Mini Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

These are quite possibly one of my favorite cupcakes I've ever made. Ever. You can taste both the pumpkin and the coffee. I love the whipped cream frosting and the vanilla bean caramel is super impressive and delicious. These cupcakes look great and they taste incredible.

 

Pumpkin Brownie Bites

I tried to make these last year, and even though I messed them up and they burnt to the pan, the salvageable parts were still good! So I thought they deserved a second try.

 

This year I made the pumpkin cheesecake batter first, then the brownie batter. Since as the brownie batter cools, it gets thicker and then harder to swirl. It still only turned out okay. Am I the only one with this problem? My espresso cheesecake brownies also advised to make the brownie portion first, how does any swirling get accomplished this way?

Anyway, I also baked them in wrappers, as I had issues with the outsides of them burning last year. Gggrrrrr... Also I had a ton of cheesecake batter left over, both this time and last. I think they looked pretty evenly split, but who knows, I just made a bunch of mini pumpkin cheesecakes, also delicious.

Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Baked Mini Donuts

I love brown sugar. When I can, I've been sneaking it into things to make them extra tasty, like my brown sugar snickerdoodles. I did the same here for these brown sugar, maple glazed baked mini donuts! I brought them to a brunch and they went over very well!



This made about 30 mini donuts. Also the glaze came out a little thin and I had to re-dip them. Although it's possible they could not have been cooled all the way, so just in case, don't add all the milk to the glaze at once! Add it little by little to make sure you get the right consistency!

Also I always use a piping bag to fill the pan with mini donuts. A spoon just won't cut it, so if you don't have real piping bags do the trick with a zip lock bag instead. I pipe in a somewhat thick "layer" of batter into the bottom of each cavity. If filled too much they won't look like donuts after they rise!


Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Baked Mini Donuts
Adapted from Glorious Treats

For the donuts

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray mini doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add buttermilk, egg, and butter and stir until just combined.
4. Pipe the batter into your donut pan with a piping bag or zip lock bag with the end snipped off.
5. Bake 4-6 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched. 
6. Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. 

For the maple glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple extract

1. In a small bowl, stir together sugar, milk and extract until sugar is completely dissolved.  
2. Make sure donuts are completely cooled, then use glaze immediately to dip the donuts.
3. Place on baking sheet until glaze is set

Zucchini Bread - Two for One

I don't think it went over 60 today. Burrr...for awhile fall couldn't seem to make up it's mind if it was staying or going but this past weekend felt like fall! I've started baking my fall themed treats for occasions, but right up until and after Labor Day I still had zucchini! Not from my own garden sadly, but the point is I had zucchini bread so today I have for you, a zucchini bread post!

 

I don't think I've ever seen a zucchini bread recipe that makes just one loaf, which is just as well because with the way zucchini grows you need to be creative to make sure none goes to waste. So I also have TWO zucchini bread recipes for you! They're both delicious, and they both make two loaves. The zucchini spice bread is a darker loaf with more complex flavors.



And the Mom's recipe is mostly cinnamon, and really moist and fully. :oD



In case you were wondering before you start, don't drain or squeeze the juice out of the zucchini after you shred it. That's how the bread gets all its moisture. And grease and flour your pans really well! I baked mine in disposable tin foil pans. In case you can't free the bread from the pan after baking, it's not a crumbled loss since you can just take the whole pan with you, and not worry about scratching the pan when cutting.

So here it goes, two for one zucchini bread!

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these for an end of summer family bbq! They are denser than most cupcakes (at least mine were anyway). More like a quick bread I think, but delicious none-the-less! As to why they're called hummingbird cupcakes, I really can't tell you! They're made with pineapple, banana, coconut and carrot. Plus I added honey cream cheese frosting. My thinking is the sweet scent plus the colors of the fruit are reminiscent of what attracts hummingbirds? Who knows! It worked for the guests at the party! ;o)



Hummingbird Cupcakes with Honey Creamcheese Frosting
Adapted from 500 Cupcakes and Sprinkle Bakes

