Pecan Pie Cupcakes

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Pecan-Pie-Cupcakes
Pecan Pie is the quintessential dessert of fall. Crunchy toasted pecans and buttery Piecrust Leaves enhance the rich creamy frosting for a cupcake you’ll make again and again.

Butter Cake Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Paperbaking cups
  • Vegetable cooking spray

Pecan Pie Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings

  • 1 cup toasted pecans

Piecrust Leaves

  • 1/2 14.1-ounce package refrigerated piecrusts

Preparation

Butter Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
  3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
  4. Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.

Pecan Pie Frosting:

  1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until thickened.
  2. Remove pan from heat; stir in butter and vanilla, whisking until butter melts. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture (to prevent a film from forming); chill about 3 hours or until thick. Makes 4 cups. Frost each cupcake.

Piecrust Leaves:

  1. 1. Unroll piecrust on a flat surface.
  2. Using a 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out leaves. Bake according to package directions. Makes about 48 leaves.
  3. Top each cupcake with toasted pecans and 1 piecrust leaf.

Note

Pecan Pie Frosting is best when made the night before.

Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes

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Sweet-Potato-Pecan-Cupcakes
Keep this family favorite around for the holiday season. Mashed sweet potatoes give the cupcakes extra moistness, while a myriad of spices including cinnamon and nutmeg, spice up the traditionally sweet dessert. A simple cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of chopped pecans is all that’s needed on top.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 16-ounce can mashed sweet potatoes
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Garnish: coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.
  2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes.
  3. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
  4. Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place foil baking cups in muffin pans, and coat with vegetable cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.
  5. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool. Spread cupcakes evenly with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish, if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 16-ounce package powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; add vanilla, beating until blended.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

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Ingredients

  • 1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup bread flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup very soft butter
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • Cream Cheese Icing

Preparation

  1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.
  2. Beat 1/2 cup softened butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp. salt, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and next 2 ingredients, beating until blended. Stir in yeast mixture.
  3. Combine 4 1/2 cups bread flour and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed 1 to 2 minutes or until well blended.
  4. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup bread flour onto a flat surface; turn dough out, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes), adding up to 1/4 cup bread flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands and surface. Place dough in a lightly greased large bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
  6. Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16- x 12-inch rectangle. Spread with 1/2 cup very soft butter, leaving a 1-inch border around edges. Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and sprinkle sugar mixture over butter.
  7. Top with pecans. Roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side; cut into 16 slices (about 1 inch thick).
  8. Place rolls, cut sides down, in 2 lightly greased 10-inch round pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85º), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
  9. Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Brush rolls with Cream Cheese Icing. Serve immediately.

Cream Cheese Icing

Keep this recipe for Cream Cheese Icing as your go-to icing recipe. You can put it together in 10 minutes, and it’s a perfect topping for sweet rolls, breads, cupcakes, and cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

  1. Beat first 2 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
  3. Stir in vanilla and 1 Tablespoon milk.
  4. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 teaspoon. at a time, stirring until icing is smooth and creamy.

TRY THESE TWISTS!

Apple-Cinnamon Rolls: Prepare as directed through Step 5. Peel and chop 2 Granny Smith apples (about 3 cups). Place apples in a microwave-safe bowl, and pour 1 cup apple cider over apples. Microwave at HIGH 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool 15 minutes. Proceed as directed, sprinkling apples over sugar mixture in Step 6 before topping with pecans. Hands-on time: 30 min.; Total time: 4 hr., including icing.

Chocolate-Cinnamon Rolls: Prepare as directed through Step 6. Chop 2 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bars; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Proceed as directed. Hands-on time: 35 min.; Total time: 3 hr., 40 min., including icing.

Cranberry-Cinnamon Rolls: Prepare as directed through Step 5. Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup dried cranberries; let stand 15 minutes. Drain cranberries. Proceed as directed, sprinkling cranberries over sugar mixture in Step 6.

Recipes Home

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As a native nut to North America, pecans have a special place in American cuisine — ahem, Thanksgiving pie. But pecans are good for a lot more than just pie. They’re an integral part of Southern cuisine, and candied pecans are a big in New Orleans. But even outside of the South, pecans an important part of making everything delicious — that’s why they’re so expensive. When you do decide to indulge in this pricey nut, you’ll be rewarded tenfold with some of the best food you’ve ever made. We have just the recipes to make sure that happens. From cupcakes to sticky buns to pasta. And of course, pie. Whether you say pee-can or peh-kahn, we’re pronouncing these pecan recipes as some of the best we’ve ever tasted!

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