Louisburg Cider Mill

 

These cupcakes are delicious with just the cream cheese frosting, but once you drizzle the reduced apple cider over the top, they transform into something out of this world!

 

FOR THE APPLE CIDER REDUCTION:

• 3 C. Louisburg Cider Mill Apple Cider reduced to 1/2 C. for cupcake batter

• 2 C. Louisburg Cider Mill Apple Cider reduced to 1/4 C. for drizzle

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

• 1/2 tsp. Salt

• 2 1/4 C. Flour

• 2 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

• 1 C. Buttermilk

• 10 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, softened

• 1 C. Granulated Sugar

• 1/2 C. Light Brown Sugar, packed

• 2 Eggs

• 1 tsp. Vanilla

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 1 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter, softened

• 12 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

• 4 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

For the Apple Cider Reduction:

Add 3 cups of apple cider to a saucepan and 2 cups to another saucepan. Bring cider to a slow simmer over medium low heat. It takes a long time to reduce the cider to the right consistency, about 30 minutes or so.

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350º. Start by creaming 10 Tbs. of softened, butter together with 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of packed, light brown sugar. Then mix in 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla. Next add 1 cup of buttermilk and the 1/2 cup portion of reduced apple cider and combine. In a separate bowl sift together 2 1/4 cups of flour, 1 1/2 tsp. of  baking powder, 1/4 tsp. of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners and fill each liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 19-21 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Add 12 oz. of softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Then add 1 1/2 cup of softened butter and mix until smooth. Add 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, a little at a time until it is all combined. Last, add in 1/2 tsp. of vanilla.

Assembling the Cupcakes:

When cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe a generous amount of cream cheese frosting onto each one. Lastly, take 1/4 cup portion of reduced apple cider and drizzle it over the tops of cupcakes. *Store leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

 

These whoopie pies are like a snickerdoodle cookie, but on steroids! The cream cheese filling with our apple butter and caramel sauce drizzled in between the two cookies turn an ordinary cookie into extraordinary goodness!

WHOOPIE PIES:

• 1 C Louisburg  Apple Cider

• 1/2 C Butter, room temperature (divide 6 Tbs. for dough and 2 Tbs. melted to brush baked cookies)

• 1 3/4 C Flour

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp Ginger

• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

• 1/2 C Granulated Sugar

• 1/4 C plus 2 tsp Brown Sugar

• 1/4 C Louisburg Cider Mill Apple Butter

• 2 Eggs

• 1/4 tsp Vanilla

• Louisburg Caramel Sauce

CINNAMON SUGAR COATING (if desired):

• 3 Tbs Butter, melted

• 1/4 C Sugar

• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE ICING:

• 4 1/2 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature

• 3 Tbs Butter, room temperature

• 1/4 C plus 3 Tbs Brown Sugar

• 2 C Powdered Sugar, sifted

• 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º. In a small pot, bring the apple cider to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until cider is reduced down to 1/4 cup. Set aside to cool before using.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 6 tablespoons of the butter with the sugars, on medium speed until combined. Add the vanilla followed by the eggs. Add the apple cider followed by the apple butter. Turn the mixer on low and mix in the flour until just combined. Turn the cookies out into mounds about 1 1/2 Tbs each, placing them 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Rotate the pan halfway and bake 11-13 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched lightly with your fingertip. Once out of  the oven, allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire rack. Brush the cookies with the reserved 2 Tbs of melted butter and sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar or toss them in the cinnamon sugar. Allow cookies to cool completely on rack before filling them with cream cheese icing and either drizzle Louisburg caramel sauce over the frosting or a dollop of  Louisburg Apple Butter in the center.

CREAM CHEESE ICING: In a large bowl mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for one minute until creamed and combined. Add the brown sugar and mix for another minute. Mix in the vanilla then turn the mixer on low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Pipe or spread the icing on one half of the whoopie pie. Gently top with another cookie.

These Apple Cider Maple Meatballs are great to come home to and pair with an easy side dish for dinner or even better for game day appetizers!

INGREDIENTS:

• 50 Frozen Meatballs

• 2 C. Louisburg Cider Mill Apple Cider

• 1/2 C Maple Syrup

• 3 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar

• 2 Apples, cored and chopped

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray or use a liner. Turn the slow cooker on to low. Place the meatballs into the slow cooker. Combine the apple cider, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar and pour over the meatballs. Place the apple on top. Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 4 to 8 hours. Turn to warm after that. Serve warm with additional chopped apples if desired.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 C. Unsalted Butter, room temperature

• 1/4 C. Louisburg Cider Mill Apple Butter

• 1 C. Granulated Sugar

• 1 Egg

• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

• 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

• 1 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour

• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

• 1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar

• 1/2 C. Cinnamon Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 375º.  Cream together butter, apple butter, and sugar. Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until dough forms. Place into fridge and chill for 2 hours. Using a tablespoon to portion out cookies, roll cookies into a ball and roll each ball in cinnamon sugar. Place cookies onto un-greased baking sheet. Bake 13 minutes. Move baked cookies to wire rack to cool.