Raspberry Yogurt Salad
1 32-oz. vanilla yogurt
1 6-oz. instant vanilla pudding
 
Mix until blended.  Add:
1 12-oz. Cool Whip
2 c. frozen or fresh raspberries
Top with bananas or add, if desired

Cupcake Decorating and Filling ideas


Filling:
- Put a piece of chocolate candy (Dove, Hershey's, etc) on top before baking

- Fruit, jams, pie fillings

- Cookie dough, brownie batter, Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate truffles



To make an adorable treat, cut the tops off cupcakes, added a layer of  frosting, punch any shape using a cookie cutter, then replace the top onto the cupcake. You can fill the cutout with more frosting if so desired.


- Dipped cupcakes: *


-To dip the cupcakes use a stiffer frosting like a buttercream (not cream cheese, meranque or whip cream). --Also must freeze the frosted cupcake before dipping.
-Dip in chocolate chips melted with just a little bit of butter. When melting the butter (especially in the microwave) remember that the chocolate bits may not look like they are melting, so stop and stir frequently and remove from heat when they are almost all melted, the rest will melt quickly. Otherwise you will burn the chocolate.


General Tips:

- Always mix the ingredients in the order given in the directions. It will affect the texture/density of the cupcake if not done in correct order and process
- It is usually best to use unsalted butter, it gives a more smooth and pure flavor to the cupcakes and frostings. Also, using salted butter can make the frosting more sweet.
- You do not have to use paper cupcake liners. However, if you choose not to, grease the tins with butter, never shortening


Delicious cupcakes can be as fancy or as simple as you want to make them. Have fun and let your creativity run!

Fresh Raspberry Frosting

1 cup fresh raspberries (or thawed from frozen)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the raspberries until smooth. If you like, press the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the seeds.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and half the sugar until smooth. Add the raspberry puree, then more sugar until you have a fluffy, spreadable consistency. Add a splash of water, too (a tablespoon or two) if it needs it.

Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Mascarpone Cream Frosting

Adapted from Sweetopolita

Lemon-Blueberry Cake

Ingredients

2 cups  all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure lemon extract or fresh lemon juice from ½ lemon

2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 large eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tin with cupcake papers.  Sift dry ingredients into medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon flour mixture to larger bowl. Add fresh blueberries and toss to coat them with flour. Set remaining flour mixture and blueberries aside.

Stir whole milk, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest in small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar, until pale yellow and very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined. Mix in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter equally among cupcake cups.

Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center of a couple cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for about 10 minutes, then put onto racks until completely cool. Makes 24-26 cupcakes.

Adapted from: Not So Humble Pie

Update: If you would like your cupcakes generously filled double this recipe.

Lemon Curd
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of one large lemon ( I used 2)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and zest.

Mix together the sugar, salt and cornstarch and add it to the pan.  Whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and return to heat. Cook over medium-low heat for roughly 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Once thickened, strain the mixture though a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Allow to chill in the refrigerator completely before using.

Lemon Mascarpone Frosting:

adapted from: Not So Humble Pie

Lemon Mascarpone Cream Frosting

1 pound mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup lemon curd
2 cups heavy cream
7Tb sugar

Beat the sugar and cream to soft peaks in your mixer.

Combine the mascarpone and lemon curd in a separate bowl and mix. Add the cream to the mascarpone mixture. Gently fold to combine, take your time and be gentle. If the mixture is overworked it can separate or look grainy. To fix this add several tablespoons of heavy cream and mix with the spatula until smooth again.

Assembly: First measure out the 2/3 cup of lemon curd for the frosting and set aside. After the cupcakes are finished cooling, cut a cone shape out of the middle and remove the tops and put a tablespoon or so of lemon curd in the hole. Then place the tops back on (you may have to trim the cone a bit to get it to fit). I piped on the frosting with a large star tip but you could put it on however you like. Garnish with a washed and dried blueberry and yellow jimmys (sprinkles).

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Truffle Filling

Ingredients:

Cupcakes
1 3/4	cups (425 mL) cake flour (see Cook’s Tip)
2	tsp (10 mL) baking powder
2/3	cup (150 mL) whole milk
1/2	tsp (2 mL) Double-Strength Vanilla
4	egg whites, room temperature
6	tbsp (90 mL) butter, softened
1/2	cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1/4	cup (50 mL) sour cream
12	round white or dark chocolate truffles, unwrapped
Frosting & Garnish
6	oz (175 g) white chocolate for baking, chopped
1	pkg (8 oz/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1/4	cup (50 mL) butter (1/2 stick), softened
1/2	tsp (2 mL) Double-Strength Vanilla
2	cups (500 mL) powdered sugar
	White chocolate curls (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place paper liners in wells of Muffin Pan. Whisk flour and baking powder in a bowl. Combine milk and vanilla in 1-cup/250-mL measuring cup. In Stainless (2-qt./2-L) Mixing Bowl, beat egg whites on high speed of electric mixer until stiff peaks form. In Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy; beat in sour cream until smooth. On medium speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture in two additions, mixing until smooth. Whisk in one-third of the egg whites with whisk. Fold in remaining egg whites using whisk. Divide batter evenly among liners. Bake 17-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack. Immediately snip a 1/2-inch-deep (1-cm) “x” into top of each cupcake using kitchen shears. Press one truffle into each cupcake until flush with top of cupcake. Remove cupcakes from pan. Cool 30 minutes or to room temperature. (Truffles will melt into cupcakes.) Meanwhile, for frosting, place white chocolate in microwave safe bowl, or use a double boiler on the stove top. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1-1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is mostly melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Let stand 3 minutes or until slightly cooled. In clean Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl, combine melted chocolate, cream cheese, butter and vanilla; using clean beaters, beat on medium speed until well blended. Slowly add powdered sugar; beat well. Place frosting in decorator bag, (you can also use a Ziploc bag and cut a little bit of the corner) fitted with open star tip. Pipe frosting evenly around tops of cupcakes. Garnish cupcakes with chocolate curls. Yield: 12 servings Nutrients per serving: (1 cupcake): Calories 510, Total Fat 28 g, Saturated Fat 18 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Sodium 260 mg, Carbohydrate 59 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 6 g U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 2 fruit, 5 fat (4 carb) Cook's Tips: To ensure fine-textured cupcakes, it’s important to use cake flour for this recipe. Cake flour can be found in boxes in the baking aisle. To make chocolate curls, place two squares of baking chocolate on a piece of Parchment Paper; microwave on HIGH 10 seconds. Using a vegetable peeler, create curls from softened chocolate.