Chocolate & Peanut Butter. Can there be anything better?

So good, and incredibly rich! I combined ideas from a few different recipes that I found to make these. I used a basic chocolate cupcake recipe that I have in one of my cookbooks, chopped up baker peanut butter cups and mixed them into the batter, made a cream cheese peanut butter frosting, topped them with a mini reeses' cup and then some milk chocolate shavings. Did I mention these were really really rich? Have a large glass of milk on hand if you decide to try out this recipe. It is required!



Animal print cupcake liners? YES PLEASE!



Chocolate Cupcakes:

(You can use any recipe for these or even a box but here is the recipe I used)

3/4 C. butter

3 eggs

2 C. flour

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 C. milk

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp. for 30 minutes & preheat oven to 350 degrees, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

2. In a large bowl beat butter with mixer for 30 seconds and gradually add sugar until combined. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in Vanilla.

3. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to butter bowl. *

4. Spoon into cupcake liners (in your pan) and bake for 18-22 minutes. Allow to cool before decorating.

* after all the ingredients were mixed well I used a spatula to fold in the peanut butter cup chunks.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Allow one 8 ounce package of cream cheese to stand for 30 minutes at room temp.

2. In large bowl beat cream cheese with 1/2 C. creamy peanut butter & 2 tsp. vanilla.

3. Gradually add 6* C. powdered sugar. Add milk 1 tsp. at a time until you reach the consistency you would like for spreading or piping the frosting.

* I did not use 6 C. of powdered sugar. I found the icing to be plenty sweet at 4 1/2!

Indulgence at it's finest!  

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Remember back in June when I was supposed to make Root Beer Float Cupcakes? And then remember that time that I made them and they were disgusting so I refused to even show you a picture? Well. I have found a recipe that redeems that attempt! These cupcakes were fantastic. This might sound weird but they had a spiciness to them, that wonderful spiciness that exists in root beer. 

Aren't they cute? The perfect little Root Beer Float!

Here is the recipe that I used, for all those of you who love root beer and need to try them out!

Ingredients:

1C. Root Beer Soda

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 C. sugar

1/3 C. canola oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. Root Beer extract (I found some through Watkins)

1 1/3 C. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt.

Preheat over to 350 F, and line muffin tin with 12 liners.

Combine soda and vinegar and let stand for a few minutes.

Add in the sugar & oil. Whisk until slightly frothy.

Add extracts, and gently add the flour along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Do not overmix (I really have no idea what this means but it's in the directions)

Fill cupcake liners approx. 3/4 full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes.

Now the recipe I used called for a vanilla buttercream frosting. I cheated. I bought a tub of cool whip, then using my cookie scoop (I heart my cookie scope) I put a blob of cool whip on top of the cupcakes. I also used these incredibly cute stripe paper straws to add a little flair.

If you are a Root Beer fan, I highly recommend these!

Cookies

It's no surprise that I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate (as will again be proven by some future posts), totally my vice. So when I was craving the fantastic combination last night, I just had to whip up these cookies. I'll admit, I cheated and used a Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix, but I love how quick they were, and oh so good! Melting chocolate, and the sweetness of a little sugar.... mouth watering right now & wishing I had thought to bring a couple to work to munch on.

Can I just say how much I love my double decker (can be triple) cooling rack!

Simplest cookies ever! 

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Follow instructions on Betty Crocker Peanut Butter cookie mix package.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls.

Coat in granulated sugar.

Place balls on parchment paper lined cookie sheet approx. 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes (I only baked them for 8)

While cookies are baking unwrap Hershey kisses.

Immediately after you take the cookies out of the over, place a kiss in the center of each cookie.

Allow cookies to cool & then enjoy the goodness! 

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

These were the September cupcake on my list. And they were yummy! I love strawberry shortcake as it is, but these are the perfect size and the fact that the frosting even has strawberry flavor to it made them that much better!

cutest liners ever! however difficult to tear into, so if you use similar liners, you'll need to cut a small slice in them so you can peel it off before you enjoy!

I found the recipe for these online, again, searching the images and deciding on which ones were most visually appealing. So here it is! Make them. You won't be sorry!

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

yields 12

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 C. plus 2 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 C. sugar

2 large eggs at room temp.

1 1/4 pure vanilla extract

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/4 C. vegetable oil

1/2 C. milk at room temp.

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, & vanilla on medium high with electric mixer until smooth and thickened slightly. (approx. 3 min.) Add butter & oil; beat until incorporated. 

4. Add dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating between additions. 

5. Fill liners 2/3 full & bake for 20-23 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

2 C. powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2 Tbsp. milk

strawberry jam

1. Beat butter until smooth.

2. Add icing sugar, vanilla, & salt. Beat on low until combined.

3. Increase mixer speed to medium and mix until smooth. Add milk & beat until light and fluffy. 

(approx. 2 min.)

