Well, other than my HUSBAND just getting home from class. I really have to get used to calling him that. And I have to get used to my new last name. My students are having quite the tough time with it, all day I got, "Mrs. C...I mean Mrs. R!", Mrs. Ricker, Mrs. Crockter, Mrs. Richer, and "What's your name now?"
I don't exactly need cupcakes in my house right now. I have 3 large Tupperware containers full of leftover mini pastries from the wedding. And to think, I almost made a pie tonight too....maybe tomorrow night...
Having Monday off for the holiday and a professional development day yesterday, which was preceded by a busy, busy wedding weekend, and a busy, busy 3 days off before that, today did not at all register to be a Wednesday to me. I certainly got spoiled from that time off. I'm excited but not prepared that the weekend is a mere two days away.
I decided to leave the bacon out of these cupcakes. I love bacon, but the whole "bacon is the most amazing thing ever and I will put bacon with everything" needs to be placed in a closet and locked up for a little while. I want the focus of these cupcakes to be the apple, not the tiny pieces of bacon that should have been sprinkled on top. It is fall for goodness sake, and what screams fall more than apple?
Pumpkin. Pumpkin screams fall more than apple. BUT, I have a million pumpkin recipes I can bust out at any time. I really liked how the apple was grated for these. Grating them was a breeze with my little grate-top containers from IKEA. Plus, the Fuji apples are nice and soft, the grating took all of 1 minutes. The meringue buttercream is always a great choice, but I do hate that it takes more time than my standard buttercream. The simmering and constant stirring kept me in the warm kitchen, in my already warm house from this weird spike in temperature we're seeing. I haven't made a meringue buttercream in forever, so I sort of forget how well they will be holding up tomorrow. I also didn't have pure maple syrup, and certainly wasn't paying $8.99 for the smallest bottle in the store. I tried it with your standard maple syrup, and I think they came out just fine and perfectly yummy. The apply butter in the middle was a great call and gives it that extra apple it needs. I also almost always use vanilla bean paste instead of extract in my recipes.
Apple Cinnamon Pancake Cupcakes
adapted from Baking a Moment
1.5 cups cake flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2.5 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 cups fresh apple, peeled, cored and grated (about 2 medium apples) (I used Fuji apples)
3/4 cup apple butter
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, but cool
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line about 18 muffins slots.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter pieces and mix until slightly crumbly. (I found using my pastry cutter got it done better than my mixer with the beater paddle).
3. Add each egg, one at a time, mixing between each. Add the buttermilk, syrup and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined.
4. Fold in the grated apple with a spatula.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely.
7. Place the apple butter in a pastry bag or plastic sandwich bag and snip the corner. Cut out the centers of the cupcakes and squeeze apple butter into each.
8. For the frosting, whisk together the egg whites, sugar and syrup until just combined, in a small bowl that can used as the top of a double boiler. Place the bowl of a small saucepan with simmering water, over medium-low heat. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes, until sugar is dissolved and doesn't feel gritty when you rub it between your fingers.
9. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, and with the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form and the meringue cools completely.
10. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until it thickens back up and is nice and glossy. If it is too thin to frost with, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. If it curdles, keep whipping it, it will come together.
11. Frost cupcakes.
I tried a smaller tip than I would have liked to use and played around with them just for fun. It's not a way I'd frost again it came out messy and just not one of my best. Didn't change how tasty it was though!
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