Pumpkin for my Pumpkin (Pumpkin Cupcakes)

Posted on September 20, 2011 by kitchenbelle

I tend to become very sappy when it comes to first birthdays. My nephews turned me into puddles on each of their birthdays (Clown Cake,  Fire Engine Cake, Monkey Cake).  And now it’s time to be nostalgic all over again on an even more personal level because today is the one year anniversary of my daughter being born, also known as, her first birthday. Yup. I know, I can’t believe it either. *holding back a little sniffle* 

She captures my heart over and over and over with her sweet face, sparkling eyes, and  scrunchy-nosed smile. She has gone from a squishy little mammal that needed to be sustained (one year ago) to a delightful, charismatic, tiny person (today). She blows us kisses (“mmmmmmmmmmahhh!”), climbs into the dishwasher, opens and empties all of our drawers and cabinets, giggles uncontrollably when we tickle her belly, shows us which book she’d like to read then crawls into our lap, unfolds all of our laundry, and dances with her head. She claps when she hears an applause from the television set, holds her arms up like a waitress and scrunches her shoulders when someone walks out of the room (“Where’d he go?”), and stands up in her highchair during every meal.

Being her mom is the best gift I have ever been given.

I love that she was born during my favorite season because it gives me another very big reason to love this time of year more than any other.

So I’m continuing the cupcake frenzy with another batch, this time in honor of my little pumpkin. (Her birthday cake has not been made yet!) I used this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes from Smitten Kitchen. I found the texture to be fantastic–very light, moist, and crumbly. These are definitely cakes as opposed to pumpkin bread baked in a cupcake tin. I topped them with the requisite cream cheese frosting. A great treat for a celebration of the season and of my girl.

Filed under: cupcakes, Dessert, Fall, frosting, pumpkin | 12 Comments »

Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (Again)

Posted on September 19, 2011 by kitchenbelle

We have here another favorite and crowd pleaser: Oatmeal cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes are great for fall because the cinnamon and nutmeg capture the warmth and essence of the season. These are a grown up cupcake that kids love too.

If you’d like to see me make them before your very eyes, check out this video: http://how2heroes.com/videos/dessert-and-baked-goods/oatmeal-cupcakes-w-cream-cheese-frosting

Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 1 Comment »

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Posted on September 16, 2011 by kitchenbelle

In addition to the red velvet cupcakes, I also made these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting for the party.

I used this batter recipe.  (It is a perfect chocolate cake recipe, as well.)  The cupcakes are moist, rich, and a bit sticky on top. Know ahead of time that the batter is very thin, so don’t worry that you’ve done something wrong.

For the frosting I used this recipe:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk (room tempertature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

To make the frosting, melt the butter in a medium bowl.  Stir in the cocoa.  Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.  Add small amount additional milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla.

Filed under: chocolate, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 2 Comments »

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on September 14, 2011 by kitchenbelle

I made these red velvet cupcakes for a party last weekend. I have made them several times before, but for some reason I have only blogged about them once. I love this recipe because it offers a very unique cupcake. The texture is dense and crumbly and packed with a complex flavor resulting from the cinnamon and cocoa powder. I am definitely a fan of these. If you try making them, let me know what you think. And of course, as usual, I suggest pairing with cream cheese frosting. YUM.

Notes:

–make sure the butter is not too warm or they will not rise

–do not tap the pan on the counter prior to baking as you do with the Oatmeal Cupcake recipe

 

Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 3 Comments »

Fancy Rice Krispie Treats

Posted on May 15, 2011 by kitchenbelle

I wanted to make a Mother’s Day dessert that would really satisfy that unrefined sweet tooth that I sometimes find yelling for attention. (I know you all have one too…Yodels, anyone? How about a stack of IHOP pancakes with a whipped cream smiley face and blueberry syrup? No? Would you prefer a bag of gummy peach rings?  Swedish fish? How about some blue cotton candy? I digress…) I briefly considered ignoring that tooth and making a truly fancy dessert that does not require the word fancy in front of it (creme brule, flan, chocolate tart) however, the tooth won.  I decided to go for a basic and dress it up a bit!

There is something so primitively satisfying about thick, chewy Rice Krispie Treats.  And they are simple to make.  It turns out dressing them up is easy too!

Tips to delicious Rice Krispie Treats (fancy or not):

  • lots of butter (not enough butter = dry treats)
  • lots of marshmallows (not enough marshmallow = dry treats)
  • parchment paper (without parchment paper you might go crazy trying to press treats into pan. More treats will be stuck to your hands, spoon, and face than make it into the dish!)

Fancy Rice Krispie Treats:

  • 2 – 10.5 ounce bags mini marshmallows
  • 5.5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1  – 4 ounce semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate bar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter baking chips
  • 10 Oreo cookies crumbled into a bowl
  • rainbow sprinkles in a bowl

Make the Treats

Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.

Melt butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until evenly combined. Remove from heat.

Spray a wooden spoon with cooking spray. Use the wooden spoon to stir Rice Krispies into marshmallow/butter mixture.  Be certain all of the cereal is coated by the marshmallow mixture.

Use wooden spoon to turn cereal/marshmallow onto parchment paper in dish.

Cut another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the cereal/marshmallow mixture. Use the top piece of parchment to press the mixture evenly into the dish. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Once cool, measure 3.25 inch increments across the top of the pan and score treats with a pastry knife. Across the side of the pan, measure 3 inch increments and score with a pastry knife. Press pastry knife into treats to cut along the lines you scored. Use pastry knife to trim off uneven edges.

Dip the Treats

Fill a saucepan with two inches of water and bring to a low boil. Create a double boiler by placing a heat safe glass bowl on top of the saucepan. Snap pieces of chocolate bar into the glass bowl.  As it melts, use a wooden spoon to swirl chocolate together.

Dip one treat at a time into the melted chocolate and then into either the sprinkles or the Oreo cookie crumbs.

Once you have used half of the chocolate, return the double boiler to the heat and add the peanut butter chips. Swirl with a spoon until melted with the chocolate.

Dip the remaining treats into the peanut butter/chocolate mixture and then into either the sprinkles or the Oreo cookie crumbs.

Place each treat on a cooling rack and let sit until chocolate and peanut butter are completely dry. Enjoy!

Filed under: candy, chocolate, Dessert, Peanut Butter | 3 Comments »

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