Cupcake 48 - Christmas Vacation

This cupcake was born out my desire to enter the Cupcake Hero callenge this month. The challenge was to use two of the past challenges' random ingreidents. Knowing I had some cranberries stashed away in the freezer, I wanted to work them into the receipe. To add a little fire to cranberry chutney I added a chopped jalapeno. Tart, spicey and sweet. I baked lime cupcakes to go along with the cranberry chutney. The lime and cranberry played well together.

Makes 20 cupcakes

2 1/2 c AP flour
1 c lime sugar*
1 t vanilla
1 c miniature marshmallows
1 c butter
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 c whole milk
3 T lime juice
2 t lime zest

*A day in advance, combine sugar and lime zest, cover and set aside. This allows the oils in the lime zest to penetrate the sugar.

Preheat oven to 350. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with liners. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In bowl of standing mixer whip butter and lime sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternating with milk and lime juice until well combined. Stir in marshmallows. Fill wells of cupcake pan 1/2 full, bake 18-20 minutes until pick inserted comes out clean.

Cranberry Jalapeno Chutney

12 ozs whole cranberries, in a bag, not a can
1/3 c light brown sugar
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c apricot jam
1 c fresh orange juice
1 t orange zest
pinch of cinnamon
1 jalapeno finely chopped

Rinse cranberries, drain well. In medium saucepan combine orange juice, brown sugar and apricot preserves, bring to a boil, stir until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and jalapeno, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add cinnamon and orange zest, allow to cool and thicken. This can be made several days ahead of time.

Lime Buttercream

1 c butter, room temperature
2 T lime zest
3 c powdered sugar
pinch of salt
2 T lime juice

Combine butter and lime zest in bowl of standing mixer, mix until light, add salt and powdered sugar in three increments, mixing well between each addition. Turn mixer to high and beat for 4 minutes.

Using cone method, fill cupcakes with 1 T chutney. Pipe frosting to conceal hole.