Chocolate Peanut Brittle Cupcakes Food

CHOCOLATE, PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a medium-sized platter in the freezer.
• Line 10 standard (2 3/4-inch wide) muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
• To make the cupcakes, in a medium bowl and with an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter, sliced banana, oil and water together on medium speed until mostly smooth or only a few very small pieces of banana are visible. On low speed beat in the egg, cocoa powder and the cake mix. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute or until batter is well blended.
• Spoon an equal amount of batter into the lined muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean.
• Remove cupcakes from the pan and place on the platter in the freezer. Freeze for 8 minutes to quickly cool the cupcakes.
• While the cakes cool, make the frosting, with an electric mixer beat together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons milk until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. (If needed, add up to an extra 1/2 teaspoon of milk to make frosting smooth.) Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle the tops with an even amount of the chopped peanuts. Garnish the tops of each cake with a dried banana chip.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES AND PEANUT BUTTER ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.
• Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.
• Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.
• Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES WITH MACERATED STRAWBERRIES AND PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin trays with 18 cupcake liners. In a small bowl, mix together the strawberry preserves, chopped fresh strawberries and lemon juice.
• Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder using a coffee grinder or food processor. Sift together the strawberry powder, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in half of the strawberry preserve mixture and the vanilla until just combined. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until just combined after each addition. Evenly distribute the batter between the lined muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of a cupcake and comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out the cupcakes and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until creamy, then add the confectioners' sugar. Beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time to the desired consistency. Season with a pinch of salt, if desired.
• For the peanut brittle: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Stir together the sugar, honey, water and salt in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar and honey are dissolved, about 30 seconds. Stir in the peanuts and cook, stirring often, until the mixture turns amber in color (or reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer), 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the butter until it is completely melted. Working very quickly, stir in the baking soda (the mixture will foam a bit). Immediately pour onto the prepared baking sheet; take an offset spatula, spray with cooking spray, and spread the peanut mixture over the baking sheet to create a thin, even brittle. Top with crushed freeze-dried strawberries, gently pressing down into the peanut mixture. Let the brittle cool until completely hardened, 15 to 20 minutes. Break into pieces.
• Using a paring knife, cut a 1/2-inch-deep piece from the top of each cupcake. Fill each hole with 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved strawberry preserves mixture. Then pipe the peanut frosting over that. Top with brittle pieces.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Lightly butter cookie sheet and set aside for now.
• In small bowl, stir the cocoa and baking soda, then the butter; set aside.
• In heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and whipping cream, stirring to combine.
• Cook over medium heat. Keep stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Stir in the peanuts and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 300° or when syrup dropped into very cold water separates to threads that are hard and brittle (of course, make sure the bulb on the candy thermometer is not resting on bottom of the pan when used).
• Remove from heat and stir in cocoa mixture.
• Immediately pour onto the buttered cookie sheet.
• With tongs or wooden spoons, quickly spread and pull into a 1/4-inch thickness.
• Put cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.
• When the brittle is cool, break into pieces.

POPCORN AND PEANUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan with nonstick spray. Line 3 (12-cup) cupcake or muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
• For the Peanut Brittle:
• Combine the sugar, peanuts, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until the mixture is golden in color. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the butter and baking soda. Working quickly, spread the mixture onto the greased sheet pan. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before using a spatula to spread the mixture out even further. Once cooled a little more, stretch the candy out to be thin. Once fully cooled, approximately 30 minutes, break the candy into small pieces. You will not need all this brittle for the cupcakes. The extra can be stored in a plastic storage container for snacking or a second batch of cupcakes!
• For the Buttermilk Pound Cake:
• In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until smooth. Add in the eggs, 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl and mix after each egg addition. In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a third bowl, mix together the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the butter-egg mixture, alternating between the dry and wet ingredients. Fold in the chopped peanut brittle.
• Using a medium-size ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake liners Add a layer of mini chocolate shell candies. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes lightly spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes.
• Warm the butterscotch topping, and then add the cream and salt, mixing until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool, and then transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a small tip and use to fill the cupcakes. This is a little sticky and messy!;
• In a food processor, blend the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract. Blend again, making sure to scrape the sides of the food processor. Add the chocolate and pulse until completely combined. It should be smooth and creamy.
• Place the brown sugar, salt, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract into a microwave-safe container, and cook on high power for 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Place the container back in the microwave and cook again for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling.
• Remove the container from the microwave and stir in the baking soda. It will foam up. Spray a large stainless steel bowl with nonstick spray, and place the popcorn in it. Pour the hot mixture from the microwave over the popcorn, and toss until evenly coated. Spread the popcorn over a sheet tray and move it around until it is all separated. Allow the mixture to cool before layering on top of the fudge icing.
• In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Heat them over a bain marie until hot and the sugar is melted. Pour the hot egg white-sugar mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high until the mixture is cooled. Switch to a paddle attachment. With the mixer running on medium-high speed, gradually add the softened butter until the frosting is thick, smooth and glossy. Add the vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
• For the assembly:
• Fill the cooled cupcakes with the butterscotch caramel. Spread the fudge icing on top. Sprinkle the caramel corn over the icing and top with a dollop of the vanilla buttercream. Top the buttercream with a mini chocolate shell candy.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. pan and a metal spatula; set aside. , In a 2-qt. microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes; stir. Cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in peanuts and butter. Microwave for 30-60 seconds or until mixture turns a light amber color (mixture will be very hot)., Quickly stir in cocoa, baking soda and vanilla until combined. Immediately pour into prepared pan; spread with the metal spatula. Cool before breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container.