PB & Chocolate? Why yes please!!

So, I'm in week 3 of my cupcake journey...I have to make one that my kids will still eat...I thought since they LOVE PB & J, I might go that way...we'll see. 
I have to say, these are my favorite so far!!  I hope that you'll try them!!!


Peanut Butter cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, table
2 large eggs
2/3 cups sugar, granulated
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted completly, no chunks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 to 2/3 cups peanut butter

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Add eggs and sugar and beat with electric mixer until evenly combined. While beating, gradually add the butter, then the vanilla.

Add the peanut butter first, then while beating, add the milk slowly. 

Bake for about 20 minutes

For the Chocolate Butter Cream frosting:

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Mint & Chocolate...mmmm....

So, two of my favorite things are mint and chocolate.  If you put them together, it is, for me, the BEST!!  I was so excited when I found a recipe for Chocolate cupcakes with Peppermint frosting.  Now, I only made this once, and honestly, I over baked the cupcakes, BUT, the frosting was A-MAZING!!  If you want just a light peppermint flavor, cut the peppermint extract in half.  So, here's the recipe I used....

• Cupcakes:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces) 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Peppermint Frosting:
•  
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese 
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 16 hard peppermint candies, finely crushed (about 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cupcakes, place brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched lightly in the center. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, and peppermint extract in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread about 4 teaspoons frosting on each cupcake; sprinkle evenly with candies.

****after 12 minutes, they weren't really done enough, so I left them in for 5 more minutes...2 minutes too long I think....****

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm...too much tv? or a good idea?

I'll admit it, I watch too much tv.  I have 3 major networks I like...HGTV, MLB & the Food network.  Lately I've been watching a lot of Food Network...mostly cupcake wars.  So, I started thinking...I could make cupcakes...where do I start?  I'll admit, my cupcakes have always consisted to a box cake mix, so I was a bit scared.  Well, I started with Orange creamsicle cupcake. 

The first batch turned out good, but not great.  So...I googled another recipe and they turned out much better!!  So, I've gotten my confidence...let's see what other kinds I can make!!???

Here's the recipe of the one I loved!! :)

Delicious Creamsicle Orangesicle Cupcakes

Get ready for a group of happy family members when you make this wonderful treat.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup flour
• 2 teaspoons orange flavoring
• 7 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup of softened margarine or butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place decorative cupcake liners into a 12-hole cupcake pan.
2. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff.
3. Mix the salt, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, egg yolks, butter, baking powder, and flour in a large bowl.
4. Add the orange flavoring and beat for one minute.
5. Add the milk and stir.
6. Fold in the egg whites.
7. Divide the mixture evenly between the liners.
8. Bake 18 minutes, using the toothpick test for doneness. Remove from oven and let cool.
9. (Makes 12 cupcakes)

For the frosting, I used this...

Cream Cheese Frosting
(1) 8 ounce package of cream cheese; room temperature
2 tablespoon of butter; room temperature
1 tablespoon of shortening
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar; add more to reach desired consistency
Directions
1. Combine cream cheese, shortening and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until smooth, creamy and well blended.
2. Blend in the vanilla extract.
3. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until you reach the desired consistency.

YUMM-O!!!!!

It's been a while....

So, it's been a while since I've blogged.  Let's just say that life has gotten busy...let's do a quick run down of things that have happened since my last post....

My kiddos went back to school...Meghan's first day of elementary school and Bryson's last day of elementary school...not exactly a happy momma! :'(

#1 turned 11...#2 turned 5...

Went back to visit my NC family in October...it was a blast!! Can't wait to see them all again!!

BSF started and I'm a leader this year...very scary prospect...

Thanksgiving....

Christmas....

36...yuk!!!

A whole new year!! I'm so excited to see what 2012 has to bring!! 

Adam was voted onto the Deacon board at church...wow!!  I think we're a little too young for it, but God has a plan and He is moving at Beacon Baptist Church.

Those are just a few highlights...hopefully it won't be so long to post again! :)