One Pan Magic Cookie Bars

I have VERY fond memories of this recipe. It has always been one of my favorite treats throughout childhood. In fact, I loved it so much, that in my 6th grade speech class, when we had to give "How To" speeches, I taught the class how to make these delicious bars. They are easy enough to let your kids join in (or even make them on their own), and they are easily adaptable to your personal tastes.



ONE PAN MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup flaked coconut
2-3 cups "toppings" (see below)


Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place stick of butter in the pan, then put the pan in the oven so that the butter will melt.

Pour the graham cracker crumbs over the butter evenly, and press into the pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with your toppings of choice and the coconut.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Toppings: One of the BEST parts of this recipe is how adaptable it is. For the bars pictured, I used about 1 cup white chocolate whips, 1 cup semi-sweet chips and 1 cup of M&Ms. Other wonderful toppings I've used include butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, reeces pieces, etc. Mix & match to suite your tastes.

ENJOY!

Samoa Girl Scout Cookies

Growing up, I was a Girl Scout for many years. I was always a shy girl, making cookie season difficult for me - I hated going door-to-door to sell cookies! Needless to say, I never won any top seller awards!

Since I moved out after graduating high school, I rarely get girl scout cookies any more. I don't have any friends with kids (or at least, kids old enough to be in Girl Scouts!), and while there are occasionally lists at work to buy off of, I'm in a different unit or hospital every month, making it difficult to pick them up if I were to order.

Because I've missed my favorite cookies sooooo much, I decided to make my own this year! Growing up in the Midwest, they were always called Samoas. (Here in the New England, everyone calls them Caramel deLites). These were a very close substitution for the boxed version, and were quickly devoured at work. (I particularly enjoyed cleaning out the bowl that I made the topping in - yum!)



Samoa Girl Scout Cookies Clone (From Once Upon a Plate)
Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
up to 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, next, the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk only as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (you may not need any at all). The dough should come together into a soft, pliable ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough seems sticky.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness (or a little thinner), using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined (or on silicone mat) baking sheet. Repeat until the dough is used up (it's okay to re-roll, this dough is shortbread-like and very forgiving.)

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are very lightly golden brown around the edges.

Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, to allow them to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-ounces chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
8 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F)

Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Watch carefully, especially near the end of toasting time; the coconut toasts very quickly once it begins to become golden.

Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 teaspoons per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it begins to firm up, to make it soft and spreadable once again.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

After an almost 1 month (oh my!) hiatus, I'm finally on to the third popcorn in my buffet. This was another sweet popcorn - very sweet, and used one of my favorite flavor combinations - peanut butter with chocolate! Yum! Personally, I think it's better than a peanut butter cup!

I recently had a wonderful, relaxing vacation (where I learned how to make some amazing, refreshing drinks - I'll try to share them this summer when it warms up here!) As I'm now refreshed & rejuvenated, I'm hoping to get back to more consistent blogging. I miss all of my baking! (And the nurses are asking what I plan on baking next - I think it's a hint!)



CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN (Adapted from One Ordinary Day)

10-12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)
2 pinches of salt

chocolate chips for drizzling

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stir corn syrup and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Be careful - this is hot! Pour mixture over popcorn and stir to coat. Pour popcorn onto baking sheet and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes. Spoon popcorn onto wire rack covered with waxed paper or parchment paper. Allow to cool completely. Melt chocolate chips in microwave, being careful not to scorch. Drizzle over popcorn and allow to set. Break popcorn into pieces. Store in airtight container.

ENJOY!

Valentine's Cake Truffles

"Cake Balls" are definitely not something new in the blog world. I've seen various adorable varieties for a few years. However, I haven't tried making them until now. I wanted something quick & easy to make to share with my new interns & medical students. These definitely fit the criteria!

I can't remember the last time that I made a boxed cake mix! Back when I used to decorate cakes for family & friends (10+ years ago) all I would make were boxed cakes, as every cake recipe I tried failed. I'm so glad that I've graduated from boxed cake mixes! While they aren't awful, they are always soooo domed compared to most homemade ones.

Anyways, even though these were incredibly simple to make, they were thoroughly enjoyed by all! (And one of my attendings probably had at least 5 of them during the afternoon). There are numerous flavor options - I used a chocolate fudge cake mix & fudge frosting for a chocolatey treat.



Cake Truffles

1 cake mix, baked as instructed on the box
1 can of prepared frosting
Chocolate Bark / Candy Coating

Crumble up cake in bowl of mixer. Add canned frosting & mix until well combined. Place bowl in the fridge & cool for a few hours.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop up approximately 1 inch balls, and place on a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper. Place in the freezer for 2+ hours.

