It’s Girl Scout Cupcake Time!

Who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies? Everyone seems to have a favorite whether it is This Mints, Trefoils, Tagalongs or my personal favorite, Samoas. Yum! Cookie, caramel, chocolate, coconut- the combination of flavors is just perfect together. Well naturally I wanted to turn my favorite Girl Scout cookie into a cupcake…so I did.

Cupcake: use your favorite chocolate cake recipe

Frosting: (www.wilton.com)

• 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups (approx. 1 lb) confectioner’s sugar sifted
• a few tablespoons of milk

1. Cream shortening and butter together until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides.
2. Add caramel and vanilla. Scrape down sides.
3. Add sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides after each cup.
4. Add in milk until you get desired consistency. Continue mixing until light and fluffy.

Toasted Coconut:

1. Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet.
2. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring the coconut around and watching closely so it does not burn. Allow to cool.

Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the caramel buttercream on just a couple cupcakes at a time. Cover the frosting with the coconut. You don’t want to frost all the cupcakes at once because if the frosting starts to dry the coconut will not stick. Once all cupcakes are frosted and covered in coconut, melt some chocolate in a Ziploc bag and drizzle on top.

These went quickly when I brought them into work. I have to say that I really enjoyed them, and they are actually one of my favorite cupcakes I’ve made!

Nutty Maraschino Chip Cookies: Cheating with Pre-made Dough

A couple of years ago an acquaintance of mine shared this amazing ‘recipe’ for making the most addictive cookies I have ever had using premade chocolate chip cookie dough. It was too simple not to try plus it included using maraschino cherries, a guilty pleasure of mine. I will forever be indebted to her. 🙂

Ingredients:

– Your favorite pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough

– One jar of Maraschino Cherries (or a basically a handful of cherries adjusting in the future for your preference and what you can actually get in the cookie)

– One bag of your favorite nuts to use  with cookies, crushed

Why yes, as a matter of fact I am a fan of generic brands. 😛

 

Directions:

I have found that though it can become quite sticky it is best to have your dough closer to room temperature so it is more pliable.

1. Chop up your cherries; they can be finely chopped or you can cut them in quarters.When making these I have always found the halves are still too big to work the dough over and it may create openings but feel free to give it a go with halved cherries if you like, it might work with a ‘jumbo’ type size cookie.

2. If you did not purchase pre-crushed nuts do so now. How small you want to get the crumbs down to is your choice, but it seems like they fall off when I leave them too big.

3. Create a bowl shape with your cookie dough to place the cherries then pull the dough over creating a ball shape.

4. Roll the cookie ball into your crushed nuts. I used walnuts here.

5. Place your cookie balls on a cookie sheet spaced as you normally would, and follow the cooking instructions on your dough’s packaging. I have found that while the cooking times usually work fine to get a browner cookie, you need to keep them in a bit longer (anywhere from 2-4 minutes). Just keep an eye on them.

I promise if you like maraschino cherries even a little bit you will find these cookies delightful. Perhaps you won’t gorge on them Cookie Monster syle the way I do, but I think you will be happy to indulge in one or two or ten.

What is your favorite easy peasy cookie recipe?

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Apparently, March is brownie month.  Earlier this month Renee posted about Nutella Brownies, and last year Mar posted a St. Patrick’s Day Brownie Cupcakes recipe.  Since my husband and I are trying to buy a house currently, we decided this year for Valentine’s Day we were going to nix gifts and just have a small celebration at home.  This year we didn’t even see each other on Valentine’s Day because of our work schedules.  So that night I made a special dessert that I knew my husband would love.  I thought about making a cookie cake with peanut butter cups in it, but couldn’t find an easy recipe to make on a work night, so Peanut Butter Cup Brownies were born.

I’ve since made these again for our monthly birthday celebration at work, and they were definitely a HUGE hit!

This is a very simple recipe, and only requires 5 ingredients

• Brownie mix of choice (the first time I made them I used Ghiradelli, which is my favorite brownie mix)
• Eggs (follow the amount listed on the brownie mix)
• Vegetable Oil
• Water (not pictured)
• Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups (chopped & whole)

Directions

1. Start by unwrapping and chopping up some of the peanut butter cups (I cut mine into quarters).  You’ll need some extras that are whole as well.
2. Mix your brownies as directed on the box (or if you are daring, according to the recipe you are following)
3. Fold your chopped Reese’s to the mix.
4. Place in the pan and bake half of the time listed for the mix or recipe you are following.
5. At the halfway point add your whole Reese’s to the top (the reason you want to bake it a bit first is so they don’t just sink down into the batter, you want them to stay at the top).
6. Finish cooking the brownies until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean (Renee has a great example of this on her post).

That’s it!  You now have a decedent dessert that didn’t take you long to prepare!  Enjoy!  Any other good brownie ideas out there?

 

Irish Cream Cupcakes

I know it is a couple days after St. Patrick’s Day, but Irish Cream tastes good all the time! I love a nice glass of Bailey’s over ice from time to time. When I saw Bailey’s creamer in the dairy section at the grocery store, I knew I had to try it out in a cupcake. This cupcake recipe gives you that Irish cream flavor without any of the alcohol, so they are pregnant woman friendly and kid friendly- score!

http://www.walmart.com

Cupcake Recipe:

I simply used Bailey’s creamer in place of the liquid in my go-to white cake recipe. Bake according to your recipe’s directions.

Irish Cream Buttercream recipe: (frosts about 16 cupcakes)

• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• about 1/2 cup of Bailey’s creamer

Directions: 

1. Combine butter and Crisco until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar alternating with the cream and scraping down bowl as necessary,
3. Add in vanilla.
4. Continue mixing at medium-high speed until fluffy. I think mixing longer gives the frosting a better texture.

The Irish Cream flavor of the cupcakes came out more as the cupcakes sat over night. It was not an overpowering taste, but it was definitely there. You could definitely make these with the real deal, but this way is safe for everyone to eat and also a little easier on the wallet. Slainte and enjoy!

Nutella 3 Ingredient Brownies or Muffins

I love nutella,  I love brownies, and I LOOOOVE easy directions with simple ingredients so it was a no brainer to repin a recipe for 3 ingredient Nutella brownies onto my Pinterest board. In case you haven’t experienced the heaven that is Nutella it is a chocolate and hazelnut spread. Almost two years ago I had never even tried Nutella preferring my chocolate in bar form.  After my daughter was born I was dropping weight fast, having a hard time keeping my calories up and since I was nursing I was also panicking that breast feeding would be affected. Since Nutella holds a lot of calories in one little spoonful (of course) it was added to my husband’s calorie packed grocery list. I found many things to be quite tasty dipped into nutella, strawberries, bananas, graham crackers, any crackers, chocolate chip cookies, a spoon, you get the picture I am sure.

The directions for the brownies were extremely straight forward:

Ingredients:

1 cup Nutella, 10 Tbs of flour, 2 Eggs

1) Mash ingredients

2) Pour into pan

3) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes(less time for muffins) or when center is done.

Yup pretty simple. This is what I did and how it worked for me. I did find the above directions pretty lacking.

I gathered my ingredients and tried to decide how I would mix. Typically I like to slowly add my dry ingredients to my ‘wet’ ingredients but I knew in this case the nutella and egg were not going to blend well so I began by mixing my egg and flour then slowly adding in my Nutella.

It was kind of a pain (to say the least)

For every gob of nutella I scraped into my mixture I thought “please don’t let me be wasting this entire cup of nutella on bad brownies.

I grabbed my mini muffin pan and very lightly coated with shortening followed up by dropping about a tablespoon and a half of mixture into each cup. I tend to fill my muffin tins level I don’t mind an overfilled muffin as much as I do an under-filled one though and so many baking directions tell you to fill  a muffin tin about 2/3 of the way I did not do that here and they came out perfectly fine size-wise, I did end up not filling my entire pan though.

I set my timer for 20 minutes  since I knew the muffins would bake quicker than a pan of brownie mix would and popped the pan into the center of my oven.  Around the 15 minute mark I decided to take a peek which immediately led me to testing out the center with a toothpick since they looked so done already.

The tootpick did not come out clean but I decided I would not leave them baking for much longer before testing again. I then lost track of time and just before the timer ran out I pulled the muffins out, tested and they were done. They do look pretty good, don’t they?

I did find them to be a bit on the dry side so  if I were to make them again I would set the timer for 15 minutes and test them more often or just make them in a 9 x 9 pan. Since they did not end up tasting all that chocolatey I have to wonder if some of the nutella I measured out was lost in the transition. I had  a hard time getting it all into mix and used three or four utensils to get it all in leaving quite a bit of nutella residue on each utensil. I also wonder if I should not have coated my pan since one of ingredients of nutella is a nut after all and perhaps it wasn’t necessary. They did pop out extremely easy.

