Chocolate PB Banana Smoothie

This smoothie will keep you full for hours. You can modify to what you have on hand, but the full deal is really dynamite.

You can make smoothie packs for the freezer with either zip top bags or these reusable containers I found on amazon. Im all about cutting down on plastic in my life, but these are cheap, washable, and stack. I let them thaw on the counter for 20 minutes just to make it easier to blend. I add everything but the liquid to the packs. I put in all the ingredients but the greens and then pack the greens to the top

Soaking the oats are really important. One, they help you digest the oats better and get more nutrients from them. And two, it helps the blender break them down better. This is really important if you don't have a high end blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.

To soak oats, take 1 part dry rolled/old fashioned oats and 1 part filtered water. Add a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and cover. Let sit overnight. No need to drain. When I make the smoothies in advance in the freezer, I just make a large amount. If you want to make the smoothie one day at a time, just get in the habit of taking 60 seconds to do this the night before. The oats are really important in this to help keep you full. For one smoothie, I soak 1/4 cup oats and get roughly 1/2 cup once it soaks.

I get a large bag of ground flax seed from Costco and keep it in my freezer to keep it from going rancid. I would suggest doing the same or buying flax seed and a cheap coffee grinder and grinding it yourself if you want. Chia seeds would also work (but they are super not fun to clean out of the blender, in my opinion.

I use dark chocolate almond milk for the liquid. Its fast and is just sweet enough to make the smoothie perfect. However, if you are preferring a more "whole food" approach, I have also used plain almond milk or full fat organic milk with a tbsp cocoa powder and some sweetener. Honey, maple syrup, or dates.

For the greens, I generally use baby spinach, kale, or baby kale. I have also used the super greens blend at Costco. I generally can easily pack 2 cups of spinach into the smoothie, but generally use a little less kale because I find it a tad stronger.

Ok, enough talk.

Chocolate PB Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1-2 cups greens, such as kale, spinach, chard, collards
1 banana
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup soaked oats
Ice

Put the ingredients in the blender in the order listed. I start with just a little ice and add until I get the consistency I want. The level of ice I use depends on what ingredients are already frozen.

Oatmeal Banana Bread Cookies

I was craving some sort of oatmeal cookies the other day, and I had a bag full of banana halves from my toddler deciding he doesn't really dig bananas anymore, so I decided to make some banana cookies. These are soft and delicious.

Oatmeal Banana Bread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (I did half all purpose and half whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp clove
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
1 3/4 cup old fashioned/rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips or nuts or a combo thereof.

Preheat oven to 375

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and clove.

In another bowl, mix butter, applesauce, brown sugar, egg, and banana.

Mix wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Add oats and chips/nuts.

Drop by the spoonful (or cookie scoop) onto a ungreased cookie sheet or Silpat.

Bake at 375 for around 12-15 minutes. Cookies are still soft, but just barely starting to brown on the edges.

Store in a closed container in a cool place.

Pumpkin Spice Cake Balls

These are delectable. Cake pops are a little tedious, but really easy. And since we are in the season of

Of course yummy pumpkin ones are needed.

You can use 3/4ths of a can of store bought frosting if you'd like, but I prefer homemade cream cheese frosting. *EDIT* for all that is holy and good, do NOT use store bought! I had to dump an entire recipe out because it tasted like the can. GROSS. Horrible. Awful. Don't do it

You can also use white chocolate almond bark if you prefer. I like regular chocolate

Pumpkin Spice Cake Balls

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box spice cake mix

1 can pure pumpkin

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

Frosting:

1 block 1/3rd fat cream cheese, room temp

3 tbsp butter, room temp

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Coating:

1 package chocolate almond bark, divided

2 tbsp coconut oil, divided

Topping

1 tbsp sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon (vietnamese if you can find it)

Mix the cake mix, pumpkin, and yogurt (omit the box mix ingredients)

Cook it according to box instructions. Let cool completely

In a mixing bowl, whip frosting ingredients until well combined

Crumble the cake mix into the mixing bowl. With a large spoon or your hand, mix the cake into the frosting until it disappears.

Form into walnut sized balls. Place on parchment paper lined pan and freeze 1 hour, up to 3 days.

