Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

In the post-Thanksgiving haze, what a better way to gear up for the holiday season than by continuing to stuff ourselves? The fall season is on its way out, so I'm sneaking in one last autumn dish before transitioning to Christmas mode. All my girlfriends from high school went out to celebrate our best friend Kara's birthday this Wednesday, so I made these cupcakes as a birthday gift (not that we needed more food). The only thing better than great cupcakes is sharing them with great people. And I'm thankful to have so many great people to come home to each holiday season. :)

I found this cupcake recipe on Martha Stewart which has never failed me, especially when it comes to baking. These were super moist and perfectly spiced - I think I found a new go-to recipe for the fall! Autumn cooking has always been my favorite, so don't be surprised if you see a few fall-inspired dishes in the off season. (E.g. these pumpkin blueberry scones I squeaked in early fall of last year.) However, I am looking forward to making some great comfort foods this winter. Happy start to the holiday season, everyone!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes: 18 cupcakes  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
4 eggs
1 15-ounce can organic pumpkin
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Extra cinnamon for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix sugars, butter and eggs until smooth. Pour the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture, then add pumpkin. Pour into cupcake tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
In the meantime, make the frosting by beating cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer on high. Turn off the mixer, add powdered sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, then beat on medium speed. Put in a piping bag and ice cupcakes when cooled. Garnish with additional cinnamon.

Mom's Apple Pie

It's officially fall here in Boston. Over the weekend temperatures dropped from high 70's into the low 50's. Thankfully I was able to enjoy the warmth while it lasted over the holiday weekend. On Friday, Dylan and I went apple picking at an orchard one hour outside the city. The leaves were beautiful driving through the countryside and it made me feel a little closer to home. When we arrived the orchard workers directed us to a line of disappointing green apples, but we found a secret field wayyy in the back and picked ourselves a bag of pretty, miscellaneous red apples! It involved some piggy-backing and tree climbing, but all the effort made it more rewarding.

And on Columbus Day, we took a day trip to Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire and went on a fantastic 4-mile hike. Ever since my trip to Alaska I have been itching for the outdoors, and it was a great day to escape the city. Not to mention my awesome treat at the top of the summit! PB&J has never tasted so good.

Of course, what else does one do with a bag of freshly picked apples besides bake them in something delicious? I decided to finally tackle my mom's famous apple pie. Every year for Thanksgiving she makes two apple pies and the morning after, we all wake up and have a slice of pie for breakfast. One year she tried a different recipe from Ina Garten and the whole family complained it didn't compare. Now this pie is on the list of family traditions that we don't mess with. For another great family recipe, take a look at my Grandma's Apple Cake.

Mom's Apple Pie
Makes: 1 pie  Prep: 30 minutes  Total: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup and 2 tbs Crisco (preferably the yellow, butter-flavored variety)
1/4 cup water
6-7 cups sliced apples
1 cup sugar
3 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs butter

Directions
Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening with two knives until fine particles. Add water and mix well, but don't overwork it or else the dough will be tough. Form into a ball, cut in half and roll out each crust.
In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon. Lay down the bottom crust in a greased pie tin and cover with sugared apples. Cut butter into 1/4" cubes and sprinkle on top of apples. Cover with top pie crust and pinch edges together. Cut four large slits in the top of the pie and bake at 450 for 50 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with sugar and let cool.

Chocolate Easter Cake with Ganache Frosting

Attention all chocolate lovers: this cake might put you over the edge. Two dense layers of chocolate cake, rich and creamy ganache frosting, topped with shaved milk chocolate (Cadbury, to be exact) and the smoooothest little chocolate eggs you've ever had. (Again, obviously Cadbury... I'm a little obsessed.) I'm usually a fruity dessert lover, but to appease the chocolate eaters in my family I made this rich chocolate cake for Easter dinner back home. Dylan came home with me for the holiday and I have no doubt he was happily fed the whole trip. He's always astounded by how much my family eats. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing...

Posing with the cake

Easter Sunday

Dyeing eggs with Dylan and my sister Megan

Another exciting part about the weekend was that Dylan and I got to celebrate our 2-year anniversary! We've been living 8 hours apart since January, so seeing each other in general is reason enough to celebrate. Back in Boston we would cook together most nights, so we decided to make a nice dinner for the occasion. We had caprese salad, paprika-spiced flank steak, and beer-battered coconut shrimp. Expect to see that coconut shrimp recipe on here soon - it was amazingggg. Then again, how could you go wrong beer-battering anything?

