Snickerdoodles

My husband's favorite cookie is a Snickerdoodle. But I never make them for him because I always forget to buy cream of tartar and keep it stocked in my pantry.

BUT then I came across a recipe in an old cookbook. Yep, that same old wonderful (and VERY used) cookbook that my grandmother gave me before she passed away. Buried within the pages of the cookbook was yet another one of her wonderful handwritten recipe cards...a recipe card with an easy, delicious recipe for snickerdoodles. And the recipe did NOT call for cream of tartar. So I was intrigued...could it still taste like a snickerdoodle with that ingredient?

Yep...it still tasted as wonderful as snickerdoodles do...even without the cream of tartar! AND because I had all of the ingredients in my trusty old panty my husband got to eat his very favorite cookie that same day that I found the recipe! I hope that you enjoy these cookies as much as he did!! (And me...I can't hide the fact that I LOVED these too!)

Grandma's Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 or 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for dipping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined. (Approximately 2 minutes.)
3. In separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.
4. Slowly combine together wet & dry ingredients. Mix until dough comes together.
5. Add in 1 tablespoon of milk. (If you find that the dough is a bit crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together.)
6. Refrigerate dough for 20-30 minutes.
7. While dough is in refrigerator, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

8. Remove dough from fridge and roll into big 1 1/2 inch balls.

9. Dip in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on baking sheet. Lightly press down on dough to flatten it. 10. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

I'm linking up with the following: Take-A-Look Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Delicious Dishes, Tuesdays at the Table, Bake with Bizzy,  Taking a Time Out Thursday, House of Hepworths, Full Plate Thursday,  Show Me Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff,  It's a Keeper Thursday,   

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

My family & I are so lucky to have picked just about the best street in a great neighborhood. That is something that is not always apparant when you choose to purchase a home....the houses might look nice, or the neighbors might take good care of their yards, but you really don't get to know them and their personalities until after you move in.

On our street we have some of the best neighbors that you can have. They cook for you when you are sick or home with a new baby. They take care of your home when you are away on vacation. They have well behaved, good children. We have neighborhood block parties, potlucks near the holidays, meet up at the part on a regular basis and we all band together when something is going on.

Last week, one of our neighbors finally sold their home (super sad face) after having it on the market for over a year...but the buyer wanted a very quick close and they only had 1 week to find a new home, pack everything up and move. So everyone that was able pitched in and helped them out with packing, loading the moving truck...just about anything that we could. And, since we knew that we would all miss them, we decided to throw a quickly put-together neighborhood potluck to say goodbye. And since I am known on the street as the "Cupcake Lady" I was asked to whip up a batch of cupcakes for the occasion.

I used the party as a reason to bake up a recipe that I had been wanting to try my hand at for quite a few months...Chocolate cupcakes stuffed with chocolate chip cookie dough! And if that wasn't decadent enough, I topped them with vanilla buttercream frosting and a mini chocolate chip cookie. And let me tell you that they were a hit! Everyone was asking for the recipe and children had to be stopped from going back for seconds...I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as everyone at our neighborhood party did!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Adapted from My Baking Addiction


For the Cupcakes
Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Either refrigerated store bought or your own favorite recipe)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine instant espresso granules and warm water, stirring until dissolved. Add espresso mixture to the cake batter and stir until fully incorporated.
3. Evenly distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.
4. Measure 1 teaspoon size balls of cookie dough and push a ball of dough into the center each cupcake. Be sure to completely cover the dough ball with batter.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.

For the Frosting:
Ingredients

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp.
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4-6 tablespoons  milk

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. (About 5 minutes) Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk until you reach the desired consistency.
3. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
3.  Put the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired. I used the Wilton 1M Star Tip to frost and then I added a mini chocolate chip cookie. (I used mini Chip Ahoy from the grocery store.)




