Apricot Amaretto Cupcakes

I saw a pretty picture of a vanilla cupcake in a magazine that had an apricot filling and an apricot slice on top. I think it was in Southern Living Magazine that my mother always hands down to me (she gets it even though we live in Connecticut). The recipe in the magazine was very basic, but it did give me an idea for these cupcakes which are anything but ordinary. 

 I started out trying to figure out an ingredient that would spice up a vanilla cupcake and blend in with the apricot on top. I also wanted to keep them very elegant so I could serve them for a formal dessert,  and simple since that is the way I like to bake.  I reached for one of my gluten free vanilla cake mixes, and then went and searched for something interesting in the liquor cabinet. I lucked out and had a small amount of Amaretto left and gave it a try. 

 The results were amazing!  Just the right amount of sweetness and flavor from the amaretto and a nice fruit burst in your mouth from the fresh apricot baked into the top. A sprinkle of powdered sugar made them look pretty too.

Recipe:

Apricot Amaretto Cupcakes

1 Package Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Mix

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Amaretto Liqueur

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 ripe apricot

powdered sugar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl combine the milk and vinegar, let sit 5 minutes. Add cake mix, Amaretto, and oil. Whisk about 15 seconds until smooth. Divide among the 12 muffin cups.

Cut the apricot into quarters then each quarter into thirds so you have 12 thin slices of fruit. Place a slice of fruit on top of each muffin. Bake the muffins 23-28 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely. sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. 

For more recipes using gluten free baking mixes visit:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com 

Chili Cornbread Muffins

Regular Corn Muffins can be bland and often need a topping of some jam or butter to really enjoy them. This recipe has a delicious richness from the yogurt and melted butter, a surprising kick from the chili pepper, and a nice crunch from the scallions, that makes this savory muffin go equally well with a bowl of steaming chili, or to stand alone by itself  for a spicy snack. You can also see how pretty they are with all the color flakes throughout the muffin.          

Chile Cornbread Muffins

1 cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups medium grind cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 scallions chopped

1 red chili pepper seeded and chopped

3 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup plain yogurt

2/3 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, or use baking cups.

In a large bowl mix the Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix, baking powder, cornmeal, sugar, & salt.  Add the scallions & chili pepper. In a medium bowl mix the eggs, yogurt, milk, & butter together and add to the dry ingredients just until blended.

Divide among 12 muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy! 

Triple Chocolate Trifle

Three types of chocolate gives this simple trifle a real satisfying chocolate flavor.  I actually created this by accident when I was experimenting with  a double chocolate cake with vanilla filling recipe.  I broke the cake when I was trying to cut it in half to make two layers, and was left with crumbled chocolate cake and some vanilla ganache in the fridge that I was going to whip for a cream filling.  Not wanting to waste these delicious ingredients I took out my martini glasses and started layering.  I was thinking of the old dessert, Death By Chocolate while I was making this new version.  So after I had the two layers I added  some bittersweet chocolate shavings over the top and a new favorite was born!

For Information on the gluten free chocolate cake mix and the recipe go to:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Blueberry Pancakes Two Ways (Muffins)

Using the new Gluten Free Hi-Protein Pancake Mix I made blueberry pancakes two ways using the same convenient baking mix.  First, I followed the directions for the pancakes and made a few plain pancakes, then added some blueberries and made the blueberry version. A perfectly delicious Sunday breakfast for sure. Most mornings though I don't have time to cook a leisurely breakfast for my family but still want to send them out the door with something healthy. That was how the blueberry pancake muffin came into play. They are so great to make ahead of time and using the pancake mix also easy. With five ingredients a dozen nutritious muffins that taste just like blueberry pancakes are done. These muffins are a favorite of both kids and adults. Who would love a tasty breakfast treat that has the extra benefit of being  good for You?

Plain Hi-Protein Pancakes

Blueberry Pancake Muffins

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Hi-Protein Pancake Mix

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

1 cup low fat milk

1/2 butter, melted 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl just until moistened.  Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin cups. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown.

ENJOY!

The gluten free hi-protein pancake mix is available at:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Chocolate Brownies with Caramel & Sea Salt

If you love sweet and salty like I do, these easy brownies will make your mouth very happy. The caramel  intensifies the flavor of both the chocolate and the salt in a deliciously gooey way. I have been seeing a version of these brownies everywhere lately and decided to make them super easy by using a gluten free baking mix for brownies as the base of this delicious dessert. You can see just how rich looking these are and believe me they taste even better than they look. I used the BERRYHILL Caramel Sauce from ALDI's and have confirmed with the company that it is gluten free. I find this sauce is as good as the more expensive sauces on the market so it will help keep the cost of this recipe down, since the gluten free brownie mixes are a bit more costly than regular brownie mixes.  Give this recipe a try and see how fast they disappear. 

The recipe and brownie mix can be found at:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Strawberry Banana Muffins

I have made strawberry muffins and banana muffins over and over again. While each one is delicious on their own, Sunday we were looking for a new muffin combination. My daughter, who loves anything with bananas, decided to take the banana muffin recipe and mix it up by adding some chopped strawberries.  We didn't want to get too complicated on our first try so we kept it simple. One thing we did do was reduce the sugar, since we felt that the strawberries would add some extra sweetness to the banana recipe.  We came up with a pretty good combination that was a big hit. Just the right amount of fruit and sugar mix and a nice crunchy top with the nutmeg sugar. They didn't last long, I will definitely  make these again especially since in a month the native strawberries will be here and make them extra special. 

Strawberry Banana Muffins

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
Cream butter & Sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time, then milk and mix well. Combine the all-purpose baking mix, salt, soda, & powder and add to the bowl along with the mashed bananas.  Mix lightly and then add the strawberries.  Mix until just combined. Divide dough among 12 greased muffin tins. Top with nutmeg sugar (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg).  Bake @ 375 for 23-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack and Enjoy!  

For other delicious recipes go to:www.glutenfreebakingmixes.com

Chocolate Biscotti

A gluten free chocolate cake mix makes these biscotti easy to prepare and the results like a traditional from scratch version. The taste and appearance of these treats are memorable. I like to have this trick up my sleeve since sometimes making biscotti can seem like a big task when you want something really special but also don't want to spend extra time in the kitchen. They are nice cookie that you will enjoy with coffee or as a late night snack.

1 package gluten free chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup gluten free all-purpose baking mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients, except nuts and cranberries, using an electric mixer until well mixed. Stir in nuts and cranberries.  On an ungreased baking sheet , divide dough in half and shape into two 9" by 2" logs.  
Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes until firm.  Let cool in pans for 25 minutes.  
Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2 " slices.  Place cut side down on same baking sheet and bake again for 15 minutes until firm.  Cool on wire racks.  May be stored in plastic bags for a few days. 

For information on the cake mixes and the all-purpose baking mix go to:http://www.mdillon.applybuilder.com/chocolate-biscotti.html