| Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout |
For Whiskey Ganache Filling:
8 oz bittersweet (Bakers) chocolate For Baileys Frosting: 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature |
Directions:
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350° Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan. Add cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber scraper, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool.
Whiskey Ganache Filling:
Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber scraper, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.
To fill the cupcakes, use a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
Baileys Frosting
Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Frost the cupcakes using your favorite decorating tip and decorate with sprinkles. Store in an airtight container.
Ingredients:
12 oz white chocolate
1/3 cup, plus 2 Tbsp, peppermint candies, crushed
2 Tbsp semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Line a 13 X 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
Break the white chocolate into pieces (if not using chips) and melt in a double boiler or microwave.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup of candy cane pieces.
Pour the mixture onto the foil-lined pan, spreading it to within a half inch of the edges.
Melt the semisweet chips and drizzle them over the white chocolate mixture.
Sprinkle on the remaining candy pieces.
Place the bark in the refrigerator and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
Then break or cut into pieces.
Ingredients:
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup butter, softened and divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp rum
2 ripe bananas
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose baking mix
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring once.
Melt ¼ cup butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet or a 9 inch round cake pan over low heat.
Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and rum.
Cut bananas diagonally into ¼ inch thick slices; arrange over brown sugar mixture.
Sprinkle pecans over bananas.
Beat sugar and remaining butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.
Add milk and next 2 ingredients; beat just until blended after each addition.
Beat in baking mix and cinnamon until blended. (Batter will be lumpy).
Pour batter over mixture in skillet. Place skillet on a foil-lined baking tray.
Bake 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen.
Invert onto serving plate, spoon any topping in skillet over cake.
Serve with whipped cream and/or ice cream.
Ingredients:
1 pkg devil’s food cake mix
¼ c water
1 egg
3 Tbsp canola oil
38 Rolo candies
Chopped hazelnuts
Directions:
Combine cake mix, water, egg and oil in a large bowl
Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls
Press candy into each; reshape[e balls
Dip tops in hazelnuts
Place 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet
Bake 350° 8 to 10 minutes or until tops are cracked
Cool 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks
Store in an airtight container
Ingredients:
¾ cup butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup crisp rice cereal
Filling:
4 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1/3 cup orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 tsp grated orange peel
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 ½ tsp grated lime peel
Confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy; gradually beat in flour until crumbly. Stir in cereal. Press into a greased 13 X 9-in. baking pan.
Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, coconut, juices, flour and peels until frothy.
Pour over the hot crust. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; cut into bars.
Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 20
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus some for work surface
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp course salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 ½ cups fresh raspberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a food processor, pulse together flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolk.
Slowly pour buttermilk mixture through feed tube into processor, pulsing until dough just comes together.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle raspberries on top.
Knead three time to fold in raspberries (loose pieces of dough okay).
Gather and pat dough into a 1-inch thick square and cut or pull apart into 2-inch pieces.
Place pieces, about 2 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle tops with 1 Tbsp sugar.
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
Let scones cool slightly on wire racks.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Can store in an airtight container, up to one day.
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
¼ cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp mint extract
3 egg whites
12 drops green food coloring
2 jars (16 oz ea) hot fudge topping
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
5 drops yellow food coloring
Thin rectangular crème de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped and cut into pieces for garnish
Directions:
Heat oven to 350° for shiny metal of glass pan. Spray bottom of 13X9 inch pan with baking spray.
Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil, 1 ½ tsp of mint extract and the egg whites. Reserve one cup of batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.
Drop green batter by generous tablespoons randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan ¼ turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.
Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining ½ tsp extract, remaining 9 drops green food color and the yellow food color until blended. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over the fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
5 large eggs
½ cup sugar
4 tsp flour
8 extra large muffin cups
Garnish:
6 oz raspberries, barley moistened and rolled in ½ cup sugar right before serving
Directions:
Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; remove from heat. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves.
Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth.
Add flour and mix until combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead; return to room temperature an hour or so before baking.)
Heat oven to 450°. Line a standard size muffin tin with 8 extra large muffin papers.
Papers will extend above cups to facilitate removal).
Spray muffin papers with vegetable cooking spray.
Divide batter among muffin cups.
Bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 8 to 10 minutes.
Carefully lift cakes from tin and set on a work surface.
Pull papers away from cakes and transfer cakes to dessert plates.
Top each with sugared raspberries and serve immediately.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
¾ c buttermilk
½ cup egg substitute (egg beaters)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 cups raspberries
2 cups blueberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 6-cup Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, buttermilk, eggs substitute and oil in medium bowl. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
Fold in raspberries and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wir rack. Serve with additional berries and whipped cream, if desired.
Ingredients:
1 cup water
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Eggnog cream (recipe follows)
Powdered sugar
Directions:
Heat oven to 400°. Heat water and butter to rolling boil in 2 ½ qt saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minutes or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth.
Drop dough by scant ¼ cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from any draft.
Cut off tops of puffs; pull out any soft dough. Fill puffs with Eggnog Cream; replace tops. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