I am linking this recipe up to: I'm Loving It, Show and Share Day, Sweet Tooth Friday, Friday Flair, Foodie Friday, Little Brick Ranch, Hodgepodge Friday, Feature Yourself Friday, Social Parade Friday, la bella vita, Made By You Mondays, This Week's Cravings, Homemaker Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Tuesday to Do, Cupcake Tuesday, Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Take a Look Tuesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Show and Tell, House of Hepworths, Recipe Swap Thursday, Show Off Your Stuff, Strut Your Stuff, Transformation Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday         

Blackberry Crumb Bars

One of my favorite flavors of summer is the taste of fresh berries. I really, really love berries...raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries...just about any of them.

Just a little sidenote about my history with berries: I think that my love of berries came from growing up on a raspberry farm in rural southwest Washington state. I remember having to pick berries every summer and that I was absolutely terrible at it! I was definitely under the impression that the way it worked was "one for me, one for the bucket." So, needless to say, I was definitely not going to win any berry picking contests!

Every now and I then I purchase fruits and vegetables from a local co-op and this past distribution they offered the opportunity for participants to purchase flats of blackberries at a really great price. I took them up on it and purchased myself 2 flats of the berries and I have been on a mission to find great blackberry recipes to try out! So I set out on a mission to search the interwebs for recipes that used blackberries. One of them that I came across was a recipe for bars that promised a tender cake topped with fresh blackberries and a crumble. And the recipe was from the great Martha...so I decided to give it a whirl.

These bars turned out to be wonderful! The cake is light and tender. The berries are slightly tart and pop with flavor in your mouth and the crumble has a great sweet, slight crunch to it. I kicked up the original recipe by adding white chocolate chips to it and I couldn't imagine the recipe without them!

Blackberry Crumb Bars
Inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, and 1/2 cup (1 stick), room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• 2 containers (6 ounces each) blackberries

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter and flour paper, tapping out excess.
2) Make topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; add 1 cup flour, and mix with a fork until large moist crumbs form. Refrigerate topping until ready to use.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
4) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat room-temperature butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture.
5) Spread batter evenly in pan; sprinkle with blackberries, white chocolate chips, then chilled topping.
6) Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes.
7) Cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares.

I am linking this recipe up to: Fireflies & Jellybeans, Strut Your Stuff, It's a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Tip Day Thursday, Catch a Glimpse, Thrilling Thursday, Hookin Up With HoH, Almost Friday Flaunts, Full Plate Thursday, Transformation Thursdays, I'm Loving It, Foodie Friday, Feature Yourself Friday, Friday Favorites,  It's a Hodgepodge Friday, Friday Flair, Made By You Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up    

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

Now that summer is here down in Arizona (yeah, I know that it is spring everywhere else, but the minute it hits 100 degrees I consider it summer!) I have been on the lookout for some really great cocktail recipes for drinking out by the pool. I love having light refreshing drinks to drink to help me to forget that it is 110+ degrees outside!

So when skimming an old edition of Southern Living magazine at the doctors office a couple of weeks ago I came across a recipe for a cocktail that was made using raspberry lemonade and beer. It really intrigued me....a recipe that involved frozen juice concentrate, light beer, vodka & berries? Sounds strange doesn't it?

But...I was pleasantly surprised with how light & refreshing this drink is! (Even my husband, who never likes fruity drinks, thought it was good)


It was absolutely delicious and I think it has quickly became my go to drink for lounging pool side this summer! (It was also beautiful to look at so I will for sure be using this to serve whenever we entertain over the summer.)

Raspberry Beer Cocktail 
from Southern Living

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 3 1/2 12 oz bottles of beer (light works best)
• 1 container (12 oz) frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1/2 cup Vodka

Instructions:
1) Using the back of a spoon, mash raspberries in a bowl. Transfer raspberries to a pitcher.
2) Add remaining 3 ingredients to pitcher and stir together.
3) Serve over ice & enjoy!
(I added a few whole raspberries to garnish my drink, lime or lemon slices would also be great as garnish!)



