Caramel nut cupcakes

Happy Tuesday- I hope you are having one.

I plan to have a good one, and given my day- it is possible, but it is also possible for it to go tragically wrong.  But isn't that any day, really?

I have done my praying, and I have also done hours of practical research and planning.  In my freezer are 3 cakes, all dressed up and ready for shipping halfway across the country.  And I am mortified.

What?  Wouldn't you be?

I stress enough about taking a sharp left-hand turn when I have a cold cake sitting securely in the floor of my car for 20 minutes.  The UPS delivery person I am certain will not take such care.  I am certain that no matter how I dress up these cake boxes, they will be tossed around like they are full of tube socks or bow-tie pasta.

Perhaps I should write more than "this way up."  Perhaps I should write something like...

"Cursed be the man who doesn't handle this care."

Or, "Do you have any idea how much these people are paying for these cakes?"

Or "Deliver me first, I am cake, after all!"

The reality is that come 10AM, it will be out of my hands, and I am quite certain I will think of nothing else until I know my precious little cakes are safe in someone's belly.

In the meantime, lets look at some other cakes- cupcakes, really.

These are Caramel Nut Cupcakes, and they are entirely too amazing.

I made these first in the end of July for a women's event at my church.  I only made about 20 of them, as I knew that there would be a ton of delicious food there made by others.  As I sat with my plate full of broccoli salad and 4 different chip-and-dip combinations, I watched as the girls at my table threw down forks, and some of them running to grab one of these little guys before they were reduced to crumbs.

Oh, my ego.

Just kidding.

I have a girlfriend who loved caramel sundaes from McDonalds almost as much as I did, and we were both mortified when the company discontinued this sweet and salty treat.  Ever since this event, I have had a desire to make my own caramel- but I am a bit terrified of hot sugar.

I am way too clumsy.

I searched for recipes, and after much deliberation, I found this one.  I started with my sugar in a dry pot as directed, and I sat and stared.  Nothing.  Nothing.  And nothing.  I watched the edges very closely, gently swishing the top of the sugar back ad forth with my spatula.  After what seemed like an eternity, my husband asked me if he could jump in the shower.  "Sure.  I think I am going to still be here staring at this pot when you get out.

The door closed to the bathroom, and I looked down at my pot and noticed what appeared to be a bubble in the middle of the white granulated sugar.  I pressed my spatula into the middle of it, and out oozed a deep amber goo.  What the?  Crap.  I tried to gently fold the white sugar into the melted sugar, but it really never came together, and the caramel was getting darker and darker.

The heck with it.  I added the heavy cream, and once incorporated I poured the chunky mess through a sieve.  True, half of the caramel went into the garbage, but the other half was a perfect amount for these cupcakes.

And they were delicious, and so reminiscent of my glorious McDonalds sundae.

Caramel Nut Cupcakes
One batch caramel.  I omitted the vanilla bean, but added a teaspoon of vanilla.

1 cup toasted nuts of choice.

1 batch vanilla cupcakes (the link is for vanilla cake.  Pour batter into lined cupcake tins until 2/3 full, and bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes)

1 batch Caramel Frosting

Fluffy Caramel Frosting
3 sticks of butter, softened but still cool
1/4 C Caramel
3 C powdered sugar, sifted
1 t vanilla
1/4 t kosher salt

Cream the 3 sticks of butter together for about 3 minutes.  Add the caramel and beat for an additional minute.  Add the sugar and salt, and cream for 5 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla until incorporated.  Use immediately.

Assembly:  With a small offset spatula, spread frosting onto the cupcakes.  You are looking for @1" of frosting on top, but nearly flat on the tops and sides.  Place a teaspoon of caramel in the center of each cupcake (yes, right on top of the frosting).  With a skewer, swirl it through and around the frosting, until you are satisfied with your swirl pattern.  Repeat until finished.

Place the cupcakes in the fridge for about 15 minutes.  Put the chopped toasted nuts in a shallow dish.  Either roll the sides of the cupcakes in the nuts, or place some nuts in the palm of your hands, and gently swipe them across the sides of the cupcakes.  I prefer the second method, especially if your frosting is a bit loose.