Overall they were okay but nothing mind blowing (considering they were made out of Nutella). I will probably stick to using Nutella as a spread and using a box or from scratch for my brownies.

 

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

When my cousin Megan got married 3 years ago, I acted as her wedding planner. It was a destination wedding in South Bend, Indiana at her alma mater, Notre Dame. We crammed all the meetings with vendors into one weekend a few months before the wedding. We all met up there at the end of February and trudged from meeting to meeting in the slush and snow but at the end of our first day we got our reward- the cake tasting. One of the flavors we had chosen to taste from the bakers menu was Pink Champagne. Megan and I were so intrigued by the idea of champagne in cupcakes and we were not disappointed.

Those flavors stayed with me for months and on her wedding day, I was so excited for that cake. I kept telling myself that I was going to come home and try to make it but it was not until last year that I finally did. I wish that I could give you some awesome homeade recipe that I came up with but after trying to create my own, the best one that I have found is Betty Crocker’s. It is so easy and they are so yummy. For a week, my house smelled like sugar and champagne, which is a great combination.

Pink Champagne Cupcakes (recipe from Betty Crocker)

Champagne Cupcakes

• 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups champagne
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites
• 4to 5 drops red food color

Champagne Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup champagne
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 to 5 drops red food color

Garnishes

• Betty Crocker® pink decorating sugar
• Edible pink pearls

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
2. 2 In large bowl, mix dry cake mix and champagne. Add oil, egg whites and food color. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. 3 Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. 4 In medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with garnishes. Store loosely covered.

You can use any cheap champagne or sparkling wine that you want (and there will be leftover  to drink). This year I am taking it to the next level of decadence and making chocolate champagne cupcakes for Valentines. Wish me luck with that combination!

 

Chocolate Malt Ball Cupcakes

So this is an idea for a recipe that I had seen online various places. I kind of took from the internet and took from my own head, and I can’t say I was thrilled with the outcome. I was looking for something to taste like a Whopper, and these just didn’t. I used A LOT of malt powder in hopes that it would do the trick, but in the end they still tasted like a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. Don’t get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with chocolate, but I just had hopes for a different flavor.

Cupcake Recipe:

I added about 1/2-3/4 cup of malt powder to my chocolate cake recipe.

Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting (adapted from thatwinsomegirl.blogspot.com)

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• ½ cup malted milk powder (I added close to one cup)
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
• 5 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
• milk to get desired consistency (I usually use around 1/4 cup)

1. Mix butter and shortening until fluffy.

2. Add in malt powder and cocoa powder.

3. Gradually add in powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with milk, scraping down bowl when needed.

I don’t know what I could have done to get more of the malt flavor. I used almost the whole container of malt powder. Maybe it is my own fault for expecting a Whopper, but that is what I know of as malt flavor. Many people at work told me they loved these. I just didn’t get the flavor that I was hoping for. Do you have a suggestion as to how to get a more true malt flavor?

White Chocolate Buttercream

Like many people, I love chocolate. Unlike many people, I really love white chocolate. People say it is too sweet, and that is exactly why I love it. I have a killer sweet tooth, and white chocolate totally takes care of it. I had been planning on making peppermint cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream frosting for the holidays and needed to find a recipe. I am so thankful I stumbled on one that turned out perfectly light and fluffy just how I like. It tasted delicious with the cool peppermint cake, and I am already planning on trying it on raspberry cupcakes and a triple chocolate cupcake I’m working out in my head.

Recipe (from Comfortably Domestic blog):

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)
• Pinch of salt
• 6 oz. good quality white chocolate, chopped (NOT white chocolate chips or candy melts!)
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Put the chopped white chocolate into a small bowl. Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave set to 60% power. Stir after each increment, and continue to heat 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to completely cool.
2. Once white chocolate has cooled, sift the salt and powdered sugar over the butter in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar mixture together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Measure the whipping cream into a cup, and stir in the vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cream mixture the bowl.
5. Once the cream mixture has been incorporated into the frosting, fold in the melted (but cooled) white chocolate until incorporated.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes.

 

 

Egg Nog Cupcakes

Egg Nog is one of those foods/drinks that people typically love or hate. I am in the love camp. I look forward to the Christmas season when I see the thick, creamy treat come out. I knew in about July that I would be making egg nog cupcakes once the holiday season arrived. Let me tell you, if you love egg nog, you have to make these. I have not stopped thinking about them since I made them. The egg nog is in both the cake and frosting so you can fully taste it with each bite.

