Blueberry Muffins

I am always on the look out for new and Amazing recipes.

With the nice weather finally here it was time to start making some dessert's with fresh fruit.

This recipe is my new favorite for blueberry muffins..

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping Recipe

Note: Coat the blueberries with a dusting of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Also remember to evenly distribute the blueberries across the muffin cups.

Streusel Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Muffin Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

8 ounces sour cream

1/4 cup milk

3 cups (1 1/2 pints) fresh blueberries, stems removed

Directions

For the topping, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add the butter pieces and combine the mixture with a fork until the topping resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place paper liners in muffin pans. In a separate medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. At low speed, beat one egg in at a time, and then add vanilla, sour cream, and milk until combined. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients at a time and beat until just combined. With a spatula, evenly fold blueberries into batter.

Scoop batter into muffin pans and fill each cup to the top. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer comes out clean.

Makes 24 muffins,

Blueberry coffee cake muffins adapted from Barefoot Contessa]……

Here is where I found this recipe.

http://sundaynitedinner.com/blueberry-muffins-streusel-topping/

Photography by Diane Marks

2010 All rights reserved.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

 

To make these cupcakes, use any vanilla cake recipe that you wish, replacing the liquid in the recipe with pink lemonade concentrate, undiluted. You can also add a few drops of food coloring if you want it more on the pink side.

For the icing, use:


1 lb. unsalted butter (softened)
2 stick salted butter (softened
1 small pkg. lemon instant pudding mix
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar ( or more to suit your taste)

pink food coloring

In mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth and silky. Turn speed to low and add the pudding mix. when it is all incorporated, slowly add the cream, a little at a time. When fully incorporated bring speed up to high and beat for 5-7 minutes. Turn speed back down to low and add food coloring and add powdered sugar by tablespoons, tasting along the way. When it is sweet to your taste, beat again at high speed for a good 5 minutes to really break down any graininess that you might get from the powdered sugar. Bring back down to low speed and beat for a while to get rid of air bubbles. this recipe needs to be refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before decorating or serving.

For this cupcake stand, I just used foamboard and cake dummies I found how to make this cupcake stand from Cake Journal.

Rhonda Christensen
2009
All Rights Reserved
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Pistachio Cake

Pistachio-Cardamom-Caramel Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix (I used DH)
1 cup of cake flour
1/2 cup of white granulated sugar (*I cut down the sugar because the coffee
   creamer and ice cream topping have lots of it)
2 teaspoons baking power
1 envelope dry pistachio pudding mix
1 teaspoon of salt (*If using salted pistachios omit salt).
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
****Sift dry ingredients twice and set aside.


1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of butter (at room temp.)
1/4 cup of veg. oil
1/3 cup of cream cheese at room temp.
   (*I always add cream cheese to my WASC recipe, you can omit
   this if you want, I just love the richness that it adds to the cake)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
**Cream these ingredients in the mixer for about 3 mins
  or until completely blended together.


4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Lorann pistachio oil flavor
*Add these ingredients to mixer until blended with the other ingredients.



1/2 cup of vanilla caramel coffee creamer
1/2 cup of caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup of buttermilk
*Mix together all liquids and alternate with dry ingredients into the mixer.


1 cup of chopped pistachios (*don’t forget the pistachios! –fold into the
   the mix at the very end)


I baked it in a 325 degree oven. Fits 2, 8 inch pans. I cooked it for almost
60 minutes, but that can change. from oven to oven, or the size pan that
you are using.

For the filling:
Bettercream non-dairy whipped topping with Lorann Pistachio oil.
You can add some crushed pistachios to it, if you want for added
crunch.

I think the creator of the recipe was Macsmom, but not sure. I can
say that I loved it. The cake was moist till the last bite!

Hope you enjoy!!
Edna :)

Photography by Edna De La Cruz
All Rights Reserved 2012
This photo may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Flowering Cupcakes

Flowering Cupcakes

You will need:

5 plastic disposable piping bags with couplers

Piping tubes # 102, #104, #9, #66, #349

Rose, Moss green, Yellow, and Purple coloring pastes.

*Cupcakes

** Decorator Frosting

Remove 1 cup of icing and place in a separate bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

Divide the remainder of icing into 4 equal parts into four separate bowls. Color each of them, using the pastes.

Cover each with plastic wrap to protect until ready to use.

Insert couplers into plastic piping bags.

Dip a bamboo stick or toothpick into the purple paste.  Make a 5”  line of color along the

sides of bag.  Fill bag about 1/3 full with purple icing. Place the #349 tip

on coupler and screw into place.

Dip a knife or spatula in rose paste and make a line down the center of bag.
Fill bag ½ full with rose icing.  Use the #104 tip on this bag.