Melt half the almond bark in the microwave at 15-30 second bursts. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil and mix well. Mix the salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Using a fork, swirl the ball in the chocolate and scoop up with a fork. Tap the excess off and immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cinnamon.

Let set on parchment paper until dried.

Keep chilled if using homemade frosting. 

Cherry Cheesecake Poppers

I know these have been going around pinterest for a while, but oh well! I have my own techniques on this, so I thought I would share.

Super yummy! Great for parties! And cherries are getting in season now!

I hated the idea of people having to spit out pits, so I took the time to dig the pits out. You probably dont have to do that. But it was worth it in my mind, and didn't take all that much longer.

I used one of these to depitt the cherries. I just pushed it in the bottom and twisted. A little over half the time that was all that was needed. The rest of the time, I had to use a opened paper clip to scoop the pit out.

Cherry Cheesecake Poppers

Ingredients:

About 1.5 pounds cherries (I have no idea if I used that many, but you can eat the leftovers... Besides, not all have the stems, so you need more than you need)

1 block cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 small splash milk (maybe)

1 sleeve graham crackers blended into crumbs


De-pit cherries as described above, if desired.

Whip together the other ingredients except crumbs. If its too stiff, add the milk.

Hold cherry upside down. Use a small spoon (I used a baby spoon) to scoop about a teaspoon worth of filling onto the top (well, its the bottom. Opposite of the stem!!)

Turn over the cherry and place in the bowl of crumbs. Lightly rotate the cherry around, smoothing out the cream cheese to smush up the sides and get coated in crumbs. Repeat for all. Keep chilled

Easy Mint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Yes, you need a ice cream maker for this one. Sorry!

You can add food coloring if you really can't handle mint ice cream that isn't green. :)

This is super fast. Stir and pour into the mixer.

You don't need to do the fudge oreos, but I think it makes it great! Like a mix of mint chip and mint cookies and cream.

Easy Mint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups 2% or whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup crushed fudge dipped Oreo's (half a package)

Whisk the milk, cream, sugar, extracts, and salt until all the sugar is dissolved

Pour into a ice cream maker and freeze according to directions for 10-15 minutes, until starting to thicken.

Add the cookies

Finish the freezing process.

Scoop into a container and freeze another 1-2 hours if possible.

Stovetop Popcorn

I know you can't avoid everything. But microwave popcorn is HORRIBLE for you. So if its possible to find a good alternative, why wouldn't you? This takes about 2.4 minutes more than just zapping a bag, and not too much effort. Make it with the kids. Its fun! And it costs pennies to make.

Caramel Marshmallow

Stovetop Popcorn

Ingredients
3 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable if you *must*)
1/3 cup popping corn
2 tbsp butter
Salt

Additional toppings
Cinnamon Kettle Corn (to follow)
Caramel Marshmallow (to follow)


You HAVE to use at LEAST a 3 qt pan. With a lid.


Heat pan, oil, and 3 kernels of corn over medium heat, covered.

Once those 3 kernels pop, add the rest of the kernels. Cover and remove from heat. Count to 30. Place back on heat. Once it starts popping, shimmy the pan back and forth a few inches over and over to keep the kernels moving. Also hold the lid so there is a crack for steam to escape. Once the popping slows drastically (just like microwave popcorn) remove from heat and immedietly dump into a large bowl. Place pan back on heat and melt the butter. Drizzle over popcorn and season liberally with salt.


Cinnamon Kettle Corn.

Kettle corn is just sugar and salt. Pour the butter like stated above and stir til well mixed. And then I mix about 2tbsp white sugar and a tsp of cinnamon (by all that is holy and good, buy yourself some Vietnamese cinnamon) And sprinkle on top. Do NOT forget the salt. It makes all the difference.

Caramel Marshmallow
(exclude the butter from the original recipe)
Melt 5 tbsp butter with 1/3 cup brown sugar. Once melted, add 6 large marshmallows (or a cup or so mini) and stir until melted. Drizzle over popcorn and toss until coated. Don't forget the salt!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I'm surprised at how many people haven't had rhubarb! Its tangy and yummy. It needs to be eaten.