I am linking this recipe up to: Fireflies & Jellybeans, Strut Your Stuff, It's a Keeper, Thirsty Thursdays, What's Cooking Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Transformation Thursdays, La Bella Vita, Tidy Mom, Foodie Friday, Made By You Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, Sugar Bee, Tasty Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, Handmade Tuesdays, Delectable Tuesdays, Toot Your Horn Tuesdays, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Creative Share, Show and Tell         

Tomato Pie with Pancetta & Basil

Last night I made my normally "Meat & Potato" kinda husband go out on a limb and try something new. Something not in his comfort zone (but totally in mine!) and try something a little different for him...Tomato Pie!

Now that's not a typical kind of meal in the Schell household. We usually do American fare of the easy variety...you know, the weeknight casserole's and crockpot meals. Pastas or something grilled. Tacos or enchiladas. Now don't get me wrong...I love trying something new. The husband...Not so much! But am I so very glad that he gave in and let me go off and try something new. Something a little different. Because the end result was so very, very good!

This dish is cheesy, tomato-y, and filled with flavor...definitely a great fresh summertime meal.  I made sure to use vine-ripened tomatoes to get as much flavor as possible. And, since it was a weeknight and I was on a time crunch, I just used a store bought refrigerated pie crust, but if you would rather, just substitute your own homemade one. I served it with a green salad and some crusty french bread. Delish!

I can't wait until my homegrown tomatoes are ripe...I know that this little dish will be making it's way back to our table over the summer as my crop comes in! I hope that you enjoy it!

Tomato Pie with Pancetta & Basil
Inspired by Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie shell 
• 3 oz. thinly sliced Pancetta
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approx. 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced basil (about 8-10 leaves)
• 2 cups grated cheese (I used a combination of Monterey Jack & Colby, but it would be great with Sharp Cheddar or Mozzarella also)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of Frank's Hot Sauce 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden.  If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
2. Chop the Pancetta and saute in a small fry pan until cooked. Drain oil & set aside.
3. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels or a clean dish towel.
4. Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the cooked Pancetta and the sliced basil over the tomatoes.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.
7. Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, from 25 to 35 minutes.
Serves 6

 
This week I am linking up to: Hodgepodge Friday, Friday Favorites, Feature Yourself Friday, Foodie Friday, Whipperberry, La Bella Vita, Made by You Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Homemaker Monday, This Week's Cravings, Today's Creative Blog, Take A Look Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Show & Tell, Trendy Treehouse, What I Whipped Up  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

Has there ever two flavors that go together as well as these two do?

Ever since I tried the recipe for the Snickers cupcakes, I've had all sorts of ideas for how to stuff other candy bars into my cupcakes and when I saw a post for peanut butter cup cupcakes over at My Baking Addiction I was so excited. It was as if she was inside my head...I've also been thinking about doing this and now I had no excuse except to try it out for myself!

Caleb enjoying the frosting!

The result was amazing!

These cupcakes were delicious and the little peanut butter cup baked into the middle is a great little peanut-buttery surprise. My son especially loved the frosting...I found him licking it off with a big smile on his face and then digging out the peanut butter cup to snack on! I hope that you enjoy them.

(The cupcake batter is the same doctored-up box mix from the Snickers cupcakes, just updated for the Peanut Butter Cups, but the frosting is new and peanut-buttery deliciousness!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Inspired by My Baking Addiction

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:
1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
24 frozen Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (must be frozen!)

Instructions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In stand mixer, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla and water.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
5. Gently push a frozen mini peanut butter cup into the center of the batter and smooth the surface making sure to cover the candy bar with batter.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.

Ingredients for the frosting:
3 sticks of unsalted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 lbs powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Instructions for the frosting:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and peanut butter on medium speed until fluffy. (About 2 minutes)
2. Slowly add your powdered sugar, thoroughly mixing after each addition.
3. Add vanilla and 4 tablespoons of milk (use more or less milk depending on what consistency you like). Blend on low speed until moistened.
4. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
5. Put frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired. I used the giant French pastry tip from Bake it Pretty and added 1/2 of a mini peanut butter cup to decorate.

