What's For Dinner Wednesday - Lasagna Soup and CUPCAKES

I got this wonderful little cookbook from church, and it has so many fun recipes in it. The past couple days here in Phoenix it has been humid, overcast and rainy. I decided to make soup for dinner tonight!

Lasagna Soup

1 lb hamburger (I use ground turkey here)
1 chopped yellow onion
5 c. water
5 T parmesan cheese
1 can undrained corn
1 can undrained peeled tomatoes (I am using diced)
1 box lasagna hamburger helper
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS: Brown meat with chopped onion. Then in a pot, put water, parmesan cheese, corn, tomatoes and the sauce packed from the hamburger helper. Add meat and onion. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Then add the noodles and boil ten more minutes. Add a handful of cheese and spoonful of sour cream on top when serving.

I made cupcakes today because I got two books in the mail the other day. I ordered them online as I wanted to play some more. I got "Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella" (which is the book the recipes I am going to show you today came from, and "The Artful Cupcake by Marcianne Miller." They are both super fun books and I am excited to try all of the recipes. Here is what I made today:

Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Topping

Cupcakes:
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium sized tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped small

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan. In a large bowl beat together brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat for one minute after each addition. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Beat until blended. Stir in apples. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted come out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

Caramel Topping:

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the warm caramel topping over cupcakes.

AND for the other cupcake recipe I did today . . .

Pina Colada Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 c. pineapple juice
1 tbsp rum (I used rum extract)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. crushed pineapple (I used tidbits)
1/3 c. shredded coconut (I used sweetened flaked and it was fine)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan. In a large bowl, beat together melted butter, pineapple juice, rum and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture 1/2 c. at a time until combined. Fold in the pineapple and coconut. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan.

Toasted Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
2 c. flaked coconut
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, at room temperature
2 c. confectioners sugar
2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the coconut and cook stirring constantly until golden brown, about 8 minutes. In a bowl, cream the remaining butter and the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla slowly beating after each addition. Beat until smooth. Stir in the toasted coconut.

Would you believe me if I told you that my kitchen is actually clean, even after all that baking! I had a great afternoon baking with the kids. They enjoyed both kinds.