Many stores will have it in the produce section. Somewhere. Sometimes its near the bananas. Or coconuts and plantains. It looks like pink celery. If not, check the frozen fruit section.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 recipe double pie crust

filling:
1 cup strawberries, halved
3 cups rhubarb, sliced (thawed and drained if frozen)
1 cup sugar
1/4 quick cook tapioca
2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp orange juice
1tsp cinnamon

topping:
1 egg white + 1 tsp water
2 tbsp white sugar

Combine all the filling ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes

Place in a dough lined pie pan and cover with other crust. Pinch shut and cut vent holes. If its warm in your kitchen, place pie back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (hey, while the oven is preheating to 400!)

Beat the egg white and water. Brush all over pie crust. Sprinkle with sugar.

Cook for 20 minutes at 400, then lower to 350 for 30-40 more minutes until nicely browned.

You can eat this warm, but it will be more runny. The filling really thickens when cooled.

Best with vanilla ice cream!

Buttery Caramel Syrup

I think I have said it before, but I will say it again. I am not a food photographer. If you want fabulous pictures, this is probably not the place. But I promise it tastes good...And sorry this looks more like gravy than syrup.

But anyway, this syrup is great on pancakes or waffles as well as on ice cream. And while it has a ton of sugar, it has to be a little better than the HFCS maybe-ish crap, right?

Besides, its fast and yummy. And you can make a bunch and store it in the fridge for quite a while.

Please to not do the vinegar/lemon juice with milk sub for buttermilk. Get the real thing. Make the waffles with the leftovers. Worth it.

Buttery Caramel Syrup

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla


In a large saucepan (3 qt+), bring the buttermilk, sugars, and butter to a boil over medium heat.


Let boil 2 minutes.


Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Whisk. It will bubble a lot. Glad you used the big pan?


Let cool. It will thicken as it cools. 


Serve and refrigerate leftovers. If you don't eat it all with a spoon.

Chocolate and Cream Cheese Muffin Top Cookies

I saw these amazing muffin tops at the grocery store bakery the other day. I figured they couldn't be too hard. Well, come to find out, you actually need a pan. Yeah, I wasn't patient enough to wait to get a pan. So I improvised. I just put the batter on the sheet pan. They spread out a bit, so make sure you give plenty of room, but they turned out just fine.

Chocolate and Cream Cheese Muffin Top Cookies
From the muffin top recipe in the Prepared Pantry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour 
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil 
1 tsp vinegar 
1 tbsp vanilla 


Cream cheese filling:



4oz of 1/3rd fat cream cheese
1/2 large egg, whisked (whisk and eyeball 1/2 of it)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat to 375.

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet. Mix until just combined. 

Spray a sheet pan (or, better yet, invest in a Silpat)

Use a 1/4 cup to scoop mounds of batter onto the sheet pan. Use two pans, these guys need room.

Mix the cream cheese, egg, and sugar. Fold in the chips.

Places 4 tsps of the cream cheese mixture on each muffin top.

Bake 25 minutes, or until done. Let sit on the pan for 20 minutes

Paula Deen's Banana Pudding

Regardless how you feel about her favorite ingredients, you have to admit that everything the woman makes is freaking delicious.

This stuff is very good and very rich. I ate about 1/2 of my portion. Which was a good thing. More leftovers.

*Never mind the photo bombing beagle*

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients:

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 4 to 6 bananas, sliced
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 (3oz) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
• 1  package 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped and unsweetened

With a hand mixer, combine the pudding and milk. Let sit

In another bowl, combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Add pudding to the mix

Fold in the whipped cream

Layer a 9x13 pan with a even layer of the cookies. Top with bananas. Top with pudding. Top with more cookies.

Enjoy!

Blood Orange Pound Cake

I had a bunch of blood oranges in the fridge and I just had to make something awesome out of them. Its spring and I am just loving citrus right now. Citrus just brightens everything up.

Blood Orange Pound Cake

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

You will need the zest and juice of 4 blood oranges (might want to get 5 just in case they don't produce enough juice

Cake:

1 stick butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 heaping tbsp zest
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp  salt
2 tbsp juice
6 tbsp buttermilk, or a splash of white vinegar and enough milk to make 6 tbsp
1/2 tsp vanilla


Syrup:
1/4 cup juice
1/4 cup syrup

Glaze:
2-3 tbsp juice
1/2-1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9x5 loaf pan

In a mixing bowl with a paddle, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes

While its running, add eggs and zest.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, mix juice, milk, and vanilla

Add to mixing bowl, dry, wet, dry, wet, and then dry.

