Stephanie Jaworski's BRUTTI MA BUONI

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until fragrant and the skins begin to flake.  Remove from oven and place the hot nuts in a clean dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts sit (steam) for about ten minutes and then rub the nuts in the towel briskly to remove the skins. Let them cool completely and then coarsely chop.
In a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, cook the sugar and egg whites, whisking constantly, until opaque in color and hot to the touch (about 5-10 minutes).
Remove from heat, transfer to the bowl of your electric mixer (can use a hand mixer), and beat until thick and glossy (like a thick meringue) (about 5 minutes). At this point beat in the vanilla extract and then fold in the flour and chopped hazelnuts.

Place heaping tablespoonfuls (or use a small ice cream scoop) about two inches apart onto your prepared baking sheets.Bake cookies for about 20 -25 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

These cookies are best the day they are made, but they can be stored at room temperature for a few days.

Makes about 30 cookies.

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

4 large (120 grams) egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons (30 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) whole raw hazelnuts

Garnish:

Confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Note. Can replace the hazelnuts with 1 1/2 cups (270 grams) nougat milk chocolate bar (Toblerone), chopped. You will need almost 3 - 3.52 ounce (3 - 100 grams) Toblerone bars.

Read more:http://www.joyofbaking.com/BruttimaBuoni.html#ixzz2NvpQvN00

Emeril's PUMPKIN-SPICE CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggsCream Cheese Frosting
• DIRECTIONs
  STEP 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Lightly coat 24 standard muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, until combined.
  STEP 2Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway though. Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks, 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and let cool completely on racks, 10 minutes. To serve, spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Rachel Ray's CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:

• 12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, allowed to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then shaken vigorously)
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee (or buttermilk for a substitute if you don't have coffee)
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup half-and-half

Makes 14-16 cupcakes

PREPARATION

To make the cupcakes: Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

Line the cupcake pans with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium; add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt and coffee (or additional buttermilk). In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended - do not over mix. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended. Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from the pans and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting: Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the half-and-half and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Frost the cupcakes. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Cheryl Day's OLD-FASHIONED CUPCAKES

Prep Time:15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Old Fashioned Frosting, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

Combine in a bowl both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until combined for about 3 minutes. Add in cubed butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

Add eggs 1 at a time until combined. Slowly add milk and vanilla to batter until completely mixed scraping down the bowl as you mix.

Scoop batter into baking cups filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Cool and decorate with Old Fashioned Frosting.

Old-Fashioned Frosting:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or other flavoring

Cream softened butter and add 4 cups sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat with paddle attachment until smooth gradually add the rest of sugar to reach frosting consistency*.

Read more at foodnetwork.com