Home Party Dessert Recipe
3/30/2013
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
(for cupcakes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 t vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/4 cups walnut halves, toasted and finely chopped
1 cup dark raisins
(for cream cheese frosting)
6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
10 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 t vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
(for candied carrots)
2~3 carrots with green tops
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
>how to make<
(for cupcakes)
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Place paper liners in all wells of 24 cupcake tins.
*Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.
*In a large bowl whisk together oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well blended, about 1 minute.
*Whisk in vanilla extract, then whisk in eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing.
*Whisk in carrots.
*Stir in dry mixture until almost completely blended.
*Add nuts and raisins and stir just until blended.
*Divide batter evenly among cupcake wells.
*Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs.
*Cool pans on racks for 5 minutes, the remove cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.
(for frosting)
*In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until creamy, about 3 minutes.
*Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
*Frosting is now ready to use.
(for candied carrots)
*Trim the top from the carrots and reserve.
*Peel the carrots.
*Using the vegetable peeler, shave 24 long, wide carrot strips and set aside.
*In a saucepan combine the sugar and water to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
*When the sugar is dissolved,add the carrot strips; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the carrot strips are translucent, about 10 minutes.
*Let the carrot strips cool completely in the sugar syrup.
*When ready to use, remove the carrot strips from the syrup.
*Roll up a strip tightly at first, gradually loosening the roll, to form an elongated cone.
*Trim a tiny sprig from the carrot top and tuck it into the open end of the cone.
*Repeat with the remaining carrot strips.
-makes 24-
Notes: Cupcake and frosting recipes were taken from "Cupcakes" by Dede Wilson, and candied carrot recipe was taken from "cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski. Measurements were changed.
*
(for cupcakes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 t vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/4 cups walnut halves, toasted and finely chopped
1 cup dark raisins
(for cream cheese frosting)
6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
10 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 t vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
(for candied carrots)
2~3 carrots with green tops
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
>how to make<
(for cupcakes)
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Place paper liners in all wells of 24 cupcake tins.
*Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.
*In a large bowl whisk together oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well blended, about 1 minute.
*Whisk in vanilla extract, then whisk in eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to be absorbed before continuing.
*Whisk in carrots.
*Stir in dry mixture until almost completely blended.
*Add nuts and raisins and stir just until blended.
*Divide batter evenly among cupcake wells.
*Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs.
*Cool pans on racks for 5 minutes, the remove cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.
(for frosting)
*In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until creamy, about 3 minutes.
*Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
*Frosting is now ready to use.
(for candied carrots)
*Trim the top from the carrots and reserve.
*Peel the carrots.
*Using the vegetable peeler, shave 24 long, wide carrot strips and set aside.
*In a saucepan combine the sugar and water to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
*When the sugar is dissolved,add the carrot strips; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the carrot strips are translucent, about 10 minutes.
*Let the carrot strips cool completely in the sugar syrup.
*When ready to use, remove the carrot strips from the syrup.
*Roll up a strip tightly at first, gradually loosening the roll, to form an elongated cone.
*Trim a tiny sprig from the carrot top and tuck it into the open end of the cone.
*Repeat with the remaining carrot strips.
-makes 24-
Notes: Cupcake and frosting recipes were taken from "Cupcakes" by Dede Wilson, and candied carrot recipe was taken from "cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski. Measurements were changed.
*
Labels: carrot cupcake
3/10/2013
St. Patrick's Day Stained Glass Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
6 oz green hard candies
green color crystal sugar
green color confetti
>how to make<
*Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended.
*Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
*Add flour and salt and beat until mixture begins to clump together.
*Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.
*Flatten each piece into disk, wrap each in plastic and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
*Roll out each dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4" thickness.
*Transfer rolled out dough disks (still on parchment) to baking sheets and chill 30 minutes.
*Finely grind green hard candies in food processor.
*Transfer candy to a small bowl, cover and set aside.
*Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
*Working with 1 rolled out dough disk at a time, peel off top layer of parchment paper; use 3" diameter cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
*Using a clover shapes cookie cutter, make cutouts in center of each cookie.
*Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets.
*Spoon ground hard candies into cookie cutouts, filling cutouts completely to same thickness as cookies.
*Sprinkle cookies lightly with green sugar.
*Sprinkle clover shaped cookies with green confetti.
*Chill filled cookies on baking sheets 15 minutes.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Bake cookies until firm and light golden and ground candies look translucent for 12 minutes.
*Cool cookies completely on baking sheets.
-makes about 2 dozen-
Note: This recipe was adapted from "bon appetit Desserts".
 |  |
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
6 oz green hard candies
green color crystal sugar
green color confetti
>how to make<
*Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended.
*Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.
*Add flour and salt and beat until mixture begins to clump together.
*Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.
*Flatten each piece into disk, wrap each in plastic and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
*Roll out each dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4" thickness.
*Transfer rolled out dough disks (still on parchment) to baking sheets and chill 30 minutes.
*Finely grind green hard candies in food processor.
*Transfer candy to a small bowl, cover and set aside.
*Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
*Working with 1 rolled out dough disk at a time, peel off top layer of parchment paper; use 3" diameter cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
*Using a clover shapes cookie cutter, make cutouts in center of each cookie.
*Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets.
*Spoon ground hard candies into cookie cutouts, filling cutouts completely to same thickness as cookies.
*Sprinkle cookies lightly with green sugar.
*Sprinkle clover shaped cookies with green confetti.
*Chill filled cookies on baking sheets 15 minutes.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Bake cookies until firm and light golden and ground candies look translucent for 12 minutes.
*Cool cookies completely on baking sheets.
-makes about 2 dozen-
Note: This recipe was adapted from "bon appetit Desserts".
