For two months this summer I lived 20 feet away from a Trader Joe's. Sometimes I'd go multiple times in a day. I went and got free samples almost every day (is that even allowed?). I became addicted to their dark chocolate espresso beans. I have been both the first and the last person in the store. Let's just say it was an obsession. Another of my favorite things about Trader Joe's was their 19 cent bananas. 19 cents!? Bananas have to be the most affordable fruit out there. I'd go and stock up and bake banana bread galore. 

Well, now I don't live next to a Trader Joe's, and even though bananas are only 75 cents, I haven't purchased them since the summer. Maybe I've just been mourning the loss of a convenient grocery store. Thankfully I've come to my senses. So, I'm starting back my banana craze with these great banana muffins with cream cheese frosting. Bananas and cream cheese...it's perfection. 

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Blissfully Delicious 

Ingredients
2-2/3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 sticks butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk (milk or coconut milk can be used here as well)
1 cup shredded coconut (I skipped them since I didn’t have any in hand)

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with a kitchen mixer using paddle attachment. Add sugar and beat for a few minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time while continue to beat at low speed and vanilla. The mixture will be silky smooth – add banana and lower speed.

Mix in the flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.

Fill into cupcake pans (fill up about 2/3-full, you should get approximately 18 cupcakes), bake them for about 18-minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Alternatively, you can also bake these as layered cakes, pour into 2 9-inch pans, and bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before inverting on wire rack to cool.

The cupcakes can be stored in room temperature for up to 2 days, or they will become dense and unappealing!

Yield: ~18 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar. Continue to beat while adding remaining sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Add vanilla, and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Being from North Carolina, hurricanes are an inevitable occurrence. I used to have an irrational fear of them when I was little. That was added to the list of multiple other irrational fears of my childhood: bombs, alien invasions, tidal waves, monsters, twisters/Kansas..the list goes on. This is what happens when you watch too many movies as a child. What's unusual is that I'm now on hurricane watch in DC. DC! I didn't see this one coming.

My parents were in town this weekend and we braved the grocery store yesterday. I think most people were stocking up on bread and water, but I had other things in mind, all of which could be found on the baking aisle. The power lines in my neighborhood are above ground, so I am almost certain my power will be out within the next 24 hours. Good thing I'm thinking ahead and decided to go on a baking spree. This way, come tomorrow when I need to crash at a friend's place because my power is out, I'll come bearing gifts. 

I LOVE pumpkin flavored baked goods. I don't love pumpkin pie, but everything else is right up my alley. I bought one can of pumpkin and managed to make two recipes out of it using everything else that I already had on hand. These cupcakes are perfect. They are super easy and the cream cheese mixed with simple pumpkin base is delicious. And, as my roommate Brooke said, "I know you hate this word, but these are so moist!" Indeed they are. This recipe is going into my staple pumpkin recipe box. 

Work was cancelled today, so I had plenty of time to take pictures outside of my front door (which thankfully is covered by the stairs to the upstairs apartments so I stayed out of the rain). The wind was picking up towards the end of my pictures, but all-in-all everything is fine outside as of now. We just have lots of heavy rain. As an added bonus, since the neighbors aren't letting their kids outside in the weather, I didn't even have to deal with the usual obnoxious screaming while I tried to take my photographs. 

That being said, for everyone else on the east coast battling out this storm, stay safe, dry and inside! I'm wishing everyone safety as we ride out this storm, and my thoughts especially go out to everyone who has already been hit by the weather.

If your power is still on and you have pumpkin, why not give these a try? Perfect storm food if you ask me.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Recipe from The Cupcake Suite

Makes 1 Dozen

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together in medium bowl.  In a larger bowl mix remaining ingredients until completely smooth.  Slowly add flour mixture and stir until combined.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes

6 ounces cream cheese

6 tbs butter, softened

1/4 plus 2 tbs brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Add brown sugar and beat until incorporated.  Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating well each time.  Add remaining ingredients and beat for addition 2-5 minutes.

I know most people post their holiday-themed foods before the holiday itself so that everyone else can make them, but unfortunately I don't have the time or the money to make things twice. Therefore, I'm a day late, but here are the green velvet cupcakes I made yesterday! Maybe you can find another excuse to make green cupcakes, such as if your favorite team's color is green. You can also use this exact recipe but change it to other colors depending on why you are making them.

Green is a slightly off-putting color in food at times. I always think about when green and purple ketchup was introduced and everyone went crazy. I didn't like dipping my fries in purple ketchup, and I had easily convinced myself it tasted different. Alas, I love themed foods, so I decided to get over my green issues and jazz these cupcakes up for St. Patty's Day. My green is a little darker than I would've liked, and I think it's because I had to add a few ounces of regular red velvet cake mix to reach the 18 ounces it calls for. I can't remember which is which, but Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines have different box sizes, and if you have a recipe that calls for the 18 oz box you should make sure you get the right brand at the grocery store.

