Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for the ‘Cupcakes’ Category

Don’t be fooled, these are not banana muffins!  This is a light, fluffy and sweet banana cupcake!  Perfect for a Sunday brunch, baby shower, or any time you’re looking for a delicious treat!

You can frost these however you like.  I’ve tried a cream cheese frosting and a chocolate frosting, and both were amazing!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, bananas and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.

Ingredients:
24 Halloween Themed Baking Cups
1 package (about 18 oz.) chocolate cake mix (or use your favorite flavor)
1 tub (16 oz.) vanilla ready-to-spread frosting (or use cream cheese flavor)
- green food color
- black string licorice
- green gumdrops
12 chocolate sandwich cookies (we use Oreos or Newman’s Own Organic)
24 chocolate sugar ice cream cones
1 cup semi-sweet melted chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Get out a few muffin pans and line 24 of the muffin cups with the paper Halloween themed baking cups. Preheat oven to the temperature indicated on the cake mix package for 24 cupcakes.

2. Mix the cake mix according to the instructions on the box and spoono the batter into the baking cups.  Bake according to the package directions for 24 cupcakes.  Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the tins and cool them completely on a baking rack.

3. In a mixing bowl, mix the tub of frosting together with some green food coloring until you get the desired green color.  Frost the 24 cupcakes.

4. To create the hat and brim, separate the 12 sandwich cookies and remove the cream filling. Set the cookie 24 cookie halves on wax paper. Then trim 24 chocolate ice cream cones so that they will sit well on top of the cookie halves. Melt the one cup of chocolate morsels in the microwave (be careful not to burn …. I suggest melting on 50% power). Drizzle the cookie halves with the melted chocolate and press the cones down into the melted chocolate (be sure to reserve a bit of melted chocolate for the witch’s hair and eyebrows). When the chocolate sets-up, it should hold the cones onto the brim to form a pointy witch hat.

5. Place a pointed hat on each cupcake. Then decorate with the black string licorice for the eyes and mouth, melted chocolate for the hair and eyebrows, and trimmed green gumdrops for the witch’s nose.

These scary good cupcakes are sure to be a hit at your kids school or a Halloween party. They are super easy to make and both the kids and adults will love them! Photo is courtesy of Cutco.  If you are throwing a party and don’t have time to create your own goodies, consider buying one of our Halloween Cookie Bouquets and using it for a creative and yummy centerpiece!

• 1/2 cup whole natural almonds

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 cup shreds of wheat bran cereal

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 1 tsp. grated orange peel

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup vegetable or almond oil

Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Cool and chop. In crease the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the cereal, sugar, milk, orange juice, and peel. Let stand 2 minutes or until cereal is softened. Add egg and oil; beat well. Stir in the almonds. Add the liquid mixture; stir just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy; do not over mix. Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased 2 ½ inch muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 egg

• 3/4 cup milk

• 3/4 cup sweetened applesauce

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the egg, milk, applesauce, and butter; mix well. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy; do not over mix. In a small bowl, toss cranberries with remaining 2 tbsp. Of flour; fold into batter. Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased 2 3/4 inch muffin cups. In measuring cup, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over tops of muffins. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool. 

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple

• 1 tbsp. grated orange peel

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1 cup chopped dates

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat together honey and butter for 1 minute. Beat in the egg, then undrained pineapple and orange peel. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir into pineapple mixture until just blended.

Spoon batter into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan before turning out onto wire rack. Serve warm.