Melt coating per manufacturer instructions. Coat balls with chocolate coating & place on waxed paper to cool. Decorate as desired with sprinkles or additional colors of coating.

Happy Valentine's Day!

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I'm not one for "cakey" brownies/blondies/bars. If I want cake, I'll make cake. When I saw this recipe, I could tell by the photos that this would be a bar I like - dense & chewy! These were fantastic! They were very quick to whip up (which is great, when I get the urge to quick make a treat to bring the work the next day... after I've finished my presentation at 11PM that night!) Not only are they easy to make, they store well in a tupperware - it's now 4 days after I made them, and they still are soft & chewy.



CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS (Adapted from Eat at Allie's)
Makes 9x13 pan

2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Mix the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Press the batter out into the prepared pan.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, about 22-24 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes

Carmel Pecan Candies (AKA "Turtles") had always been a special treat in my household while growing up. They were my mom's favorite candy, and if we were lucky, we'd get a bite of her cherished treat (she often got large boxes of them for holiday presents). I love the chocolate/pecan/chewy caramel combination & knew it would make a fantastic cupcake flavor. Plus, it gave me another opportunity to find a chocolate cake recipe that I really liked. (I liked this better than the Hershey's recipe that so many love). And, it gave me another opportunity to use the tasty dulce de leche that I've made a few times this year. I used the same frosting for this as I did for my Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche Cupcakes.



Chocolate Cupcakes (From Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2010)
Makes 12-15 cupcakes

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Place chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl, and pour hot coffee over the mixture. Whisk until smooth, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, 20-30 minutes.

Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake until cupcakes are set and firm to the touch, 17-19 minutes. Allow to cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


DULCE DE LECHE BUTTERCREAM (Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup prepared dulce de leche

Cream together butter and dulce de leche on low using an electric mixer. Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat to incorporate.

Frost cupcakes as desired. Garnish with drizzles of chocolate syrup & dulce de leche (slightly melted), and top with a half of a pecan.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

When I was young, we would often make long trips to see my grandparents on the weekends (depending on where we lived at the time, it may have been up to 10 hours!) In late elementary, we lived about 4 hours away from my grandparents. Half way there, we would pass through a town with a Perkins, where we would always have dinner. Before I learned how much I loved their Omelets with a Raspberry & Cream muffin on the side, I was dedicated to my chocolate chip bear pancakes.

I rarely make chocolate chip pancakes, as they seem a little bit too much like dessert for my husband (although I LOVE having chocolate for breakfast). These brought back fond memories of my trips to Grandpa & Grandma's house, even though I didn't shape them into a bear.




CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES (Adapted from All Recipes)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and oil; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown. Keep warm.

ENJOY!

This recipe participated in Sweets for a Saturday

Coconut M&M Blondies

These were another treat for my treat-loving father. I made these at his place, and it wasn't long before they were stored away in the freezer, hidden from sight, and counted daily to be sure no one was getting into them without permission! (He must not have learned how to share in Kindergarten!)

These were very tasty (especially if you don't think about all the butter in them!) They are easy to dress up with seasonal M&M's - I loved the colors of the harvest ones.



COCONUT M&M BLONDIES (From Eat at Allies)

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 (12 oz.) bag M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick spray.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Allow the butter to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars.

Stir in eggs, vanilla and salt. Add flour & stir until just combined.

Add the coconut and M&Ms, and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the blondies cool completely before slicing into squares.



ENJOY!

Caramel S'More Cups

I usually love to make things from scratch. However, sometimes, we all just need something quick to whip up when we are busy. This is one of those treats. They were quickly devoured at work, but took me only a few minutes to make. No one guessed that the base came from a box. (Although, it would be easy to substitute your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe - again, I was limited on time!)

The recipe originally called for Rolos, but I couldn't find any. Plus, the caramel in the Kisses is a little softer & made for a nice, gooey center.



CARAMEL S'MORE CUPS (Adapted from Betty Crocker)

1 package of chocolate chip cookie mix, mixed as directed on box/bag
Caramel filled Hershey's Kisses
8-12 large marshmallows, cut in half
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

Make cookie dough as directed on package, using butter and egg. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 1 ball into each muffin cup.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven; firmly press 1 kiss (point down) into center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each with 1/2 of a large marshmallow. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen edges of cookie with small metal spatula and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.

Place chocolate chips in small dish. Microwave on High about 1 minute or until softened. Put into a ziplock bag, with a small corner cut off. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over marshmallows. Let stand until hardened, about 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

S'more Cupcakes

I think I've said this before, but this may be my new favorite cupcake! I haven't had the opportunity to have S'mores this summer, and while nothing will take the place of a slightly charred, melted marshmallow with chocolate & graham crackers, this is a very close second! You can definitely taste the three components of these cupcakes, and they are just as messy to eat as the original! (It's probably best to eat with a fork!)

I wasn't thrilled with any of the marshmallow frostings I could find online - I didn't want a meringue as it was 95 degrees out & I knew it wouldn't tolerate the walk to work. The recipes I found online that included fluff (which I felt would give it a real "marshmallow" flavor) were very thin. I have no idea how the bakers got beautiful swirls with the very runny frosting the recipe made! A little experimenting, and I found a delicious, appropriately messy frosting!



S'MORE CUPCAKES

Graham Cracker Cupcakes (Adapted from Vanilla Garlic)
Makes 12-16 cupcakes

1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (Approx 1 sleeve)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder


Preheat your oven to 350F. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

Beat the butter for about 30 seconds until well creamed. Add the sugar and mix for 3 minutes using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to beat for 30 seconds for each egg.

Mix together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and baking powder. Add about 1/3 of the mixture to the butter mixture, then add 1/2 of the milk. Continue to add the ingredients in a dry-wet-dry method, ending with the dry. Continue to mix until just combined.

Scoop into cupcake papers, filling 3/4 of the way full (they don't rise much). Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Chocolate Frosting (used as filling, from Our Best Bites)
Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1 cup real butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Optional: Additional cocoa powder as needed

Melt your chocolate chips and set aside to cool. Try to get it close to room temperature and still have it be soft and stir-able.

In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil 1-3 minutes or until thickened like a thinned pudding. Remove pan from heat, and cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer.

When chocolate flour mixture is cooled, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture until well combined fluffy, about 1 minute. Finally add in melted chocolate and beat again until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. If desired, add additional cocoa powder (or powdered sugar) to taste, up to 4 tablespoons more.


Marshmallow Butter Cream

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
16oz container Marshmallow Fluff

Beat butter & 1 cup of the sugar until light. Add 1/2 of the fluff, and beat until combined. Add the other 1/2 of the fluff, again mixing until combined. Beat in flour, and an additional 1-2 cups of the sugar until it is the sweetness & consistency you prefer.


TO ASSEMBLE:
Cut a hole in the center of the cooled cupcakes (using the cone method). Fill generously with chocolate frosting. Frost with marshmallow buttercream. (If the weather is warm, the frosting may spread some - I would recommend not piping the frosting all of the way to the edge). Garnish as desired.


(See, nice & messy!)

ENJOY!

Snicker's Cupcakes

While I've always like Snickers, I'm not sure that I'd rank these at the top of my cupcake list. The concept of a Snicker's Cupcake is a great idea. (Snickers are wonderful in most things - I make an awesome Snicker cookie at Christmas, and I LOVE Snicker Blizzards). However, the cupcake itself didn't impress me. Many people in the blog world seem to love the Hershey's chocolate cake recipe. While it was VERY light & moist (I'd be scared to make a layer cake with it!), mine sunk quite a bit after baking. Maybe I did something wrong, but I think I'd use a different chocolate cake recipe next time. And, although I'm critical of the cupcakes, they quickly disappeared, so I don't think all of my taste testers minded that they were a little flatter than I had hoped!)



SNICKER'S CUPCAKES (From Homemade By Holman)

HERSHEY'S PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE CAKE
Makes approx 36 cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder & baking soda in a large boil. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on low until just incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat two minutes. Stir in boiling water. NOTE: the batter will be thin!! (This is by far the thinnest batter I've made/used) Transfer batter to prepared pans, filling each liner about 1/2-2/3 of the way full.

Bake approximately 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans about five minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fill cupcakes with caramel ice cream topping, if desired.




CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup caramel sauce (I used ice cream topping)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Mini Snickers bar for garnish

Beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. Add caramel sauce, heavy cream and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated to reach the right consistency. Increase speed to medium-high and whip about one minute until light and fluffy. Frost as desired.

Garnish with Snicker's pieces (I chopped into small slices).

ENJOY!

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

Nothing is worse than being on call on your birthday. I swear the pediatric chief residents have our birthday schedule, and put everyone on call on their birthday! (What's even worse is when there is a 2 hour code on your birthday call shift.....)

