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.  

2 Cups  well-cooked wild rice,  chopped

1 Cup buttermilk or sour milk, divided

1 Cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

3/4 Cup shortening

1 Cup  firmly packed brown sugar

6  Egg whites

2  Teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2  Cups flour

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

1 Cup chopped nuts

Powdered sugar

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom of 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan.  

In medium bowl, combine wild rice, 1/2 cup buttermilk, applesauce and oil;  set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine shortening, brown sugar, egg whites and vanilla.  Beat at high speed 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. 

Add remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk;  beat at low speed until well blended. 

Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; beat at low speed until well blended.  Stir in wild rice mixture and nuts. 

Spread in prepared pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, which will be 25 minutes at least.  

Cool.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Jamie Oliver Strikes AGAIN. Fantastico! My first ever cupcake and they rock.

14oz Butternut Squash

1 2/3 C Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/3 C Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

12 TBLS. Olive Oil

handful Walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 350 F

Chop raw Squash roughly and blend or process the heck out of them down to

tiny bits. Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, olive oil

and walnuts and process/blend til smoth.

Fill cupcake paper things 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes.

(that’s what he said, but I didn’t find it to be enough time. Check to see

if done by putting a clean knife into the middle of ye olde cupcake and it

should come out clean - I went another 10 minutes).

Let cool 10 minutes before Icing.

Sour Cream Icing

Mandarin (I used orange) Zest

Lemon Zest

1/2 Lemon juice

2/3 C sour cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

4 TBLS confectioner Sugar

Mix, taste, add zest/sour cream or sugar to taste.