Bourbon Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Bourbon Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Candied Pecans

Bourbon Sweet Potato Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
1/3 cup bourbon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line cupcake trays with 24 baking cups.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl.
• In another large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar, butter and eggs until fluffy.
• Add sweet potatoes and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add 1/3 of flour mixture to sugar mixture until combined. Add bourbon. Add second 1/3 of flour mixture. Add milk. Add final 1/3 flour mixture.
• Mix well with each addition.
• Fill baking cups.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.
• Cool completely.

Candied Pecans
sugar
water
pecan halves

• Add equal parts sugar and water to a pot. (I used 1 cup each.) Add pecans. Simmer for about six minutes. Drain syrup off.
• In a deep fryer at about 375 degrees add pecans to oil. Heat for about 30 seconds to a minute or until frying noise stops. Be careful. The first attempt I made with these, I burned my pecans to a crisp. I guess my oil was too hot.
• Lay on parchment paper lined tray and cool slightly.
• Sprinkle some extra sugar on top to make them prettier.
• Allow to dry completely.
• Note: These rocked! They can be made by themselves and served as a sweet snack.

Vanilla Glaze
2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbsps milk

• In a medium bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add vanilla.
• Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you get the desired consistency. (Adding more milk will make it thinner.) Mix until smooth.
• Transfer glaze to a small, deep bowl and you can just dip the tops of your cupcakes in it.

Bourbon Syrup/Glaze/Frosting Concoction
1 1/2 cup sugar (book says 1 cup)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp butter
2 tsp vanilla (book says 1/2 tsp)
2 Tbsp bourbon

• In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil.
• Boil for five minutes and add remaining ingredients. Cook until a syrupy consistency.

• Then, I removed it from the stove and let it cool for a minute. I added 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and 2 Tbsp milk to get it more like the consistency of the vanilla glaze. Either dip the tops again or spoon it on top so you can see the vanilla glaze underneath. Add one candied pecan to each cupcake if you don’t eat them all first.

Cupcake and glaze recipes amended ever so slightly from the cookbook, Bundt Classics