Something Sweet and Just a Little bit Saucy.

So here we go. Sweet potatoes and bourbon. Something I know very little about. Especially bourbon.

But Bakerella had a recipe for Sweet Potato Bourbon Cupcakes and I decided to totally try something new. The recipes are on the bottom. She also topped them off with a Bourbon Glaze over the Vanilla glaze, but I omitted that. You can find the recipe for that on her page.

Here is what you'll need for the cupcakes.

 

 Butter, Sugar, Egg

 Sweet potato, vanilla. I used a caned pre-cooked sweet potato because I was not interested in waiting on cooking one myself, but you can cook one or two if you want. Bake it or boil it.

They came out nice and rounded, perfect for dipping them in the vanilla glaze I used as the icing. 

 Top them off with some pecans to make them look less boring.

 I am not going to lie to you, these were not as good as I thought they would be. (I prefer chocolate though.)

My husband on the other hand LOVED them. He liked them more than most of the desserts I have made. He even put some on a plate and brought them to my neighbors. Weirdest. Thing. Ever.

So they are good, just not MY favorites.

And the sweet potato makes them very moist.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
1/3 cup bourbon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cupcake trays with 24 baking cups.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl.
• In another large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar, butter and eggs until fluffy.
• Add sweet potatoes and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add 1/3 of flour mixture to sugar mixture until combined. Add bourbon. Add second 1/3 of flour mixture. Add milk. Add final 1/3 flour mixture.
• Mix well with each addition.
• Fill baking cups.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.
• Cool completely.

Vanilla Glaze
2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbsps milk

• In a medium bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add vanilla.
• Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you get the desired consistency. (Adding more milk will make it thinner.) Mix until smooth.
• Transfer glaze to a small, deep bowl and you can just dip the tops of your cupcakes in it.

Candied Pecans
sugar
water
pecan halves
spices of choice (like nutmeg or cinnamon)

• Add 2.5 time the amount of sugar to water in a pot. (I used 1/4 cup water for 1/2 cup pecans.)
• Add spices and bring to a boil.
• Add pecans. Simmer for about six minutes. Drain syrup off.
• Lay on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 for between 8 to 10 minutes. 
• Sprinkle some extra sugar on top to make them prettier.
• Allow to dry completely.
• Note: These rocked! They can be made by themselves and served as a sweet snack

Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

I have never made anything with pumpkin except pumpkin pie, and I thought that this year, that needs to be fixed. Why should I use pumpkin for only one thing?

Bakerella showed me this recipe and when my Dad came into town to visit my son (and me too, I think!) I whipped them up.

My sister was also hanging out, so she commandeered the camera and I had no control over what was snapped, please forgive any pictures of me, thank you!

A prime example of my sister taking over.

These were supposed to be pictures of my ingredients:

Granted, my sister Victoria is beautiful,
but I don't see how this can help you.

So lets move on and see if I can find anything that is of use. The recipe is at the bottom of the blog.

First you cream the butter then add the sugars and mix until creamy.

Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well each time.

Add the vanilla too.

You are going to add the flour and pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin last, alternating each item until done.

Then the chocolate chunks (or chips).

I use a scooper to have even cookie sizes. This was my first batch and I lined my sheet with wax paper but it didn't work well, so I just sprayed the cookie sheet with a little bakers joy and that worked wonderfully!

For the Maple Butter Frosting (totally optional):

Melt the butter til brown-ish, but don't burn it!

Mix all the ingredients.

The recipe says maple flavoring, but I just used pure maple syrup.

Enjoy!

I also tried this recipe as muffins and it worked well too!

The Mini muffins I cooked as long as the cookies, but the big muffins were about twice as long.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 1/4 cup self-rising flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• Whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.
• Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
• Add flour/spice mixture to sugar mixture in three additions. Alternate with pumpkin in two additions, ending with flour mixture.
• Stir in chocolate chunks.
• Drop on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about four dozen cookies.
• Let cool.

Maple Brown Butter Frosting
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp maple flavoring

• Sift sugar and set aside.
• Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown. Watch closely so it does not burn.
• Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl.
• Add milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth.
• Spread on top of cookies with an knife or offset spatula.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

Here we go, it's September!

That means I can start making 'fall' desserts and food without having to explain anything!

I love fall, it is my favorite season. Things are getting cooler, colorful, and cozy. Halloween and Thanksgiving are around the corner. Holidays are a BIG deal to me, I love them! I love to decorate and I love to spend time with family.

My first 'fall' item is PUMPKIN.

Can't go wrong with it. Especially when its bite sized! I found this recipe from Bakerella back in June and have been dying to make it since.

Let's get started!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

You need:

Mix the Nom Noms together.

(Did you see? I got a new mixer!!! I named him Artie.)

Cut out pumpkin shapes on the pie crust

I alternated them so they wouldn't touch each other while cooking.

Using a pastry brush, rub egg whites on the pie crust then fill with the mixture.

Bake them for about 10 to 15 min.

And then, viola!

MMMM, delicious!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.

Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.

Note: The cutter I used was 3 3/4 inches wide, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps. Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.

Pumpkin pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.