Some recipes cause I love food

Tonight I made the following; a Caramel Cake for Leith's birthday, a chocolate chip cookie pan, and  quinoa spinach goat cheese fritters.  So much for not baking while on my training program.  Then again, I rode 17 miles on the trainer this morning.  My wrist still isn't feeling that awesome.  Even on the trainer my wrist caused me unbelievable amount of grief that lasted for hours.  I also have wicked sores on my heels from my new-ish trail running shoes. 

So I've been cooking and baking here and there for years.  What can I say I love food.  I've worked as a cook back in college for a short time.  I've even taken baking orders for friends from time to time, but never professionally.  Sometimes I hear that I'm in the wrong industry or I hear the comment that I should own my own bakery or what have you.  I wont claim that I do it all as sometimes I start with a recipe from this place or that magazine and then modify it.  Other times I just whip things together.  Not everything I do turns out, but it almost always gets eaten.  I can only recall a few major disasters where it was utter crap.

Recently I made a modified Pumpkin Whoopie Pies but I roasted my own pumpkin and hand mashed it for a chunkier consistency.  Then I basically disregarded the entire spice section and put in a combination of ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.  This is my typical spice concoction when dealing with pumpkin, which I love using.  Also made some wicked pumpkin pancakes the other day with a faux buttermilk.  I've yet to find buttermilk in New Zealand, so I learned a trick of curdling milk with white vinegar.  I don't really have a ration that I adhere to, I just taste the batter and add whatever I feel like that day or night.  Then I changed the filling to be one that I've used for my Cream-Filled Pumpkin.  This is a recipe I found over a decade ago while working for the airlines.  I don't recall the magazine, but I have several sure fire cupcake hits from that issue.  So straight from recipes files so of my crowd favorites.  My current and former co-workers, Beth's former co-workers, and our friends and family approved pants tightening goodness.  This is another big winner that I made back home.  I have yet to find the mini-kisses over here so if you are coming to visit, bring a couple bags and you might get a batch to yourself.  My instructions for the Choco-pucks.

Enjoy baking and eating, cause I know I do.

Cream-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

4 eggs

2 c sugar

¾ c vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin

2 c flour

2 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t baking powder

1 t ground cinnamon

(See above for my spice concoction)

Filling

1 T cornstarch

1 c milk from

½ c shortening

¼ c butter softened

2 c powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes, for the filling you mix the cornstarch and milk over medium high heat and bring to a boil while constantly stirring.  Remove immediately after coming to a boil.  Let cool to room temp.  While that is cooling, cream the shortening, butter, and sugar.  Now add the vanilla.  Slowly add the thickened milk mixture to the creamed ingredients while mixing on high.  You are looking for a fluffy mixture.  I've never used all the milk mixture when creating the filling.  After the cupcakes have had a chance to cool cut a cone divet in the top.  Remove the section, fill with cream mixture, and then replace the cut-out section.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes

Filling

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened

1/3 c sugar

1 egg

1/8 t salt

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c peanut butter chips

Cupcake

1 ½ c flour

1 c sugar

¼ c baking cocoa

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 c water

1/3 c vegetable oil

1 T while vinegar

1 t vanilla

Back at 350 for 25-30 minutes  Cream the cream cheese, sugar, and egg.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Mix the cupcake ingredients together.  I've never been a big fan of using multiple bowls and slowly adding the wet and dry together.  Then again, this is something I do for fun not a job.  Fill the cupcake paper about 1/2 full with cupcake batter and then take a table spoon or so of the filling and plop it on top.

Caramel Sauced Cake

Caramel Cake (Gourmet, January 2008)

Cake:

2 c plus 2 T flour

1 t baking powder

¾ t baking soda

½ t salt

1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter softened

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1 c shaken buttermilk

Glaze:

1 c heavy cream

½ c brown sugar

1 T light corn syrup

1 t vanilla

Bake cake in an 8 inch square cake pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes, cool for an hour

Boil glaze until it registers 210 to 212 for 12-14 minutes, cool for 30 minutes