cookies and cream cupcakes

i never thought i was a baker. i literally used to have meltdowns when baking. that was until i started my new life as a nanny and baker has become my new job title. every time one of nanny dad's co-workers has a birthday i send in 30 cupcakes for his team. this has become a little routine of ours and i've grown to love it. i get to be creative and make whatever i feel like.

last week i made these cookies and cream cupcakes. nanny dad says they were the best cupcakes i've ever made. i'm gonna go ahead and agree with him. the super moist cake and paired with such wonderfully decadent icing is so delicious that you can't help but eat a second.

this recipe makes exactly 30 cupcakes when you fill liners 3/4 full of batter.

ingredients:

via my baking addiction

1 (18.25 oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix - if you can't find this size just use 1.5 boxes of the 3.9 oz size
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

cookies and cream buttercream frosting

2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup shortening, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 lbs. powdered sugar

4-6 tablespoons very cold milk

8 crushed oreo cookies (cream filling removed before crushing)

30 mini oreo cookies

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. line cupcake pans with paper baking cups.

in a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes. mix in sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, and water until just combined. stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared cupcake pans.

bake for 20-24 minutes, until tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

for the frosting:
cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. add the vanilla extract and combine well. begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. after all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold milk, one tablespoon at a time, combining very well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency. fold in the oreo cookie crumbs. top cooled cupcakes with the buttercream frosting and garnish with a mini oreo.

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24 "carrot" cupcakes in jar

one of my friends from college, kat, asked me to make some cupcakes for a bridal shower she was hosting in nyc. she loved the rainbow cakes in a jar i made but needed something more bridey (is that even a word? let's just go with it).

so i searched the internet and found martha stewart's genius idea for 24 "carrot" cupcakes. i followed her directions exactly except for a few things:

• i didn't make the cake from scratch (sorry kat, this gal was busy)
• i baked the cupcakes in muffin tins, cut them into thirds and layered the cake into mason jars with the icing (this blog gives exact directions)

i was really surprised at how great these turned out. i had never worked with fondant before and my first experience with the stuff wasn't bad at all. everything was much easier than i had thought. take a look...

special thanks to my sister for making these adorable little tags

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carrot cake pops with caramel drizzle

wow. i thought this day would never come. after last halloween's minor cake pop meltdown i swore these guys off. it wasn't until i had about 2 pounds of cooked carrot cake left over from making cupcakes for a friend (will post later) that i knew the day had come for attempt number two. i have to say - this time around was a lot easier. my aunt taught me the trick to melting white chocolate is to add butter. apparently white chocolate has less fat content than regular chocolate so it burns easier and faster. all you have to do is add a little fat and melting the stuff becomes almost fool-proof.

ingredients:
1 package of carrot cake boxed mix, made according to package directions and cooled
1 can cream cheese icing
12 oz white chocolate (use the best quality you can find)
lollipop sticks (found at Michael's, JoAnn's, or other craft stores) 2 tablespoons butter
caramel sauce

directions:
crumble cooked cake into a bowl. mash with fork into tiny pieces. add frosting and mix together until its fully incorporated into cake.

 prepare two large baking sheets by covering with wax paper or parchment. take little cake mixture and roll it into ball. place on baking sheet and insert lollipop stick one into the end of each ball, pointing upward. repeat until you've used up all the mixture. place baking sheet in freezer for at least 2 hours.

once cake pops have hardened in the freezer, melt white chocolate and butter in a double boiler on the stove (or microwave). stir well. dip each ball into the chocolate until covered. place back on baking sheet, drizzle with caramel sauce and let harden. don't refrigerate these; it will cause the coating to weep or melt. you can either put back in freezer or let them sit on counter. enjoy!

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orange creamsicle cupcakes

 yous welcome.

that is the best and only thing to say about these cupcakes. they're delicious, a little bit white trash (like my language) and just so stinking cute.

i only call them white trash because you make them by mixing a box of vanilla cake mix with a bottle of orange soda. seriously anyone can make these. now go do it.

go here for the recipe from dashing dish.

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frozen bananas with peanut butter and dark chocolate toffee bits

ummmm this might be one of the best things i’ve ever made. seriously. and you shouldn’t feel too bad about eating them. i mean you’re getting potassium from the banana, protein from the peanut butter and a little indulgence from the dark chocolate toffee bits. we all deserve a little treat every once in a while….right? that’s what i told myself and the two friends i served these to.

ingredients
2 bananas, cut in half
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup dark chocolate toffee candies, broken into tiny pieces (you can get these guys at trader joe’s. if you can’t find them, substitute with your favorite candy bar)
4 popsicle sticks (i used chopsticks because it’s all i had)

directions:
heat peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. place each banana half on your stick of choice. once peanut butter has melted dip banana into pot, coating ¾ of the banana. garnish with chocolate bits and place on foil-lined (wax paper works too) cookie sheet. repeat with 3 other bananas and place in freezer. freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

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rainbow cake in a jar

does life get any better? seriously.