4. Mix the frosting with strawberry jam (to taste)

5. Frost cupcakes, then top with fresh strawberries

Yum!

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Wow. I've been neglecting my blog! It's a sad thing, because it means not as much baking has been occurring. I had kind of a hectic August however, so I really didn't have time to bake. But I've made up for it in September! So check back over the next few days to see what I've been up to. I'm also doing another wedding cake in October so that is very exciting!

I made chocolate nutella cookies the other day and they were yummy! I didn't take any pictures, because they really aren't that much to look at, but here is the recipe. I found it at Our Best Bites. Great website. Look it up and be inspired in your culinary masterpieces. Simple and delicious!

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

2/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla if you can’t find or don’t like hazelnut extract)

1/3 cup Nutella*

1/3 cup milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed  until smooth. Add the extracts and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the Nutella and beat until smooth.

With the mixer running, add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk, mixing until combined completely, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix completely. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (and as long as 2-3 days). I would leave it longer than 15 minutes because I still found the dough to be a little sticky.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or sil-pat. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet, 2" apart
Lightly press the dough balls and  bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are crackly on top and soft, but starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow them to stand for about 5 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

* I want to try again with a little more nutella to make them a little more nutella-y. Or maybe spread a little nutella on one and top it with another cookie, to make little chocolate nutella sandwiches. Yum!
 
But there it is. Again, sorry for no pictures. Just picture in your mind small round brown cookies that are quite flat, and you really have no need for a picture! Have fun baking! And don't forget to check back over the next week, 3 cupcake flavors are going to be posted!

If you like Pina Coladas....

My cupcake list for the year is half done! If you noticed, June was supposed to be Root Beer Float cupcakes. Sadly, June did not allow me to make them. I was just too busy! I tried to make them and my July cupcakes in one day. Needless to say, sometimes recipes just aren't as good as they sound! So I will attempt the Root Beer Float cupcakes again with a different recipe. For now please enjoy these beautiful Pina Colada cupcakes. They were so yummy! I'm not the biggest fan of coconut, but the coconut is what really brought these cupcakes together!



And what is a Pina Colada without and umbrella & straw?



Pina Colada Cupcakes:

1 yellow cake mix
1/3 C. canola oil
1/4 C. water
1 tsp. artificial rum extract
1 can crushed pineapple (undrained)
3 eggs


Preheat oven to 350.
Combine cake mix, oil, water, rum extract, pineapple with juice, and eggs.
Beat on low for 30 seconds then on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Bake for 13-20 minutes.


Frosting

1 can of whipped vanilla frosting
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. artificial rum extract
1 C. shredded coconut

Add extracts to frosting and blend well.
Sprinkle with coconut. ( I actually toasted the coconut a
little first to give it a little color to stand out on the frosting)

Store covered at room temperature.

Enjoy! : )

Icing Roses

I made icing roses for the first time this past weekend. I was very happy with the result! I came across a little stress when I originally wanted to use a buttercream icing and the recipe I was using was not holding shape at all! It melted into a nasty little icing blob. So I decided to save some stress of attempting another buttercream icing and having the same issue by using royal icing. Royal icing is icing sugar, meringue powder, and a little bit of water. It is most often used as a glue when baking and also the icing of choice when flooding cookies. Royal icing is quite stiff and so by the end of my adventure with the roses, my wrist and forearm were killing me! But the results made up for the pain!

 The only other issue with using royal icing is that it dries rock hard. Still edible, but hard. I figure though, at times you need to give up on some aspects of what you were hoping for if you want the end result you desire. Visually these flowers were what I wanted them to be, and I accepted that.

I also did a basketweave application of buttercream icing that I had never done before. It made the cake look like a basket of flowers, which I though would be appropriate since this was a birthday cake for someone turning 90. When I was practicing the basketweave it looked like shredded wheat and it still does a little on the cake itself as well, but I was quite happy with the end result. The leaves were then piped in using the largest leaf icing tip I had to fill in the spaces and to actually make it look more like a basket of flowers. I personally think the cake turned out super cute. I hope it tasted as good as it looked! I have still yet to hear the verdict on that one...

I had also been commissioned to make 48 cupcakes to go along with the cake, since they only wanted a small cake. I was given free creative power over everything pretty much, the only thing was that they wanted flowers, and the cake had to be lemon. The cupcakes were chocolate and vanilla with buttercream frosting. Using rolled fondant (I love the Satin ice brand. It actually tastes good. Someday I'll get adventurous and make my own, but for now this works for me!), I cut out little flowers in white and pink, and put a pale pink sugar pearl at the center of each flower. I think they just added a little something to the cupcake. I also put the flower off center to give it a little more cuteness.

I had a lot of fun making these. Mainly because it gave me a chance to learn some new skills. I love being able to develop my abilities so that I can continue to do what I love doing.