Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Cupcake 57 - Snickerdoodle Cupcake



Snickerdoodles are one of my husband's favorite cookies. Not one my go-to comfort cookies from my childhood, not sure why. Nothing complicated about them, the ingredients are simple, just not among the "must-haves" like chocolate chip, peanut butter, thumbprint, brown edge and spritz - cookies I grew up with, cookies necessary to the Christmas season. My best friend Leslie's mother made them, I think.


Honestly, snickerdoodles confuse me, its the name. I badly want chocolate, Carmel, gooey nuttiness, you know, the candy bar. But then I remember its only cinnamon and frankly, I'm more than a little disappointed. Once I step back and re-group, I come to terms with the lack of chocolate, I really enjoy these cookies. And the cupcake even better than the cookie. The extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar gave the cupcakes a nice spicy crust

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

(yields 36 cupcakes)
3 c.+ 6 T cake flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c. butter, melted (1 stick)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar (250 g)
4 eggs, room temperature
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1 1/2 c. whole milk, room temperature

Sift flour, bake powder, salt and cinnamon together in bowl, set aside.
In bowl of standing mixer combine melted butter and sugar, mix to combine. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add extracts and mix. Alternately add flour and milk, mixing well between each addition. Fill wells of lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping (below.) Bake 15- 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack

Cinnamon Sugar Topping
3 T sugar
3 t cinnamon

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 t cinnamon
4 c powdered sugar, sifted

Sift together powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt, set aside. In bowl of standing mixer, combine cream cheese and butter, whip on high until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla, beat well. Add powdered sugar mixture in 4 increments. Mixing well between each addition, scrapping bowl as needed. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Chilling will allow frosting to be piped instead of being a gloppy mess.

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