Halloween Cupcakes

I know, I know! I made several promises in my last blog post for different recipes, but I made these last week and they were too cute to be pushed to the end of the line. As many of you know I am in nursing school and because of that I had to quit my full time job last year. But I still love to go back and visit all of my coworkers (especially since one of them happens to be BFF :)) Last week I promised said BFF that I would come have lunch one day since I was off of school. Then she reminded me that there was a birthday earlier that week and politely suggested that I make a special treat for her. Who am I turn down baking? After some secret super spying she reported that the birthday girl really liked chocolate cupcakes with white frosting, the almond flavored kind. Since I had lots of left over buttermilk from Jesse's birthday cake the week before I searched for a chocolate buttermilk cake recipe. The one I found turned out to be amazing and I will definitely make it again. As for the frosting I just went with a basic buttercream and added almond extract. The flavor pairing was perfect. Since it is also my favorite season of all, I colored the buttercream and added some candy corns to the top.


Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream Icing
(Cake source: Good Housekeeping)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3 large eggs
2-3 cups almond buttercream frosting
~50 Candy Corns

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. (24 total)
In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In 2-cup liquid measuring cup, mix buttermilk and vanilla; set aside.
In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat sugar and butter until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 3 minutes or until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture, scraping bowl occasionally.
Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
Using the 1M or 2D pastry tip, pipe the frosting on the top of the cupcakes. Place 1-3 (depending on style) candy corns on top of each cupcake.

Almond Buttercream
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup softened butter
1 lb confectioners sugar
1 "cap" full almond extract (~1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp buttermilk
4-5 drops yellow food coloring
4-5 drops red food coloring

Beat the shortening and butter together in a mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes or until well combined. Slowly add the confectioners sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time. Half way through adding the confectioners sugar add the buttermilk.
Continue to beat until the frosting is a smooth spreadable texture, but not too soft. If it appears to stiff or dry add a little more buttermilk. If it appears too wet or runny add more confectioners sugar.
When the frosting is the texture you want add the food coloring.

Red, White and Blue Cupcakes!

This post has moved to the Sunny Side :) Click the link for the recipe, I promise it's worth it!

We are the World....

So anyone that knows me well knows that I have a small obsession with food. Especially baking (hello! I have a FOOD blog). I like to make, eat, and talk about food, a lot. So naturally when friends come over for dinner and I have a bag of undecorated sugar cookies on the counter, it's bound to come up. This time I roped Michelle and Shane into doing some decorating. One thing led to another and the next thing we know we've got the line up for "We are the World" Really, this post has no new recipe or purpose except to show off the adorable cookies we made and the fun we had. And in case you're wondering, yes, they do taste as good as they look.

8 hours in the kitchen....

1 batch of cinnamon rolls, 1 batch of homemade marshmallows and 4 kinds of cookies. That's how I spent my day today. I have been planning this day of baking for weeks and it definitely did not disappoint. I am so happy with how all my cookies came out! Rather than bore you with a play by play of my day I 'll just jump right into the recipes and pictures. (OK so really it might be because I'm exhausted and can't think of anything else to say!)

The spread:
Chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, Yule log cookies, thumbprint cookies, sugar cookies and not pictured, marshmallows.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
(Source Smitten Kitchen)



I've made this before, find the recipe here.

Yule Log Cookies
(Source: The Cookie Bible)



1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup sprinkles

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and salt, set aside.
Beat butter and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well blended. Cover and chill dough at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1 inch balls. Shape balls into 2 inch logs about 1/2 inch thickn. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 minutes or until set. Let stand on cookies sheets 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks; cool completely.
Melt chocolate chips (in microwave or double boiler) Dip each end of the cookies into the white chocolate then into sprinkles. Return to wire racks and let stand until chocolate is set.




Thumbprint Cookies
(Source: Vintage Victuals)



1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour

Seedless Raspberry Preserves (I used seedless Blackberry preserves)


Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour and, if necessary, chill until firm enough to handle. With floured hands, roll in 1” balls. Put 1 and ½ inches apart on cookie sheets. Lightly flour your thumb, and make a small indentation in center of each cookie. Fill with raspberry preserves. Bake in preheated 325 degreeoven about 15-20 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 4 dozen.

