Busy September

Hi Everyone,

I hope all of your are enjoying the beginning of the fall season.  Fall is a beautiful time of the year and it is also a very busy time.  This month I have been doing some baking, which I love to do, and I wanted to share some of the recipes and pictures with all of you.

Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcake

This is so easy and taste just like fall.  Take one spice cake mix, substitute 1 cup of apple juice for the 1 cup of water.  Mix and bake according to package directions.  Make an apple compote using macintoch apples, peeled, cored and chopped small.  Mix with desired amount of brown sugar, cinnamon and apple juice and cook until slightly thickened, let cool.  Once the cupcakes are cooled, core a small hole in the top and fill with the apple compote.  Top with caramel butter cream frosting, (I use the Wilton butter cream recipe and I substitute caramel extract for the vanilla). Drizzle each cupcake with caramel sauce and sprinkle finely chopped pecans.  Yummmmy!  They were a hit at our Ladies Bible Study as well as the church office.

Orange/Strawberry Cupcakes

Here is another easy recipe.  Mix an orange cupcake mix substituting orange juice for the water and mix and bake according to package directions.  I used strawberry jam for the filling (I blended it in the food processor first) and filled each cooled cupcake like I did the Spicy Caramel Apple cupcakes.  I topped each cupcake with strawberry flavored butter cream frosting.  I always use the Wilton butter cream frosting recipe, but I may alter it sometimes depending on how I want it to taste.)  The Wilton recipe is the best.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

2 c. packed dark brown sugar                                 1 tsp. salt
1 16 oz. can of pumpkin                                          1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. vegetable oil                                                     1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla                                                            1/2tsp. ginger
4 c. flour                                                                 2 c. raisins
2 tsp. baking powder                                              1 c. chopped pecans (my substitution)
2 tsp. baking soda                                                   1 bag of chocolate chips (my substitution)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cookie sheet.  In a large bowl, beat sugar, pumpkin oil and vanilla until blended.  Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices; stir into sugar mixture.  Stir in raisins, pecans and chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes until set.  Remove to rack to cool.  Makes about 7 dozen.  (This recipe is from Quick & Easy Christmas Cookie Exchange along with my two substitutions).

Please enjoy these yummy treats.  Thank you for stopping by and visiting me here in Nana's Kitchen.  Stop by any time you are always welcome here.

Love, hugs, and God bless you,

Janet  

A New Cupcake Recipe

Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Hi Everyone,

Yes it has been too long since I posted here on my blog.  However, I do have a new recipe for you all.  It is for my Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcakes.


Spicy Caramel Apple Cupcakes

1 box of spice cake mix (any brand, I use either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines)
Follow the cake recipe on box with the exception of water, replace that with 1 cup of apple juice.
Fill cupcake papers and bake according to package directions.  Then let cool.  Fill, frost, drizzle and sprinkle.   Before filling cut a small hole in middle of the cupcake about 1/2 through the cupcake for the filling.

Filling:

Cut, core, peel and coarsely chop 4 MacIntoch apples.  In a sauce pan pour 1 cup of apple juice and add apples.  Mix in 3/4 - 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 2 pinches of salt, and 2 T. of flour.  Cook and mixture thickens.  Let cool before filling the cupcake.

Frosting

Use a basic butter cream recipe, but instead of using vanilla use caramel extract.  The extract is a thick dark brown which will make your frosting a light tan color which gives it a caramel color.  Then drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes and sprinkle with almost finely chopped pecans.

ENJOY!!!

Well thanks for visiting me here in Nana's kitchen.  You are always welcome to stop by.

Love, hugs, and God bless you,
Janet