There’s always a recipe to find when you have a few simple ingredients in your house. This time, I had some left over sour cream from a cake that I made a few days ago and a few bananas that were past their prime. I wanted a new recipe so I went to one of my favorite sites:
I really like this site because you can input a few ingredients and it will pull recipes that incorporate them. That is how I found this recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread. In addition, you can bookmark favorite recipes by adding them to your “YUM” list.
For me, cinnamon is synonymous with comfort food. The aroma in the kitchen while I bake something with cinnamon makes me happy. The day I made these, it was a cold rainy morning, which called for something comforting. Also, I hadn’t baked in about two weeks – I was practically going through withdrawal.
This is a well-rounded cupcake. The buttery texture of a snickerdoodle melts in the mouth. The yellow cupcake balances the sweetness of the cinnamon and sugar of the cookie. The creamy feel of the cinnamon buttercream is a perfect compliment.
Here’s a snickerdoodle cupcake. I can’t deny that it is a little cumbersome to make because essentially you’re making two desserts and combining them.
Directions:
First, I baked a batch of snickerdoodles (any recipe will do). I baked the cookies until they were done but still on the moist side – only 10 minutes. Then, I cut 12 cookies into quarters.
Second, I prepared cupcake batter (I used a regular yellow cake mix). I place a scoop of batter in each of 24 cupcake papers. Then I place 2 quarters of the snickerdoodle cookies in the cake batter. I covered the cookies completely with more batter. I baked the cupcakes for only 18 minutes.
I made a Wilton Buttercream frosting and mixed in 1 tsp of cinnamon. I decorated with a simple swirl. I was sure to add enough to support a cookie topper.
You should have 24 leftover pieces of cookies to top off the cupcakes.
And, as added bonus you’ll have more whole Snickerdoodle cookies to enjoy.
Image above: Oreo brownies, Oreo chunk cookies, and Oreo bars
It’s that time of year when the college kids go back to school. They get to meet new people and start new classes. It’s a lot of change and it can be stressful. I find that baked goods are excellent for stress. This care package was inspired by my nephew who likes Oreos. I have done other cupcake recipes with Oreos hidden inside, but I didn’t think the buttercream was a good idea for shipping. Hopefully, I packed the container well enough that he won’t be receiving a box of crumbs.
Oreo Brownies: This recipe is pretty straight forward. Double-up any brownie mix. Place half of batter in a pan, place a layer of Oreos, and then pour the rest of the batter on top of the Oreos. Found recipe at iheartnaptime.net
Oreo Chunk Cookies:This is a very simple recipe. The base of this recipe is similar to most whoopee pie recipes that I’ve seen: cake mix, one stick of melted butter, one egg, and vanilla. See the exact recipe for full details. I deviated from the recipe in that I only choose to use only Oreos as my add-ins. I didn’t want to use chocolate chips. I used a combination of Oreo chunks and ground Oreos. Found recipe at http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2014/02/chocolate-chip-cookies-cream-cookies/
Oreo Bars: These bars are similar to rice krispie treats. However, instead of using cereal there are chopped up Oreos. Make sure you use a large enough bowl to melt the marshmallows and butter. I had a bit of explosion in the microwave. Found recipe at picky-palate.com
Chocolate, caramel, nugget, and peanuts – oh how this combination satisfies! Just like the Snickers’ commercials suggest, the Snickers make these a satisfying cupcake.
It’s a chocolate cupcake with a surprise Snickers bite inside. It has a caramel frosting and is topped with more Snickers pieces and a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips.
Most importantly, make sure you buy enough Snickers bites for inside the cupcakes and to cut into pieces to lay on top. Also, buy some extra, because it’s nearly impossible not to snack on some while making and baking these cupcakes.
Directions:
Chocolate Cupcake:
Any favorite Devils Food recipe will do (even a box cake mix). After placing paper in muffin tins, fill the muffin cups with about 1 tablespoon of batter – enough to cover the bottom of the muffin paper. Next, place a Snickers Bite on top of the batter in such a way that the candy is centered and is perfectly parallel to the bottom of the muffin tin. Place another heaping tablespoon of batter on top of the candy. Smooth out the batter on top of the candy. The entire muffin cup, candy included, should be filled about to 2/3 to 3/4. You probably with be able to make a few more cupcakes than you normally do with the same mix. Reduce your baking time by 5 minutes and carefully watch. A cupcake is done when you touch the top and the cupcake springs bake a little.
Caramel Frosting (no need to double frosting recipe – I always plan for lots)
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup caramel sauce
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
Beat butter, caramel sauce, and salt until smooth. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until a fluffy frosting forms. Pipe immediately.
Here’s a small bite size alternative to traditional smores. It has a graham cracker based crust. I used dark chocolate instead of standard milk chocolate, which was less sweet and a nice compliment to the marshmallows. Of course, it’s topped with a toasted marshmallow.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
8 honey graham cracker sheets
6 Tbls of melted butter
1/4 cup of powered sugar
12 Hershey’s dark chocolate miniatures, broken in half
12 large marshmallows, torn in half
Directions:
Preheat one oven to bake at 350 and set another oven to broil
Spray 2 12-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray
In a food processor, chop the graham crackers sheets until all is finely chopped. Add the melted butter and powdered sugar to the graham crackers and mix well.
Evenly separate the graham cracker mixture into the 24 cups. Press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and sides. Bake for 4 minutes in the oven set at 350.
Remove from oven. Place one piece of the halved chocolate miniature in each cup. Top with a torn marshmallow, smooth side up.
Place in broil for about 1 minute. WATCH CLOSELY! Remove when marshmallow is lightly browned.
