Cooking Archives - Page 73 of 564 - Garden Seeds and Honey Bees

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Makes 2 Dozen

Special Supplies:

**Cupcake Liners, we used Wilton White

**Muffin/cupcake tins/pans

** Bunny and Duck Rings found on Amazon

*Wilton Easter Sprinkles found at Walmart

Cupcakes:

**Preheat oven 325*F.

Ingredients:

*1 cup Cake Flour, sift and then measure
*1\2 cup White Wheat Pastry Flour, sift and then measure
*2 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
*1 cup Butter, room temperature
*1 and 1/2 cups Sugar
*4 Eggs, room temperature
*1 cup canned Evaporated Milk
*1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Vanilla Bean Seeds, seeds removed from bean (add vanilla bean paste/seeds to the milk)

Directions:

*In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Then add one egg at a time, beating between each one until all are incorporated.

*In a mixing bowl sift together the cake flour, wheat pastry flour and baking powder. Then gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, on medium low speed and alternating with the milk and vanilla mixture in thirds just until combined.

*Line cupcake tins with liners and scoop the batter until 2/3 full into each cup.

*Bake in an 325*F. oven for 25-30 minutes or using a toothpick inserted to the middle of the cupcake comes out clean or spring back when touched.

*Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool on cooling racks until completely cool and pipe or frost as pictured or as desired.

Frosting

1/4 cup Cream Cheese (2 ounces)

2 and 1/4 sticks butter, almost room temperature

6 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Pinch of sea salt or to taste

Directions:

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment beat the butter and cream cheese 2 to 3 minutes until a light yellow color on medium speed.

Then gradually add powdered sugar alternate with whipping cream, mixing in on medium low speed.

Add vanilla and salt, taste and adjust as needed to your taste. Beat frosting another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and stir for a minute to remove air bubbles.

Frost cupcakes as desired. Note: For a thinner frosting add more whipping cream.

Add a ring to the top of each cupcake and then top with Easter sprinkles or sprinkles of your choice.

See Springtime Treats

Enjoy!

Lindy

Easter Orange Bread Wreath

Special Supplies:

Easter or Spring Sprinkles, we found these Wilton Sprinkles/Candies at Walmart

Ingredients:

Overnight Starter

*1 cup All-purpose Flour

*1/2 cup Cool Water

*1/8 teaspoon Instant Yeast

Bread Dough

*2 and 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour, more if needed

*1 and 1/4 Sea Salt

*2 teaspoons Instant Yeast

*1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

*1/4 cup Butter, room temperature

*2 Large Eggs

*1 Large Egg Yolk

*1/4 teaspoon Orange Extract

*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*Zest of 1 Orange

Instructions:

Make overnight starter in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a cool room overnight up-to 15 hours.

In the morning make the dough. Mix the bread dough ingredients together in a stand mixer with dough hook, knead on medium low speed for 8 minutes adding a little extra flour if needed. Dough should be elastic and sticky but forming a satiny ball.

Remove dough to a bowl rubbed with extra light olive oil and cover and allow to raise 2 hours or until double in bulk.

Divide dough into 3 sections and roll out into 3 snake/rope shapes each 18 inches long. Take the snake/ropes and Braid them together. Then make a circle with the braided dough making a wreath, tucking one end under the other. Let wreath dough rise for another 2 hours.

Pre-heat oven and bake at 375*F. for 20 minutes or for 15 minutes at 375*F. Reduce heat to 350*F. Tent the wreath with foil the last 10 minutes of baking. Test with instant read thermometer, insert into bread and should read 190*F.

Remove from oven place on serving platter and allow to cool slightly, before adding/drizzling frosting/glacé. Then add sprinkles of your choice. Best enjoyed warm!

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Bread.

Glacé Icing

*1/2 pound of Powdered Sugar, almost 2 cups

* 3 tablespoons Whole Milk or 2 and 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream and 1/2 tablespoon water (You can use other milk but you will have to add more powdered sugar)

Whisk together the milk and powdered sugar until smooth no lumps.

Now stir in the light corn syrup and extract.

*3 tablespoon Light Corn Syrup

*1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, use clear Vanilla extract if you need a white frosting/Glacé and if you want an Almond Flavor use an Almond extract.

Instructions:

Mix by hand until smooth; add more liquid or powdered sugar until desired consistency for drizzling.