Bacon Maple Cupcakes

Custom Search

 https://twitter.com/mike12782

These Bacon Maple Cupcakes  are a hit around my house and now they can be at yours to. Ive already got Birthday orders in for this cupcake and there Birthday isn't til October. There are three parts to this cupcake frosting, filling,and the cake itself.

This is what you need.

Cupcake.

6 strips of bacon
4 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon bacon grease- solidified
1 egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk


Cook bacon, preheat oven to 350. ( try to keep bacon flat  and save for garnish)

Pour grease into container and refrigerate until some what solid.

Combine butter grease until creamy.

Beat in brown sugar, maple syrup, and egg until well combined.

Slowly add in flour, baking soda, baking powder,and salt.

Fold in milk until creamy.

Place in lined muffin tin 2/3 the way full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Filling

1/4 cup sugar.
3 tablespoons cornstarch.
2 cups milk.
3 egg yolks slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

in a 1 qt. saucepan mix sugar and cornstarch.

Gradually stir in milk until smooth.

slowly add in egg yolks, stirring constantly.

Bring to a boil over  med -low heat.

Boil for 1 min and remove from heat.

stir in vanilla

Cover custard surface with saran wrap an chill until cold.

Frosting

4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup confectioners powdered sugar

Beat together butter and syrup.
slowly add in sugar- adding more if necessary.



So now you got all your stuff made and your cupcakes are cooled . its time to put everything together its a pretty easy to do. i just wanted to share with you the tips I use to fill the cupcakes .To core the cupcakes. you can use a little pairing knife or what i like to use to get the same size and depth is a cup cake corer  I found this one on amazon for a pretty cheep pricehttp://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-747166-Cupcake-Corer/dp/B004OFGWBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331847799&sr=8-1

Fill a pastry bag with the custard and fill each up cupcake. Using another pastry bag fill with frosting and top.
As for the Bacon cut each piece in half  toss in sugar and top the cupcake.

Emergency substitutions

Custom Search

So you got a new recipe and you have all the stuff you think you need.Only to find out halfway thru you forgot something at the store,or you don't have as much of something as you thought.Don't freak out a lot of times there can be a substitution made to cover for what you need. That's where this blog comes from. A friend of a friend of a friend (thanks Donna)was going to toss out a really good cook book for home baking but thought of me before doing so. If you want to learn baking of all types from pies,tarts,cakes, bread its got it allhttp://promo.mygreatrecipes.com/great-american-home-baking/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=brand&utm_campaign=HMB&utm_term=great%20american%20home%20baking&Network=Search&SiteTarget={placement}#  looking thrue this cook book  i found the chart for emergency substitutions and since its help me in tight times I want to share it with you.


1 cup  cake flour  =  1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch =  2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder =   1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter plus1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 package active dry yeast =  1 cake compressed yeast

1 cup  sugar = 1 cup packed brown sugar or 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 cup  honey =  1 1/4  cups sugar plus 1/4 cup of liquid

1 cup corn syrup =  1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid

1 square ( 1 oz.)                    3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus
unsweetened chocolate =     1 tablespoon shortening or cooking oil 

1 cup whipping cream, whipped = 2 cups whipped dessert topping

1 cup buttermilk = 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar plus enough whole milk to make one cup (let stand 5 min)

1 cup whole milk =  1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water or 1 cup water plus 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1 cup light cream =  1 tablespoon melted butter plus enough milk to make 1 cup

1 egg =  2 egg whites plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice = 1/4 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) butter or margarine =  7 tablespoons vegetable shortening

This table of substitution has come in very handy a lot of times. Hope you find it just as helpful.

Custom Search

Carolina BBQ sandwhich

Custom Search

One thing i love is good BBQ.There are a lot of ways its served. one quick look at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBQ will let you know that BBQ is pretty serious business.Out of a lot of BBQ choices Id like to share one that's more my style. Carolina style to be exact vinegar, based and good to the taste
This has to be the best BBQ Period


One Pork Boston Butt

the sauce
2 cups apple cider vinegar.
1/2  cup of water.
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce.
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper
1 cup of ketchup

If your looking for a little extra kick add one tablespoon of red Chile flakes

Mix all ingredients in medium sauce pan whisk over medium  low heat for 30 min

For the Boston butt  I like to place it in the crock-pot brush on some liquid smoke. Ill make the sauce twice once to use to pour in to cook with the pork cook until meet is tender and just fall apart. Make the sauce again while its cooking up drain whats in the crock-pot. using two forks pull  the pork apart,removing any bones. Once the sauce is done pour over the pork  and enjoy. Here's how I like mine served up

Deviled eggs and some down home southern style potato salad . If you love BBQ you have yo try this.

Guitar cake

A cool cake that's great for all kinds of occasions is a guitar cake. So if you got a guitar player  or a  little rock star who has a birthday coming up this cake is sure to please. All you need is a little time and a few basic cake decorating tools. This is what the ramblin chef used to make this guitar cake.

1) Square cake pan sized to fit guitar template.
2) Cut out of a guitar outline.
3) Butter cream  frosting.
4) Piping bag an tip .
5) Frosting colors .

Bake your cake using whatever kind of cake or cake mix you want. After the cake is baked and cool. Your are now ready to use your template to cut out the guitar shape

Once you got your two shapes cut out. You are ready to place them together and crumb coat them

Store the cake in the fridge for at least 30 min, longer will not hurt the cake as you want the frosting to be firm. While that is in the fridge with the left over butter cream  divide in to bowls and mix the colors that you will be using . Black is best used for the strings the frets and any other detail that may be need . Black frosting is used in the piping bag with a small round tip. Once the cake is set and ready for the frosting apply  to sections of the guitar that you want that colored.

