Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

For the birthday of a co-worker which happened to fall on the same day as our organization’s Holiday social, I volunteered to make a baked good. I immediately steered toward the suggestion of cupcakes, and as I am new and do not know the co-worker well began both suggesting holiday flavors as well as asking for help selecting a flavor. Everyone was intrigued by my new favorite online cook, Annie Eat’s, and the sound of her Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes. So here I am recreating them:

I started with these quality ingredients:

I put all the dry ingredients, save the sugars, into a bowl. They seemed happy to be together:

After mixing, there was peace and love:

I joined the wet ingredients together in a heat-safe liquid measuring cup:

I put the sugars and butter into the mixer bowl:

And creamed them together:

Beautiful batter:

Then I added everything together to make a beautifully rich mocha batter:

I fill my cupcake wells very full because I just LOVE the way the cupcakes “muffin-top” over the sides of the (once festively beautiful) papers:

As they cooled, I set about to making the Swiss merengue buttercream icing. I started with these fine ingredients:

I set the mixer bowl in a pot of boiling water on the stovetop and used a food thermometer to ensure that they reached the appropriate temperature:

Then I whipped the heck out of them:

Then I added literally the most butter I’ve ever put in something:

There were about 400 comments on the original recipe and the corresponding pieces on Swiss merengue buttercream (or SMBC as Annie Eat’s calls it) about this either coming together perfectly or not coming together at all. As the original author of the recipe states, it is, like many a recipe, all about following the recipe and having patience. I had no problem getting a rich buttery icing:

I tried to create her rich swirled technique but was not using the best coloring. I have upgraded for the future and am eager to try out something else in need of vibrant icing. The mini candycanes really sold it for my co-workers. These were an instant hit:

YUM!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Yields: 18 cupcakes

I gathered these quality ingredients:

(for the cupcakes)

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup milk

(for the apple filling)

4 tbsp. salted butter

2 tsp. cinnamon

2-3 tbsp. sugar

4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

Spray-on vanilla icing 

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, I sifted together the cake flour, baking powder and salt:


Today’s baking was brought to you by the number eleven, portrayed here by the butter and sugar:

After their sponsorship photoshoot, I creamed them together on medium-high speed in my Kitchen-Aid until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes: 

This recipe suits step-by-step photography well as the next instruction is to add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. So here is a photo before each egg was beat in.

Egg #1:

Egg #2:

Egg #3:

Egg #4:

I added the vanilla extract and began alternating between adding the milk and the dry ingredients:

Soon I had a rich batter:

I overfilled the cupcakes tins. I always do. Some of the cupcakes were still not as full and fluffy as I like them. This beauty shows that some did come out quite nice though:

Next, to make the apple filling, I melted the butter in my big frying pan over medium heat:

Once it was melted, I added the cinnamon and sugar (have to admit here I was afraid for my pan, but it’s T-Fal and it came out ok):

The recipe I built this off of used only 2 tbsp. of butter and the cinnamon mix was really thick for this heart photo:

I ended up throwing in another 2 tbsp. of butter before I added these apples:

They mixed up quite nicely: 

I cooked them for about 10 minutes, they were tender and delicious. I set them aside to cool:


While they cooled I cored the cupcakes:

They were so adorable: (and the middles tasted goooood too!)

Once the apple mix was cooled, I spooned it into the cupcakes: 

These babies were sooo good, I don’t feel inclined to share them with anyone!:

Cinnamon Buns

So I used to work in the mall. And I would shop at the Cinnabon location...three, maybe four times a week. I know that's excessive, but know you're own body and I'm thin and healthy and that's the past, so so-be-it. Anyway, one day about 6 months ago, I showed up to buy my bun and the place was gone! All this time later and there's still nothing there in its' place and here I am bun-less and sad.

I have made Cinnabon brand copycat recipes (and bought the Pillsbury Cinnabon products) before but nothing is the same. I haven't really experimented with any recipes that didn't claim to be copycat-ing the national chain before now, but as the last post mentioned my yeast stockpile, I came across this recipe and gave it a whirl. 

In the end it was a lot of work and was....semi worth the effort. With repetition this recipe could be perfected to yield some tasty tasty treats.

4 Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

(for the dough)

1/2 C warmed milk (microwave approx. 4 min.)

1 egg

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 1/4 c flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 c white sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon yeast

(for smearing on the dough)
1/4 c brown sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
half a container of cinnamon 

(for the icing)

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Instructions:

Put all dough ingredients into mixing bowl. Using dough hook, mix on medium speed until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Use well-floured hands to pat into a ball. Return to mixing bowl to rest for fifteen minutes.

After resting, roll dough out onto a floured surface into a rectangle. Rub the softened butter on it evenly. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, spread liberally across the dough.

Roll into a log, slice into four and transfer buns to a plate. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, bake the buns for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

While they’re baking prepare the icing by putting butter and flour into mixing bowl, sifting powdered sugar in and using whisk attachment at high speed slowly add hot water one tablespoon at a time until icing forms.

Spread icing over hot rolls and enjoy. 

So, I started with these quality ingredients:

I melted the two tablespoons of butter for the dough mixture:

A shot of all the dough ingredients just before mixing:

My dough ball, while resting:

I rolled the dough out:

I spread the soft (but not melted) butter on it:

I spread the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over that:

I rolled it up into a log:

And I had fun taking a few photos before I put them on the plate to refrigerate overnight:

In the morning I whipped up the icing.

Check out this killer action shot as I sifted the powdered sugar:

And once the icing was spread atop the warm buns, they were irresistible and cried out to be eaten, so, naturally, I obliged.

The end. Yum-a-roo!