Cupcakes will last for 2 days in a well secured container in the refrigerator. Any longer and they will start to get stale.

Cupcakes...they seem to be all around me lately! Every new recipe that I come up with seems to be centered around them...but don't worry, this will be my last post about them for awhile. I'm ready to try some new stuff! (And so are my friends and family's waistbands!)

Ps. Don't forget to enter my iTunes giveaway! It ends Sunday, April 17th.

I am linking this recipe up to: Fireflies & Jelly Beans, Transformation Thursdays, It's a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Social Parade, Hodgepodge Friday, Friday Favorites, Feature Yourself Friday, Foodie Friday, La Bella Vita, Show and Tell Saturday, Tatertots and Jello, Saturday Night Special,Meatless Mondays, Masterpiece Monday, Homemaker Monday, Strut Your Stuff, Motivate Me Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up, Made By You Mondays, Recipe Swap Sundays,Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Cupcake Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday's At The Table, Tip Me Tuesday, Get Your Craft On, Sweet Peas & Bumblebees, Whatever Goes Wednesdays,  

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

I am so excited that spring is finally upon us. It's been a long winter and I am ready for the sunshine and warmth that the spring brings. And the wonderful produce that comes along with the change of seasons!

One of my favorite things that finally starts showing up in the produce section of the local supermarket is fresh berries! The prices finally lower and I find myself buying whole flats of them. I use them for making fresh homemade jam, jelly, pies...just about anything that I can! So last week when the local market had strawberries at a great price I couldn't help myself from buying bunches of them. And I knew exactly what I was going to use them for (at least the ones that were left over after my husband and son found them in the fridge!)

All winter I have had a recipe rolling around in my head for cupcakes made with fresh berries. (See, I told you I was on a cupcake kick!) I knew that I wanted to use berries in both the cupcake batter and in the frosting and when I finally was able to make the cupcakes I was so very happy with the results. The cupcake itself was so light and fresh tasting, while the frosting turned out tasting like a strawberry milkshake! I hope you enjoy it!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Inspired by Paula Deen's Strawberry Cake

Ingredients for Cupcakes
1 package French Vanilla cake mix
1 package strawberry jello (3 oz.)
1 cup of fresh strawberry puree (from 1 1/2 cups whole berries)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Directions for Cupcakes
1. Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
2. Combine the cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down sides if needed.
3. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 3/4 full.
4. Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and spring back when pressed gently with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, place pans on wire racks to cool.

Ingredients for Frosting
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese at room temperature
4 tablespoons of unsalted
3 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree (about 3/4 cup fresh berries)

Instructions for Frosting
1. Blend cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add in 3 cups powdered sugar and the mashed strawberries. Mix on low speed until incorporated.  Increase speed to medium and blend until frosting is fluffy...about 1 minute. You may need to add up to 1/2 cup more sugar, if needed, to get a spreadable consistency.
3. Refrigerate, uncovered, until frosting sets, 20 minutes.

I frosted my cupcakes just using a disposable pastry bag with the tip cut off. (I couldn't find my large round tip!) You can also decorate with sprinkles and strawberry slices, if desired.

I am linking this up to: Idea Sharing Wednesday, Make It Yours Day, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Show & Tell, Creative Share Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Cupcake Tuesday, Fireflies & Jelly Beans, Transformation Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff, It's a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursdays,  Sweet Tooth Friday, Whipperberry, Foodie Friday, It's a Hodgepodge Friday, Tidy Mom, Friday Potluck, Friday Favorites, Foodie Friday , Feature Yourself Friday 

Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes

As I have been saying, I am completely and totally on a cupcake kick right now. So when my husband and I were invited to a St. Patrick's day party a couple of weeks ago I offered to make some cupcakes. Since this was an adult-only bash, I knew that the dessert needed to be some drunken cupcakes! And since it was an Irish party I knew that I needed to find a way to get my favorite liquor, Bailey's Irish Cream, into the cupcakes.

When I coming up with the recipe, not only did I find a way to add Irish Cream to it, but I also decided to fill it was a wonderful surprise: Irish Cream Chocolate Ganache.

