Spaghetti & Meatball Cupcakes

500 Recipes posted!! WooHoo!!

That's a milestone!

Okay, so this one really isn't a new recipe...just an idea I saw and had to try. :) And it uses and combines some of my already-posted recipes...

Every fall (October or November), I hold a "Cupcake Wars!" event for my high school culinary students. They come up with some creative ideas. I -- of course -- can't compete, but they always inspire me. So this year I made a batch of mock Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcakes just for fun.

I used the olive oil cake recipe, vanilla butter cream icing piped on in a messy pile, chocolate crisped rice cereal (cheap knock-off version of Cocoa Krispies or Cocoa Pebbles) shaped into 'meat'-balls, with raspberry jam/syrup drizzled over the 'meatballs' as marinara, and a dusting of grated white chocolate for the look of parmesan.

Just fun!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Whole Wheat)

I got this recipe from another FCS teacher. (Family & Consumer Sciences) It's good, but I may fiddle with it a bit. The bread was very dense (could be the yeast wasn't really fresh?), and with only a half cup of pumpkin, that flavor doesn't come through as much as I'd like. But it's a good starting point.

Ingredients
Dough:
2 tsp yeast
¾ C warm water
¼ C brown sugar
2¼ C flour
1½ C whole wheat flour
1 C quick rolled oats
½ t ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ C pumpkin purée
2½ T maple syrup
2½ T butter, melted
1 egg
Swirl filling:
3 T butter, softened
½ C brown sugar
1½ tsp cinnamon

Directions
Stir yeast and brown sugar into warm water in bowl of a stand mixer; let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flours, oats, spices and salt in one bowl; stir together pumpkin, maple syrup, melted butter and egg in another.

Add half of flour mixure to yeast, then add egg mixture, then remaining flour mixture. Knead -- in mixer or by hand -- until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Lightly coat with oil and place in a bowl, in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

Lighlty coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Punch down the dough and roll dough out to a rectangle, roughly 9x15". Spread with 3 T butter; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting with a short edge, roll dough into a log pinching the seam to seal. Place log into loaf pan. Let rise 40 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 375. Bake 45 minutes or until goalden brown.

Cool 15 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool compeltely.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

salt, to taste

2 eggs

1½ tablespoons olive oil

1 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel and grate sweet potatoes. Place sweet potatoes in bowl; sprinkle with salt. Mix, and let stand 20 mintues.

Squeeze or strain moisture from sweet potatoes (use a strainer, or use a towel to 'wring' the moisture out); return to bowl. Mix with the egg, garlic, paprika, onion powder, rosemary, black pepper, and another pinch of salt.

Line a baking sheet with parchment; divide sweet potato mixture into 4 portions; shape and press to ½" thickness.

Bake 20-25 minutes until browning at edges. Let cool to set (approx 15 min). Best served warm.

Delicious with sour cream & brown sugar dipping sauce: mix ½ C sour cream with 2 T brown sugar; add a dash of hot sauce or sriracha if desired.