1 - it's individual cakes baked in a jar, perfect for single use
2 - it's rainbow so you heart should be melting naturally
3 - they're so darn cute

i made these for my friend lynn's birthday last week.  i'm not going to lie - i had a mini meltdown when i took them out of the oven for the first time and they weren't cooked all the way through. i ended up popping them back in the oven 2 more times until they looked done. some of the gals ended up getting raw cake batter at the bottom but who doesn't love that? at least that's what i told myself to talk myself off the ledge.

they turned out to be a huge hit and the perfect birthday surprise for the perfect birthday girl.

i found the recipe over at babble - be sure to read through the editor's comments.  she talks about how to make sure you cook them correctly.

dyed cake batter all lined up.

ready to bake. 

view from the top.

birthday girl happy for cake. 

the moment you've been waiting for.

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berries with coconut cream

part two of my elegant man food menu is this simple summer dessert (first on the meal plan was garlic knots). with a little help from the store, this treat comes together in less than 5 minutes and serves 4.

check back tomorrow for the main course - it's pasta!

ingredients:
4 cups of your favorite summer fruit - peaches, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1-8 oz. tub cool whip
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
sweeneted coconut flakes, for garnish

directions:
in a large bowl mix together fruit with lime juice. stir coconut extract into cool whip . serve fruit in dessert bowl, dollop with coconut cream and garnish with coconut flakes.

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cake batter dark chocolate bark

stumbling across this recipe online (via how sweet it is) brought back the same feelings i had when i crossed the finish line after running a 10k in april - euphoric, over the moon, unstoppable, inspired. you get the idea.

i mean, cake batter, dark chocolate and sprinkles all in one bite?? this girl is a genius. i felt like i won the culinary jackpot after finding this. with only 4 ingredients, this recipe is so so easy and so so tasty. it's the perfect dessert to bring to a party because it looks elegant and fancy but really takes no effort to make.

ingredients:
6 ounces high quality dark chocolate
12 ounces high quality white chocolate
3 teaspoons yellow cake mix
sprinkles of your choice (at least 3 tablespoons worth or more)

directions:
melt dark chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour chocolate on. smooth it with a spatula to the thickness you desire. pop in freezer for 20 minutes.

melt white chocolate. whisk in cake mix slowly, stirring well until no lumps remain. let it set for 3 full minutes (or at least until it slightly thickens). remove baking sheet with chocolate from the freezer and immediately pour white chocolate on top. sprinkle on sprinkles. freeze for 20 minutes.

once set, break into chunks. keep refrigerated.

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cookies and cream swirled brownie loaf with chocolate peanut butter ganache

me and my co-worker ali have a tradition at work where we always bake something delicious for the other's birthday.  i was so excited when i found this recipe at picky palate to make for her big day. i started to make these, had everything ready to go and realized i didn't have the baking pan needed. all i had was a 9x5 loaf pan. so i decided to keep going and turn these brownies into a chocolate-loaf type thingy. i sliced it up like you would banana bread to serve. the end result was pretty good - they were super rich, moist and prettttty decadent. my favorite part was the chocolate peanut butter ganache. absolutely scrumptious.

get the recipe here. i followed it to a t.

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pizza cookies for a stranger

a couple weeks ago, my friend michelle read a blog post on i am baker. she wanted to give away 2 dozen cookies to five different people. she asked her followers to submit stories of those they thought deserved these baked treats and needed a pick-me-up in their lives. the response was incredible - she received over 165 nominations. realizing she couldn't make all these cookies herself, she reached out to the blogsphere asking if anyone would be willing to make cookies for a complete stranger. michelle and i signed up and were assigned this story:

"If I won these cookies I would send them to my Dad. My dad works in the flooring industry he is self taught in the trade and works very hard. He is now the head of a flooring company and his job is very stressful because simple mistakes cost lots of money to fix. He has had a lot of health problems due to the stress of working this job. He would like to quit his job but is waiting until after I get married in October so he can help pay for some of the wedding. After October he is planning on switching from his flooring job to making brick fire oven pizza. (It's amazingly good!) Right now my dad is having a hard time because a few people in our extended family do not support his idea of switching careers, and they tell him quite often. I would like to send him some "pizza" cookies just to let him know that I support him and to give him some encouragement." - Jaclyn

we made the cookies this weekend and shipped them today. we ended up being really happy with the final product...they were not only adorable but actually tasted delicious too. we packaged the cookies in pizza boxes to give jaclyn's dad that extra smile! we used i am baker's sugar cookie recipe and annie's eats royal icing recipe.

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vanilla creme brulee

my dad's girlfriend bought me a creme brulee torch and dishes for christmas this year. i whipped it out this new year's eve to give it a try. i had never made this dessert before, but it was surprisingly simple.  it was creamy and decadent, but not too rich. i used the traditional recipe that came with the set, but will definitely be trying out different versions soon. if you're a beginner like me, stick with this recipe for the first time and you can't go wrong.

ingredients:
1 cup cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 cup sugar
brown sugar

directions:
preheat oven to 325 degrees.

combine heavy cream, milk and vanilla. heat to boil. remove from heat and steep 10 minutes.

with an electric mixer, combine eggs and sugar. add the milk mixture in a steady stream. strain mixture through a fine strainer. skim foam off top.

divide into 4 ramekins. set in baking dish and pour enough hot water around ramekins to come to 1/2 way up the sides. place in oven for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, until just set. will tremble slightly. refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

cover top with lots of brown sugar. caramelize the tops with torch and eat immediately.

