Nectarine Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

Today's entry, titled "Nectarine Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting" (or as Eric called it "A plate full of Oooooh yeeeeaaaah") is one that almost didn't happen. How could that be you might ask, since we are right in the middle of nectarine season here in Silicon Valley. This is something we'd wanted to do for some time, ever since the first little buds started growing in on the nectarine tree in the backyard. Tree? Sorry, we mean shrub-that-will-be-a-tree-next-year. See, everyone thought it had died some time ago and was basically cut down to a stump. But after a little (a lot) of TLC from Charisse and her green thumb it flared back to life this year, with a vengeance. It blossomed in the spring, looking so pretty we both knew we were in for a treat come mid summer. Sure enough, all summer long we've been watching dozens upon dozens of nectarines grow, bit by bit. Each day we'd be out there and Charisse would point to one right in the middle and say "That one, that one is MINE. There are many like it, but that one is mine" Okay, so maybe she wasn't quoting Full Metal Jacket over coffee at 8am on a Saturday but you get the point. That one was hers, and pity the fool who tried to take it. 


Just as the fruit was coming ripe Eric had some real estate related work to go over with Charisse's dad Patrick so we invited them over for dinner and Charisse spent 2 days coming up with a good meal we could blog about. With the nectarines ready to go and a big dessert recipe in mind, we discovered that Koda the dog also liked nectarines. Eric of course learned about this through a text message at work that read something like "do you know any good recipes for dog?". Yup, the dog had her fill and Charisse's recipe was shot, but she had come across the idea of a doing a cupcake with what few nectarines remained, so dessert was saved. We were wondering why Koda wasn't hungry for almost a day and a half and by now you'd think we'd have learned to be suspicious when she doesn't finish her breakfast. Charisse found her nectarine, untouched by the carnage, and promptly ate it, in her PJs at 7am. She said it was the best one she's had in years. Eric - When my wife talks about her tangerine, she has this look in her eyes where I think she imagines Koda helping herself to 95% of the years fruit while we sleep. I don't dare question her claim that it was the best nectarine ever. I also firmly believe that Koda is not the subject of this post only because she spared "Charisse's Nectarine". Charisse of course is sticking firmly to her claim that the dog is "a member of this family whether you like it or not". 

Nectarine Cupcake
What You Will Need

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 nectarines (pitted and cubed)

Preheat oven to 350*

Line about 25 muffin tins and set aside

Combine all of the dry ingredients together and set aside

In  a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and mix well.  Slowly add in the buttermilk and next the dry ingredients.  Once everything is mixed, fold in the cubed nectarines.  Evenly distribute in your lined muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes until set and knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely

Frost with Brown Sugar Frosting
Brown Sugar Frosting

What You Will Need

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup powered sugar
2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Using your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until it is well combined and there are no lumps.  Beat in the sugars and vanilla.  Chill until ready to use

adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com