Vanilla and Salted Caramel Cupcake with a Peanut Butter Surprise

Source - http://www.carlasconfections.com/2012/04/vanilla-and-salted-caramel-cupcakes.html

makes about 18

for the cake:

-250 gr/2 cups + 2 Tbsp butter (softened)

-1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

-1 1/4 cup sugar

-3 eggs, room temperature

-2 1/4 cup self raising flour

-3/4 cup milk (you can substitute yogurt or sour cream)

-1 cup peanut butter

for the frosting:

-1/4 cup granulated sugar

-2 Tbsp water

-1/4 cup cream/heavy whipping cream

-1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

-3/4 cup butter, softened (salted is ok)

-1/8 tsp sea salt, or kosher salt

-2 cups icing/powdered sugar

directions:

-Place peanut butter in the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden up 

-Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line your cupcake tray with liners. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

-Add eggs and beat until fully combined.

-Add flour and mix.

-Using a spoon, mix in the milk, or yogurt or sour cream if you prefer.

-Spoon a small amount of batter in the cupcake liners, then spoon a small amount of hardened peanut butter over the batter, and finish off the cupcake with more cake batter, until they are about 3/4 full.

-Bake about 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely

-For the frosting, start out with sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Give a stir to help along the dissolving of sugar.

-Bring the mixture to a boil, and stop stirring. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the caramel becomes a deep amber brown color, about 7 minutes.

-Pull mixture off the heat, and slowly stir in cream/heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Let cool for 20-30 minutes.

-Cream the butter and salt in a bowl until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until fully combined and finish off with the caramel mixture.

-Top the cupcakes with the frosting how you desire and adorn with sprinkles of sea salt.

Frosting adapted from CHOW.

Chocolate Vanilla Clouds

Source - http://www.zestuous.com/2012/04/chocolate-vanilla-clouds/

2 bags Brussels cookies

Peanut butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 cup (8 ozs.) sour cream

1 small box sugar-free vanilla pudding

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 T. vegetable oil

Place the cookies on a baking sheet and spread each cookie with peanut butter.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the powdered sugar, sour cream and pudding.

Pipe the cream onto the cookie and place the baking sheet in the freezer while you melt the

chocolate.

In a double broiler melt the chocolate chips and oil together. Remove from heat and allow to cool for

15 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and dip the tops into the melted chocolate. Return to pan and

chill until ready to serve.

Vanilla Cake Batter and White Chocolate Chip Caramel Corn (With Vegan and Gluten Free Suggestions)

Source - http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/02/vanilla-cake-batter-and-white-chocolate-chip-caramel-corn.html

Makes approximately 8 cups of caramel corn

6 tablespoons popcorn kernels, unpopped (6 to 8 cups popcorn, popped)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white cake mix (or vanilla, yellow, funfetti, or similar)

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Light Karo syrup (red label; or light-colored corn syrup)

pinch of salt, optional to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or more)

1/2 cup peanuts (or more), optional

sprinkles, semisweet/milk/butterscotch/peanut butter chips, toffee bits, M&M’s candy, Reese Pieces candy, optional add-in’s to taste

Preheat oven to 250F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a Silpat or parchment paper (do not make this if you don’t have a Silpat or parchment; aluminum foil that has been sprayed extremely well with cooking spray is the third option. You will have a hot mess on your hands and cleanup will be a nightmare). Pop the popcorn using whatever method you prefer. I put 3 tablespoons in a brown paper bag (no oil or anything else, just plain kernels in the bag) and place the in the microwave and cook on high for 90 seconds, or until popping sounds become less frequent than every 3 seconds. Pour the popped kernels in a large bowl and repeat with another 3 tablespoons of popcorn in the brown paper bag in the microwave. After approximately 6 to 8 cups of popcorn is in a large bowl melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan on the stovetop. After the butter has melted, add the cake mix, sugars, Karo syrup, salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Do not let the mixture boil. It’s okay if it bubbles, but avoid boiling it. After 3 to 4 minutes and mixture is smooth and has thickened, remove it from the heat, wait at least 30 seconds, and add the vanilla extract, using caution because the vanilla could cause the mixture to bubble up. Stir in the vanilla and then pour the mixture over the popcorn, tossing it to evenly coat the kernels. After tossing and coating the popcorn, spread the popcorn into a flat, even layer onto the baking sheet and bake for 18 to 24 minutes. The coating mixture may thin out and appear to “drip” on the bottom of the baking sheet and that’s okay. The popcorn will not get brown and if it begins to brown, remove it from the oven immediately. After removing the baking sheet from the oven, toss the kernels with a spoon or spatula and “put back” any caramel coating mixture back onto the popcorn that has dripped off while baking. Sprinkle chocolate chips, sprinkles, and any other add-in’s over the top and they will melt slightly. Allow the popcorn to rest and cool on the baking sheet and it will harden as it cools. After it has cooled and hardened, if desired, break large clusters apart by hand. Serve immediately; or store in an airtight container or gallon-sized plastic bag for up to a week on the countertop, using common sense and knowing it will lose crunchiness as time passes.

Note: If you want gooier and thicker-coated caramel corn, use 6 cups of popped popcorn; for less heavily-coated caramel corn, use 8 cups of popped popcorn. To keep vegan, use margarine, vegan cake mix, and vegan white chocolate (or omit) or use dark chocolate. To keep gluten free, use gluten-free cake mix. Read all labels in any ingredients used to ensure they are suitable for your dietary needs.

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (and red sanding sugar sprinkles)

Source - http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/01/strawberry-cake-mix-cookies-with-vanilla-cream-cheese-frosting.html

Makes 1 dozen cookies (I got 13).  Double the recipe by using the full box of cake mix and doubling all other measurements.

For the cookies

1/4 cup butter (half of one stick), softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup + 1/8 cup strawberry cake mix (this is about 9 ounces, or half of an 18.25 ounce box of Pillsbury Strawberry Cake Mix)

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a mixing bowl combine the softened butter, egg, vanilla and stir by hand or with a mixer until combined.  Add  the cake mix and stir until smooth.  If the dough seems too wet to be cookie dough, add a bit more cake mix, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s less wet.  Conversely, if the dough seems dry and it’s not combining, add a tablespoon or two of water.

If time permits, I recommend chilling the dough by placing the mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Chilled dough spreads less during the baking process.

Form 1 inch balls on a Silpat-lined, parchment paper-lined, or cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Allow for adequate spacing because they do spread; which is why I recommend chilling the dough and do not exceed 1 rounded tablespoon-sized or 1 inch sized balls (I only placed 9 cookies on one cookie sheet and do not recommend trying to fit the batch on one cookie sheet).  Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are barely browned.  They make look a bit loose and jiggly after only 8 to 10 minutes but they will continue to cook on the sheets after you remove the from the oven and will firm up as they cool.  Do not overbake.  Allow the cookies to cool well (on the cookie sheets is fine) before attempting to move them.

While the cookies are baking, make the frosting.

For the frosting

Makes about 1 cup of frosting (if you have extra, store it in the refrigerator for week(s) and/or freeze it for month(s) for future baking needs; use common sense when saving leftovers)

1/4 cup butter (half of one stick), softened

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 4 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the butter and cream cheese either by hand or with a mixer.  Then add the vanilla extract and add two cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  If you like thick(er) frosting, add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  I used nearly 4 cups of powdered sugar in mine because I like very thick frosting (shown in the photos).

After the cookies have cooled, frost them (I applied a thick layer). Finish with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or other garnishes such as coconut flakes or chocolate shavings, as desired.  Optionally, make sandwich cookies.

Because these cookies are frosted with cream cheese frosting, you may want to err on the side of caution by storing them in the refrigerator rather than the countertop. Or store them in the freezer for up to 3 months for longer-term storage (not that 1 dozen cookies will hang around very long)

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream and Mocha Fudge Sauce

Source - http://www.portuguesegirlcooks.com/2012/01/warm-brown-butter-chocolate-chip.html

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 4-8 servings (depending on the vessels used), or 16 Cookies

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare ramekins or vessels.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda together and set aside.

3. Melt 10 tablespoons butter in an uncoated skillet over medium high heat, for about 2 minutes. Continue to cook while swirling the pan constantly, until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty smell, and little brown bits have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat, and using a heatproof spatula, transfer the butter to a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into the hot butter until completely melted.

3. Whisk, both sugars, salt, and vanilla into the bowl with the butter until fully incorporated. Add the whole egg and yolk and whisk until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture rest for 3 minutes, then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat the 3 minute rest and 30 seconds of whisking 2 more times until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, and ensure no more flour pockets remain.

4. Divide the dough evenly amongst the ramekins, and press lightly to make sure it is even. The baking times will vary depending on the size of vessel you use. You want the cookie to be slightly brown around the edges and puffy in the centre, just like when making a cookie. This will give you a soft cookie. I found that about 15 minutes was perfect, but suggest checking after about 10.

Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

Makes about 1 quart (1 litre)

1 cup (250ml) whole milk

3/4 cup (150g) sugar

2 cups (500ml) heavy cream

pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

6 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Warm milk,sugar, 1 cup of the heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the hot milk, and add in the vanilla bean pod. Remove from the heat, and cover. Let the mixture steep at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

2. Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into a large bowl with a strainer set on top and set aside. 

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until fully combined. Slowly, while whisking constantly, pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Heat the egg yolk mixture over medium heat, and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula. Heat until the mixture has thickened, coats the spatula, and has reached about 170 degrees on an instant read thermometer. 

5. Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. Add the vanilla extract and the the vanilla bean pod. Place the bowl over an ice bath and mix until mixture has cooled. Chill mixture throughly in the refrigerator. Once the mixture is cold, remove the vanilla bean pod, and freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. 

Mocha Fudge Sauce

Makes 1 Cup (you can halve this recipe, or make it all and save for other things)

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

1/3 cup (80ml) light corn syrup

1/2 cup (125ml) freshly brewed espresso

6 tablespoons (50g) unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whisk the sugar, corn syrup, espresso and cocoa powder together in a small saucepan. Whisk the mixture constantly over medium heat, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges at it comes to a low boil. Once it comes to a low boil, whisk constantly for 1 minute more.

2. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator until very cold before using, preferably overnight.

Storage: the fudge sauce can be stored up to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

Note: If you prefer a plain fudge sauce, substitute water for the espresso.

Let the cookie rest a few minutes out of the over before scooping on the ice cream so that it doesn’t melt too quickly. Best served warm.

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting …and a good amount of ganache!

Source - http://www.bakerella.com/just-a-cake/

Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water

Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar
4-8 Tablespoons milk

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, if desired

Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans. Then place parchment paper cut to size on the bottom of each pan and grease paper. Dust pans with cocoa.
• Sift dry ingredients together and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and beat for a couple of minutes until combined.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add hot water and mix together.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 28-30 minutes. Batter will be very liquid.
• Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:

• Beat the butter in a mixer until smooth.
• Add vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the powdered sugar in several additions, scraping down the sides after each addition.
• Add milk a tablespoon at a time and mix together until you achieve a smooth consistency.
• Note: If you want your frosting whiter without using shortening, add a little white icing color to tint.

For the ganache:

• Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until melted and remove before it starts to boil.
• Place chocolate morsels in a small bowl and pour cream on top. Let sit for a few seconds and whisk by hand until completely incorporated and smooth.
• Let cool until thick and pourable.
• The ganache can take a bit to thicken. You can make it before the buttercream, to save time. Just use a wire whisk to stir it every few minutes and keep it smooth

To assemble: trim tops off of cake layers with a long serrated knife so they have a nice, flat top. Place one layer bottom side up on cake stand. Mix about 2/3 cup morsels with about 1 cup of the frosting. Spread frosting on top of bottom layer. Place second layer on top. It helps to have a crumb coat on the outside of your cake first. Simply apply a thin coat of frosting to the entire cake to catch andy excess crumbs. Then place cake in freezer for a few minutes to firm up frosting and cover the entire cake again with a thick layer of buttercream. This will help you keep all those crumbs from getting caught in your pretty work. Slowly, pour ganache over center of cake. Pour just enough to start dripping down the sides.

Vanilla Caramels with Fleur De Sel

Source - http://foodnouveau.com/justrecipes/2011/12/21/desserts/candies/vanilla-caramels-with-fleur-de-sel/

Ingredients

1 cup [250 ml] heavy cream
5 tbsp [75 ml] unsalted butter
½ tsp [2.5 ml]   vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and scraped
1¼ tsp [6.25 ml] fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling
1½ cups [375 ml] sugar
¼ cup [60 ml] light corn syrup
¼ cup [60 ml] water

Method

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch [20-cm] square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment.

In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, pods, and fleur de sel. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture is a light golden caramel color.

