Tag Archives: frosting

Sugar Cookie Bars

Posted on May 30, 2012 | 42 Comments

This is the last week of school here. I am not sure I am ready for summer break. After spending the long weekend with my son, and him being bored when we weren’t actively doing something, I think it will be a long summer! His teacher just sent home a 10 week course of “homework” to work on over the summer. It isn’t much to do each day, but at least we will have something to work on!

This afternoon my son has field day at school. He really wants me to go watch, so it should be a fun afternoon! Unfortunately, the school district doesn’t allow homemade treats for the kids. These bars would be a great treat for after all the running around they are going to do.

I did learn an important lesson with these bars. Ok, not the bars, but the frosting. I tried to use a sugar substitute for the powdered sugar, and I combined that with the Duncan Hines flavor packets. Not a good idea! Stick with regular sugar, and regular flavor. Maybe the flavor packet would have worked, if it weren’t for the strange taste of the sugar substitute. But with regular frosting these bars are sweet, soft, and delicious.

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Tagged bars, desserts, frosting, sugar cookies

Brownie Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting and Giveaway and an Anniversary

Posted on April 16, 2012 | 45 Comments

There is a lot going on around here today! Today marks my 1 year blogging anniversary! I honestly can’t believe I have been doing this for a year. It seems like just yesterday I was starting this thing. I started on a whim, and now I can’t imagine not doing it. I have “met” some great people in this process, something I never thought would happen. I am looking forward to what the future holds! And to celebrate there is a great giveaway at the bottom of this post!

Today seems like it deserves a special treat. I thought these brownie cupcakes with cookie dough frosting seemed like an over the top indulgence, fitting for the occasion. I saw the idea over here at Yammie’s Noshery. The one “mistake” I made, was making these too big. I should have made the brownies in a mini muffin pan. I say this only because they are very rich, and kind of a lot just for dessert. Keep in mind though, they are all gone. So it wasn’t a big “problem”.

Fudgy Brownie Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting

Fudgy Brownie Cupcakes
1 batch brownie batter (I used this recipe by How Sweet It Is)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with liners. Spray liners with non stick spray. Makes 16 brownie cupcakes.

Prepare brownie batter according to your favorite recipe, box mix, or this recipe. Fill muffin tins with batter, about 2/3 rds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are set. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cookie Dough Frosting
Adapted Yammie’s Noshery

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, mix well. Add flour and salt, the dough will be crumbly. Beat in milk until fluffy, and the right consistency. Add more flour or milk if needed. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon on to cooled cupcakes.

Also today, I have a giveaway going on. I am a recipe contributor over at Taking Time For Mommy. Together with Blog it Forward, we bring you this amazing giveaway. You can earn 3 chances, by commenting on this post, following me on Facebook, and following me on Twitter.

Blog it Forward is giving away a 165.97 Amazon Gift Card to one Lucky Winner!The Giveaway will take place April 16 – May 6Follow the Bloggers Sponsoring this great giveaway to win!+++

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Tagged brownies, chocolate, cookie dough, Desserts, frosting

Strawberry Almond Cupcakes

Posted on August 1, 2011 | 6 Comments

I am exhausted. I have spent all weekend cleaning out my kitchen. I have decided there is just too much in there that doesn’t get used. So between junk drawers and huge cabinets, I also decided my magazine collection is entirely too large. I am going through each of them and ripping out the recipes I want. I will then make a binder for each magazine. Sounds all nice and organized, doesn’t it? I think it sounds exhausting! I will be thrilled when it is done though! I wish I had one of these cupcakes left, because maybe that would make me feel better.

I made these to bring to my family reunion, along with Margarita Cupcakes. I think these were the star of the show. Every single one of these was gone by mid afternoon. I saw this awhile ago on Bake Your Day. I am a sucker for anything with Almond Extract in it, strange I know. So when I said I would bring cupcakes, this was the first on my list to make. I am very glad I did, they are amazing.

Strawberry Almond Cupcakes
From Bake Your Day
Printable Recipe

1 (18.25 ounce box) Strawberry cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, oil and extracts in a mixing bowl, mix with a whisk attachment on high for 1 minute, until all clumps are broken up.

Pour into a prepared muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops spring back after being touched.

Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Almond Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks butter, room temperature

3 – 4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp Almond extract

1 Tbls milk

Cream together everything until the desired consistency is reached. You can adjust the milk and sugar to get your desired consistency.

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Tagged almond butter cream, cupcakes, frosting, strawberry cake

Sugar Cookies

Posted on April 26, 2011 | 1 Comment

So the final task of the birthday weekend was to make something for the 6 year old to take to school. We discussed cupcakes, and muffins, but finally decided on sugar cookies. But of course, we had to turn them into something Star Wars. Apparently my son isn’t the only boy obsessed with Star Wars in his class, because another Mom was there with help! She had put “lightsabers” on her sons cupcakes. Thanks to her, I was able to accomplish Star Wars Sugar Cookies!!

We make these sugar cookies all the time. They are the ones my husband grew up with, and they are a hit wherever I bring them. I made them for my son’s class for their Valentine’s Party. I got requests from the teacher, and the Mom’s that were helping at the party for the recipe. Everyone always guesses what ingredients are in there, and are always surprised when they see the recipe.

Sugar Cookies
Click here for printable recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter – softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 Tbls milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the milk, vanilla and egg. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. You want to be careful not to over mix, or your cookies will turn out tough.

Roll the dough onto a floured surface. We like the cookies to be thick and chewy, so I roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Dip a cookie cutter in flour, and cut out cookies. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. You don’t want to let them get brown around the edges, or they will be crunchy. You can tell when they are done when the bottoms get little air bubbles on them. Allow them to cool before you frost. I had made Frosting earlier.

Next up making the Lightsabers. These were really easy. I used the Twizzlers pull and peel licorice, and just cut it to the right length, and pulled them apart. Then I melted some chocolate chips. Take one piece of licorice, and dip the end in the chocolate. I put them on a cookie sheet until the chocolate hardened.

Check out the final product! Not bad for someone who isn’t all that creative! I am curious to hear how they went over at snack time today.

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Posted in Desserts

Tagged birthday, frosting, sugar cookies

Birthday Time

Posted on April 25, 2011 | 4 Comments

Tomorrow is my son’s 6th birthday! He is very excited. This weekend we had a party with extended family. He is currently obsessed with anything Star Wars – so he had a Star Wars cake, and got lots of Star Wars presents. His party with his friends tomorrow will be more of the same, I am sure.

We had all sorts of good food for Easter, and a birthday party, but this post will focus on the cake. This year a Cookie Cake was requested. This is just a giant chocolate chip cookie with frosting – very yummy! It has taken me quite a few times to perfect the cookie technique. The key really is under baking it some. I use my normal chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Press it into a tray to bake it. I have used a pizza stone, just a cookie sheet, a cake pan, pretty much anything works. Something with sides is the best, but it doesn’t have to. I put it in kind of thick, maybe 1/4 inch.

Bake it at 350 for 20-25 minutes. It depends on how thick it is, and how big it is. It does continue to cook a little after you take it out of the oven, so you will want to under bake it by a little.

My husband is a frosting snob…always has been, always will be. So store bought frosting is just unacceptable in this house. But really, if you are in a hurry it would work.

Buttercream Frosting
modified by Wilton
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1 tsp clear vanilla
2 Tbls water
1 pound powdered sugar
1 Tbls Meringue Powder

Using electric mixer cream butter and shortening together. Mix in water and vanilla until well combined. Slowly sift in the sugar and the meringue powder. Once combined, mix on medium speed for about 1 min.

I use the Wilton paste to color the frosting. The Jedi color is blue – so today I made blue frosting!

I am a very amateur cake decorator. My husband took the classes that Michael’s craft store offers, but I just watched him, and try my best. This year I found Star Wars figures at Amazon, and used them as decorations. My son LOVED it, and a bonus…..he has toys after the party!

Here are a few pictures of cakes I have done for past birthdays. The pictures aren’t the best. They use our old point and shoot camera, but you get the idea!