Cupcakes are one of the trendiest desserts around. From simple vanilla to more extravagant flavors like lemon and red velvet, cupcakes are always a fun and delicious treat. The pint sized dessert has only been around for about 200 years but they have always been popular. Once called 1-2-3-4 cakes for the simplicity of ingredients, this dessert was revolutionary for its portability and easiness to prepare. The original cupcake recipe was very similar to a butter cake, only baked in small tin cups, hence the name cupcake.

This recipe is much like the original cupcake recipe of the 19th century. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it is yummy. Homemade cupcakes have a certain something special about them. Maybe it’s the real butter and the vanilla bean flecks from the vanilla bean extract peppered throughout the light, airy cake that make them special or maybe it’s the simple, pure ingredients from a timeless recipe. Whatever it is, this is one dessert that you will be proud to serve. And eat. Top with homemade chocolate frosting or eat them warm from the oven with a glass of milk. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla bean extract
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter and sugar until well combined.

2. Add eggs one at a time.

3. Stir in the vanilla bean extract.

4. Add flour and baking powder into the mix, then slowly incorporate the milk.

5. Spoon batter into paper cups or in a greased muffin pan and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

This recipe is courtesy of Chad Carns, the author of “The Gourmet Bachelor, Global Flavor, Local Ingredients” cookbook — thegourmetbachelor.com. Thank you, Chad!

Ingredients:
– Bread Pudding
3 c milk
3 c unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c sweetened coconut flakes
1 loaf French bread, 1-inch cubes
3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
2 T vanilla extract
1 T butter

– Mango Sauce
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 vanilla bean, cut open

Directions:
Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk, coconut milk, coconut flakes and bread in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl and then add to bread mixture. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Spoon the bread mixture into the pan. Bake on the upper rack of oven until the bread pudding has set and is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Mango sauce: Simmer ingredients for 10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Serve pudding on a bed of mango sauce.

Pairing: Sauternes, France

This is a light “apple pie” type of dessert great for the whole family. This recipe is courtesy of Chef Lisa Beels.

photo courtesy of Chef Lisa Beels

Danish Apple Cake
If making this for kids: only ages 1 year and up. Little ones can eat the small apple pieces, or heat some apple pieces covered, over low heat in a small pot for 10 minutes and puree into apple sauce.
I’m part Danish by heritage and this has been on our fall menu for years – it’s absolutely delicious!

1 1/2 cup NY State MacIntosh apples, peeled and chopped (only use sweet crispy apples in this recipe)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup flour
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and melted butter.
Stir in sifted flour, salt and baking soda.
Add the chopped apples, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well.
Pour into a greased pie plate and bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and center is set.

About the Chef: Lisa Beels is co-founder of PetitePalate.com (gourmet, organic baby food) and a trained chef (she attends Le Cordon Bleu in London). She is co-author of The Petite Palate Quick and Easy Guide to Baby Food. Her blog: www.petitepalatekitchen.com

Today we are featuring a very unique, absolutely delicious and affordable recipe, courtesy of: Del Monte “Stretch Your Dollar” Campaign; this no-cook nosh is a fun dessert for the kids to help with.
 
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 0 Minutes
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
 
·         20 vanilla wafers
·         4 ctn. (4 oz. each) prepared vanilla flavored pudding cups
·         1 can (8-3/4 oz.) DEL MONTE® Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches, drained
 
Directions
 
1.      Crumble 2 vanilla wafers into bottoms of each of four small dessert dishes.
2.      Spoon small amount of pudding over crumbs.
3.      Place peach slices on pudding. Spoon on remaining pudding; chill.
4.      Stand 3 vanilla wafers in wigwam style on pudding in each dish before serving.

Enjoy! Thank you, Del Monte!

Today we customized one of the most delicious doughnuts recipes out there. The original recipe can be found here.

Preparation Time: approx. 20 minutes
Baking Time: approx. 10 minutes
Total time: approx. 30 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
#  2 cups cake flour
# 3/4 cup white sugar
# 2 teaspoons baking powder
# 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
# 1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
# 1 teaspoon salt
# 3/4 cup buttermilk
# 2 eggs, beaten
# 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
# 1 tablespoon melted butter
# 200g milk chocolate
# 200ml fresh cream
# grated nestle peppermint crisp

Preparation:
#  Preheat oven to 338F/170c. Lightly grease a doughnut pan.
# In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and butter. Beat together until well blended.
# Fill each doughnut cup approximately 3/4 full. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until doughnuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

Ganache:
# Bring the cream to boil, remove from stove and add your chocolate. Mix until all chocolate is melted.
# Dip cooled doughnuts into ganache and top with grated peppermint crisp.

My kids finished these within an hour…LOL. I got to taste just one.

Enjoy!! And let us know if you liked them!

This photo is courtesy of neviepiecakes. Here are more details from the designer herself:

“This was a three tiered cake. The bottom layer was lemon, the middle was vanilla with strawberry jam and the top was chocolate mud with ganache. The cookie on top was vanilla. I hand painted the roses and details. This was my first painted cake and I’m really pleased with how it came out. It was for my husbands step-sister as our birthday present to her. She was really pleased with it and didn’t want to cut it, so went home from her party with roughly 70 portions of cake!”