Rocky Road Cupcakes

This delectable little cake hails from a cute little cookbook that my daughter, Megan, received from our friends the O'Brien's when we shared the first night of Hanukkah together. Megan has enjoyed baking several recipes from it and I used it as my resource for our "Last Day of School" celebration lunch. :-) My kiddos absolutely devour Rocky Road ice cream any time I buy it, so I knew they would be thrilled to see these waiting for them after school.

The cake is marbled with white and chocolate batter and is incredibly moist and delicious. The topping is a mixture of toasted coconut, peanuts, dried cherries and marshmallows. All those yummy little goodies are then tossed in melted milk chocolate and mounded onto the tops of cupcakes. Oh yummy!! These were a huge hit with my kids to begin our summer vacation.

From the heart of my kitchen to yours may your experience be fun and the food always flavorful. Enjoy!

Rocky Road Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1/3 cup milk
pink food coloring
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons milk, extra

Rocky Road Topping

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1 cup red candied cherries, halved
1 cup pink and white marshmallows, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted
7 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Decorations

2 ounces milk chocolate chips, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 6-hole oversize (Texas) or 12-hole standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.

2. Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour and milk in two batches.

3. Divide mixture evenly among three bowls. Tint one mixture pink. Blend sifted cocoa with extra milk in cup; stir into another mixture. Leave third mixture plain.

4. Drop alternate spoonfuls of the mixtures into baking cups. Pull a skewer backwards and forwards through mixtures for a marbled effect; smooth surface.

5. Bake large cakes about 30 minutes, small cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto a wire rack to cool.

6. Combine ingredients for rocky road topping in medium bowl.

7. Place topping on tops of cakes; drizzle with chocolate.

Source: cupcakes

Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes

First of all, let me thank so many of you for all the wonderful birthday wishes! It's wonderful being a part of the foodie world and sharing our families, stories, trials, triumphs, recipes and special events together! You all made my day so very special, thank you! :)

Last week my Mom gave me my birthday present a little early. When I looked inside the bag, I was incredibly excited to see several new cookbooks. Yay!! I could hardly wait to sit and read through each one. It's a running joke in our house that I'm constantly reading cookbooks..it's an illness, really. One of the cookbooks is a cute, little book titled simply, "Perfect Baking". My favorite part of this book is that every delicious recipe is accompanied by a full, color photograph. Don't you love it when there's photos of a recipe that look so mouth-wateringly delicious that you feel you have to bake right away? Thanks Mom for my new books!!! I LOVE THEM!

One of the first recipes I marked to try right away were these wonderful frosted peanut butter cupcakes. Just the title had me checking the pantry to verify that I had all the ingredients on hand. Mmmm! When Sarah and I were baking last week, we decided that these were a must try for the day. The original recipe did not call for chocolate chips, but, hey-what's a peanut butter cupcake without some mini chocolate chips? The addition was perfect! When we were preparing to mix the frosting, we were sure that there was a misprint-there didn't seem to be enough liquid to create a soft cream. But, boy were we wrong! The frosting mixed up beautifully and made an already delicious cupcake, D.I.V.I.N.E.
Isn't this the cutest little cupcake? Mmmm, it was just sitting there calling my name.....I couldn't resist....
I thought that one tiny bite would surely be enough to whet my craving for this irresistible combination of chocolate and peanut buttery goodness! Right?
Wrong!!! The first bite was heaven!! I quickly looked around to see where the kids were....realized they were still at school and....yes.... took a second bite. Oh. My. Word. And before I knew what I was doing......
Oops, did I eat that whole cupcake? No!!.....well.....maybe....well......yes O.K.! I ate the entire thing and loved. every. bite! :)

From the heart of my kitchen to yours may your experience be fun and the food always flavorful. Enjoy!

Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes

4 Tbs. butter, softened
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Put 15 muffin paper cases in a muffin pan.

Put the butter, sugar and peanut butter in a bowl and beat together for 1-2 minutes or until well mixed. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and baking powder and then, using a metal spoon, fold them into the mixture, alternating with the milk. (Fold in the chips) Spoon the batter into the paper cases.

Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven, 350 degrees, for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Frosting

1 cup full-fat soft cream cheese
1 Tbs. butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar

To make the frosting, put the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together until smooth. Sift the confectioner's sugar into mixture, then beat together until well mixed.

When the cupcakes are cold, spread the frosting on top of each cupcake, swirling it with a round-bladed knife. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: Perfect Baking

Spring Has Sprung Cupcakes

Yes, Spring has sprung here in the mid-west and the creative minds at Decadent Dreams Bakery have been working over time baking up sugary, yummy goodies to celebrate the newness of the season. Contrary to what you may believe with my lack of posting, we have been extremely busy in the kitchen, however, everything we've created has been sold and shipped immediately out the door. Fantastic for our new business, not so great for food blogging or little ones who have begun begging their Mom to bake treats that actually remain in the house for them to enjoy. :)
Yesterday, the kids were blissfully happy to have begun their spring break and Sarah and I had previously promised my girls that we would spend the day playing in the kitchen and working on some adorable cupcakes. We've been patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to work with fondant and FINALLY had the entire day to play, play, play! Seriously, we were as giddy as two little girls in a candy shop when we started coloring the fondant. :)
Our little Sous Chef Mo (my 11-year old daughter) also doubled as our photographer capturing our day of fun on "film". Sarah is working with the pink flowers and I was rolling out the pastel blue to begin cutting flowers.
Here are all 90+ flowers cut and waiting to be placed on the tops of the cupcakes. Aren't they absolutely adorable!
This was my favorite part of our day...watching my baby delicately placing her flowers on her cupcake. She was so precise in where her flowers went and I loved watching her little fingers at work. You can see that Sous Chef Mo was not only busy with the camera but she also took time to mentor her baby sister with the art of fondant. An amazing day in the kitchen with my daughters, sharing tons of laughs with my friend/partner, more beautiful baked goods to offer for our bakery and memories that will last a lifetime. All add up to such a successful day!

If you're wondering...yes, the cute little cupcakes remained at home for my precious little ones to savor and enjoy!

Thanks for allowing me to share with you our latest fun creation! I hope you've enjoyed my recap of our day! Coming up in my next post; I'll be sharing with you the delicious dinner that Sous Chef Mo prepared all on her own as Sarah and I put the final touches on our cupcakes. I'm SO proud!!

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes

It's now the 21st of January and I'm ready to post (and eat) some sweets. I've noticed that others are beginning to bake and blog about brownies, cookies and other fantastic sweets too. I think three weeks of staying true to our new years' resolutions is pretty good. I'm still very conscious of preparing healthier meals for my family, but to deprive them of a daily sweet treat can certainly cause sour moods. Funny how that works!

Cupcakes are hugely popular right now, on food blogs, for birthday parties, weddings and any type of celebration. I have always loved these cute little cakes. They're versatile, convenient and easy to decorate for any occasion. While researching the web for different cupcake recipes, I found this version of one of my favorite pies. I love the internet!

I love foods that have a variety of textures in every bite! There's something joyous of biting into foods that are crunchy, moist and sweet at the same time. It makes my mouth happy. And everyone knows that if your mouth is happy, your hips are happy. Well, maybe keeping my mouth happy ALL the time isn't such a great idea, but a little indulgence doesn't hurt. Does it?

These cupcakes were a huge hit with the kids! The bottom of the cupcakes are formed by crushed oreos and mini chocolate chips. On top of all that crunch is the moist, yummy chocolate cake. The cake is then sprinkled with more oreos and chips. Do I have your attention yet? Mmmm!

