Martha Stewart's Pistachio-Raspberry Tea Cupcakes (#5)

This is my fifth Martha Stewart Cupcakes book cupcake in my challenge to make all 175 cupcakes in the book. These little beauties...cupcakes...or as Martha calls them...tea cakes...turned out awesome! We ate a couple right out of the oven and they were so yummy!


And, the best thing about them is that they are made completely in a food processor.


The recipe says that it makes 15 cupcakes...I only got a dozen out of it, but I tend to fill the cupcake liners a little fuller than I should!


Layla and the Pistachio-Raspberry Tea Cupcakes! The recipe is below...

Martha says: "These brightly colored cupcakes are very simple to make--a food processor handles all the mixing. You'll find the slivered pistachios at speciality stores or online retailers; you may substitute chopped pistachios instead."

Makes 15 standard or 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 containers (6 ounces each) fresh raspberries
1/4 cup slivered or chopped pistachios, for sprinkling

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line standard or mini muffin tins with paper liners; coat liners with cooking spray.

In a food processor, finely grind shelled pistachios with the sugar and salt. Add butter, vanilla, and eggs: process until smooth.

Add flour; pulse until just moistened and combined; do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.

Drop raspberries into batter (4 to 6 per standard cupcake; 2 per mini) and sprinkle with slivered pistachios (1/2 teaspoon per standard: 1/4 teaspoon per mini).

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, about 28 minutes for standard cupcakes, 14 for minis.

Transfer tins to wire racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

First published: May 2009

---

I think you'll really enjoy these "tea cakes."

Have a great week, CQ

Martha Stewart's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes (#4)

Some of you may know that I've challenged myself to making all one hundred and seventy-five cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book.


Layla likes this cheesecake cupcake, too!


So far this is my fourth one! As some go, this recipe was pretty easy to make. The photo above is the chopped oreos that go into the batter at the end.


Hope you enjoy making these!










Below is the recipe! Enjoy!

CQ

Martha Stewart's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes Recipe
Makes 30

Ingredients:
42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt


1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Martha Stewart's Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

Monday, July 13, is Ali's birthday...she lives in Pittsburgh...Layla loves her and her sister, Sam!


I hope something big is planned for her birthday! Layla thinks it's a pretty big deal!


Recently I purchased Martha Stewart's cupcake book: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat (Paperback) . And after I looked it over, I've decided on another challenge for myself..and, it makes me very nervous to actually write it out...


I've decided to make each cupcake in Martha's new book...THERE! I've put it in writing. WOOF!


I've already made three of them...one I haven't posted on the blog yet. The one I made today was her Yellow Buttermilk Cupcake is my third. And, I frosted them with Martha's Fluffy Vanilla Frosting.


Martha says that I will like make these cupcakes again and again...see below...and I think she's correct. They do taste awesome! Give them a try!


I bought these two little people when I was in France recently...The turtle (I am a Terp, you know!..in the hand was found at Home Goods!

Here's the recipe:

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes
You will likely make these cupcakes again and again, varying the frosting (say, dark chocolate, page 302) and sprinkles (sparkly, multicolored, or otherwise) to suit your whim or fancy. Two types of flour contribute to the cupcakes’ singular texture: Cake flour makes for a delicate crumb, while all-purpose flour keeps them from being too tender. makes 36

3 cups cake flour (not -self--rising)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (21/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Fluffy Vanilla Frosting (page 302)
Round candy sprinkles (nonpareils), for decorating (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and, if desired, decorate with sprinkles before serving.

Frosting Instructions:

Ingredients

Makes about 4 cups
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.
Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.