4th of July Recipies

4th of July Recipe, Cupcakes

Red, White, & Blue Cupcakes
I used a recipe I found on the Curvy Carrot that you can find HERE!
For the cupcakes:
5 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 whole vanilla beans, split length-wise and seeds reserved

8 large eggs

4 egg yolks

3 cups whole milk

Instructions:

1. For the cupcakes: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing well.

4. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

5. Slowly add in the granulated sugar, almond extract, and vanilla bean seeds and mix until well-combined, about 2 more minutes.

6. Add the egg yolks, and mix well.

7.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

8.  Add the flour and milk mixtures alternatively (start and end with the flour mixture) to the mixing bowl at low speed, mixing until the flour is just combined.

9. Evenly distribute the batter among the prepared baking pans.

10.  Bake for 20 minutes total, rotating the pans halfway during the baking time.

11.  When a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

NOTE: I split the dough in half and dyed one half blue and the other half red.  I put the blue dough down at first filling the cupcakes half way, and then the red on top.  Then I baked them.  The cupcakes mixed themselves and formed the fun color change.  This recipe makes a LOT so I used them on another recipe as well. I really loved this cupcake recipe!

Frosting

I used the same recipe below and added 1 tsp. of Lemon Extract. 

To do the stars, buy a package of MARZIPAN at the store, add some food coloring to it and mix it with your fingers until its all red.  This is really sticky so I used corn starch on my fingers to make it easier.  Then i put a little corn starch on the counter. Rolled them out with a glass cup because it sticks less to it.  I used my mini star cookie cutter that I picked up at Sur La Table, and placed them on the cupcakes. 

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

The first recipe that I used on this was terrible! The whole cupcake tasted like molasses and it just wasnt very good.  At this point though I was already over whelmed with the amount of desserts I had to make before I took the pictures, so I found this easy recipe from Sandra Lee that I used.  Normally I dont like to use a lot of shortcuts but after reading this BLOG, I decided to try it.  I wont lie, it was AMAZING!

So the big thing with this recipe is that it ask you to use coconut oil, so I did, and it was delicious. However, it did make the cupcake taste like coconut.  So if I did it again, i would try it with canola oil and see if it works out. I did make my own frosting and then I filled the middle with a Root Beer Frosting.

Root Beer Cupcakes
slightly adapted from Bake Sale Cookbook by Sandra Lee
yield: ~24
1 pkg (18.25 oz) Devil's Food Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1⅓ c. root beer
½ c. coconut oil, melted
3 eggs
1 can (16 oz) whipped white frosting (I used Duncan Hines)
1 tsp. Root Beer concentrate (I used McCormick's)
Root Beer Barrels (candy), crushed (optional)
bendy straws, cut short to garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line 24 (I actually wound up getting 21...I'm a notorious over-filler) cupcake tins with paper cups and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together cake mix, root beer, oil, and eggs with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds.  Scrape down side of bowl; beat for 2 minutes on medium.  Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each ~⅔ full.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for ~5 minutes, then pop out the cupcakes and cool the rest of the way on a wire rack.  

For the frosting I used my Butter Cream Frosting recipe posted here.

Butter Cream Frosting

What you need:

- 1 Cup Butter
- 1 T. of Madagascar Vanilla
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 T Heavy Cream
- 4 Cups Powder Sugar  

In a mixer add room temperature butter to mixer and blend until smooth.  Wipe down the sides of the bowl and add vanilla until mixed with butter.  Add salt and 2 cups of powder sugar blending on low just enough to incorporate the butter.  Next, add 2 T. of Heavy cream and blend IF its having a hard time incorporating, if not, add the rest of the powdered sugar and all the Heavy Cream.  This sounds crazy I know, and its also why its tricky.  Let the frosting come together and then put the mixer on high and whip it until it becomes nice and fluffy. The trick is you dont want to over mix it because otherwise it because hard and gross or curdles.  I like to swipe my finger in and check the consistency to see how spreadable it is.  If it feels like a hard butter you have whipped it too much, think of it as a fluffy buttery texture.  It should be a nice fluffy frosting thats easy to pipe and spread, and not hard.  If its too hard, try adding some milk and powder sugar and see if you can soften it up a bit.  This is only for frosting cakes/cupcakes.  If you are using it for a decorative frosting, use milk or water instead.  I've been making frostings since I was 18 and have played with this recipe a lot.  I found that the Cream adds this amazing flavor and consistency to the frosting.  Hope it works out!

Root Beer Frosting

Take 1 Cup of frosting from prepared recipe.

Add 2 tsp. of Root Beer 

4 T of Powder Sugar

Mix in the bowl that you placed it in with a spoon.  Then push finger down into cupcake to make hole.  Its messy but it works, just make sure your hands are washed!  Then pipe in filling.

Top with Vanilla Frosting and place a straw in the cupcake and you're done!

All the cupcake suplies was purchased at Orson Gigi.

4th of July Recipe, Cherry Pie Pop's

Cherry Pie Pops
For the pie suckers, I just took Pillsbury pre-made dough in the refrigerated section.  Then a can of Cherry Pie filling.  I used a round cookie cutter, cut out a top and bottom.  Used a small star cookie cutter and cut out 3 stars.  Then I spooned 1 tsp. of pie feeling in the middle.  Next I took a sucker stick that you can get at any craft store and placed it in the middle imprinting it in the dough.  Last I put the top piece on and used a fork pushing down the edges all around the sucker.  

Cherry Pie Pops

LOOK FOR THE 4TH OF JULY PARTY THAT GOES WITH THIS TOMORROW!!!