28 Coconut Ranger Cupcakes

I apologize for once again dropping off the face of the Earth... it's obvious to me now that summertime is not the best time for my baking habits.  It's too hot. I'm enjoying the sun. I'm going on all sorts of adventures. That kind of thing. But, once again, I'm sorry. And I'm back and hoping to get back on the swing of things. With that being said... I bring you "Coconut Ranger Cupcakes".

"What is a coconut ranger?", you may be asking. And to be honest with you, until a few weeks ago, I would be asking the same question. People are always coming and going at my job, and someone else was headed out the door. I could say that just another Manager in Training was leaving after just another few week stint, but he was a pretty swell dude. Always offering stories of one of the many crazy and very random jobs he held at one time. I'll miss him. Back to the cupcakes! I told him how I bake cupcakes when people leave and I inquired what kind he would like. I offered the normal questions to give him ideas like "what kind of booze do you like" (who am I kidding, that's the only question I ever ask). He really wasn't going for that. He told me that when he was in Texas, he had eaten this cookie called a coconut ranger and, thanks to smart phones, moments later I knew exactly what was in one. My sister, who happened to be standing there too, and I immediately started brain storming what these cupcakes could be. A week or two went by and it was crunch time. Tomorrow was his last day! We still didn't actually know what a coconut ranger tasted like. We quickly whipped up a batch of cookies in no time. This was the recipe we used:

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/ranger-cookies-19445?scaleto=2&mode=null&st=true

 

 

They're essentially oatmeal cookies with coconut and whatever else you want to add. I saw peanuts, chocolate chips, raisins, you get the idea. Eventually we settled on an oatmeal cupcake with brown sugar icing dipped in toasted coconut.

 

The cupcakes were going to be simple. I looked for a recipe for oatmeal cupcakes that wouldn't require too much effort, since we were baking these before going into work. I looked for essential ingredients for the cookies during my search: brown sugar and oatmeal. Once I found one, I omitted the ingredients that weren't in the cookies. For the recipe I found, I just didn't add cinnamon. It ended up being just a boxed yellow cake mix made how the box tells you to with brown sugar and oats added to it. We tasted the cake batter when it was finished and we were afraid that it tasted "too yellow". There wasn't quite enough of the oatmeal flavor. We put them in the oven just the way they were and hoped they would come out how we wanted. Just bake them how the box tells you to and everything will be fine.

 

 

While our sweet cupcakes were in the oven, we searched for icing. Initially, we were thinking of a coconut icing. We ate another cookie. Coconut isn't really the main flavor at all. That was out the window and the hunt for brown sugar icing was underway. We looked at a couple recipes and they were all too much work. I don't want to make icing that requires using a stove and a double boiler. Too much mess and too many dishes. Ultimately, I came across just the right recipe. It was a simple buttercream with brown sugar substituted for some of the powdered sugar. When it was ready, we sampled it. It didn't taste enough like brown sugar so we added some molasses. Perfection!

 

As we made the icing, we put some coconut on a cookie sheet (enough to cover the bottom) and popped it in the oven on broil. Just keep an eye on it. It took about as long as it took us to make the icing for it to be slightly browned. Don't worry about every piece getting a little toasty. You don't want to leave it in for too long that some of it gets burnt.

 

 

My sister squeezed a plop of icing on top of each of the cupcakes and I turned them upside down and dipped them into the toasted coconut. This masterpiece was completed!

 

 

We really nailed this one. Together my sister and I are a cupcake force to be reckoned with. The came out tasting exactly like the coconut ranger cookies. The cake was perfect. The time they spent in the oven brought out the oatmeal flavor throughout the whole cupcake. The brown sugar icing was just what it needed to be. Bringing the sweetness to the entire treat, taking it from just plain, boring oatmeal, to a tasty cookie-like flavor. Lastly, the coconut did its' job. Not really bringing too much flavor, but more texture. I'm still in awe that we took the idea of the strange cookie that, as far as I was concerned, didn't even exist, and made into a perfect flavor twin in cupcake form.

 

Oatmeal Cupcakes Ingredients

1 box vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake according to the package

3Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 c Old Fashioned Quaker Oats

 

How to

Mix according to the package directions. Add in the sugar and oats and stir until blended. Bake and then let cool before frosting.

 

 

adapted from createdby-diane.com

 

 

Brown Sugar Icing Ingredients

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 c light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c milk (not skim milk)

3 c powdered sugar

2 tsp molasses

 

How to

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add vanilla, milk, and molasses. Starting off slowly so it doesn't go all over the place, combine the liquids with the creamed mixture (it will look as though it's not coming together -- just combine until you no longer see the milk)

3. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.

 

 

adapted from zimonawhim.com

14 Apple Streusel Cupcakes

After months and months of hard work and dedication, and also some solicitation, I thought it necessary to reward my handbell choir with cupcakes. This is always a good opportunity to use a recipe that only makes a few cupcakes instead of the one that make a ton for all the hungry cupcake monsters at work.

I had to pick up 2 things for this recipe. It calls for a 10 ounce jar of tart applesauce. I couldn't find the exact 10 ounce jar so I just got a bigger one. I like applesauce, I'll eat it later. Splurge a little on a brand name of applesauce. It has more flavor. Also, don't get the cinnamon kind, just get regular old applesauce. Then, the recipe calls for raw brown sugar. It's not like brown sugar, like sticky, pack it in the measuring cup, kind of brown sugar. It's like sugar in the raw brown sugar. Any raw unprocessed sugar is good. Lastly, the recipe calls for self-rising flour. This isn't the same as regular flour. If you don't want to buy it, there are substitutes floating around on the Internet you can find.

