This year and last year my husband's summer office party included a mini cupcake wars. Last year, I made the Fancy Pants Cupcakes, which were amazing! This year I decided I would try my hand at hi hat or chocolate dipped cupcakes. I am proud to say that these cupcakes won first prize! They were gone before my husband and I got to the cupcake table. Try them out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Last march, I shared a recipe for Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries and Caramel Sauce. I decided to see if it would be possible to turn this recipe into cupcakes. It turned out pretty amazing, if I do say so myself...

The inspiration for this AMAZING dessert came from Tarte au Chocolat noir et Caramel on Mon petit bistrot, a French blog. I simplified the original recipe and added a cheesecake top to soften the decadence. I also added coarse salt to the caramel layer, again to balance the flavor.

Last year, around this time, blueberries went on sale and  I just so happened to have picked some rhubarb from my grandmother's garden. The result of these events was the Bluebarb Pie. I wrote the recipe down, but I didn't get any good pictures, so, this year, when blueberries went on sale again I had to make this pie. Luckily, I got some good photos this time around, so here is the recipe for you to bake at home!

Back in may, I shared a recipe for Almond Meringue Kisses dipped in chocolate. They were such a hit, that I thought I would share a strawberry version of the same crispy little cookies. These bite-sized pops of sweetness are great as party favors or even at a wedding - if you are up for a lot of whipping!

If you have never made an icebox cake before, let today be the day to try something new. It is perhaps the easiest cake ever. Essentially you layer cookies with whipped cream or pudding then place it in the fridge overnight and the cream seeps into the cookies making them soft. It is like cookies that are already dipped in milk. So amazing!

Last week I made some strawberry bars, which use 4 egg yolks and I just couldn't bring myself to throw the whites away. So, I made these meringue kisses and dipped them in chocolate. They are soooo good!

Makes about 48 kisses.

Ingredients:
4 large Egg Whites
1 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a metal bowl, either in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand-held beaters, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add in the cream of tarter and mix until fluffy. Very slowly pour in the sugars while beating the whites then the almond and vanilla extracts. Continue beating until firm, glossy peaks form.

Using a rubber spatula, gently spoon the meringue into a pastry bag with a large star tip (Wilton 2D or 1M) or a ziplock bag with the tip cut off one corner. Pipe little kisses onto the prepared baking sheets about 1/2" apart. They can be closer, because they don't rise much, but you don't want them to touch because they will stick to each other.

Carefully place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 1 hour, then, without opening the oven, turn off the heat and let the cookies cool over night in the oven.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Once all of the chips have melted, dip half of each of the kisses in the chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. DO NOT put the kisses in the fridge. Once the chocolate has cooled, store in an air tight container for up to 3 days (although they are best eaten the day they are made).

Tres Leches Cake is definitely a dessert that you should not judge just by looking. Twice I have taken this to pot lucks only to find it hardly touched, because on the surface, it looks like your basic white cake and who would choose that over the delicious brownies next door? However, beyond this mask is a decadently, moist and sumptuous cake that needs no ice cream to be delightful. In all honesty, this cake is more like pudding. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

In essence, Tres Leches Cake is a sponge cake that is soaked in three milks; sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. I took it a step further and added caramel sauce to the soak just to liven up the flavor a bit. I also bumped up the cinnamon in the sponge cake to hint of horchata. 

Cake Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Whole Milk
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Large Eggs
2 cups Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Milk Mixture Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons Caramel Sauce*
1 (12 ounce) Can Evaporated Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup Heavy Cream
3 tablespoons Corn Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 to 1 cup Caramel Sauce**
2 pints Fresh Strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven, then preheat to 325F. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and milk together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed for 30 seconds, then slowly incorporate sugar and beat until thick and glossy, 5 - 7 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually stir in the melted butter mixture and vanilla. Continuing on low or switching to a rubber spatula, incorporate the flour combination in 3 batches. Once fully incorporated, scrap the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until slightly browned and a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.

While the cake is baking, combine the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring until combined. In a medium bowl, stir together the caramel sauce mixture with evaporated milk, heavy cream and vanilla. Set aside until cake is ready.

