Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream

Are you all tired of me posting new recipes yet? Well I have like 3 others I still want to post, two of which are pumpkin recipes from last year that I never posted! Haha! Sorry, just sharing the love of food!

I pinned this recipe on Pinterest and have been dying to try them. I finally had the chance to make them today for a game night with friends. 'Tis the season for pumpkin right! I thought these were really good. The cupcake part was so good, in fact, I thought they seemed a little bit more like a muffin. They are really good without frosting. The frosting was delicious too. I added about a cup more of powdered sugar to the frosting though, because it was just too soft. I liked the flavor better without the extra powdered sugar, so maybe next time I would see if chilling it for 1/2 hr or so would make it good to frost with. (I think next time I'd like to try this recipe too.) This isn't the greatest pic, as I didn't take it until we were at the game night and only 4 cupcakes remained, so I just snapped it really quick. If you go to the other girls blog, her picture makes them look so much more delicious. 

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the  brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined.  Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes ~ 18 cupcakes. (Mine made 24 cupcakes.)

Source: Adapted from MarthaStewart.com.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick salted butter

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny.  If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Source: Slightly adapted from SprinkleBakes.com.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

On one of the first of the rainy days here, as there has already been many, I knew it was a soup kind of day. I wanted to make this cheesy veggie soup, but Matt doesn't love all the different veggies in it. He wanted loaded baked potato. So I decided to use the base of the veggie soup, with the pretty typical ingredients of baked potato soup. We thought it was one delicious loaded baked potato soup.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

3-4 russet potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I don't like peeling mine.)
1/2 cup (more or less to your liking) sliced green onion
2 tsp. salt
4 cups water (or enough to cover the potatoes while cooking)
1 lb. bacon, cut in small pieces and cooked nice and crispy
3 Tbls chicken bouillon (or to taste)
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbls dry mustard
1/2 lb. american cheese
sour cream to garnish
shredded cheese to garnish


Place potatoes and green onions in a large stock pot and add salt and water (enough water to just cover potatoes). Cook over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender, (but not too done, or they just fall apart) about 20 minutes. Stir in bacon, chicken bouillon, and milk. Simmer for 5 more minutes. In a separate saucepan, make a roux by melting butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Stir in flour and dry mustard and cook and stir until fragrant and golden brown, about 1 minute. Add roux to soup and stir until thickened. Add cheese to soup and stir until melted. Keep hot, without boiling, until ready to serve. Add sour cream to garnish, and if you love cheese like Matt, add shredded cheese. Now serve with Grammie's rolls, and you've got a perfect rainy day meal!

Black Pepper Biscuits

A few weeks ago one of my FB friends posted this recipe and I knew I had to try it. I love biscuits, but I've never found a recipe I've just loved. Tonight I made these and Matt and I both agreed, best homemade biscuits we've ever had. They were delish and I could've ate many with the raspberry peach jam I just made. Yum! This recipe is orginally from the Food Network, a Bobby Flay recipe.

So a few of my thoughts about this recipe. The black pepper could easily be omitted if you're not a fan, as you just sprinkle it on top prior to baking. I followed the recipe and used unsalted butter (since I had some in the freezer), but Matt and I agreed, they could've used a little more salt. So I think next time I will use salted butter and slowly add the tsp of salt until it seems salty enough, but try if for yourself how you'd like it and go from there. Since I rarely plan ahead to make something with buttermilk, I used the "homemade" buttermilk substitute of 1 tbls vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk method. Also, don't let the lack of heavy whipping cream in your fridge from making these, as I think they would probably be okay without, just a thought. (I'll have to test that next time.)

Black Pepper Biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

1/2 cup heavy cream (brushed on top prior to baking)

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper (I sprinkled some from my shaker, nothing near this amount.)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to distribute the ingredients evenly. Scatter the butter over the top of the flour mixture and pulse 4 or 5 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and pulse until the mixture just begins to come together. (I don't have a food processor, so I used a pastry blender to "cut" my butter in. Then I used my kitchen aid when I added the buttermilk so I didn't have to work so hard by hand.)

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Pat the dough into a 10 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. (I used my rolling pin, it's faster.) Use a 3-inch round cutter to make 8 biscuits then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Press together the scraps of dough, and repeat process. Place the biscuits on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper; brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with black pepper. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So these are supposedly PF Chang's lettuce wraps, but I don't think they are exactly, but still very yummy. I got it from a ward cookbook we did in Cali, and I've been dying to try them and finally did last night. I am now on a quest to find one that's even more like PF Chang's, but I thought I would share these as they are a nice healthy, easy and yummy meal. 

