Lemon Beer Cupcakes with Strawberry frosting

Lemon Beer Cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

juice of 1 lemon

6 oz. ish of Shock Top's Lemon Shandy beer

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

 

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.  Add vanilla extract, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and lemon shandy beer

In a smaller bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in small batches.  The batter should be thick but not dry. 

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-22 min. Cupcakes should be a yellow golden color but not brown.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3½ – 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup strawberries
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons half-and-half

Add strawberries to a food processor or blender and blend until they become a puree.  Add to a pan and boil for about 10-15 minutes.  Let puree cool.

Add butter to a bowl and slowly add in powdered sugar.  Alternatively add vanilla, half and half and strawberry puree until the frosting is the desired consistency.  Frost cooled lemon beer cupcakes with the finished frosting.  

**Mine were green because I added green dye to them for an Oakland A's game (green and gold cupcakes!)

Breakfast on the Go! Mini Quiches

It's almost my favorite time of year - Baseball season!  And with that comes tailgating!  I was trying to think of new ideas for tailgating - last year I perfected the make ahead breakfast burrito - and found mini quiches!  Easy to make ahead, freeze, and reheat!  Work was having a breakfast bake sale so I decided to test it out and they were a hit!

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 White Onion
Bunch of Green Onions, chopped
Deli Ham, chopped (omit if you want a vegetarian option. I did both)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
12 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Olive Oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a pan and saute bell peppers and onions until tender. Mix together in a large bowl eggs, milk and spices.  Grease a cupcake tin generously.  Add ham to the bottom of the pan, then layer bell pepper/onion mix, and cheese.  Then pour egg mix into the individual cups until about 2/3 full.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.  Let quiches remain in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Eat or freeze for later!

Coffee Cupcakes with Baileys filling & Jameson frosting

St. Patrick's Day cupcakes - Part Deux! 

So I made some Guinness cupcakes with Baileys and got a request to do a Jameson frosting so I did some research and realized there is nothing out there. So I put together my own.  I prefer chocolate but I can see those who prefer vanilla or coffee to prefer this!  I doubled this to make more for my friends and family.  This recipe yields ~24 cupcakes.



Batter Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups + 1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. instant coffe
1/2 cup brewed strong coffee
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. milk

Bailey's Chocolate Filling:

1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 bag of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp. Baileys

Jameson Frosting:

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. Jameson

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until together.  Set aside.  Whisk flour, baking powder, salt & grounds together in a smaller bowl.  Set aside.  Mix coffee & milk together in a third bowl.  Gradually add flour mix and milk mix to the butter mix, alternatively.  Divide batter into cupcake trays at 2/3 full.  Bake for about 20-23 minutes.  (This batter smelled so amazing I wanted to eat the whole bowl and that never happens to me!)



Meanwhile make the Baileys filling.  Add 1 bag of chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.  Heat 1 1/4 cup of heavy cream until just before boiling.  Pour the cream over the chocolate chips.  Stir until melted.  If need be, throw into the microwave for 30 seconds and stir again.  Once blended, slowly add Bailey's cream and stir until blended.  Set aside.




Put 1 1/2 sticks of softened butter in a bowl.  Add 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar slowly, adding until just thicker than spreadable amount.  Add Jameson so that the frosting is smooth and spreadable.




After cupcakes have cooled, cut a hole in the middle with a pairing knife.  Add the Bailey's filling.  Then frost each cupcake with the Jameson frosting.  Top however you like if you feel inspires too! :)




Eat and Enjoy!!