Spread into loaf pan and smooth top.

Cook 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then cool on a wire rack

While it is cooking, heat sugar and juice in a small saucepan over medium. Once sugar is dissolved, continue to cook 3 minutes.

Poke holes all over the cake with a toothpick. Brush cake with syrup. Once absorbed, burst again.

Let cool completely.

Once cool, combine juice and powdered sugar. It should be thick but pourable.

Drizzle over cake. Let set and serve

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

My friend just out of the blue suggested I make Nutella Banana Bread. I immediately rose the the occasion and tweaked my tried and true banana bread to make the swirl bread. So yummy

Virgin coconut oil is a good use in this recipe. It adds a nice coconut undertone

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

Wet:
1 cups brown sugar
1 cups white sugar
2 cups mashed banana
4 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil

Dry:
3 1/2 cup flour
1/2tsp salt
2tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp clove

2/3rd cup Nutella
1 cup walnuts (optional if you are one of those people that like nuts in bread. :P)


Preheat oven to 350
Spray 2 9x5 loaf pans

In the mixer bowl, mix all wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Add dry to wet. Mix until just combined

Pour about half the batter into the the bowl that held the dry ingredients

Add the Nutella to the half batter. (Fold in nuts if you desire)

Alternate the plain batter and the nutella batter. Use a butter knife to lightly, briefly swirl the batters.

Cook 60-75 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean

Let cool 10 minutes in pan.

Salted Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter and Bananas

I saw a picture of this a while back and got a whim tonight to wing it.

I am not a fan of dark chocolate by itself, but throw in peanut butter and bananas, and I'll demolish it with the best of them.

The salt at the end really waken up your taste buds and round out the sweetness.

Edit: Nutella would be a interesting substitution for the PB!

Salted Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter and Bananas

2 bananas, sliced
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2/3rds package of Dove Dark Chocolate

In a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate.

Place bananas on wax paper on a sheet tray. Smear a glob of PB on top.

Use a fork to scoop up a banana and put it into the chocolate. Gently scoop chocolate on top.
Scoop back up with the fork and tap the handle on the rim of the chocolate bowl to shake off extra chocolate.

Repeat with all bananas.

Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt

Place in freezer 1 hour.

Store in freezer or fridge.

Skillet Peanut Butter Cup Brownies.

I have never made homemade brownies before. Why bother when the mix is a buck?

Well, this was worth it. It really doesn't take that long, and you can control the flavors. You can add more chocolate, or make it darker or sweeter. All the brownie power is in your hands. 
This is a fudgey brownie recipe

Skillet Brownies with PB Cups

Adapted From Simply Food Love

1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour 
1/2 cup cocoa powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 bag chocolate chips of choice
Optional 1 cup mini PB cups

Preheat oven to 350 
In one large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar.

In another bowl, mix flour, cocoa, and salt.

In your skillet, melt the butter and add the cream. Heat until simmering. Add the chocolate and melt, stirring continually. Take off heat and let cool a couple minutes

Stir the chocolate into the sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture.

Pour batter into the skillet. Top with candy bites and bake for around 30 minutes. My skillet is 10 inches, so adjust the time accordingly.

Skillet Cookie

I am in love with my cast iron skillet. I think everyone should get one.

That being said, this can be made in any oven safe skillet. Probably in any round pan. But the skillet is half the fun.

You can do any chips you would like. We are partial to the butterscotch and milk chocolate combo.

Skillet Cookie.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 bag butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about60 seconds. 

Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. 

Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. 

Stir in chips by hand.

Transfer dough to a 10-inch skillet, and press down to cover the bottom all the way to the edges.

Make the middle slightly more shallow

Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, about 40 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Let sit in skillet 5 minutes.Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Serve with ice cream!

Pumpkin Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Apple Reduction Frosting

Pumpkin is my weakness. Put pumpkin in the title of something and chances are I will save the recipe to try later. These pumpkin bars are a result of years of tweaking my moms recipe. I lightened it up buy subbing some of the oil for applesauce and I added a lot more spices. The result is a recipe that I consider finished.

The frosting was a serendipitous event. I was having a cupcake baking day with a friend. There was a very mediocre recipe that didn't really pop. However, one element did. And it was the apple cider reduction added to the frosting. It was AMAZING.

