Louisiana Praline Cupcakes

My husband and I love to travel with some close friends to fun locations.  One of our favorite places to visit each year is New Orleans.  We like to go a few weeks before Mardi Gras to experience all of the fun festivities, music, and food without all of the crowds.  After coming back from our visit this year we decided that we needed to have a New Orleans dinner night of our own.  Here is one of the wonderful recipes that I made to celebrate our love of "The Big Easy".

(printable recipe)


32 cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the batter alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.

3. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly brown.  Let cool completely before icing.

Praline icing:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 large eggs yolks
1 large can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, then stir in granulated sugar and light brown sugar. (Sugars will not dissolve).

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the evaporated milk until smooth, then whisk this mixture into the saucepan with the sugar mixture. Return saucepan to a medium heat setting and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick, shiny and caramel-like, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and pecans.

3. Cool icing to a good spreading consistency (about 30 minutes), then top each cupcake with 1 Tbsp. of icing.

**  Due to milk and eggs in icing, store in refrigerator.

Source:  "mooched" from www.cassiecraves.blogspot.com - Southern Praline Cake 

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