Apple Harvest Cupcakes

As I've mentioned before, I do a bit of catering. Right now, it's mostly through word of mouth. One day, I'll make up some business cards, complete my website, and go legit. But this works for right now.

I made these cupcakes for a luncheon honoring a group of hard-working volunteers. The hostess of the event had her home decorated in an Autumn theme, so I figured cupcakes inspired by fall flavors were the way to go. And what says fall like apples?

When I came across this recipe, I was unconvinced. There is no butter in these cupcakes. I'm so accustomed to using butter, and usually quite a bit of it, in my baking, that the idea made me a bit uneasy. But I'm glad I worked through my hesitations and gave these a try.

One of the risks of making a cupcake like this is winding up with a muffin covered in frosting as opposed to a true cupcake. These definitely pass the true cupcake test. One thing these cupcakes didn't excel at was tasting like apple. Don't get me wrong, the apple taste is there. However, one or two people mistook them for a carrot or spice cake, and I can see how they'd make the mistake. Eat enough Autumn-inspired goodies with the same spices in them, and it can get a bit muddled. One way to fix this for the apple lovers out there: increase the chopped apple by 1/2 c and decrease the walnut by 1/2 c.

I got the recipe for these cupcakes from the sensational Betty Crocker's Big Book of Cupcakes and the recipe for the cream cheese frosting from Buttercream Bakehouse.

APPLE HARVEST CUPCAKES

for the cupcakes:
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c salt
3 c chopped tart apples (like Granny Smith)
1 c chopped walnuts

for the icing:
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, vegetable oil and eggs. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined. Stir in the chopped apple and walnuts by hand. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling each one about 2/3 full.

3. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake in the middle of each pan comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting: beat together the butter and cream cheese, then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread onto cupcakes with a spatula or use a pastry bag and tip.

This recipe is shared with Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Craft-O-Maniac, On the Menu Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Made by You Monday, Tuesday Talent Show, This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday, Sweets for a Saturday

Apple Empanadas

It's apple season! I look forward to this time of year like kids look forward to Christmas. And it's not just because I love apples. The beginning of apple season marks the transition into fall. I love everything about fall: the crisp air, the colors, and, most of all, the flavors.

There are a couple of pick-your-own apple orchards near me, and I decided to take advantage of their delicious, and inexpensive, stock by making these Apple Empanadas. I got the idea for these from Kelsey's Essentials. It's my favorite cooking show, because all of the recipes are very well done and very accessible. One of the reasons I was attracted to this particular recipe is its use of puff pastry. I love puff pastry because it's something so simple to use, yet it makes a big statement. It also tastes really good. Layers upon layers of butter... what's not to like?

These Apple Empanadas are essentially little pockets of puff pastry stuffed with an apple filling. Yum. I used a 4-inch round cookie cutter to make mine, but I wouldn't recommend this outside the need for the beautiful presentation. I wound up wasting a lot of puff pastry this way, and it's not cheap. Instead, I would cut squares, and, to make them look pretty, fold them over into triangles.


APPLE EMPANADAS

3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 pkg frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1 egg, beaten
Turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Continue cooking apples over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a potato masher, break down the apples. Set aside to cool.

3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry sheets. Cut into circles with a 4-inch cookie cutter, or squares using a knife. Place a spoonful of the apple mixture in the center of each circle (or square). Brush the edges with the beaten egg, fold over and crimp edges using a fork. Transfer empanadas to the prepared baking sheets. Brush with the egg and sprinkle on turbinado sugar. With a paring knife, make two small slits on the top of each empanada for venting.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Serve warm or allow to cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is shared with Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Craft-O-Maniac, On the Menu Monday, Made by You Monday, Tuesday Talent Show, This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweets for a Saturday, Sweet Indulgences Sunday, Cast Party Wednesday, Foodie Friday