Ms. Fox's Sweets: Improv Challenge

Showing posts with label Improv Challenge. Show all posts

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Eggnog & Cranberry Cupcakes (Improv Challenge)

Eggnog and Cranberries

We are now on month 3 of the Improv Challenge hosted by:

This months assigned ingredients:
Eggnog and Cranberries!

This challenge, I had an easy time figuring out that to make. I decided to make cupcakes again! These are really simple to make. Here is what you will need:

Eggnog & Cranberry Cupcakes
1 box of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix*
1-1/4 cup low fat eggnog
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons oil

Put eggnog, egg whites, and oil in mixer, followed by the white cake mix. Mix on low for 30 seconds, scrap sides, and continue mixing for 2 minutes on medium. The mixture will become fluffy and almost marshmallow-y.
(*other brands of cake mixes are now putting less mix in their boxes, so this recipe may not work with a different brand mix)

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake in 325 degree preheated oven for about 18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. This should make about 24 cupcakes depending on amount of batter in each cup.

Eggnog Frosting
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3-3/4 cups confectioners sugar
8 tablespoons of lowfat eggnog
a few sprinkles of nutmeg (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)

In mixer, on low, cream together shortening and margarine. Begin adding confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, adding in eggnog a little at a time. Continue to mix on low speed until nice and creamy. Mixing at a higher speed will incorporate too much air into the frosting.
Frost cupcakes with spatula and garnish with dried cranberries.

I had originally wanted to mix a cup of dried cranberries into the cupcake batter as well, but this didn't seem to be a popular idea with the family, so I decided just to use the cranberries as a garnish. The cranberries give this sweet cupcake the perfect amount of tartness or tang.

This cupcake is very fluffy, almost reminiscence of an angel food cake, the eggnog flavor shines through beautifully in the frosting, and the cranberries give it the perfect sweet and tart combination!
Best served with eggnog or an eggnog latte!

I link up at these fun parties!

Improv Challenge Participants:

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fall Leaves Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes (Improv Challenge)

Fall Leaves Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Wow has this been a roller coaster! It was such a surprise when the original hostess to the "Improv Cooking Challenge" suddenly resigned. A BIG Thank You to Karen from Frugal Antics of the Harried Homemaker for taking over and continue with the "Improv Challenge!"

Continuing with the regularly scheduled ingredients:

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese

This month I decided to go with what I know...

Cupcakes!

For the Cupcake itself, all you need is 2 ingredients:

100% Pure Canned Pumpkin & Spice Cake Mix

Mix the 2 ingredients in mixer on medium for about 2 minutes. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 16 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Makes 18 cupcakes.

Next up: The Icing!

The icing that I made is a spin on the regular decorating buttercream that I usually make. It was as simple as replacing the shortening and some of the margarine with cream cheese and just working towards the right consistency with adding the powdered sugar, same as I do with the buttercream. We all liked this cream cheese icing so much and it reminded us of yummy cheesecake! I definitely plan on using this icing in place of buttercream more often and it works great for 1M swirls! Because of the cream cheese, these cupcakes will need to be refrigerated.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 ounces regular cream cheese (not low fat, it just doesn't come out right in my experience!)

1/2 stick of margarine (1/4 cup)

3 to 4 cups of powdered sugar

In mixer, combine cream cheese and margarine, add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until pipable consistency. If it is not at pipeable consistency, add more powdered sugar or chill in the refrigerator, it will thicken up some in there. This will ice about 20 cupcakes.

For the leaves I used the Wilton Nature Fondant and Gum Paste Mold. Using a small brush, dust the cavity to be used with a little bit of cornstarch. I found that I did not need to redust each time. I molded all the leaves, and let them sit on parchment paper while icing the cupcakes.

The red, yellow, and orange fondant leaves are made with Wilton Fondant. The brown/chocolate fondant is by Fondarific. I have just started using this in the past week, after someone had recommended it to me and let me tell you it taste like chocolate candy! They have all flavors, even coffee flavored! Currently, they offer a sample pack on the Fondarific Website that all you have to do is pay shipping for, totally worth it!

I piped the cream cheese icing onto the pumpkin cupcake with the Wilton 1M tip and added a few leaves to each.

Super YUM and just in time for Thanksgiving!

These Cupcakes are Shared at:

JD's Mom: Thanksgiving Traditions

Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

The Artsy Girl Connection: Pin'Inspirational Thursdays
Happy Hour Projects: Freestyle Friday
Tatertots & Jello: Weekend Wrap up
Mom's Crazy Cooking: This Week's Cravings (Thanksgiving)

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Improv Challenge Participants:

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Caramel Apples (Improv Cooking Challenge #1)

Caramel Apples

I was thrilled when I was invited to the Improv Cooking Challenge hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain...a perfect monthly challenge for me that I could adapt to what I like to make...Sweets!

First Months Challenge: Caramel and Apples

Immediately, I thought Caramel and Apple Cupcakes of course! Then, I began thinking, I have never even had a Caramel Apple. I will make the obvious: Caramel Apples! I will even dip them in Candy Melts and make them cute! How hard can that be? Besides, I am probably the only person on Earth that has never had a Caramel Apples!

Ingredients For 5 Caramel & Candy Covered Apples:

5 Apples (rinsed and dried)

1 bag of Caramels

1/2 bag of Orange Candy Melts

5 sticks (I used Lollipop Sticks)

Black Candy Writer

1 tablespoon of water

Directions:

I started by opening the caramels, trying not to eat too many! I put the unwrapped caramels in the microwave with for 1 minute, pulled them out and stirred them. Then back in the microwave for another minute. Well, that was too long, they had begun to bubble over. This may have been because I forgot the 1 tablespoon of water, so I added that in, stirred it up and we were back in business!

I shoved the lollipop stick into the apple and sat the apple in the bowl of melted caramel, using a plastic spoon to cover the apple in the caramel. After each apple was dipped, I placed it on a butter coated piece of waxed paper.

Once they were all dipped, I put them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes for the caramel to harden back up.

My teenage daughter made good use of the leftover caramel, dipping her apples in it!

At this point, I thought they looked pretty nice, but I wasn't done yet!

I melted 1/2 the bag of the Orange Candy Melts with 1/2 tsp of shortening (that is the white spot in there) in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power, stirring halfway. This is when things got a little rough! I pulled the apples out of the refrigerator to find they were still gooey, so I popped them in the freezer for a few minutes. I thought dipping them in the Candy Melts would be easy, well it is a lot harder to shake the melted candy off an apple than a cake pop! The Candy Melts weren't covering the apple smoothly either, as the caramel started to get soft again. So a quick dip in the Candy Melt pool and I used my finger to wipe off the excess candy...I am calling that the rustic look!

I drew the faces on with the Duff Candy Writer (just stick the tube in hot water to melt and draw away.) I made 3 like this. The one in the middle was the first and it kinda resembles what happens to a Jack-o-Lantern after it sits outside after Halloween too long!