Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I'm not happy with how this cupcake looks. Not happy at all. Everyone has said they look fine, but if you knew the picture I had of them in my head before I started, you'd think these are pretty ugly, too. But looking at the bright side, they at least look better than these guys, which were my first attempt at a peanut butter frosting:

Haha! Look at how boring and ugly these ones look. Thankfully, is was at this point that the decorative bug took over me.


I have something to tell you, though. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but just in case you missed it:

I hate peanut butter.

Yes, 'tis true. I can't stand the stuff. My mom says even when I was a baby I'd just spit it right out when she gave it to me. Some people get offended when you flip them off; I get offended when you eat a PB&J within 20 feet of me. The smell... oh, the smell! I couldn't imagine anything worse than being forced to eat peanut butter. May it never be.


So why, then, am I making Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes? Well, despite my hatred for PB, I recognize that a majority of the population does not share my distaste for the stuff... in fact, many of them quite like it. And I happen to live in a house with 10 other people, several of whom have said that I should make a peanut butter cupcake. *Sigh* I do it for the people, friends, I do it for the people.


And indeed, the people were pleased. I've gotten several compliments on these guys, so even though I haven't eaten them myself, I feel confident enough in them to share the recipe with you.


Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup butter, melted

4 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk egg and brown sugar until smooth and no lumpsremain. Add milk, cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir insour cream. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix untilbatter is smooth. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure,add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Adapted from How Sweet It Is
1 cup peanut butter
5-6 cups of powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons of milk

3/4  cup butter,softened

1 pinch of salt

Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar and mix well. Add milk and vanilla extract. Mix until frosting is smooth. If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Chocolate Ganache
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream


Put chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. Immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed. Set aside to cool and harden.

When I did my ganache, I didn't wait long enough for it to harden and it was still too soft to pipe. I envisioned it being a pretty flower on top, but I ran out of time (I had the have the cupcakes ready at 7pm) so I went ahead and just dumped a bit of the ganache on top and a little pile. Totally not as cute as I wanted it to be, but oh well. I would definitely recommend making the ganache first, so that way it'll have plenty of time to stiffen up while you're making the cupcakes and frosting. 


Also, I really wanted to put a peanut on top. How cute would that have been? But like I said, I was out of time and I didn't have any peanuts, so it didn't happen. If I ever make these again I'll definitely plan ahead for that and get some at the store.
Enjoy! Unless you're sensible, like me, and don't like peanut butter, in which case I'm sorry. You can rest assured that my next recipe with have no trace of the wretched stuff in it. 

PS. They also make great goofy eyes. 

Just sayin'.

Strawberry and Vanilla Cupcakes

Making these cupcakes was quite the up-and-down adventure. Things started out well enough... I whipped up the batter pretty quickly and stuck them in the oven, but then things started to go down hill. I made a vanilla frosting I found online and it pretty much sucked. It was runny and gooey and was an awful consistency. I tried adding more powdered sugar, but I eventually realized that it was just not going to work and chucked the whole batch. Frustrated, I turned to Google to find a decent "vanilla buttercream frosting" and printed the first one that didn't call for whipping cream or more than 4 cups of powdered sugar (I'm almost out...). Thankfully, it turned out very well and was perfect for frosting. When I had my first bite, all my frustration with the frosting melted away and I literally did a little jump. Seriously, these are yummy cupcakes.

Let me just say, before I got into cupcakes I thought that frosting would be really hard. Not so. You just throw a tip on the bag and squirt away. As long as you have a steady hand, you'll be fine. Pretty frosting isn't nearly as difficult to create as it looks like. 

In all honesty, these cupcakes taste a lot like a muffin. I suppose the line between muffins and cupcakes is pretty thin anyways, but the cake itself has a rather muffin-y quality to it, and the chunks of strawberry only add to that. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just "keeping it real", as a person more hip than I might say.

StrawberryCupcakes
from How Sweet It Is

Makes approx. 18 cupcakes

1 and 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

3 teaspoons vanillaextract

2 and 1/4 cups flour

2teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 choppedstrawberries* 

2-3 tablespoons milk,if needed 

*I used 1.5 cups but thought they could use a bit more, so I've upped it to 2 for this recipe. If you really like strawberries, definitely go with 2 cups. For a lighter strawberry presence, only use 1.5 cups. 

Preheat oven to 350degrees F.

Beat the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixuntil combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt with the mixer and mix until combined. Add in chopped strawberries and beat for 1-2 minutes until the strawberries break down. If the batter is too try, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Divide your batter evenly, filling each cup about 2/3 full, andbake for 20-23 or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out dry.

VanillaButtercream Frosting*

from Savory Sweet Life

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons milk 

Beat butter for a few minutes on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and mix well until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Add vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

*I had just enough frosting for my 18 cupcakes. If you are planning on doing more frosting than I did, you'll need to add more to your recipe. 

