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    Cereal Milk Pudding Shooters

    These fun Cereal Milk Pudding Shooters can be made with your favorite sweet breakfast cereal. This version uses Froot Loops, which makes a colorful party food that’s kid-friendly, too!

    Sometimes I forget how good scratch-made pudding is. Whenever I make it I always wonder why I don’t make it more often. This pudding is extra good, because it comes with a hit of childhood nostalgia. We have Milk Bar to thank for introducing the world to cereal milk as an ingredient. The thing is, we’ve all likely made this as kids sitting in front of the TV, eating sugary cereal and watching Saturday morning cartoons. Who knew we’d be using it to make desserts?

    Selecting a cereal.
    Start this recipe with the biggest bowl of cereal, ever! Five cups of milk to four cups of cereal. I must admit, stirring this together was super satisfying. I was tempted to take a big bite.
    Froot Loops (with marshmallow shapes) is my sweet cereal of choice, but you could use Fruity Pebbles, Cap’n Crunch, or even less sweet Cornflakes. You might remember my previous recipe made with cereal milk – Toasted Corn Flakes Cupcakes with Cereal Milk Pipettes. Still love those!

    Cover the enormous bowl of cereal and refrigerate it. Let the mixture steep for at least an hour. Longer is better to coax out as much cereal flavor as possible. Aim for 2-3 hours.

    Next, strain out the cereal. The loops will soak up some of the milk, so you’ll have less than you began with. You should end up with about 4 1/2 cups of cereal milk.

    Divide the cereal milk. 4 cups will be heated in a saucepan, and 1/2 cup will go in a bowl with cornstarch and egg yolks to make a slurry. Add this little bowl of ingredients to the saucepan to thicken the pudding as it cooks.

    After the mixture was all whisked together and thickened, something was obviously missing. The thick, pale yellow pudding didn’t really resemble the colorful Froot Loops cereal milk I’d had as a kid. A drop of red food color will make it look more authentic. This is optional.

    Cool the pudding before dividing it between shot glasses. I used a piping bag with a tiny hole cut in the end to portion it into the glasses, but you could also just spoon it in.

    Party perfect.
    Add some whipped cream and crushed cereal on top, and you’ve got instant party food! This recipe will make about 20 shooters served in these 2.4 oz. dessert shot glasses. However, you can also divvy the pudding up in larger servings to serve 6-8 people.

    How fun would these be for a kid’s party? They’re so creamy and they’re a good summer refresher when chilled. They can be made a couple of days ahead, so if it’s hot where you live right now, wait until night time when it’s cooler to make them. It takes about 15 minutes on the stove top. Enjoy!

    Cereal Milk Pudding Shooters

    Heather Baird

    This recipe can be endlessly varied with your favorite cereal. This version uses Froot Loops, which makes a fun and colorful party food. Kid-friendly, too! These take about 4 hours to chill completely, and can be made 2 days ahead.

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    Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 15 minsTotal Time 25 mins

    Course DessertCuisine American

    Servings 20 dessert shooters

    Equipment20-24 shot glasses, 2.4 oz. eachPiping baglarge closed star piping tip
    Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Cereal milk pudding5 cups whole milk4 cups fruity breakfast cereal such as Froot Loops or Fruity Pebbles1 cup sugar1/3 cup cornstarch5 large egg yolks1/2 teaspoon sea salt1 drop liquid red food color optionalWhipped cream and topping2/3 cup heavy cream2 tablespoons granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 cup loosely crushed fruity cereal such as Froot Loops or Fruity Pebbles
    Instructions Cereal milk puddingCombine the milk and cereal in a large bowl and stir to combine. Let the mixture steep for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Strain out the cereal. You should be left with about 4 1/2 cups of cereal milk. Discard the cereal.Pour 1/2 cup of the cereal milk in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch egg yolks and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine.Add 4 cups of the cereal milk to a saucepan and set over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.Add 1/3 cup of the hot cereal milk from the saucepan to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once mixed, add the egg mixture back to the saucepan of milk in a pencil-thin stream, whisking constantly as you pour.Cook over medium heat, whisking continually, until the mixture thickens up to the consistency of pudding, about 7 minutes. Stir in food color, if using. Transfer to a bowl and place plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature until barely warm. Portion into approximately 20-24 shot glasses, 2.4 oz. each. Alternatively divide between 6-8 ramekins or dessert cups.Whipped cream and toppingsBeat the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the granulated sugar while beating. Add in the vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form.Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. Pipe whipped cream on top of each pudding shot. Garnish each with crushed fruity cereal.Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    NotesLighten this recipe by using low fat milk or almond milk.
    I’ve found that allowing the cereal to steep for 2 hours in the milk will impart more flavor.
     
