When we were in Nashville for Christmas, we stopped by Gigi’s Cupcake Shop.  The family tried different flavors, Wedding Cake, Italian Crème, Kentucky Bourbon, but I decided on this Chocolate Salted Caramel one.  Ladies, I kid you not, this was hands down, the best cupcake I’ve ever put in my mouth.

I’ve searched the net looking for a similar recipe, and  put a few together to come up with my own very similar version.  I simplified it a bit by using a dark chocolate cake mix, after all, it’s not about the cake anyway, it’s all about the toppings, and Betty Crocker happens to be a great cook.  This recipe is labor intensive enough, make it easy on yourself and just use a mix for the cupcakes.

~ jan

Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Cake mix, made as per directions on box in lined cupcake pans.

Caramel Filling for Cupcakes:

2-1.2 cups sugar
2.3 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2.5 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:

Heat sugar, water and corn syrup in heavy saucepan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until syrup is clear.  Then clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.

Now cook without stirring until it comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed.  Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is carmelized and reaches 360 degrees.

Remove from heat, slowly pour in cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Stir in sea salt.

Take a knife, cut a cone-shaped piece (about 1/2 inch deep) from the center of each cupcake and discard the cut out piece.  Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of warm Salted Caramel Filling into each hollowed-out cupcake.  The caramel will sink into the cupcake, go back and fill with a bit more.  Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over filling.

Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1  1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to cook without stirring until mixture turns dark amber, this should take six or seven minutes.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla.  Beat with a wooden spoon until completely smooth and let cool.

Beat the butter on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add powdered sugar. Mix until well combined. Turn off the mixer, and slowly add caramel. Beat frosting on low to combine, and then increase to medium-high and beat until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes.

These cupcakes look best when piped through a bag.  Use a swirl (1M tip).  If you pipe the cupcakes, it takes a lot more frosting, but that’s what makes them special, so double your recipe and pile them really high with the frosting.

For the finish -

Chocolate Ganache

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

Directions

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Frost the top of the buttercream topped cupcakes with the Ganache, as shown in photograph, and top with a smattering of sea salt. 

And there you have it, absolute, total perfection.  Not hard to make, just time consuming, and always more fun if made with a girlfriend.

Totally different, totally decadent, completely addictive cupcakes, what more could you ask for…

We were at The Olde Spaghetti Factory in Nashville over the Christmas Holidays. I had this dish and it's just incredible.  It's so simple, but it's one of the best pasta dishes I've ever eaten.  The recipe is readilly available on the internet, so simple to make, and absolutely DIVINE!

~ jan

Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese


1 lb. spaghetti or your pasta of choice
1 cup browned butter
1 cup mizithra cheese

Brown butter by bringing butter to a boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly and watching so that it doesn't foam over the edge of the pan.  Once the foam starts to subside, continue boiling until it turns an amber color - 1 or 2 minutes should be long enough.  There will be sediment at the bottom of the pan, don't disturb the sediment, you don't want this in your finished browned butter.  Let the butter cool for a couple of minutes in the pan and strain, leaving sediment residue in the pan.

At this point it can be refrigerated to use later.

To make the dish, boil the pasta, divide into four serving bowls, top each serving with 1/4 cup of the cheese and spoon over 1/4 cup hot browned butter.

You can purchase mizithra cheese at The Olde Spaghetti Factory, or at local cheese shops.  If you don't have either in your town, you can purchase the cheese online.

The Olde Spaghetti Factory is now offering a new version of this dish with bacon, garlic and mushrooms.  But I'm a purist, I love this original recipe.

If you’re knee deep in holiday baking and looking for something really special, this recipe for Cranberry Bliss Bars tastes just like Starbucks.

Lindsay’s favorite has now become a family tradition.  If you make them, cut them into squares and then each square into a diamond, makes them soooooo special.

~ jan

Here’s the recipe>>>

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/4 cup minced dried cranberries

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt

Cracked pepper

1 pear

1 apple

1 lemon, cut in half

1 endive, sliced crosswise

5 cups mixed salad greens

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Combine the rice vinegar, cranberry juice, cranberries, shallot, sugar, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Let the dressing stand for the flavors to meld.

2. Meanwhile, cut the pear into quarters then core and slice. Place the slices in a shallow dish filled with water and the juice of half a lemon; the liquid should cover the fruit. Cut the apple into quarters, core and slice. Place the slices in a shallow dish with water and the juice of the remaining lemon half to cover.

3. Just before serving, drain the pears and apples. Toss together in a large bowl with the endive and salad greens. Arrange the salad on a platter and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts. Serve the dressing alongside.

Each serving: 250 calories; 1,143 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 5.99 grams fiber.


Serves 4


Source:  LA Food Times

Lisa, over at Mommy's Kitchen shared her recipe for her holiday favorite,  Eggnog Quick Bread.

Doesn't it look divine?  Here's the link>>>

Apple Crisp Cocktail
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time:3 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:--
Level:
Easy
Serves:
1 serving
Ingredients
1 part brandy
2 parts apple cider, chilled
2 parts Champagne
1 apple, sliced into thin slices, for garnish
Directions
In a champagne flute, combine the brandy and cider and stir. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a couple of slices of apple.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Martini
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:1 hr 0 minCook Time:5 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
8 servings
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 cups vanilla vodka (recommended: Smirnoff's)
Cranberry-flavored seltzer, chilled
8 maple leaf hard candies for garnish, optional
Directions
In a small pot over medium heat, mix together the sugar and pumpkin pie spice with 1 cup water. Bring it to a boil, remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 1 hour. The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To a pitcher, add the vodka and half the simple syrup. Stir until blended. Add the cranberry seltzer and pour into chilled martini glasses. Add more sugar syrup, to taste, if necessary. Garnish with maple candies, if desired.

Williams-Sonoma always has the best ideas. Click here for their recipes, videos, menu’s and tips for your traditional holiday meal.

Yes, dear hearts, it’s a Cherpumple, it’s the dessert version of a turdurken (chicken stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey) which we tried, at Ryan’s insisence, a few Thanksgivings ago.  I was not a fan.

The Cherpumple consists of a cherry, pumpkin and apple pie, all stacked on top of each other, baked into a three layer cake batter and frosted.  Sounds just horrid, doesn’t it, but it’s for real.  Here’s the video…

 

Don’t you just love this set of piecrust cutters for Thanksgiving.  My mother always used a leaf from the yard and cut her own leaves for the top of pumpkin pies.  It’s such a nice memory.  These are just a bit more refined…

If you’re interested – here’s the link>>>