Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes!!!

I made an awesome pumpkin pie cupcake!!  The funny thing is that I don't even like pumpkin pie but DJ wanted me to make some (we got a Pumpkin Spice doughnut from Krispy Kreme and it was spice-y not pumpkin-y) so that's what I did.  They are tender and moist with the perfect balance of spice and pumpkin.  I was thinking of making a vanilla cream cheese frosting.  But DJ asked "What do you put on pumpkin pie?" "Nothing cause I don't eat pumpkin pie." "Duh cool whip!!"  So he wants me to make a really soft whipped cream frosting for these babies.  (On a side note, I frosted these with the leftover caramel frosting and it was awesome!!!)  I will post some pictures asap!

Happy Birthday Honey!!!

Today is my hubby's 33rd birthday.  So of course I had to make him some cupcakes.  When i asked him what kind he decided on Pecan Pie. Well a friend of mine was moving recently and let me go "shopping" in her fridge so I had a huge bag of pecans in the freezer.  So I decided that I would chop them up and candy them and them put 1 cup of the nuts into my brown sugar cupcakes. Well DJ walks in while I am chopping them and asks "What are you doing with those walnuts?" REALLY?!!?? That's pretty sad that I don't know the difference between pecans and walnuts.

I decided that for the frosting I would make a butter cream and mix in some of the caramel filling from the Samoa Girl Scouts Cupcakes to make a lightly caramel flavored frosting.  This is the best frosting I have ever tasted!!!!!  No joke.  It is amazing and I have to keep myself from eating it by the spoonful.

The cupcakes did not taste like pecan pie by any stretch of the imagination, but they are very good.  I frosted them with the caramel frosting and then drizzled some plain caramel and more chopped "pecans" or walnuts on top.  They are very good and will most likely end up on the menu.  Now I just need to think of a "nutty" name.


~~~ Edited: All that and they were PECANS!!!! LOL ~~~

Cupcakes for a Cause!

For my class Exceptional Learners we have to do 10 hours of service learning at a place or school that helps kids with special needs.  I am doing my 10 (well it will be way over 10) hours at a place called Small Miracles.  From their website: "Small Miracles is a nonprofit corporation founded through love to enhance the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth of individuals with special needs through equine-assisted activities."  
 
So they help kids develop skills by riding and helping to take care of the horses.  It is an amazing program that is mostly ran with the help of the volunteers.

They are having a fundraiser today at Bristol Motor Speedway (you Nascar fans know where that is...LOL) called the Miracle Mile.  They are having people get sponsors to sponsor them as they run around the race track and help raise money for their program.  I am donating 104 cupcakes.  I made blackberry, strawberry & white chocolate, and vanilla bean with a vanilla bean frosting (all minis for easier eating).  I am also volunteering to photograph the whole event.  Here are the pictures of the cupcakes: