Two Times the Flavor = Two Times the Fun

For K1's birthday I had plans to make Oreo Cupcakes. I was going to make them Sunday evening then take them to work on Monday. As I was reading over the recipe I realized that while I had whipping cream (shelf stable) it was not in the refrigerator--warm whipping cream does NOT whip. So, then my dilemma was. . . should I make the Oreo Cupcakes on Monday evening or should I change recipes and make Cookies and Cream Cupcakes. Hmmm. Decisions. Decisions. I opted for making them Monday evening.

Then Monday morning happened. On our way to work the water pump went out on our vehicle. The same vehicle we just got out of the shop last week. The same vehicle we were planning on taking back to the shop after we recovered from paying the bill from the shop visit last week. I guess that is what we get for trying to be fiscally sound.

Anyway. . . .I am not a mechanic by any means and PE hates playing one especially on that vehicle but he was going to make a go of it after going to work for a couple hours. So I decided to take an annual leave day and stay home. I figured once he arrived home I could be of some assistance even if it was only to hold the flashlight. I did end up towing the vehicle with his truck while he white-knuckled it all the way to the shop. The white-knuckling was due to the situation in general not my towing abilities. I guess being towed in a vehicle with no power steering and a shorter than desired tow rope can really make a person anxious. I know for sure towing a vehicle in general can make a person anxious.

While I was home waiting for PE to return I decided to make the cupcakes. Since I was at it, I made both flavors of cupcakes. It worked out quite well as I was just finishing up the frosting when PE returned home.

The Oreo Cupcakes are chocolate cake and whipped cream with Oreo crumb filling and frosting.

The Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are a white cake with an Oreo half in the bottom, Oreo chunks in the cake, and a whipped cream cheese frosting.

I didn't have a problem with either one sinking in the middle which made my day. The chocolate cupcakes spread a bit which created wide tops but I just used a knife and cut the edges off. They were then topped with frosting so you couldn't really tell. Besides, how big of a jerk would someone be to tell me the cupcakes I made looked like ass around the edges? I have to tell myself stuff like that when I don't like how the food cook/bake looks. It IS the taste that matters after all, right?

It seems as though the Cookies and Cream Cupcakes were enjoyed a bit more than the other. I was told they were both delicious but the Cookies and Cream Cupcake compliments were more enthusiastic. I enjoyed them both. The Cookies and Cream gives you more of an Oreo punch if that is what you enjoy and the Oreo Cupcakes help satisfy those chocolate cravings.

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Click the links below for printable recipes:
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Oreo Cupcakes

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On A Mission . . . A Cupcake Mission

There is a cupcake store in town and according to KLB they have THE BEST vanilla cupcakes. (They are quite delicious.) She has tasked me with finding a copycat recipe of those cupcakes. I have tried three or four so far and none have compared. She has helped with the search by finding a copycat of cupcake she found in another store that was very similar to the one in town. I hope to try that one soon. I tried two recipes this week so I could take them to work for my birthday. While good, they just did not make the cut. They were not dense enough. THE cupcakes are dense but not heavy and have something that I just can't put my finger on.

I am NOT a recreator of recipes. How I wish I could do that. Life would be awesome if I could recreate recipes at will. Maybe one day I will be able to do that. Maybe with a lot of practice, patience, crossed fingers, and crossed eyes I will be able to reach that. *sigh and looking off into the distance with a dreamy far off look*

Back to the cupcakes. Both recipes were great. The sticky chocolate icing was very rich and the buttercream was beyond fabulous--not quite as good as the Best Cupcake Frosting Ever but fabulous in its own right. The best part of both of these recipes is that neither one sunk in the middle. Woo hoo! Either recipe could go with either frosting, I don't believe there was that much of a difference and I think you can't go wrong making either one.

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Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Print Recipe

2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 whole eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup (plus a tad more) whole milk

Icing:
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 oz, weight semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix to combine. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until poufy but not brown. Cool before icing.

Sticky Chocolate Icing:
Mix ingredients together in a small/medium saucepan. Melt ingredients over medium low heat, stirring gently. Icing is ready when all ingredients are melted and combined.
Spoon warm icing over warm cupcakes, stirring icing to smooth after every third cupcake or so. Allow iced cupcakes to sit at least ten minutes before serving.

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Yellow Butter Cupcakes
from Sugar Cooking
Print Recipe

3 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted, diced, at room temperature
1 cup whole or low-fat milk (divided use)
4 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and ½ cup of the milk. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. In a separate bowl, blend the eggs, egg whites, the remaining 1/2 cup milk and the vanilla extract. Add to the batter in 3 additions, mixing for 2 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Scrape down the bowl between additions. Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake until the layers spring back when touched lightly in the center, 20-25 minutes. Cool before finishing with icing.