I'm a red velvet fanatic, and I am pretty particular about it because I've tried so many different red velvet cupcakes. I have one rule: you absolutely must use cream cheese icing. Making a red velvet cake or red velvet cupcakes and not using cream cheese icing is a sin (at least in the south). This is the first time I've tried this recipe and it is going to be my new go to for cream cheese icing. It's easier than almost all of the others I've tried, it uses less cream cheese and it tastes amazing. I'd prefer to make a more homemade version of the cupcakes if I had time, but even with the cake mix there are still enough other ingredients that I didn't feel like I was making just a boxed mix recipe.

Enjoy!

Green Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Recipe from Food Family Finds

Cupcakes

• 1 package (18 1/4 ounces) German chocolate cake mix with pudding
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) McCormick® Green Food Color
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cake mix, sour cream, water, cocoa powder, oil, food color, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.
2. Pour batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

Cream Cheese Icing
Recipe from Slash Food

Ingredients
8 oz cold cream cheese
5 tbsp. softened butter
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste (I added at least 3/4 cup more).

It had been awhile since I made cupcakes, so the other day I sifted through my bookmarks and found this delicious recipe. There's no time an Oreo cupcake won't do the trick. It's different than a plain old chocolate or vanilla cupcake, and pleases a crowd like no other. If I had my kit of Wilton tips I'm sure these could've also come out looking really classy with the oreo on top (at least that's what I'm telling myself). 

I actually made these twice in one week. Once to try for myself and then I made a tray for my family's annual holiday party. The icing is more time-consuming than a standard buttercream, but it's worth every second. It tastes to me like cookies and cream ice cream in icing form. As I was first making it I was contemplating all of the ways I could've made a better icing and spent a quarter of the time on it. Do you ever do that? I was muttering to myself how I wish I had just picked another recipe, but I hadn't even seen or tasted the final product. 


When it was finished I had to pry myself away from the bowl to avoid eating it by the spoonful (something I shockingly never do with icings). It's light and airy, not too sweet, and a great complement to the cupcake itself. To me, that's the perfect cupcake. You're not trying to get a bite that's mostly icing or mostly cupcake -- you want a great big bite of both. Enjoy!

Oreo Cupcakes 

Recipe from Confection Ink

For the cupcakes:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package instant chocolate pudding

3 eggs

1cup sour cream

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water (or strong brewed coffee – I would have used this but my coffee maker isn’t working!)

24 Oreo cookies, with one side twisted off and reserved for the frosting.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans.

In a large bowl whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pudding mix. Add oil, eggs sour cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes) Continue beating while slowly adding in the boiling water. Beat about 30 seconds after adding the water.

Put the Oreo with one side twisted off cream side up and fill cupcake liners about 1/2 way. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let them cool completely on cooling rack.

* I had extra batter after 24 cup cakes. I made cup cake bites using mini Oreos. I also used some mini Oreos as a garnish.

For the icing:

1 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter -at room temperature

1/2 cup Crisco

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

24 Oreo cookie tops -crushed

 Place milk in a small saucepan.  Sprinkle the flour over the milk, 1/4 cup at a time and whisk until smooth.  Place the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture becomes thick pulls into a ball.  Remove from the heat and put ball into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture and tuck around it to make sure there is no exposed parts.  Refrigerate until cooled to room temperature or colder (at least 30 minutes). In a large bowl, cream the butter and Crisco.  Add the cooled flour milk mixture and beat until well blended.  Mix in the vanilla.  With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the sugar and then continue to beat the icing a

fter adding the sugar for an additional 10-12 minutes until noticeably whiter and creamy. Add Oreo crumbs and mix until just blended.

What does it say about me that I was excited to post this recipe so I could make more "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" references? I since have decided I don't need to go on about my love of the peanut butter jelly time song again, and I most certainly don't need to remind anyone of how much I love peanut butter. I mean, if you can't figure that out within one minute of looking at my blog I don't know what to tell you. Knowing myself and my massive peanut butter obsession, these cupcakes seemed right up alley.  I usually pick peanut butter and banana over peanut butter and jelly, but I don't discriminate. If jelly wants a turn, jelly can have a turn! And who wouldn't love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in cupcake form?

