Amaretto Dream Cupcakes!

HI,
This is about the Amaretto Dream cupcakes!

I decided I wanted to do an amaretto cupcake for my son's second birthday. So I found THIS recipe. I did pin in on my pintrest.

Here is the recipe.

Amaretto Dream Cupcakes Recipe

* 24 Servings

* Prep: 20 min. Bake: 15 min.

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup butter, softened

* 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 cup buttermilk

* 1/4 cup Amaretto

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/3 cup slivered almonds

* Amaretto Butter Frosting (recipe also found in Recipe finder)

Directions

* In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

* In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and Amaretto. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in almonds.

* Fill paper-lined muffins cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely. Yield: 2 dozen.

(copied and pasted. Is totally theirs)

***

The frosting!

It can be fund HERE

Here is the recipe

Amaretto Butter Frosting Recipe

* 24 Servings

* Prep/Total Time: 15 min.

Ingredients


* 3 cups confectioners' sugar

* 1/4 cup butter, melted

* 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

* 2 to 3 tablespoons Amaretto

Directions

* In a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar and butter. Add 3 tablespoons cream and 2 tablespoons Amaretto; beat until smooth. Add remaining cream and Amaretto if needed to achieve spreading consistency. Yield: 2-1/4 cups.


*******

So Let's start!


I placed the brown sugar in the bowl.

Then I added the butter and creamed it. Then added the eggs.

It says to combine the Amaretto and Buttermilk. I don't have buttermilk. I have this wonderful powder, that when combined with water, creates buttermilk. I think it looks like baby formula.

I don't feel like keeping buttermilk handy and outside the occasional recipe I have no use for it. This powder is AWESOME.

In a separate bowl I combined the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I mixed them together so it would be more even.

The recipe calls for slivered almonds. My mother did shopping for them and bought the kind used in salads and are roasted. Oh well used the anyways. (No difference really just more expensive)

I filled my muffin cups. Now I don't own a muffin pan. I have 12 silicone cupcake cups that stand up on a cookie sheet and I also had some paper that are paired with foil liners. No muffin pan needed.

Then I baked them.

Ok Now onto the frosting!

****




I simply combined the ingredients as listed. Was super easy.

I did add some vanilla and almond extract. Made it 100% better.

Then I had some fun.

I placed a piece of plastic wrap down and got out my food colorings. I did a couple spots of color down the put my frosting on top. Then put color on both sides and color on top.

3-4 drops worked well per color.

Then I wrapped it up.

It looked pretty cool.

I use tips with connectors
.
I threaded the edge of the bag through the opening.

then folded back the wrapping and placed my tip on. Easy and clean adding of frosting.

The frosting comes out beautiful and because I used many colors it was very colorful.

Perfect for a little boys birthday.

I was proud of myself. (this is the second time I have ever used a pastry bag!)

***

My thoughts



The cupcakes were a little dry. They tasted great just very dry. The batter was thick too.

The frosting was to die for. I do believe that the addition of the vanilla and almond extract totally made the amaretto sparkle.

Here are come pics of my son with his special cupcake. It had extra frosting and was all white.

He had a great birthday!

Overnight French Toast casserole.

Hi!

Today we learn about my adventure in making the Overnight French Toast casserole. I found it via Pintrest!

Here is the Website with the recipe.

This is the Recipe.



French Toast:
12 slices bread, cut into cubes (french or Texas toast work well. I prefer Texas Toast.)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk (I use 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream)
Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon butter

1. Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
2. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.
3. Top with remaining bread cubes.
4. Mix together eggs, milk, and syrup.
5. Pour over bread cubes and cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.
6. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden. Top with sauce. Serves 8.

Sauce: Cook water, sugar, and cornstarch until thickened. Stir in blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Serve over the french toast.

Enjoy!

*****

Now I shall attempt it!

I shall say I doubled the recipe. I made one blueberry and one strawberry.

Let's start with the bread.

I used Texas toast. Cinnimon swirl, and the insides of the bread bowls featured last.

Each peice was cut into nine squares.

I put them into bags. Mostly because I prepared this part while handleing the bread bowls earlier in the day.

When time came to assemble the casserole. (right before bed)I put them all into the casserole dish. The reread the recipe and realized I needed to take half out. So I did.

This is a picture before that step...

Since I decided to make one strawberry and one blueberry I needed an extra step for the strawberries. I cut the tops off and sliced them but after I washed them. The blueberries were frozen. They freeze really well.

So I Will be showing the pictures for the strawberries on the top and blue berry on the bottom.

I placed the fruit over half the bread.

Then I cut a whole package of cream cheese each. I scattered it over the fruit and bread.

Then cover with he other half of the bread.

Then You take a whole dozen eggs and put them into a bowl.

As I doubled the recipe I used two dozen eggs!

To ensure proper measurments I did the batches sepratly.

I also added the 1/3rd cup syrup and 2 cups milk. I totally took pictures of this, but apparently, became to erase happy to early, thinking I had uploaded them alredy. Silly me.

I them poured it over the bread fuit and cheese.

I covered them in foil and found a place in them in my fridge. Then went and watched Doctor Who with the husband.

***

In the morning.

I woke up and took my glorious allery meds then preheated the oven to 350 degrees. Placed both casseroles in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.

Checked my email and did some of my normal morning routine.

When the timer went off I took off the foil and started on the syrup.

I was absent minded about my ingrediants. I did not have enough sugar to make the syrup. I used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar as a subsitute.

So, I added the ingrediants per the recipe after that.

Since I did two casseroles. I did two syrups. Can you guess what type? Strawberry and blue berry. exciting huh?

SO the brown sugar, sugar, cornstarch, and water looked like this pre cooking.

(the one for strawberry is on top, See Consistant!)

I am super aware in the mornings and turned on the wrong burner for the strawberry one. Did not notice for a while too. Awesomeness right there.

So the syrup is ready for the fruit whenit is thick enough to coat the fork. see?

The blue berry looks like this. all blue like.

and the strawberry looks like this.

When cooked the strawberry kinda falls to peices.

Now, some of the blue berries in the syrup will pop. Don't be upset.

This is what the casseroles look loke finished.

My plate looke like this.

l
They are both strawberry, just one with flash one without. choose which one you like.

***
My sugestions.

I loved the blue berry vs. strawberry.

People are split down the middle in our house about which they like. I have a rather large family. 7 of us. So I made two casseroles. I also had half of each casserole left.

So int he future I will make one casserole. Unless I have visitors. I will do half srawberry and half blueberry.

Also I would make the syrup in the evening. It is too much for me to be responsible for in the mornings. I am so NOT a morning person.

I hope you enjoyed.

Also Please correct my spelling. I can't find the spell check thingy tonight....