Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Cream cheese frosting

These are some of the BEST carrot cake cupcakes I have ever eaten. They are relatively low fat/good fat and you can cut down on the sugar if you want to make them even healthier. Of course, the frosting is what makes them over the top yummy and unfortunately, less healthy. Even though I have eaten a couple of them sans frosting, perhaps a light confectioners glaze over the top would work for those who are trying to watch what they eat. The recipe I loosely followed was on the Joy of Baking site. Here is my version:

Cake:

2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil (I used canola)
1/2 c. granny smith applesauce (I use two 4oz. prepackaged cups - regular applesauce will be fine, but won't impart the same bold flavor as the granny smith)
1 scant c. sugar (betcha brown sugar would be really good in this recipe...may have to try it or even cutting down on the white sugar and adding some molasses.)
4 eggs (egg substitute would be just fine in this recipe)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. grated apples

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil, applesauce & sugar. Add in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla, apples & carrots.

Add in flour mixture beating slowly and mix until just blended. Drop into lined muffin tins (about 2/3 full) and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (or cake pops back up lightly pressed).

Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese (I use light)
3 c. confectioners sugar

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Add in the sugar one cup at a time until it is all well blended and frosting is smooth. Frost in swirls with a large rose tip or use a small knife to spread the frosting on.

Cupcakes will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge. (or if your house is a busy as mine, they will be gone before 24 hours is over.)

Pies

I made a total of 5 pies this year. Three of them were brought over to my in laws and two were left here to go with our leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. I was so excited that despite the awful squash bugs that decimated all my summer & winter squash plants, I was able to salvage a few small sugar pumpkins, cook and freeze them, and I had enough to make a the pie for Thanksgiving and also one more. I also have acorn squash from the garden which will likely end up in a couple of pies as well.

I always make my own crusts. I have never bought them. I do, however, use boxed cook & serve pudding mixes for both the chocolate cream and lemon meringue. If you have a recipe for a chocolate pudding or lemon pudding that tastes as good as boxed stuff, PLEASE share. I would be more than happy to try any recipes that come my way.

I figured while I'm giving recipes for the pies I made, I will add my recipe for baked apples. When my nephew is on leave from the Marines, I always make them for him. They are super yummy and if you want a dessert that isn't too awful for you, they are a good choice. A little scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt on the side is DIVINE.

Pie Dough

2 c. flour
2/3 c. shortening (unsalted butter, veg. shortening or a combo of the two)
Pinch of salt
Approx. 6 Tbsp. ice water

Place flour and shortening cut into pieces into food processor. Process until the butter is cut up into the flour (pea sized mixture). Running the processor, add ice water one Tbsp. at a time until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. This recipe will yield two 9-10" pie crusts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To change this pie up, I sometimes use crushed ginger snaps for the crust instead of using a standard pie dough.

Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 c. pureed pumpkin, unsweetened/unspiced
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine all ingredients in a med. sized bowl and pour into an unbaked, chilled 9" pie crust. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean (about 40 minutes).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you like creme brulee or flan, this next pie is for you!

Custard Pie

2 1/2 c. milk, scalded (this is the point before the milk boils - it will start steaming and little bubbles are usually around the outside of the pan)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of fresh nutmeg

Preheat oven to 475.
Beat eggs, sugar & vanilla together. Slowly add in scalded milk, stirring constantly. Pour into a 9" unbaked pie shell. Bake for 5 minutes at 475 then reduce the temp to 425 and bake until knife inserted between center and edge of pie comes out clean (between 10 & 20 minutes). Do not overbake!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This banana cream pie is very sweet. While it is the recipe I've used since I started making pies, I think I'll be searching for one less sweet.

Banana Cream

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. water
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 medium bananas, sliced & dipped into lemon juice
1 9" pie crust, pre-baked
Whipped cream

In a med. saucepan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in sweetened condensed milk & egg yolks. Cook and stir continually until thickened & bubbly. Remove from heat and add butter & vanilla. Cool slightly.
Arrange sliced bananas in the bottom of crust. Pour filling over bananas and cover. Chill until set (about 4 hours).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baked Apples

1/2 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 apples
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix well.
Peel and partially core apples, leaving bottoms of apples intact.
Dip apples in melted butter. Roll in sugar mixture. Reserve remaining butter and sugar mixture. Place apples in shallow baking dish.
Combine pecans, remaining butter and remaining sugar mixture; spoon into cavities of apples.
Add water to baking dish to just cover bottom. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender.