Oreos Frosting Cupcakes

Rejoice chocoholics! Have I got a cupcake for you! I’ll give you the scratch recipe, but feel free to go the semi homade route and start with your favorite box of chocolate cake mix.  The frosting is made with all the extra help you can get. So no judgements made here. These are great to share with your friends, families or co workers. The holidays are coming up, make a batch for your next holiday party.

CAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 2cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

• 1 jar (12 ounces) chocolate fudge topping
• 1 box (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• package (14.3 oz) Oreo chocolate creme sandwich cookies, crushed

CAKE DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre heat oven to 325 F degrees.
2. If you are using a packaged cake mix, prepare as directions state. Otherwise go to next step.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add oil, coffee and milk and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes. Expect batter to be thin.
4. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
5. Spoon into muffin cups, filling cups half full.
6. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when gently touched. Cool in pans 3 minutes. Remove from pans; use end of wooden spoon to poke 3 holes into each hot cupcake.
7. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate fudge topping uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until thin and pourable. Spoon over warm cupcakes. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
8. In the meantime, prepare the frosting mixture.

FROSTING DIRECTIONS:

1. In medium bowl, beat pudding mix and milk with whisk about 4 minutes or until soft set. Fold in whipped topping with spatula.
2. Stir all but 1/2 cups crushed cookies into pudding mixture.
3. Spoon frosting mixture on tops of cupcakes. Top with remaining crushed cookies.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Italian Christmas Cookies

Every year I give out Christmas cookies and candies to my family and friends. And every year I try swap around the cookies and candies I make. I came across these Italian Christmas cookies. I noticed they traditionally use anise extract, but I’m not an anise (or black licorice taste) fan. So I substituted almond extract. You can choose to use either.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon anise or almond extract

GLAZE INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nonpareil sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla and anise flavoring.
5. Slowly mix in the flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
6. Refrigerate dough for one hour.
7. When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Dip the bottom of a small glass into some powdered sugar and press each ball down slightly.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
10. Remove and cool completely.

GLAZE DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift two cups of powdered sugar in a bowl. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
2. Dip top of each cookie in the glaze. Garnish with some nonpareil sprinkles.
3. Allow glaze to dry before freezing.

 

Snowman Cupcakes

Here’s a fun baking activity for your kids or for you kids at heart to make during the holidays. All you need are a few items you may already have in your pantry.  I did make my own cupcakes from scratch, only because I was already making my Christmas cookies and had most the ingredients out anyway.  But I did use store bought frosting. Either way is fine.  The snowmen won’t complain.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box chocolate or Devil’s food cake mix
• 1 container vanilla frosting (buttercream or whipped style)
• white sparkling decorating sugar sprinkles (I used Wilton brand)
• butterscotch baking chips (or use orange M&Ms)
• mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare cupcakes as per cake mix directions and let cool completely.
2. Spread a generous amount of frosting on top of the cupcake.
3. Fill a small bowl with white, sparkling decorating sugar.
4. Holding the bottom of the cupcake, gently press it down into the coarse sugar and rock it back and forth in all directions until the icing is completely covered.
5. Take a regular sized butterscotch chip and gently press it into the center of the cupcake.
6. Then use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth.
7. Aren’t they so cute?! How easy was that?

 

Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake

I came across my bundt cake pan the other day. I thought to myself,  I really need to use it more often. So I went through my cupboard and found all the ingredients for a semi homemade pineapple upside down cake.  Then I found out my brother and his family were coming to town. I now had willing taste testers to help eat up the cake. My son and I would never have finished it by ourselves. It was fate.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 can (20 ounces)  pineapple slices, reserve the juice
• 1 small jar maraschino cherries (you will need about 15-20 depending on your bundt pan size)
• 1 box yellow cake mix (thus the semi homemade description)
• 1 package (3.4 ounce) vanilla pudding mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a bundt pan generously with nonstick spray.
2. Evenly pour the melted butter into the bottom of the bundt pan and top with the brown sugar. 
3. Cut the pineapple rings in half and, alternating with the cherries, place into the butter-brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan. 
4. In a large bowl, combine the cake and pudding mixes together. Add the reserved pineapple juice and milk. Add the eggs and vegetable oil, and mix until fully blended. 
5. Pour the batter evenly over the pineapple and cherries. 
6. Follow the cake mix instructions for how long to bake in a bundt pan. Approximately 35-40 minutes. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  
7. Cool the cake for about 30 minutes before running a knife around the edges and inner ring of the pan. Invert onto a serving plate and slice between pineapple rings to serve. 

Healthy Carrot and Raisin Cake Muffins

What’s that? Healthy? I know most my baked goodies aren’t considered healthy. But surprise! I am actually sharing a healthy recipe with you. Well, mostly healthy.  I used  all purpose flour since I did not have whole wheat flour in my pantry.  Be sure to fill your muffin tins to the top as these muffins do not rise very much. You can see how squat mine are. Oh well. It’s always good to learn something new.  This recipe yields 12 muffins.  (Or 16, if you didn’t fill your muffin tins all the way like I did. Oops.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 carrots shredded or grated
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (all purpose flour works too)
• 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Prepare muffin/cupcake tin by greasing with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk eggs until light and fluffy.
3. Add the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and whisk again until mixture is smooth.
4. Pour in the maple syrup, milk and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture again until smooth.
5. Add the shredded/grated carrots, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and raisins over the wet batter. Using a rubber spatula to fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined.
6. Portion the batter evenly into your prepared 12 cup muffin tin.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the muffins have risen and set.

FROSTING DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat the cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat again until the mixture is well combined.
3. Once the muffins have cooled add a dollop of frosting on top of muffins.
4. Optional: garnish with grated carrots.

Lemon Butter Cookies

Spring is here, but you wouldn’t know it by the dark and gloomy days we’ve been having around here. Cheer up. I have a cookie that will brighten your day. They are flakey on the outside and chewy on the inside. And the tangy lemon flavor combined with the sweet butter cookie is like a bite of sunshine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
•  1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 drops yellow food coloring
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
3. Beat in eggs, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and food coloring.
4. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
6. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
7. Roll dough into 2 inch balls then roll in powdered sugar and place on baking sheets. Let sit for 2 minutes until sugar is absorbed, then reroll in powdered sugar.
8. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and bake until cookies crackle and set but still slightly soft in center, 17-19 minutes.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack  and let cool completely.
10. This recipe yields 24-30 cookies depending on how evenly you roll your cookie dough. One day I am going to invest in a dough scoop so I can have uniform cookies. I  sprinkled a little extra powdered sugar on the cookies when cooled, but that is not necessary.