Snowy Chocolate Baby Cakes
MAKES 24 SERVINGS; PREP: 45 MIN.,
BAKE: 22 NIIN., COOL: 35 MIN.
During testing, we found that muffin cups ranged from 2? to 3 oz. each. The size you have will determine your yield.
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream ½ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
24 paper muffin cups
Winter White Glaze
Garnishes: red cinnamon candies, fresh bay leaves*
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 6 ingrethents at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingrethents are moistened. Increase speed to medium, and beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Spoon batter into 24 greased and floured muffin cups.
2. Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
3. Arrange cakes upside down on a serving platter. Spoon Winter White Glaze over cakes (about 1 Tbsp. per cake), spreading with a spatula to thoroughly cover cakes. Garnish, if desired.
*Fresh mint leaves may be substituted.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devil's Food Premium Cake Mix.
Winter White Glaze:
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS; PREP: 5 MIN. Cover glaze surface directly with a damp paper towel as needed to prevent a crust from forming before you've finished icing the cupcakes.
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. meringue powder
¼ cup hot water
1. Beat together all ingrethents with an electric mixer until smooth. Use immediately.
Easy Swirled Fudge
MAKES ABOUT 1 ¾ LB.; PREP: 15 MIN., STAND: 3 MIN., CHILL: 2 HR.
A very thin crust forms over the surface of the fudge while you microwave the white chocolate mixture. Don't be alarmed - once you swirl the two together, it will become smooth again.
Parchment paper
½ cup butter
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼cup milk
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bar, chopped
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
1. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides.
2. Microwave butter in a large microwavesafe glass bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted. Gently stir in powdered sugar and next 3 ingrethents. (Mixture will be lumpy.) Microwave 30 seconds; add vanilla.
3. Beat mixture at medium-low speed with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth. Pour into prepared pan, spreading to edges of pan.
4. Microwave white chocolate and whipping cream in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH until white chocolate is melted (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), stirring at 30-second intervals. Stir until mixture is smooth. Let stand 1 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spoon mixture over fudge in pan, swirling with a paring knife. Cover and chill until firm (about 2 hours).
Note: We tested in an 1,100-watt and a 1,250-watt microwave oven. Cook times will vary depending on your microwave wattage; be sure to follow the descriptions in the recipe for best results.
Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
MAKES 4 DOZEN; PREP: 35 MIN., FREEZE: 4 HR., BAKE: 7 MIN. PER BATCH, COOL: 35 MIN.
These cookies are delicious eaten at room temperature, or chill them 30 minutes for a firm, cool filling.
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. red food coloring paste
Parchment paper
Peppermint Frosting
1. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended, scraping bowl as needed.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12- ? 8-inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.
4. Knead food coloring paste into remaining portion of dough while wearing rubber gloves. Roll tinted dough into a rectangle as directed in Step 3. Invert untinted dough onto tinted dough; peel off plastic wrap. Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 (12- ? 4-inch) rectangles. Roll up each rectanglejelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 month.
5. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut ends off each dough log, and discard. Cut dough into 1A -inch-thick pieces, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
6. Bake at 350° for 6 to 7 minutes or until puffed and set; cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
7. Place Peppermint Frosting in a heavyduty zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 2 tsp. frosting onto half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, gently pressing to form a sandwich.
Peppermint Frosting:
MAKES 1 ¾ CUPS; PREP: 10 MIN.
¼ cup butter, softened
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and gradually add milk and peppermint extract, beating until smooth.
Sugar-and-Spice Cake
MAKES 12 SERVINGS; PREP: 1 HR.; BAKE: 22 MIN.; COOL: 1 HR., 5 MIN.; FREEZE: 1 HR.
1 (18.25-oz.) package white cake mix
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
¼ cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract (optional)
Vanilla Buttercream
Garnishes: sparkling sugar, clear edible glitter, rosemary sprigs, pecan halves, cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat together first 6 ingrethents and, if desired, almond extract at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingrethents are moistened. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes or until batter is smooth, stopping to scrape down bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 1 hour or up to 1 month.
3. Spread Vanilla Buttercream between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic White Cake Premium Cake Mix.
Vanilla Buttercream:
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS; PREP: 10 MIN.
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
2 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar
lTbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tSp. salt
1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and next 3 ingrethents, beating at low speed just until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat until well blended and smooth.
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