lumicero/recipes-ing2inst huggingface dataset:
Title: Awesome Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
- 3 all-purpose flour
- 2 baking powder
- 2 baking soda
- 1 salt
- 1 1/2 brown sugar
- 1 white sugar
- 1 eggs
- 4 vanilla extract
- 2 carrots
- 2 crushed pineapple
- 1
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and line a 9x3x3 pan and set aside.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
4. Combine oil and sugar.
5. Add eggs one at a time beating well after addition.
6. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. Add dry ingredients, then carrots and pineapples.
8. Mix until well blended. Bake for 35 minutes.
Title: Patty's Best Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 butter
- 1 chocolate chips
- 1 brown sugar
- 1 vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 flour
- 1/4 walnuts
Instructions:
1. In double broil melt butter and chocolate chips.
2. Once melted add to it sugar and vanilla - keep over heat until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and add flour
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
5. Pour batter into greased and floured 8 in pan. (glassware not recommended).
6. Bake 35-40 minutes.
7. Allow to cool before serving.
8. Enjoy like that or try one of theses :) .
9. *** VARIATIONS TO RECIPE ***.
10. * Make "Blondies" by substituting chocolate chips with white chips, and adding 3/4 cups white sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar instead of using brown.
11. *Use Peanut butter chips with 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar along with 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter.
12. * Use 2 Tablespoons instant coffee instead of vanilla extract to add a mocha flavor to the brownies.
13. * Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to top or mixed into batter.
14. * Mix 1/2 cup softened cream cheese to half the batter, then swirl together in pan.
Title: Flourless Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 sugar
- 1/4 baking soda
- 1/2 egg
- 1 chocolate chips
- 1/4 vanilla extract
- 1
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 1 cookie sheet.
2. Stir together almond meal, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Add beaten egg, chocolate chips and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
4. Place dough balls one inch apart on cookie sheet . You should be able to fit all 15 on the single cookie sheet.
5. Bake until puffed and golden, about 10 minutes.
6. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 2 minutes and then transfer to paper towels or rack to cool.
7. Note: I personally avoid artificial sweeteners, so I don't know how they would taste made with splenda.
Title: Funnel Cakes
Ingredients:
- 2 flour
- 1 sugar
- 1 baking powder
- 1/4 salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 milk
Instructions:
1. Stir first four ingredients together.
2. Mix in eggs and milk.
3. Place half a cup batter in funnel with 1/2' opening with finger over spout.
4. Hold funnel over hot veggie oil,about one inches in a heavy skillet.
5. Remove finger and swirl batter into a shape of a coil.
6. Brown on both sides.
7. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
8. Dust with powder sugar.
Title: Traditional 8 Layer Doberge Cake
Ingredients:
- 3/4 butter
- 2 sugar
- 1/4 salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 milk
- 3 baking powder
- 3 1/2 cake flour
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 vanilla
- 1/2 granulated sugar
- 4 salt
- 4 flour
- 2 cornstarch
- 4 eggs
- 4 butter
- 1 vanilla
- 1 milk
- 4 confectioners' sugar
- 2 oleo
- 1/2 vanilla
- 1 light brown sugar
- 1 granulated sugar
- 1 butter
- 1 vanilla
- 1
- 4
- 1/4
- 3/4
- 1
Instructions:
1. To prepare the Torte: Cream butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and blend until smooth. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Beat until blended. Add vanilla and lemon juice. With a spatula, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Grease 9-inch cake pans. Pour ¾ cup batter into each pan, spreading evenly over bottom. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat process until batter is completely used, to make eight thin layers.
2. To prepare the Chocolate Custard: Stir all dry ingredients together in a saucepan, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from fire to cool.
3. To prepare the Chocolate Butter Cream Icing: Cream sugar and oleo, then add cocoa, then the melted chocolate and vanilla. If too thick, add a little hot water, very slowly, until the consistency is right.
4. To prepare the Chocolate Icing: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and let it come slowly to a boil, then boil about 10 minutes until it thickens. Beat until thick enough to spread.