Fill the last three bags with white, yellow and green.

Use the #66 for green, #102 for white, #9 for yellow.



Wisteria

With the green icing, place the tip on the cupcake. Positioning bag at an angle, squeeze icing as you pull bag to create leaves at the perimeter of the cupcake.

 

With purple icing, place tip on the edge of cupcake. Positioning bag at an upward angle, squeeze and pull just as you did the leaves.

Continue process above the first row of petals, overlapping them, as shown.

This is the finished cupcake. One using the streaked bag technique, the other without.

________________________________________

Daisy

With white icing, place tip, with narrow side down, touching cupcake. Starting 1” from the edge, position bag at a high angle, squeezing and pulling into a “U” shape to create

daisy petals. Continue until one row of petals is complete.

Using same technique, start from ½” from center of cupcake and create the second row of petals, overlapping the first row.

 

With the yellow icing, place tip in the center and squeeze making a ball.

Using green icing, make a few leaves around the perimeter of the cupcake.

______________________________________

Rose

Using Rose icing, With cupcake in one hand and piping bag in the other, touch rounded end of tip to the center of cupcake.

With bag positioned at a slight angle,

turn the cupcake as you squeeze the icing making a cone.

Repeat this again over the top of cone overlapping the end, creating a center for the rose.

 

With tip at a vertical angle and bag horizontal, squeeze and pull a petal as shown.

Continue process around the cupcake, overlapping petals as you go.

Add Leaves using the green icing by inserting the tip just under the petal at the perimeter of the cupcake.

Remove tip, clean well, and change out piping tube on yellow icing. Make yellow rose

on top of cupcake using the same process shown above.

_______________________________________________________________

Recipes

* Strawberry Cupcake Recipe

1 Box Classic White Cake mix

½ cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 3oz box strawberry flavored gelatin

4 large eggs

½ cup crushed frozen strawberries

In a mixing bowl,  stir together Cake mix, water, oil and gelatin.  Beating with an electric mixer, add eggs. Beat 5 minutes and stir in strawberries. Blend well.

Ladle cake batter into cupcake cups placed in muffin tin.  Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes.

It is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely before decorating.

Strawberry Glaze (The glaze is optional, but I like the added layer of flavor it adds to the cupcakes)

2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

1 Tablespoon milk

3-4 Tablespoons crushed strawberries

In
a bowl combine milk and sugar. Add strawberries, one tablespoon at a
time until it becomes a thin consistency for glazing cupcakes.

**Cream Cheese Decorators Icing

1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 lb. butter, room temperature

½ cup shortening

¼ cup hot water

¼ cup powdered coffee creamer

1 tsp vanilla

2 lbs 10x confectioners sugar

Pink, purple, moss green, and yellow coloring pastes

1. Using a standing electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening and cream cheese at medium speed.

2. Mix together hot water and powdered creamer.

3.  Add creamer mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the butter/cream cheese.  Add vanilla. Mix together at lowest speed until incorporated, the increase mixer speed to med and whip for 30 seconds.

4.  With mixer at low speed, gradually add 1 lb of confectioner’s sugar.  Incorporate well, then gradually add remaining sugar. Icing should be a thick consistency for decorating.

If too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Tutorial and Photography by Jacque Benson

Copyright 2011

All rights reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Mame's Carrot Cake

Mame’s Carrot Cake Recipe

Mame’s Recipe from Eileen 1978

 

Sift together:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

 

Mix:

2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups oil or [1-1/2 cups applesauce]

 

Add:

4 eggs or [1 cup Eggbeaters]

2 cups finely grated carrots

1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple [drained]

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3-1/2 oz. can flaked coconut

1 cup raisins [optional]

Bake at 350 degrees  in 3 - 9"round pans for 35- 40 minutes.

Cool cakes completely before frosting.

 

    

 

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 lb. confectioners’ sugar [about 3-1/2 cups]

 

      Beat all ingredients until smooth.

Mame's note: I have whipped heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and folded it into the Cream Cheese Icing and it was awesome. Sorry I didn't measure, I just winged it; but the consistency is not meant for decorating as it is much too thin. But OH so YUMMO!!
***
Photography by Mame Recckio Wolfe
Copyright 2011
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

For all you Banana bread lovers out there ,

This is by far the best recipe I have made to date.

Super simple and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The cinnamon and chocolate chips are the surprise flavors in this quick bread!

 

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter…. softened ( I used margarine)
2 eggs 1/2 cup milk
3-4 mashed bananas ( I used 4)
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon ( I used 2)
1/4 – 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cup)
walnuts if desired

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream together sugar and butter; add eggs one at a time.

