Archives for May 2021

I used a special ingredient: 

As usual, I tweaked this up to utilize ingredients I had on hand, as well as used gluten-free flour.  My intention was to give them to a friend who is GF, and I’m happy to say my substitutions worked. However, if you aren’t on a GF diet, use all-purpose flour as usual.  The original recipe isn’t gluten-free. 

Ideas for substitutions: 

Old-fashioned inspired cupcake recipe calls for sour cream, but I have been known to sub in greek yogurt.  It’s a good fill-in, and I’m all about not running to the store in the middle of mixing!  I also substituted half and half and agave syrup in the caramel glaze. After researching substitutions for heavy cream and corn syrup, I felt confident that the ingredients I had on hand would work. Of course, next time I bake, I will plan my shopping list more carefully and add heavy cream and corn syrup to it. My taste testers were all in agreement though, and said cheers to the “Old-fashioned Cupcake”! 

 Helpful tip! 

Check your liquor cabinet or bar for bourbon. Remember, all bourbons are whiskeys, not all whiskeys are bourbons.  Working with the ingredients I had one hand, I looked into using Crown Royal in the glaze.  Sure enough, Crown Royal advertised an old-fashioned drink recipe on its website, so I went with that brand of whiskey. You only use two tablespoons in the glaze, no sense in running out to buy a bottle of something else at the last minute. 

Equipment you need to make your old-fashioned inspired cupcakes: 

• cupcake tins
• paper cupcake liners
• measuring cups/spoons (I use a 1/4 cup to fill the liners) 
• Standing mixer or a hand mixer with a large mixing bowl
• medium saucepan for making the glaze
• Wooden spoons/spatulas

What you need to make the old-fashioned inspired cupcakes: 

• 10 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I did substitute King Arthur GF flour )
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or, you can substitute greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream ) 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (make it REAL and not imitation. THANK YOU) 
• 2 large eggs

Ingredients for the glaze: 

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup (I subbed in agave syrup) 
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (or, use vanilla extract, if you have to)
• Garnishes:  orange twist and maraschino cherries (patted dry )

How to make the cupcakes:  firstly, Line your muffin tin with paper liners. Melt the butter in a saucepan, allow it to cool. Whisk flour and dry ingredients (except sugars) in a medium bowl.  secondly, In a separate bowl, combine sugars with melted butter, and add in sour cream, vanilla, and eggs.  Lastly, Gently fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a spatula/wooden spoon until combined.  Divide batter up between the muffin cups, filling them 2/3 of the way. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tops bounce back when gently pressed. 

Making the glaze: combine brown sugar, syrup butter, and salt in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add water and stir, then bring to a simmer. Cook (swirling the pan occasionally ) for about 12-15 mins, until it reaches a deep brown color and thick enough to drip off of a spatula. 

Meanwhile, combine the cream and cornstarch in a small bowl. Remove the glaze from heat, and slowly add to the caramel.  Return pan to heat and stir frequently, cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the liquor (or vanilla). Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. The caramel is thick and slightly warm.