White Chocolate Cherry Scones Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup dried sour cherries; chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips; roughly chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in dried cherries and white chocolate.
2. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth; stir in vanilla.
3. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
4. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
5. If desired, drizzle with melted white chocolate after the scones have cooled.

Notes:

1. I added a light egg wash to the top of the scones and a sprinkle of coarse sugar before placing in the oven.
2. I have prepared these in the food processor with fabulous result, simply pulse cold butter into the dry ingredients instead of grating the frozen butter.
3. Add in a variety of ingredients to make your signature scone, think chocolate chips, nuts, espresso powder... endless possibilities!

Source: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/cherry-white-chocolate-scones/

Stout Cupcakes with Chocolate Covered Pretzel Recipe!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

1 (12-ounce) bottle stout (I used espresso stout)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso granules dissolved in two teaspoons warm water
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the Ganache

12 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate; chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Finishing Touches

Chopped chocolate covered pretzel twists
Fine grain sea salt

Directions:

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the stout, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and espresso.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the sour cream and mix until combined.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the stout mixture. Batter will be thin.
5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until risen and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the Ganache

1. Place chocolate in a large heat safe bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to boil. DO NOT walk away from the stove. The cream could boil over and you will be with a big mess to clean up.
3. Immediately pour hot cream over chocolate and let it sit for five minutes.
4. Begin stirring the cream with a wooden spoon or whisk starting in the center of the bowl and working your way outward. As you stir, you will see the cream and chocolate come together. Allow your ganache to cool for 15 minutes and stir in vanilla. Let ganache sit at room temperature for another 3-45 minutes before topping cupcakes.

To decorate cupcakes

Invert the top of the cupcake into the bowl of cooled ganache, use a spoon or offset spatula to spread evenly. Finish cupcakes with chopped chocolate covered pretzels and a tiny pinch of fine grain sea salt.

Source: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/stout-cupcakes-with-chocolate-covered-pretzels/

Southern Comfort Cupcakes Recipe!

Southern Comfort Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

1 (18.25 ounce) package Devil’s Food Cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla

For the Southern Comfort Buttercream

4 sticks unsalted butter; room temperature
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons Southern Comfort

For the Garnish

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
Southern Comfort Caramel Corn

Directions:

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, water and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans. {I use a large cookie scoop from OXO to scoop my batter; it holds 3 tablespoons}.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch. A small divot may appear in the center of the cupcake, no worries though because you’ll cover that with frosting.
6. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on a wire rack.

For the frosting

1. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract and salt.
2. Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, add in the Southern Comfort and mix until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick, slowly add in a little more Southern Comfort (1 teaspoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.

For the garnish

Place melted chocolate into piping bag or plastic storage bag and snip off the tip. Drizzle buttercream with the melted chocolate and top with Southern Comfort Caramel Corn.

Notes:

- I recommend frosting these the day you are serving them. Otherwise, the caramel corn will lose its crunch.
- This recipe can easily be halved if you don't need 24 cupcakes.
- Cupcake Liners from Bake It Pretty.
- Cupcakes were piped using the Giant Round Tip from Bake It Pretty.

Source: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/southern-comfort-cupcakes-recipe/