Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Who can say no to a cinnamon roll?  With a simple box of yellow cake, this favorite morning treat became a top notch cupcake that won over my stomach and my new neighbors!  That's right, I moved :) to a beautiful home with an amazing kitchen that I still can't believe is really mine.  And nothing breaks in a new kitchen, especially one with gleaming white marble and shiny stainless steal, like the smell of warm yellow cake with a butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar swirl.  Topped with a smearing of cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of cinnamon, these cupcakes are just the excuse you need to have cinnamon rolls any time of day or night . . . breakfast for dessert or dessert for breakfast!

Ingredients
1 box        Yellow Cake (plus oil, water, and eggs according to box instructions)
1/4 cup     butter
1/3 cup     brown sugar
1 teaspoon  cinnamon (plus extra for deco)
1 can        Cream Cheese frosting

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners.
3.  Melt butter.
4.  Stir in brown sugar (packed tight!) and cinnamon until well combined-ish.

5.  Mix together cake mix, oil, water, and eggs according to box instructions.

6.  Fill cupcake liners a little less than half way.

7.  Stir the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar swirl just to make sure it's incorporated.

8.  Spoon about a teaspoon of the buttery, sugary goodness onto the cupcake batter, and swirl in with a toothpick.

9.  Fill cupcake liners the rest of the way with batter.
10.  Spoon and swirl another teaspoon of the cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter filling on top of each cupcake.

11.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

12.  You won't be able to let them all cool without tasting first, so just let most of them cool  :)
13.  Frost with cream cheese frosting and dust with cinnamon for the final touch.
14.  Enjoy!

Cake Batter Blondies

I won't make you admit it, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one whose guilty little baking pleasure is licking the batter out of the bowls.  These Cake Batter Blondies have a barely cooked, ooey gooey center that's just as tasty but a touch more lady-like than licking the batter bowl.  With a few cabinet staples and some quick stirs, this new go-to is ready to be shared (or not) and enjoyed!

Ingredients
1 box      Yellow Cake Mix
1/4 cup   Vegetable Oil
1             Egg
1/4 cup   Milk
1/4 cup   Rainbow Sprinkles
1/2 cup   White Chocolate Chips . . . plus an extra handful or two :)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Spray 8x8 baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper.
3.  Mix the cake mix and sprinkles together.
4.  Mix in the oil, egg, and milk.

5.  Spread batter evenly into baking pan.
6.  Sprinkle extra white chocolate chips over the top for a little decoration.

7.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden.
8.  Let cool for 20 minutes, or as long as you can take it . . . I can hardly make it to 10 minutes!
9.  Pour yourself a big glass of milk and try not to eat the whole pan in one sitting :)

A Favorite Drink Turned Dessert: Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

When a cup of lemonade won't cut it, a cupcake version of the sweet drink is just the thing!  My sister and I have never liked soda so lemonade has always been our drink of choice.  I was so pleased when our favorite drink made a very tasty cupcake that all my friends, soda lovers included, couldn't get enough of.  These cupcakes were even requested for a boy's baby shower despite their very pink color!  That pretty pink color is thanks to a splash of raspberry that adds an extra special pop to this summery drink turned cupcake.

 

Cupcake Ingredients
1 box     Lemon Supreme cake mix (plus oil, water, and eggs according to box instructions)

Raspberry Lemonade Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup     butter
2 cups      powdered sugar
Minute Maid Soft Frozen Raspberry Lemonade squeeze tube thawed for taste, color, and texture
Handful of thawed frozen raspberries, plus extra for decoration
* this frosting takes a lot of testing and adjusting to get just right, but it's very yummy when you do!

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners.
3.  Mix together cake mix, eggs, water, and oil according to box instructions.
4.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
5.  Bake for 18-21 minutes.
6.  Let cool, and taste one or two just to be safe :)
7.  Meanwhile, cream butter and powdered sugar.
8.  Slowly add thawed Raspberry Lemonade squeeze tube until desired texture, color, and taste.
9.  Mix in handful or so of thawed frozen raspberries for an extra splash of pink and flavor.
10.  Spread frosting over completely cooled cupcakes.
11.  Top each cupcake with a single pretty raspberry.
12.  Enjoy this sweet and tangy treat!

Back In Action

I'm baaack and ready to play catch up! Though I haven't been blogging, I have been baking and I'm anxious to share the sweets of the past few months.  In hopes of getting a little forgiveness for my absence here's a list of what I've been up to: thesis, thesis, thesis, a trip home for spring break, thesis, job applications, thesis defense, job interviews, got a job!!, graduation, apartment renovations, setting up my new classroom, packing, moving out of my apartment and into a new house in one weekend, summer trip home and to Hawaii, decorating my new house, and loving my first few weeks as a special ed. pre-k teacher...I think that about sums it up!  And if that doesn't work I can always get a doctor's note, well a dentist's note from my dad should work, right?!?
With all that behind us, let's get baking...and blogging too :)

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

I think Cookie Monster just might approve of these cupcakes.  Like him, I've had a special sweet tooth for cookies and cream lately, in fact a pint of Ben & Jerry's Milk and Cookies is waiting not so patiently for me in the freezer!  This cupcake recipe and all its questions have been brewing in my head and making my stomach grumble for quite a while-Cookies in the cupcake or just in the frosting? Cookies crushed in the batter or flat on the bottom?  With the help of my handy mom and sister, the final decision was crumbled cookies in the batter and in the frosting too! A little bit of cookie in every layer and bite of the cupcake.  I decided to not even make the next decision of golden oreos or chocolate oreos and just used both.  I paired each cookie with a box cake and some buttercream, then with a few smashes of the rolling pin and spins of the mixer I had a tasty cookie cupcake treat.

Chocolate Oreo Cake Ingredients
1box               Devil's Food Cake mix (plus oil, water, and eggs according to box instructions)
20                   Oreo cookies, chopped

Golden Oreo Cake Ingredients
1 box               Yellow Cake mix (plus oil, water, and eggs according to box instructions)
20                    Golden Oreo cookies, chopped

Cookies and Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup             butter
2 cups              powdered sugar
1 tsp                 vanilla
Milk for texture
14                     crushed Oreo cookies (chocolate Oreos for the Devil's Food and Golden Oreos for the Yellow cake)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners.
3.  Place 20 Oreo cookies in a large ziplock bag.
4.  Chop Oreos with the handle of a rolling pin, spoon, spatula, or whatever works!

5.  Mix together cake mix, oil, water, and eggs according to box instructions.
6.  Stir in crushed Oreo cookies.

7.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, making sure there are plenty of cookie chunks in each.
8.  Bake according to box instructions, staying on the lesser side of the time range.
9.  Let cupcakes cool and take a taste or two to make sure they're aok!

10.  Meanwhile, mix butter and powdered sugar together.
11.  Mix in vanilla.
12.  Add milk small amounts at a time until desired texture.
13.  Place 14 Oreo cookies in a large ziplock bag.
14.  Crush Oreos using a rolling pin.
15.  Mix in crushed Oreos.

16.  Spread cupcakes with cookies and buttercream frosting.

17.  Enjoy your cookies and cake all in one, and don't forget the milk!

Red Velvet Cookies

I am all aboard the red velvet train and was excited to try this cookie spin on the delicious cake.  Thanks again to Ms. Paula Deen for the inspiration and for emptying my fridge of butter!  These red velvet cookies required only a few ingredients and packed a definite red color punch.  Though the dough did need to chill and my hands ended up with a lovely red tint, these cookies were well worth the extra effort.  They were especially moist and super tasty.  Just like the cake, the cookies were not too sweet but had a decadent flavor with a touch of the traditional cream cheese frosting taste folded in.  A bonus, at least when I made them before Christmas, was the festive bright red color with a light snow of powdered sugar.  Christmas-time or any other time, I'm a fan of these cookies and they were a great, sharable version of the much loved red velvet cake.

Ingredients
1 block (8 oz.)             cream cheese
1/2 cup                     butter
1                              egg
1 teaspoon                vanilla
1 box                        Red Velvet Cake mix
Plus powdered sugar for rolling and dusting

1.  Cream together cream cheese and butter.
2.  Mix in egg.
3.  Mix in vanilla.

4.  Mix in the Red Velvet Cake mix.

5.  Cover mixing bowl and chill for about 2 hours (2 hours too long if you ask me, but that is a good time for tasting!).
6.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8.  Pour a cup or two of powdered sugar into a bowl for rolling the dough, refilling as needed.

9.  Roll dough into golf ball-sized balls with some help from the small ice cream scoop.
10.  Roll dough balls in powdered sugar.

11.  Place dough balls onto cookie sheets.
12.  Bake for 12 minutes.

13.  Let cool slightly, then sprinkle with powdered sugar for extra decoration and a touch of sweet.
14.  Enjoy the soft, gooey cookies and don't forget a glass of milk!

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Cookie

I may have missed Christmas by a week or so, and the house may be completely cleaned of holiday decorations, but there are still a few cookies remaining and in mourning of Christmas past I'll share the family cookie spread!  Every December my mom, sister, and I take on a baking extravaganza.  The kitchen is bustling like Santa's workshop as we make our way through the list of sugar cookies, biscotti, snow balls, fudge, molasses cookies and many more.  When we finish, each dessert is packed in a festive cookie tin and stored for snacking or displayed and delivered to spread the sweet holiday cheer.  Just like Santa and his sleigh, some parts of Christmas are left to magic and, with orders from the head lady, the recipes to the family Christmas cookie spread must also be kept under wraps!  Although, if you're related to a funny, smart, sporty and available guy you can send him my way and maybe someday you'll have one of these cookie displays on your family's Christmas table ;)  But, if you don't, I'm happy to share the pictures and draw out the holiday cheer just a little bit longer!

It's all in...a plate to share with the family!

the cut-out sugar cookie prep spread...

...and the final products-Santa and his reindeer, christmas trees and trimmings, candy canes, snowmen, and stars.

molasses cookies-soft and chewy with a great, rich flavor; 

always a hit with the uncles and granddads

snowball cookies-a snowy dusting of powdered sugar 

over a slightly nutty cookie bite

lemon tarts-sweet and tangy and a perfect pick-me-up

school cookies-we're not sure why they're called school cookies, 

but these festively colorful cookies are a fun and 

favorite Christmas treat

peanut butter balls-chocolate and peanut butter are 

even better with a holiday frost

butter tarts-brown sugary goodness; 

it's almost impossible to eat just one

lemon bars-these are one of my all-time favorites!

our famous fudge-the best I've ever had :)

Now for a couple treats that didn't make it to the display plates, partly because they're too good to share and also because they were just about gone before the platters even came out!

raspberry bars-mmm!

cranberry pistachio biscotti-red and green and oh so yummy!

Very Merry Christmas and Happy 2012