Gluten-Free 'Reeses' Cupcakes!

       Okay, just recently I made a Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcake and it was a hit!  So today's recipe may or may not be using the same base for the cupcake.  But in my opinion, the best thing about having a good base recipe is being able to build upon it to create a variety of amazing recipes. 

       For this week, I combine the classic flavors of Peanut Butter and Chocolate…I know you will enjoy this combination!

You'll need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free All purpose Flour 

2 tsp Xanathan Gum 

1 cup cocoa powder 

1 ½ tsp baking powder 

1 ½  tsp baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

2 large eggs 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 tsp butter flavor 

1 cup hot water 

Makes 12 Cupcakes

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease two 6-cup jumbo muffin tins and set aside. 

       In a medium bowl, combine sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

        In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, eggs, buttermilk, butter flavor, and vanilla. Once the liquid ingredients are fully combined, slowly pour into the dry ingredients and mix together. 

       Add hot water to the batter and mix well until the batter is thin.

       Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

       Once the cupcakes have finished baking, let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

 

       Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, core out the centers using either a coring tool or a butter knife.

Peanut Butter Cream Filling

½ cup creamy peanut butter 

½ cup powdered sugar 

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream      

       In a bowl, combine all three ingredients and mix until it's a smooth creamy texture.  Scoop into a piping bag and squeeze cream into the centers of the cupcakes.  Then serve and enjoy!

Autumn Spice No-Bake Fudge Bites

    This creation came to me just the other evening while I was waiting for one of my cakes to finish baking.  We happened to be having a particularly chilly night here in Florida (a nice brisk 50-something degrees) and it felt like autumn was in the evening air. 

 

   So I decided to come up with an autumn-inspired fudgy dessert.  The combination may seem a little odd...after all, who puts spices and pumpkin together with peanut butter? But I promise, this unexpected combo had a delicious result and there wasn't one person complaining when I sampled it.  I hope you enjoy this unique creation! 

Here’s what you’ll need…  

1 Cup Brown Sugar 

1 Cup Sugar 

½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream 

1 tbsp Pumpkin puree 

4 tbs Butter (half stick) 

2 tsp Cinnamon 

2 tsp Nutmeg 

1 tsp Clove 

2 Cups Whole Oats 

¾ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter 

   In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the sugars, pumpkin, butter, and spices in the cream.  The ingredients will begin to combine as it gets warmer.  Then raise the heat until the mixture begins to boil and stir continuously so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.  

   Once it has boiled for three minutes, take off the heat and stir in the oats and peanut butter.  

 *Brian’s tip after you have added in the oats and peanut butter you can also add in an additional 2/3 to 1 cup of powdered sugar. This will insure that your fudge set up correctly, and I don’t know about you but I personally like my fudge to be a little sweeter than my average dessert. 

   Scoop mixture either on to a cookie sheet or into cube silicon molds.  I suggest using the molds personally, because it makes the perfect little bites of fudge.  If using a cookie sheet, you can cut it into pieces after it has set up.  Place the fudge straight into the fridge and allow to harden, which usually takes about an hour.  Serve and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Dark Mocha Cupcake

       Let's face it, some things just go together, like peanut butter and jelly or rock and roll.  Another one of those perfect combinations?  Chocolate and coffee!  I’m a sucker for a good chocolate cupcake and not only is this recipe gluten-free, it’s also one of the moistest and most delicious I’ve made yet.  I mean, c'mon, how can you not love a moist chocolate cupcake and a rich coffee frosting?!  I truly hope you enjoy this recipe!        

You'll need:

 

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour 

2 tsp xanathan gum 

1 cup dark cocoa powder 

1 ½ tsp baking powder 

1 ½  tsp baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

2 large eggs 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 tsp butter flavor 

½ cup dark chocolate chips 

1 cup of hot water 

Makes 12 large cupcakes

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two jumbo six-cup muffin tins by greasing. 

       In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

       In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, eggs, buttermilk, butter flavor, and vanilla.  Then slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients until both mixtures are fully combined.  Next, fold in the chocolate chips.

       Add hot water to the batter and mix well, until the batter is thin.  Pour evenly into the prepared muffin pans and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

       Once the cupcakes have finished baking, allow to cool for about five minutes in the pans before transferring to a cooling rack.

       After they have completely cooled, core out the centers with either a coring tool or a butter knife. Then it's time to frost them!

 

Mocha Butter Cream Frosting 

1 8oz block of Kerrygold Salted Butter 

3 cup powdered sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tsp instant espresso  

3 tbsp heavy whipping cream      

       In a bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until its smooth. Add in one cup of powdered sugar and cream together until the butter is thick and crumbly. 

       In a small cup, dissolve the espresso into one tablespoon of heavy cream and the vanilla extract.  Whip the espresso mixture into the butter.  Add in another cup of  powdered sugar followed by one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.  Repeat this step, using the last of the cream and sugar.  The extra steps are well worth it because the finished result will be an AMAZING mocha frosting that pairs perfectly with the dark chocolate cupcake.

       *Brian’s note:  Don’t skip the Kerrygold butter!  I’m not saying that this recipe won’t still be absolutely delicious without it, but the Kerrygold really takes it over the top and gives it an incredible flavor.

       Fill and frost the cooled cupcakes.  Then serve and enjoy!

3-Layer German Chocolate Cake!

       Alright everyone, so I just have to say that before someone asked me to make them a German Chocolate Cake for a custom order, I’d never attempted to make one.   To be honest, I’d never even liked German Chocolate Cake (I know, I know...).  Then when the time came for me to have to make it, I scavenged the internet looking for a good recipe but couldn’t find one that I was happy with.  So I decided to come up my own recipe and this is the result.  I hope you ENJOY! 