Previous to this, I had put a regular cream cheese frosting on it. Super yummy. But this added makes it mind blowing. And lightening it up with the addition of whipped cream really is radical.

Pumpkin Bars

Wet:

4 eggs

2c. sugar

¾ c oil

¾ c applesauce

1 15oz can pure pumpkin

Dry:

2 ½ c flour

2t baking soda

2t baking powder

1T cinnamon

1t powdered ginger

1/2 t nutmeg

Pinch of clove

Separately, mix the wet ingredients until smooth and the dry ingredients until combined. Add the dry to the wet. Pour into the pans and cook 15-25 at 350 minutes until it passes the toothpick test. 

Cool completely and frost with apple cider reduction whipped cream cheese frosting.

Can also make into 24 muffins. Bake for around 12-15 minutes.

Whipped Cream Cheese Apple Reduction Frosting

Reduction:

2 c. Apple Cider 

3 T. Brown Sugar

Frosting:

1 ½ c. fresh whipped cream (or cool whip)

1 8oz pkg cream cheese- room temp

1 stick butter—room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract.

3(ish) c. powdered sugar

Reduction:

Boil apple cider uncovered on medium heat for 20 minutes or so. Until reduced by half. Add brown sugar. Continue reducing until it measures ½ cup. Cool completely in fridge for at least 3 hours up until 3 days.

Frosting:

Blend cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar to desired sweetness. Add cider reduction to desired flavor and texture (may not take entire amount). Gently fold in whipped cream.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Uh, YUM. Saw this on pinterest and couldn't pass it up!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Adapted from The Sweets Life

Ingredients:

~6oz 1/3rd fat softened cream cheese
~1.5 pounds fresh hulled and hollowed strawberries
~5 tbsp powdered sugar
~1 tsp vanilla
~graham cracker crumbs

Hull and hollow the strawberries. I used my 1/4 tsp measuring spoon to gently carve out the strawberries like a miniature melon baller.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.

Stuff strawberries and dip ends in crumbs

Homemade Marshmallows!

One of those things you never really think about being able to make yourself. They are so creamy and soft. My husband was scraping the bowl clean and I was cleaning off the whisk. It was THAT good

Homemade Marshmallows
 From Alton Brown 

Ingredients:
~3 packages unflavored gelatin
~1 cup ice cold water, divided
~1 1/2 cups sugar
~1 cup light corn syrup
~1/4 tsp salt
~1 tsp vanilla
~1/2 cup powdered sugar
~1/2 cup cornstarch


Directions:

Place 1/2 cup water and gelatin into bowl of stand mixer. Put on whisk attachment

In a small saucepan, combine the other 1/2 cup water, sugar, syrup, and salt. Put on med-high heat and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and clip on a candy thermometer. Cook 7-8 minutes until it reaches 240 or "soft ball" stage. Once temperature is reached, remove immediately from heat.

Turn mixer on lowest speed and pour sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Once added, increase speed to high. Continue to mix on high 12-15 minutes until very thick.

Add vanilla in last minute of mixing.

Meanwhile, spray 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with cornstarch mix and move around to completely coat.

When ready, pour the marshmallow mix into the pan and spread around with a oiled spatula. Dust top with cornstarch mix. Reserve the rest for later.

Let sit 4 ours or overnight.

Turn marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into one inch squares. Lightly dust all sides with cornstarch mix and store in airtight containers up to 3 weeks

Chocolate Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream and Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Whats a birthday without a to-die-for cake?

This recipe is a hodge podge and mish mash of many many recipes. I think I tweaked and pulled from enough places to call it my own. LaineyP gave the the backbone of this recipe, which I adapted with tips from many other places.


Caramel whipped cream

Make in advance, preferably the day before.

~1/2 cup sugar
~1/4 cup water
~3 cups heavy whipping cream (1/2 cup of it at room temp)

Mix sugar and water in a 2 or 3 qt saucepan on medium heat. Do not stir once it starts to boil. Swirl the pan occasionally to move the liquid around. Boil on high until the liquid starts to turn a light brown. Remove from heat and add the 1/2 cup of room temp cream. It will bubble up like crazy. Be careful. Stir and pour into heat safe bowl. Cool to room temp and add the rest of the cream. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Once ready to whip, pour into an ice cold bowl and use ice cold beaters/whisk (put in freezer for 15 minutes. Whip on high until stiff peaks form


Chocolate Cake


Can be made the day before. Just wrap tightly and leave on the counter

~2 cups Sugar
~1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
~3/4 cup cocoa
~1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
~1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
~1 teaspoon salt
~2 eggs
~1 cup buttermilk
~1/2 cup canola oil
~2 teaspoons vanilla extract
~1 cup fresh strong brewed coffee still pipping hot.