Anyways, I've been trying to make cupcakes for people when they are on call on their birthdays. I made the Carrot Cupcakes for one of my senior residents last June when he was on call on his birthday. For my birthday, I made the delicious Oreo Cupcakes.

This time around, I made these wonderful Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes. My colleague was on call in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit on her birthday (and call in the PICU can be tough - she didn't get any sleep!) She said chocolate raspberry was one of her favorite combinations, and I've been wanting to try out this recipe. (I've made a different Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake last spring - I don't know if I could pick a favorite between the two).



I hope she enjoyed these cupcakes as much as the nurses & other physicians did. I've had a great few weeks working with her & hope her next birthday can be spent with family & friends instead of patients!



RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES (Adapted from Annie's Eats)
Makes Approximately 24 cupcakes

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

9 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a small bowl sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Stir in the coffee and milk, and mix until combined. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


RASPBERRY FILLING:

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor. Place in a saucepan. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch, and heat, stirring frequently until the mixture boils. Once it has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Cool to room temperature before using.

Once cupcakes & filling are cool, inject 1-2 tsp of filling into the cupcakes. I used a regular cake decorating tip to inject into the cupcakes - they are light & airy, so there is no difficulty with this step!




RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and jam in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and jam. Let stand for about 3 minutes. Whisk together gently until smooth. If any unmelted lumps remain, microwave a few seconds and whisk again. Let the ganache cool a bit until it has thickened slightly. Spread a small amount onto each filled cupcake.



RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
3/4+ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream on medium-high speed until well incorporated. Add the powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments and mix until smooth after each addition. Tint with icing color as desired.

Frost cupcakes as desired.



ENJOY!

Graham Cracker Toffee

I wanted a quick treat to make & bring to work to share. (I also wanted to use up some of the ingredients in my pantry). This recipe fit the bill for both. It was an easy way to make "toffee," although I overbaked mine for about one minute - they were just a tad dark. Keep a close eye on them while they are in the oven!



Graham Cracker Toffee (From Kitchen Parade)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 chocolate or plain graham crackers (half a 14-ounce box)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts (or other nuts), chopped

Preheat oven to 375F.

Melt the butter, brown sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook until smooth, about five minutes, stirring frequently.



Meanwhile, line a 15x10 rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the sheet, breaking to fit as necessary.



Pour the butter mixture over the crackers, spreading evenly and completely covering the crackers.



Bake for 10 minutes.

Scatter chips evenly over top, return to oven until chocolate softens, 2 – 3 minutes. With a spatula, spread melted chocolate evenly over the crackers. Sprinkle nuts evenly over top the chocolate.

Cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to freezer for 15 minutes. Remove foil, then break crackers into pieces (about 1 1/2 inch squares).

ENJOY!

Whopper Cupcakes

These cupcakes bring me back to my childhood. Not only have Whoppers always been one of my favorite candies, they make the best DQ Blizzards. 20 years ago, all Dairy Queen's had Whopper blizzards, and they were one of my favorites. Now, they are few & far between. Sometimes, it's even hard to find Whoppers.

These were amazing. The malted frosting tastes just like the middle of the Whopper. One of my attendings at the hospital, who usually scrapes the frosting off of cakes, devoured it, so it's gotta be good!



WHOPPER CUPCAKES (From Sugar Cooking)
Makes 32 cupcakes

CHOCOLATE MALT CUPCAKES

1 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup cocoa poweder
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2/3 cup of malted milk powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk

Adjust oven to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard size muffin pan with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a double boiler over barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.

Whisk flour, malt powder, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream & milk until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and finish cooling on a wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing.

VANILLA MALT BUTTERCREAM

1 cup butter (room temperature)
2/3 cup malt powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
6 – 8 cups confectioners sugar

Beat butter on low speed

Add in malt powder, vanilla extract, milk, and 4 cups of sugar. Beat on low speed for 1 minute.

Add in remaining sugar 1 cup at a time and beat on medium speed for a few minutes.



ENJOY!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Who doesn't love the chocolate/peanut butter combo? I know that my husband & I both do, along with everyone who helped me eat the cupcakes. From the outside they look delicious, but little do you know when you take your first bite, that they are filled with a peanut butter goodness, kind of like a peanut butter cup. I would highly recommend making these for any PB cup lovers you may know!



CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES (Adaped from Proceed With Caution)
Makes 24 cupcakes

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 tbsp. butter, room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter (used closer to ¾ cup – adjusted to taste)
3¼ cups confectioners' sugar (used just under 4 cups)
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth and well blended. Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.