Frost cupcakes as desired. I used the Wilton 1M tip. Garnish with sliced strawberries.

And the final step: devour. You'll be glad you did. 

ABSOLUTELY UNHEALTHY YET DELICIOUS

Domesticated myself tonight.
Made an appetizer.
Sent picture proof of my mad/crazy/awesome cooking skills via text message to my favorite B.
Made my Uncle B very proud from almost 800 miles away.



May I present Panko Mozzarella Sticks!

Click the link, follow the recipe, eat, and enjoy!

Mmmmmm!

Just so you know, I'm pretty much addicted to all that is The Pioneer Woman and her bonus Tasty Kitchen site. When I saw these suckers pop up 2 days ago, I knew I had to give them a try. My only problem... they were so freaking delicious that they ended up devoured by my sister-in-law, my brother, my niece and nephews--yes, both of them (the baby especially loved them)--and Bonnie. Oh yeah, and me too.

The recipe was ridiculously easy and took no longer than a half an hour. Next time I'll be sure to double the recipe--I learned my lesson.

BRO: "Where's the rest dude?"

ME: "Uh, Bonnie ate them?!"

BRO: "This is all there is?"

ME: "Yes."

BRO: "Not cool."

I highly recommend this recipe! These are a quick treat, great for spring/summer parties, and just overall delicious! MAKE THESE!!! Trust me! They are YUMMY!

Flour, Egg&Milk, PANKO -- CHECK!

Skillet, Panko covered string cheese -- MMM CHECK!

Finished Delicious Product -- CHECK!

good luck!

enjoy!!!

:)

WHEN I GROW UP

...when I move into a place of my own (following that 'real' job that I will eventually get) I would love my kitchen to be equip with the following key pieces:


ANYTHING by Le Creuset:

[Le Creuset 20 Piece Cookware Set]

[Le Creuset Whistling Tea Kettle]
Because I REALLY like tea!
[Le Creuset Wok]
If you haven't used a Wok... GO GET ONE NOW!

Wooden Utensils... Just Love 'em!:

[Olive Wood Spoons]

[Olive Wood Utensil Set]

And finally...

What every kitchen MUST HAVE:

[Kitchen Aid Mixer]

TRAPPED!

This weekend my home state will become victim to the first real blizzard of the season.

[Image courtesy of new co-worker Kelly @ tublr]

Unfortunately for me, I am stuck at work until midnight this evening and will NOT be trucking 45 minutes home in the ice and snow up I-95. Luckily my bf lives five minuted from my work; unluckily, the snow is supposed to be worst during the hours of 4AM and 4PM. Which means I will not be going home for another 24 hours... (let it be know that I have not been home for the past 36 hours due to final exams--which I might add were the LAST of my Undergraduate College CAREER! Woooo!!)

I have a feeling being trapped in my boyfriend's apartment, unable to go anywhere because EVERYTHING will be closed, will result in a bad remake of Cabin Fever. In order to save myself from a bloody death, I have decided to have a plan. This plan consists of ideas for what to do in the case of an emergency (i.e. a Snow In) while at your boyfriend's apartment.

So without further ado:

What to do When Trapped
--I mean snowed in--
in a College Town:

1. Go Sledding... DUH!

It's snowing outside. Grab your sled, a giant Tupperware lid or its box, or grab the preferred sled of Towson students: a lunch tray from the Glen... then find a HILL and have at it!

2. Find a radio and your local 24-7 Christmas station and turn up the tunes--while fixing a delicious meal or BAKING holiday sweets for yourself (and your significant other).
Visit Ree the Pioneer Woman for great recipe ideas! I just picked up her cook book and since then I have died and gone to food-making heaven! You bet I'll be making something delicious this weekend while (embarrassingly) singing along to the music!

Alvin & the Chipmonks is my personal childhood favorite...
What's yours?

3. Hit up the library, if you're a book-aficionado like myself, an afternoon spent relaxing and reading a good book sounds like a prime plan.

Hopefully my library hasn't realized that I own them my first born child, and I'll be able to get a book or two for the weekend.

4. Finish your Christmas shopping ONLINE! Tonight is the last night for delivery by Christmas...

Get to clickin'!
There are only 6 more days of shopping left!

5. Snuggle up on the couch with a mug of hot coco and settle down to a marathon of Christmas movies. Some of my personal favorites include:

Miracle on 34th Street

A Christmas Story

[BEST SCENE EVER!]

And because just Kelly said so:
"uhhhh, Christmas Vacation is a good Christmas movie"

Christmas Vacation

--a la Chevy Chase--

6.You're in for the long haul... why not celebrate the season. Call/Text/Tweet some friends and have a Christmas Fiesta!!!

So why don't you visit ME!

(or someone as awesome as me )
...at your local liquor store
[only if you're over 21 of course] and stock up on supplies!

Then FIESTA!!!