Key Lime Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream

Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 2

Last year I tried to do lime cupcakes and it was a dismal failure. I threw away 12 dozen cupcakes that night. I've stewed about it all year long and this was what I came up with. It was a hit. The cake did stick to the liners more than other flavors because of the sugar content in the lime juice but overall, it was a success and was received well.

Key Lime Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. oil
1 c. sour cream
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. flour
1 can key lime pie filling or lime curd

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks
5. When cupcakes are cool, core and set cores aside
6. Fill cupcakes with 2 tsp of filling and replace the cake core on top. You might have to kind of squish to get it back on. That's ok.

Frosting
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
6 T lime juice
2 lbs approximately powdered sugar

1. Cream butter, vanilla and salt together. 
2. Alternate adding powdered sugar and lime juice until the frosting is the desired consistency. 
3. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring if you want green frosting. It's totally not necessary if you choose to cut it out.
4. Pipe onto cupcakes.

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

 Cupcake Palooza 2016 Day 1

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 Devils Food Cake Mix
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
24 chocolate truffles (I used Ferrero Rocher; you can do homemade if you're ambitious)

1. Mix cake mix, milk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in mixer until combined. Mix on med-high speed for 2 minutes
2. Put 1/4 c. batter in cupcake liners
3. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
4. Remove from heat and quickly core cupcakes
5. Place truffle in cupcake and put the pan back into oven for 1-2 minutes to slightly melt the chocolate into the cake
6. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks

Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup room temp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs (ish) powdered sugar
A few tablespoons milk

1. Cream butter and vanilla together
2. Add cocoa and salt until butter is smooth and chocolaty
3. Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar until frosting is the consistency and sweetness you desire. 
4. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes

Zupa's Chicken Enchilada Soup Taste a Like

Zupa's Chicken Enchilada Chili Soup Taste a Like

I have a really hard time going into Zupa's and plunking down $6 for a bowl of soup that I'm pretty sure I can recreate at home and feed a bunch of people for the same cost. So, this is my version of Zupa's Chicken Enchilada Soup. I combined a couple of different online recipes and after a couple of versions am now calling it my own.

Zupa's Chicken Enchilada Chili a'la Jiggle
serves 6-8

2 cups cooked chicken breast shredded or diced into small pieces
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
15 oz tomato sauce
4 oz can green chiles
1 12 oz bag frozen white corn
1 T. minced garlic
2 T. chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp back pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
Cheese for garnish

Add all ingredients except sour cream to crock pot. Let come to temp and cook on low a couple of hours. 15 minutes before serving add sour cream. Serve with cheddar cheese and tortilla strips.

*Chicken broth to thin to desired consistency.

1 15 oz can Cannelini beans, rinsed and drained

Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake

I saw a recipe for this cheesecake on the internet somewhere...somewhere being the critical word here and immediately decided that I needed to make it. So, I diligently printed it out and stuck it in my purse so that I would have it when I went to the store to pick up the ingredients. Fast forward a couple of days, or a week, and I am at the store today ready to shop and I look in my bag and what should I find? No recipe. Not a tattered full sheet, not a scrunched up half sheet, not a crumpled sticky note even, a big fat nothing where that recipe should be. So, because I hate being that person that stands in the aisle of the grocery store surfing the web and clogging up good cart space I decided to wing it. I've done cheesecake before and I've made caramel sauce before so surely I can figure this out, right?

This is what happened when I combined recipes in my repertoire and the picture in my head from the missing one I printed out. Not bad at all I say. Not bad at all. And, I got to lick the caramel sauce spoon. Bonus!

Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake
10 inch cheesecake

Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. sugar
6 T. melted butter
3 bricks cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare springform pan with parchment and foil. Spray lightly with non stick spray.
2. Mix 1/4 c. sugar, cracker crumbs and melted butter together until a crumbly consistency. Press into bottom and slightly up the sides of your pan.
3. Beat cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating until smooth.
5. Pour batter over the graham cracker crust and gently place in oven.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes. The cake will puff up but is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan to room temperature and refrigerate for a couple of hours before removing from pan.

Toasted Macadamia Nuts
1 c. Macadamia nuts

1. Put nuts on a baking sheet covered with foil.
2. Bake in 325 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes. (really I am guessing on time, I just let it go until the nuts smelled toasty)
3. Remove from oven and let cool

Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 T. vanilla extract
generous sprinkle of Kosher salt

1. In saucepan over med heat mix butter, sugar, cream and vanilla together.
2. Stirring constantly bring to a boil. Cook approximately 7 minutes. I like mine a little thicker so I cooked it for 9 minutes.
3. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Remove cheesecake from pan and carefully put it on your serving plate. I swiped a dab of caramel on the plate to help keep it from sliding all over. Pour caramel over cheesecake evenly reserving a little bit to drizzle over the nuts. Sprinkle top with nuts and drizzle the rest of the caramel over the cheesecake. Refrigerate over night or until ready to serve.