Cupcakes?

So, I've yet to post anything interesting on this blog.. Before Brandon tries to say that it's because I'm not an interesting enough person, I 'd like to say no, that is not why. At least I hope not. I'd like to accredit it the fact that I really didn't know what blogs were for.. I've spent the last few days reading over my friends blogs and I think I've figured it out. It's the common mans opportunity to run a news paper, write an auto biography, be a movie critic, etc. I like the concept. I guess this will be a kind of... news paper of my interests? This could get messy. I'll try to make it entertaining.

Okay, my first official blog post! Mostly because I'm seriously craving cupcakes, I'm going to put up a recipe of the month. Pineapple upside down cupcakes :)

Topping

8 tablespoon(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup(s) light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 can(s) (20-oz.) crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved

12 maraschino cherries, drained and halved

Cupcakes

1 box(es) (18.25-oz.) yellow cake mix

1 cup(s) sour cream

1/2 cup(s) pineapple juice, reserved from crushed pineapple

1/3 cup(s) vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

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Directions

1. Place a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Lightly mist 24 cupcake cups with cooking spray and dust with flour.
2. For the topping, measure 1 tsp. of melted butter into each cupcake cup. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar on top of the butter. Spread about 1 Tbsp. pineapple on top of the sugar and place a maraschino cherry half in the center of the pineapple, pushing it down so the cherry touches the pan. Set pans aside.
3. For the cupcakes, blend cake mix, sour cream, pineapple juice, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, or until batter is thick and smooth, scraping bowl again if needed. Spoon 1⁄3 cup batter onto the topping in each cupcake cup.
4. Bake until cakes are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Immediately run a knife around the edges of the cupcakes to loosen. Invert onto a platter and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
   
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Issues with this recipe: I found that my cupcakes came out kind of ugly when I added a whole third cup of batter to each cake. If you want good-looking cupcakes I suggest using less batter per cup. Also the pineapple topping didn't seem to stick to the cupcake very well. To solve this, I stirred about 1 teaspoon of batter into each cup of pineapple topping. Over all though, it was absolutely delicious.


P.S. Sorry I'm not a follower of any of your blogs.. I can't figure out how to become one..