Friday, July 30, 2010

Chili Cook Off, Kona and Snicker Cupcakes!




This is Kona. He is our dog (I know that you know that he is a dog, but did you know he was our dog? you gotta give me that) Okay, so back to Kona. He wants my cupcakes. Really, really wants them. He, however, can not have one. Why you ask? I mean look at him, he is so cute and he practically smiles at you. BUT, here's the deal. He is on a big time diet. We are moving. I thought he weighed 97 pounds. That what I told the leasing agent. 97 pounds. Today we weighed him. Quite a task but that's for another blog. Anyway, you can imagine our horror when he weighed in at 102 pounds. He has to be under 100. NO cupcakes for Kona. By the way, he's very embarrassed so please don't mention his weight to him.



Okay on to the Chili CookOff. I had great plans for this day. A Chili Cook Off. I make great chili. But this has been quite a week and as the day wore on, I knew chili was not in the forecast. I decided that all chili competitions need, what else - cupcakes! Cupcakes are much faster than chili and I had recently seen the most wonderful Snickers Cupcakes on My Baking Addiction.

I decided to use my go to chocolate cake recipe from Pie in the Sky by Susan Purdy. I have mentioned before that her cakes do really well at our altitude and they are yummy. Right before baking, I pulled my frozen snicker minis out of the freezer and pushed them into the middle of each cupcake. After baking and cooling, I frosted them with a caramel cream cheese frosting, drizzled with caramel and garnished with a snicker mini. Yum. Sorry Kona.

Daredevil's Food Cake (adapted)
Preheat Oven to 375

2 and 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sifted cocoa
8T (one stick) unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups minus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons Buttermilk

Position the rack and preheat the oven. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until very well blended. Scrape down the bowl and beater. Beat in the vanilla and eggs and scrape down the bowl and beater again. With the mixer on the lowest speed alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Once the ingredients are blended together, increase the speed and whip for about 30 seconds (no longer, because at high altitudes you don't want to incorporate excess air) Divide the batter into the lined cupcake pans. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese (right out of the fridge)
1 stick of butter (room temp)
1/4 cup of caramel
1 pound of powdered sugar

Cream the butter, cream cheese and caramel. Slowly add the powdered sugar until the consistency you are looking for....


A cupcake a day.... Linzy birthday cupcakes, Chili Cook Off cupcakes (includes a Sweet Corn Cupcake with a Salted Caramel frosting, which is a long cupcake story that may have involved some "what the heck is this" faces)

This is Tucker. He does not like cupcakes and therefore does not have to lose weight to move with us.

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