Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

I haven't participated in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club for many months, but I wanted to make cupcakes the other day and the choice for this month seemed perfect- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes.

You can find the recipe HERE.

I made 1/4 of the cupcake recipe and ended up with 6 cupcakes. I made 1/2 of the 7 minute frosting recipe and got to use some of the egg whites that have been hanging out in my freezer.
I thought the meringue-like frosting was perfect for these cinnamon-y, but not too sweet cupcakes. My kids loved this combination and so did my husband. I had extra frosting, so I piped it onto a plate in little shapes ( it didn't take long for little fingers to find these little mounds).

You can find these cupcakes all over the internet with lots of different frosting choices- I have seen them with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and different types of buttercream, but I think that the 7 minute frosting compliments them perfectly. Of course, if you don't like meringue or marshmallows, you would probably want to choose a different frosting option.

To see who else made this month's cupcake, go to MS: Cupcake's Club!

MSC-Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

This month's MSC Cupcake- Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, was chosen by Megan over at My Baking Adventures.
I wanted to point out that the cupcake above is NOT Martha's recipe, but a recipe that I found in Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine a couple of years ago, for Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.
I posted about these twice before- you can read more about them HERE.

I debated trying Martha's recipe too, since the RR one's were a complete hit- but I didn't have anywhere to take them or anyone to share them with and when I compared the recipes side by side- they were almost identical.
So, I guess in a way I am cheating, because I didn't really make this month's cupcake, but I thought these were close enough that they could count.

The version I did make were so delicious and quite a hit with all those who tasted them. I don't often repeat dessert recipes, but these were so good that I have made them more than once.

Check out the MSC Blogroll to see everyone else's results!

Recipe for Lemon Meringue Cupcakes in Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine

Martha's Recipe for Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

MSC- S'mores Cupcakes

This month's MSC cupcake choice- S'mores Cupcakes, was chosen by yours truly.
It isn't as easy to choose an item to bake for a group like this as it may seem.

I debated for awhile. I really wanted to choose the Rhubarb Cupcakes with Whipped Cream (pg 33), but I haven't seen any fresh rhubarb yet this season and some fruit choices cause more debate than other things. The Bluberries-and-Cream Cupcakes (pg 42) also looked really good and the Iced Pistachio Cupcakes (pg68) made their way into my choice list too. There were others, but in the end, it all came down to the 1 cupcake that caught my eye the first time I flipped through this book.

I have this thing with graham crackers, which I have mentioned before, which is- I cannot have them in my house because I will eat them all. I never buy them, unless I know that I am going to be using all of them in a recipe, or if I am willing to sacrifice an entire meals calorie allotment on a package of graham crackers, dipped in milk. I know I have a problem and therefore I avoid the item which causes a complete lack of self-control.
I was curious about a cupcake that actually tastes like a S'more.
The marshmallow frosting looked billowy and yummy and so, this is my pick.

I made them yesterday for our Valentine's Day dessert. I skipped the frosting called for, simply because it said that it would harden if not used/served immediately and I knew I had to make and assemble these a few hours before we would eat them.
I also made a ganache with milk chocolate, to keep the flavors true to an actual S'more and used chocolate chips, instead of chopped chocolate and cream. No corn syrup. On the first try, the ganache was too thin, so I tried again with less cream, until the consistency was spreadable.

I also used the marshmallow topping that we used for the Sweet Potato Cupcakes a couple of months ago, which is simply broiling little piles of mini marshmallows and transferring them to the top of the cupcakes.

I made half the recipe and ended up with 9 cupcakes and 15 mini cupcakes.
Please ignore the Halloween cupcake liners- I ran out of plain ones and didn't know it until it was too late.

My 3 yr old and I tasted the cupcakes without the chocolate and marshmallows and they were really good.
I am definitely going to make these again when I can serve them immediately and try out the frosting called for. I took them to a family dinner and everyone enjoyed them. I thought that they really tasted like a s'more, which is the whole point. I was pleasantly surprised.

Go to the MSC Blogroll to see everyone else's thoughts on these!

MSC- Coconut Cupcakes

It's that day of the month again, the day we celebrate Cupcakes!
This months MSC selection-Coconut Cupcakes, was chosen by Jennifer over at Cinema Cupcakes.
I decided to make these, as well as some Red Velvet Cupcakes (which I will post on the 20th for The Cake Slice) when I made dessert, as part of dinner, for the local homeless shelter.
I didn't have to cut the recipe in 1/2 or anything, because I needed as many cupcakes as I could get.
I got 24 cupcakes from the full recipe.
The recipe can be found on page 28-29 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.
The recipe calls for a 7-minute frosting, flavored with coconut extract, but that isn't my favorite frosting and since I was making red velvet cupcakes too, I decided to make 1 frosting that would be good with both. I decided on cream cheese frosting.
I ran to the store to pick up a few items for the dishes I was making for dinner, to serve at the homeless shelter and forgot cream cheese. Smart, I know.
Well, time was running out and I had the ingredients for Martha's Fluffy Vanilla Frosting, which is also found in the cupcake book, so I just used that for both cupcakes.

