Black-and-White Irish Cream Cupcakes

Say what?!? These cupcakes just SCREAM St. Patrick’s Day – at least to me. They are like black-and-white cookies but cupcakes!! YUM!

Black-and-White Irish Cream Cupcakes 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk substitute
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut or rice milk
  • 1/2 or 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 recipe Irish Cream Ganache – In a small saucepan bring whipping cream just to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate (do not stir). Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in liqueur until smooth. Cool about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.
  • 1/2 cup rice whipping cream
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur
• 1 recipe Irish Cream Icing – In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, liqueur, and vanilla.
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Cupcakes:

1. Allow vegan butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and flour twenty-eight 2-1/2-inch muffin cups (or line with paper bake cups).
2. In a medium bowl stir together gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
4. Add sugar, liqueur, and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk substitute, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
5. Transfer 2-1/2 cups batter (about half) to a medium bowl; stir in melted chocolate. Fill each prepared muffin cup about two-thirds full, spooning chocolate batter into one side of cup and white batter into other side of cup.
6. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on racks.
7. Spread Irish Cream Ganache onto tops of cupcakes. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour (or chill in the refrigerator about 15 minutes) or until ganache is set. Spoon Irish Cream Icing onto centers of cupcakes. Let stand until icing sets.

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! 😀

ENJOY!

Cinnamon Bun White Hot Chocolate

It’s (still unfortunately) winter time. Yea I am officially finished with winter, BRING ON THE SNOW!! Nothing beats the chilly winter nights or rainy winter days like a nice cup of hot chocolate and a good book. I am in the mood for something a little different that just run of the mill hot chocolate. Hot chocolate will always be delicious no matter what (nothing beats a classic right?) but how about some WHITE hot chocolate with the delicious twist of cinnamon? Hmmm yea cinnamon would be nice. Maybe brown sugar, a little caramel? Sounds like some of the ingredients to a yummy cinnamon bun! YES! Cinnamon Bun White Hot Chocolate.

Cinnamon Bun White Hot Chocolate

The overwhelming flavor is cinnamon, with a nice vanilla undertone and a caramelized flavor from the brown sugar. It’s a fun change from regular hot chocolate. This almost reminds me of the Starbucks White Hot Chocolate but this version has all the cinnamony goodness of a cinnamon bun AND its gluten and dairy free!

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk (you can use rice milk if you like)
• 2 cinnamon sticks, coarsely broken
• 4 ounces good-quality, gluten free white chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional garnishes:

• 2 tablespoons rice whipped cream
• 2 tablespoons toasted pecans or candied pecans, chopped
• 1 tablespoon caramel sauce

1. Combine the milk and the broken cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring the milk to a simmer. Once simmering, remove the pan from the heat, cover it with a lid, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to infuse the milk with cinnamon flavor.
2. After 30 minutes, remove the cinnamon sticks and return the saucepan of milk to medium heat. Add the chopped white chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, salt, and ground cinnamon. Heat, whisking frequently, until the milk is hot and the white chocolate is completely melted.
3. Pour into two mugs to serve. Garnish with your choice of whipped cream, additional cinnamon, toasted or candied pecans, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. (Or all of the above!) I would go with of the above!

Great…now I want a cinnamon bun 🙂

ENJOY!

Kwegyirba Croffie is a freelance Associate Producer at News 12 Connecticut and a Special Events/Event Planning and Social Media Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a Quinnipiac University alumni and a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. She enjoy cupcakes,Broadway musicals, Forever 21 ,giraffes, peacock feathers, orchids, lillies and anything Disney.

Related articles

• Coconut Milk White Hot Chocolate (charmedvalerie.com)
• Recipe: Red Velvet Hot Chocolate (craftzine.com)

Chocolate Crepes With Almond Whipped Cream & Red Wine Chocolate Sauce

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Crepes are very cute, romantic and can be especially special for Valentine’s Day! Chocolate, almonds, raspberries and red wine, these crepes are definitely a sweet dessert treat for that special someone.

Chocolate Crepes With Almond Whipped Cream & Red Wine Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

For the Crepes:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup gluten free flour
• 1/4 cup Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Place crepe ingredients into blender (wet ingredients first). Give a blend until there are no lumps. Batter will look like a thick chocolate milk.
2. Turn burner for crepe pan (a non-stick pan will work as well) to just above low heat. Get 1/3 measuring cup ready. Place about 1/4 teaspoon of vegan butter in pan. Melt & spread the butter around.
3. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into your pan. (or less depending on how big or small your pan is) Crepes should be very thin. Allow to cook until top is done, then flip upside-down on to parchment paper.
4. Continue buttering pan in between each crepe and layering crepes on to parchment paper so they don’t stick together. If you like, you can keep them warm in a 170 degree oven while keeping a layer of foil over the top layer to prevent the crepes from drying.

