Karen's Requests

This past weekend went much too quickly. I picked Karen up from the airport on Wednesday evening. Even when I was just giving her the first of many hugs, my heart was already a little bit sad because I knew the days would fly by much too quickly and I'd have to return her to the airport before I was ready to let her go. That's exactly what happened.
She had a few requests for when she was home. The first was that she wanted Strawberry White-Chocolate cupcakes "waiting" for her when she got home. I did her one better, and had one waiting in the car! She also wanted scones for breakfast one morning, and she wanted caramel apples to take home with her. I was able to make all these requests happen for her.
I know I've shown these cupcakes on the blog before, but I've never written out the directions, which makes it hard to find when I'm looking for it (which, by the way, is the total reason this blog exists- so I can find my own favorite recipes).

Strawberry White Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Your Cup of Cake)
(Makes about 24 cupcakes)
4 egg whites
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream
1 T vanilla extract (yes, a tablespoon)
Vanilla cake mix (I usually use Duncan Hines)
White chocolate ganache
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
Strawberry Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp strawberry flavored gelatin powder
4-6 cups powdered sugar
strawberry freezer jam (which is still frozen), to taste (I used about 1/4 cup, maybe a little more)
sprinkles or slices of fresh strawberries to garnish, if desired
Preheat oven to 350°F and put cupcake liners in pan. In mixing bowl, add egg whites, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Add cake mix and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then at medium speed for 2 minutes. Scoop into prepared liners, filling about 3/4 full (I use a large cookie scoop for evenly-filled cupcakes). Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tops are just beginning to brown (or test with a toothpick to come out clean)
To prepare ganache, place cream in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave until it is very warm but does not boil. Add the chips to the bowl and stir until they are melted and incorporated into the cream, adding more chips if needed if it's too thin, and adding more cream if it's too thick (it's not rocket science). Dip the tops of the baked cupcakes (which have cooled somewhat) into the ganache, letting the excess drip off the cupcake before setting it upright to cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the butter for two minutes until completely creamy. Add vanilla extract and gelatin powder and beat until the powder is no longer gritty (about three minutes). Add 4 cups of powdered sugar to start with, and beat until it is smooth. Add about 1/4 cup of frozen jam (if you don't have freezer jam, you may use plain ol' jam instead, but it won't be as awesome. Beat until incorporated. Now taste the frosting and see if it is to your liking (or licking!) and adjust as needed, adding more jam or more powdered sugar depending on how it tastes (more non-rocket science). When cupcakes are completely cool, frost cupcakes and add either sprinkles or a fresh strawberry slice.

 Since Karen wanted to take the caramel apples home with her to give to her friends (and keep a few for herself), I had to wrap them up before she could pack them away. She put them in her carry-on bag, "just in case of emergency" on the way home.

I loved having this girl back home with me. I'm sad that the time went by so quickly. 

Come back soon, Kake.