Perfect Pumpkin Pie

This Perfect Pumpkin Pie is in a word: delicious! A light and creamy filling that's beautifully spiced and just sweet enough, piled high with whipped cream!

Ingredients

• One 9" frozen deep dish pie crust OR 1 refrigerated pie crust fitted in a deep dish pie plate
• One 15oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• One 12oz can evaporated milk
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (may substitute with light)
• 2 large eggs
• 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon (depending on how spiced you like it)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• Fresh or prepared whipped cream or whipped topping

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place the prepared pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet in case any pie filling drips out during the baking process.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pie ingredients until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust - crust will be VERY full. Loosely tent the pie crust edges with pie shields or foil.
3. Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove the pie to a wire rack to cool completely, then refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm. Serve with fresh or prepared whipped cream.

Source:thedomesticrebel.com

EASY CARAMEL FILLED CHOCOLATE TURTLE CUPCAKES

These cupcakes are to die for! A rich chocolaty cupcake stuffed with caramel, then topped with a buttercream frosting. Next, hot fudge and caramel sauce is drizzled over the top and pecans are added for the final touch.

 INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (I like this cake mix)
• 1 cup buttermilk (Or whisk 1 C milk & 1 TBsp lemon juice, let sit 5 min)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• Hot fudge or chocolate topping
• 1 cup chopped pecans

CARAMEL FILLING INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter*
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4-6 TBsp milk

* shortening may be substituted for part of this ingredient (1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening) for a firmer frosting that works well in warmer temperatures.

CUPCAKE DIRECTIONS

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Place baking cups in your cupcake pan. I love these liners and this pan.
2. 2 In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, buttermilk, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. 3. Divide the batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then move from pan to cooling racks. Let cool completely for 30 minutes.

FILLING DIRECTIONS

1. 1. In a large saucepan, combine caramels and whipping cream over low heat, stirring frequently, until the caramels are all melted and combined with the whipping cream.
2. 2. Let cool for 5 minutes, then spoon mixture into medium resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Twist bag above frosting. To fill cupcakes, insert tip of plastic bag halfway into cupcake center and squeeze until you see caramel start to surface.

FROSTING DIRECTIONS

1. Beat the butter until fluffy.

2. Add salt and vanilla, mixing until combined. Then add confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk, and beat until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally (or use an awesome tool like this to do it for you)

3. Adjust the consistency if needed by adding additional confectioners' sugar or milk.

4. Add an icing tip to an icing bag, then spoon in the frosting. Squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cupcakes in a circular motion from the outside of the cupcake to the middle.

5. Drizzle the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining caramel sauce and with chocolate or hot fudge sauce, then sprinkle with pecans.

Enjoy!

Source:ahelicoptermom.com

HOLIDAY CUPCAKES

**This post is in collaboration with KitchenAid. They kindly provided a product for this recipe. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

• 21/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3.5 oz. almond paste
• ¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk

For the buttercream

• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 11/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preparation heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with foil or paper liners.
2. To make the cupcakes: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add sugar and almond paste into a food processor or blender and process until mixture resembles wet sand.
4. In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar-almond paste mixture, beat on low until mixture comes together. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. Beating on low speed, starting and ending with the flour, alternately add the flour and milk, beating just until combined.
5. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three quarters of the way full. Bake until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make buttercream: In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, almond extract and salt, beat on low until just combined. Increase speed to high beat until light and fluffy. If the frosting is dry, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to reach the desired consistency.
8. To assemble: Transfer buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip. Pipe frosting on top of cupcake.

Source:bakersroyale.com

HEAVENLY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

These Heavenly Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes, made with cocoa and strong hot coffee, are the most decadent and moist cupcake you'll ever enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup hot coffee (or 1/2 cup boiling water + 1 pack starbucks via instant coffee)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
3. Combine hot coffee and cocoa powder. Mix well to dissolve and set aside.
4. In bowl of stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with paddle attachment.
5. In a separate bowl, combine milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
6. Add about half of the milk mixture to the flour and mix on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
7. Combine the chocolate mixture with the remaining milk mixture and add to the batter. Mix with batter on medium speed for about 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl before turning mixer on.
8. Distribute batter evenly to the 12 muffin cups. Batter will be very wet.
9. Bake in preheated 425 degree F oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 F without opening the oven door. Continue cooking at lower temperature for an additional 13-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and transfer cupcakes to a cooking rack as soon as they're cool enough to be touched.
11. Prepare buttercream frosting according to instructions or your other favorite frosting... or just devour it plain!