Preheat oven to 350. Rub butter all over the insides of two 9 inch round cake pans. Flour the pans and tap out the excess.

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Once combined, add eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium. Add hot coffee.

Pour the very thin batter equally into the two pans.

Put in preheated oven and cook until it passes the clean toothpick test. Start checking around 28 minutes.

Cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Allrecipes

~4 one oz squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and let cool
~1 8oz package 1/3rd fat cream cheese
~3-4 cups powdered sugar
~1 tsp vanilla
~Salt
~small can evaporated milk

Cream chocolate and cream cheese until well combined and fluffy.
Add 3-4 cups of powdered sugar until desired sweetness.
It will be crazy clumpy and thick
Add vanilla and a few tbsps of evaporated milk.
Stir on low speed and add enough evaporated milk until its the consistency you want frosting to be


Assembly  


Put about 1/2 cup of the frosting into a small ziplock and smush into one corner. Snip the tip off. Use it to pipe a small amount of frosting around the top of one cake, right up against the edge. This will act like a dam and keep the whipped cream from smushing out when you put the next layer on.

Put desired amount of whipped cream in the center of the cake and smear around. Top with the other cake, upside down.

Put all the frosting on the top of the cake and use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread the frosting gently to the sides. Then drag the extra frosting down and frost the sides.

Slice and enjoy. Refrigerate the leftovers.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

I have had this recipe Pinned for a long time. I mean, who can pass up a Boston Cream Pie in miniature form? It has all the parts that add up to the yummy icon: crazy good pastry cream, mellow cake, and creamy chocolate gauche. Heaven. And living in New England a mere hour and a half from the site of the creation of this lovely concoction AND in Dunkin Donuts land, home of the Boston Cream Pie Donut, I made it a personal goal to attempt this, in some form, before we transfer.


And yesterday was that day.

I apologize for the poor photography in this post. Photographs of the projects will be a work in progress.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes 

Adapted from Annie's Eats and Martha Stewart

Makes: about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the pastry cream(make 2 hours-2 days ahead of time)

4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pans
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2¼ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup milk
4 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1½ cups sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the ganache:
9 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1½ tbsp. light corn syrup

3 tbsp. confectioners sugar (optional)

Directions

• To make the pastry cream:
  
  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Gradually add the milk in a steady stream and cook until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, about 5 minutes.
  
  Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk. 
  
  Whisking constantly, slowly add about a third of the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks to temper.  Return the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
  
   Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2-4 minutes. Look for a almost pudding like texture.
  
  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  
   Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
  
  
  •  To make the cupcakes:
  
  Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
  
  Dip bunched up paper towel in melted butter and brush muffin cups. Make sure to get into the corner and sides. Coat the muffin wells with flour and shake out the excess.
  Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  
  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  
  
  Add the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until pale yellow, fluffy, and thick enough to ribbon when the spatula is lifted, about 5 minutes. 
  
  Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated.
  
  Bring the milk mixture just to a boil.  With the mixer on low speed, add the hot milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing just until smooth. 
  
  Blend in the vanilla.
  
  Fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4ths with the batter.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes total.   
  
  Transfer the pans to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes.  Run a small offset spatula or knife around the edges of each cake to loosen.  Turn the cakes out onto the cooling rack and let cool completely.
  
  
  • To make the chocolate glaze: 
  
   Combine the cream and corn syrup and bring to a simmer in a saucepan (or with short intervals in the microwave).  Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes until the chocolate begins to melt.  Gently whisk the mixture until the chocolate is totally melted and a smooth ganache forms. Add powdered sugar if a slightly sweeter ganache is prefered.

To assemble the cupcakes, split each cake horizontally with a serrated knife.  Spread about 1 spoonful of the pastry cream on the bottom half of each cupcake.  Replace the top halves.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate glaze over each cupcake.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.