Poker Chip Pancake Stacks With Maple And Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

POKER CHIP PANCAKE STACKS WITH MAPLE AND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip 1 stick (1/2 cup) of the butter and the cream cheese together until smooth. On low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and ground cinnamon and whip until well combined. Add the maple syrup and whip until light and fluffy. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve.
• Make the pancake batter according to the package directions.
• Heat an electric griddle or 2-burner cast-iron griddle pan on medium-low heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter and drop teaspoons of the pancake batter onto the griddle. When the pancakes start to lightly brown on the bottom and the tops start to lightly bubble, use a small offset spatula to flip them. Cook until the second sides are lightly browned and the pancakes are cooked through, about 2 minutes total. Remove the pancakes to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes. Wipe the griddle with a paper towel, melt the remaining butter and cook the remaining pancakes, about 48 miniature pancakes total.
• To assemble, spread 2 teaspoons of the reserved frosting on 2 of the pancakes (1 teaspoon on each pancake). Stack the pancakes on top of one another. Top with another pancake and a dollop of frosting, and garnish with either berries, miniature chocolate chips or a combination of both. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, frosting and toppings.

CINNAMON SWIRL SOUR CREAM, MAPLE CREAM CHEESE, STRAWBERRY AND BACON BREAKFAST CUPCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a mini cupcake or muffin pan with 24 mini cupcake liners or a regular-size cupcake or muffin pan with 9 cupcake liners.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-size bowl. Set the bowl aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the vanilla and one egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed, and add the flour mixture and sour cream, alternating between the 2, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together in a small bowl and fold by hand into the batter. Do not fully mix into the batter, it should be swirled in.
• Fill 24 mini cupcake liners 1/2-full with batter and bake for 30 minutes or fill 9 regular-size cupcakes 3/4-full with batter and bake for 32 minutes, or until golden and baked through. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• To assemble: Generously frost the top of each cupcake with the maple cream cheese mixture. Chop the maple-glazed turkey bacon into a fine dice and divide evenly among the cupcakes, sprinkle over the frosting. Sprinkle the maple sugar on top of the bacon to resemble "sand".
• Whip the cream cheese and maple butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until fully incorporated. Fold in, by hand, the jelly and fresh strawberries. Put the frosting into a pastry bag and cut 1/2-inch off the tip.
• Cook the bacon on the stove top in 2 nonstick skillets coated with olive oil spray, over medium heat, turning once, making sure the bacon is fully cooked. Turn the heat down and divide the maple syrup between the 2 skillets, drizzle the syrup over the bacon. Continue to cook, turning the bacon often, watching closely that the syrup does not burn. You want the bacon to be coated with the syrup and caramelized, but not soggy. Let cool.

CANNOLI CUPCAKES WITH RICOTTA AND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line muffin pans with paper liners.
• Sift the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs. Slowly add the sifted ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the orange zest.
• For the cheesecake: In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the cream cheese and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the ricotta and granulated sugar and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the cornstarch. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in. Add the mini chocolate chips and vanilla until everything is beaten in smoothly.
• For the crust: In small bowl, combine the pistachios, butter and granulated sugar.
• To assemble: Put 2 teaspoons of the pistachio crust into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Pour a heaping 1/4 cup batter over the top of the crust. Put the cheesecake mixture into a piping bag and fill up the rest of the cupcake liner until it is a little past three-quarters full. Bake, 17 to 19 minutes. When cool enough to handle, transfer the cupcakes to a sheet pan and place in the fridge while you prepare the frosting.
• For the frosting: In an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy and all the lumps have disappeared. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
• Frost each cupcake with the ricotta cheese frosting.