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Fall Acorn Cupcakes


A rich vegan cupcake recipe topped with vanilla buttercream and a cute little candy acorn.

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 24 cupcakes)

  • 3 cups of flour
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons of vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cups oil
  • 2 c. water

For acorns:

DIRECTIONS:

  • Add dry cupcake ingredients together and mix to remove lumps.
  • Add liquids and mix until smooth
  • Divide equally into cupcake liners in muffin tins.
  • Bake at 350F degrees for 20-25 minutes.
  • Allow cupcakes to cool completely and frost with your favorite buttercream recipe (click here for mine) tinted with fall food coloring.
  • Make acorns by melting candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between.  Dip unwrapped hershey kiss in chocolate and attach to bottom of cookie.  Dip butterscotch/peanut butter chip in chocolate and attach to top of cookie.  (Click HERE for more details on making these)
  • When hardened, gently place one acorn on the top of each cupcake.


My thoughts:  Ever since I posted these cute little acorns last fall I’ve wanted to put them on cupcakes!!  This was that day.  The vegan cupcake recipe is SO yummy.  The buttercream frosting isn’t vegan, but you can drizzle your cupcakes with a bit of powdered sugar glaze to keep them a treat for your vegan friends.  You can use the cupcake recipe to make a yummy bundt cake too– and that is PERFECT with a light sugar glaze on top.  I use this cake/cupcake recipe all the time- it is very moist and flavorful.  Enjoy!!!~r

Other recipes you might enjoy (click on the image to be taken to the recipe):

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Mummy Oreo Pops for Halloween!!

These make me smile– aren’t they cute?  I saw the idea on a regular cookie at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (along with a really cute mummy hot dog idea!) and I immediately thought of my Oreo pops recipe from last spring and decided to turn some Oreos into mummies!  It was a little time consuming, but not difficult.  I think the results were worth the effort!  Here’s how we did it:

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

  • Carefully twist apart all of the Oreo cookies.
  • Using one of the pop sticks, make an indentation in the white filling of each cookie.
  • Melt the Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted and smooth.
  • Dip the end of one stick into the melted white chocolate, drizzle a little in the center of the white cookie filling and then gently press it into the indentation made.
  • Place the top of the cookie back on and allow white chocolate to harden (5 minutes or so), cementing the cookie back together with a stick inside.

(For a picture tutorial on this click here)

  • Before dipping the entire cookie, unwrap your fondant, split it in half and immediately place one half in an air-tight zip-top bag (you will only use half of the fondant).
  • Roll the remaining  fondant out with a rolling pin as directed on the box.  Using a sharp knife, cut strips (about as wide as an oreo) in the fondant and then cut narrow strips across (see photo)

  • Now it is time to dip your Oreo pops (you may need to put your candy melts back in the microwave for a few seconds to remelt them)
  • Holding the stick, lower the entire Oreo into the bowl of melted white chocolate, spooning it over the top and sides to cover it completely.
  • Allow the excess chocolate to drain off and gently place covered Oreo on a piece of parchment paper to harden. 
  • Immediately place two eyes on the front and gently lay strips of fondant back and forth across the cookie.  It took me a little bit to figure out a pattern that looked good and worked– copy mine if you want!!
  • Allow everything to harden and place in treat bags with ties.

My thoughts:  These are a little time-consuming, but if you enjoy the process  (I do!) and you have a free afternoon (I did!) these are just really fun to put together.  The smiles when people see them make all that work worthwhile!  Enjoy!  ~r

Other recipes you might enjoy (click on the image to see the recipe):

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Creamy peanut butter piled high on rich dark chocolate cheesecake makes this dessert absolutely decadent!

INGREDIENTS:

Cheesecake:

  • 9 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (I use animal crackers)
  • 1/4 c. margarine (melted)
  • 2 (8oz.) packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
  • 1/2c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 c. dark chocolate chips (melted)
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp. margarine (melted)
  • 3 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Topping:

  • 1/4c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Topping:

  • 1/2c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1c. peanut butter baking chips

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Crush cookies into fine crumbs and add melted margarine.  Combine well and press into the bottom of a 9-Inch Springform Pan
  • Beat softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each one.
  • Add remaining cheesecake ingredients, beating until smooth.
  • Pour into crust and allow to sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
  • Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 60 minutes,
  • Turn off oven, open oven door a little and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and run knife around edge of pan.  Remove edge of pan. 
  • Allow to come to room temperature (make toppings during this time)
  • PEANUT BUTTER: Put whipping cream into saucepan and heat just until bubbling at edges.  Turn heat off, add peanut butter chips, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  • CHOCOLATE:  Put whipping cream into saucepan and heat just until bubbling at edges.  Turn heat off, add chocolate chips, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, stir both until smooth.
  • Pour peanut butter over top of cheesecake, smoothing to edges
  • Refrigerate about 10 minutes.
  • Pour chocolate over peanut butter and smooth into a center circle.  
  • Decorate as desired.
  • REFRIGERATE cheesecake overnight before serving for best consistency. Remove bottom part of pan when cake is chilled.

My thoughts: This is my dessert contribution for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.  My family is starting to get used to getting desserts that already have a piece cut out- for photo purposes of course!  I’m also bringing broccoli (lest you think I am truly the most unhealthy person in the universe!)  I’ve made this cheesecake for years and it always is just soooo creamy and smooth.  So here’s my little Thanksgiving treat for you my faithful readers!!  I’m very thankful for YOU and all of your encouragement in this crazy new venture in my life!  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

one. last. bite………

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