The cupcakes turned out absolutely decadent and rich. And they were a hit at the party...Enjoy!


Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:
1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In stand mixer, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla and water.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.

Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate - chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons of Irish Cream

Instructions for Chocolate Ganache:
1. Heat the whipping cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate in a heat safe bowl.
2. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate,  microwave for 20 seconds and stir until melted.)
3. Add the butter and Bailey's Irish Cream and stir until combined.

Filling the Cupcakes:
1. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes)
2. Meanwhile, using an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom, about 2/3 of the way.
3. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Ingredients for Frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 small pinch of salt
2 lbs powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Instructions for Frosting:
1. In large mixing bowl whip butter until light and fluffy (a few minutes should do the trick)
2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, mixing well between each addition.
3. Add in the salt, vanilla, and Irish Cream with mixer at low speed until these ingredients are incorporated.
4. Beat frosting at high speed until it is smooth and fluffy.

I frosted my cupcakes with a Wilton 1M Star tip and garnished it with green sanding sugar. Cupcakes will stay fresh for up to two days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


I am linking up to: Blue Cricket Design,  The Trendy Treehouse, Sugar & Dots, Someday Crafts, This Weeks Cravings, bouffe e bambini: Handmade Hog, Night Owl Crafting, Fireflies & Jelly Beans, Transformation Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Simply Sweet Home, It's A Hodgepodge Friday, Feature Yourself Friday, WhipperBerry, Foodie Friday

Snickers Cupcakes

So lately I have been on a cupcake kick. A BIG cupcake kick. I have been sampling recipes I have found in the interwebs and from cookbooks. And let me tell you that I have been very popular with my co-workers, family and neighbors as they have been helping me by "sampling" what I have been making.

I found this recipe over at my favorite baking site, My Baking Addiction. They are incredibly easy to make and when presented they have a definite "WOW" factor! Everyone loved these cupcakes with a few people claiming that they were the best cupcakes that they have ever eaten.

The cupcakes are made with a cake mix, but are doctored up to be incredibly moist and dense. The surprise that you will find is the Snickers candy bar baked inside...making this cupcake a candy bar lover's dream! They are then topped off with homemade caramel buttercream frosting and garnished with more caramel and Snickers. YUMMY!

They are definitely a keeper and are something that I will pull out whenever I need to impress some guests...I hope that you enjoy them!

Snickers Cupcakes
Inspired by My Baking Addiction

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:
1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
24-30 frozen Snickers Miniatures (must be frozen!)

Instructions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In stand mixer, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla and water.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
5. Gently push a frozen Snickers Miniature bar into the center of the batter and smooth the surface making sure to cover the candy bar with batter.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.

Ingredients for the buttercream frosting:
3 sticks butter; room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup caramel topping; plus more for drizzling
12 Snickers Miniatures, cut in 1/2 diagonally to garnish

Instructions for the frosting:
1. Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract and caramel syrup and combine well.
2. Add the sugar in slowly, thoroughly mixing after each addition. For thicker frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.
3. Frost your cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M star tip for my cupcakes.
3. Garnish with Snickers bars and a drizzle of caramel of caramel syrup. Make sure that you add your Snickers bars to the frosting shortly after applying it or they will not stick in the frosting well.

(Cupcakes will last for 2 days in a well secured container. Any longer and they will start to get stale.)


I'm linking up this week to: Fireflies & Jelly Beans, It's a Keeper, This Week's Cravings, Prairie Story, Somewhat Simple,Tip Junkie, Cupcake Tuesday, Someday Crafts, Sweet Tooth Friday, I'm Lovin' It, Food on Fridays,Simply Sweet Home, Fingerprints on the Fridge, WhipperBerry, It's a Hodgepodge Life, My Romantic Home

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

This past holiday season,  I was looking for something very special to make for Santa when he visited our house. The recipe that I decided on was one that I had seen in a few different places over the internet throughout the year. It was a recipe for a decadent looking cookie that had all that I knew both Santa and I love...chocolate and caramel.

