Confectionery Canary

If you're looking for the prefect autumn treat look no further! These delicious little cakes are sure to be a favorite at any holiday gathering you attend this season! I usually only make these once a year for Thanksgiving but they're so yummy I may have to half the recipe and make them again before next year! I've used this recipe to make a cake and to make cupcakes.  This recipe makes one 9 x 13 cake or about 30 cupcakes.  Whether you're making these cupcakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas or just a seasonal treat, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mash sweet potatoes. Beat egg and sugar until fluffy. Add cup of vegetable oil and sweet potatoes. Mix well. Sift together flour, baking power, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add into potato mixture. Mix until just combined.  Add vanilla. Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes.  Finish them off with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans if you wish!

This frosting is...ahhhmazing!  If you're looking for something other than your typical buttercream or my personal favorite, cream cheese frosting, look no further! This white chocolate cream cheese frosting is so differently delicious, it will take good cupcakes and make them over the top great! And it's so tasty too! (I Love Lucy anyone?) ;) This frosting has such a silky smooth texture and it holds up well to piping. The tartness of the cream cheese cuts the richness of the white chocolate nicely, making for the perfect balance and the perfect frosting!

What You'll Need:
- 8 oz cream cheese (full fat)
- 1/2 cup white chocolate bits
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature. Whip cream cheese in mixer or by hand for a couple minutes. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring between each increment. Repeat until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Let cool completely.  Add melted white chocolate and vanilla extract to whipped cream cheese, mix thoroughly.  Slowly add in confectioner's sugar, incorporate until smooth. Use right away or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a stiffer frosting.  Enjoy atop red velvet cupcakes, cookies or anything your heart desires!

Mmmm! White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake similar to the one served at Olive Garden but better! ; )  Before we get too far into this, just to let you know, making this may take half of your day and dirty every dish in your kitchen...twice. You'll need to have this cheesecake baked about 8 hours before you need it to ensure that it fully sets up.  Despite these inconveniences, it's so worth it!  Better than restaurant quality cheesecake from your own kitchen! Yum!

What You'll Need:
Cheesecake:
-3 8oz. packages of cream cheese (room temperature)
-1/2 cup white sugar
-2 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 cups Baker's white chocolate
-1/2 cup half & half cream
Crust:
-2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
-3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Sauce:
-1 12oz. bag frozen raspberries
-2 tablespoons white sugar
-2 teaspoons cornstartch
-1/2 cup water

Directions:
Chop white chocolate into small pieces (do not use white chocolate chips!! They will not melt correctly!). Place white chocolate bits into a double boiler with half & half cream, over medium heat. Stir occasionally until melted.  Once melted, remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. While chocolate is melting, place a saucepan over medium heat.

Combine frozen raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and water in pan. Bring to a boil. Continue until sauce is thick and there are no berries left. Push sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the raspberry seeds (there will be lots of seeds!).  While chocolate is melting and berries are boiling, mix cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Wrap springform pan with aluminum foil half way up the sides.  Evenly press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Mix in eggs one at a time.  Scrape down bowl and continue mixing.  Add vanilla and melted white chocolate.  Mix well.  Pour half of cheesecake mixture over crust. Spoon a few tablespoons of raspberry sauce into mixture, swirl.  Pour in remaining cheesecake mixture, add a few more spoonfuls of raspberry sauce onto the top.  Swirl into a pretty design.  

Taking a large pan, place springform pan into it.  Fill large pan with water until it reaches a fourth of the way up the side of the aluminum foil on the sprngform pan. This is known as a water bath, it helps the cheesecake to not dry out and crack down the center as it bakes.  Bake for an hour to an hour and a half. It will still be just a little jiggly in the center.  If you let the top get brown, you've baked it for too long.  Allow to cool for about an hour, then place into refrigerator for about 8 hours before removing the pan. Slice and serve with raspberry sauce drizzled over the top!  Whew!

Cream Cheese Frosting is one of the most simple, delicious and versatile frosting's you can make! It's great on cupcakes, cakes, cookies and spoons! ;)

What you'll need:
-1 8oz block of cream cheese (room temperature)
-3 to 4 cups of confectioner's sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Let cream cheese reach room temperature. Place in bowl of electric mixer. Sift in confectioner's sugar cup by cup. Cream together on medium speed. Add in vanilla, scrape down bowl, mix thoroughly until thick and fluffy. Add more sugar for thicker frosting.  Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes if using a piping bag, (this helps stiffen the frosting to better show the design you pipe) otherwise, ice cooled cakes or cookies and enjoy!  For more frosting, simply double or triple all ingredients.

*Sweet Tweet Tip: Oh no! Forgot to let cream cheese reach room temperature? No worries, simply place on your stove top surface, above your warm oven, while you bake. (obviously doesn't work if stove top and oven are seperate units.) The heat from your oven will warm the upper surface of your stove top where your cream cheese is, softening it much faster. Works for butter too!