Monthly Archives: May 2012

May 7, 2012 · 5:00 am

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes

I’ve made a lot of Oreo cupcakes, they are definitely a fan favorite!  Chocolate Oreo cupcakes have been in the back of my mind for awhile now, so it was about time I finally got around to making them!

I promised my homeroom if they raised over $400 for Pennies for Patients I would make them cupcakes.  Not only did they raise over $400, they raised more money than any other class in the sixth grade! I’m so proud of them!!  Since I have a lot of students with an aversion to chocolate, I also made Tie Dye cupcakes.

The kids really enjoyed the cupcakes and gave me lots of nice compliments.  After two weeks of state testing I was glad I could make them a nice treat!  The chocolate cupcake recipe is my current stand-by chocolate cake recipe.  So moist and delicious and chocolaty!  I sort of made up the frosting as I went along.  I just wanted simple amounts that corresponded to the packaging!  The frosting is sweet without being too sugary and has great cream cheese flavor.  This recipe makes a LOT of frosting!

Print the recipe.

Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes
Yield – 36 cupcakes
Adapted from Bakerella
Inspired by Beantown Baker

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup hot water
41 Oreos

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Line the cupcake pan with liners twist Oreos apart.  Take the half with more cream and place cream side up in each cupcake liner.  Reserve the cream-less halves.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, soda, powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix together on low with the paddle attachment.
  4. Beat together the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients.  Beat in the milk
  5. Mix until just combined and then scrape down the sides.
  6. Turn on the mixer and add the hot water slowly until well combined.
  7. Fold in 30 cream-less Oreo halves plus 5 whole Oreos chopped into quarters.
  8. Fill the cupcake liners using a basic ice cream scoop.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Simple Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield – a lot!  Don’t worry about running out

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
16 ounces (2 boxes) cream cheese, room temperature
2 lbs (a bag) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla
18 Oreos

  1. Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy.
  2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar.  Stop every once and awhile to scrape down the bowl and then beat on high speed for a few seconds.
  3. Add in the vanilla and beat again until well combined.
  4. The frosting won’t be super stiff, if you want it stiffer for piping, place in the fridge for a few minutes.
  5. Add to a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe a dollop on top of each cupcake.
  6. Crush the remaining cream-less Oreos and sprinkle on top.
  7. Break 18 Oreos in half and place one half on top of each cupcake.
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May 4, 2012 · 5:00 am

Simple Blueberry Coffee Cake

We had a lot of house guests this weekend.  To me, house guests = coffee cake!  I grew up on Entenmann’s whenever there were guests or we were traveling or camping.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Cheese Filled Crumb Coffee Cake, but as much as I love sweets, it’s a little hard for me to eat cake for breakfast.

This coffee cake is easy to eat for breakfast!  Although some may miss the crumb on top and the excessive amounts of butter that usually goes into a breakfast cake, I really, really like the freshness and lightness of this breakfast cake.  This may not be a breakfast of champions, but it is perfect for eating when you are sitting around in your pajamas, drinking coffee, and telling stories about last night!

The cake itself has a very soft and light crumb, plus it is very moist.  The lemon and blueberry add an amazing freshness.  This coffee cake is just sweet enough.  I definitely suggest making this next time you have company, it’s so easy to wake up and cut yourself a big piece!  I really enjoyed my piece this morning!

Print the recipe.

Simple Blueberry Coffee Cake
Adapted from Alexandra Cooks
Yield – 12-16 pieces

scant 1/2 cup whole milk + juice of 1/2 a lemon
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13” pan.
  2. Zest 2 lemons and squeeze half of one lemon into a measuring cup.  Add milk to the 1/2 cup mark.  Set aside.
  3. Beat together the butter, lemon zest, and 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add in the egg and vanilla; beat on high until well mixed.
  4. Sift together the flour, powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Mix in the blueberries.
  5. Add about half the dry/blueberry mix into the mixer, mix on the lowest speed.  Add in the lemon-milk and then rest of flour mix.  Only beat until just combined.
  6. Spread into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or the top is golden brown.  Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before trying to cut.

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May 2, 2012 · 5:00 am

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Do you ever have those moments when you are standing in the kitchen sampling a freshly made, warm cookie and you close your eyes, moan a little, and say to yourself, “Damn, I’m good!”  These cookies supplied me with one of those moments.  So full of chocolate and peanut butter and chocolate covered peanut butter – delicious!

I didn’t really have a particular reason for baking these cookies, I just wanted something simple and easy to bake and these fit the bill.  If I stop shoving these in my face, I can take the leftovers into work, maybe!

I made these cookies smaller than the original recipe suggested, I tend to enjoy smaller cookies more than one large cookie.  Let’s be real, I’m going to eat at least two cookies regardless of size, so they might as well be small!  Also, I scored a sale at Key Food, the Reese’s Mini’s were on sale – less chopping for me!  And I think the cookies look super cute with a little mini peanut butter cup on top.

Let’s talk about flavor for a moment here; rich and chocolaty, soft and chewy, creamy peanut butter, it’s good.  Screw jelly, chocolate and peanut are best friends, BFF’s!

Print the recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Adapted from Annie Eats
Yield – 33 cookies (~ 1 1/2 tablespoon cookies)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 8-ounce bags Reese Mini’s

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.  Scrap the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk beating to combine.
  3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt and then slowing add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Mix until just combined.
  4. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the mini Reese’s cups with a spatula.  Use a medium sized scooper and place on the baking sheet.
  5. Push one mini Reese’s cup into each cookie.
  6. Bake 10-12 minutes until the cookie is just set.  Let cool on a cooling rack before stacking, but eat a few warm!

 

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