How About Some Easy Thanksgiving Cupcakes!


These are butternut squash cupcakes with sage frosting! They are very moist and taste awesome!


They are made using a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Premium Cake Mix!



Here is the recipe that makes 24 cupcakes:

Ingredients:

For cake:

--1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Premium Cake Mix
--1 large butternut squash


For frosting:
--1 bunch of sage
--3 tablespoons of water
--3 tablespoons of granulated sugar

--12 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)
--1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
--1 cup of eggnog (or milk, if you prefer)
3-4 cups of powdered sugar


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. Peel, quarter and remove seeds from butternut squash. Place in a large sauce pan covered with water and bring to a boil until squash is tender. Put the pieces in a food processor or blender, then set aside for a while.


Make cake mix as directed on package. When cooled, fold the butternut squash into the cake mix. Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Frosting directions:

Chop up the sage so that it's in very fine pieces. Heat the sugar and water in a small sauce pan under medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add the sage to the sugar water mixture and heat  over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to let cool.

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy...about 2 minutes.

Stir the sage syrup into the butter and cream cheese mixture. Add the eggnog or milk to the mixture.

Finally, add the powered sugar a little at a time to the mixture until you have the mixture you want.

Now, frost your cupcakes...you will receive very happy praises from your Thanksgiving guests!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

CQ and Layla





An Experiment: Magic Cookie Bar Cupcakes!


When  was in Marlboro, New York recently I had the awesomest Magic Cookie Bars made by Meghan Gaffney...I fell in love!


 So, I asked Meghan to send me the recipe...which she did!


 I made the bars as cupcakes...I divided the entire recipe ingredients into twelve parts and made them into cupcakes! When I took them out of the oven, it seemed as if they hadn't baked all the way through.

I was ready to throw them away, but let them sit overnight. The next morning, they had set up and had hardened over night! I was so surprised...and happy. Took them to work where they were devoured and everyone said they were the BEST!

Here's the recipe:

Melt 1 stick of butter with 1-1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs; press mixture into cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers (sprayed with PAM) to form a crust. (Divide by weight into the 12 cupcake liners.)


Pour one ounce of condensed milk (from 12 ounce can) over crumbs in the cupcake liner.


Sprinkle 12oz bag of mini chocolates chips (1 ounce in each cupcake liner) on top of  the condensed milk.


Lastly, cover each "cupcake" with 1-1/3 cups of coconut flakes (divided by 12). 


Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.


Have a great week...working on Thanksgiving cupcakes next!!!


CQ