5. To Finish: When cool, put torte layers together with chocolate custard filling and spread chocolate butter cream icing on top and sides. Chill. Then ice with the Chocolate Icing.
Title: Pearls Rhubarb Cake
Ingredients:
- 5 rhubarb
- 1 sugar
- 1 strawberry Jell-O gelatin dessert
- 3 raspberry Jell-O gelatin
- 1 miniature marshmallows
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 water
- 1 1/3
Instructions:
1. Sprinkle the sugar and jello over the rhubarb.
2. Place in a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan.
3. Mix the cake mix according to the package directions and them mix in the mini marshmellows.
4. Pour this over the rhubarb and bake at 350 degrees for 29-35 minutes or until the cake is done.
Title: Strawberry Panachee
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 strawberries
- 1/4 creme fraiche
- 4 of fresh mint
- 2/3
- 4
Instructions:
1. Cut off the bottom and top of each berry, ending up with about 1 1/4 cups of tops and bottoms. Slice the centers of the berries and set aside.
2. Process the tops and bottoms of the berries with the jam, in a small food processor, until pureed. Mix the sliced berry centers into the puree. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. When ready to serve, coarsely crush the cookies in a plastic zip type bag. Divide the crumbs among four glass bowls or goblets. Spoon about 1/2 of the berry mixture over the crumbs in each bowl/goblet. Stir the creme fraiche well and spoon about 1/3 cup of it (in total) on top of the berries. Then add the remaining berry mixture to each bowl/goblet. Garnish with a dollop of the remaining creme fraiche and a sprig of fresh mint.
Title: Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
- 250 flour
- 100 fine sugar
- 1 rum
- 1 lemon zest
- 1/2 unsalted butter
- 200
- 1
Instructions:
1. Sift flour on counter and make a well.
2. Add 1 yolk, sugar, rum and the zest of 1/2 lemon into the well.
3. Mix ingredients in the well.
4. Add cubed butter on the flour.
5. Incorporate everything quickly working from the outside in and with as less hand contact as possible (using a knife or a pastry cutter).
6. Knead swiftly to form a smooth dough.
7. Wrap in foil and let rest in the fridge for 1/2 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 190°C.
9. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
10. Roll dough thinly (1/2 cm .3/16 inch).
11. Cut with simple cookie cutter (heart, crescent etc 1 1/2 - 2 inches big).
12. Put on cookie sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
13. Beat remaining yolk and brush cookies.
14. Bake on middle rack for 8-10 minutes until golden.
Title: Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
- 4 sugar
- 1 1/4 unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 vanilla extract
- 1
- 1 1/2
Instructions:
1. In the heatproof bowl on an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whtes and sugar.
2. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture reaches 160.
3. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until mixture holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Beat until fluffy and cooled, 6 minute.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment and on medium-low speed, add butter several Tbs at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has beed added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 3-5 minute more).
5. Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minute.
6. Stir in jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth again, 3-5 min more.
Title: Light Chocolate Cake With Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1/2 all-purpose flour
- 1 -2 baking soda
- 2 baking powder
- 1 cinnamon
- 1 sea salt
- 2 bittersweet chocolate
- 1 chocolate chips
- 1/2 unsalted butter
- 1/4 brewed coffee
- 3 vanilla extract
- 2 non-fat vanilla yogurt
- 1 1/3 prune puree
- 1 egg
- 1/2 nonfat milk
- 1 fat free cream cheese
- 2 unsalted butter
- 3/4 vanilla extract
- 1/2 brewed coffee
- 1/4 confectioners' sugar
- 2
- 1/3
- 3
- 2 1/2
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F Spray bottom of a 9X13 baking pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. Melt chocolate chips and butter over a double boiler. Stir in coffee and vanilla. Set aside to cool.
4. Mix together sugar, yogurt, prune puree, whole egg and egg whites with a mixer. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, mixing well after each addition.
