Cherry Cupcakes- the name says it all. They look cute and taste great!
For the cupcakes, I mixed 1 1/2c flour, 2/3c sugar, 2 tsp baking power and 1/3 tsp salt. I added 2/3c milk, 1/3c softened butter, 1 egg, and 1.5 tsp vanilla. Beat the mix on low until combined, and then mix on medium for about a minute. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each muffin cup. Top with 1 tsp of tart cherry preserves (I found a really nice gourmet brand at TJ Maxx for $3), and then top the preserves with another tablespoon of the batter. Bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 min, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack. For the frosting, mix 2.5c powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp milk. Add additional milk as needed, you'll want the consistency of a glaze. I added about 3-4 additional tablespoons of milk to get the desired consistency. Make an indentation gently in the middle of the cupcake with the rounded portion of a 1/2 tsp. Frost the cupcakes (1.5 tsp or so of the icing should do it). Drain 12 maraschino cherries (with stems) on paper towels. Pat them dry, dip halfway into the glaze, and top the cupcakes. They should rest nicely in the indentation. Makes 12 cupcakes. I still have plenty of frosting, cherries and preserves left over to make another batch!
Apple Pie- The not-so-old stand-by
I swear by Pillsbury- their crust is always fabulous! Preheat your oven to 350 and prep your pie dish with the bottom crust. Combine 1/3c sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Peel and chunk (small pieces) of apple, you'll need about 6 cups (5 large apples). Gala apples are my fave when it comes to desserts. Toss the apples in 1/3c of amaretto (you can leave this out if you want, won't break the pie but will definitely make it). Then toss the apples in the sugar/cinnamon mix and transfer the apple mix to the pie crust. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp flour. Seal the pie with the top crust, pinching the edges like in the photo. Cut some slits in the top of the pie, and bake for approx 45 min or until the crust just starts to brown. If I am taking the pie with me as a dessert for a party, I'll bake it about 40 min so that I can throw it back in for 5-10 min when I get to my destination. Hot apple pie is the best in the fall!
Acorn Treats- almost too cute to eat! Almost...
All you need to make this quick, easy and delicious treats is a bag of Hershey kisses, a box of mini nilla wafers, and a bag of mini chocolate chips. Melt some of the mini chocolate chips in the microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Dip the flat end of the hershey kiss in the chocolate, and top with a nilla wafer (flat side to the chocolate). Then dip the bottom of a mini chocolate chip into the melted chocolate, and stick it on the rounded part of the nilla wafer, right in the center.
Fall Cookies- Two kinds, and they look great on a platter side-by-side
http://www.recipe.com/pumpkin-spiced-star-cookies/- Mix it up by using different fall shapes!
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/mocha-cutouts/
Espresso Treats- time consuming, but so worth it!
In a medium bowl, beat 1/2c softened butter and 4oz softened cream cheese on medium high for 30 seconds. Then add 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp sugar and 1c flour. Beat to make a crumbly dough. Shape into a ball, flatter slightly, wrap in plastic and chill for 60-90 minutes (until dough is easy to handle). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and make a ball. Press the ball into 24 ungreased mini (1 3/4in) muffin cups. Press the dough into the button and up the sides to make a cup. Bake 12-15 minutes until the shells set. Cool them in a pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove and cool 30 min on the wire rack. In a small pan, boil 1/4c whipping cream. Put 3/4c dark chocolate chips into a bowl and pour the cream and 1 tbsp espresso powder over the chips. Let it sit for 5 min, then whisk until smooth. Pipe into the shells and let them set. To make the whipped cream, beat 3/4c whipping cream on medium high with 2 tbsp sugar and 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Beat until stiff peaks form and you have whipped cream texture. Transfer into a plastic bag, cut the corner off, and pipe the cream on top. Top with a chocolate covered espresso bean (found them at TJ Maxx in the food section for under $3) and you're done!
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