Peanut Butter Reese's Pieces Cookies

Happy Birthday to me!

I did not actually make these cookies for myself, but they are chocolate and peanut butter, so clearly I loved them. Dave is a big fan of cookies but I'm not huge on desserts. I'd rather get an appetizer or eat something salty. But the peanut butter and chocolate combination is too good to pass up. This recipe yielded a lot of cookies. I ended up with about 28 and was able to bring them to a cookout, a friend's birthday celebration, and keep some treats at home. These cookies are packed with flavor but they stay on the softer side as I prefer. The most amazing way to eat these is while they're still warm. This recipe comes from Averie Cooks.

And since it's my birthday, I'm now going to polish off the bag of remaining Reese's Pieces...

You will need:

*1 egg
*1 cup light brown sugar, packed
*3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (homemade won't work here)
*1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
*1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*3/4 teaspoon baking soda
*pinch of salt
*1 cup Reese's Pieces
*1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2.  Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and until just incorporated. (Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl) This should only take about 1 minute. Gently stir in the Reese's Pieces and chocolate chips.

3. Use a cookie dough scoop to form mounds of about 2 tablespoons. Place prepared dough mounds on a large plate and flatten slightly with your palm. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to 5 days) before baking. Chilling the dough will keep it from flattening and spreading in the oven.


4. Preheat oven to 350F and remove dough from the fridge. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or coat with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, rotating half way through baking. You want the cookies pale and glossy in the center with set edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack.

5. Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Berry Bundt Cake

Baking still happens in the summer around here. I can thank our central air for that blessing.
I love summer's fresh berries. We snack on them and occasionally include them in dinner. I think the best way to use them though is in a treat. I get overly excited when berries are on sale and buy more than two people need. This bundt cake was discovered on Smitten Kitchen when I was looking for a way to use some of our supply last summer. I've made this a couple times and enjoy how versatile it is. You can change the amounts and types of berries to fit what you have on hand. I soon want to try putting some cherries into this recipe. I omitted the glaze because I think this treat is perfect as is or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

You will need:
*2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

*2 teaspoons baking powder
*
1 teaspoon salt
*1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

*1 3/4 cups sugar

*1 lemon, zest only
*
3 large eggs
*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

*3/4 cup buttermilk

*3 cups mixed berries ( I usually use 1 cup each of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a 10-cup bundt pan using butter and flour.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest for about 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Keep the mixer on low speed and add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla.

4. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the mixing bowl batter. You want to add about 1/3 of the mixture then half the buttermilk. Stir to combine and repeat. Do not over mix the batter. Only stir to combine the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk.

5. Toss the berries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Gently fold the berries into the cake batter.

6. Spoon the thick cake batter in the prepared bundt pan and spread the top smooth. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating the cake half way through cooking time. The cake is finished when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. On a wire baking rack, cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely.

Biscoff Frozen Yogurt

As soon as I saw this ice cream recipe posted on Katie's Cucina I wanted it. Immediately. (I'm not always the most patient person in the world) I am also someone that really shouldn't eat ice cream. I love it, but it does not love me. I can have cheese, skim milk, and yogurt, but cream makes my stomach hurt. Usually every year as soon as the weather is warm, I drag Dave out for ice cream. I immediately regret not getting frozen yogurt and spend the whole night whining about the pain I am in. Luckily, once or twice a season is all it takes to remind me that avoiding ice cream is worth it.

I also needed a recent reason to use the jar of Biscoff spread aside from just dipping a spoon in it daily. These wants and needs led to making this Greek frozen yogurt adaptation of Katie's recipe. I've successfully used the Purple Cow recipe amounts to make a number of yogurt bases. This is one of my absolute favorites. The Greek yogurt tang is still slightly there but is well balanced by how sweet the Biscoff tastes. I don't think this is going to last long in our freezer!

You will need:
*1 cup Biscoff Spread + 2 tablespoons
*3 cups plain Greek yogurt (2%) nonfat does not work for frozen yogurt....it would for popsicles though!
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*3/4 cup sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and yogurt until smooth. Add one cup of Biscoff spread and continue to mix until creamy. Stir in the vanilla. Cover the mixture and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2. Stir the chilled yogurt mixture and then pour/spoon it into your ice cream maker. Churn for about 20-30 minutes depending on your ice cream maker. (I did 20 minutes in my Kitchen Aid attachment)

3. Stir in the additional 2 tablespoons of Biscoff. Place in an airtight freezable container. Freeze for a couple hours before serving; Freeze up to one week.