Set-up in the dining room

Caprese salad

Paprika-spiced flank steak and coconut shrimp

Getting back to the cake, I found this recipe on marthastewart.com, which has yet to steer me wrong. This cake was spongy and moist, giving it this awesome sensation of both soft and heavy. The Cadbury chocolate on top is what pushed me over the edge. Dylan introduced me to these chocolates, which are only sold once a year around Easter and are his absolute favorite. This cake would be great to make all year round, but the chocolate egg nest make it particularly adorable for spring. Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Easter Cake with Ganache Frosting (from Martha Stewart)
Serves: 10-12  Prep: 1 hour  Total: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup butter
1 tbs instant espresso powder
3/4 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbs vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbs corn syrup
8 ounces milk chocolate
Cadbury eggs for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Coat two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray, cover in parchment paper, spray again and sprinkle with cocoa powder, shaking off excess.
Melt butter in a large pot and whisk in water, cocoa powder and espresso powder until dissolved. Whisk in sugar and remove from heat. Add the remaining wet ingredients first, then dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated. Pour into cake pans and bake for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
When the cake is done, remove and let cool in pans for 20 minutes. Remove from pans and let sit until cool to the touch. Cut off the rounded tops of both cake layers to make them flat. Place one layer cut-side up on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread a little less than half the frosting in the center of the cake. Cover by laying the second half cut-side down and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until frosting is firm.
Melt semisweet chocolate, heavy cream and corn syrup together in a heat-proof bowl over boiling water. Let cool for several minutes before pouring over cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Before serving, shave milk chocolate with a large knife and garnish on top of cake with Cadbury eggs.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Happy spring! It's been a while since I have written an official post but I promise I've been making a lot of good stuff. With work and traveling the past few weekends, I haven't been so great about documenting all my creations. These, however, I knew I had to share. I baked these cupcakes for my co-op manager Jaime, who has since left for maternity leave. (We miss you, Jaime!) I found the original recipe on my favorite blog, Love and Olive Oil.

Since I do not have a hand mixer here in New Jersey, I decided to come up with my own frosting. I have the same strawberry cake for my birthday every year and I will definitely use this strawberry frosting from here on out. I think I might have eaten about four cupcakes-worth of frosting just by licking the bowl. Not even kidding. And I don't even regret it because the frosting was that freaking good. The cake itself was sooo delicious, exactly what I expected from such a great blog. All in all another cupcake success. Round two, please?

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes (Adapted from Love and Olive Oil)
Makes: 24 cupcakes  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice

Frosting:
2 sticks butter
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tbs pureed strawberry (or 1/2 cup strawberries
tsp lemon juice

Directions
Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into cupcake tins and bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry.
To make frosting, puree strawberries in a food processor and combine with softened butter, cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Add powdered sugar gradually until perfect texture is achieved.

Green Velvet Cupcakes with Rum Spiked Frosting

Continuing with the Irish spirit, I decided to make some GREEN velvet cupcakes for Saint Patty's Day. Since half of the fun (or maybe 99% of the fun) on Saint Patrick's Day is the drinking, I spiked some cream cheese frosting with a little bit of rum. You only need a touch of imitation rum to get the right flavor, so if you're looking to recreate these don't go overboard or you'll end up feeling like you're eating a shot... not always so delicious. Enjoy!

Green Velvet Cupcakes with Rum Spiked Frosting
Makes: 18 cupcakes  Prep: 20 minutes Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs green food coloring
12 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp imitation rum

Directions
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix well until lumps are gone. Pour into paper-lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry. Let cool before icing.
To make frosting, combine softened butter and cream cheese in a mixer and beat on high for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and rum and beat for another minute or until smooth.

Whipped Spring Berry Pie

Happy Pi Day everyone! It's been an unseasonably warm March here and since I needed an excuse to make something sweet, what better reason to make a pie? (For those who don't know, March 14 - 3.14 - is Pi Day.) I am not a math person by any means, but I AM a pie person.

My roommates and I discovered an indoor year-round farmers market in our little town and I probably make 2 or 3 trips each week for fresh produce. I can't wait until the summer months roll around and there is an even better selection to choose from! Luckily my roommates share the same passion for local produce, so I'm sure we will be making lots of trips.

Anyway, the pie. That is why you're reading this, isn't it? I challenged a coworker yesterday to a pie-off at lunch after he announced that today was Pi Day. I don't think he knew quite how seriously I was going to commit to the idea, but hopefully since it's sunny and 70 here there will plenty to go around at lunch outside today. Hope you're all enjoy the weather! And maybe some pie, too. :)

Whipped Spring Berry Pie
Makes: 1 pie  Prep: 30 minutes  Total: 4-24 hours

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbs butter
1/2 tbs orange zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla, divided
3 cups strawberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbs white sugar

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, orange zest and 1 tsp vanilla. Press into a 9x9 inch pie pan and bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Remove and let cool.
In a large pot, combine 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup blackberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and water. Place on high heat, stirring and mashing fruit, and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds, then simmer on low for five minutes. Add remaining berries into the mix and pour mixture into pie crust. Cool in the fridge for 4-24 hours.
To make whipped cream, beat heavy cream, white sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla until firm (but not too firm or else you'll make butter). Spread on top of pie and garnish with berries. 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

My roommates and I watch a lot of movies here in Jersey, so I thought whipping up these sweet popcorn balls would make for a nice midweek snack. I'm a big fan of the sweet and salty combo, so I added some crushed pretzels to them. (Not gonna lie, I might have dumped a little of that bottom-of-the-bag salt into the mix....)

Even if you're not a baker, these have got to be the easiest treats to throw together. They do have to sit and cool for a few hours, but the final product is totally worth the wait. However, if you're impatient like me, eating the warm stuff out of the bowl is prettyyy awesome. Store these in an airtight container for up to a week and if you want that gooey, fresh taste days later, zap them in the microwave for a few seconds to get that just-made melty goodness!

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls
Makes: 24 popcorn balls  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 4 hour

Ingredients
One bag popped popcorn
8-ounces white chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups pretzels, crushed

Directions
Melt white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl in 30-second increments. Once the white chocolate is almost completely melted, add peanut butter and microwave one more time. Stir until fully incorporated.
Combine popped popcorn and crushed pretzels in a large bowl. Pour white chocolate peanut butter mixture over the corn and toss until covered. Let mixture cool for 20-30 minutes. With a large spoon or cup (I used 1/4 measuring cup) form mixture into balls and drop on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool for another 2-3 hours until completely hard and store in an airtight container.

Cranberry-Raspberry Chocolate Cake Truffles

 

Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate this wonderful/terrible holiday than by sharing these cake truffles with your significant other/eating them alone while sobbing and watching a romantic comedy? Whether you are a lover or hater of the holiday, you're probably a lover of delicious sweets and that is why these cake truffles are the perfect treat. :)

I was lucky enough to share these yummy cake truffles with many people I love in my life. My roommates here in New Jersey got the first taste. Then I mailed a box to Dylan in Cleveland as an early Valentine's Day gift. (If you have any doubt about how good these are, he got the package on Saturday afternoon and they were gone by Sunday night... I gave him six...) Finally, I got to spread the love with some beautiful Boston friends I stayed with this weekend. These rich little truffles go a long way, so sharing them with loved ones is easy.

Cranberry-Raspberry Chocolate Cake Truffles
Makes: 40 truffles  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 24 hours

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix
*3 eggs
*3/4 cup vegetable oil
*1 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail
2 8-ounce cream cheeses
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup raspberry jam
20 ounces chocolate chips (white, dark or milk)
Pink and white sprinkles

*Ingredients depend on box directions. The important part is to replace the water with cranberry juice.

Directions
Mix boxed cake as directed, replacing the water with an equal amount of cranberry juice. Bake as directed and let cool. Crumble cake into a large bowl.
In a mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add cream cheese frosting and raspberry jam into the crumbled cake and mix until fully incorporated. Roll into 1-inch balls and lay on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove cake truffles from fridge. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Dip balls in chocolate, lay on baking sheet and cover with sprinkles. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

This was one of those food visions I get every so often. Dylan introduced me to the combination of peanut butter and nutella on toast but I've never seen it in a recipe before. The idea came together quickly and I knew I had to bake them ASAP. These cupcakes are suuuuper rich, so be prepared because you may only be able to eat half. (Uhhh let's be honest, you're gonna eat the whole thing.)

I'm still on my fitness plan and eating healthy most of the time, but hey, a girl's gotta indulge every once in a while. Although, as my mother told me, "bananas are healthy...."

Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting
Makes: 18 cupcakes  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter (approximately 1 tbs/cupcake)

Frosting:
1/2 cup nutella
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbs heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Cupcakes:
Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in peanut butter chips and pour batter into cupcake tins. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Once the cupcakes have cooled slightly, scoop out about a tablespoon from to center of each cupcake (or less depending on how much peanut butter you want) and spoon the extra cake into a bowl. Fill the hole with creamy peanut butter before topping with frosting.

Frosting:
Combine nutella and melted butter in a medium bowl. Mix well. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla and stir until smooth and no lumps are left. Ice cupcakes immediately and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin and Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

It's been a very beautiful fall in Boston so far (...minus the snowstorm on Halloween weekend, but let's forget about that). Luckily I live in an area with parks and plenty of trees, which means I still get to enjoy the changing of leaves. There are so many leaves left! I'm sure by the time I come back from Thanksgiving break they'll be gone, so I need to enjoy them while they last.

Some of my wonderful friends had a "Fall Festival" party this weekend, so I decided this was a perfect excuse to try a new pumpkin dessert. They had pumpkin pancakes, bagels with pumpkin cream cheese, and apple pie shots (all delicious, by the way). It was a great addition to an awesome weekend following a very stressful week. I find it humorous that people are so grateful when I show up somewhere with food. I don't think my friends realize that if I didn't have them to help me eat the things I bake, I wouldn't end up baking at all. So thanks, guys!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars 
(Adapted from Martha Stewart Recipes*)
Makes: 16 bars  Prep: 30 minutes  Total: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 9-ounce package chocolate teddy grahams (or graham cracker equivalent)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (divided)
1/4 cup butter
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 cup organic pumpkin
3 eggs
3 tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Begin making the graham cracker crust by crushing teddy grahams (or graham crackers) in a bag with a rolling pin into very fine crumbs. Pour into a bowl and mix with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup softened butter. Press into the bottom of a greased baking dish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, and organic pumpkin. Mix until softened. Add eggs and flour and stir until the eggs are fully incorporated. Season with salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.
Place semisweet chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted.
Pour half the cheesecake mixture over the graham cracker crust and spread evenly. Combine the melted chocolate with the remaining cheesecake mix and stir once or twice. Pour in small dollops into the prepared pan and using a butter knife, very carefully swirl the chocolate and cheesecake in a figure eight pattern to create a nice design.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350. Remove and let cool. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

*I found the original recipe on Martha Stewart, but made some changes to the cheesecake mix and used my own graham cracker crust. View the link above for the original recipe.

Grandma's Apple Cake

When my friends find out I can cook or taste my food for the first time, it's pretty common that they ask if my mom or grandma are also good cooks. I guess people assume every good home cook has good (but most likely better) home cooks in their family. My mom's recipes are the reason I started cooking in college in the first place, but many of her best dishes come from her mother, my grandma.

Last year I moved into my first college apartment with a full kitchen and I asked my grandma (who has lived 5 minutes down the road from me my whole life) if I could take some of her recipes to school. She happily obliged, and not only filled out these adorable recipe cards, but also went through her own kitchen and gave me tons of extra pots, dishes and accessories to stock up my kitchen. When someone digs through my kitchen cabinets and makes a joke about my 60's-looking casserole dish, retro spoon rests, or tea bag holders (see below), I charmingly reply that they were once my grandmothers and she passed them down to me along with her recipes to keep our family cooking alive.

I've made my grandma's apple cake twice in the past week because it keeps disappearing between friends and roommates who want a "taste". If you have a lot of apples lying around your fridge or want a classic fall dessert, try this cake recipe and I bet you'll be baking a second very soon.

Grandma's Apple Cake
Serves: 8  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 medium apples

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and oil into the batter and mix well. Cup up the apples into slices, then into small cubes. (Peel the apple skin if desired, but I prefer to leave it on.) Add the apple into an 8x8 inch greased cake dish and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Pumpkin Blueberry Scones with Blueberry Glaze

I'm finally getting settled into my brand new apartment in Boston. I've hardly had time to buy groceries, let alone cook, which makes me very sad. My new kitchen is very tiny but my roommates and I are making good use of it. Cooking is such a great stress reliever for me, so after this busy week is over I'm hoping to whip up some new creations.

On that note, tomorrow marks the first official day of fall! Fall always makes me a little nostalgic because it reminds me of home. There's nothing like apple picking in New York and watching the beautiful rolling hills change to vibrant shades of orange and red at the peak of the leaves. As an adieu to summer and welcoming for fall, I created this recipe for pumpkin blueberry scones.

Cooking in between seasons is great because you combine produce that's on it's way out with new seasonal flavors. If you're having a hard time letting go of summer cooking, these scones are the perfect in between recipe to bring you around and get you excited for warm, fall comfort foods. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Blueberry Scones with Blueberry Glaze
Makes: 8 scones  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients
Pumpkin Blueberry Scones:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup 100% pure pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup blueberries

Blueberry Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs milk
1/4 cup crushed blueberries

Directions
Pumpkin Blueberry Scones:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until it is in pea-sized pieces. Mix in buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla. Carefully fold blueberries into the dough, trying not to break them.
On a floured surface, knead the dough for 1 minute until semi-firm and moist. Roll the dough into a long rectangle. Cut in half width-wise so the dough is in two squares. Cut each square twice from corner to corner to make 8 triangular scones. Place scones on papered baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Glaze:
While the scones are baking, measure out 1/4 cup of blueberries and juice or push them through a strainer to separate the blueberry juice from the skin. Try to remove as much skin as possible in the process. (A little is okay - you want the glaze to be thick.) Combine the blueberry juice with the powdered sugar and milk. Wait until scones are completely cooled before drizzling the glaze on top.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

I wish I could say that all the recipes I create come from my all-encompassing knowledge of food chemistry and methodical, precise recipe development with carefully measured ingredients. The truth of the matter is, I know very little about the scientific balance of a macaroon. When I discovered a passion for cooking, I became intent on creating original recipes that reflect my unique taste, which is strongly influenced by my mom, grandmother, and all the delicious home cooking I grew up around.

Everything I cook or bake is more or less a guessing game. I'll get an idea in my head of what I want to make, spend about 15 minutes looking up similar recipes to get a feel for what ingredients I might use, then rush out of the grocery store with a jumbled pile of ingredients that may or may not make it to the finished product. Sometimes A lot of times, this results poorly. Other times, to my surprise, it turns out really freaking good. This was one of those times.

Alright, so "healthy" could be a little bit of a stretch, but compared to other strawberry rhubarb crisps I saw, this one uses much less sugar and butter. The natural sweetness of the orange juice goes a long way in the dish, and I used the minimum amount of butter and oil to hold the oat crisp together. When it comes to dessert, healthy is a relative term. Healthy without sacrificing taste is difficult; the key is portion control, a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet (with the occasional exception). That said, I'm not going to judge if you have the sudden urge to eat the whole pan.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Serves: 10  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 1 hour

Ingredients
3 cups rhubarb
3 cups strawberries
½ cup orange juice
¾ cup sugar
1 tbs vanilla
1 cup flour
2 cups oats
½ cup butter
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tbs vanilla
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbs canola oil
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Chop strawberries and rhubarb into 1-inch pieces and mix in a large bowl. Combine orange juice, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Layer strawberries and rhubarb at the bottom of a greased 8x8 inch pan and set aside.
Soften butter and add in a medium bowl with flour, oats, salt, vanilla, brown sugar, canola oil and cinnamon. Combine until the oat mixture is moist all the way through and spread on top of strawberries and rhubarb. Bake on top of a baking pan (in case of overflow) for approximately 45 minutes until the fruit mixture bubbles and the crisp is lightly browned. Let cool and serve with ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bars

I have finally purchased and started reading Anthony Bourdain's novel Kitchen Confidential. Being a student I rarely have time to read for fun, and honestly I'm a tough sell on books. I need to be fully absorbed in the first 50 pages of a book or else I'll never finish it. (It's a terrible habit, I know. I blame this on being born in the "video game era", a generation raised on cheap thrills and the birth of the Internet.) But because of my ever-growing curiousity obsession with the food industry, I was hooked on Kitchen Confidential at the introduction.

My favorite story so far is Bourdain looking back on his childhood vacations in France and recounting the moment he bravely and triumphantly swallowed a live oyster fresh out of the water, much to the disgust of his younger brother, and learned that "food had power." In his words, "It could inspire, astonish, shock, excite, delight and impress. It had the power to please me... and others. This was valuable information."

If I had to choose one recipe that signified the moment I thought of food as more than just food, it would be these brownies. A staple recipe of my mother's, this dessert began my love affair with food. It's the first sweet I loved, the first thing I baked, and the first food I was ever praised for by my peers. The biggest joy in cooking for me is knowing what I create makes people happy. This is my go-to last minute dessert, partially because I've never met someone who doesn't like them and mostly because they are the easiest. And how can you go wrong with anything that begins with "chocolate chip cookie dough"?

Wanna know the best thing about this dessert? I'll let you in on a little family secret... It's the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe, just put in brownie form! Now you're probably thinking, how unoriginal. BUT! The key to these melt-in-your-mouth doughy treats is how you cook them. You have to catch the timing just right so they're a little underbaked. That way, even the 3-day old leftovers have that gooey, fresh out of the oven taste.

If your mouth isn't watering at this point, something's wrong with you.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownie Bars
Makes: 24 brownies  Prep: 10 minutes  Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, then add chocolate chips and mix until the dough is light and fluffy.
Spread the dough into a 9x13 greased baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove immediately and let cool before cutting.

Skittles Cupcakes with Citrus Buttercream Frosting

 

I whipped up these cupcakes as part of a gift exchange for someone who loves Skittles. Of course, getting a giant bag of Skittles wasn't creative enough in my mind, and since I've been on a cupcake kick recently Skittles cupcakes were naturally my first thought.

To avoid making these tooth-achingly sweet, I created a simple buttercream frosting and added half a teaspoon of orange extract to incorporate the candy flavor without causing a sugar overload. The citrus buttercream was spot-on and I will absolutely use it again! The crushed Skittles candies in the batter turned out to be an excellent addition, giving these cupcakes a great candy flavor with the appearance of pretty homemade Funfetti. If you're a candy lover, this recipe is a must-try.

Skittles Cupcakes

Makes: 12 cupcakes  Prep: 30 minutes  Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

3/4 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 cup Skittles, crushed

1/2 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp orange extract

Directions

Cupcakes:

Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix for several minutes until light and fluffy. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a third small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla. Set aside.

Add eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the dry and wet ingredients into the same mixture, with the dry bowl in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, mixing the whole time.

Measure out 1/2 cup whole skittles and pour into a small sandwich bag. Seal the bag and pound the candy with a meat mallet until broken into small pieces. (If some candies do not break this way, take them out and cut them in half with a large kitchen knife.) Pour candy pieces into the batter and mix well.

Pour the batter into a greased cupcake tin and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove and cool.

Citrus Buttercream Frosting:

Beat the butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and milk in 2 additions each, starting with the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and orange extract and blend until smooth. Top each cupcake immediately before serving. Garnish with additional Skittles candies.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Every time a birthday rolls around in my family and the birthday boy or girl is asked what they want for their birthday dinner, they always ask for carrot cake. My mother has been making the same carrot cake for birthday dinners since I was born. This cake goes down as her signature recipe, and I will defend it to the grave as the best carrot cake I have ever had. For years I refused to try it ("Carrots in a cake?" my skeptical 8-year-old self thought) but this recipe turned a carrot cake hater into a fanatic.

I decided to transform this family favorite into cupcakes. The original recipe has a homemade cream cheese frosting with pecans and coconut, but much against my belief that all sweets should be 100% homemade, I cheaped out and bought the $3 can of Betty Crocker frosting. Still, the end result was as phenominal as always. The secret is in cake; one bite of this moist, decadent treat and you won't look at carrot cake the same way again.

Enjoy! :)

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Makes: 24 cupcakes  Prep: 15 minutes  Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups grated raw carrots
1 can Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting

Directions
Sift all dry ingredients. Add oil and vanilla and mix well.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Grate carrots in food processor, add and mix well. Pour into greased cupcake tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool completely before icing.