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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Peppermint Fudge

I’m making my holiday treats for my family and friends this week. I’m also using the opportunity to blog some of the recipes to share with you. I don’t know why I haven’t shared this recipe sooner. It’s the perfect way to use up all those extra candy canes you bought. Or am I the only one that does that? Shhh. Don’t tell me. I don’t want you to confirm my all things Christmas hoarding habits.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup (5 ounce can) evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
•  1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies (I used candy canes)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil.
2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium , heavy duty saucepan. Over medium heat, bring ingredients to full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted.
4. Pour into prepared baking pan. Let cool for 1 minute before topping with crushed peppermint.
5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. (Overnight is best.) Lift from pan, remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

Holiday Fudge

Once upon a time, when I was new to holiday baking, I used to do a day and night long marathon of making all my holiday sweets in one day. And I mean ALL of them. (Three types of cookies, fudge and one or two desserts for the holiday dinner. Yikes! ) Now that I am older and maybe, a tad bit wiser, I have learned to spread my holiday sweets creating to the 3-5 days before the holiday festivities. Here is another fudge recipe that requires no baking and easy enough for beginning cooks to follow.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Ocean Spray Craisins)
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease a 9 X 9 square baking pan with butter or line with foil and cover with baking spray.
2. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, add chocolate chips, marshmallows and sweetened condensed milk. Keep stirring until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla extract, heavy cream, cashews and dried cranberries. Immediately pour into prepared baking pan.
4. Meanwhile combine white chocolate chips and vegetable oil into a microwavable bowl and melt in 30 second intervals. Stir after every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.
5. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate mixture over the top of your fudge.
6. Refrigerate 3 hours or until fudge is firm. Cut and serve as desired.

Store in an airtight container. Refrigerated, fudge will keep 2-3 weeks.

I didn’t have any patience when drizzling the white chocolate.  Yours will be much prettier I’m sure.

Easy Gingerbread Fudge

Need something to bring to a holiday get together? And you don’t want to be that person that brings something store bought? But, you just aren’t the baking type? If you have a microwave and a microwavable bowl, I have a recipe for you! In just a few minutes and with only six ingredients you will create a tasty holiday treat that will hold it’s own at a dessert table full of holiday sweets.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons red and green holiday nonpareils, plus additional tablespoon to garnish top

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large microwavable bowl, combine white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk.
2. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals until white chocolate is melted. Stir after every 30 seconds.
3. Once white chocolate chips are melted and mixed with sweetened condensed milk, add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of holiday nonpareils. Stir until well combined.
4. Pour fudge into a foil lined 8 X 8 or 9 X 9 baking pan. (I only have a 9 x 9 pan, so mine came out a little thinner than I like.)
5. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of nonpareils over top of fudge.
6. Transfer to refrigerator to let set up. 3 hours minimum.
7. Remove from baking pan and cut up into desired size squares and serve.

Store in an air tight container. In room temperature the fudge will last 7-10 days. Refrigerated, the fudge should last 2-3 weeks.