Happy October!! Yet again, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Hello all!! I must say it has been a long time since I posted. I've been meaning to post but I just have not got around to it. I kind of lost my inspiration for awhile, but in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to get back into posting my food. I have made quite a bit of food and I am so excited to share again. I have also made lots of sweets. I have been on the search for the perfect, moist, yellow cupcake. Its been tough, but I have found a few good recipes.

Since it is October, I know I should be posting a new recipe, but I really love this recipe and wanted to share it again. Pumpkin Whoopie pies. I have included the link to the recipe. I really like this recipe so I didn't change it.

I want to thank you guys for coming and hope you come back!!!

Ingredients/Recipe

Recipe from Rachael Ray

1 1/2 sticks  (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

 
 
 

Thanks guys and enjoy!!! 

Cupcake of the month-Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

Hello and Happy Friday! I hope everyone had an easy week and have lots of plans for the weekend. Beside working, I am going to keeping myself busy hopefully by cooking and baking and of course working. I am super excited for my nephews birthday which is coming up very soon. We are going to spend the day at Cedar Point and I love roller coasters so I can't wait!

Today I wanted to offer you guys a southern treat, Red Velvet Cupcakes. My roommate received a container of Cream Cheese Frosting and wanted to put it to good use so I decided to go with these cupcakes. Red Velvet has become extremely popular these days and I have made a Red Velvet Cake, but it came out a little dry (I think I know what I did wrong). I went to my favorite site Brown Eyed Baker and found the recipe there. It has a nice crumb and has a slight chocolate flavor.   I doubled the recipe and made 72 minis, but you can make a normal batch if you like.

 I have also included a cream cheese frosting recipe because the stuff in the tube just doesn't cut it. The frosting is really easy, so I would give it a try if its your first time making a cream cheese frosting. I hope you guys like these and enjoy!

Here's how to do it:

Look at that red color!

Ingredients/Recipe

This recipe is for normal sized cupcakes, about 12. If you want to make the minis it should make 24 and only bake for about 10-13 minutes.

From Brown Eyed Baker

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons red food coloring
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin/cupcake pan with liners.

2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.

7. Cool for about 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

From the Food Network

Ingredients

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract

I hope you guys like these and as always enjoy!

One Pot Brownies

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had  a great 4th. I saw a parade and had tons of amazing food at a barbeque. I made homemade Smores ice cream, salsa and a flag cake (all which I will show you later). I was so stuffed that day, but it was worth it.

I don't have many brownie recipes under my plate, but I do have this one and it only takes one pot! It is so simple and a great go to brownie recipe.  I saw this one of my favorite blogs I go to, My Tasty Treasures and knew I had to try this.

My mom was visiting at the time and when I told her she was instantly sold. I didn't get great photos, but you get the point. I hope you guys try this one!!

Ingredients/Recipe

Adapted from My Tasty Treasures

1 2-ounch bag of chocolate chips (I used milk)
1 cup of butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 ts vanilla
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 ts salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, blending fully one at a time (I added mine slowly and sired at the same time so they wouldn't scramble). Add flur and salt and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

I hope you guys try these and enjoy!!!!

Two Ingredient Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream!!!!

How is everyone today? I had a really nice three day weekend, but it went so fast! I stayed busy and tried to get as many things done as I could, but I still have a long list of things to do.

So tomorrow is the big day for lovers…and if you don’t have someone, don’t worry. You can go out with one of your best friends, or a family member or even take yourself out. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a day where we only share our love with a girlfriend, boyfriend, wife or husband we should share our love with those around us.

I say this because this weekend while I was running around, I was at one store and they had a TON of balloons and there was an old man in front of me. He told me to go ahead of him and went and grabbed a whole bunch of balloons and passed them out to all the ladies in the store. It was so cute! He was talking to the ladies and said that he feels better to give that receive.

Today’s recipe is one to share and I am so excited to share it with you. Remember those cookies I made from my last post? Well you need some of those for this recipe. I used about 12-14 cookies. You need those cookies because the recipe today is Two Ingredient Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream!

This recipe is so easy and so good! Now before you guys get on me because technically this is more than two ingredients, but the base for the ice cream is only two ingredients. I discovered this recipe over the summer and have been playing around with it for some time now.  I’ve had this idea in my head and I am so excited to finally have it done. What’s still great about this recipe is it still only takes four ingredients (ok ok 7 when you make the cookies too) still not that bad. You could also cut the ingredients down by buying pre-made red velvet cookies. I wanted to use cookies because I thought they would hold up the texture and bite to them more than the cake, but you could used cake if you would like. 

Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients/Recipe

1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 pt (2 Cups) of Heavy Cream

12-14 Red Velvet Cookies

1 Tub of Cream Cheese Frosting

First chill your bowl and mixers for about 30 minutes. While those are chilling, pour your can of sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl.  Break up your cookies into pieces, do all different sizes, and put them in the bowl with the sweetened condensed milk.

