Chai Cupcakes

These incredibly tasty grown-up cupcakes are inspired by Indian Chai tea, but you can make them with or without the actual tea bags. They're very similar in taste to spice cake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup of milk
2 black chai tea bags (to make without tea, omit step 2 and increase all spices by 1/2)
Cinnamon or cocoa powder for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan with liners or a light coat of cooking spray.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk or sift dry ingredients (flour -- cloves) and set aside.
3. In glass measuring cup, bring milk to a low simmer in the microwave. Add tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, reserving egg whites in a separate bowl.
5. Add applesauce and vanilla.
6. While mixing, alternate adding milk mixture and dry ingredients; mix until smooth.
7. In separate bowl, whisk egg whites into soft peaks and fold into cupcake batter.
8. Gently spoon mixture into cupcake pan, filling cups to 3/4 full.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Let cakes cool completely.
11. Frost with vanilla or cinnamon frosting and dust with cinnamon or cocoa powder.

Junior mint pie

7 pkgs Junior mints
1 pkg elvelpoe unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups half and half
3 cups whipped cream
oreo pie crust

Place 1 pkg junior mints in freezer. In a medium saucepan, stir together gelatin and cocoa. Add 1 cup half and half. Stir until smooth. Chill mixture, stirring occasionally until mixture is slightly thickened , about 45 minutes. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream. Spoon into prepared pie crust. Chill 4 hours until firm. top with coolwhip. Place a couple junior mints on top.

Raspberry Fudge Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 3/4 cup finely chopped almonds

Directions
In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in the wafer crumbs and jam. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in almonds. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Makes approximately 30 balls