White Cupcakes w/Raspberry White Chocolate Frosting

This recipe was featured in my Springtime Cupcake swap event, which you can read about HERE.

Susan’s White Cupcakes
w/Raspberry White Chocolate Frosting:

2 2/3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 large egg whites at room temp
1 cup + 2 tablespookns whole milk at room temp
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp, cut into tablespoons
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup raspberries, pureed & strained
4 ounces white chocolate finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Whisk together egg whites and milk in a small bowl; set aside.

Beat butter using flat beater attachment until soft and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar gradually and beat until very light and fluffy(about 3 minutes). Scrape down the bowl once ot twice and then beat in vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, alternatively with the egg white/milk mixture. Begin and end with flour mixture. Beat until smooth on low-medium speed after each addition.

Fill cupcake holders. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool

For Frosting:

Beat butter until flurry. Add sugar. Once blended add raspberries. Mix. Add 2 ounces of white chocolate. Spread on cupcakes. Garnish with 2 ounces of remaining chocolate.

White Chocolate Brownies w/Dark Chocolate Chunks

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

White Chocolate Brownies
w/Dark Chocolate Chunks

7 tbs. unsalted butter
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
2 eggs
Pinch salt
½ cup sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate chunked.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease an 8 inch baking pan.
In small saucepan over low heat, place butter.
When melted, remove from heat and add half of white chocolate; do not stir.
Let mix sit until needed.In large mixing bowl, combine the eggs with the salt.
Beat mix until frothy.
Gradually add sugar and continue beating 2-3 minutes until light in color.
Add white chocolate/butter mix, vanilla and flour.
Beat just until smooth.
Stir in remaining white chocolate and bittersweet chocolate chunks.
Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top with a spatula.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes.
Leave brownies in a pan and cool for 4 hours. Cut.

Move Over Starbucks!

My husband’s Aunt is a retired caterer that specializes in Chinese and Filipino cuisine. After a successful catering business for several years, she now cooks for family and loves to hosts parties. Today, she is hosting a Labor Day cookout and we definitely cannot attend empty handed.

I’m quite intimidated by her, especially when it comes to cooking up Asian cuisine. She definitely has years of experience on me so I try to make non-Asian dishes around her, if at all possible. I already know her spread today will be amazing and will most likely need desserts (she’s not big on making desserts). So as my contribution to her holiday table, I made a Kahlua Cheesecake Bar recipe I found online… with a little twist of my own.Here is the adapted recipe, which I call my White Chocolate Mocha Brownies:

Brownie Layer: Boxed Brownie Mix
(I know… but this was out of convenience!)

Coffee Cheesecake Layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons prepared espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Prepare the brownie mix as directed and spread on a lightly greased bar pan.
Combine coffee cheesecake ingredients and carefully spread over the brownie layer.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Cool pan completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
3/4 cup melted white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons milk
5-6 cups powdered sugar, or as needed
instant coffee granules
white chocolate wafers or melts

Melt the white chocolate chips with butter in the microwave.
Stir to a creamy and slightly thin consistency; set aside.
Cream the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and melted white chocolate in a mixer.
Alternate adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time with a splash of milk to the cream cheese mixture.
Beat with the paddle attachment until you reach a medium/stiff consistency.
When the brownies have cooled, spread the frosting over the top.
Sprinkle coffee granules over the frosting.
Garnish with a white chocolate wafer or melt.