Note: Frozen yogurt often freezes more solid than ice cream. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before serving. If you scoop earlier, the frozen yogurt chips off more like ice.

Addictive Fruit Dip

This is like frosting in a bowl. I was caught a few times just using fruit as a spoon to get this deliciousness into my mouth. I like to think that this is healthy because of the use of yogurt. This dip was popular at our Father's Day cookout and the 4th of July party. I think I have another go to summer appetizer! This truly pairs well with almost anything. I found this recipe at Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life.

You will need:
*1 (8oz.) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
*3/4 cup packed brown sugar
*1/4 tsp vanilla extract
*6 oz non-fat Greek yogurt
*1 cup cold skim milk
*1 package sugar-Free instant vanilla pudding mix
*items for dipping: watermelon, cantaloupe, graham crackers, strawberries

1. Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese smooth, then add the brown sugar. Add the milk, yogurt, and pudding mix; mix until well combined. Stir in vanilla.

2. Chill at least two hours before serving.

Margarita Cupcakes

I have a confession. I do not like margaritas. Never have, and I am pretty sure I never will. That said, I've saved multiple recipes for margarita cupcakes waiting for a chance to make them because they always look cute and are raved about. The perfect occasion to make these came when my friend's 30th birthday celebration fell on cinco de mayo this year. I used a shortcut cupcake recipe with cake mix, and I think it came out perfect. I found this on Homemade by Holman. The egg whites kept this nice and fluffy. I used the Skinny Girl margarita mix in these instead of a separate margarita mix and tequila. The only reason I did this is because I had it on hand. And as I already said, I don't care for margaritas, so what else was I going to do with that bottle? If any one would like the rest of it, come on over!

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*1 box white cake mix
*8 ounces Skinny Girl Margarita
*1/2 ounce orange juice
*3 large egg whites
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*zest of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins.

2. In a large measuring cup, mix together margarita and orange juice.

3. Pour cake mix into a mixing bowl. Add egg whites, oil, lime zest and margarita/OJ. Briefly beat on low speed until dry ingredients are incorporated and then beat on medium high speed for about 2 minutes.

4. Fill batter into muffin wells until about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then cool completely on wire racks. Once completely cooled, frost with the recipe below.

For the frosting, you will need:
*
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
*
4 cups powdered sugar

*1 tsp lime zest

*3-4 drops green food coloring



1. Beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the lime juice and zest. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. If needed, add more lime juice and/or powdered sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Add food coloring a drop at a time and beat on medium high speed until desired color is reached.

3. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I topped these with green sprinkles I had on hand. You could also add paper straws and limes like I did on these mojito cupcakes. Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container if not serving immediately and bring to room temperature a couple hours prior to serving.

Red Velvet Donuts

Are you still looking for a special treat to make your Valentine?

How about red velvet donuts?

I think these are the perfect Valentine to give to yourself this year!
All you need are donut pans to bake these in.
Happy Valentine's Day!

I found the donut recipe on Taste and Tell. These donuts were a bit dry so next time I will probably shorten the cooking time to see if that helps. For the glaze I relied on Alton. Since I did not have any whole milk, I substituted skim and halved the recipe. It tasted great but definitely thinned the glaze for coating.

For the donuts, you will need:
*2 1/4 cups flour
*1 tablespoon baking powder
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*3/4 cup sugar
*1 egg
*2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
*2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
*1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
*1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar)
*1 tablespoon red food coloring

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease your donut pan.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg. Stir in the melted butter and melted chocolate. Once combined, add in the vanilla extract, buttermilk, and red food coloring.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet red mixture. Mix just until combined. The dough should be stiff.