Yield 12 cupcakes 

For the cupcakes
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup (2 medium) mashed bananas
1 1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed, drained pineapple
1/2 cup flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place paper liners in cupcake pan
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside
3. In a large bowl with electric mixer or stand mixer, cream the sugar and oil together until light and fluffy
4. Beat in the eggs slowly
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined
6. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake about 25 minutes
8. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes to wire rack to cool

For the frosting

8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick of butter, softened

1/4 cup clover honey

3-4 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Place cream cheese, butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until combined
2. Gradually add in confectioners' sugar, mixing until it is spreading consistency.  
3. If frosting is too thin, place in refrigerator until firm enough to spread

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

I'm a fan of coffee and chocolate. I usually steer clear of coffee flavored desserts because there will always be people who just don't drink coffee so they refuse to even taste the dessert I worked so hard on. And that makes me sad. It's good, dammit! But on this occasion I knew I was heading to a party of coffee lovers!



I find if I make the brownie portion first, it just gets thicker as it cools and then it's impossible to swirl with the cheesecake portion! So I recommend making the cheesecake portion first and popping it in the fridge while you make the brownies. :oD I made these in an 8 inch round cake pan. The recipe is originally made for a 9 inch square pan but I used most of the batter. And I think the round pan makes a really impressive presentation.

Also, Ghirardelli makes a dark chocolate espresso bar that they sell in supermarkets! If you can find it I highly recommend you use it, but you can use any dark chocolate really.

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies
Adapted from Life in a Peanut Shell

For the cheesecake

1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water (I use Starbucks VIA, awesome stuff, and handy when the power was out)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the brownies

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces dark chocolate (around 60% cocoa0) (Note: The Ghirardelli bars I mentioned are 3.5 oz. I bought 2 and broke a little bit off the second bar for the brownies, then saved the rest for garnish...and to eat!)
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping

1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and coat your pan with cooking spay.

Make the cheesecake

1. Allow the espresso to cool to tepid.
2. With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese on medium until it's completely smooth.
3. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 3 minutes more.
4. Beat in the vanilla and espresso
5. Add the eggs one at a time
6. Reduce the speed to low and add the sour cream
7. Slowly add the flour. Mixture should be very smooth.
8. cffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff (My rabbit Lillie added step 8 here by stomping on my lap top... I don't know what she's trying to say)
9. Anyway, place the cheesecake batter in the fridge while you make the brownies

Make the brownies

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together over a double boiler with water simmering.
3. Transfer to a stand mixer and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Beat in the vanilla.
5. Gently stir in the dry ingredients just until they are combined, be careful not to over-mix.

Assemble!

1. Pour about 3/4 of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan.
2. Smooth it out, then pour the cheesecake layer over the top, taking care to make it even.
3. Place spoonfuls of the rest of the brownie batter on top, and use a knife to swirl the dark and light batters together.
4. Bake for around 30 minutes. The brownies should come away from the sides of the pan. The cheesecake will puff and turn lightly browned around the edges.
5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
6. Once it reaches room temperature, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until well chilled.

Make the topping

1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Warm the sour cream and sugar in a small saucepan over very low heat.
2. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour over the chilled brownies, then return them to the refrigerator and chill for at least another hour.
4. To garnish with chocolate curls, let the chocolate set at room temperature (or under a light to warm up if it's very cold) and use a vegetable peeler to shave the edges off the chocolate

Eggless Lemon Ice Cream

Whatever September, tell me when fall really gets here, I'm still making ice cream.



This is eggless lemon ice cream and it's ridiculous easy and quick because you don't have to heat the cream. I found it odd the recipe I followed instructs you to place it in the fridge after the sugar dissolves to let it cool down... My heavy cream just came out of the fridge...in fact that's the only way to keep heavy cream I understand... So maybe I missed something, but even if I did this came out great!

(Eggless) Lemon Ice Cream
Adapted from C&C Cakery

2 cups of whipping/heavy cream
1 cup of sugar
2 lemons worth of zest (about 1/4 cup)
4 lemons worth of juice (about 1/2 cup)

1. In a metal bowl, combine the cream and sugar.
2. Using a hand mixer on low, slowly dissolve the sugar (don't actually whip the cream, use a wire whisk if you have to instead)
   
3. Add zest and lemon juice while whisking slowly.
4. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions OR use this method if you don't have an ice cream maker!