Bite Into Butterbeer

Sweet Recipe Saturday

The name "Harry Potter" has become a very familiar household name over the past 10 years. If you haven't read the books, then you've seen the movies. If you haven't seen the movies, you have a friend who has dubbed themself a "Harry Potter nerd". The stories have made all of us "muggles" (non-wizard/witch for those that might not know) wish that we had the powers at the swish of a wand just like Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. Well, those dreams can now come to life as Universal Studios in Orlando, FL has recently opened the 2nd edition of the Harry Potter themed area within its parks. It has definitely been the talk-of-the-town around here as its opening day was official this week. Lines to get into the main attraction have beyond reasonable hours that you would want to wait for an attraction that only lasts a couple of minutes. The verdict, however, is that every minute of that wait is 100% worth it. I, myself, am not a die-hard fan of the Harry Potter series, but I love watching the movies and living vicariously through the characters as they live their spell-casting lives. I am sure we will get over to Universal Studios at some point in the next few months once the lines aren't as long, so to hold us over until then and still make us feel like we are riding the Harry Potter wave that has taken over Orlando, FL, I made some delicious butterbeer flavored cupcakes to take to some friends' party today. For those of you who don't know, butterbeer is a coveted drink from the series that can now be enjoyed at the theme park. Although the process was long, it was so much fun because I pretended as if I was creating a magical dessert as I added each ingredient. (So, maybe that does make me a Harry Potter nerd?) So, if you're like me and haven't been able to live Harry Potter in real life, make a batch of these to put you in the spirit of the Harry Potter craze.

Butterbeer Cupcakes

Ingredients

(Cupcake)
-2 cups flour
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 stick softened butter
-1/2 cup light brown sugar
-1/2 cup sugar
-3 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp butter flavoring (packaged like shortening in the baking aisle)
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-1/2 cup cream soda

(Butterscotch Filling)
-11 oz package butterscotch chips
-1 cup heavy whipping cream

(Frosting)
-1 stick softened butter
-1/3 cup butterscotch filling
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp butter flavoring
-1/8 tsp salt
-8 oz powdered sugar
-1 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare muffin tins by placing 1 liner in each hole.
2. To make the cupcakes, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixer with the paddle option, cream butter on medium.
4. Add sugars one at a time and mix until blended.
5. Add eggs and mix until blended.
6. Add vanilla and butter flavoring and mix until blended.
7. Combine buttermilk and cream soda and mix. Alternately pour flour mixture and liquid mixture into the mixer until on low for 30 seconds, and then medium until blended.
8. Fill cupcake tins about 3/4 full and bake for 20min. Let cool completely.
9. Meanwhile, to make the filling, combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream in a microwavable-safe bowl. Heat for increments of 30 seconds, stirring between each set, until creamy. Let cool completely. Reserve 1/3 cup. for frosting.
10. Using a small spoon, cut out a small hole in the middle of each cupcake and set aside.
11. Fill all the way to the top with the butterscotch filling using a pastry bag or homemade pastry pouch (put contents in a plastic bag and cut a small slit in one of the corners to be able to squeeze the contents out of). Once done, do another round of filling up as each will have had the filling soak into the cake. Replace the top of each cake.
12.To make the frosting, set the mixer with the whisk option, and cream butter on medium.
13. Add butterscotch filling, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until blended.
14. Add powdered sugar on low for 30 seconds, and then medium until creamy.
15. Using a pastry bag or homemade pastry pouch (see step 11), frost each cupcake.
16. Cast your spell on your tasty treat to give it that last bit of love and flavor,and then bite into your butterbeer.