While I’m not a huge fan of store-bought cookies, I can’t argue with the fact that Oreos are hugely popular. More importantly, Oreos can be used to create other fantastic desserts.
These chocolate cupcakes have an Oreo stashed inside. The last time I baked a cupcake with an Oreo inside, I used yellow cupcake batter. it’s a bit more difficult to see the cookie when you bite or cut into these chocolate cupcakes. However, if you’re a chocolate lover, does that really matter? These cupcakes are best to be eaten one day after baking because the Oreo inside becomes very soft. The buttercream on top is loaded with finely chopped Oreo cookies (not just the cookie part, but the delicious cream filling as well). By including the cream filling, the frosting tastes even more decadent. Finally, I couldn’t resist garnishing the cupcake with one half of an Oreo.
Directions:
Chocolate Cupcake:
Any favorite Devils Food recipe will do (even a box cake mix). After placing paper in muffin tins, fill the muffin cups with about 1 tablespoon of batter – enough to cover the bottom of the muffin paper. Next, place a full Oreo on top of the batter in such a way that the cookie is centered and is perfectly parallel to the bottom of the muffin tin. Place another heaping tablespoon of batter on top of the cookie. Smooth out the batter on top of the cookie. The entire muffin cup, cookie included, should be filled about to 2/3 to 3/4. You probably with be able to make a few more cupcakes than you normally do with the same mix. Reduce your baking time by 5 minutes and carefully watch. A cupcake is done when you touch the top and the cupcake springs bake a little.
Oreo Buttercream Frosting:
I started with a basic Wilton vanilla cupcake recipe (1/2 c butter, 1/2 shortening, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 c powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of milk – I used more than the recommended amount because of adding the Oreos). Cream butter and shortening; add vanilla, slowly add powdered sugar while alternating with milk; beat until fluffy. Crush 12 Oreos in a food processor until there are no chunks (any chunks will block your piping tips and become a headache later). Mix the chopped cookies with your frosting. Pipe the cupcakes. The more frosting the better.
My daughter informed me last weekend that it was National Ice Cream Cream and she decided we needed to make some coffee flavored ice cream. I’m a bit partial to mochas so I decided to throw in some chocolate chips for flavor and texture. However, my son doesn’t like anything coffee flavored. I couldn’t very well do a dessert for only one child. That’s when this idea came to me – brownie a la mode. Seemed like a perfect solution: my son eats the brownie and my daughter enjoys the ice cream. I wasn’t neglecting either one of my kids. The result was beyond all expectations! It was a sensational flavor and texture combination.
ICE CREAM RECIPE
This ice cream is ridiculously easy to make. It doesn’t require an ice cream maker. And, it tastes amazing. I simply added 7 Tbls of vienna coffee power and 1 cup of chocolate chips (chopped to 1/4 original size)
Here’s a video on how to make it …
BROWNIE RECIPE (really any favorite recipe would work)
Here’s another recipe curtesy of my teenage daughter’s inspiration. She absolutely loves studying French and decided that we must celebrate Bastille Day. This French Hot Chocolate is unbelievably decadent. Unlike hot chocolate in America, this drink is very thick. A little goes a long way.
French Hot Chocolate
The most decadent dark hot chocolate recipe that tastes just like the French hot chocolate found in Paris cafes. Intense, rich, and absolute heaven for any chocolate lover. Recipe based off of the famous Cafe Angelina in Paris.
YIELD: 2 large, intense cups of hot chocolate or 4 more reasonably-sized cups
PREP TIME: 3 minutes
COOK TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 8 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but delicious. Will intensify chocolate flavor)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, at least 72%, chopped*
Giant bowl of whipped cream, for serving
Directions:
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and espresso powder until small bubbles appear around edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Remove from saucepan from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted, returning the sauce to low heat if needed for the chocolate to melt completely. Serve warm, topped with lots of whipped cream
*Choose the best quality chocolate you can, as the flavor really carries the drink. I love Guittard for a splurge or Godiva, but the Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% dark bar is quite good too. I do not recommend chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers and do not melt as well.
Leftover French hot chocolate can be cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated in an airtight container (empty mason or jam jars work particularly well). Reheat gently the in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.
After multiple requests from my daughter, I decided to attempt a flag cake. Well, I learned a few things during the process. First, don’t take short cuts. I bought cheap cake mixes to make the red cake part (trying to save time and a bit of my sanity). It crumbled when I cut it and therefore I couldn’t make as many layers from each 8 inch round. Also, I should have chilled each layer of cake before slicing it to make clean cut layers. Perhaps making all the cake the evening before would have worked better. Second, the white chocolate chips for stars was a failure. The chips simply melted into the cake. While that added to the taste of the cake, it failed to give the appearance of stars in the blue section. In the end, it was festive. But no, I would not repeat this cake.
I wouldn’t call this project a complete bust. I had a ton of cake left over from all the trimmings. I decided to turn it into cake balls. For me, the best part of this project was that both of my kids got involved in it. It has been years since my son has wanted to “play” in the kitchen. To see both my son and daughter at the kitchen table rolling dough into tie dye bundles was a bigger treat for me than any sugary dessert. Fourth of July is a great opportunity for a bit of family time. Having both my kids in the kitchen with me made this the best Fourth of July that I can remember.
My daughter and I decided that these cake balls were too pretty to coat with white chocolate and decided to leave them chocolate-less.
Check on my post on cake balls for directions on how to make these little bite size dream balls.
As My daughter says, “The sprinkles put the Fun in Funfetti.” What do you get when take a Funfetti Cake Mix (white cake with a bunch of sprinkles) and add even more sprinkles? More fun. Now, add some cream cheese and you have a fun, decadent cookie.
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