Nothing brings back childhood memories for me like Oreos.  Milk's favorite cookie, my favorite cookie.  I recall sitting on my dad's lap in his black leather (probably pleather) rocker, eating Oreos out of the red Tupperware container.  It was hard not to eat them all!  We varied our dips as we ate.  Our first few Oreos would be dipped quickly, to preserve the crunch.  Our last few we would hold under the milk so long it would almost break.  Mmmm milk sogged Oreos.  Since I am now a cupcake baker, of course I have to have an Oreo Cupcake!!!!  This cupcake has the best of both worlds; crunchy, and soggy.  Mmmmmm.  A crunchy Oreo on the bottom and top, a smooth soft Oreo Buttercream.

Normally I would make these using my go-to white cake recipe, but today I was lazy and used a white cake mix.  (Shhhh no one has to know, we'll just tweak the recipe)

Cupcakes
makes 30

1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme white cake mix (ignore the recipe on back)
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
6 egg whites
Oreos

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pans with liners.  Place a whole Oreo in the bottom of each liner.  Mix all cake ingredients until smooth.  Scoop batter into liners and bake 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into middle comes out clean.  Place on rack to cool.

Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 lb powdered sugar (more or less to desired consistency)
6 Tbs vanilla coffee creamer (or a combination of milk or cream and vanilla)
Dash salt
2 cups finely ground Oreos

Whip butter until fluffy.  Add liquid and beat until combined.  Add sugar and salt and mix until it is a nice spreading consistency.  (not too stiff, just a smidge on the soft side)  Stir in crushed Oreos.  Pipe onto cupcakes using a large round tip opening (smaller tips will clog with Oreos).  Top with a mini Oreo or halved Oreo.

Enjoy!

Ooey Gooey S'mores

It's summer time, and I've been slacking in my cupcake duties.  Who wants to be in a hot kitchen when you can be floating in the pool, right?  But I got to daydreaming about S'mores cupcakes.  Not just any S'mores cupcakes, ooey gooey ones.  I surfed the web and wasn't satisfied with any recipe I found.  I did find an interesting recipe at Proceed with Caution's website.  I used her cake recipe, then tweaked the rest to make it my own.  Without further ado, here's the recipe:

S’mores Cupcakes
Source: Proceed with Caution
Yields 30 cupcakes

For the graham crust:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 - 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips  (I used semi-sweet)

(I used a box of graham cracker crumbs and doubled this recipe so I had a lot of graham crust pieces)

For the cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil  (I used a melted stick of unsalted butter instead)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper liners.
2. Combine 1/4 cup sugar,graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon of graham cracker mix into the bottom of each muffin cup. Press crumbs firmly, using the bottom of a small glass. Save the remaining mixture for topping. Top graham cracker mix with several bittersweet chocolate chips. (I would suggest keeping them away from liner as they have a tendency to stick)

 (I put the extra graham crust in a 9x13 pan and baked until edges were golden brown)
3. Bake graham mixture for about five minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
5. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir until well blended.
6. Add flour mixture to large bowl and beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full with batter (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle batter with small amount of remaining graham cracker mixture.

7. Bake 22 to 25 minutes.  (Mine only baked for 17 minutes, so keep a close eye on them.)

Here's where I diverge from the recipe further:  Using cake corer or sharp knife, hollow out center.  Make sure you don't cut all the way down to the crust.  (I put all the centers in a bowl, topped them with the leftover Marshmallow Sauce, Chocolate Buttercream, and Graham Crust pieces and fed it to my husband and neighbor.  Yum, yum)

Fill with Marshmallow Sauce (mix 2 jars of Marshmallow Fluff with a little warm water until you get desired consistency.  Don't get it too wet!  Just enough water to make it pourable and not so sticky)

Frost with Chocolate Buttercream and top with more graham crust pieces.

Chocolate Buttercream:

Adapted from: Brown Eyed Baker

2 cups room temp unsalted butter

5 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

16 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (the original recipe calls for 8oz, but I doubled it to make it fudgier)  (Is fudgier a word?  Is now.)

Whip butter on medium high speed for 5 minutes using the wire whisk attachment, stopping to scrape once or twice.

Reduce speed to low and add the powdered sugar.  Increase speed to medium high and add vanilla.  Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.

Enjoy your Ooey Gooey S'mores!

 

Nom, nom, nom!

 I would suggest you serve immediately, the marshmallow will break down and melt into the cupcake.  If you're not eating immediately (and why not?)  you should mix the marshmallow fluff with butter and powdered sugar to stabilize it.

Baileys Cupcakes

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to share my Baileys cupcake.  I named it the My, my, my for my dear friend and fellow teacher Joan.  She loves Baileys and when the kids in our class do something they shouldn't she says "My, my, my"  (It's a lot better than WTH right?!)  So without further ado, here's the recipe:

Cupcakes:
1 cup sugar
1 cup unpacked brown sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 room temp eggs
1 cup evap milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Baileys, boiling

Preheat oven to 325, fill cupcake pans with liners.  In mixing bowl combine sugars, oil, milk, and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth.  Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.  Add in thirds to wet mixture.  Beat for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping sides of bowl.  Add the boiling Baileys and beat just until blended.  Batter will be thin.  Fill cupcake tin 2/3 full and bake for 16-23 minutes. (You know your oven)  Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched in center.


Now an alternate cake for you semi-homemade peeps out there:

1 box Pillsbury Moist Supreme Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 cup evap milk
1/2 cup Baileys
1 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly
5 room temp eggs

Preheat oven to 325, fill cupcake pans with liners.  Mix all ingredients with whisk for 2 minutes, making sure there are little or no lumps.  Fill cupcake pan 2/3 full.  Bake for 16-23 minutes, depending on your oven.  Cakes are done if they spring back when lightly touched in center.


When cupcakes are cool, poke several holes in the top.  (I use a corn on the cob holder)
Drizzle 1-2Tbsp Baileys syrup on top.  According to your taste.

To make Baileys syrup:
Simply boil some Baileys on stovetop until candy thermometer reads 220.  (This creates a big flavor in a small amount of liquid, plus it removes alcohol if you have that concern.)

Dip cupcakes in chocolate ganache.

To make ganache:
Chop 9oz bittersweet chocolate
Bring 1 cup heavy cream to boil, immediately pour over chocolate.  Whisk until smooth.


Now for the best part, the FROSTING!

Baileys Buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs corn syrup
7-8 Tbs Baileys (use water for part of this if you want a little less Baileys taste)
1 lb powdered sugar
pinch of salt

In mixer beat butter until smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla and corn syrup, continue beating until smooth and creamy.  Add Baileys/water.  Beat until combined.  (Hate to say smooth and creamy again, but you get the point)  Add powdered sugar and salt and beat well until frosting is desired consistency.  Adjust sugar and water levels accordingly.

Place frosting in piping bag fitted with a large 1M tip.  (The swirls catch the drizzle, yummmm)
Frost small swirl on top of ganache-dipped cupcake.  Drizzle Baileys syrup on top.


This recipe sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not bad.  And the end result is WELL worth the effort!




 

Stay tuned for some Irish Car Bomb cupcakes!  We take St. Patrick's Day seriously around here!