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Magnolia’s Vanilla Buttercream
from food network.com


1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

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A Love-Hate Relationship

That is what I have with cupcakes. They taste delicious (love). Over half of the time I make them they sink in the middle (HATE!). I would really like the relation to progress into something more. Maybe a love-like relationship. Heck, love-love would be fabulous but possibly too much to hope for. I think it could be good for both of us. I am all about mutually beneficial relationships. I could make them look lovely. They could make my tongue happy...so very happy.

Why, or why must they be so damn sensitive? I follow the directions. I coddle the batter. I don't overfill the cups. . .at least I don't think I do. I bake them the recommended amount of time. I let them cool. I gently remove them to the cooling rack. What more do they expect? I hope to one day figure it out in my pursuit of working my way into that love-like relationship that I so desire. I will keep you updated with any developments.

In August JBonG and JAB had birthdays. For JBonG I made Margarita Cupcakes. This was the first birthday she had been around for and I practically had to twist her arm to make her realize it was a pleasure for me to make them. She seemed to think it was some sort of imposition. It wasn't. I have so many recipes, I am thrilled when I can make new ones . . . especially the dessert ones. I like when I can make them and give them away because that means they are not in my house for me to eat.

Anyway, I made the cupcakes as directed below with alcohol and some that were virgin (I just substituted margarita mix for the tequila). I warned people as they took them so they could take whichever type they preferred. They were delicious. Everyone enjoyed them.

For JAB I made Red Velvet Cupcakes. I have made them before and liked the recipe but I have a difficult time leaving well enough alone so I had to try a new recipe. It has been so long since I had the previous ones I can't really compare the two. These were great. The dressing was delicious. KLB and JAB enjoyed them too.

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Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Icing
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe, What’s for Dinner?, & Recipe Girl
Print Recipe

2 cups granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup margarita Mix , room temperature
1/4 tequila, room temperature
3 egg whites @ room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
zest of 3 small limes or 2 medium limes

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 2 muffin tins with cupcake papers (recipe yields 24 cupcakes). In a glass or small bowl, mix together the margarita mix and tequila. Make sure both are at room temperature to ensure smooth mixing with the rest of the ingredients. In medium bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) whisk together the margarita mixture, 3 egg whites (also at room temperature for the same reason) and vegetable oil. In separate bowl mix sugar, flour, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and vanilla and mix with pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients either with a hand mixer or standing mixer. Beat mixture about 2-3 minutes. The batter will have a thick, tacky consistency. Distribute the mixture evenly among the 24 cupcakes. Use a muffin scoop to do so as pouring this thick batter might be a challenge. Bake the cupcakes for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans to ensure even baking. Bake at 350 an additional 8-10 minutes. Bake times can vary. They're done when you can pull out a clean toothpick from the center of a cupcake. To avoid over-baking, watch them carefully. Remove from oven. Let sit in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled (1-2 hrs), ice with Lime Buttercream Frosting.

Lime Buttercream Icing:
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lime zest
green food coloring, if desired
small lime slices for garnish, if desired

Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until butter is fluffy. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, salt, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting is of a good spreading (or piping) consistency. Mix in a tiny amount of green food coloring or gel paste if you’d like the frosting to have a green tint. Ice cupcakes in whatever manner you prefer… spreading or piping the frosting. Use small lime slices as garnish.

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Red Velvet Cupcakes II
from Bakerella Here and Here
Print Recipe

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside. Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined. Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.
Then make the Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Cream Cheese Frosting
from Bakerella
Print Recipe

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Sift sugar and set aside. Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla. Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition. And frost away.

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I Will NOT Give Up

It has now become my goal in life to overcome my cupcake downfalls. The sinking middle has gotten the best of me yet again. I would like to blame it on the dollar store cup liners (they don't come to the top of the cup) and I will do that until I get to the store and purchase some regular cups. If they still sink after I the new cups have entered my life then I just don't know what I will do. Okay, I lied, I do know. I will make more cupcakes. If they weren't so easy and delicious I might just give up. But they are just so good. I must conquer the sinking. I MUST. Below is the latest and greatest sinking cupcake. Again hideous yet so delicious.

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Vanilla Cupcakes
from Joy the Baker
Print Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 scant cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and butter into a bowl use a handheld beater and beat on slow speed until the mixture is a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half of the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated. Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side or the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth. Just a few minutes. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin tins, dividing between the 12 cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

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I topped them with the leftover Easy Vanilla Buttercream from Bob's birthday. I added about a 1/2 Tbsp butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp whipping cream to make sure I had enough for the cupcakes.

Have a great evening!

More Recipes

Blackened Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
from Meal Planning 101
Print Recipe

Chicken & Marinade:
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix together the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a large resealable bag or plastic container and pour the marinade over the top. Marinate the chicken at least 4 hours or overnight.