For the Chocolate Covered Raspberries and Red Wine Chocolate Sauce:

• 1 small container of fresh raspberries
• 1 pound bag of the best semi-sweet chocolate you can find
• 4 ounce bar of the best semi-sweet chocolate you can find
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cup great red wine

 

1. Place chocolate chips into a double boiler a medium low heat to melt chocolate. If you have a candy thermometer, you can make sure the temperature of the chocolate doesn’t go above 110 degrees. Stir occasionally and remove from heat when melted.
2. Break chocolate bar into small pieces.
3. Stir it into the warm chocolate until it too is melted.
4. Dip raspberries into chocolate and place on parchment paper in a cool place to harden.
5. To make red wine chocolate sauce, bring 1 1/2 cups red wine to a boil then allow to simmer. Reduce until about 1 cup of wine is left in pan.
6. Stir corn syrup and reduced red wine into chocolate. Stir until smooth and shiny.

For the Almond Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups rice whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

1. To make whipped cream, whip rice whipped cream in a very clean mixing bowl until it has soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and almond and mix again until it has stiff peaks.

To assemble your crepes:

1. Place whipped cream in middle of crepe. Roll crepe gently until completely rolled. Place on plate. Continue with as many crepes you would like to eat and serve to your sweet.
2. Using a decorating bag with a round decorating tip, drizzle red wine chocolate sauce over crepes.
3. Sprinkle with chocolate covered raspberries and sliced almonds.

ENJOY!

Kwegyirba Croffie is a freelance Associate Producer at News 12 Connecticut and a Special Events/Event Planning and Social Media Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a Quinnipiac University alumni and a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. She enjoy cupcakes,Broadway musicals, Forever 21 ,giraffes, peacock feathers, orchids, lillies and anything Disney.

Coconut Whipped Cream

SUPER quick recipe for coconut whipped cream that is completely gluten free and dairy free!

Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 1 can Organic Coconut Milk
• Ground Cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1. Take a “full fat” can of Organic Coconut Milk and place it in the fridge for some time or best over night
2. Make sure that you scoop out all the thickened coconut cream, and that the water is left over. Don’t discard the water, use it to drink or in a shake or in another recipe!
3. After scooping it out, add a little cinnamon and vanilla, and whip it in a mixing bowl until it begins to thicken. (You don’t want to use too much cinnamon, just enough to give it a little spice and not more than 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract)
4. Enjoy with fruit, cakes, cookies, drinks or a delicious topping for any dessert!

I love that coconut milk is so versatile! I’m feeling a little coconut milk recipes series coming on! 🙂

Kwegyirba Croffie is a freelance Associate Producer at News 12 Connecticut and a Special Events/Event Planning and Social Media Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a Quinnipiac University alumni and a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. She enjoy cupcakes,Broadway musicals, Forever 21 ,giraffes, peacock feathers, orchids, lillies and anything Disney.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

When I use sugar in the recipes I make, I always use Domino brand sugar. Great granulated, brown and powdered sugar for any kind of recipe or drink use. Here is a great brown sugar pound cake recipe from using delicious light brown sugar. 

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Ingredients

For the Pound Cake:

• 1 cup packed Domino Light Brown Sugar
• 1 cup buttery spread or margarine, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups gluten free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Fresh fruit

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup  heavy whipping cream
• Domino Confectioners Sugar, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
3. In large bowl, beat sugar and buttery spread or margarine until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine gluten free flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Gradually add to sugar mixture. Pour batter into pan. Bake one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Remove from pan and turn out on rack to cool completely. Top with whipped cream and fruit.
7. Place cream in chilled bowl. Beat until foamy. Add Domino Confectioners Sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff.

Pound cake is GREAT with ice cream. It’s one of mine and my dad’s favorite combinations and sure to be yours if you haven’t had it already 🙂 ENJOY!

Visit Domino Sugar for more great recipes! From cake and cookies to candy, frosting, glazes and even salads, they have recipes for all sorts of tastes and seasons.

Kwegyirba Croffie is a freelance Associate Producer at News 12 Connecticut and a Special Events/Event Planning and Social Media Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a Quinnipiac University alumni and a member of Alpha Delta Pi. She enjoy cupcakes,Broadway musicals, Forever 21 ,giraffes, peacock feathers, orchids, lillies and anything Disney.