Eat, and forget about everything that could go wrong with your day (Prov. 3:5-6)

Rachel Bee

From a reluctant girl.

It was a long winter.

A very, very long winter.  We live in an old drafty house, and it was cold.  And we were cranky.  

And I couldn't get bread to rise.  And there was no fruit to find outside of navel oranges and grapes.  Frozen fruit is OK, but we all know that it gets mushy as it thaws; and it turns your muffin batter blue if you try to bake with it.  

Strawberries show up first around here, usually tart and tasteless, with big green shoulders and completely white interiors.  You can find them in one or two grocery stores at a decent price, and if you are a sucker like me, you buy them.  But if you can hold out long enough, roadside stands start popping up, and you can get a huge bucket of freshly picked berries from our local farms.  This is a great notion, but they are usually ample in bugs and little worms (I HATE worms), and the bottom half of the bucket are smashed and unusable (I still opt for grocery store varieties).  

As I peruse our new selection of spring and summer fruits, I of course first think about what I can make with them.  The overwhelming abundance of strawberries and a few way overripe bananas reminded me of a dessert that was served at my bridal shower.  

At around the time I was married, I was next to friendless.  I had some "friends" at work and "friends" at school, but really- I was so dependant on my then fiance that I had no need (in my mind) for other "friends."  So when my mother came down to throw for me a surprise bridal shower, she had a time finding people to invite.  

Regardless of who came, the food was a site to behold (and consume).  My brother's girlfriend at the time was an aspiring pastry chef (and is now in Paris doing exactly that), and she and my mother came up with a spread fit for Kate herself.  My dear, sweet husband watched as I downed a huge sandwich before I entered the party, and I was furious to see not only the above, but chicken satay, bruschetta, and an absolutely huge cake from a local bakery.  Throwing caution to the wind, I shovelled more food into my mouth at that event than my tiny stomach could hold.  And I was happy.  And temporarily chubby.  

But out of all of the delicacies at the event, these sandwiches reign in my mind as being so very simple, and yet so unique and elegant.  Yes, that is banana bread, and the white stuff is cream cheese that has been cut with a few tablespoons of sugar and some vanilla extract.  I love this recipe so much, and really, it is the first one that I wanted to keep all to myself.  

Mine.  

So as I have a particular fondness for this dish, please don't defile it with store-bought banana bread, or low fat cream cheese, or out-of-season berries.  Give care in choosing the bananas (make sure they are fully ripe), toast your walnuts or pecans, and then chop them so that they are teeny-tiny (as the bread will cut more easily).  Make it, and when you do, share it with someone you really like.  

Banana and Strawberry Sandwiches

one recipe Banana Bread

one block full-fat cream cheese, softened

3 T sugar

1 t vanilla extract

One container of strawberries, sliced

Prepare your banana bread, and let it cool completely.  I have used the one shown above many times, and I love it.  The key to good quickbread is not to over mix.  Gently and methodically fold your mixture until it is just moist.    Also, if you choose to make this recipe, it usually takes me more on the 60 minute side of baking.  I always rotate my pan at 30 minutes.  Remember that bananas are moist, and if at 60 minutes baking you are not sure it is done, leave it in another 3-4 minutes, and then pull it out and let it cool in its pan.  I think you will find that it is just finished.  

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together.  Stir vigorously, as you want to thin out the cheese a bit.  

Using a serrated knife, cut your completely cooled loaf into very thin slices (about a half inch).  Lay out the slices, and spread a decent layer of cream cheese on each of them.  Place slices of berries on half of the bread slices, and then sandwich them with the berry-free slices.  

Cut in half, and serve within a few hours.  

Note, berries lose their "bite" when they are out of the fridge for too long, making this sandwich sort of a drag.  However, you don't want to make these, and then shove them in the fridge.  No one likes a mouth full of cold cream cheese, so it is important to assemble them right before you indulge.  

Enjoy.  

From a girl reluctant to share, 

Rachel Bee