Peanut Butter Frosting ...

To continue with frosting recipes, here it is at last the infamous Peanut Butter Buttercream.

This frosting I started making for chocolate cupcakes and it has been a hit ever since. It was also the frosting that I used to fill the bottom layer of the wedding cake.

There are actually two different versions of this frosting. One version uses heavy cream and thusly needs to be refrigerated for storage. The other version is more of a traditional buttercream and you don't have to worry about it being left out on a table if you are having a party and it is warm outside.

Traditional Buttercream Type of frosting -
This tends to be a bit heavier of a frosting.


Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 C of creamy peanut butter (room temperature - I use Skippy)
- 1 t vanilla
- 3 C powdered sugar (sifted if you are worried about lumps)
- splash of milk
- pinch of salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer with your whisk attachment, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add the vanilla and one cup of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time add a splash of milk to help the frosting come together. Once you have added all the powdered sugar mix the frosting on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.

If you need a thinner frosting for piping or a crumb coat you can add more milk or water to reach the consistency that you need.

Seven Minute Frosting ...

I have used this frosting on several of the cupcakes I have made lately since it is so easy to do (at least in my version) and I love the light fluffy texture that it has.

If you search the internet for Seven Minute Frosting you will get a ton of different recipes that people have come up with, many of which require that you do things like whip egg whites using a hand mixer over a double boiler while ensuring that they are at a specific temperature. Well let me tell you I tried this method and unless I spontaneously grow two more arms it is virtually impossible to actually do all the things required at the same time. Or hey it might just be that I am not coordinated enough.

So I figured there had to be a better way.

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 C sugar
- 2 T corn syrup
- 6 egg whites (I use large eggs)
- 1 T flavor extract (vanilla or anything else you desire)
- 1/4 C water

In your stand mixer, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Then add 1/2 C sugar and beat to stiff peaks. I start my mixer running and move on to the next step and just watch the egg whites so I don't overbeat them.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine 1 C sugar, corn syrup, water and flavor extract. Heat to about 225-230 degrees, stirring so you don't burn it.

Usually just as my sugar is getting to the right temperature my egg whites are at stiff peaks. With your mixer set at about medium speed, pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of your mixer bowl, and turn the mixer up to medium/high. Beat the frosting till it is glossy and cool (about 7 minutes).

Then fill a pastry bag or ziplock bag with frosting and pipe onto the top of your cupcakes.

This frosting can be torched or placed under a broiler to be caramelized a bit, like in the s'mores cupcake post. Or just used as is, like I did on the tequila sunrise cupcakes.