I guess it's kind of brownish

The first thing you make is the streusel topping. Time to break out some kitchen equipment. I used the food processor. It's like power tools are for dudes, you can't wait to get your hands on something with a small motor that's loud and has the potential to hurt you. If you don't have one, you can just get a little messy and use your hands. I forgot to read ahead in the recipe and see that part that says to cut up the butter into little pieces, but I didn't have a problem since I used the food processor. If you do use your fingers to mix it, make sure you remember that step, it'll be easier on you. The food processor makes the streusel a lot more fine that you'll get with your hands, so depending on what kind of visual appeal you're going for you might want one method over the other.

The next step was my favorite part of making these cupcakes. "Add the baking soda to the jar of applesauce and stir until dissolved." There should be a disclaimer here. If you managed to find a 10 ounce jar of applesauce, pour it into a bigger container. Since I had a larger jar of applesauce, I just look at the ounce measurements on the measuring cup and filled it to 10. I added the baking soda and went to work with the rest of the recipe. I happen to glance over and there was something going on with the applesauce. Upon closer investigation, I realized that science was happening. The inner nerd in me loved this. It's kind of like baking soda and vinegar, just not as science-fair-volcano-y. There is acid in applesauce and that makes the baking soda bubble. The volume of applesauce doubled! How cool is that?!

SCIENCE!

Anyway... back to the cupcakes. You beat the butter and sugar together like any other cupcake recipe. Then beat in the egg. The wording in the recipe lead me to mess up this next part (the fact that I don't sift anything together is probably the real reason though). If you do sift your dry ingredients, you'll be fine. Since, I'm lazy, this step always gets neglected. So, if you're like me, mix together your dry ingredients first, then add them alternating with the applesauce. No alternating happened when I made these cupcakes, but they were just fine.

After that, I used my trusty ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake papers. Before popping them into the oven, sprinkle the streusel on top. Pat it down a little so it sticks to the cupcakes and doesn't roll off when they're done in the oven. They came out perfect after the 20 minutes.

When all was said and done, these cupcakes were beautiful. Like, prettier than the picture in the book. They were tasty too. The applesauce made them moist, but surprisingly they weren't dense (probably from all that science that happened). I felt like they could taste a little more apple-y. I think probably because I bought cheap applesauce, hence the earlier warning. Definitely a good cupcake for the fall. If you feel that it lacks that fancy cupcake look, try adding caramel or even an apple chip on top for something extra.


Cupcake Ingredients
1/2 tsp baking soda


Raw Brown Sugar

10-oz jar tart applesauce
4 Tbsp butter, softened
generous 3/8 c raw brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
scant 1 1/4 c self-rising white flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Topping Ingredients
generous 1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c raw brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 1/2 Tbsp butter

How to
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Put 14 paper cases in 2 muffin pans or put 14 double-layer paper cases on a baking sheet.
2. First make the topping. Put the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into small pieces, then either rub it in by hand or blend in the processor until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Set aside while you he the cakes.
3. To make the cupcakes, add the baking soda to the jar of applesauce and stir until dissolved. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg. Sift in the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and, using a large metal spoon, fold into the mixture, alternating with the applesauce.
4. Spoon the batter into the paper cases. sprinkle the topping over each cupcake to cover the tops and press down gently.
5.Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Leave the cakes for 2-3 minutes before serving warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

30 Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

It was just an average Friday morning. I lazily rolled out of bed around noon and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast for my sweet bunnies. I came across this note and it was for me! It was from my mom, asking me to bake cupcakes, conveniently located near the mixer. I was like, "what the heck, I wasn't actually going to do anything today anyway (no matter how much I told myself I was), I might as well help my mom out."

This recipe should be in every cupcake baker's repertoire. These cupcakes are at every bake sale and kindergarten birthday. Tasty chocolate cupcakes filled with a moist cheesecake-y center and chocolate chips. You know the ones I'm talking about.

I decided to use a hand mixer to make these cupcakes. The recipe is simple enough that you don't need the extra hands that a stand mixer allows you to have. First, you make the chocolate part. I used a normal size ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake cups. Then, you mix up the cream cheese filling. I used mini chocolate chips, mostly because that's what my mom left out for me, but they're perfect since you just put a little plop of the filling in the cupcake. The cream cheese won't be taken over by the chocolate chips. I used a mini ice cream scoop to put the filling into the middle of the chocolate part.

When the timer goes off, check your cupcakes. I stuck the toothpick into the all chocolate part. Only the one tray wasn't quite finished, but there's a good chance 25 minutes will be perfect for your cupcakes.

The kindergartner in me loves these cupcakes. I'm pretty sure every part of me loves these actually. The chocolate was tasty and moist. It makes you crave a glass of milk. And the cream cheese filling is yummy yummy. I remember being a kid and looking at the display of these cupcakes, no matter what event they were for, and trying to pick the one with most cream cheese-y goodness. There is no need for icing for cupcakes like these. They are stand alone amazing and should not be tampered with. Love them for what they are.

Chocolate Surprise Cupcake Ingredients
3 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 c water
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcake How to
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Stir in oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla until blended. Pour mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
3. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.