After 10 minutes of cooling time, poke holes in the top of the cake with a skewer at 1/2" intervals, trying not to puncture the bottom of the cake. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake, then let stand for 15 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Remove the cake from the fridge 30 minutes before frosting the cake. To make the frosting, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream, corn syrup and vanilla on medium speed with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, 1 - 2 minutes. Spread over cake. Drizzle about 2/3 of the caramel sauce over the cake, then arrange the sliced strawberries and drizzle the rest of the caramel sauce over the strawberries. Cut cake into 3" slices. Cake can be kept for up to 3 days refrigerated in an air tight container.

*I used the ice cream topping caramel sauce, however, you could melt 4-5 caramels instead.
** If using caramels or a thicker sauce, you may want to melt it a bit and mix in some milk to thin the sauce out. Let the sauce come to room temperature before drizzling over the cake.

This recipe was adapted from Cook's Country.

Are you sick of caramel yet? Good, me neither. So, here is a delightful recipe for Caramel Apple Cider Cookies. I adapted it from one that I found over at Scrambled Henfruit. The major change I made was to take half of the caramel out of the cookie and drizzle it over the top. I really wanted to get caramel in every bite and found that drizzling half of it did the trick. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
8 packets of Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix, NOT SUGAR FREE (there are 10 packets in each box, but that is a bit overwhelming)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 (12 oz) bag Caramel Bits (or 14 oz bag of regular Caramels, unwrapped and cut in half)
1 1/2 teaspoons whole milk or cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line at two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. If you use a substitute, keep in mind that the caramel may leak out and get very stuck.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer, if you are so blessed to have one, sigh...) and, using a hand mixer, beat together drink mix powder, sugar, salt and butter until fluffy. (I always get a cloud of the drink mix at this point, which isn't a big deal, just letting you know). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula (or turn your stand mixer to low) incorporate your flour mixture into your butter batter. Stir until all traces of flour have disappeared. You should have a dough that is crumbly, but sticks together when you pinch it. If dough is fairly sticky and difficult to handle, place in the fridge for about 1/2 hour or so.

Spoon out a walnut sized amount of dough and flatten in your palm. Place 5 - 6 caramel bits (or half a caramel) in the middle. Fold the dough over the caramels to cover completely and roll into a ball. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 2" apart. 

Bake in preheated oven for 12 - 14 minutes. Cookies will be slightly browned around the edges. (It is better to err on the under-cooked side with these). Carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto cooling racks and allow the cookies to set up for about 5 - 10 minutes, then gently twist and pull each cookie off the parchment and onto the cooling rack. (If you waited too long and the cookie sticks to the parchment, place in the freezer for a few minutes and try again). If caramel has leaked out the bottom, turn the cookie upside down to finish cooling.

You should have about half of the bag of caramel remaining after all of the cookies. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the remaining caramels with milk. Stir occasionally until the caramels melt completely, taking care not to cook for too long. Place the cookies back on the parchment and drizzle them with the caramel. Let cool and enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Scrambled Henfruit

So, apparently, my favorite sweet combination this year is caramel and white chocolate... I just can't help myself! These two flavors compliment each other so nicely!  Anyway, today, I bring you a heavenly recipe that includes both white chocolate and caramel, as well as butter and pecans. While perusing Pinterest, I stumbled upon Salted Caramel Butter Bars by the Recipe Critic (which is a delightful recipe), however, I had some white chocolate chips and crushed pecans left over from another recipe and thought, "why not throw them into the mix?" Seriously, if you want to wow your Christmas guests or perhaps your neighbors at a cookie exchange, bring these AMAZING bars!

Ingredients:
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 cup Pecan Halves
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 cup Caramel Bits or unwrapped Caramels (about 20)
1/4 cup Whole Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper or greased tin foil.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Place pecans in a ziplock bag and pound with a mallet or a rolling pin until all nuts are crushed. You want tiny bits, but nothing to really chew. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and crushed pecans for about 3 minutes on medium. Add in both sugars and combine until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture until there are only streaks of flour. Your dough will be crumbly, but will stick together when pinched. Mix in the white chocolate chips. Put about 1/2 cup of the dough in a small air tight container and place in the fridge. Press the remaining dough into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Melt the caramels, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Pour caramel over the crust, spreading it out in an even layer. Sprinkle salt over caramel. Pull the dough from the fridge and crumble the dough over the top of the caramel layer.

Return to the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. The filling should be bubbly and the top firm and slightly golden. Cool the bars completely in the pan before cutting into 16 equal bars.

With some of the left over ingredients, you could make my Pear Surprise Mini Pies or Caramel Apple Tartlets.