And let me tell you...these babies are Ah-maz-ing! They are moist, chewy and absolutely delicious...and, one of my favorite cookies from the past year. (If not one of my favorite's ever!) And, I for one know that Santa feels the same way!

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 cup Butter, Softened
• 2 ½ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¾ cups Baking Cocoa
• 1 bag Rolo Candies (12 Ounce Bag)
• ½ cups Sugar

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) In a large mixing bowl, blend 1 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, and butter.
3) In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and cocoa.
4) Add the flour mixture to sugar mixture very slowly until thoroughly mixed.
5) Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
6) While dough refrigerates, unwrap Rolo candies and place in a bowl.
7) Place 1/2 cup of sugar in a separate bowl.
8) Once dough is refrigerated, remove dough (one tablespoon at a time) and flatten slightly in your hand. Place a Rolo in the center and form dough around it. Roll into a ball with your hands, drop into the bowl of sugar, and roll to coat it. Place balls of dough on cookie sheet.
9) Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes or until center falls flat and dough crackles.

 

Coconut Chocolate Blondies

On a grocery shopping trip just before Christmas, on a whim I picked up a bag of sweetened flaked coconut. It is not something that I usually keep in my pantry...my husband and son are not fans of it. Me on the other hand, I absolutely love coconut. So when I needed to make one more goodie to finish up my yearly holiday baking gifts for friends and neighbors, this was the recipe that I immediately thought of. I had come across it a few months earlier over at Brown Eyed Bakers and I knew that I had everything in my pantry for it without having to go to store for anything!

I tweaked the original recipe a little and I think that they turned out great...but you really can't go wrong with a blondie recipe! It's the great thing about blondies, you don't need any fancy kitchen equipment. Just a wooden spoon, the ingredients and a couple of bowls. Easy to make, they always turn out awesome and they are a crowd pleaser.

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies 

Inspired by Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
• More Coconut-for sprinkling on the top of the bars.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine the flour and salt & set aside.
3. Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.
4. Slowly beat in the flour and salt mixture until just blended. Next, stir in the coconut and chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the pan. Make sure the batter is spread evenly, smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle extra coconut on top of the bars.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake the bars. Let cool slightly before serving. Cut the bars into squares and enjoy!

 



 



Tasty Tuesdays

Chocolate Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies

The holiday baking for this season seemed to go on, and on, and on...Usually my husband helps me, but he worked this entire weekend so it was just me and the little one doing our best to get it all done. I also have been feeling a little bit under the weather, so I definitely didn't do quite as much as I typically do each year. But I did get the chance to try a few new recipes that I have been collecting throughout the year.

The first of my new recipes was an easy little sandwich cookie. What I like best about the cookie is that it makes a great impression on anyone that you give it too and it is very simple to make because it is made with a boxed cake mix. You can dress it up like I did with some holiday sprinkles, or roll it in crushed peppermint candies for an even more festive touch. You can use store-bought frosting or make your own...it's completely up to you!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

For the Cookie:

• 2 whole Large Eggs
• ½ cups Vegetable Oil
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix, 18.25 Oz

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2) Lightly whisk eggs and oil in a medium bowl.
3) Mix in flour and cake mix until well blended.
4) Roll into 1 inch balls (squish them down a little to flatten) and bake for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5) Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Filling:
You can either make your own favorite frosting or use a store bought pre-made frosting. It's your choice!

I made my own frosting...here is my recipe for my favorite marshmallow flavored one!

• 1 package Reduced Fat Or Regular Cream Cheese, Softened (8 Ounces)
• 1 jar Kraft Marshmallow Creme (7 Ounces)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1) In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme and vanilla extract until well blended.
2) Spread about 2 Tablespoons of frosting onto the bottom of one cookie and then place another cookie on top, bottom sides facing in.
3) Repeat with remaining cookies and frosting.

Enjoy!

Buttons - A Kid-Friendly Holiday Recipe

Last night I began embarking on my annual Christmas baking. It is a huge endeavor. It is usually planned out for about a week. Shopping must be done. Lists must be made. And hours are spent in the kitchen. This year, however I have an extra pair of hands to help me. My little munchkin. He just loves to help mommy bake in the kitchen...mostly because he likes to taste test everything and lick the beaters. I don't blame him though...if the batter & frosting didn't go straight to my hips (and thighs...and belly...and ass) then I would be doing the exact same thing!

Since I have a little helper this year, I had to modify my usual list of goodies to include some items that are very kids friendly. Things that are easy for the little hands to help out with. The first of my posts about Christmas goodies is a little recipe called Buttons. It is a very simple (but yummy!) recipe that uses only 3 ingredients and your little ones will have so much fun making them!

Buttons

Ingredients

• 70 Round or Checkerboard Pretzels
• 70 Hershey Kisses
• 70 Red & Green M&M's

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2) Place pretzels on a baking sheet
3) Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss
4) Place in oven for 5 minutes to soften the kisses. (Note: the kisses will not lose their shape)
5) Press a M&M on top of each Kiss
6) Let your "Button" sit and the chocolate of the kiss harden back up. Enjoy!

These are really good and a great holiday project that the kids will have so much fun making. You can modify it for different holidays all year round! Use the red & pink M&M's for Valentines day; Use the Easter or Halloween ones during their seasons; Or you could use different types of Kisses (caramel, hugs, etc.) The possibilities are practically endless!

Enjoy!

Fudge Junior Mint Cupcakes

A couple of months ago I came across a recipe over on Picky Palate for her Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes and I knew that I wanted to someday make them. Because, as Kramer from Seinfeld says,  

"Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint -- it's delicious!"

So, earlier this week when I picked my son up from Preschool he mentioned that he had cupcakes for someone's birthday and that he wanted to make cupcakes at home with me...I knew that I had the perfect time to try this recipe out!

On our way home we stopped at Walgreens and picked up a couple of boxes of Junior Mints and away we went to have our cupcake adventure! We had so much fun and this is definitely a recipe to try with your kids...the will have a blast helping you stuff the insides of the cupcakes with Junior Mints. (All the while sneaking a couple for themselves!)

Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes

Adapted from Picky Palate

• 1 box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 Cup water
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 Cup sour cream
• 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Mint Chips*
• 3 4 oz boxes Junior Mints
• Favorite Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) In a stand or electric mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips.
3) Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until well combined and somewhat thick.
4) Scoop into 24 paper lined muffin cups.
5) Press 3 JR mints into the center of each cupcake center.
6) Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center.
7) Let cool completely and frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting & garnish with a Junior Mint.
Makes 24 cupcakes

*Note: The Dark Chocolate Mint Chips are a special holiday chocolate chip from Nestle Tollhouse

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

One of my husband's favorite treats are cinnamon rolls. I though, do not trust my expertise with anything that uses yeast. I always seem to not let things rise enough, or my yeast somehow does not activate. I'm never sure what goes wrong, but something always seems to be off whenever I do any recipe that involves yeast.

But knowing that my husband LOVES cinnamon rolls, I decided to try my hand at making them for him last week. And know that I hate cinnamon rolls. I actually dislike anything that has cinnamon in it. I don't know why, but the taste and smell of cinnamon gives me to heebee-jeebees...seriously it just is like nails on a chalkboard for me. But lucky for him, my love for my husband prevailed over my hatred of cinnamon.

And my luck when it comes to yeast has finally turned around. The rolls, while time consuming, were easy and turned out beautifully...And according to hubby this recipe is a winner! He loved the rolls and couldn't stop eating them. So, if you are looking for a great recipe to treat your family with for breakfast this holiday season, you should try this!