Sugar Cookies
(Source: My Blog :))



Recipe here


Homemade Marshmallows
(Source:Good Things Catered Blog)



Ingredients:
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
water
3 c. granulated sugar
1 1/4 c. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

powdered sugar for slicing

Directions:
-In large saucepan over medium high heat, combine 3/4 c. water, sugar and corn syrup.
-Meanwhile, in bowl of stand mixer place 3/4 c. water and sprinkle gelatin on top, let plump.
-Bringing sugar mixture to boil, place candy thermometer in middle of mixture, making sure not to touch the side or bottom of the pan and let keep a rolling boil until mixture passes 235 degrees, about 3-5 minutes.
-With mixer on low, carefully pour sugar mixture into mixer bowl and slowly raise beater to high speed.
-Beat sugar mixture on high for five minutes and then add vanilla. (If you'd like to add other flavors here like peppermint, color, or cocoa powder for chocolate, add now).
-Continue beating mixture for an additional 5 minutes.
-Meanwhile, oil a 9x13 pan for large marshmallows or two 10x10 pans for small marshmallows.
-When done beating, pour sugar mixture into pan(s), smooth top and tap to release extra air.
-Leave on counter overnight to form.
-Generously sprinkle working surface with powdered sugar, turn out marshmallow mixture, generously sprinkle with powdered sugar, and cut as desired, lightly coating marshmallow shapes with powdered sugar to avoid sticking.

9x13 pan makes about 96 large marshmallows that can be stored in a container for about a week.


Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls
(Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

Caramel Popcorn Mix

This post has moved to the Sunny Side :) Click the link for the recipe, I promise it's worth it!!

Another Christmas Cookie...

This one came from my Kraft food magazine. My friend/co-worker Michelle and I made cookies for all of the other girls in the office. And this was one of our favorites. We also made sugar cookies and buckeyes, but didn't take pictures of those. Next time I make these I will make sure to roll them into thinner ropes. Our's puffed up a lot more than I thought they would.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
(Source: Kraftfoods.com)


1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
1 pkg. (6 oz.) BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate (we dyed half of the white chocolate red with red food coloring)
12 hard peppermint candies, crushed (we didn't have any so we skipped this part)

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Blend in semi-sweet chocolate. (Dough will be stiff.)

ROLL tablespoonfuls of dough into 52 balls. Roll each ball into 3-inch-long rope. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheet, bending top of each slightly to resemble a candy cane.

BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until puffed and set; cool 5 min. on baking sheet. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Microwave white chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

Gingerbread Bars

 

Ok, so I've not been so great at updating this thing... Oops :) I also missed my daring baker challenge this month. December and Christmas just snuck up on me and before I knew I had no time left to complete the challenge. I promise to get back on the ball with the January challenge. In the mean time check out what the other Daring Bakers have been up to here.

Even though I did not have enough time to make my Yule Log I still had some baking to do. Most of what I made this holiday season I have made before. But this I just recently saw on Peabody's blog. I thought it sounded delicious and most importantly, easy! I used the recipe almost exactly as it appears on her blog. The only change I made was using maple syrup instead of molasses because I had already started when I realized I didn't have any. I still think they came out great. Oh, and I added some colored sugar crystals to the top to make them festive.

I also think that I should mention that I am very excited because my dear husband got me a brand new SLR digital camera for Christmas. I'm still figuring out how to use all of the bells and whistles but I'm pretty happy with how this photo turned out. Now on to the recipe...

Gingerbread bars -

(Original Source: McCormick.com; as found on Peabody's blog)

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground Ginger
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses (I subbed maple syrup)
3 tablespoons water
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil. Spray foil with no stick cooking spray. Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. Beat butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed. Stir in molasses and water just until blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

3. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of the icing; refrigerate remaining icing. Spoon dollops (about 1 teaspoon each) of the reserved icing over batter in pan. With knife or spatula, swirl icing through batter to marbleize.

4. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Lift out of pan using foil. Cool completely on wire rack. Invert and peel off foil. Spread refrigerated icing over bars. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator