Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes

recipe from Magnolia's Bakery

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 to 8 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.line two muffin tins with cupcake papers
3. in a small bowl cobine the flours and set aside
4.In a large bowl, on medium speed, cream the butter until smooth. add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addtion, beat unitl the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5.Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Ice cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream icing.

icing directions:
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 3-5 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.

Rating:if you follow the directions exactly the cake will come out light, buttery and very yummy. The icing for me is a little on the sugary side...but most people like it that way but you can always reduce the amount of sugar you add. I used a small amount of red food coloring to make my icing a light pastel pink and used easter M&M's for the center.

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 Andies chocolate mint

Directions:
1.In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2.At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie.

Rating:
I've been told by multiple people that these taste just like the mint girl scout cookies! chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside. the 1/2 mint on each cookie is just enough for a great mint taste without having it be over powering. very yummy and packages great. Make sure to allow time for the chocolate to harden before putting the cookies into containers. (9/10)

Peanut Butter Temptations

recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.In a medium bowl, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar and butter. Stir in the peanut butter, then the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the peanut butter mixture until the dough comes together. Shape into 1 inch balls and press them into the cups of an unprepared mini muffin pan.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a mini chocolate covered peanut butter cup down into the center of each cookie until only the top is showing. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from their pans.

Rating:
WOW are these yummy!! great peanut butter taste and just the right size. your family and friends will think you spent hours preparing them but they are really are very easy and fast. (10/10)

Grandma's famous baked stuffed mushrooms

This blog is only recipes on baking...since I'm not much of a fan of cooking, BUT I've been getting requests to post the recipe to my grandma's famous Thanksgiving stuffed mushrooms..so I asked her for the recipe. Some of her measurements were done by eyeballing it since she never uses measuring cups, lol, but I converted her system into regular measurements. Please let me know how yours turn out if you make them :)


Ingredients:
20 medium whole mushrooms
handful or 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 clove garlic
(1/3 cup cooked spinach if desired)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.Remove stems of each mushroom(to base) and set the mushroom tops/caps to the side
3.Chop mushroom stems into small pieces
2.Get out a pan and set burner to medium high
3.Once pan is hot put in 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
4.Crush garlic and stir in pan with the butter mixture for about 4 minutes. make sure not to burn garlic.
5.Throw chopped mushroom stems into pan, make sure they are covered in butter and all the way cooked through
6.Turn off heat and set the pan onto a COOL burner.
7.Grease a cookie sheet and place mushroom tops face up.
8.Add bread crumbs to the pan of mushroom stems(make sure they are Italian style..regular will taste bland), combine thoroughly. (if the mixture seems dry add a tiny bit more melted butter or even chicken broth)
9.Add in 3/4 cup shredded cheese (the cheese should melt slightly after combined with stuffing mixture)
10.Fill each mushroom cap with stuffing mixture (about 1-1.5 tablespoons per mushroom)
11.Top each mushroom with a pinch of shredded mozzarella
12.Melt remaining tbsp of butter and brush the top of each mushroom
13.Place into oven for 15-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling on the top of each mushroom

Egg Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.Cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla together. Mix until light and well combined, then add pumpkin.
3.Mix the flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon in seperate bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips
4.Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cookies cool

Rating:
A cake-like cookie that is simple and not overwelming. The dough does not spread when cooked so make sure to lightly press down on each round when placing it onto the cookie sheet. For those that would like a more fall/spice flavor add a dash of 'all spice' or 'pumpkin pie spice' into the mix. (7/10)

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
3 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking sod
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin

Icing:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1.Prepare muffin tins with muffin cups
2.Stir in all dry ingredients first then add wet ingredients
3.Fill muffin tins three-quarters full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4.Prepare icing in a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. I toped each cupcake with a pumpkin shaped candy corn.

Rating:made the house smell so yummy! A great treat for fall or even a Halloween party. (9/10)

Gourmet Caramel Apples

Ingredients:
4 crisp apples, firm, unbruised
12 ozs. soft and fresh wrapped caramels
1 Tbsp. hot water
12 ozs. good-quality chocolate chips
About 1 c. chopped nuts

Directions:
1.Wash and dry apples well, and set out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This is especially important if the apples have been refrigerated; they must not be refrigerator cold when dipped.(or caramel will harden too quickly)
2. Insert wooden popcicle sticks into stem end of each apple. cover cookie sheet in parchment paper
3.Place caramels in saucepan and melt over low/medium heat until completely smooth
4. Dip apples into caramel until evenly coated(use spreading knife to coat sides) let excess drip and scrap off the extra on the bottom. place on pan. Refrigerate for about 20-3o minutes.
5. Melt chocolate on low heat, after completely melted take off heat and use spreading knife to cover apples completely. Quickly roll apples in chopped peanuts and lightly press in. Refrigerate until ready to serve.