5. Fill the donut pan with the batter until each cavity is about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes. (I would stick closer to 12 to start)

6. Remove donut pans from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts and place on a cooling rack.

For the glaze, you will need:
*1/8 cup milk
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla exract
*1 cup powdered sugar

1. Combine milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Stir the powdered sugar gradually into the pan. Whisk slowly, until well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and set over a bowl of warm water (I found success keeping it over a warm burner) Dip doughnuts into the glaze, 1 at a time, and set on a rack placed over a half sheet pan to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Oreo Peanut Butter Brownies

Can you believe it's the last day of 2011? This year certainly had its ups and downs in our household. I am ready to move on to a fresh start with a new year. I am looking forward to celebrating New Year's Eve with good friends and good food tonight. I hope you kick off 2012 right!

Before all of those healthier eating resolutions kick in, I had to share this delicious recipe. My sister-in-law has recently started a blog, Sunday Dinner and then Some. After reading about these treats on her blog, hearing her talk about them, and seeing numerous Facebook friends make them, I caved. These were the dessert at back to back dinner parties we attended. Everyone loved them. A great go-to recipe for a last minute dessert since we usually have most of these ingredients on hand, except for Oreos. Those are not welcome in the house unless we have a use for them!

You will need:
*24 Oreo cookies (this is the one time double stuff will not work! They'll be too big)

*smooth peanut butter

*brownie mix and all the ingredients the box calls for

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

2. Spread peanut butter on top of an Oreo, press an Oreo on top, and spread more peanut butter on the top of the two Oreos stacked together. Place into the muffin tin. Repeat until you have a peanut butter Oreo stack in each muffin well.

3. Make your boxed brownie mix.

4. Spoon the prepared brownie mix into the muffin wells. Be sure to cover the cookie stacks and get down and around them. This should require about 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each Oreo stack. (I ended up making a few more because I had leftover batter and a second muffin tin!)

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to baking racks to cool completely. You can also eat them warm. I highly recommend that!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

I hope that you enjoyed a day full of good food, family, and friends. We hosted another successful Thanksgiving dinner, and I look forward to sharing the new recipes within the coming weeks.

These pumpkin snickerdoodles would be the perfect addition to holiday baking. I brought them to a friend's birthday party and everyone raved about them. They are a light, airy cookie that's subtle on the pumpkin flavor. I can't make these unless I have somewhere to bring them because we couldn't stop eating them! I found this recipe on Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

You will need:
*2 3/4 cups flour
*2 teaspoons cream of tartar
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I might increase this a bit next time)
*1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
*2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
*1 large egg
*3/4 cup pumpkin puree
*2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silipats.

2. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the bowl of dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball and roll into the sugar mixture; place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.
(I needed to add more cinnamon and sugar than noted above. So I would keep extra on hand.)

5. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway. You wanted the edges set and just beginning to brown but the centers still soft and puffy. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack using a wide spatula. Cool at room temperature.

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes

We're back from our incredible Mediterranean vacation! I have many dinners and treats to blog from the weeks before we left, so I am hoping to get back into the routine of sharing recipes more frequently. I also took a few food photos while we were away that I will post soon.

I made these cupcakes for a friend's birthday at the end of June. I had to take them on the train into Boston with me to celebrate, and I received many comments! There were many references to cupcake wars (one by the conductor) and many passengers gave me a side eye. Waiting on a street corner for my husband to pick me up outside the station, a couple of passersby asked if I was selling cupcakes. The whole afternoon was a humorous experience. Luckily, my Snapware cupcake carrier is amazing and the cupcakes arrived at our destination safely.

These cupcakes came out moist and tropical. They are a perfect summer treat for a celebration or backyard barbeque. I found this recipe on Koko Cooks who adapted these cupcakes from an Ina Garten recipe.

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

*2 cups sugar

*5 eggs

*2 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1 tablespoon key lime zest
*
1 1/2 tablespoon key lime juice

*3 cups flour

*1 teaspoon baking powder

*½ teaspoon baking soda
*
½ teaspoon kosher salt
*
1 cup light coconut milk
*
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut



1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two muffin pans with paper liners.



2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Switch the mixer to low speed, and add the eggs, one at a time, fully combining before each addition.
Next, add the vanilla, key lime zest, and key lime juice and mix well.



3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the batter in 3 segments, beginning and ending with the dry mix. Mix until just combined. Stir in the shredded coconut.

4. Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling to the top. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake's center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.