(Editor's note:  Unlike Brian, I have enjoyed many a good German Chocolate Cake through the years!  I have to say this is probably the best one I've ever tried...the cake is so moist and the icing is rich but not too sweet and adds a nice crunch.  Yeah, I just really like it!) 

Here’s what you'll need…

4 ounces German Sweet Bakers Chocolate

½ cup water

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp + ½ tsp salt, divided

1 cup butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp butter flavor

1 ½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 cup buttermilk

       Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour three 9” round pans then set aside until needed.

        In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and water together until completely liquid and smooth.

       In two small bowls, separate the eggs and set aside.

       In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugars, vanilla extract, and butter flavoring.  Add in egg yolks, mix well.  Stir in the melted chocolate then set aside.

       In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and ½ tsp salt.  Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture in intervals, alternating with the buttermilk.  Continue adding and stirring until all of the ingredients are fully combined.

  In a small bowl with an electric mixture, whip egg whites and ½ tsp of salt until stiff and foamy. Gently fold egg whites into the batter then pour batter into the three prepared pans.

       Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

After the cakes have finished baking, allow them to cool for several minutes in the pans before carefully transferring onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Coconut Caramel Topping

2 cups evaporated milk

8 egg yolks

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups brown sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups butter

3 cups shredded sweetened coconut

½ cup pecan pieces 

       In a large saucepan, combine evaporated milk, egg yolks, sugars, vanilla extract, and butter.  Melt down over low heat.  After everything is melted, raise the heat up to medium.  Stir constantly to make sure it doesn't scorch on the bottom.   Continue stirring and allow the mixture to cook for 10 – 15 minutes.  It will thicken into a nice caramel texture.

Remove from heat and stir in shredded coconut and pecans. Once the cakes have cooled, add the caramel topping between each layer until you have assembled the three-layer cake!  Pour remaining icing on top.

 (Note: the pictures shown are of a two-layer version of this recipe, for which I had adjusted the ingredients.)

Enjoy!

SPICED PUMPKIN MUFFINS!

        Okay, okay, so I may not have come up with this concept entirely on my own.  I may or may not have been inspired by a muffin that you can only buy this time of year at a certain well-known coffee shop of international acclaim.  I won't say which coffee shop...let's just say it's the one that has the little green straws.  Wherever the inspiration came from, this turned out to be quite the delicious muffin once it was baked, stuffed with Cinnamon Cream, and served with a nice hot cup of coffee.  I hope you enjoy!

        Here’s what you’ll need… 

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 cup sugar 

1/3 cup coconut oil 

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 

2 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla 

1/4 cup buttermilk 

1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds 

Makes about 9 Jumbo cupcakes-

        Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare two jumbo 6-cup muffin tins by greasing.

   In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, spices, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.

        In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, coconut oil, and pumpkin puree.  Then add in eggs and vanilla. 

  

      Stir in half the flour mixture.  Then mix in the buttermilk, followed by the second half of the flour mixture.  Mix until combined then fold in pumpkin seeds. 

        Fill muffin tins halfway full then bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

         Once they have finished baking, allow to cool in the muffin tins for three minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.  Allow to fully cool before filling with Cinnamon Cream.

Cinnamon Cream Filling 

8oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup powdered sugar 

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon 

        In a bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until it’s no longer a brick.  Whip in the rest of the ingredients until the mixture is thick but creamy. 

        To assemble, core out the center of each of the muffins then stuff with Cinnamon Cream (to find out how I prefer to core out the centers, check out my  recipe for Mango Stuffed Banana Muffins).  Sprinkle the tops with the roasted pumpkin seeds to add a nice crunch.  Then grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Spiced Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

(That are ridiculously good!)

       Recently, I've posting a lot of pumpkin, cinnamon spice, and apple recipes for fall.  Today's post has a slightly different take on this trend, so this recipe could also be used year-round.  Rest assured, this decadent cupcake will be enjoyed by all, even the most adamant of gluten-free naysayers.  I fooled my gluten-loving brother into eating one and he didn't even know it was gluten-free!

I hope you enjoy this sweet and spicy flavor combo!

You'll need… 

1 tsp cardamom

½ tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp clove

¼ tsp cayenne

-

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

-

1 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour 

1 ½ tsp Xanthan gum

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup buttermilk 

       Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease either a standard 12-cup muffin tin or a jumbo 6-cup muffin tin and set aside.

       In a small bowl, place the cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and cayenne.  Mix well then set aside until needed. 

       In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

        In a separate bowl combine the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and two teaspoons of the spice mixture. 

       Gradually add the flour mixture into creamed mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and beating well after each addition. 

       Pour batter into muffin tin and fill the cups two-thirds full.

       Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

       Cool for 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Savory Buttercream Frosting 

1 stick of butter, softened 

3 cups powdered sugar 

½ tsp salt 

1 tbsp heavy whipping cream 

       In a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip the butter until fluffy.  Whip in one cup of powdered sugar then add in salt and heavy cream.  Keep whipping until the mixture thins.  Then whip in the remaining two cups of powdered sugar, beating well between each addition.  Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, then sprinkle the tops with the remaining spice mixture.

       *Brian’s tip: By now you know how I feel about stuffing cupcakes!  So I cored out just about an inch from the center and then piped icing into the hollowed core.  This is optional of course, it just gives a nice little surprise when someone bites into the cupcake!

       I hope you enjoy!