I didn't taste even a bite of these, but I let my son try one unfrosted and he said it was "Amazing!".
They received many compliments that night, so I think they are a winner.
Check out the MSC Blogroll to see what everyone else thought of these!

MSC-Gingerbread Cupcakes

(TWD is posted beneath this MSC post)

This month's MSC Cupcake was chosen by Kayte who blogs over at Grandma's Kitchen Table. We don't post the recipes for this group, but you can read more about her pick by going to this post.
You can find the recipe by turning to page 246 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

This cupcake definitely has the flavor of gingerbread, all the right spices.
It is supposed to be topped with Fluffy Vanilla Frosting, but I made a lemon glaze instead.
My mom used to make gingerbread this time of year when I was growing up and it always was served with a lemon sauce, so I tried to recreate that flavor combination.

These cupcakes were also topped with optional Gingerbread Cutouts. I was a little cookie-d out when I made these last week, so I skipped those and used Chocolate Covered Candy Coated Sunflower Seeds to top my cupcakes instead.

I found these cute little containers of the candy sunflower seeds that looked like Christmas lights at Cracker Barrel and decided they were a fun little prop. Plus, the candy sunflower seeds are really yummy.
After I had just sprinkled them on, I realized I could have made little shapes or wreaths on my cupcakes or whatever I felt like, with the sunflower seeds.

These cupcakes were the perfect pick for December. The perfect flavor and everything for this time of year!

Go to the MSC Blogroll to see what everyone else thought about these cupcakes and to see some great decorating!

MSC Bonus- Applesauce Spice Cupcakes

I decided to do the Bonus recipe for MSC (Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club) yesterday morning. I made 1/4 of the recipe and I got 6 cupcakes.
I would have to say these turned out more like muffins because I decided to use whole wheat flour and they already had applesauce in them.
I upped the spices and instead of adding toasted pecans at the end to the batter, I decided to add gingersnap cookie crumbs that were leftover from the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake that I made for Thanksgiving.
I also skipped the frosting because I was going for a muffin type breakfast item. I just dusted them with a little bit of powdered sugar.
My sister was very happy about these cupcake/muffins and they did seem a healthier than a normal cupcake.

To see who else made this month's bonus cupcake, check out the MSC Blog. You can find the recipe on page 55 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes or here, where they are called muffins :)

MSC-Candied Sweet Potato Cupcakes

This months MS: Cupcakes Club cupcake was chosen by Karen, who blogs over at Karen's Cookies, Cakes and More.
Karen chose the Candied Sweet Potato Cupcakes for November. You can find the recipe on page 243 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.
These cupcakes are a play off of a popular Thanksgiving side dish, which combines sweet potatoes, pecans, and marshmallows. I am not really familiar with it because we never had it growing up, but I know those are the 3 ingredients.

The cupcake uses sweet potato puree from roasted sweet potatoes and since I knew quite awhile ago that this cupcake was coming up, I froze the leftover sweet potato puree I had from these Sweet Potato Biscuits, so I wouldn't have the extra step of roasting sweet potatoes (even though it isn't that difficult to roast a sweet potato, I planned ahead).
I made 1/4th of the recipe, which ended up being 6 cupcakes. I simplified the cupcake a step further by not making the candied pecans. I just toasted pecan halves in the oven and used those to top my cupcakes.
I was very skeptical about the marshmallow topping. The instructions said to make mounds of mini marshmallows, broil them, and then carefully transfer them to the tops of the cupcakes. I did just what it said and was amazed that perfect little browned mounds of marshmallows came out of the oven.
I quickly transferred the marshmallow mounds to the cupcakes and stuck a toasted pecan half into the warm topping. Perfect.
I upped the nutmeg in the cupcake and had a taste, which was wonderful.
I let my kids try one and they loved the marshmallow topping. I am definitely going to use the marshmallow topping in the future for all sorts of cupcakes. So easy and so cute. Just perfect.
I shared a couple with my hubby's co-workers and they were really well liked.
I think these would make a great addition to Thanksgiving as a dessert or even as a side!
Check out the MSC Blogroll for lots of great cupcakes!

MSC- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

It's time for another round of Martha Stewart: Cupcakes Club! This month's cupcake was chosen by Kim over at What the Whisk.
She went with a seasonal pick-Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes. The recipe can be found on pg. 236 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. I looked online to see if I could find this particular recipe anywhere and I was not successful. There is a recipe online, but it is different from the one in the book that we used.