Cinnamon Rolls

For the Rolls

• 1 cup Warm Milk (110 Degrees)
• 2 whole Eggs Room Temperature
• ⅓ cups Butter Or Margarine Melted
• 4-½ cups Bread Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cups Sugar
• 2-½ teaspoons Yeast

For the Filling

• 1 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2-½ Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
• ⅓ cups Butter, Softened

For the Frosting

• 3 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• ¼ cups Butter, Softened
• 1-½ cup Powdered Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Directions
1) Dissolve yeast in warm milk.
2) Mix in sugar, eggs, salt and butter.
3) Add flour; mix well.
4) Knead dough into a large ball dusted lightly in flour.
5) Place in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6) Once dough is ready roll out the dough slightly on a floured surface and then let it rest for 10 minutes.
6) In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling
7) Roll the dough into a 16×21″ rectangle.
8) Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture.
9) Roll up dough, and cut into 12 rolls.
10) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
11) Place rolls in a lightly greased 13×9″ baking dish or two 9″ pie plates. Cover and let rise for an additional 30 minutes. *
12) Bake rolls in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
13) While rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.
14) Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.


*Note that unbaked rolls can be frozen. Just take them out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator the night before, and in the morning they’ll be ready for the oven. You can also make these ahead of time (like the night before). Just put them unbaked, in the fridge. In the morning, set them out for about 30 minutes before baking.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here's to a amazing holiday season!

Taco Soup

Last week I was feeling in the mood for some home made soup. Not because it was "soup weather" outside, 'cause down here in Arizona it is not even close to "soup" weather yet...it was 77 degrees out today, but because I just really wanted to "feel" like fall even though the weather wasn't cooperating with my fall feeling.

So I hit to the ol' facebook and proposed the question to all my fellow online friends, "I really want to make some soup...does anyone have a fabulous recipe that they would like to share with me?" And my facebook friends came through for me with lots of new recipes for me to try out...from butternut squash to a recipe for a guinness-based stew. Two different people posted recipe's for taco soups and while I didn't have all of the ingredients for either of them, it gave me an idea for a soup that I could throw together with ingredients that I already had at home. So throw something together is what I did...and it turned out wonderfully! Rich, hearty and full of flavor!

{Souper} Easy Taco Soup

• 1 15 oz. can of black beans
• 1 15 oz. can of corn
• 1 15 oz. can of chili beans (a mixture of pinto beans, tomato sauce, chili peppers, garlic & onions)
• 1 can of Rotel (mild or spicy...your choice)
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 1 16 oz jar of salsa (I used a medium flavored one)
• 1 1b Ground Turkey browned with Taco Seasoning

Directions: 

1) Open all cans and DO NOT DRAIN LIQUID

2) Place all ingredients (liquid and all) into a large pot and bring to a boil

3) Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. The longer it sits on the stove the more intense the flavors will be.

4) Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips if desired

My husband loved this soup and I hope that you do too! And a great big thank you to my FB friends...I will be trying out all of the recipes that you provided!

Frosted White Chocolate Eggnog Cookies

For those of you that know my family personally, you know that the two men of the household have a serious addiction to a certain holiday drink. That drink is eggnog. They just can't get enough of it and if I didn't put my foot down, they would drink it by the gallon on a daily basis. My husband keeps a lookout for it and picks it up at the first opportunity he gets and then he becomes my son's favorite for the next few weeks!

So when I came across a recipe for frosted eggnog cookies over on Picky Palate, I just knew that I had to make them! I dressed them up a little with some white chocolate chips and I became my son's favorite for finding a way to put eggnog into a cookie!


Frosted White Chocolate Eggnog Cookies
Adapted from Picky Palate

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg yolks
• White Chocolate Chips

1) Preheat oven to 300F.
2) In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3) In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.
4) Roll dough into balls and place 1″ apart on cookie sheet.
5) Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.
6) Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.
7) Once cool frost with Eggnog Icing and sprinkle with nutmeg

Eggnog Icing

• 3 C. confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
• 1/3 C. commercial eggnog + 2 tablespoons (or however much you need for desired consistency)

In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

If you are an eggnog lover, then you definitely have to give these wonderful holiday treats a taste! They are so amazing and will help you to get into the mood of the upcoming holiday season!

Enjoy!