Blueberry Cupcakes

My goal this week has been to empty out my freezer. When I needed to make cupcakes for something I decided to make blueberry, only so I could finish off my frozen blueberries. I couldn't find any blueberry cupcake recipes that I either liked or had all of the ingredients too on hand. I decided to go with one of my favorite vanilla cake recipe and add blueberries. They turned out SO good and now I just want to make them again. They are a perfect summer cupcake.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
1 cup milk w/ 1 Tbls white vinager
1/4 warm water
2 cup frozen blueberries

Makes a little over 2 dozen

Use with Cream Cheese Frosting

DIRECTIONS

Take the bluerries and rinse them thoroughly in cold water until water stops turning Purple. When you are done rinsing them, let them dry while you mix the rest of the cake.

Next mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then slowly add dry mix to wet mix. 

I then added the mix to my cupcake holders in the baking pan. I mixed in about 6-8 blueberries per cupcake after the batter was in the cupcake tin. This made it so the cupcake didn't turn purple and it remained its white color. If you want to mix in the blueberries before you add them to the cupcake tin, make sure to softly fold them in. 

Bake at 350º for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

I used a simple cream cheese frosting, adding a little extra butter to fluff it up.

Pumpkin Woopies

These are the perfect fall treats. DELICIOUS! Seriously make these. This recipe does make quite a bit though so be prepared for that. It is big enough so you can make them as woopies with the cream in the middle of two cookies. Also try them with ice cream as the center instead of cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients  

For the Cream-Cheese Filling

 3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground cloves

2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Directions

1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Thanks Martha Stewart

Banana Boat

Here is a delicious and easy desert. It's Banana. Graham crackers. Chocolate chips. Peanut butter chips. Mini marshmallows. Wrapped in tin foil. 

Peanut Butter Bars

 So the other day I had about ten extra kids at my house and they all wanted a treat.  I needed something that fed a small army.  I found this delicious recipe.

Ingredients (for the cookie):

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teas. vanilla
• 3/4 teas. baking soda
• 1/2 teas. salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats

Ingredients (for the topping):

• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add soda and salt and mix until well blended.  Add flour slowly, making sure incorporated, but do not over mix.  Stir in oatmeal by hand.  Spray a 15x10 jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread mixture in pan (I wet my hand slightly and press the mixture in evenly).  Cook at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  

Remove from oven and immediately drop peanut butter (from the topping list) by teaspoonfuls evenly around the top.  Allow to melt and spread smooth with a spatula.  Allow to cool thoroughly.

In a small saucepan, bring sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a full boil for 45 seconds.  Remove from heat and add milk chocolate chips.  Whisk until chocolate sauce is smooth.  Poor evenly over bars and allow to set before cutting and serving.  

Spice Cupcakes

So I made these little delightful delights for Josh & Jelissa's combined birthday dinner.  

Cupcake

1 box spice cake mix

1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup oil

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup sour cream

Frosting

1 small can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of white chocolate chips or cinnamon chips

1  1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place all ingredients into stand or electric mixer and beat on medium for close to 2 minutes, batter will be thick. Scoop or spoon batter into 24 cupcake cups and bake for 18-21 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

2. To prepare white chocolate sauce, pour sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium heat.  When hot, pour in chocolate chips and cinnamon and stir until smooth.  Pour white chocolate sauce over cupcakes (I unwrapped my cupcakes and put them on a display plate and then poured it on).  Let chocolate set slightly or eat immediately if you like it gooey!

Chocolate Fudge Jr. Mint Centered Cupcakes

Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes

1 box Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/2 Cup water

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 Cup sour cream

1 Cup chocolate chips

3 - 4 oz boxes Jr Mints 

Homemade Whipping Cream for Frosting

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips.  Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until well combined and somewhat thick.  Scoop into 24 paper lined muffin cups.  Press 3 JR mints into the center of each cupcake center.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center.  Let cool completely and frost with Homemade Whipping Cream and a Junior Mint. 

Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 7 cups thinly sliced pared apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 egg white
• Additional sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and spices; set aside. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add sugar mixture; toss well to coat. Line a 9-in. pie pan with half the pastry. Place apple filling into crust; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut a few slits in top. beat egg white until foamy; brush over pastry. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F and bake 10-15 minutes more or until golden.

Dutch Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 7 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Place rack in lowest position in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees F ( 230 degrees C).

1. To Make Topping: Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; cut in butter or margarine until mixture is moist and crumbly, and clumps together easily.
2. To Make Filling: Peel, core, and slice apples into approximately 1/8 inch slices. If you cut them too thick you'll have crunchy apples. In another bowl, toss cut up apples, white sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle in flour, and stir until apples are evenly coated.
3. Layer apple slices in pie shell. You will have a lot of apples, but they will shrink. Layer them higher in the middle. Pour left over juice from apple mixture over apples. Pat the brown sugar topping evenly over apples to make a top crust.
4. Place pie on cookie sheet in oven to catch juice droppings. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for 45 minutes to one hour; bake until center of pie has no resistance. If top starts to get too dark, cover with piece of foil. Cool on wire rack before serving.

Yummy Carrot Cake

Cake Ingredients:

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup apple sauce

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice or pumpkin pie spice

3+ cups grated carrots

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter softened

8 ounces cream cheese

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. To make cake...In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and spice.  Stir in carrots.  Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
4. To make frosting... In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  

I made this for Jelissa's Birthday.  It was quite delightful.  We took pictures of it BUT I left my camera at my Mom's House.  I will post it when I grab it.  You really should make it.  Consider it health with all those carrots in it.  You can eat the whole cake.  

Chocolate Waffles

So this might be the easiest desert ever... it is yummy too.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake Mix (or any flavor of cake)

Ingredients to make the cake (oil, eggs, water etc.)

Mix up the cake as if you were going to bake it but instead heat it in your preheated waffle maker. Top it with your favorite ice cream.

Try spice cake and cinnamon ice cream, or white cake with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries. You really can't go wrong. This is the dessert I use if someone just drops by and I need to make something fast.

Yummy!