The original recipe called for topping the cakes with melted chocolate or your favorite chocolate frosting. I wanted something a little different, so I whipped some whipping cream and added chopped Oreo cookies to the frosting. I'm thrilled with the how the icing tasted, but not so happy with the look of it. The cookie bits kept clogging my decorator so I resorted to using a ziplock bag with a clipped corner. Better luck next time...and I'll definitely be fixing these again.

From the heart of my kitchen to yours, may your experience be fun and the food always flavorful. Enjoy!

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

2 1/4 cups crushed Oreo cookies (about 20 cookies)
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 24 muffin tin cups with paper liners.

Put the unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the water. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cookie pieces and 2 teaspoons of chocolate chips into the bottom of each paper liner. Spoon a scant 1/4 cup of batter over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle remaining cookie pieces and chocolate chips over the tops, pressing them gently into the batter.

Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a wire rack.

Frost with melted chocolate, your favorite chocolate frosting or whipped cream.

Source: How To Eat A Cupcake

Neapolitan Cupcakes

This is, hands down, one of the most exciting recipes for me to post. "Why", you ask? Well, let me tell you..because these cute little cupcakes were chosen by, prepared by, baked and iced by my "baker-in-training", precious daughter, Megan.

Our dear friends, the O'Briens' (yes, same O'Brien's as Sundays For Sarah) invited us over to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with them. Sarah fixed an amazing meal of brisket, potato latkes, cheesy rice and Challah bread. Mmmm, it was all so delicious! When we exchanged gifts, Megan received a cupcake cookbook and immediately began looking through it. She was so excited to have her own cookbook and couldn't wait to bake her first cupcakes.

Megan chose these adorable Neapolitan Cupcakes as her first recipe. I remained in the kitchen with her, but made sure to allow her to do things her way. She had a few questions along the way, but in all she did a phenomenal job. The batter is mixed in one bowl and then divided out into three batches. One is colored pink with food coloring, cocoa is added to another for the chocolate and the remaining one is left alone as the vanilla. Megan asked me to help her in filling the muffin cups since there were three bowls to dip from. We had a ball working side by side sharing giggles and grins.

When the cakes were cooled it was time for the icing. It took awhile to get the right consistency, but once she got it, she divided it up and colored the icing in the same manner as the cakes with food coloring and cocoa. Then she proceeded, very carefully, to ice the cupcakes. Didn't they turn out wonderfully? I'm very proud of her!! I did get a kick out of this last little bit I'm about to share with you...once Meg got her cakes done, I was shocked that she didn't immediately want to taste her creations. It wasn't close to dinner time and we had only "snacked" for lunch, so I was a little befuddled. So I asked her, "Megan, honey, why don't you want to eat one of your cakes?" Her response made me laugh..."Mom, I ate too much icing off my fingers as I was working on the cupcakes and now my stomach kinda hurts. I really don't feel like eating any more icing, even if it's on the cakes" Cute huh? Don't worry, the cakes were for our family, so whatever germs she shared while licking her fingers remained within our home. :) I'll be sure to share the "cleanliness" rules next time we bake together.

From the heart of my kitchen to yours, may your experience be fun and your food always flavorful! Enjoy!

Neapolitan Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup milk
pink food coloring
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa-powder
2 teaspoons milk, extra

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 6-hole oversize (Texas) or 12-hole standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.
2. Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour and milk, in two batches.
3. Divide mixture evenly among three bowls. Tint one mixture pink. blend sifted cocoa with extra milk in cup, stir into another mixture. Leave third mixture plain.
4. Drop alternate spoonfuls of the three mixtures into baking cups. Pull a skewer backwards and forwards through mixtures for a marbled effect, smooth surface.
5. Bake large cakes about 30 minutes, small cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.
6. Make butter cream.
7. Spread cakes with the three colors of butter cream.

Butter Cream

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
pink food coloring
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons milk, extra

Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible, beat in sifted powdered sugar and milk, in two batches. Divide mixture evenly among three bowls. Tint one mixture pink. Blend sifted cocoa with extra milk in cup; stir into another mixture. Leave third mixture plain.

Source: cupcakes