Mix in milk, bananas and vanilla. 

Stir in dry ingredients. *do not over mix the batter. You don’t want it smooth. 

Over mixing the batter will give you tough, rubbery bread. 

Pour into greased loaf pans. ( made 2 loafs) 

Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 

about 60 mins for regular loaf pan, or 30 mins for mini loaves 

NOTE……My regular sized loaf pans only took about 35 minutes.. 

Recipe from

http://tidymom.net/2011/chocolate-chip-banana-bread-recipe/

Photography by Diane Marks

All Rights Reserved-2011

The photos may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

This was another one of those ..See it and have to try it right now recipes!! This gets added to the top of my list as one of my ( our) most favorite cakes ever! Delicious and easy and your house will smell wonderful ! I also want to add that if your NOT a frosting lover this cake would be Amazing Unfrosted and used like a snack cake.. It has the texture of a carrot cake and would be wonderful cut into Squares and served just that way on a platter!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

Cake Ingredients:

8 ounces chocolate chips ( I used a mix of milk and semisweet chips) 1/2 teaspoon liquor, such as bourbon or Scotch* (At the time of baking, my only liquor choices in my kitchen were Kahlua!

1 & 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar ( I used light brown)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon ( I used 3 tsp)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9″x13″ baking pan.

Toss chocolate chips with liquor in a small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the chips and toss until coated. Set aside.

Heat 1 & 1/4 cups water to boiling. Place the oats and butter in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over oat mixture. Wait 30 seconds, and then stir to moisten oats and melt the butter.

Seat aside for 25-30 minutes.

Whisk eggs, sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Fold in oatmeal, stirring until well combined. Fold in remaining flour, and then stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.

I baked for around 35 minutes!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cream cheese frosting

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ( I used 1 stick)

5 & 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened ( I used 8-oz)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted ( I Used maybe 4 ½ cups)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used 3 tsp )

Beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Beat in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until smooth (about 1 minute).

Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. ( I didn't do this )

Spread a thin layer of frosting over cake.

Chill for 15 minutes before serving. Store covered cake in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I used the different amounts for icing as I wanted a thicker layer of frosting! Oh and I also added a sprinkle of Cinnamon on top...Cocoa powder would also be wonderful!

Enjoy!

Recipe from,

http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2011/01/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cake/


Photography by Diane Marks
2011 All Rights Reserved
Photos may not be reproduced without permission from the author of this post.

Autumn Spice Cookies

There is nothing like the smell of cinnamon right out of the oven, especially when

the weather is crisp and cool outside.

And these Autumn Spice Cookies fill the house with a wonderful aroma while baking!

They are easy to bake and very tasty!

 Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

*Icing to outline cookies
Autumn Leaf Cookie Cutter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, confectioners sugar, cream of tartar and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix egg and brown sugar. Add melted butter. Slowly incorporate flour mixture and add vanilla.  Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill well for several hours.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

 When dough is firm, roll out on a lightly floured board and cut

cookies using a leaf shaped cutter.

 Place cookies on parchment covered cookie sheet.

 Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over every cookie.

 Place in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 9 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

 *At this point, you can use buttercream icing, royal icing or melted chocolate to outline the leaves.

I used chocolate/caramel buttercream to outline my cookies and it added a

wonderful layer of flavor to the cinnamon cookies.

These are perfect for the holidays or for a special treat when the kids come in from school. 

Enjoy!

Makes 3 dozen 3" leaf cookies.

Tutorial and Photography by Jacque Benson
2010 All rights reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

S'more Cups

 Are you missing your favorite summertime camp goodies?  Well with this recipe, you can have s'mores all year round!!  No messing with any fires either!!

You will need:

7 whole graham crackers (1 cup finely crushed)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

4 bars (1.55 oz.) milk chocolate candy, divided

12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag.  Finely crush into crumbs using a rolling pin.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and the butter in a bowl. 

 

Using a small scoop or a tablespoon, place a scant scoop of crumb mixture in each cup of a mini muffin/cupcake pan.  Press crumbs to form a shallow cup.  Bake 4 - 5 minutes or until edges are bubbling.  Meanwhile, break two candy bars into rectangles.  Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.

 

Cut marshmallows in half using scissors that have been dipped in cols water.  Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup.  return to oven for 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened.   Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack; cool for 15 minutes.  carefully remove cups from pan.  Cool completely.

Break remaining candy bars and place into a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.  Dip the top of each marshmallow in the melted chocolate.  turn top-side up and let stand until chocolate is set, around 40 minutes.  Or set in refrigerator for a few minutes if you have a hard time waiting!

Store at room temperature for 1 week.

 

Tutorial by Rhonda Christensen

2010

All Rights Reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.