5. Pour batter into baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
6. FOR FROSTING: Beat cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla, cocoa and espresso. Mix until smooth. Add half the sugar, mix well. Add the rest of the sugar, mix until smooth.
Title: Apple Date Loaf
Ingredients:
- 2 apples
- 1 dates
- 1 bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 honey
- 1/4 maple syrup
- 2 whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2
Instructions:
1. Combine dates, apple juice, bi carb of soda, and honey in saucepan bring to boil then reduce temperature and simmer for 5 minutes until soft and homogeneous.
2. Allow to cool.
3. Sift flour into bowl and add grated apple.
4. Stir through cooled date mixture- careful to not over combine or the cake will be tough and rubbery.
5. Bake at 375 for 30-40minutes.
Title: Flourless Chocolate Orbit Cake
Ingredients:
- 1/2 butter
- 12 bittersweet chocolate
- 6 eggs
- 1 sugar
Instructions:
1. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan and line the inside with a round of parchment paper. (I don't keep parchment paper on hand and use nonstick cooking spray in the pan instead and it works fine).
2. Set a large bowl over a pan of simmering water to create a double boiler. Cut the butter and chocolate into small pieces and put them in the bowl to melt, whisking occasionally.
3. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in another bowl. Thoroughly whisk in the melted chocolate.
4. Pour the chocolate batter into the cake pan. Place it in a larger baking pan and pour in warm water to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake appears to have set and when you touch the center, your finger comes away clean.
5. Remove the cake from the water bath and cool completely before serving, plain or with creme anglaise (posted separately).
6. Note: This cake can be refrigerated for several days.
Title: Butter Jumble Cookies
Ingredients:
- 4 flour
- 2 granulated sugar
- 1/2 butter
- 2 eggs
- 5 milk
- 1 baking soda
- 1 cream of tartar
Instructions:
1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Blend in eggs and milk.
3. Blend in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. 4 cups of flour is the quantity from the original recipe. I find that I need to add a little more flour to get a better consistency for rolling out the dough.
4. Chill for 1 hour.
5. Roll and cut as desired. I like to roll them out a little thin. This makes them crispy like my grandmother used to make. Use a well floured surface and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking.
6. Place on a lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheet.
7. Sprinkle with colored sugar sprinkles.
8. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
Title: Blackberry Slump
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 flour
- 1 1/2 sugar
- 2 unsalted butter
- 8 unsalted butter
- 1/2 baking powder
- 1/2 kosher salt
- 1/2 dry white wine
- 1 vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 fresh blackberries
Instructions:
1. Crumb topping: Combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons chilled and cubed butter in the bowl of food processor and process until mixture takes on texture of coarse bread crumbs, about 10 seconds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease eight 6 oz. ramekins with butter and dust with flour; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. In a large measuring cup, whisk together melted butter and wine; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining sugar, vanilla, and eggs until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Add wine mixture to eggs and whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Divide batter between ramekins and top each with berries. Sprinkle reserved crumb topping evenly over berries. Put ramekins on a baking sheet and bake golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 20 minutes; serve with scoops of vanilla cream on top.
Title: Bittersweet Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
- 3 cake flour
- 1 instant espresso powder
- 2 bittersweet chocolate
- 5 unsalted butter
- 6 margarine
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 rum
- 1 heavy cream
- 1 sour cream
- 2 confectioners' sugar
- 2 orange zest
- 1 rum
- 1 confectioners' sugar
- fresh raspberry
Instructions:
1. Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 350°F
2. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan with 2-inch sides.
3. TO MAKE CAKE:
4. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and espresso powder.
5. Set aside.
6. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over but not touching barely simmering water in a saucepan.
7. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the butter, a little at a time, until blended.
9. Let cool slightly.
10. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and superfine sugar.
11. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.
12. Beat in the chocolate mixture until blended.
13. Fold in the flour mixture and then the vanilla or Amaretto or rum flavoring or rum.
14. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
15. Stir one-fourth of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites just until incorporated.
16. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top.
