Happy Birthday Leap Day Peeps!

My friend, Sierra, celebrated her 8th birthday today (or 32nd birthday for you math haters).  She is the first person I’ve known that was born on Leap Day.  This gave me a perfect excuse to make her some cupcakes.  I have had my eye on this recipe and knew it would make a perfect birthday cupcake. 

I found this picture on Pinterest, so I adjusted the heat to 325 degrees and increased my baking time.  The cupcakes rose up nicely.  I love all the color from the sprinkles and the buttercream is a perfect complement to the cake. 

Putting this one in my recipe book.  Enjoy and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIERRA!!! 

Funfetti Cupcakes

From HowSweetEats.com

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ tbsp Cream Bouquet (if you have it)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup colored sprinkles (you’ll need more for the frosting)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, vanilla, and bream bouquet, and beat until combined.

Whisk dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Add the milk, combine, and then add remaining dry ingredients.  Fold in assorted sprinkles – don’t over mix or the colors will bleed. 

Pour into cupcake tins and fill ¾ of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Allow cupcakes to fully cool before frosting. 

Vanilla Buttercream

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp of milk, if needed

Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and creamy.  With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly.  Increase speed and add the vanilla, then beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl.  

If frosting is too thick, add milk 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.  If it’s too thin, add sugar gradually until it thickens.  Frost cupcakes and top with sprinkles. 

Thanks for stopping by!  

Banana Donuts with Cinnamon and Sugar Coating

I put it off as long as I possibly could, all along knowing I would break down eventually.  I bought a Wilton Donut pan.  In my defense, I had old bananas that HAD to be used and I didn’t really want banana bread.  So, when I saw this recipe I knew this was the day that silly, but awesome, pan would be mine.

Let me tell ya, I’m glad I bought it.  It was only $9.99 but with a 40% coupon it was a bargain.  Plus they are baked, not fried, so they are healthy…………

I loved this recipe because of the spices; I knew that would make a very yummy flavor.  I do think these were moister than the standard cake donut because of the bananas, but that is not a bad thing at all.  And by applying butter for the cinnamon/sugar coating it didn’t hurt the flavor or texture. 

I for sure see the standard cake donut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles in the VERY near future.  Yum.

Banana Donuts with Cinnamon and Sugar Coating

Adapted from Peanut Butter & Julie

Banana Donuts

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons canola or safflower oil

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rub the donut pan with a little butter or shortening, or use baking spray. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl beat the brown sugar, oil, and eggs at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Mix in the mashed banana, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined.

Pour the batter to a large zip-top bag and cut off one corner.  Pipe the dough into the donut pan, filling each mold about halfway full. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the donuts spring back when lightly touched.  Let the donuts set in the pan for about a minute before transferring to a wire rack. 

Cinnamon and Sugar Coating

4 tbsp butter, melted
4-5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

In one bowl, melt the butter.  In another bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.  Once donuts are cool, either dip into the butter or use a basting brush to lightly coat in butter.  Then, dip into the sugar/cinnamon mixture until coated. 

Now….enjoy!!!  Store donuts in an airtight container.   

Recipe makes 16-18 donuts.  

Chocolate Kiss Cookies (Peanut Butter Cookies)

Oh hi! Are you new here? I would love to have you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or one of the other sites listed over there on the right. 

I love my grandma’s Chocolate Kiss Cookies, well, because they are delicious but also because they make me think of her.  I didn’t get a chance to make them for Christmas like I usually do, so Valentine’s Day was a perfect excuse.  Instead of using stars or Hersey Kisses I opted for Reece’s Peanut Butter hearts.  The Reece’s and then the peanut butter in the cookie made them so yummmmmmy.  I bet you could use any type of chocolate candy to fit the holiday, except maybe not mint…mint and peanut butter might be weird.  J   

I wish they had Shamrock chocolates so I could make them for St. Patty’s Day!

Chocolate Kiss Cookies (Peanut Butter Cookies)
From my Grandma

1 ¾ cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup shortening

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup white sugar (keep an extra ¼ cup out for rolling)

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

24-30 chocolate candies – could use Brach Stars, Hersey Kisses, Reece’s Peanut Butter hearts, etc

Preheat oven to 350. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In another bowl cream together the shortening, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.  Mx until fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

Add in egg, milk, and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add in dry ingredients. 