Spice:
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper

In a small bowl or plastic container, mix together the spice mix. When the chicken has marinated, sprinkle the seasoning liberally on both sides of the chicken.In a frying pan over high heat melt a couple tablespoons of butter and sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. At this point you can either transfer to a bbq heated to medium-high or place the chicken on a pan under the broiler. It takes at least 10 minutes or so to no longer be pink in the middle.

Salad:
lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup cheese

While the chicken is finished cooking, chop all the salad ingredients.

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard (or for a more toned down flavor use regular mustard)
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vinegar
1/8 tsp paprika (regular or smoked)

Place the dressing components in a resealable jar and shake to combine. When the chicken has finished cooking, let rest for about 5 minutes and then cut chicken crosswise into strips. Toss the dressing with the salad, dish onto plates and serve chicken over top.

++The best part about this was the dressing. Even my mustard despising Hunting W. like it. . . he really liked it! Amazing!

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Red Velvet Cupcakes
adapted from Apple A Day
Print Recipe

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white distilled vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl. Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Scoop batter into a lined cupcake pan. This scoop works perfectly for scooping muffin or cupcake batter.


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Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
from Joy the Baker
Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp milk (depending on desired consistency)

Cream the cream cheese in an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter, beating for 1-2 minutes, or until incorporated. (Be sure that the two are at room temperature. Cold cream cheese or butter can make your frosting lumpy.) Add the brown sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated. Turn off mixer and add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn the mixer on a low speed so the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl. Slowly add more sugar alternately with the milk until you reach your desired consistency.

++I frosted all of the Red Velvet Cupcakes and had plenty of this frosting left so I decided to locate another cupcake recipe and couldn't pass up the one below.

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Vanilla Cream Cheese Cupcakes
from Schweet 'N Savory (blog no longer active)
Print Recipe

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour 14 muffin cups or use muffin papers. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Place in preheated oven for about 22 minutes. Allow them to cool before icing them.

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Everything turned out great. I had doubts about the Vanilla Cream Cheese Cupcakes but boy are they delicious. I especially like the crispy edge. They both freeze well too!

I will post the birthday meal tomorrow.

More Garden Goodness

Zucchini/squash is delicious! (Technically zucchini is a squash so that is a bit redundant but some of my plants said squash and some said zucchini and I used both. And now that I have mentioned it when a recipe calls for zucchini, yellow zucchini or yellow squash can be used interchangeably ) We love it. Of course we haven't gotten to the point of sneaking it onto the neighbors porches either. In truth, I have had to beg for some from my sister. My three/four plants just aren't producing as I had hoped they would. I have still had ample opportunity to try out many zucchini/squash recipes.

Over the weekend I baked Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Zucchini Bread, and Zucchini Spoon Bread Casserole (second appearance on the menu--already a family favorite). Everything turned out great at least in tastiness. As far as looks went. . . boy oh boy you should be very glad I do not post pictures. While tasty, the cupcakes looked HIDEOUS.

K2, a friend at work, questioned me as to what spoon bread is. So, I looked it up and from what I can find, the recipe I am going to share is not technically a spoon bread as it does not contain corn meal. If you want to read more click here.

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Zucchini Spoon Bread Casserole
from Sparky
Print Recipe

5 medium zucchini, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Copycat Bisquick mix
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
3 eggs beaten in 1/2 cup oil

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, onion, and cheese. Add copycat Bisquick mix, salt, pepper, and oregano. Add eggs and oil and mix thoroughly. Bake in a greased casserole dish at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. 2 cups of lobster or crab meat can be added to make it a meal instead of a side dish.

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Chocolate-Zucchini Cupcakes
adapted from allrecipes.com
Print Recipe

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar for about 10 minutes or until thickened and pale. Blend oil and cooled chocolate into the beaten egg mixture. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Stir in zucchini and mini chocolate chips. Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon batter into 24 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely. Spread with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and garnish with walnuts.


Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) at room temperature
4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix in cocoa powder. Spread or pipe onto Chocolate-Zucchini Cupcakes.

These looked hideous because they sort of spread out and then sunk. I have a few theories as to why that occurred and I will be making these again so I will let you know if they look less hideous next time. Of course I will also have to greatly improve upon my frosting technique by then too.

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Zucchini Bread
from Sparky
Print Recipe

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups raw, peeled, grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 loaf pans. (9 x 5 pans are fine too, the loaves will just be a little shorter.) Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer until foamy. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in zucchini. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add into zucchini mixture and beat on low until combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Run a butter knife around the edge of the loaves, cool for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Everything was delicious and again it was nice to use items from my garden, not to mention it is easier to justify eating a chocolate cupcake when it has zucchini in it. Best thing of all is I can get Bob to eat zucchini when it is in bread or cupcakes. Now I just need to figure out something like that for broccoli.

Have a great day!