Salted Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes

Totally unrelated to these Salted Caramel Preztel Cupcakes, but there’s a story that’s too funny not to tell. The last two weeks in August, Tyler was out of town for training in Delaware for 2 weeks. It was bad timing, as he left right after we returned from vacation. I was already experiencing the post-vacation blues and I was not excited about the prospect of being a single working mom for two weeks. (But I survived, and I am so thankful that is not my normal routine!)

Anyway, I was grumpy that morning and I had made myself some toast with peanut butter and honey. I had to add the honey to brighten up my day a little. I brought them upstairs to eat while I nursed Cameron and set them down right beside where he was sitting.

Now he is usually a pretty stable sitter and doesn’t usually fall over. But for some reason, as soon as I set the plate with my honeyed, peanut buttered toast down beside them, he promptly fell backwards right onto my breakfast! I felt like crying at this point, because I didn’t have time to clean peanut butter and honey off the back of his head. (Those have to be the two worst things you can get on your head don’t they?)

But as I picked him up, the toast stuck to the back of his head and it was so comical, Tyler started laughing and then I realized how funny it was and laughed too and the morning mood was improved. At least he had a soft landing for his head I guess.

Ingredients

• For the chocolate cupcakes
• 1 cup water
• ⅔ cup cocoa
• 1 tsp vinegar
• ½ cup butter, softened slightly
• 1 and ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup + 1 T vegetable oil
• 2 eggs +1 egg yolk
• 1 and ¾ cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• For the salted caramel buttercream
• ¾ cup softened butter
• 3 and ½ cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup salted caramel sauce, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, room termperature
• mini pretzel twists, for decorating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Boil 1 cup water in microwave. Whisk in cocoa and vinegar until smooth. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer, beat 1 stick butter for 4 to 5 minutes on high speed. Add the sugar and beat for another couple minutes. Add the oil and eggs, mixing well.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
4. .............................................

for full recipes please see : chocolatewithgrace.com

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