George Caramelin Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes With Vanilla Bean Bourbon Frosting Bourbon Caramel Sauce And Candied Pecans Recipes

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 cups of two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cayenne, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
• Combine the milk and bourbon in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk-bourbon mixture in 2 additions. Beat the batter until smooth. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the buttercream frosting: Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk as desired. Add a drop or two of blue food coloring to the frosting and mix until the desired color is achieved, adding more drops if needed.
• For decorating: Roll the yellow gum paste very thin (about 1/8 inch thick or thinner). Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 12 rounds from the gum paste.
• Elevate a wooden dowel or thin-handled wooden spoon on 2 cans or paper cups with notches cut to hold in place. Drape the gum paste rounds over the dowel to dry and form taco shells, about 30 minutes.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a leaf tip (no. 113) with the blue buttercream frosting. Starting in the center of each of 12 cupcakes, while spinning the cupcake, pipe the frosting on a flat angle to the top of the cupcake, moving the bag slightly up and down to form a ruffle. Cover the top of each cupcake completely with frosting.
• Add the coconut to a small bowl with a few drops of green food coloring. Stir with a fork to distribute the food coloring, adding additional coloring until the desired lettuce color is reached. Snip the red gummy candy into small pieces using kitchen shears to form the tomato salsa. Crumble one of the remaining cupcakes to fine crumbs to form the taco meat.
• Assemble the tacos by layering each taco shell with some cupcake crumbs, green coconut and red gummy tomatoes. Finish by grating white chocolate over the top of each for a cheese effect. Place one taco on top of each frosted cupcake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin tins with gold foil cupcake liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter, milk, and eggs. Using a hand mixer beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to be sure the batter is well incorporated. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 can of dulce de leche with 1 cup of cake batter and set aside.
• Using an ice-cream scoop, fill the muffin tins halfway to the top with the batter. Spoon a level tablespoon of the dulce de leche mixture into each cupcake liner, and with a butter knife swirl it into the batter. Bake until the tops are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Frosting: In a cold mixing bowl, beat the cold heavy cream with a hand mixer until just before soft peaks form. Add the dulce de leche and beat until well incorporated and soft peaks form. Frost each cupcake with the caramel frosting, and sprinkle with gold dragees. Arrange the cupcakes on a serving tray and serve.

Steps:

• Put the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter, vanilla seeds and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Cook, whisking gently, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Serve warm or refrigerate until cold. If the sauce is too thin, just continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, milk, 1/3 cup butter, the eggs and cinnamon with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in cinnamon chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 2/3 cup butter and 1/4 cup caramel topping with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Drizzle with additional caramel topping. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.