Form teaspoonful into a ball, roll in white sugar, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. 

Remove from oven, place chocolate heart, star, or kiss on each cookie and push down lightly.  Return to oven for an additional 1-2 minutes until light golden brown. 

Allows cookies to cool on pan for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Makes 24-28 cookies.

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Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

Is it Sunday already?  We had such a fun weekend!  I love that my nephew, Isaac, did air quotes for multiple words throughout the whole weekend.  And let Jacob shoot him nearly 1000 times with a Nurf gun (at Isaac’s request, of course).  Don’t worry, Isaac hid around corners and did get Jacob back many times. 

We did not get to meet Troy and Jacob from Swamp People – there were SOOOO many people there it would have been a whole day event. 

The trip to Crate & Barrel with my sis-in-law was dangerously fun.  We found super cute things including this, this, and this.  I work less than a block from the store and I know it will be way too easy of a lunch break shopping trip.  If I would have won the Power Ball this weekend I would quickly go back and ask for 1 of everything.  Wouldn’t that be fun…

We also watched a couple fun movies, ate great food, and just had good ol’ family bonding.  It’s so nice to have family close by!  My brother-in-law could not make the trip so I decided to send home so freshly made cookies.  He likes sweets almost as much as me.  Haha

These are going to be a regular in my house.  The cookies taste just like brownies with a cookie consistency and with the peanut butter chips it’s just like having a Reece’s Peanut Butter cup.  Yummmm. 

You need to make these! 

Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips
adapted from VeryBestBaking.com

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Peanut Butter Chips, divided

3 oz Bittersweet chocolate*
3 oz Semisweet chocolate*

*I only had a square of each left over, but if you only have semi-sweet chocolate it will work just fine.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl.

Melt chocolate and a little less than 2/3 cup peanut butter chips in microwave-safe bowl on medium power for 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds more, until smooth.  Set aside.

Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Add the melted chocolate/peanut butter mixture and mix well.  Add egg and vanilla extract and mix for about a minute. 

Add flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in remaining 1 cup peanut butter chips. Use a cookie scoop or drop tablespoon dough onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs and the tops have a cracked appearance.  Cool on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes and then wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24-28 cookies.

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting

Just in time for Valentine’s Day! These cupcakes are pretty darn good. The tart raspberry frosting is a perfect complement to the lemon cake. Knowing that my office would probably have gobs of sweets next week, I decided to take these in pre-V Day. They were nearly gone within a couple hours, so that is a good sign your friends and family will enjoy them too.

I’ve talked a bit about updating my kitchen and I’m finally ready to reveal the finished product! We went with a blue, gray, and yellow color scheme. It now feels like OUR kitchen and so much warmer and welcoming. 

I have a fun and busy weekend ahead. My sister-in-law and nephew are in town. We’ve already visited the park (short visit, pretty chilly) and a little shopping at Target. Tomorrow – home décor shopping and Bass Pro to meet Troy and Jacob from, the hit show, (well, a hit show to us) Swamp People. It should be interesting day. Jacob is also off work this weekend so that makes it even better! 

Well, off to hang with the fam. Thanks for stopping by! 

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting
Adapted from Babble.com posting

1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest and juice of a lemon, divided

1 cup milk, divided

Preheat oven to 375 F and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest (lemon juice comes later) with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Juice the lemon into a small dish and measure out the milk.

Add to the butter mixture a third at a time, alternating with half the milk and half the lemon juice after each of the first 2 additions of flour. Beat until just combined.

Fill the prepared tins and bake for 20 minutes or until set. Let cool completely before frosting.

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Raspberry Frosting

1 cup fresh raspberries (I used frozen; they were cheaper this time of year)
1 cup butter, at room temperature
3 to 5 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the raspberries until smooth. If you do not the seeds, press the mixture through a sieve.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and half the sugar until smooth. Add the raspberry puree, then more sugar until you have a fluffy, spreadable consistency. Add a splash of water, too if it needs it.

Happy Valentine’s Day – early!