As always have fun and be creative.

Custom Search

Hot dog cake part-2 carving and decorating

OK so with our cakes all done now we can start to make the hot dog shape first  using a serrated knife level off the top and remove the cake from the pan them you want to start with the hot dog shape

once you have the basic shape then  start rounding the the edges to be round and start to get the bun shape

now that you have a shape that you like its time for the so butter cream ill share my butter cream recipe in an up coming post about different icing but for now with your butter cream you want to dirty ice or crumb coat the cake which is just applying a thin layer  of butter cream  then place it in the fridge for about 20 min

after the butter cream  has set or is firm you are ready to ice the cake an this is where your imagination comes in to play you can had color to your butter cream to match the color of the buns an hot dog for me I'm going to air brush the butter cream so i will just leave it white

Hot Dog Cake-part one making the cake

spring and summer time are coming fast in my neck of the woods and that means baseball, swimming pools and my favorite thing to do hanging  with friends an doing a little grilling an chilling now if theres one thing that goes with them all is hot dogs  and alittle cake for desert so for your next game or a little hanging out in the dog days of summer try this hot dog cake its bound to be the talk of any desert table I'm going to break it up over two or three parts so you can look back at what ever part you need if you need a little help and as always you can leave me  a comment or question an ill try to answer it for you so lets get started


The recipe
I doubled this recipe and filled two loaf pans  here is the original recipe

3 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine--5 1/3 tablespoons of butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk

so first in a bowl sift the flour baking powder and sugar and set aside

in a separate bowl add sugar and butter mix until light

add vanilla and eggs mix well

after that's mixed well you want to grab your flour mixture an and alternating with milk starting with the flour mixture fist add it in mix well after each addition

after all has been added mix for another minute

now your ready to pour into your pans i used  a 9x5x23/4 and a 91/4 IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU USE SOME KIND OF CAKE RELEASE AN THAT THE BOTTOM OF THE PANS BE LINED WITH WAX OR PARCHMENT PAPER

preheat oven to 350 but both pans in oven it will take a while to get done i gave mine 35 min but more time was need just keep an eye on them they are done when a cake tester or smooth knife inserted in top comes out clean a tooth pick wont do the trick on this one the pans are to deep  once done place on cooling racks and let cool

now we are ready to start making this thing look like a hot dog the reason for me making to is that i like working with a back up cause when working with cakes things don't always go as planed

THE TOP FIVE ESSENTIAL KITCHEN APPLIANCES FOR THE HOMEBASED COOK

So you want to cook at home maybe you want to make a good meal or spend time with your family
the kitchen or maybe you watched  the food net work or the thousands of other shows an cooking looking cool an fun what ever the reason maybe just get in the kitchen an have fun after all that what its about fun an hey if you mess up you can just try it again so what dose it take to make a great meal or a great cake we have all been lost looking at all the kitchen gadgets at our local kitchen store in my corner of the world i think bed bath and beyond might just have the biggest kitchen gadgets wall I've ever seen  and it looks all neat an shinny and you probably think "hey what all will i need to impress at my next family dinner "  well do i have news for you  if you have Internet a Little imagination and some creative you already have a pretty good start but id like to share with you the five things the rambin' chef cant live with out in his kitchen 



One- Stand up mixer 

A good mixer will pay for itself  the first couple times you use it  they range in price and color stand mixers have different add on tools you might find help full i bought the meat grinder when purchasing mind an although i don't use it that often its still cool sometimes to grind up your own hamburger just buying the mixer alone it comes with everything you will need to get started with three different mixer attachments  for breads general mixing or if you want to whip up some frosting for that special cake hand held mixers are good but wont stand up  (pun intended) to a nicer mixer



2- Immersion blender

I find these to be great an come in handy very often mine hangs wright by my stove an never out of hand reach great for mixing right in the pot they are great for soups purees making salsa when I'm in the kitchen an i don't see one of these i get a little nervous either at a friends house who likes to cook or a commercial kitchen these are helpful an i love mine these two range in price an you wont need the one that cost the much just a good one that you like an serves its purpose


3- decent pots an pans

Good pots and pans are essential for cooking and no you don't need an 800 dollar sets just a good saute pan  stock pots are great for soups and stocks sauce pans are great to have to just do a little shopping around or chances are you got a great selection already just waiting for you


4-chef knife

OK OK i know there are a million knives that do a million things some are serrated some are shiny  and some are even expensive so why just one good chef knife cause it can do anything needed try to find one that you like feels good in your hand is sturdy and sharp a dull knife is more dangerous than one that will cut diamond use the tip for small things and the back for more harder stuff to cut or slice or dice or if you want to feel like a real chef and impress the kids grab a garlic bulb lay the knife flat on top and use the back of your palm  mash down a couple of times an open up the cloves then you wont have a need for that silly garlic press that makes more mess an waste of your good garlic than you will get in the pan a chef knife is irreplaceable in any kitchen


5-measuring cups

measuring cups probably shouldn't be number five cause with out them you got nothing you can get them cheap at any local store with kitchen supplies these are the basic of the basic in cooking make sure the measurement  are on for good and wont wash off over time 

so you got all that and your doing alot of cooking or baking  an your enjoying it and your looking to maybe add a little more to your presentation  and your wondering what will help I'll try to help you out with a top  six

6-mandolin

These range in price an different cuts that they will do but if your looking for unison cuts for those veggies your using to saute or stir fry you will one of these very helpful



there are alot of other things  you will find helpful in your cooking journey so get some stuff that you like thats in your budget seek out some good rescipes from friends family and the word wide web