Last fall we ended up with so many sweet potatoes that I found myself online looking up more recipes. Sweet potato cupcakes? What? All of my friends who just go crazy for cupcakes would be so excited! And they were. This cupcake recipe is now one of my favorites (and a favorite of friends) and is great for both breakfast and dessert even without frosting. Be careful about making them into mini cupcakes, though…they tend to jump in your mouth every time you walk past them!
Sweet Potato Cupcakes (originally from Annie’s Eats)
Ingredients:
- 2 C flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 16 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 C white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 18 oz sweet potato puree
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir together with a fork and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Mix in the sweet potatoes and vanilla extract, beating just until combined. Then add dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated with a wooden spoon.
Divide the batter evenly between the liners and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to cool completely.
This fall we’ve had the same thing happen with squash. There’s squash decorating our kitchen table, our cupboard, in the living room, and most of all in our tummies. Spaghetti squash has become our new spaghetti in the last month mixed with tomato sauce and ground beef with a side of bruschetta. With the spaghetti squash, I just pierce it many times and bake whole for an hour at 350 degrees. Then I halve it, scoop out the middle with the seeds first to toss, and scoop out all the spaghetti-like meat to put in a wok. Saute in the wok with a bit of garlic and butter, then add already cooked sauce and browned and crumbled ground beef. It’s delicious the first night and just as delicious as leftovers the next!
Carnival squash found itself halved (and with the seeds taken out) and baking in the oven with a little maple syrup and brown sugar, and I just found a butternut squash macaroni-and-cheese recipe in the weekend Metro that we’ll be trying out this week (and then tweaking to make it a bit simpler to put on here)!
Enjoy!
Lacy
Forest Hills CSA 