Cupcake Batter

2 cups     flour

2 tsp.      baking powder

1 1/2 tsp  baking soda

1 tsp.      salt

2 tsp.      cinnamon

2 cups     sugar

1 1/2 cup   vegetable oil

4  eggs

2 cups  grated carrots

1 8 1/4 oz. can of crushed pineapple drained

1/2 cup     chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Bake at 350 degrees  for 18 minutes

cool and frost or server warm with whip cream or ice cream.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb. confectioners sugar

Add drops of milk to thin if necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together.  Divide into 24 pieces.  Make a roughly 6-inch rope out of each piece, then pinch the ends together to form a circle.

Place the circles on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.  

FOR THE COOKIES

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

FOR THE FILLING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sifted confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1 jar marshmallow Fluff (also called Marshmallow Creme)

2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

Drop about 2 teaspoons dough (I used a small cookie scoop) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

Prepare filling: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add Fluff and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined.

Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies.  Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together.

Melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, or a small parchment cone, or a small sandwich baggie with a corner tip cut out.  Pipe chocolate in a spiral pattern on top of each pie.  Let chocolate set before serving, about 1 hour.

from Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book

Dough

• 3-1/2 cups unbleached flour

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 6 eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• 12 tbsp (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 2 tbsp vanilla extract

Icing

• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar

• 3 tbsp water

• 1-1/2 tbsp lemon juice (or more, to taste)

• nonpareils, for sprinkling

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly oil 2 baking sheets or cover with parchment paper.

  In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, cream together the eggs with the sugar until light lemon-yellow in color.  Add the butter in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate.  Whisk in the vanilla extract.

  Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.

  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together.  Divide into 24 pieces.  Make a roughly 6-inch rope out of each piece, then pinch the ends together to form a circle.

  Place the circles on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.

  For the icing, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and whisk until well blended and just warm.  Add more water or sugar to achieve the consistency of syrup.  Dip the cookies in the icing and sprinkle with nonpareils.