Remove the vanilla bean pods from the cream mixture and carefully stir the cream mixture into the caramel – the mixture will bubble up, so pour slowly and stir constantly. Continue simmering the mixture until it registers 248°F [120°C] on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into the prepared pan. Let cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with additional fleur de sel. Continue to let sit until completely set and cooled.

Cut into 1-inch pieces (a buttered pizza cutter is the best tool for this task). Wrap the individual caramels in small pieces of wax paper, about 4-inch squares. Keep the caramels in the fridge, but take them out a little while before eating to soften them up. You can also keep them at room temperature, but be advised that they keep a little soft that way.

Recipe Credit: My Baking Addiction

Cinnamon Sugar Vanilla Compound Butter

Source - http://www.savoringthethyme.com/2011/12/simple-homemade-christmas-gifts-cinnamon-sugar-vanilla-compound-butter-recipe/

Ingredients:
1 stick of quality unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon quality vanilla
colored sugar sprinkles

Directions:
1. Allow the butter to soften a room temperature.

2. Add the sugar through sprinkles and using a fork, incorporate all of the ingredients.

3. Now you can either: wrap the mixture in wax paper, forming a log and refrigerate for at least an hour or place the butter into a glass container and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Decorate or wrap the butter for gift giving but be sure to keep it chilled.

p.s. If you are the keep-it-simple type of DIY’er, consider this white chocolate bark with pretzels.

White Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Puppy Chow

Source - http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/12/white-chocolate-vanilla-peanut-butter-puppy-chow.html

1 c white chocolate chips

2/3 c peanut butter

1/3 c butter (or margarine/Earth Balance)

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 cups+ Chex or Crispix cereal – rice, corn, or combo (I used Crispix that was half corn/half rice.  In the past I have made Puppy Chow from Rice Chex but it crumbled more easily when stirring.  The corn in the cereal makes the pieces heartier and less crumbly)

3 to 4 cups+ powdered/confectioner’s sugar (I used just over 4 c but I wanted each piece very well coated)

Optional: Add any add-in’s before tossing with the powdered sugar such as: pretzel pieces, M & M’s, other candy bits or mini candies (diced or chopped), toffee bits, raisins, other dried fruit pieces, nuts, seeds, marshmallows, white/dark/peanut butter chips, etc.

Directions:

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and melt in 20-30 second increments, removing from the microwave and stirring vigorously after each interval.  White chocolate burns easily so take care not to overheat it and vigorous stirring will encourage complete melting sooner than you think.

After mixture is completely melted and smooth, add the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.

Then add the cereal and fold it in gently.   (You may want to add a total of 7 cups of cereal if there is any pooling of liquid at the bottom of the bowl.  All liquid should be fairly well absorbed and coated onto the cereal but you don’t want it too dry.  Plenty of “juiciness” is desired because the powdered sugar will stick better)

Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and keep tossing mixture until the powdered sugar coats all pieces, thereby drying them out, or until the sugar layer is as thick as desired.

Yields: About 7 cups of mix.  Store in airtight container or Ziplock bag (I have mine in the freezer in a big Tupperware container and it’s just fine to remove and eat immediately. It’s so hot here that all chocolate needs to be kept in the fridge or freezer.)

Notes:

Already Gluten Free if using any of these Chex Cereals or Crispix

To make vegan, use Vegan White Chocolate Chips and margarine/Earth Balance or similar

Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel

Source - http://cravingchronicles.com/2011/11/23/cranberry-vanilla-bean-caramel/

Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes about 1 1/4 cups

A word of caution: Making caramel is tricky. Have patience and have all of your ingredients ready to go. Caramel also gets very, very hot. Much hotter than boiling water. It will spatter, so be careful. Wear long sleeves, use a deep pan or pot, and do not try to taste the hot caramel no matter how much you want to! David Lebovitz has some great tips for making caramel.

Ingredients

1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Directions

Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into cream. Chop cranberries. Set aside.

Cook sugar in a deep saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula until sugar has melted. Once melted, STOP stirring. Continue to cook sugar until it is deep amber in color and smells caramelized. Remove from heat and immediately add cream. (Caution: Sugar will bubble violently, be careful!) Sugar will likely sieze and harden at this point. Place back over med-low heat and stir occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add chopped fresh cranberries. Return to low heat (do not boil) and cook, stirring frequently, until caramel darkens and tastes slightly tart from cranberries, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes. Use as is with cranberries, or strain through a mesh sieve for a smooth caramel. Use immediately or store in a covered, heat-proof container in refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks.