Gingerbread Cupcakes with Spiced-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I know Christmas is over, but the tastes of the season continue!  These cupcakes are a family favorite.  The recipe is adapted from a recipe I found in a Betty Crocker cookbook.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/2 cup molasses

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp ground ginger

1+ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

3/4 cup water

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat sugar, butter, molasses, and eggs.  In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients.  Add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the 3/4 cup water.  Spoon into 18 muffin cups.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Frosting (the best part)

8-pig cream cheese, soft

1/4 cup butter

1+ tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

the zest of 2+ oranges

1 lb powdered sugar

milk to obtain consistency

Beat the frosting ingredients adding milk until you get a nice fluffy frosting.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with additional orange zest.

Spring M&M Double Chocolate Cookies

I don't post many recipes on my blog; the only time I do is if I have made the recipe more than 10 times!  I found this recipe for White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies this past fall over at No. 2 Pencil.  It's a super darling blog with lots of yummy recipes, fun crafts and inspirational DIY projects.

 

While only half my family love mint, I needed to come up with a springy-non-mint version.  Melissa at No. 2 Pencil gave me permission to post my Spring version.  Here it is!

Spring M&M Double Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

14 tablespoons melted and cooled butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 bag Spring M&Ms

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugars, cocoa, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir on low just until combined. Continue mixing and add egg and egg yolk. Then add flour and baking soda to bowl and stir just until dough forms.  Add the cup of chocolate chips and half the bag of M&Ms.

I use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop the dough.  It's about 1 Tablespoon.  Form into balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Use the remaining bag of M&Ms and place on the tops of the dough balls.  Bake for ten minutes.  Don't over bake them.  They will set up while they cool.  

We fixed the cookies on cute trays and wrapped them in cellophane and took them to friends and neighbors.

Red Hot Popcorn

 

I am linking this recipe up to 30 Handmade Days Blog.  Mique is having everyone link up a favorite recipe - this is one of my favorites for Valentine's Day!   It is super yummy! (I have changed it slightly from others on the Internet)

Popped popcorn - I used my hot air popper and popped 2/3 cup and then another 2/3 cup. (This will be enough to fill up a roasting pan)

Lightly butter your roasting pan and place popped corn in pan making sure to sift out ALL seeds. Heat oven to 250 degrees.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1/4 cup sugar
10 to 12 ounces red hots ( I guessed because my bag was a 14-ounce bag)
1/4 tsp. salt

Melt the above ingredients on the stove top. Bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes. (My red hots took a long time to dissolve almost the entire 5 minutes.) Turn off the heat and add 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Stir well. Pour the molten hot mixture over the popped corn and toss to coat. Place in the oven for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Yum!!! 

Ode to the Cookie Press & My Favorite Recipe

 Spritz cookies (or cookie gun cookies as we call them) have been a family tradition for over 50 years.  My mom grew up making these cookies, I grew up making these cookies, and now they are a favorite of my children.  I recently purchased this vintage Wear-Ever cookie gun - mint in the box!  It was very similar to the one my mother had when she was little.  I love just staring at the box :)

 

My first cookie gun was this white one from Kuhn Rikon.  I loved it.  It finally died from over use.  So I purchased the Wilton one.

 This Wilton one has not been my favorite.  Evey time I used it I would remind myself to be on the look out for a new one!  So this December I broke down and bought another Kuhn Rikon.  I was excited to have new discs: a snowman, candy cane and pumpkin!

Here is my favorite spritz cookie recipe.  It's buttery with a hint of almond.  I love making these cookies at Christmas but they are also fun at Valentine's Day and the perfect size for Tea Parties!

Amanda's Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. (plus) Almond Extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix and use in your cookie press.  Top with colored sugar sprinkles.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.  Enjoy!!!

Eggnog Spritz Cookie Recipe

This is a recipe for Eggnog Cookies using a cookie press.  I only make them during the Christmas season so I look forward to them every year!  I don't like drinking eggnog, but I LOVE the flavor of eggnog!

Eggnog Spritz Cookies
1 cup butter
3/4 cups white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. rum flavoring
1 tsp. ground nugmet
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the above ingredients and use in your cookie press.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

Eggnog Glaze:
OK, so I don't measure this part.  Make a glaze using powdered sugar and eggnog.  When it is to a nice glaze consistency, dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze and dust with more nutmeg.  They are delicious!!!

Best Caramel Sauce EVER

Once again, The Brown Eyed Baker proves to be my favorite cooking blog ever!  Her caramel sauce is amazing.  I made it last night and wanted to eat the entire batch!  Go to her blog for a complete step by step (with photos) tutorial.  She makes her's "salted".  I left out the salt in mine because I was taking it to a shower & not sure if the salted flavor would go over.  If you just want the recipe here it is:

2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

You heat the 2 cups of sugar in a sauce pan until it is melted.  This takes a while & I was convinced it would never melt!  But it does.  Cook the sugar until it is a dark amberish-redding-orangish color (350 degrees)  I didn't use a thermomater - you can tell when it is cooked.  If you over cook it it will taste burnt - mine was right on the fine line of not being burnt.

Then add the butter and stir in until melted.  Then turn off the heat and add the cream until all mixed in.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes & you're ready to gobble it down!!

Chewy Brownies from Brown Eyed Baker

I have spent my life looking for the perfect brownie recipe from scratch.  I try a brownie recipe only to find that they are dry or crumbly, or bland, or just not like the yummy box mix!  I found this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker - she is amazing and recipes are amazing!  She said the recipe is from Cook's Illustrated.  Wherever it's from doesn't matter - what matters that they are amazing!  They are chewy and chocolaty and everything a brownie should be.  This is now the brownie recipe I will always go to!! 

Chewy Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups (17½ ounces) sugar
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about a one-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk cocoa and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1½ hours.
4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
(From Cook’s Illustrated, March & April 2010 issue)

The best thing I ever Ate!

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie BarsI found this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and they are the best bars I have ever had! The recipe was easy to follow and they come out looking beautiful. It is my new favorite recipe!

Red Hot Popcorn

I thought this would be fun to make for the Valentine's Day school party. It is super yummy! Here is the recipe (I have changed slightly from others on the Internet)

Popped popcorn - I used my hot air popper and popped 2/3 cup and then another 2/3 cup. I have no idea how many quarts this is. It filled up my roasting pan.

Lightly butter your roasting pan and place popped corn in pan. Heat oven to 250 degrees.

1 cup butter
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1/4 cup sugar
10 to 12 ounces red hots ( I guessed because my bag was a 14-ounce bag)
1/4 tsp. salt

Melt the above ingredients on the stove top. Bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes. (My red hots took a long time to dissolve almost until the 5 minutes was up.) Turn off the heat and add 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Stir well. Pour the molten hot mixture over the popped corn and toss to coat. Place in the oven for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Yum!!!

My Favorite Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

I love chocolate and peanut butter together! When ever I am served those Hershy's Kiss peanut butter cookies I love them but never know how to eat them. I end up with a big chunk of chocolate in my mouth and the chocolate-less cookie remaining. Problem solved with this, my favorite PB cookie recipe!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter, smooth
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat butter, peanut butter, 1 cup of the flour, sugars, eggs, soda, powder and vanilla. Beat in the remaining flour. Shape into balls and roll in sugar. Flatten with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Return to oven for about 30 seconds. Spread the melted chocolate over the top of the cookie.

Problem solved: chocolate in every bite!!!!