I'll be honest, these did not turn out how I'd hoped and it was a major let down. Usually if I don't love something I don't post it on the blog. I never understand why people do that. I get on Tastespotting, see something that looks amazing, then read the whole post only to find out they hated it. So now you're thinking, well, if you just posted this recipe you are doing the same thing. Here's where this is different: I had a few days where nothing I baked turned out well. Naturally I blamed it on the oven, but it could very well have been me.  I'll never admit to that completely, I'm just putting it out there as a possibility. Regardless, I don't think it is these cupcake's fault they turned out too dry. Considering how awesome the reviews were where I found this recipe I think it's worth giving the cupcakes the benefit of the doubt. I feel even stronger about this because this batter was to die for. I do realize a lot of the tasteless ingredients are what make the difference once the cupcakes are in the oven, but really, it was incredible.  I'd love if someone else would give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it! Please please prove me wrong.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
-Recipe from Sing for Your Supper, adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (believe it or not, I used reduced fat and you totally CAN’T tell a difference!)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup jam (your favorite flavor- I use plum)
Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Reduce speed to low. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, milk and peanuts. Add dry ingredients slowly. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days. Makes approx. 18 cupcakes.
Peanut Butter Frosting
-adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream the butter, peanut butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.

To assemble:

When cupcakes are cooled, using a small paring knife, cut out a small hole in the top of each cupcake; discard crumbs. Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I used a Wilton #12) with the jam. Insert the tip into the center of the cupcake and squeeze the jam inside (you’ll want to apply a decent amount of pressure) until the hole is filled. Repeat until all the cupcakes are filled. Pipe or spread the peanut butter frosting on each cupcake (I used a star tip). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ok, ok, these sound exactly like a million things I've made before, don't they? Well, they kind of are. That doesn't mean they aren't delicious! The last time I tried banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting it was a completely different recipe, and as I remember it, a bit more complicated. These were so easy. I put half the batter in a mini muffin pan and made baby cupcakes. Who doesn't love a mini cupcake? All the flavor and less guilt, so who cares if you eat three or four?

Rush starts tomorrow, and I know I wont be able to post for a few days. It'll be about 12 hours at the sorority house tomorrow, and then Saturday I'm driving to Atlanta for the kickoff game. Go Heels! (We don't need to discuss anything in the news that is going on with our players.) Sunday it's back to rush. Oh boy.

Good news, though, after rush I've got a whole list of recipes to try out. For now....peanut butter and bananas. Nope, I'll never get tired of the combination.

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from First Look, Then Cook

Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 very ripe large bananas, peeled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 8-ounce package light cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
• Chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts (optional)

Preparation

Cupcakes

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Mash bananas with fork in another medium bowl until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (generous 1/4 cup for each).
Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

Frosting

Sift powdered sugar into large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally. Sprinkle lightly with chopped peanuts, if desired. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Makes 12 cupcakes.

I don't really have the right words to describe these cupcakes. It comes as no surprise that these are some of the best cupcakes I've ever tasted. Just look at how they are made: a chocolate chip cupcake stuffed with cookie dough, mini chocolate chips, cookie frosting and to top it all off, another cookie on top. How could you go wrong with that combination?

Well, being the cookie monster that I am (and having friends that are extremely similar) I decided to take this to the next level and make the cupcakes cookie monster cupcakes. It just seemed fitting for this recipe. I brought them to my friend's 20th birthday and they were a hit. After the first bite the birthday girl took she said, "Oh god, I think I'm going to end up having five more of these before the end of the night." Along with being one of the most delicious things I've ever made, they are also one of my favorite things because they were so cute! Tell me you can look at them without smiling...

That's what I thought.

You know those times when you want to make something better than all of the other recipes? A time when brownies just won't suffice because you really want to impress people. Well, this is when these cupcakes come in. These will blow people out of the water. I decorated them two different ways since cookie monster cupcakes obviously don't work for every crowd.  I liked both of the finished products, so take your pick! You'll be happy.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Recipe from Annies Eats
Yield:24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)
For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir together to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated.  Blend in the vanilla.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners.   Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.
To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake.  Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.
To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy.  Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.


*For the cookie monster version:
White Chocolate Melting Disks
Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Chip Crumbles

Dye frosting blue. Pick a frosting tip and use it to create a textured (fur-like) look on the cupcakes. Place semi-sweet chocolate chips, one-by-one, over an open flame for less than a second. Place on the flat side of a white chocolate disk. Repeat, placing two eyes on each cupcake. For the mouth, crumble up chocolate chip cookies and place in an organized fashion below the eyes. I think this looks better than using a half cookie for a normal mouth (after all, when was the cookie monster ever neat!).

