Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes

This week's props have got to go to the fine folks at Burgatory Bar who inspired my most recent cupcakeventure.

PID and I celebrated yet another anniversary this past week and (being the super-amazing doll that he is) he surprised me with Penguins tickets to celebrate!  We strategically planned to head to the arena early so we could check out the Burgatory satellite shop on the upper level. And it turned out to be a pretty darn good idea.  We each had the Morty's Steakhouse burger and shared a Caramel Pretzel shake.  I loved the burger, PID thought it tasted reminiscent to meatloaf, but we both instantly became obsessed with that shake. 

There were tiny chunks of real pretzel to give it a surprising (in a good way) texture.  I immediately knew I wanted to be a copy cat and put this delicious combination of salty and sweet to the test in a cupcake. And so I did.

 

I was a little nervous to give them a shot -- I had high expectations after that amazing shake and I didn't want to come out disappointed.  But I have to tell you, PID and I both agreed that these are some of the best cupcakes I've made. Ever.  And now it's your turn.

Here's what you'll need for the cupcakes:

1.5 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1.5 tbs. potato starch
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, room temperature -- 2 whole eggs, 1 yolk
1/3 c. plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt or sour cream)
1.5 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp caramel flavoring -- or -- 1/8 c. caramel sauce
1 c. crushed, salted pretzels (reserve about 1/8 cup for garnish)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start by sifting together all of your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and potato starch) into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar, then add your eggs one at a time. Add your vanilla and continue to cream on low.

Gradually begin to add your dry mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating spoonfuls of yogurt and your caramel flavoring until they've all been integrated.

Stop mixing and add your crushed pretzels, gently folding until evenly dispersed in your batter.

Fill 12 baking cups 3/4 of the way full (or I use an ice-cream scooper as measurement) and bake on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes.

Test with a toothpick, which should come out clean when they are done.

Here's what you''ll need for the buttercream:

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
3 c. sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. caramel flavoring -- or -- 1 tsp. caramel sauce

And for the decor:
Caramel sauce
Sea salt
Reserved crushed pretzels
12 mini pretzels

Start by creaming your shortening on medium-high speed and gradually add in your confectioners sugar, 1/2 c. at a time (you'll want to use the lid on your electric mixer if you've got one!).

After adding about 1.5 c. of sugar, pour in half of your whipping cream, salt, vanilla and caramel flavoring.

Continue adding the rest of your confectioners sugar, followed by the rest of your whipping cream, salt, vanilla and caramel flavoring.

Whip on high for 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl intermittently.

Frost your cupcakes (I use a piping bag, but you can fill a gallon ziplock bag and cut the bottom corner OR frost traditionally with a butter knife).

Drizzle caramel sauce on top of your frosted cupcakes, then sprinkle sea-salt and remaining crushed pretzels on top, finishing off with a whole mini-pretzel!

So if you find yourself in need of a salty-sweet fix like I did, set aside 50 minutes of your day and whip up a batch of these delicious Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes. I promise you'll be glad you did!

My Daily Happy #8: Adorable Organization

When it all comes together...

After a solid month (or more) of holiday chaos, PID and I dedicated this weekend to regaining some order in our lives.  We took action in more ways than one, but one of my tasks actually turned out to be...wait for it...fun!

We're plagued with a lack of storage in our humble cape cod.  Though we recently invested in a kitchen redeaux to gain more counter space (yip!), we unfortunately gained no cabinet space. As a baker, I've got an excess of flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and every other ingredient under the sun. Because of this, I've noticed recently that we've been shoving boxes and bags in a somewhat (ok...totally) unorganized manner into any space we can find which leaves us clueless on what we have/don't have. So today, I set out to find a solution.

I found myself at Busy Beaver staring at a mile-high wall of storage solutions, but nothing was really clicking.  I kept perusing when I caught sight of an unlikely fix -- cases of mason jars stocked well beyond my reach, yearning to be purchased.  And so I did.  And so my organization solution was born.

Here's what you'll need to put together these adorable little storage containers:

• Quart and/or pint-sized mason jars (tip: do the math before you shop, then get a few extra just in case!)
• Ribbon (about 8-10" per mason jar)
• Multi-colored card-stock (cut into 2.5 x 2" pieces)
• Fiskars pattern scissors
• Craft glue
• Permanent marker
• Hole punch

Start by taking an inventory of all of your "jar-worthy" cupboard items and make a list.  Once you've got it, cut your lighter-colored cards ever-so-slightly smaller than the darker color cards. Then write out each item in as fancy or plain a way you'd like.

Next you'll simply trim the edges with your Fiskars patterned scissors, glue the lighter cards on top of the darker cards, punch a whole in the upper left-hand corner and trim the edges of the darker card (be sure to punch the whole first or you might cut off too much space).

Next, cut your ribbon into 8-10" pieces and feed a piece through the hole in your card, front to back, then tie them onto your jars! 

I found it easier to label each jar BEFORE filling them -- it kept me in line.

The process was a little messy, but once it was all over I loved what I saw! It really streamlined my cupboards and gave my entire kitchen a more put-together feel. 

Not only were these cute little mason jars a great way to keep my cupboards presentable and organized, but they're an extremely cost-efficient alternative to purchasing pricey decorative dry-ingredient containers.  

After a night of crafting I can't wait to do it again -- but I could use some suggestions of how to make it worth my while! What are some of your favorite DIY projects?  

Happy organizing!

Sour Grapes

In case you haven't noticed, I've taken a two-month hiatus from blogging.  The reason? Not one in particular.  General laziness? Lack of motivation? Etc?

To be honest, I've felt like a complete fraud for the past few weeks.  I started this blog to focus on the good in life and I've done anything but.  T'was the season, but I was far from feeling the holiday spirit.
It shouldn't be this way. I recently started ANOTHER new job where I'm slowly but surely learning that with great power truly does come great responsibility. I'm still blessed with an outstanding relationship and great friends.  It shouldn't be this way at all.

I believe they call this a slump.

The straw? I sadly let this "slump" get to me as I found myself overly emotional (and not in a good way...) at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Tears and a 12:06 bedtime on a night that should have been full of bubbling champagne, giggles, hugs and passionate kisses? NOT ok, girl.

So...what am I gonna do about it?  I'm going to resolve to resume the happy. And I'm going to stick to my resolution.  No statistically sound February 12 quit date. 2012 is my year, and I'm going to see to that.  I've put it out there...here...in public. I'm holding myself to it.  Here's how I'll start:

1) Blog. The more I write about the happy the more I'll think about the happy.  It's the whole reason I started a second blog and I vow to stick to it with more fervor this year.

2) Run.  Hey, surprise. I ran a half marathon in October of this year.  And I sucked at it. In May of 2009 I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. In October of this year It took me 3 hours and 8 minutes. Almost an entire hour's difference.  Last month I signed up for the 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon and actually convinced PID to do it by my side.  I vow to train the way I should to not only make it easier for myself, but help me to lose the 50 pounds I've gained since 2009. I have a strong feeling that the weight is a major contributor to the sadness. If I can melt it away I can do anything. 

Though "losing weight" isn't my actual resolution, it's something I'd like to track. To keep myself honest that I'm actually running.

And so this journey begins....again.