5. Frost cooled cupcakes with the recipe below.

For the frosting, you will need:
*8oz cream cheese
*1/2 sticks unsalted butter
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I might omit this next time)
*confectioner's sugar, about 3 cups or as needed
*2 teaspoons key lime zest
*shredded coconut, optional topping

1. Cream together the cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar until you get the consistency you are looking for and mix until smooth. 

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the coconut.

Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut butter + chocolate = amazing. I enjoy this combination in almost any form. So it should come as no surprise that I loved these treats. They were easy to put together, and a perfect bite-sized treat for a cookout. This recipe was found on Fake Ginger and is from the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook.

You will need:
*3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
*3 cups powdered sugar 

*1/2 cup salted butter, softened 

*2 cups smooth peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful)

*2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 
1 tablespoon salted butter

1. Combine the brown sugar, powdered sugar, butter, and peanut butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and blended. Spread into an ungreased baking pan (I used my 13x9 Pyrex). Roll the mixture flat with a rolling pin.

2. Melt the chocolate chips and butter with a double boiler or in a microwave. Spread the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter mixture and cut into squares while the chocolate is still warm and soft.

3. Chill for about 15 minutes; remove the squares from the pan.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

These cookies are a light tasting treat that aren't as citrus-tasting as I thought they'd be. With extra ricotta hanging around, I was in search of a way to use it up and create a brunch sweet. I found this adapated Giada recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod, and it was perfect. I think these cookies would be a fabulous addition to any Easter themed meal. This recipe yields a lot of cookies, but after bringing them to two brunch events, I did not have many leftovers.

For the cookies, you will need:
*
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

*1 teaspoon baking powder 

*1 teaspoon salt

*1 stick unsalted butter, softened

*2 cups sugar

*2 eggs

*1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
*
3 tablespoons lemon juice

*1 lemon, zested

For the glaze, you will need: 

*1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 

*3 tablespoons lemon juice 

*1 lemon, zested

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes) Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Next, mix in the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir in the dry ingredients, and beat just until combined.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Using a cookie or icecream scoop, spoon the dough onto the baking sheets. Be sure to leave some space because the cookies do spread out quite a bit. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

5. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon of the glaze onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before storing or serving.

Pomegranate White Chocolate Cookies

Every year, everyone in my family receives a pomegranate in the bottom of their Christmas stocking. I always end up taking all of the pomegranates home, and I struggle to use them before they overripe. I used one to make this Pomegranate Beef recipe again. Another one was opened as a snack and yogurt topping. As soon as I saw this cookie recipe posted as a guest post on Beantown Baker by Two Peas and Their Pod, I knew this would be a great way to use another pomegranate before it was too late. The cookies came together easily, but placing the arils was a little time consuming. It seemed a bit frustrating to me, but that may also have been from making these on a time constraint. The end result was definitely worth it.
(I made these cookies about a month ago, so I am clearly a bit behind on posting!)

You will need:
*1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
*1/2 cup light brown sugar
*1/2 cup white sugar
*1 large egg
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1 cup old fashioned oats
*1 cup white chocolate chips
*1 cup pomegranate arils

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about two minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.

4. Stir in the oats and white chocolate chips. Make 1 tablespoon of dough balls and carefully place 6-8 pomegranate arils in each cookie ball. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.

Red Velvet Cookies

I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen over this past week. I was (and still am) making treats for coworkers, neighbors, family, and friends. I have made a few batches of candy cane biscotti and gingerbread biscotti. The popular oreo truffles and pretzel treats have made a return, and I have experimented with new recipes too. These red velvet cookies are a simple recipe using boxed cake mix. During the busy holiday baking, I appreciate shortcuts with ready-to-go ingredients. The bright red colorf will add holiday cheer to any cookie tray or gift tin. I found this recipe on Homemade by Holman.

You will need:
*1 box red velvet cake mix
*1/2 cup vegetable oil (Used for 18 oz cake mix)
*2 eggs
*Cream cheese frosting (my recipe is below)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees; grease a cookie sheet lightly.

2. Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs together.