Since I feel that I have to come back with a bang, I've got many recipes I'll be posting in these next few days here. These chocolate brownie cupcakes are really good, but as the recipe says, it's crucial that you do not overbake them. They're much more brownie tasting than cupcakes and overbaked brownies are even worse in cupcake form. I made two pans of these and pulled one out a little sooner than the other and it made a big difference in taste. And lastly, as usual, I didn't add the nuts in this recipe.

Deep Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes
Recipe from La Mia Vita Dolce 
(Originally from Food and Drink)


Cupcakes

• 4 ounces (120 g) unsweetened chocolate, broken up
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
• 1 cup (250 ml) chopped-into-bits semi-sweet chocolate or chips, about 175 g (6 ounces)
• 1 cup (250 ml) broken toasted walnuts or pecans

Icing

• 1 cup (250 ml) chopped-into-bits semi-sweet chocolate or chips, about 175 g (6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C)
2. Line 18 muffin cups with papers or silicone cups.  Over low heat, melt chocolate and butter together in a large saucepan, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.  Stir in sugar, then eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla.
3. Mix flour with baking powder and salt.  Stir into chocolate mixture along with chocolate and nuts.  Divide among cups.  Bake 16 to 18 minutes or just until cupcake centre is raised and feels slightly firm when touched.  Do not over-bake.  Cool completely on rack.
4. Meanwhile, to make icing, melt chocolate in whipping cream over very low heat in a small saucepan.  When almost smooth, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Cool to room temperature.
5. Ice cupcakes.  Icing sets at room temperature in about an hour.  Store cupcakes at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month.

First off, let me start by explaining my extremely long absence from blogging. It's been over a month since my last post, but I'm back! There were a few factors that led to my break. For the most part, they were all out of my control, nonetheless it's been way too long. The first problem was that my camera was stolen over Easter break (and really, what's a food blog without pictures?). So, even though I was still baking all the time I didn't post anything. The second was a random computer crash that deleted all of my food blog bookmarks. Two years worth of bookmarked recipes all gone. Bummer. And the third was that I literally haven't even had time to breathe I've been so busy recently. But, hey, that's life.
I still don't have a camera, but I've been able to borrow one to take pictures recently. Point of everything is, I'm going to get back on my regular posting schedule and sorry for the long break!
Now to the food. It's strawberry season and with the masses of fresh strawberries appearing at the stores and farmers' markets I figured I had to start the season off right. I've seen a million and one posts with strawberry shortcakes, tarts, scones, etc. This recipe is a little different, though, and I really liked it. The vanilla bean custard in the middle of these cupcakes is so good I could eat it plain. Luckily, it also complements the angel food cake and strawberries wonderfully so I held back on that impulse. Even though box cake mix makes these cupcakes not quite so homemade, you can't deny that boxed mixes are great. It also makes the recipe pretty simple. The only negative is that these cupcakes don't last very long at all (I'd say two days maximum). After that they're still good, but the custard soaks into the cupcakes and you have to eat them with a spoon. So make these, but eat them quick! This shouldn't be a problem.

Vanilla-Stuffed Strawberry Cupcakes
Recipe from Southern Living April 2010
Makes 2 dozen, Hands on Time: 30 minutes
Cupcakes will rise over baking cup edges. Use a paring knife to gently loosen from pan.

Vanilla Bean Custard (see below)
24 paper baking cups
1 (16 oz) package angel food cake mix*
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups halved fresh strawberries

*Southern Living says they used Duncan Hines and that worked best. I used Betty Crocker and I think the cupcakes themselves could've been better so I'd try Duncan Hines.

1. Prepare Vanilla Bean Custard.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place baking cups in 2 (12 cup) muffin pans. Do not grease. Prepare angel food cake batter according to package directions using a paddle attachment (I'm sure a hand mixer would work fine too). Stir in vanilla extract. Spoon batter into baking cups, filling completely full.
3. Bake at 325 degrees on middle oven rack 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
4. Gently run a knife around edges of cupcakes to loosen. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 20 minutes).
5. Scoop out centers of cupcakes, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the bottom and sides. Spoon or pipe vanilla bean custard into centers of cupcakes. Top with strawberries. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Garnish if desired.

Vanilla Bean Custard
Recipe from Southern Living

2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla exract

1/ Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a heavy 3-qt saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract. Cover and chill for 3 hours.

