Apricot Spice Cookies

Apricot Spice Cookies

Betty Crocker Simply Dessert

Prep time: 1 hr 20 min

Start to finish: 1 hr 20 min

Yields about 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat all ingredients except oats, flour, apricots and pecans wit electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients.

2. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are brown and centers are soft. Cool 1 to 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack.

1 cookie: calories 70; total fat 3.5 g; cholesterol 10 mg; sodium 50 mg; total carbohydrate 8g; protein 1 g

Plain Jane Cupcakes

White Cupcakes

125 Best Cupcake Recipes

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. mix in almond extract. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of four mixture and two of butter milk, beating until smooth.

4. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. top Cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frostin

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes! from the CakeDoctor

Makes 3 cups

Prep time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1 package reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of butter, room temperature

3 to 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

1/2 cup mashed, drained fresh strawberries.

Directions:

1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add 3 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the drained strawberries. Blend the frosting on low until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increased the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy, 30 to 45 seconds longer, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.

2. Use to frost the cupcakes of your choice (well... duh)

Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes

Pretty in Pink Strawberry Cupcakes 

Cupcakes! from the CakeDoctor

Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes

prep time: 15 min

baking time: 20 to 25 min

assembly time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1 package plain white cake mix

1 package strawberry gelatin

1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries with juice, from 1 1/2 cups whole berries

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

Strawberry Cream Cheese frosting (if desired)

Directions:

1. Place rack in center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. place the cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 of the way full. Place pans in oven.

3. bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with you finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the liners, lift the cupcakes up from teh bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool fro 15 minutes before frosting.

4. frost with strawberry cream cheese. Place in refrigerator, uncovered, and chill until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pink and white sprinkles and/or place a strawberry slice in the middle.

Maple Walnut Streusel Cupcakes

Maple Walnut Streusel Cupcakes

The Artful Cupcake

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

maple walnut cupcakes:

7 1/2 oz flour

5 oz brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

maple streusel topping:

1 oz brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 1/2 oz all-purpose flour

2 oz chopped walnuts

Directions:

Streusel:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. In the bowl of the electric mixer, cream the brown sugar with the butter. When the mixture has softened, add the mple syrup, keeping the mixer running until it's incorporated. Add the flour and mix it in, then add the walnuts.

2. Spread the mixture onto a bking sheet and bake 6 to 8 minutes, until it borwns lightly. let it cool. It will be like a hard cookie, so use a dough cutter or sharp knife to crumble it up, then set the mixture aside.

Cupcakes:

1. Turn the oven down or preaheat it to 325 degrees F after you've made the streusel topping, and prepare a muffin pan with paper baking cups.

2. Place the first flour ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle blade.

3. Cut in the butter, and beat until combined.

4. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and milk.

5. Once mixed, add the walnuts.

6. Fill baking cups 3/4 of the way full, then cover each cup with streusel mixture.

7. Bake until the cakes are bouncy in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool before serving.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

The Artful Cupcake

Yields 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter or shortening, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 oz red food coloring

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup  buttermilk

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare the muffin pans with shortening or nonstick spray. bake without paper cups to get smoother sides.

2. Cream together the butter/shortening and sugar until well blended and light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and blend well after each addition.

4. Make a paste with the food coloring and cocoa. Add the paste to the butter/shortening mixer and blend thoroughly.

5. Add the salt and buttermilk to the mixture.

6. Add the flour, vanilla, vinegar, and baking soda in that order, mixing after each addition.

7. Pour the batter into the pans, filling at least halfway. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8. Remove and turn out the cakes onto a wire rack to cool.

Malted Milk Cupcakes

Malted Milk Cupcakes

125 Best Cupcake Recipes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted  butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons malted milk powder

1 cup chocolate covered malted milk balls, halved

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers.

3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder.

5. Alternately whisk flour mixture and milk mixture into butter mixture, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in malted milk balls.

6. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Baking Tip:

you can find malted milk powder in most grocery stores, usually where the hot chocolate is found.