Boston Cream Cupcakes

 

We made these cupcakes for our Sister Saturday Spectacular (it's working title, I think it changes every month), I found this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and everything is made from scratch, the cupcakes, the filling and the frosting. But after making these, you could totally make these WAY easier. Just get a box of white cake mix and make cupcakes, get a box of vanilla pudding, and a jar of chocolate frosting. These were good and it's fun sometimes to make things from scratch, but next time I would take the easy way out.

 

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen

 

It’s important to bake these cupcakes in a greased and floured muffin tin rather than paper cupcake liners, so the chocolate glaze can run down the sides of the cupcakes.

 

PASTRY CREAM
1⅓ cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

 

Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1½ minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours.

 

CUPCAKES
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
3 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.

 

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, about 30 seconds. Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the milk and vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, light, and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes.

 

Using a greased ⅓-cup measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup (about three-quarters full; do not overfill). Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

GLAZE
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
⅔ cup heavy cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Microwave all of the ingredients together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the glaze cool, uncovered, until it is thickened but pourable, about 20 minutes.

 

 

ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES

 

 Cut around the inside edge of the top of each cupcake, removing a cone-shaped piece from each cupcake, and fill with 2 tablespoons of pastry cream. Trim and replace the cupcake top and set each cupcake on a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Pour the glaze over the cupcakes, letting it run down the sides. Refrigerate the cupcakes until the glaze has set, about 10 minutes, before serving.

 



Lemon Meringue Pie

Jen made this dessert for my dad's birthday. It was pretty easy and it was good! She got her recipe from jennysteffens.blogspot.com

Lemon Pie
2 small pies 8" or 1 large 10"

1 pastry crust (store-bought or homemade)
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
1 cup of fresh lemon juice*
1 tablespoon of lemon zest*

Put pastry crust into pie plate. I used a ceramic quiche dish because all of pie tart pans and pie plates are packed!

In a mixing bowl, stir together condensed milk, egg yolks, juice and zest. Mix until combined. Pour into the crust.


Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until set. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.



Swiss Meringue

4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
1 pinch of cream of tarter

In the top bowl of a double boiler (glass bowl sitting on a sauce pan with simmering water), whisk together egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter. Cook mixture in the double boiler over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. If you rub the mixture between your fingers, you should be able to tell if the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to your kitchen aid fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 7-10 minutes. The mixture will cool and froth into a thick meringue as it whips. Pile the meringue onto the chilled pie. Toast the tips with a mini torch or put it under your oven broiler for 1-2 minutes.


Peach Tart

I shoulda posted this back in the day when we all had a buttload of peaches from the neighbor--

But I loved this simple and fairly (kinda sorta) healthy-ish Peach Tart. And it was beautiful, too:

Tart Dough





2 cups of all purpose flour

½ tsp of salt

1 tbsp of sugar

1 ½ sticks of butter

½ cup of ice water





· Combine the dry ingredients with your fingers in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, then just pulse to mix.

· Slice the cold butter into cubes and mix with hand mixer or pulse in food processor until the dough begins to clump into a ball and the butter is pea size or smaller.

· Pour the ice water into the mixture, slowly, continue mixing simultaneously until ball of dough is formed.

· On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large “pat” and chill for about an hour.

· After chilling, roll or spread out the dough into your desired shape…the rustic feel of an imperfect circle or rectangle is what makes the simple elegance of this dessert so pretty.


· Slice 6 or so peaches into wedges and arrange on the dough to suit your own fashion. Cover with sugar, about half a cup, depending on the sweetness of the fruit and your own sweet tooth.

· Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the dough is golden brown… Glaze with peach jam or preserves and serve with a dollop of peach preserves as well. Whipped cream ain’t bad either!

Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle.

Totally a keeper recipe. DELICIOUS!




Ingredients:

-(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
-2 cups powdered sugar
-1 cup sour cream
-2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla.

-1 cup heavy cream
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Then fold into the cream cheese mixture.

-2 prepackaged Angel Food Cake, cubed
-2 package raspberry Danish Dessert
-3 cups water
-2 package frozen raspberries

Bring water and Danish Dessert to a boil. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and add frozen raspberries. In trifle bowl, begin to layer. Start with raspberry layer, then add cream cheese mixture, then angel food cake, and repeat. Be sure to end with raspberry layer. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I made this yesterday for a Funeral and it was so easy and way good.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup milk
1 package (3 ounce) cream chees
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 F.
Mix cake mix, milk, cream cheese, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl with a mixer for 1 min. on low speed. scrapping sides. Beat 2 min. longer. Pour into greased bundt pan.
Bake 40 to 45 min. Cool for about 1 hour.
Place on serving plate; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

S'more Cookie Bars

These are always a family favorite!!! I usually double the recipe

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz. each) Try other types of chocolate. They taste really good with dark chocolate

1 cup marshmallow creme

Heat oven to 350. Grease 8-inch square baking pan. In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended.

Press half of dough into prepared pan. Arrange chocolate bars over dough, breaking as needed to fit. Spread with marshmallow creme. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Easy Cheesecake

Filling
1 pkg Cream Cheese (softened)
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 c. Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla

Crust
 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1/3 c. Butter - melted

combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Press firmly into bottom of pie plate.

Mix cream cheese, milk, lemon juice and vanilla until blended. Pour over the crust. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or until firm. Top with any fruit pie filling and Serve.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

6 tbsp butter
25 Nilla Wafers
2 tbsp Sugar
4 squares Semi Sweet Chocolate
2 lg Bananas (cut up)
1 pkg (4 serving size) Vanilla pudding
1 3/4 c. Cold Milk
1 c. Cool Whip

Melt 1/4 c. of butter in a bowl add the wafer crumbs and sugar. mix well and press firmly into a 9" pie plate. Microwave chocolate squares and 2 tbsp of butter for 1 minute until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is melted. Drizzle over the crust. top with bananas.
Prepare pudding with 1 3/4 c cold milk. pour over bananas, put in the fridge for 4 hours. Top with cool whip before serving.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Cake
1 box Lemon Cake Mix
1 box Lemon Pudding
3/4 c. Water
3/4 c. Oil
1/2 c. Sugar
1 c. Sour Cream
4 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tbsp Poppy Seeds

Preheat oven to 350. Grease your bundt pan
Mix all ingredients together. pour mixture into bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes remove from pan and cool.

Glaze
1 c. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
2/3 tbsp Milk.

Mix together and drizzle over cake.