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oreo cheesecake pretzel bites

i found this recipe through one of the new blogs i'm reading - picky palate. she's a stay at home mom who has found a love for cooking simple recipes. this is the perfect dessert for easy entertaining and it tastes great. to me, there is nothing better that salty pretzels with creamy rich chocolate. here's how to do it.

ingredients:
14 whole oreo cookies
2 oz cold cream cheese
48 square pretzels
2 cups chocolate chunks or chocolate chips, melted
white sprinkles

directions:

place oreos into a food processor and process until finely ground. mix oreo crumbs and cream cheese until dough forms. pinch 1 tablespoon of dough and form into a little square. place onto pretzel then gently press top pretzel to close. top with melted chocolate and white sprinkles. chill until chocolate has hardened and serve.

thanks to meggy for making these little treats.

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i shouldn't have...but i did.

and i don't regret it.  if you come across these treats, buy a bag.  worth every calorie.  i mean it.

(image credit - mms.com)

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apple meets pear: apple-pear dessert tart

as you know, this week i've been living out my culinary fantasies and i've always wanted to make a homemade tart of some sort.  i had a dinner party to go to this week, so i whipped up this delicious little gem. i adapated the recipe from realsimple.com so it was incredibly easy and some might even call it beautiful (me).  here's how i did it:

ingredients:
2 tablespoons of flour
2 9-inch ready made pie crusts
1/3 cup apricot jam, plus 2 tablespoons
2 gala apples, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 bartlett pears, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 more teaspoons
1 egg, beaten

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees.  flour working surface and roll out pie crusts, placing one on top of the other. roll out to 12 inches in diameter.  transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lather with 1/3 cup of apricot jam leaving a 2-inch border.

mix together pears, apples, lemon juice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar in large mixing bowl.  carefully lay fruit slices on crust in concentric circles, alternating between pears and apples.  make sure to not place fruit on 2-inch border.  fold up remaining crust over fruit for a rustic look.  brush outer crust with egg and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sugar on top.

bake for 60 minutes until crust is golden brown and the fruit is tender.  in small sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons of jam for about 3 minutes.  brush over fruit for that glazed professional bakery look.  enjoy!

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two sisters, cupcakes, and a dream

once upon a time, two sisters dreamed of owning a signature cupcake shop where their daily wardrobe featured blonde ponytails, batter-splattered tees, and sugar-coated blue jeans. they even began to name their not-yet famous cupcakes after specific family members.

this weekend i stumbled upon georgetown cupcake and remembered that long lost dream. the cupcakery shares a similar story. two sisters longing to do something they love, together.

if they can do it, we can do it. sis, you still in? will you move back to dc?

oh sis, and did i mention one of the sisters drives a range rover?

(photo credit - expressnightout.com)

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dough-girl: lemon filled doughnuts

book club is tonight and we always plan a meal around the theme of the book. lucky for us, the book we read this month, she's come undone, chronicles the disappointing life of an overweight teen, dolores, as she ventures into adulthood. in one part of the book, sweet tubby lil' dolores buys a dozen lemon-filled doughnuts and eats the entire box during a road trip up to the cape.

so guess what's on the menu tonight, loves? homemade doughnuts. i googled around and found a recipe that seemed easy enough. here's how it went down:

quick sidebar: this is not a diet recipe. but it's for the spirit of book club.

dolores' lemon filled doughnuts
ingredients:
1 package of buttermilk biscuit dough from the refrigerated section
2 cups of canola oil
granulated sugar
1 package of instant lemon pie filling
2 cups of cold milk

directions:
combine instant lemon pie filling and cold milk in bowl. whisk for 2 minutes. place in zip lock bag and put in the fridge to cool until doughnuts are done.

place granulated sugar in brown bag. heat oil in pan until it reaches 350 degrees. (if you don't have a thermometer, place a small drop of dough in the pan and see what it does. if it rises to the top quickly, the oil is too hot. if it sits at the bottom and doesn't move, the oil is too cold. if it sinks to the bottom and then slowly rises to the top, you got 350 degrees.) roll the biscuit dough into small balls, about 1-2 inches in diameter. fry in oil for about 5-6 minutes. turn constantly so they never burn on one side. once the doughnuts are the perfect toasty brown, drop in paper bag and shake up with the sugar.

cut corner of ziplock bag while holding the lemon pudding. once doughnuts have cooled, cut small slit in side of each pastry and squeeze in the pie filling mixture.

your toosh might not thank me. but your belly will.

(photo credit - castsugar.blogspot.com)

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