool.

GRAHAM CRACKER FROSTING

• 1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 C finely crushed graham crackers soaked in 1 cup heavy cream

• In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• Mix in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Note: You can add more if you prefer a stiffer consistency.
• Mix in vanilla extract.
• Fold in graham crackers.
• Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes

Yummy Yummy!

Here are the cupcakes I’ve done over the last couple weekends for the golf course and various get-togethers...enjoy!

 

Billy’s Vanilla, Vanilla cupcakes with (pink) vanilla buttercream frosting. You can view the recipe at http://52cupcakes.blogspot.com/2006/05/billys-vanilla-vanilla-cupcakes-with.html

 

Vanilla, Vanilla cupcake with dark chocolate buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache swirl.

 

Mochaccino Cupcakes with coffee buttercream frosting and a chocolate stick. Recipe available at http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/mochaccino-cupcakes/

 

 

Cherry-Almond Vanilla cupcakes with cherry-almond butter frosting. Recipe available at http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/cherry-almond-vanilla-cupcakes/

 

 

 

Ultimate Chocolate cupcake with chocolate ganache filling and creamy bittersweet chocolate frosting. Recipe at http://www.pink-parsley.com/2010/04/ultimate-chocolate-cupcakes.html
Parker really liked these ones and said that they were great because they were nice and chocolatey but not too sweet.

Red Velvet!

 
 
 

My favorite:)

 

Fun with our Son!

Enough about cupcakes! How about more on my adorably hilarious little boy? I wanted to take a few minutes to give an update on what’s been going on with our awesome son and post some fun new pics. In the last few days, Luke has started fake sneezing, saying EEE Mama (please Mama) and went to his first day of day care (sad face).

Day care went great for him and I only cried a little so overall we’ll call it a success. Parker and I decided that the socializing would be good for Luke and it would give me a day to really get some work done around the golf course. He is only going once a week on Fridays, which is perfect because I can get all the food prep done for the weekend. Carlene, the day care owner, said Luke was really well behaved, ate well and took a good nap. He only got fussy when he wanted to go outside (he does the same thing at home). She also said that in terms of adjustment, he was in the top 10% of all kids she’s had. That was really nice to hear and made me feel less guilty about handing him off to someone else.

We are also starting to wean him off his beloved binkie. During
a trip to Wal Mart sans binkie I found myself making a mad dash to the baby section, tearing open a package a of pacifiers and popping one right in his mouth… I get the feeling this is going to be a long and difficult process.

Here are some fun pics from the park today.

Luke and daddy being silly!

He climbed onto our neighbor's 4 wheeler

Really getting into his yogurt!

Luke loves his vegetables and I rarely fix him a meal different from what Parker and I are eating. However, I was pretty surprised when he tore into the spinach soufflé I made. I swear, he’s got the most refined palate of anyone I know.

Luke is the light of my life and amazes me every day with his humor, intelligence and sweetness. I am truly blessed:)