Take about half of the cream cheese frosting and put into a small bowl and microwave for about 3 seconds until slightly melted. If you go too far it will be too loose. You want it to have some body to it. If this happens just take some of the frosting from the tub and mix it in.

 After the bowl and mixers have been chilled, take out and pour the heavy cream in the bowl. Whip until soft peaks form. If you take it too far it will become butter. So watch closely it happens fast. It takes about 2-3 minutes. You can do this by hand it just takes a little longer.

Fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk and cookie mixture. Once you have it all incorporated you should have a pinkish/red mixture.

Place about a cup of the mixture into a container (I find large cottage cheese containers work great). Layer in some of the slightly melted cream cheese frosting, about a 1-2 tablespoons. When you serve it you want there to be pockets of the frosting. NOTE: you can use as much or as little of the cream cheese frosting, it’s really up to you. Repeat until you reach the top of the container. Continue with the next container.  I had a little left over so I used a smaller container for the rest and repeated the same process.

Place the containers into the freezer for about 4 hours. Once frozen take out and enjoy!

If you decide to go with premade Red Velvet Cake or Cupcakes, chop into pieces and mix in with the sweetened condensed mix right before mixing in the whipping cream. I would also skip the cream cheese frosting part because you have that from the cake or cupcakes.

The ice cream is creamy, sweet and chewy because of the cookies. You get those pockets of frosting that just take it over the top!

This recipe is a winner in my book. I hope you try it and enjoy!

Butter Pecan Cookies-so easy!

Hello. How is everyone doing?  I’ve made two cookies on my holiday extravaganza list. So far I am going good, and different from what I normally do. So exciting! 

 I wanted to wish everyone a great weekend and if you are doing any baking I have such an easy cookie you can make. If you like soft and moist cookies this is the one for you. And the best part of it all it only takes four ingredients, but you can add more if you would like.

Cake Mix Cookies. Yes that is right cake mix cookies. For me it’s a little bit of cheating, but sometimes its nice to take a shortcut, especially during this busy time of year. This is what you need

1 Box of Cake Mix (any flavor you feel)

½ cup of oil

2 eggs

Yep. That’s it. That’s all you need. Now the fun part. You can mix in anything you would like to this. Do you want chocolate chips? Add them. Want nuts? Add them. The possibilities are endless. Here are my Butter Pecan cookies. (I actually got the recipe from my Grandmother. This is her favorite type).

Ingredients 

1 Butter Pecan cake mix

½ cup of oil

2 eggs

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until combined. Bake in a oven preheated to 350 for 8-10 minutes.

I added Christmas sprinkles to mine. These are buttery and delicious and easy. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Did I ever tell you I am the self proclaimed King of Christmas? I am a little behind in all my Christmas activities, but I will hopefully get it all together this week. I almost have all my baking needs, and I am starting to write out my Christmas shopping list for others.  

I always love the Christmas time and all the Christmas commercials, all the holiday shows, which I have recorded a TON! My dvr is going to be filled, mainly with Food Network Holiday Shows.  I normally bring out all my DVDs of all the holiday movies, and play Christmas music, I love it!

On to the bars. This Bar is great for parties or your cookie tray this Christmas.  I recently made these for a few people as a thank you and it is from Betty Crocker and you really can’t go wrong with her lol. These are moist and chewy and really rich but so worth it. If you don’t make the frosting homemade just buy the canned stuff. I used a cocoa frosting from Everyday with Rachael Ray and it was amazing! I hope you guys try this and enjoy!

This is what it looks like after baking, pre frosting, these would be really good like this too.

Here they are covered with the frosting OMG soo amazing, check out the link to see what they look like inside

Here is the Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Dough Brownies

Here is the frosting from Everyday With Rachael Ray

These were soo good and rich theres are a must try!

Happy December 1st, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can you believe it is December 1^st already?! I am still getting my decorations up! Talk about the holidays being overwhelming. I feel like my list to do is getting longer and longer. What I really need to do is get on the ball and start my holiday baking, which still needs to be done. I am really trying to get my Christmas decorations up, so hopefully after this weekend I will start. 

Since we are talking about baking here is a cookie I tried during the summer. This is the cookie I made for my Mint chocolate chip cookie ice cream. I found the recipe from one of the blogs I visit Brown Eyed Baker and I really loved them. They stayed moist and chewy and I even messed up. I was adding just an egg yolk when I noticed the white got into the batter because I was taking the yolk out wrong. I also didn’t weight my ingredients ( I don’t have a scale) and I made them into normal size cookies. They still came out great and here is my version!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Original recipe found here

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

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

3. Mix the butter and sugars until blended. Beat in the eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips.

4. Roll about 2 tbs of dough into a ball or scoop out with a cookie scoop.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets and enjoy but in a tightly sealed container.

Enjoy