ENJOY!

Chocolate Double Caramel Cupcakes

One of my colleagues, who loves to taste my cupcakes, has been requesting something with chocolate, and maybe some caramel, for quite some time. (My fruit-flavored cupcakes don't seem to satisfy his sweet tooth!) To celebrate one of his last days in clinic before his move out West, I decided to try out a recipe that I hoped would meet his expectations. I'm pretty sure they did - he quickly devoured 2 in a few hours! Even my hubby, who isn't a huge fan of sweets, has eaten more of these than I have. While these have a few steps to complete them, they are actually very easy. (Sorry they use a cake mix - that was actually part of the reason they are so easy! Making the mix with sour cream helps them taste less like a boxed mix)



CHOCOLATE DOUBLE CARAMEL CUPCAKES

Easy Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes (From Recipe Rhapsody)

1 dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Mix the cake ingredients on medium for two minutes, scraping sides of bowl. Fill muffin cups 1/2 – 2/3 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of largest cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for five minutes, then remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.



Caramel Icing (Adapted from Piece of Cake)

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
5 tablespoons butter, cut into a few chunks
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Put the dark brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium saucepan, and melt them together over medium heat, stirring often.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the milk and vanilla. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dump in the confectioners' sugar all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until the icing is thickened and smooth.

Quickly ice the cupcakes by holding each by the base and dipping the tops in the hot icing, rolling them slightly to coat evenly. Turn them quickly upright so the icing will even out while it's still warm and will set smoothly. (I kept my stove on the very lowest setting - it's a gas stove, and there was barely any flame visible. It was just enough to keep the icing from setting while working with it).



Whipped Caramel Ganache (From Recipe Rhapsody)

1 c sugar
1 ½ c heavy cream
1/8 t salt
1 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb (4 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened

Make a dry caramel with the cup of sugar by putting it into a large saucepan and setting it over medium heat. When the bottom starts to melt and the sides turn brown, start pulling the melted sugar toward the center. Continue doing this, constantly pulling & stirring, until all the sugar is melted and it has turned a deep amber color. Remove from heat.

While the sugar is melting, take a minute to bring the cream to boiling and then remove from heat.

Immediately pour the hot cream into the burnt sugar as soon as you remove it from the heat. It will bubble like crazy (so be sure to use a large saucepan!), but just keep stirring until all the caramel is dissolved into the cream. If some of the caramel seizes up, put the saucepan back on medium heat and stir, stir, stir, until all the caramel is dissolved and you have a thin, smooth mixture.

Let the mixture sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, measure your chocolate into a metal or glass bowl. Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate and allow to sit for a minute before stirring. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Allow to sit until the mixture is room temperature, about fifteen minutes. You can pop it in the fridge to speed the process, stirring every few minutes. (I actually found it works best to put it into the fridge so that the bowl is slightly on the cold side - it whips better that way)

With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter into the caramel ganache on low speed and then increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is thickened and lighter in color, about 3-5 minutes.

(The original author notes that the ganache frosting freezes well in an airtight container - she's kept it up to a year in the freezer!)



ENJOY!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

These are another one of the cupcake flavors that got me many marriage proposals (the first were my carbomb cupcakes). Lucky for my hubby, I'm happily married. But, it definitely shows that the way to a person's heart is through their stomach! These are 100% worth all of the effort. One of the most moist & decadent cupcakes I've ever tasted.



CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CUPCAKES (From Sweetest Kitchen)
Makes 24 cupcakes

CUPCAKES

1 cup + 2 TBS unsalted butter
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
(I used Hershey’s special dark chips)
2 – 2 ¼ cups raspberry jam, seedless if desired
1 ½ cups caster sugar
pinch of salt

4 large eggs, beaten

2 ½ cups self-raising flour
½ tsp Chocolate flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place cupcake papers in the muffin tin.

Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the raspberry jam, sugar, salt, eggs & flavoring. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated stir in the flour.

Scrape and pour into the baking cups, and bake for 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before taking out and cooling completely.

RASPBERRY WHIPPED CREAM
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white sugar

½-1 cup lightly sweetened raspberry puree, strained if desired

In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat only until soft peaks form. Add the sweetened raspberry puree a little at a time, and beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Taste and fold in more sugar or puree, if required.

Cut a cone out of each cupcake (like the carbomb cupcakes), and fill with whipped cream, making sure the top is smooth with the surface of the cake.

You will have plenty of whipped cream left - grab a spoon & enjoy!

