Banana Cupcakes

I'm always looking for new recipes for bananas. Whenever I buy a bunch there always seems to be one that doesn't get eaten before it starts to brown and neither me or my husband like bananas with any spots on them :p  so I put that banana in the freezer and after awhile I have a freezer full of ripe bananas. That's usually my signal that I need to bake. Stumbled upon this beaut of a recipe and made it last night. OMG the smell coming out of my oven was worth it enough to make them, then the peanut butter frosting just added that touch of awesomeness! So I'm sharing it with you!

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup ripe banana, mashed

Preheat oven to 350* F
Cream butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until batter is smooth
Combine all dry ingredients and mix into batter in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk
Reduce speed to low and mix for 2 min
Using a spatula, gently fold mashed bananas into batter
Scoop into lined cupcake pan until cups are 3/4 full
Bake for 25min and let cool on wire racks
Makes 18 cupcakes

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp milk

Cream together first 3 ingredients, add peanut butter and milk and mix until smooth
Frost to your hearts content!!

*Helpful Hints!!
Your butter is frozen solid? Put in the microwave and nuke for 10 sec, turn, nuke 10 sec, turn, nuke 10 seconds, turn, nuke 10 seconds (get all four sides) Vwala! Perfectly smooth butter
Don't have butter milk? Get a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, add 1 tbsp white vinegar, add milk to the 1 cup line, wait 5-10 min until milk looks curdled and stir, good buttermilk alternative in a pinch (this is what I used for my cupcakes and they turned out very delish in my book!!)

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Got an order placed for chocolate chip cookies and I thought, how hard can that be, there are recipes everywhere! That's the problem, there are recipes EVERYWHERE!! Where to start? I stumbled upon this website: Perfect! There are sooooo many tips, maybe too many tips, but they were helpful. I feel like they turned out pretty good! A little bit of crunch on the edges, chewy in the center, sweet and buttery! Hope you enjoy them as well!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes approx 3 dozen

2 3/4 c (14.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c (4 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 c (4 oz) Crisco (plain or butter flavored, I prefer plain)
1 c (6.5 oz) light brown sugar
1 c minus 2 T (6.5 oz) white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c (10 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Hershey's brand is best)

Variations- replace chocolate chips with:
Lemon White Chocolate- 1 T citric acid, 1 T lemon extract, 1 1/2 c white chocolate chips
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut- 3/4 c white chocolate chips, 3/4 c chopped macadamia nuts
White Chocolate Craisin- 3/4 c white chocolate chips,  3/4 c craisins
M&M- 1 c mini M&Ms or 1 1/2 c regular M&Ms
Milk Chocolate Toffee- 1 1/2 c milk chocolate toffee bits

1. In a small bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda until the ingredients are (1)evenly distributed.  Set aside.

2. Using a wire whisk attachment of a stand mixer,  (2)cream the butter and shortening on high until light and fluffy 1-3 minutes.

3. Add both sugars and beat on high 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated.

4. Switch to a paddle attachment.  (3)Add the chocolate chips and mix gently. 

5. Add the flour mixture and mix until (4)just incorporated. 

6. Touch test the dough.  It should feel slightly sticky, but not much should stick to your finger.  If it is very sticky add flour 2T (.5 oz) at a time.  If it is firm or dry, you have added too much flour and I don’t know a good way to reverse this.

7. Using your (6)hands, roll the dough into balls 1.5 inches tall (for bigger cookies see instructions above).  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart. 

8. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.  You can hold the dough up to two days in the refrigerator or up to six months in the (7)freezer.

9. (8)15-20 minutes before baking, position the oven rack to the second highest setting. Preheat the oven to 375. 

10. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bake (9)8-10 minutes.  They are ready to come out of the oven when they are domed and puffy, show a few signs of browning and look a bit underdone. 

11. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for (10)2 minutes.  Remove them to a cooling rack so they will cool evenly.  Wait ten minutes, then serve your Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie!

 

Protein Energy Bites

I found a recipe for these energy bites but tweaked them a little to make them even better for you!

They are so yummy and a great pre or post work-out snack!

No-Bake Energy Bites

(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter 

(or other nut butter - I use PB2 mixed with water or milk)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

  1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I like dark choc pieces)

2 tbsp chocolate or vanilla protein powder

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

Here's an easy cream cheese frosting recipe - great on red velvet cookies :)

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup softened butter
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Mix the softened butter with the softened cream cheese and the vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar in 1/2 cup increments until the frosting is of proper spreading consistency.

Car Seat Cover

So far I've made 2 of these for my niece and my sister gets so many compliments on them! I use to make Baby Bunches a lot for baby shower gifts where I fold baby clothes into flowers but I think I'll start doing these. I even placed a ribbon on the underside so you can clip toys to the inside of the cover. If you'd like me to make one for you just contact me. Prices run $25 unless you want specialty fabric.

Make your own here!

Chocolate Cake for Sale

 I've stated a little side business of selling baked goods. This is one of my FAVORITE chocolate cake recipes! My husband made it for my birthday last year then I took it to work and it was a big hit! I've also made it into cupcakes. If you would like one for yourself just let me know! Since this is a decorated cake it is $20. I cannot make the 3 tier due to not having a good way to transport - the picture is just to let you see what it looks like on the inside! Too super Yummy!!

 

Lemon Cranberry Cream Cheese Cookies

These cookies are so light and refreshing, the perfect summer cookie!They are are very fluffy cookie.

 

They can be made with dried cranberries or fresh blueberries, just make sure you're careful with the blueberries so they don't "pop".

Also when you're adding the cream cheese to the center of the cookie, lightly flour your fingers between every 2 cookies or so otherwise they stick to you!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cup flour
1 cup dried cranberries or fresh blueberries

1/2 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, juice and eggs. Make sure to scrape off any bits of zest that stick to the mixer paddle.

In a separate bowl whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour then mix it into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in your fruit of choice. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 – 30 minutes to make it stiff enough to roll.

For each cookie, roll 1 heaping tbsp of dough into a ball then flatten it slightly into a disc shape. Place a 1 tsp cream cheese cube into the center and form the dough around it creating a ball again. Bake them for about 10 - 14 minutes until the edges brown slightly. Transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy! Makes about 2 dozen cookies