Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 Cup (2 sticks) softened butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 TABLEspoons red food coloring

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups CAKE flour( i never knew this existed until this recipe)

1 1/2 cups ALL-PURPOSE flour

1TEAspoon salt

1 TEAspoon baking soda

2 TEAspoon cherry extract(your local candy store should have this , if not I used 4 TEAspoons cherry juice)

1 TEAspoon almond extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

1 TABLEspoon white vinegar









Preheat oven to 350



Line muffin cups with paper liners

Cream butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy.Mix in one egg at a time , making sure completely mixed. turn mixer off and add food coloring and cocoa powder. turn mixer on low and mix until all ingredients are just integrated. Beat on medium firm a few more minutes



Sift together flourS, salt, baking soda, and set aside. Stir buttermilk, cherry extract and almond extract together in a separate container. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in THREE batches alternating with the buttermilk mixture ad ending with the DRY ingredients. Beat on medium until just combined. Add sour cream and vinegar and beat on low until combined.



Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 25-35 minuted until cupcakes are solid on top and toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then cool completely on racks.

(makes about 24 cupcakes)



For the filling-

2 cups POWDERED (confectioners)sugar

2 TABLEspoons cocoa powder

1 8 oz. bar cream cheese

1 TABLEspoon butter, softened





separately-



1/2 cup POWDERED (confectioners) sugar

1/4 up chopped maraschino cherries

2 TEAspoons maraschino cherry juice



You can either mix them together or mix separately and layer them inside the cupcake. Otherwise you get a big brown glob.



In stand mixer ( LOVE my kitchen aid) mix together butter and cream cheese. Once mixed and fluffy add in cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Icing should be fluffy and soft. Will NEED refrigeration.



The second mixture you'll make like a glaze. Just add chopped cherries and and cherry juice to powdered sugar and mix with a fork until NO lumps.



After cupcakes have cooled cut a cone out of the top and fill with a small amount of chocolate cream cheese frosting(SUPER YUMMY) and top it off with a small amount of the cherry mixture. Place the cone part that was removed and place back on top. ( I didn't do this, instead I iced mine with the chocolate cream cheese frosting and made star cut out from fondant (that I colored and rolled myself) and put them on the top!



the were delish! the site I got these from is down so I cant even give any credit but boy are the good!

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

2 cups thinly sliced peeled tart cooking apples

3 TABLEspoons lemon juice

1/2 TEAspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 TEAspoon ground nutmeg( I used a little more bc I love the flavor)

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup PACKED brown sugar

1 TEAspoon baking powder

1/4 TEAspoon baking soda

1/2 cup milk

2 TABLEspoons butter, MELTED

1 TEAspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnut or pecan ( I had walnuts so I used them)

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping ( I use tastefully simples Creamy Caramel)

1/2 cup water

1 TABLespoon butter or margarine

Grease a 2 quart square baking dish. Arrange apple slices in bottom. sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with raisins.

In large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder. add milk, 2 TABLEspoons MELTED butter and vanilla. mix well. Stir in walnuts/pecans.

Spread batter evenly over apple mixture.

In small saucepan combine caramel topping, water and 1 TABLEspoon butter. Bring to boil and pour mixture over batter in dish.

Bake in a 350 oven about 35 minutes or until center is set. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream!!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts

Paula Deen's Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts

2 8 ounce packages cream cheese,softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

12 vanilla wafers

1 21 ounce can blueberry filling,or other pie filling

Preheat oven to 350. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pam. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar, vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time beating until fully blended. Lay a vanilla wafer ,flat side down in each muffin cup. spoon cream cheese mixture over wafer. Bake 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with blueberry filling on top.

Yields 12 tarts