17. Bake until the top is risen and crusty and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
18. The center should be soft and moist.
19. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
20. The top will fall a bit.
21. Remove the pan sides, loosen the cake's edges with a knife, and slide the warm cake onto a serving plate.
22. WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:.
23. In a bowl, whisk together the cream and sour cream until slightly thickened.
24. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, orange zest and vanilla or Amaretto or rum flavoring or rum, until soft peaks form.
25. Dust the warm cake with confectioners' sugar.
26. Cut into slices and top with whipped cream topping and serve with fresh raspberries (raspberries are optional).
27. ENJOY!
Title: Rhode Island Apple Slump
Ingredients:
- 3 apples
- 1 sugar
- 1/2 water
- 2 cinnamon
- 2 flour
- 3 baking powder
- 1/2 salt
- 4 butter
- 3/4 milk
Instructions:
1. For the biscuits: Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Add butter, working it in with a fork or dough blender.
3. Add milk to make a soft dough.
4. Place on a floured board and toss lightly until the outer surface looks smooth.
5. Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut with floured biscuit cutter.
6. Combine apples sugar, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan; cover tightly and cook slowly to the boiling point.
7. When boiling, cover with biscuits, place a tightly fitting cover on pan and continue to cook over low heat for about 25 minutes.
8. Remove biscuits and pour cooked applesauce over the top.
Title: Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
- 4 bananas
- 3/4 sugar
- 1/2 light brown sugar
- 1/2 buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 sour cream
- 1 vanilla
- 2 all-purpose flour
- 1 baking soda
- 1 salt
- 6 cream cheese
- 6 unsalted butter
- 1 vanilla
- 2 sugar
- 1 orange, zest of
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 9" x 2" cake pan.
2. In a small bowl , whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside until later.
3. In a large bowl, mix sugar, brown sugar and mashed bananas with electric mixer on lowest speed until fully combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture while mixer on low speed. Mix until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean of batter. Remove from the oven and place on a damn towel to cool for 15 minutes.
6. Make icing: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and then stir in the icing sugar, gradually, until smooth.
7. When cake is partially cooled, spread icing over until covered.
Title: Plum Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
- 8 plums
- 6 raisins
- 1/2 milk
- 1 eggs
- 5 vanilla extract
- 2 sugar
- 1/2 ground cinnamon
- 1/2 plum jelly
- 3 -4
Instructions:
1. Preheat 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 4 quart ovenproof casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place bread cubes,plums and raisins(if using) in casserole dish.
4. Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon.
5. Pour over bread cube mixture.
6. Mix well.
7. Swirl jelly through mixture.
8. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes or until set.
9. Set warm.
10. .
Title: Fresh Summer Peach Crisp
Ingredients:
- 6 lemon juice
- 1 liquid honey
- 1/4 all-purpose flour
- 1 rolled oats
- 1 brown sugar
- 1/3 cinnamon
- 1/2 nutmeg
- 1/4 butter
- 1/2
Instructions:
1. Place peaches in a 9 inch square pan.
2. Sprinkle with lemon juice and then drizzle with honey.
3. In medium bowl, mix together remaining ingredients using a pastry blender or fork.
4. Sprinkle mixture evenly over peaches.
5. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Title: Mandelbread
Ingredients:
- 1/4 butter
- 1 sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 flour
- 1 baking powder
- 2 real vanilla extract
- 1 salt
- 1/4
- 1
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar, then add eggs one at a time and beat well.
3. In another bowl, sift flour with baking powder. Add flour gradually to egg mixture. Add vanilla extract, almond extract and salt.
4. Beat well, add nuts and mix well.
5. Put on a well-greased cookie sheet in 2 loaves (about 2 1/2" by 12"). Bake about 25 minutes.
6. Cut crosswise into 1/2" slices and put in oven cut side down for about 10 minutes; turn and put back into oven for 10 minutes.
