Yummmm

I have had a really delicious week!
It started off with the Raspberry Thumbprint cookies (wrote about those on 12 of 12 day) and Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal cookies.
The cookies were wonderful! I especially loved the Pumpkin ones, of course!
But I really outdid myself last night...
I invited my friend Little J and her husband over for dinner and decided to make a new-to-me Rachael Ray recipe, Turkey Paprikash with Macaroni. The online reviews of the recipe said that this dish was kind of bland, so I figured it was the PERFECT opportunity to make a super-rich dessert, Dulce de Leche Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting. I also opted not to serve a salad or vegetable so we'd all have plenty of room for cupcakes!

The Paprikash was so fast and easy to make. The sauce was really good, even if it was kind of bland. It was made with a wholelotta sour cream, so you know it had to be delish!
While we ate, the dulce de leche was still in the oven...took longer than I had anticipated. I really enjoyed prepping the cupcakes for filling... I used something called "the cone method" where you cut a little cone out of the top of the cupcake, cut the tip off the cone, and then you get to eat the part you just cut off! That was my favorite step of the process!
After dinner, I pulled out the dulce de leche, and got ready to fill my cupcakes. OUCH! That stuff is hot, even after you let it cool as long as you can possibly wait before the overwhelming urge to taste one of the cupcakes is no longer suppressible. My fingers were burning, and then Little J's hubby gave me the brilliant idea to use an oven mitt. I can't think clearly when I am surrounded by gooey, caramelly deliciousness.
Filled the cupcakes, frosted the cupcakes, tasted the cupcakes. Temporarily died and went to heaven.
I might make another batch, as I still have some pumpkin from the large can (still no small cans at the commissary), and still have lots of dulce de leche & frosting.
If you'd like to join me in making a batch of cupcakes, here's the recipe:
Dulce De Leche Pumpkin Cupcakes
And if you need some paprikash too, here's the recipe for that:
Great Goulash: Ground Turkey Paprikash and Macaroni