3. Roll cookies into balls and place on cookie sheets, flattening slightly. (A silicone lined cookie sheet will help prevent burning the bottoms)

4. Bake for about 8 minutes or until tops start to crack.

5. Cool on wire racks and frost when completely cool.

Cream cheese frosting
You will need:
*8oz. cream cheese, room temperature
*1/2 cup butter, temperature
*1 tsp vanilla
* about 2 cups powdered sugar

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla.

2. Mix in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desire consistency.

It's been a year peach cobbler

Wow, I cannot believe I started this little blog one year ago. This past year has been the fastest one I have ever experienced in my life. I look forward to to continuing documenting our tried recipes and sharing them here. It is impressive how much less Dave and I eat out, and we rarely ever get takeout. Weekly menu planning is not even a chore anymore, but it has become something I truly enjoy. Dave has even began offering ideas for dinner to try. We started with the goal to try one new recipe a week, and we have expanded to cooking new foods in new ways quite frequently. I find many different recipes through cooking magazines, websites, and other blogs. My Google Reader is one of my favorite things to look through each day. This year we also signed up for a CSA share through a local farm. This has provided us fresh summer produce, and forced us to try some new things. Our share will continue into October, and I hope to feature more recipes made with our fresh produce.
In honor of my 1-year-blogiversary, here is a sweet summer peach cobbler. I made this using peaches we received in last week's CSA. I scaled down the butter and sugar in this recipe, and it was still nice and sweet. A very summery dessert.

Peach Cobbler
Adapted from My Recipes

You will need:
*5 tbsp unsalted butter
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1 1/2 cups of sugar, divided
*1 tbsp baking powder
*Pinch of salt
*1 cup milk
*4 cups fresh peach slices
*1 lemon juiced
*Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

3. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).

4. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool. (We prefer warm)

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

WOW. We never buy oreos because both Dave and I can't resist them. They are one of those things that I never crave, but if they are around then I must eat them. These treats served as a double batch. We used them to celebrate our friend Haven's and Seth's birthdays. I plan on making these again because they were simple and delicious. I just need to make sure I have somewhere to bring them.

This recipe comes from Martha's Stewart Cupcakes, and if you don't own this book-you should. I think it is my favorite recipe collection so far.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
(Makes 30 cupcakes)
*42 Oreos-30 whole and 12 coarsely chopped
*2 pounds of cream cheese, room temperature
*1 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
*1 cup sour cream
*Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate, in tins, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

I made 24 regular size cupcakes and then some minis. Both came out great.

Green Tea Cupcakes

I am on a new quest; I am going to attempt to make all of my close friends cupcakes for their birthdays so that I can practice baking. If I bake something and it sticks around here, we will pick on it for a week. The only problem with this plan is how many of my friends and family have March, April, or May birthdays! These cupcakes kicked off the trend back in March, and they were made for my friend Meghan. Meghan loves green tea, so I thought these would be perfect. This recipe is from Designs By Gollum, and I was linked to them via Foodgawker. Foodgawker is one of my favorite sites. I highly suggest that you check it out, but make sure you do not look at it when you are hungry! Anyway, I was bit disappointed with this recipe. They just didn't taste strong enough for me. If I was to make them again, I think I would add stronger tea to the mix. On a positive note, the great thing about this recipe was how simple it was.

You will need:
*1 box butter cake mix
*2/3 cup green tea, cooled
*3 eggs
*1 stick unsalted butter, softened
*1 cup chopped pecans
and for the icing:
*confectioners' sugar
*green tea

1)Preheat the oven; Mix batter according to the directions on the box, but substitute the tea for water. Fold in raisins and pecans.
2) Line cupcake tin. Pour batter into cupcake liners, and bake 18-20 minutes.
3) Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
4) For the icing, mix green tea with confectioners’ sugar. You may dunk the cupcakes or spoon the glaze over them to cover. (The original recipe recommends food coloring here. I skipped this step, but you could add that and more sugar to make a more noticeable icing.)

Green Vanilla Cupcakes

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I know that I am a few hours early, but I wanted to be sure to share these cupcakes in time for the holiday. I found this recipe on Picky Palate and was excited to see how easy these treats were. This past weekend was a rainy and windy mess. That did not, however, stop the fun tradition that is Boston's Southie Parade! I brought these cupcakes to my friends' apartment to enjoy during the Irish festivities. I used food coloring to add some green to these vanilla cupcakes. You could use a decorating paste to achieve a deeper green color. Even when March 17th passes, I still think these would be a tasty dessert.

