Thursday's Treat!

Almost everyone has a 12 cup "regular" size muffin tin. For this next recipe, you'll need a 24 cup "mini" muffin pan. If you need one, I can hook you up. I could even come to your house and make these for you and your friends at a Pampered Chef cooking show! There are a lot of steps but these are REALLY easy to make and they are worth it.

The Pampered Chef ^® Sweet 'N Salty Caramel Mousse Cups Recipe

2 cups mini pretzel twists

5 tbsp butter, melted

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 bar (1.4 oz) milk chocolate English toffee candy

1/4 cup caramel sauce

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup thawed frozen whipped topping

Additional caramel sauce for drizzling Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray cups of Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Finely chop half of the pretzels in Manual Food Processor until fine crumbs form. (Don’t worry if there are some small pretzel pieces.) Pour into Classic Batter Bowl. Repeat with remaining pretzels. Add butter and sugar and mix well. Spoon about 1 tbsp (15 mL) of pretzel mixture into each cup of pan. Press down using Mini-Tart Shaper to form indentations. Bake 6 minutes. Break candy bar into a few pieces and finely chop in Manual Food Processor until very fine crumbs form. Measure caramel sauce using Mini Measure-All® Cup. Mix caramel sauce, cream cheese and chopped candy in same batter bowl. Stir in whipped topping until blended. Spoon filling into a large resealable plastic bag (see Cook’s Tip) and trim the corner. Place paper towels underneath Stackable Cooling Rack to prevent a sticky countertop. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack; let stand 2 minutes. Loosen edges of crusts and remove them from pan to cooling rack. Squeeze filling evenly into crusts. Pour additional caramel into a small resealable plastic bag. Trim corner and drizzle over cups. Yield: 24 servings Nutrients per serving: (1 mousse cup): Calories 100, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 115 mg, Carbohydrate 10 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g Cook's Tip: Use the cleaning tool from the Garlic Press to easily loosen the crusts from the pan.  To easily fill the plastic bag with filling, place the corner of the bag into the Manual Food Processor bowl and fold over the edges. Spoon the filling into the bag; remove the bag from the processor and secure with a  Twixit! Clip. Our Caramel Sauce works great in this recipe.

Gosh - It's Ganache!

Ingredients:

• 1 package (14 oz.) Dark Cocoa Wilton Candy Melts®
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Makes:

About 2 cups.

Instructions:

Step 1

Chop Candy Melts (you can use a food processor which is WAY easier). Heat whipping cream in saucepan just to below boiling point. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add chopped Candy Melts, stir until smooth and glossy.

Step 2

Place cooled cupcakes or mini cakes on cooling grid positioned over cookie sheet or pan.Cupcakes which will be covered completely should be turned bottom side up.  

Step 3

Pour ganache on center of cupcake using pan or measuring cup. Or, pipe from a cut decorating bag or zipper bag. Cover the cupcake completely, or use your coating as a glaze to simply cover tops and drip over the sides.

Step 3

Let set.

Bonus Step!!

For Truffles: Add 1 tablespoon liqueur for flavor, at this point, if desired. Stir until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until firm, roll into 1 in. diameter balls. Can be used as center for dipping, served plain or rolled in nuts, coconut or cocoa powder. Store truffles in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

The "Tease" for Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, we are going to learn about ganache -- what it is, how you make it and what it can do for a simple yellow cupcake!!

Now Let's Fill and Frost these Babies!

Filling the cupcake centers is easy using the Wilton Bismarck Round Decorating Tip 230 and disposable decorating bags.

Prepare a decorating bag with your icing filling and Round Decorating Tip 230; insert tip in top center of an un-iced cupcake and squeeze out a small amount of filling.

 

Cut open your cupcake (or take a bite) and find a yummy surprise! 

The next thing we need - the cake!

Red Velvet Cupcakes (not from scratch but they are "home made"!)

Buy a box of Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix. Mix all the wet ingredients listed on the back of the package together first, then add in the box of dry mix, 1/4 cup of extra cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, a dusting of instant espresso powder, some Hershey's chocolate syrup. (This is also way easier than having to buy a new bottle of red food coloring for each from-scratch batch!) Then bake the cupcakes, and test them AT LEAST 10 MINUTES before the suggested minimum time. Makes 24 cupcakes. Cool completely before filling and frosting. 

Cupcake Fillings - Cream Cheese

Obviously, for red velvet cupcakes, we are going to want a nice cream cheese filling!

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar and milk. Beat with mixer until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use. Note that you may find that a bit more sugar or a little less milk may be required to get the perfect consistency for your preference.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

This makes enough for piping frosting on 24 cupcakes.  Carrot, banana, red velvet, chocolate, etc.

8 oz. package cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract (regular brown or clear vanilla)
1 tsp. milk (more if needed)
1 lb. bag confectioners sugar

Soften the cream cheese. (Leave out at room temperature for few hours OR unwrap and place in a large glass bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds. Check the softness and microwave about 10 more seconds.)
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer and add the vanilla until smooth; gradually add the sugar (add approximately 20% of the bag for each addition) beat and scrap the bowl well; add the next 20% of the sugar. Continue beating until all sugar is incorporated into the frosting. If you want to tint it, now is the time to add some gel food coloring; beat until color is uniform. Remember that it should be spreadable but not runny.

If you want chocolate frosting, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder before adding any sugar.