Every time I see a recipe I like online I bookmark it and it goes into the long long list of online recipes I want to make. I once tried to put all of these recipes onto a word document and print it out, but it was over 125 pages long (way too much ink for my budget!). There's a problem with this method of doing things, however, and that is that I forget about them once they go into that folder.  But, every once in a while I come across a recipe that I bookmark, but then can't get out of my mind. I'll often go back to these recipes on occasion just to look at the ingredient list and make sure I'm stocked for whenever I want to make it. These cupcakes fall into that category.
I turned 20 Sunday, so I decided to make these to help celebrate my birthday. With all the alcohol in these they seem more appropriate for a 21st birthday, but why wait for that?  There are 3 possible additions of alcohol with these cupcakes: Bailey's in the frosting, Guinness in the cupcakes, and Irish whiskey in the ganache. Whoever created these must've been trying to clear out their liquor cabinet. I added all three, just to see how it tasted, but I liked the addition of Guinness to the cupcakes the best. The other two I could've gone without, though I'd recommend making these with at least the Bailey's for the first time around. The Guinness bakes out of the cupcakes but leaves them really rich and moist. My favorite thing was the chocolate filling in the middle of the cupcakes. I've never filled cupcakes before, but after seeing how easy it was and how amazing the results were, I think I'm hooked. I subbed out the buttercream recipe used on  Smitten Kitchen and instead made a few adjustments to the Magnolia Bakery buttercream recipe since I like that one so much. These are definitely a twist on the basic cupcakes and would be fun for any occasion.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Bailey's Buttercream

Recipe adapted from Magnolia Bakery

2 sticks of butter,  soft

6-8 cups of confectioners sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Bailey's

2 tsp vanilla extract

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)
Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.
Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.
Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
For the Buttercream : Cream  butter and 4 cups of sugar.

Add in the vanilla, baileys and milk. Beat 3-5 minutes. 

Add 1 cup of remaining confectioners sugar at a time, till you achieve required consistency and sweetness. 

 (I used a little over 6 cups)

The other day I decided I wanted to make cupcakes and they turned out to be a complete fail. A delicious fail, but I had this perfect image in my mind of what they would turn out like and it was quite the opposite. They all stuck to the pan and so I ended up just throwing them in a bowl and making cake balls (just one more reason to love cake balls, they turn even a botched cake into a good thing). Other than the cake balls, though, one other good thing came out of this cupcake failure, I found the most delicious plain buttercream icing. So ever since then I've been meaning to make more cupcakes so I can put the buttercream to good use. Today, I was procrastinating writing a paper by making chocolate cookies and cupcakes. The cupcakes were good. They were very simple, by no means the best cupcakes I've ever had but the goal was simplicity so I was happy. I might try experimenting in the future by putting cinnamon or cocoa powder in the buttercream or changing up the cupcake type. There are so many different ways you can go with cupcakes, that's why I love them.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Magnolia Buttercream

Makes 24+

Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe from Martha Stewart

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter.

Buttercream

Recipe from Magnolia Bakery

2 sticks of butter,  soft

6-8 cups of confectioners sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream  butter and 4 cups of sugar. 

Add in the vanilla and milk. Beat 3-5 minutes. 

Add 1 cup of remaining confectioners sugar at a time, till you achieve required consistency and sweetness. 

 (I used a little over 6 cups)

A warm, toasted peanut butter and banana sandwich is quite possibly my favorite food. It's not one of those foods that I'd remember to say if someone asked what my favorite food was, but every time I have one I am reminded of what a perfect combination of ingredients it is. So naturally, when I saw the recipe for banana cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream I felt as if Karen DeMasco was reading my mind. I've got a feeling she's a pb&b lover too, why else would she decide the only thing more perfect than this combination in sandwich form is the same thing in cupcake form? Pure genius. The recipe itself is extremely easy, my only complaint is that because I don't have a stand mixer I had to do all of the long mixing by hand. That's nothing against the recipe though. I often find that I have 2 over-ripened bananas but not 4 (as a lot of breads call for), so this recipe is ideal for a quick fix for leftover bananas.

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream
Recipe from Karen DeMasco's The Craft of Baking 
Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3/4 cup mashed banana (about 1/2 medium bananas, mashed with a fork)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

 Buttercream
2 large egg whites (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. Whisk in the banana, egg, egg yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk, mix the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters full. Bake, rotating the tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Invert the cupcakes onto a wire rack, turn them top side up and let them cool completely.
To make the buttercream, fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl on top of the saucepan, and whisking constantly, heat the egg mixture until it is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until the whites become translucent and shiny and form a soft peak, about 5 minutes more.
With the machine running, add the butter, a cube at a time, and mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the peanut butter, vanilla and salt. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, beat until the buttercream becomes shiny and creamy, about 10 minutes. (The buttercream can be refrigerated for 1 week of frozen for up to one month. Before using, bring it to room temperature and beat it for a few minutes until smooth.) Spread the buttercream over the tops of the cupcakes, swirling it decoratively.
The cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.