     

    Keyword cereal milk, froot loops, heavy cream, whole milk

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    Cheerwine Chocolate Cupcakes

    Chocolate cupcakes get a boost of cherry flavor from Cheerwine, a unique southern soft drink. A tall swirl of cherry-Cheerwine buttercream gives these cakes a grand finish.

    My recent cake baking has been inspired by fizzy beverages. I’m not sure why. Maybe because summer makes me crave my favorite chilled drinks. Cheerwine is one of those favorites that has a cult following. It was born in North Carolina in 1917, is nonalcoholic despite its name, and tastes like a cross between Cherry Coke and Dr. Pepper. It was once little-known outside its region, however, thanks to the internet (and a NY Times article) today it’s more widely available.
    It’s a regular fixture at barbeque joints in North Carolina, but I like it with just about anything. However, I may nominate these cupcakes for dessert at our next family barbeque.

    First, you’ll start with a good amount of butter, white and brown sugars, and a generous addition of cocoa powder in a saucepan. My favorite chocolate cakes usually start out this way.

    Next, add in a whole cup of Cheerwine. All of this goes on the stovetop over medium heat. Whisk it all together until the butter and sugars are melted. The mixture doesn’t have to be super hot or boiling for this to happen. Just heat it long enough for the ingredients to marry.

    Then, let the chocolate mixture cool in the pan. When it’s just barely warm, whisk in an egg.

    Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together. You don’t even need an electric mixer for this, really. Hand-mixing is best for most small yield cake batters because it prevents incorporating too much air or over-mixing. As a result you’ll have less tunnels (air holes) in the baked cakes.

    The baked cupcakes are slightly domed and crackled on top. Just perfect, if you ask me!

    The buttercream formula is a simple confectioners’ sugar and butter mixture with the additions of Cheerwine, maraschino cherry juice, and a few drops of black cherry flavoring. The latter is available for purchase online (right here). You can make these cupcakes without the flavoring, but without it the cherry flavor is subtle.
    White nonpareils are the unsung heroes of the sprinkle world. I adore them on any baked good I want to make look bubbly or fizzy (these NYE treats come to mind). I think they work really well on these little cakes.

    The only thing left to say is – YUM! The soda gives the cakes subtle black cherry flavor. Nothing here is too bossy or overpowering, but I will offer one suggestion. For those averse to tall frosting on cupcakes, halve the buttercream recipe.

    Cheerwine Chocolate Cupcakes

    Heather Baird

    These soft chocolate cupcakes are infused with delicious dark cherry Cheerwine soft drink. Use a 1/4 cup measure to accurately fill the cupcakes, and use a small rubber spatula to effectively scrape out the batter from the measuring cup into the liner (you should get an even dozen this way). If you’re not a fan of a tall serving of buttercream, halve the frosting recipe.

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    Prep Time 15 minsCook Time 20 minsTotal Time 35 mins

    Course DessertCuisine American

    Servings 12

    EquipmentClosed star piping tip, such as Ateco #855Piping bag
    Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Cupcakes1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces1/2 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar1 cup Cheerwine soft drink1 egg1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon saltCheerwine buttercream and garnish1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature4 cups confectioners’ sugar3 tablespoons Cheerwine soft drink1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice5-7 drops black cherry flavoring oil or 1/2 teaspoon cherry extract1/8 teaspoon liquid red food color optional2 tablespoons white nonpareils12 maraschino cherries with stems
    Instructions CupcakesPreheat the oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with baking papers.To a small saucepan, add the cocoa powder, butter, and sugars. Pour in the soft drink. Place over medium heat and whisk until the butter is melted, the sugar is dissolved, and the ingredients are well mixed, about 5-7 minutes. Let cool until barely warm. Whisk in the egg.In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Gently stir the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture.Use a 1/4 cup measure to pour batter into the cupcake papers. Bake cupcakes for 20-22 minutes or until cakes spring back when pressed in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.ButtercreamIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until crumbly. Dribble in the Cheerwine soft drink one tablespoon at a time while beating at medium speed. Add the cherry juice and cherry flavor. Whip on high speed until light and fluffy. If mixture is too thick to spread, beat in additional Cheerwine one tablespoon at a time. The froting should be pale pink after whipping. Beat in food color if desired.Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. Pipe a generous double swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake, sprinkling with white nonpareils after each cupcake is piped. Garnish each cake with a single maraschino cherry.Serve as the perfect ending to a southern dinner, especially a barbeque dinner. However, these need no special occasion.
    NotesThe chocolate cupcake recipe was adapted from Baked! New Frontiers in Baking (2008, Stewart, Tabori & Chang).
    Increase the frosting’s cherry flavor to taste by adding more drops of flavoring oil or more cherry extract.

    Keyword american buttercream, Cheerwine, maraschino cherries, unsweet cocoa powder

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