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

3 TBS oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 cup chopped water chesnuts
3 TBS chopped green onions
1 tsp. mined garlic
8-10 lettuce leaves

Fry Sauce*
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar

Bring oil to high heat in frying pan. Saute chicken for 4-5 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, mince chesnuts, garlic, and onions.
Remove the chicken from the pan. Keep oil hot, adding 1 more
tablespoon of oil and the chesnuts, garlic and onions, saute them. In a
small bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar until well
blened. Place the chicken back in the pan, adding the fry sauce. Saute a
few more minutes.
Serve a scoop of chicken mixture with some lettuce leaves, wrapping it
up in the lettuce.
*I actually used twice the amount of fry sauce. I also think to make them even more healthy, they could be made with less oil.

Belgian Waffles

 I love waffles.....!  If you come to my house you WILL have waffles served to you for breakfast.  I love them slightly crisp outside and tender inside.  Light, not heavy.  I love them hot off the griddle.  I love making sure every hole is filled with melted butter.  Surprising, I know!  I love blueberries in them with warm buttermilk syrup drizzled over the top.   AND whipped cream!  So heavenly!

Leisha gave me a flip waffle iron for Christmas.  L-O-V-E, love it!  It's my new favorite thing!  Now Costco sells a double one! Double the goodness!  Since then, I have tried various recipes.  This one is my favorite for a plain waffle.   And yeast waffles are the absolute best!  It works well when adding chocolate chips, blueberries, pecans, or whatever.  There are endless possibilities with waffles.  If you like coconut,  add some and toast some to sprinkle over a waffle drizzled in buttermilk syrup or a coconut syrup!  AND don't forget the whipped cream!   They always need to be topped off with whipped cream!  Your taste buds will sing!

Cade Wyman, our nephew.



I always ask the grandkids if they want an "awful waffle"!  It has become a tradition to have waffles whenever they stay with me.   I'm dreaming of owning an "Awful Waffle Truck" one day!  I love to visualize me traveling around spreading "awful waffle" goodness everywhere I go.   And this will be my basic recipe:

4 1/2 t. dry yeast

2 c. warm milk

4 eggs separated

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. sifted flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. melted butter

Sprinkle yeast over warm milk, stir to dissolve. Beat egg yolks. and add to yeast mixture with vanilla. Sift together flour, salt and sugar, add to liquid ingredients. Stir in melted butter and combine thoroughly. Beat the egg whites until stiff, carefully fold into batter. Let mixture stand in a warm place about 45 minutes or until it doubles in bulk. Use 1/2 cup mix per waffle. Makes 8 to 9 waffles.

Nacho Chicken and Rice Wraps

The Dickson family put together a cookbook a couple of years ago and my sister-in-law, Ashlee, submitted this recipe. It quickly became one of our favorites and the best part is....it's done in the crock pot! I made it for Mom and Dad/Grammie and Grandpa while they were here and they loved it, too! If you want something quick, easy, and very yummy, then this is your recipe!

Nacho Chicken and Rice Wraps:

2 Cans of Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
2. C Salsa
2 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Thawed and Cubed
1 C. Water
1 1/4 C. Minute Rice
10 Flour Tortillas

In a crock pot, mix the soup, water, salsa, rice, and chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours or until rice and chicken are done. Serve on warm tortillas. Enjoy!!

Grammie's Coconut Bread

I am posting this recipe for Mom/Grammie because she doesn't know how. After you get this recipe, you'll be thankful she doesn't know how to blog so she can be in the kitchen making this bread. So, the story behind this recipe..........Mom/Grammie gave me this recipe a while ago and told me that she had been making it and taking it to the temple on Saturdays for the workers. I've carried this recipe around and thought, "Yeah, yeah, one day I'll make it".

Saturday evening I got the itch to make the Young Women's presidency and advisors something for Easter. I pulled this recipe out and proceeded to make four loaves of this bread and six loaves of Almond Poppyseed bread. I wish now that I would have only made this, it's that good! Everyone I gave it to on Sunday raved about it! Even if you don't like coconut, it's okay, make it anyway because you can't really taste the coconut in it.



Coconut Bread:
2 C. Sugar
1 C. Oil
4 Eggs
2 t. Coconut Extract
1 C. Buttermilk
3 C. Flour
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Baking Powder
1 C. Flaked Coconut

Mix like a cake, spray pans with Pam and sprinkle with sugar. Fill about half full or a little more. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes (you will have to bake it longer, guaranteed. Bake until centers are firm when lightly touched). While hot, pour glaze over bread in pans. Let sit in pans 20 minutes and then turn onto cooling racks.

Glaze:
1 C. Sugar
2 T. Butter
1/2 C. Water
1 t. Coconut Extract

In a medium pan heat butter, sugar, water, and coconut extract until all is dissolved. Cool slightly. Spoon over hot bread.

Thanks, Mom, for sharing this recipe! It's my new favorite!