Drunken Pumpkin & Bacon Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Can't you just taste them already just looking at the photo?

Ingredients (makes 14 cupcakes)

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
6 oz pumpkin ale
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 strips candied bacon (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350*.  Add cupcake liners to a 12-cup cupcake tin.  Set aside. Dice 3 strips of candied bacon and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt, set aside
In a non stick frying pan, melt butter over low heat until slightly browned
In a glass mixing bowl, combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugars, whisk together until combined, wait 1 minute and then whisk again
Add eggs, pumpkin and beer to the butter sugar mixture. Fold together with a rubber spatula. Add diced bacon. Carefully fold wet mixture into dry, being careful not to over mix.
Using a large scoop, scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool

The Marshmallow Frosting:

8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Candied Bacon:
6 strips thick sliced bacon
1/2 c dark brown sugar
3 T pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400*. Combine brown sugar and maple syrup in small bowl.  Place strips of bacon on a rack on a foil-covered rimmed baking sheet. Spread with brown sugar mixture.  Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes until crisp-baked.  Let cool and prepared as directed in directions.

Place the cooled cupcakes on a baking sheet and set them aside.

Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.

Place the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the clean bowl and whisk by hand to combine. Nest the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Heat the egg white mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch (about 120°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 6 minutes.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk for 1 minute on medium speed. Increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes more. Add the vanilla and whisk until just incorporated, about 1 minute.

Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Broil until the tops are starting to brown, about 20 to 30 seconds—watch carefully to avoid burning. (Alternatively, you can use a kitchen torch).
Cut remaining 3 strips of candied bacon into 14 equal-sized pieces. Place one piece on top of each cupcake.

Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes w Marshmallow Creme Filling

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs

1/3 C. oil

3/4 C. milk or buttermilk

1/2 C. sour cream

2 tsp. almond extract

1 C. Maraschino cherries, roughly chopped

Marshmallow Creme

Almond Buttercream:

1 C. butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

3-4 C. powdered sugar

milk, if needed

20-24 Maraschino cherries with stems for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pan with cupcakes liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl to remove any lumps and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine eggs, oil, milk, sour cream and almond extract until smooth.

4. Stir in cake mix.

5. Fold in chopped maraschino cherries.

6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes.

7. Almond Buttercream: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add almond extract and slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. If it becomes too thick, add a little milk.

8. When cupcakes are completely cool, remove some cake from the center of each with a paring knife or cupcake corer.  Fill a pastry bag with the marshmallow creme and fill each cupcake to the top.

9. Pipe frosting onto filled cupcakes and top with sprinkles and more Maraschino cherries, if desired. 

Recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake.

Enjoy!

Chocolate, Whiskey, Marshmallow, Caramel & Bacon Bark

When I saw this recipe, it was so unusual, I knew I had to try it.  It is as good as it looks.  The sweet, the salty, the touch of whiskey and the chocolate all come together fabulously.

The only negative I feel compelled to point out is that it's very time-consuming and only makes an 8x8 product.  Next time I would use a large dish and make it thinner so it goes further.

Here's the recipe: http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2011/12/08/edible-holiday-gifts-whiskey-caramel-mashamallow-and-bacon-bark/

Chocolate Syrup Cupcakes with Marshmallow Butter Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, room temperature
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c (1 16-oz can) Hershey's chocolate syrup

Heat oven to 350*F.  Place cupcake liners in cupcake tin, set aside.
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour and baking soda and add alternately with the chocolate syrup to the creamed mixture.  Pour the batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each 1/2 full.  It is important that you fill no more than 1/2 full.  This batter is thin and tends to bake over the top of the cupcake well causing the outer edges to burn and the center to sink and pull away from the cupcake liner. Bake 20-25 minutes.  Yield: About 30 cupcakes.

Marshmallow Butter Cream

1 stick butter, room temperature
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 c sifted confectioners' sugar

Beat butter until light & fluffy.  Beat in marshmallow creme until well incorporated.  Add confectioners' sugar.  Beat until combined.  Add more confectioners' sugar, if necessary, to reach desired consistency.  Frosts approximately 30 cupcakes.

Drizzle frosted cupcakes w Hershey's syrup and add chocolate sprinkles, if desired.