I was excited to try these because I love anything made with pumpkin-sweet or savory. The recipe said it yielded 32 cupcakes, but Martha's recipes always make more than they say, so I made 1/4 of the recipe. It was easy to cut into 1/4ths and I still ended up with 9 cupcakes.

These little guys are supposed to be frosted with Martha's Cream Cheese Frosting, but I happened to make some Halloween sandwich cookies on the same day and used the frosting from the cookies to top the cupcakes. (I will have a link to the frosting when I post about those cookies.)

I also added a little bit of pumpkin puree and some spices to some of the frosting for a couple of the cupcakes.
We were supposed to make cute little pumpkins out of marzipan to top these, but since I didn't really have anywhere to take them, I skipped out on that step.

Overall, I thought these were good cupcakes. Nice flavor and texture.
Go and see the cute creations that the other MSC Bakers made by checking out the MSC Blogroll!
One Year Ago-Lunchbox

Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberries or Pistachio-Raspberry Teacakes

When I was growing up, my grandparents had a large garden. They grew everything imaginable. Every fruit and vegetable there is. They lived fairly close to us, so we spent weekends helping them pick and harvest different things.
One of the jobs I remember most was picking raspberries. They had tons of raspberry bushes and to get all the fruit, we would spend hours out in the raspberry patch. We would end up with lots of berries and lots of scratches.
Not exactly the most exciting way to spend a Saturday morning when you are a 5 year old, but I have fond memories.

The best part about the garden was having a never-ending supply of fresh fruits and vegetables that tasted wonderful because they were ripe, in-season, and fresh. I could go on all day about the delicious dishes my mom used to make us growing up that were so good for you and simply tasty.
One of the problems with having all that fresh produce during your growing up years is that you become accustomed to what fruits and vegetables are supposed to taste like when they are ripe and in-season. It becomes very difficult to find produce that tastes that good all the time.
Raspberries are definitely one of those things that I haven't really been able to enjoy very often, because they just don't taste like my grandpas did right off the bush!
That is the reason I made these cupcakes/ teacakes. I saw some raspberries that were a fairly decent price, so I grabbed a couple containers of them. Sub-par in the flavor department.
I decided they might be better in a baked good. I was thinking muffin or cupcake. I found this pistachio-raspberry combination in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, searched for the recipe on her website and discovered that it had 2 different names.
On the website these are called Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberries and in the cupcake book they are called Pistachio-Raspberry Teacakes.
I think the Teacakes name suits them better as they aren't very cupcake-like, in texture, but feel free to call them whatever you want.
I halved the recipe, tooked them to a dinner at my mother-in-laws, and they were enjoyed. A couple of people took an extra one for the next mornings' breakfast, so I guess these are kinda muffin-like too.
Whatever you want to call them- they were a success. They are easy to mix up and my tart raspberries tasted great in these.

I wonder if I am going to plant myself a raspberry bush.

Recipe for Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberries

One Year Ago-Weekly Lunchbox

MSC- Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

I knew I was going to have a giveaway involving Hello, Cupcake! and I also knew that I needed to make the Zucchini Spice Cupcakes for MSC (Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club) so I decided to combine the two tasks.
Tracey chose this months selection, and I thought it was delicious. Head over to Tracey's blog, Tracey's Culinary Adventures, to see her beautiful pictures and make sure you take some time to look around- she always has delicious meals and treats to share.

I made half of the recipe for these cupcakes and since I was making sharks out of most of them, I decided not to make the cream cheese frosting and to just sprinkle them with powdered sugar instead. I didn't realize that I didn't have any lemon zest, until I was mixing up the batter, so I used lime and it actually worked really well. I also replaced half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. I used pecans instead of walnuts because I like them better.

These cupcakes smelled fabulous while baking and the whole house was filled with a warm, spice smell. They were nice and moist and the flavors were wonderful. A great way to use up zucchini, if you have some to use or just a nice after school treat or anytime treat, really. Truly delicious.

Make your way over to the MSC Blogroll and I am sure you will see lots of tasty cupcakes with beautifully piped frosting!
And if you don't have a copy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, go get one!
Recipe for Zucchini Spice Cupcakes on Erin's Food Files

One Year Ago- His and Her's Nachos and Red Velvet Cupcakes-2 ways

MS: Cupcake Club (MSC)- Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cupcakes

MSC started as an idea by Sugar B- she had bought Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Cookbook and she sent out a plea;
she had owned it a month and not a cupcake had been made, she need motivation and a gameplan (we all joined in!);
we decided to bake 1 cupcake a month starting with these delicious, chocolate mini-cupcakes, filled with salted-caramel (don't be scared of this part- watch it close and act fast!), topped with satiny dark chocolate frosting and a sprinkle of sea salt;
I made 1/4th of the recipe and they disappeared fast- go check out Sugar B's blog for the Blogroll of MSC!


You can find the recipe HERE or on page 148 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes


One Year Ago- Cheesecake Pops, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, and Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars