A Must Try!

Hummingbird Cupcakes

recipe from Martha Stewart.com
Makes 24 cupcakes

* 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 2 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
* 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
* 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
* 1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
* Cream Cheese Frosting
* Dried Pineapple Flowers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.with rack in center. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with dried pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature.


Dried Pineapple Topper:
* 2 large or 4 small pineapples, peeled

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.
2. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard pineapple "eyes." Using a sharp knife, cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer slices to baking sheets. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Pinch center of each pineapple slice to shape into a cone, and let cool in a clean egg carton to form flowers. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Ifind that if you keep them covered, they are more moist the next day, maybe from all the fruit in them. Sooo yummy.

Another Must try....


Any of your favorite recipes cooked right into a tea cup. Put batter about 3/4 of the way full. Turn down the heat just a tad, so the cupcake gets baked all the way through and you are set for a fancy dessert, without any real effort.

This one is a variation of the Mud cake listed on the older post.