Title: Luscious Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cocoa powder
- 1/2 boiling water
- 2 1/4 all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 baking soda
- 1/4 salt
- 3/4 unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 sugar
- 1 pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 sour cream
- 6 bittersweet chocolate
- 2 water
- 1/2 sugar
- 4 pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 unsalted butter
- 1
Instructions:
1. Position oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°; butter and flour two 9 x2 inch round cake pans.
2. Make the cake--Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large deep bowl until well blended; the mixture will be dry.
5. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Decrease speed to low and beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour, just until well blended.
7. Add the cocoa mixture and blend well.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
9. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean; cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 20 minutes, then invert cakes onto the racks and remove the pans.
10. Turn the cakes right-side up and cool completely.
11. Make the frosting--melt the chocolate with the water in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth; transfer to a large deep bowl.
12. Heat the sugar with the egg yolks in another heatproof bowl over the same saucepan of nearly simmering water, whisking constantly, for about 4 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to touch.
13. Whisk the sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture, add in the vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes, or until the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
14. Beat in the butter one piece at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
15. Assemble the cake--Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly over the layer.
16. Top with the remaining cake layer and frost with the remaining frosting; serve cut into wedges.
Title: Sugar-Coated Crispy Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 butter
- 1 1/2 confectioners' sugar
- 2 -3 vanilla
- 2 all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 baking powder
- 1/2 baking soda
- 1/2 sugar
Instructions:
1. Set oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a large baking sheet.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter with confectioners sugar and vanilla.
4. Beat in the egg whites until combined.
5. In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture until combined.
6. Roll into about 1-1/2-inch balls, then coat in the sugar.
7. Place on baking sheet about 2-inches apart.
8. Flatten with a fork.
9. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
10. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Title: Chocolate Cherry Chunk Meringues
Ingredients:
- 4 cream of tartar
- 1/4 granulated sugar
- 1/2 powdered sugar
- 3/4 dried tart cherry
- 1 cocoa powder
- 1/2
- 3
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (this will be either to pipe cookies onto or you can draw circles for the "layers" and then turn the parchment over).
3. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high, and gradually add sugar, a little at a time, beathing until stiff peaks form. Add extract; beat just until blended. Fold in cherries and powder. Fill a bag and with star tip pipe either kisses or whatever shape you want.
4. Bake at 200 degrees for an hour to an hour and a half (longer for bigger shapes). Turn oven off, and cool meringue in closed oven 1 1/2 hours or until dry. Carefully remove meringue from paper.
Title: Ginger Caramel Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1/3 water
- 2 water
- 3/4 granulated sugar
- 1 all-purpose flour
- 3/4 baking powder
- 1/4 baking soda
- 1/2 ground ginger
- 1/4 ground cinnamon
- 1/4 salt
- 6 butter
- 1/3 granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 sour cream
- 6 butter
- 2 1/2 confectioners' sugar
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin cups with liners; spritz lightly with cooking spray.
2. For the caramel: Heat sugar and 2 tablespoons water in small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar starts to dissolve, about 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Swirl pan constantly as mixture starts to turn golden in color.
4. When the mixture turns amber, sugar is dissolved and it starts to smoke, remove from the heat. (Take care during this step as it can scorch very easily).
5. VERY carefully, add 1/3 cup of water in three additions to the saucepan, holding pan at arm's length to avoid spattering; stir until caramel is dissolved.
6. Pour into a 1-cup glass measuring cup; you should have 3/4 cup. If you don't, add enough water to bring the measurement up.
7. Let stand until cooled to room temperature and reserve 1/4 cup for the frosting.
8. For the batter: sift dry ingredients into a bowl.
9. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about one minute.
10. Beat in egg and sour cream until well blended.
11. Fold flour mixture into batter alternately with 1/2 cup cooled caramel mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
12. Spoon into muffin cups.
13. Bake for 25 minutes or until cakes test done.
14. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes; remove from muffin pan and finish cooling on wire rack.
15. For the frosting: Beat butter until smooth; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and reserved caramel mixture.
16. Frost cupcakes and garnish with autumn fruits such as currants or grapes, if desired.