Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Sweet. Salty. Delicious.

Birthdays are a great reason to bake and I always use these times to try new things. The GREAT thing about this is, my neighbors know that I love to bake so I use them as my ‘guinea pigs’ so instead of buying gifts for birthdays, I send a sweet treat their way. . . BUT I want the criticism in return.

This birthday I made Salted Caramel Cupcakes.  YUMMY ! The best thing about these cupcakes is that they are semi-home made :)

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Cupcake Ingredients

1 box of yellow golden butter cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup of butter – melted

1 cup of caramel machiatto creamer

Icing Ingredients

1 8oz box of cream cheese – softened

1/2 cup of butter – softened

1 cup of caramel

7-8 cups of sifted powdered sugar

Additions:

Caramel

Sea Salt – course

Chopped Walnuts

Directions for cupcakes:

–Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

–In a large bowl, using a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, butter and creamer for 1 minute. Scrap the side of bowls and continue to mix on medium for 1 minute.

– Scoop even amounts of batter into lined muffin tin and bake 18-20 minutes.

–Let cupcakes cool on baking rack.

Directions for Icing:

–Place the softened butter in bowl and blend softly. Add cream cheese and mix until smooth.

–Add caramel until fully incorporated.

–Slowly add in the powdered sugar until thickened. Turn mixer on medium and beat for 1-2 minutes until icing becomes fluffy.

–Pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes, drizzle caramel, sprinkle a little salt and add chopped walnuts.

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My Thoughts

I used homemade caramel ( Will post recipe another time), but store bought will be just as delicious !

My cupcakes baked for 19 minutes exact and were perfect.

I didn’t have the patience to sift all 7 cups of sugar.

I added the chopped walnuts. They work !

Definitely on the ‘make again’  list !

My Feedback

Iphone

Bake Away !!!

The Date

With my job, I am constantly writing in people’s chart day after day after day. One of the things I have to write multiple times a day is the date ! For example , Today I had to write 08/21/12 eight times at the minimum ! The funny thing is every time I have to write it ,
I have to look at the calendar until the last patient of the day but then I finally have the correct date down !

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Now in my defense , I am not only writing the current date of the appointment, I am also making future appointments and then writing that date on their appointment card for their reminder ! ahhhhh dates, dates datessss oh the dates …

Around my fourth patient today, I laughed at myself for having to look at today’s date again ! I should probably know the date after writing it four times In a row !!! You would think …

After all it is my birthday ! You would think I would have that DATE under my belt !

Just a funny little blog post …

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60 days, a birthday and a race!

Today is my Dads birthday! While I won’t say how old… Oops ! I mean young he is ;0) I will say that I hope he has the best day ever!!! Happy Birthday Dad !

Today also marks 60 days since I have stopped biting my nails ! Yay for me ! Last weekend I actually had to go get some tools to cut and shape my nails ! It took me awhile to do and get used to but I did it ! It was my first time
I ever had to cut my nails ! Yippee !!!

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I am getting excited for tomorrow , race day! I picked up my race day gear yesterday ! Wah-hoo ! Tuesday morning I ran over 3 miles and today I am taking a break getting ready for tomorrow !

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Happy Wednesday !

Cinnamon Toast Crunch CUPCAKES…

Oh yes I did…. I pulled out the inner fat kid and made some delicious cupcakes. Of course this recipe was hidden among my other 174 pinterest food pins. What can I say, I truly love to cook and bake anything. It was my neighbors birthday this week, since she has been on vacation we have not been able to celebrate. When she gets home she will have some fun, crunchy, sweet cupcakes waiting on her !

Source: bsinthekitchen.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

I really did not stick with the recipe connected to the pinned photo above. Here is the {Semi-Homemade} recipe I used. They cupcakes came out so moist and PERFECT

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes. . .

Cinnamon Cupcake :

3 Eggs
1/3 Cup oil ( I used canola oil )
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1Teasoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
Vanilla Cake Mix
1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Buttercream Icing:

8 oz cream cheese, Softened
1/2 Cup butter, Softened ( I used salted )
1 Teaspoon vanilla
3 Cups powdered sugar
2/3 Cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Powder
    - crush cinnamon toast crunch cereal in a bag or food processor. Sift out 2/3 cup )
 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix in sour cream.

Add cake mix and cinnamon into the wet ingredients, mix until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes. I baked at 17 minutes and they came out perfect after they cooled.

For the icing: beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Adding powdered cereal. Add vanilla and powederd sugar. If your consistency becomes to thick, use milk to thin out to your liking.

Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. Top with cereal square.

ENJOY !!!!

 
 


 

Happy Happy Pupday !!!!

Today is our four legged friends FOURTH birthday. I can hardly believe this! I always can count on Lola to get me up right on time for work. She never lets me sleep past two snoozes. She must have known today was her birthday because she did not bother giving me morning kisses or pawing at my shoulder to get up . She must have though she deserved to sleep in on such a special day just as us humans do.

Lolas bio parents and our breeder sent birthday wishes and pictures this morning. They are really good at keeping in touch!!!

Happy Birthday to LOLA :) party time with all the neighborhood pups !

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Sweet Sweeeeeet Birthdays

Today is Don’s 27th birthday! He isn’t crazy about throwing birthday parties or going all out, however, we went to purchase bikes for his birthday present and rode them home. I was pretty excited about that. It something we have been talking about the day we moved into our new house. We have this long trail we can ride less than half a mile away from our home. YIPEE!!! ( more exercise )

For his birthday, I tried to make cup cakes that involve his two favorite sweets: Chocolate and Peanut Butter! I swear every time I turn around the kid is dipping dove choclate into peanut butter. I always think to myself why doesn’t he save the time and the mess by purchasing REESES CUPS..duh right?

I found the PERFECT recipe: Peanut Butter Brownie Buckeye Cupcakes !!!

They are easy..semi-homemade and DELICIOUS :) I did not use the ganache. Honestly, I think the peanut butter icing and the chocolate cake would have over powered it any ways . They were fine for our palate :0)

YUMMMMMMMMY ! Its a MUST TRY recipe ! Image