 

Cake Directions:

1. Using your best yellow cake recipe, substitute the liquid with egg nog. You can even use a box mix if that is easiest for you.

2. Add 1-2 teaspoons nutmeg. This is the key spice in egg nog.

3. Fill each liner half to 3/4 full and bake according to your recipe.

Frosting Directions (frosts at least 24 cupcakes):

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 sticks margarine
• 1/2 cup egg nog
• 1-2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 pound bag powdered sugar

1. Cream together shortening and margarine.

2. Alternate adding sugar and egg nog scraping bowl down often.

3. Add vanilla and nutmeg. You may want to add more nutmeg to taste.

4. You may have to add more egg nog to get the desired consistency.

Once I get the consistency I like, I let my mixer go for a few minutes at a pretty high speed. I find this makes the frosting so fluffy.

If you are an egg nog lover you need to make these! I added a sprinkle of nutmeg on the top of each cupcake. I think it adds something a little extra to an already delicious cupcake. Happy Holidays!

 

Virtual Cookie Exchange – Some Favorites from Some Wives

From Teresa:

Maple Wafers with Maple Frosting

(makes about 2 dozen)

I got this recipe from my Mother-in-Law.  This was a favorite of both of her sons growing up.  And I did learn how to make them by watching her for a few years. They are a fairly quick cookie to pull together.

Maple Wafers:

 

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (must be real)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Melt butter (you can do this in the microwave). Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup (we keep ours in the fridge so I microwave it for like 15 seconds just to take the chill off).  Add egg and milk and mix well.

Sift together dry ingredients.  Add to maple syrup mixture and blend well.  Chill thoroughly, so the batter thickens.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2″ apart onto lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies and cool on racks.   When cool, spread with Maple Frosting.

Maple Frosting:

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp imitation maple flavoring
• hot water (I use boiling water, the hotter the better)

Directions:

Heat butter until lightly golden brown (again this can be done in the microwave). Stir in sugar and maple flavoring.  Add hot water 1 tbsp at a time til frosting is thin enough to spread smoothly on wafers.

Tip: The frosting cools/hardens fairly fast so frost cookies quickly.  It’s best to constantly stir the frosting and use a spoon to just spoon the frosting over the cookies.  If the frosting starts to thicken before you finish frosting all the cookies, add more hot water or stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to heat it up again.

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From Summer:  

Paula Deen’s Monster Cookies

(makes 3 dozen)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies (I used the red and green Christmas M&Ms)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake (That’s Paula saying that – my oven personally, needed 12 minutes – I say do a batch at this 10 minutes and see what happens then you’ll know for the second pan – my first batch was a little gooey). Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool (this is key). When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

SO easy and yummy. If you’re taking them to a cookie exchange make sure people know there’s peanut butter in them!

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From Kim:

Russian Tea Cakes a.k.a Mexican Wedding Cookies

 

(makes about 4 dozen)

Ever Since I was little, this has been my go-to cookie to bake,since you really can’t mess it up!! (I burn Mac and Cheese! I’m not a great cook!)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (I use pecans!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla then gradually add the 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, measure, then sift again with the salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture. Add the pecans and mix well.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly using the bottom of a glass, then bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and roll in powdered sugar while still hot. Cool on wire racks and roll cookies again in powdered sugar in before serving.

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From Kathy:

Raisin Cookies

(makes about 40 cookie)

My mom made about a billion of these cookies every year at Christmas time. She still makes some, but only enough for my dad to have as a treat. They are the only form of food in which I would ever eat a raisin, so, raisin-haters, don’t be wary…

These are a “cakey” cookie, and I get rave reviews every time I attempt to recreate her go-to christmas cookie. Not sure the original source…

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper

Boil raisins in water for 5 minutes.  Cool.

Cream shortening.  Add sugar and cream well. Add eggs, vanilla and raisins.  Stir in dry ingredients.

Drop from dessert spoon onto greased baking sheets.

Bake 12 – 15 minutes

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From Shaina:

Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes about 5 to 6 dozen)

This recipe is from a book my mom bought 20 years ago that featured a ton of various chocolate chip cookies.  I’ve done several variations over the years and the recipe can also easily be halved.

• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulate sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed (light also works)
• 3 large eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips

During the holidays I substitute:

• 2 cups white chocolate chips (for the regular)
• 1 cup craisins

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir in sifted ingredients.

Gently stir in chocolate chips and craisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  When edges begin to brown, remove cookies from oven.  Allow to set for a few minutes on the pan, then gently move to cooling racks.