GANACHE FROSTING
Makes enough to lightly frost 24 cupcakes

2/3 cup dark chocolate
 pieces
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream cream

24 fresh raspberries, optional

Place chocolate pieces & cream in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and then whisk – by hand or electrically – till thick and smooth. Cool until thicken enough to stay in place on cupcake, stirring every 20-30 minutes.

Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon, and stand a raspberry in the center of each.



Enjoy!

French Silk Pie

French Silk Pie is one of my hubby's favorite desserts. I think it was one of the first desserts I made for him (this, or Lemon Meringue, his other favorite). It's actually quite easy to make, and is soooooo good!

I made individual "pies" for Easter - I placed all of the filling into a large pastry bag, then divided it between 8 chocolate bowls. They were stored in the fridge. Right before serving, I took them out, used my new, fancy smancy Whipped Cream Dispenser (like coffee shops have!) to make them pretty, and served them. Quick, easy to serve, and easy to clean up. They were extremely rich in the chocolate bowls, but no one complained.

FRENCH SILK PIE FILLING (Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book)
Makes 1 pie (8 servings)

1 cup whipping cream
6 oz semi sweet chocolate squares, chopped
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 beaten egg yolks
3 tablespoons whipping cream

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup whipping cream, chocolate pieces, butter and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted (approx 10 minutes). Remove from heat.

Gradually stir half of the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Return egg mixture to chocolate mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until mixture is slightly thickened and begins to bubble (approx 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in additional 3 tablespoons of whipping cream.

Place the saucepan into a bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally, until the mixture stiffens, and becomes hard to stir (about 20 minutes).

Transfer chocolate mixture to mixing bowl.

Beat cooled chocolate mixer on medium to high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light & fluffy.



Spread into pie crust (or individual bowls, in my case). Cover & refrigerate for 5-24 hours.

To serve, top with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Bowls

I have to admit, there really isn't much of a "recipe" here. I made these Easter weekend to serve our dessert in. I wanted a dessert that was single serving - easy to serve & not worry about pie pieces coming out of the pan nicely.

The only ingredient for these is chocolate. Because I didn't want to waste expensive chocolate if these didn't work, I used Nestle's Semi Sweet Chocolate chips.

1. Blow up balloons.

2. Melt chocolate in a double broiler. After the chocolate is melted, you can turn off the stove.

3. Spoon some chocolate onto a plate & spread it around. (This cools the chocolate down so the balloon doesn't pop - you can learn from my experience!)


(Sorry the picture is sideways - I don't know why it's uploading this way!)

4. Gently roll the balloon on the chocolate.



5. Place balloon onto wax paper to cool.

6. Let the chocolate set. You can speed it up by placing in the fridge, but the chocolate may get some spots on it.

7. Once set, cut a very small hole it the top of the balloon. Slowly let the air out of the balloons. As the balloons get smaller, they will pull away from the chocolate. When you get to the bottom, the balloon may stick. VERY slowly, pull the balloon off.



8. Store in a cool place until ready to use. (I made mine 2-3 days early). I made individual French Silk Pies out of these. Watch for my next post for the recipe!

Enjoy!

Carbomb Cupcakes

Before anyone comments, I realize that the name is not politically correct. However, my husband, my IRISH husband, has no problem with their name. They are named after the drink (the very tasty drink), not the actual car-bombs.

Now that we are beyond the name, we can discuss the cupcakes. These are amazing. I first made them last Memorial Day. The word of these cupcakes spread quickly - as soon as a new guest arrived, the were instructed to eat a cupcake. If they insisted on eating their meal first, they were told to at least take a cupcake and carry it with them until they were ready to eat it. People were eating 2 or 3 cupcakes, even before they grilled their meat. Thankfully, I tried one before sharing, or I wouldn't have had one to eat that night.

Of course, I had to make them for Saint Patrick's Day. We had our good friends from Minneapolis in town to celebrate the holiday with us in Boston, and I knew they would appreciate the treat. These are some of the most moist cupcakes I've ever made - it may become my standard chocolate cake recipe.



CARBOMB CUPCAKES (From Smitten Kitchen)
Makes approximately 24 cupcakes

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness (or any stout)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chocolate flavoring/extract

Make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.

Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, flavoring and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Ganache Filling
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey or 1 to 2 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream(optional)

Make the filling:
Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey/Baileys (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes:
Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped or spooned into the cupcakes. Meanwhile, cut cones out of the cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.





Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 cups confections sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4-8 tablespoons Baileys

Make the frosting:
Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin, beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Enjoy!