Caramel Cupcakes

I love caramel and sometime I forgo low-fat and healthy for something not so healthy but super yummy!! I did use palm sugar in place of brown.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c palm sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
2 eggs at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk

Carmel Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c heavy cream
1 package reduced fat cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat to combine. Add 1/3 flour, 1/3 milk, combine and repeat.

Divide into cupcake pan, filling about 2/3 way. Bake 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely

In a heavy bottomed pan cook sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stirring with a wooden spoon until melted about 3 minutes.

Carefully pour in cream and stir constantly until smooth. Stir in salt. Pour into a heat proof container and cool completely.

In a small food processor, combine cream cheese and caramel.

Ice cupcakes.
Keep in fridge and bring to room temp before eating.

Makes about 14 cupcakes.

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Burrata Cheese and Pasta

This recipe is adapted from Epicurious. It was super quick and perfect for a weeknight dinner. I cut the recipe in 1/2 and used pine nuts instead of almonds.

1/2 lb pasta
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 6-ounce package baby spinach
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
1/2 burrata cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and lemon peel. Set aside 1/2 c pasta water. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add spinach, pine nuts and hot lemon mixture, toss until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add pasta water 1/4 c at a time if needed. Divide pasta among plates. Top with burrata cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.