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Vanilla Cupcakes

19 Sep

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I have this thing for “mini” things. I rather have mini Snickers and Reese’s then the regular size. Mini corndogs oppose to the normal size. It just seems to be an equal amount of ingredients when they come in smaller packages. Cupcakes are better than regular cake. That’s just my opinion. Plus I absolutely love cupcakes. They are my weakness. “Minis” just taste better. You may not feel as guilty eating 2 cupcakes oppose to a Giant slice of cake OR maybe it just helps me feel better 🙂

 

 

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 Stick of Butter (softened)

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp French Vanilla Creamer

2 Tbsp Milk

1 Tbsp Vanilla Pudding Mix

3/4 cup Flour (Sifted)

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 12 paper baking cups in a muffin tin.

2. In mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add in eggs, vanilla extract, creamer, and milk.

4. Fold in flour and pudding mix until blended.

5. Spoon cupcake mixture into the baking cups about 2/3 of the way.

6. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

7. Top with your favorite icing and enjoy!

*Makes about 12 cupcakes*

 

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Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Muffins

31 Oct

Hey Loves! I am sure we have all heard the saying “everything happens for a reason”. I am a strong believer  in this saying. We may not know at that exact moment why but there is a reason. As you may or may not know, I was suppose to be attending culinary school starting this month (after the classes were pushed back in June) however, classes were cancelled again (a week before classes were suppose to start) for this month and the rest of the year. I have had multiple issues with trying to begin classes at this institute. I have never seen any business that is more unprofessional and unorganized then these people are. Of course, I was pissed at the fact that I could not start school once again. I mean, who wouldn’t be. Especially when you are only giving a weeks notice that classes are cancelled over and over again. Even though I was upset, I started to remember that “everything happens for a reason”. I am not sure why at the moment but it was not meant for me to attend that school. Maybe there is another route for me. Maybe I don’t have to pay thousands of dollars for a school to get my culinary career started. Who knows. What I do know is, I won’t give up and I will find another way……

Anyway, enough of my sob story lol. How bout these muffins!!! Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Muffins. What did she just say??.. Yup, Pumpkin Apple Cream Cheese Muffins! These Muffins have a great combo of sweetness and tartness with a creamy cheese filling. Oh yeah baby! This is a great fall treat for breakfast or dessert. Try it, I’m sure you’ll love it!

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Bon Appétit  | December 1991 via Epicurious

(Cream Cheese Filling Added by me)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 chopped peeled cored apples
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

 Cream Cheese Filling 

  • 1 8 ounce package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1 cup powdered Sugar

Topping

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease eighteen 1/2-cup muffin cups or line with muffin papers. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Stir sugar, pumpkin, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl until well mixed. Mix in dry ingredients and apples. Place a small of batter into each baking cup and then later with a teaspoon of cream cheese filling. Scoop equal amount of batter over cream cheese filling in baking cups.

For Topping:
Combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in butter with fingers or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted into centers of muffins comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

10 Oct

Yesterday was such a beautiful day out. It was 81 degrees and I decided to spend the day inside. It was what I call “Domestic Sunday”.  Domestic Sunday is usually spent doing the things I hardly have time for during the week such as cleaning, doing laundry, and of course my favorite… COOKING!! 🙂 Even though it was hot out, I decided to turn on my oven and bake some cookies. I am so glad I did! Here is a recipe for some Oatmeal Craisin Cookies (originally vanishing oatmeal raisin cookies from Quaker Oats) http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/content/recipes/recipe-detail.aspx?recipeid=474. The sweet, but tart, craisins and orange zest really give these cookies some punch. Enjoy 🙂

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Adapted from Quaker Oats

Ingredients

  • 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2  cup granulated sugar
  • 2  eggs
  • 1  teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Amaretto
  • 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
  • 1  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 3  cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
  • 1  cup Craisins
  • 2 teaspoons Orange Zest

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs amaretto and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats, orange zest and craisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time Time: 08 min

Yield

4 DOZEN

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

9 Aug

Hey everyone! I know it has been a couple days since my last post. It has been a busy weekend. Saturday was suppose to be my brother’s big annual cookout. This is the 12th year of what we call “the barn function”. Unfortunately we had to postpone the cookout this year due to rain however we still had a mini barn function with our fam and friends that did still come. I love spending time with my family. It’s always great times with us. Below I posted one of the things I made for the party. It was a delicious, golden, moist Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake. This was my second time making it. The first time I tried it I left it in for the full hour and thirty five minutes that the directions call for however this time I took it out about 15 mins earlier so that it would be more moist and it was. Happy Baking 🙂




Cream Cheese Pound Cake
from “the all-new ultimate Southern Living Cookbook”


1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Garnishes: powdered sugar, fresh berries, fresh thyme, whipped cream

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Budnt or tube pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wore rack 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack. Garnish each serving, if desired. Yield 12 servings.

*note: I topped my cake with sliced almonds before baking.