For the cupcakes you will need:
*1 Box yellow cake mix
*4 eggs
*1/2 Cup water
*1/2 Cup vegetable oil
*1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
*1/2 Cup plain yogurt or sour cream
*green food coloring

For the frosting you will need:
*8 oz softened cream cheese
*1 stick softened butter
*1 lb powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, add cake mix, eggs, water, oil, pudding, and yogurt. Mix on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Slowly beat in drops of green food coloring until you get your desired shade of green. (As mentioned above, decorating paste will make a richer color)
4. Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tins. Bake for about 18 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool completely.

To make the frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar until creamy and thick. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

"Skinny" Red Velvet Cupcakes

I know I am a day late, but Happy Valentine's Day! We spent the day relaxing, visiting a few open houses, and cooking dinner together. I will post our dinner and appetizer over the next few days. Since my sweet tooth is craving more of these cupcakes, I figured I would share them first! I was trying to decide what to make as a V-day treat, and as soon as I saw these pop up in my Google Reader I knew they were it. This recipe is another from Gina's WW Recipes. These tasted great and were a lot lower in calories than your usual red velvet. I had some fun playing with the frosting on these. I would certainly make this dessert for another occasion in the future.

For the cupcakes you will need:
* 1 1/2 cups cake flour
* 1 cup white whole wheat flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 tbsp unsweetened dutch-process cocoa
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp white vinegar
* 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 egg
* 2 egg whites
* 2 tsp vanilla
* 1 1/3 cup light buttermilk
* 1 tbsp red food coloring

1) Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake tins.

2) In a large mixing bowl, stir together both flours, salt, cocoa, and baking powder.

3) In another large bowl beat sugar, applesauce and butter. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla.

4) In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and vinegar.

5) Add half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and mix well. Next, add the buttermilk and red food coloring. Mix well.

6) Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold in vinegar and baking soda.

7) Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners until they are 3/4 full.

8) Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting you will need:
* 8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese
* 1 cup confectioner's sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Apply to the cooled cupcakes.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

These cookies were sweet and tasty. I liked the lighter texture of them. I found this recipe on My Recipes, and I made them for a potluck event at work. They seemed to be popular because I didn't take any of them home.

You will need:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels
1 (6-ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries (I used Craisins)

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

3) In an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamt. Add the sugar in gradually. Next, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended.

4) Add flour mixture to butter mixture gradually, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in white chocolate morsels and cranberries.

5) Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

6) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom (Needed closer to 15 minutes). Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Guinness and Baileys Cupcakes

Dave likes Guinness, and I love Baileys. I knew immediately that we would both enjoy these cupcakes. I first saw these on Smitten Kitchen and I followed the recipe from Annie's Eats. I have had this recipe saved for a few months, knowing that Dave's 30th birthday would be a wonderful occasion/reason to make them. We had our closest friends celebrate with us at the Bleacher Bar that looks into Fenway Park. It was great to spend some time in January near our favorite part of the city! The rink was still up from the Winter Classic, and we were glad to be able to see it up close. These cupcakes were a huge hit! I am getting requests to make them for quite a few upcoming birthdays. They do have an alcohol taste to them, and the Baileys is not cooked so they do contain some alcohol in them. I look forward to making these again, and I am thinking about using a chocolate stout in the cake base next time. I doubled this recipe to get 48 cupcakes. Due to how we iced the cupcakes, we did not have enough frosting for all of them. I would have to make even more of that next time. Many thanks to Kim and Dawn for their help with these.

You will need...

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
11⁄2 tsp. baking soda
3⁄4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey's ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Bakers pieces)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey's Irish cream

For the Bailey's buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey's Irish cream

Cupcakes
1) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

3) Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to 3⁄4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ganache Filling
1) Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler (I make one using a sauce pan and a metal mixing bowl) Add the butter and Bailey's and stir until combined.

2) Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. (I used the fridge to speed this up and did as Annie suggested-stir every 10 minutes.) Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake. Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

Baileys Frosting
1) Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey's until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes.

Here's a picture of the cupcakes out at the party.
Not the best lighting and photo, but you get the idea.