Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

I am so excited, I have finally come up my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe!  I’ve tried so many chocolate cupcake recipes before and have never really found one I fully love.  They are too dense, too dry, too oily, or they have too much cocoa.  So, I decided to create my own recipe.  I love this chocolate cupcake.  I also love that these cupcakes are so fluffy and pretty, you take them out of the oven and they don’t sink down and flatten.  They hold their pretty, rounded top shape.   Another great thing about these is the simplicity of this chocolate cupcake.  You don’t have to melt chocolate or boil water.  You simply combine all the dry ingredients then add in the rest.  Bonus, it’s made from basic ingredients you probably always have on hand which is nice.  Of course if you are using this recipe for a basic chocolate cupcake (non-peppermint version) simply omit the peppermint extract and increase the vanilla to 1 tsp then top with your favorite frosting. 

I love the combination of flavors in this peppermint chocolate cupcake version.  You get a peppermint chocolate cupcake, topped with milk chocolate ganache, piped with peppermint cream cheese frosting and it’s finished off with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes.  I wanted to eat every last one =).  If you are totally against cream cheese frosting you could also use a buttercream frosting in its place and it would be delicious as well.  When I was creating this recipe I was trying to decide between the two, cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting.  I decided to go with the cream cheese because I wanted this to be a decadent, show stopping cupcake.  Cream cheese adds more decadence than the basic buttercream frosting would, also it adds another flavor that blends so perfectly with the chocolate and peppermint.  I hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as I do =).  Have a very Merry Christmas!

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Ganache and Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

(That seems like an unnecessary, long title, you could also call these peppermint chocolate cupcakes =)

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 large egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp peppermint extract

1/3 cup hot water

¼ cup sour cream

1 recipe Milk Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows

1 recipe Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

½ cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add in vegetable oil, milk, egg, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in hot water, stir until well combined.  Add in sour cream and mix until well blended.  Fill paper lined muffin cups ¾ full and bake cupcakes in preheated oven for 17 – 19 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes in muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool.  Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. 

Once cupcakes are cool, spread about 1 teaspoon cooled milk chocolate ganache over each cupcake.  Place cupcakes in a 13x9 inch baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and chill about 10 mintues while you make the peppermint cream cheese frosting. 

Pipe each chocolate ganache covered cupcake with peppermint cream cheese frosting and sprinkle cupcakes with crushed candy canes.

For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

3 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions:

Combine milk chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Cool mixture in refrigerator for about 10 minutes (basically until it’s a spreadable not so drippy consistency).

For the Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingrediens:

6 Tbsp salted butter, softened

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp peppermint extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 1 minute.  Stir in vanilla and peppermint extract.  Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix until well combined and fluffy.

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Fancy Caramel Popcorn

 Alas, I have finally decided what treat to gift this year (it’s about time,  I seriously spent way too much time stressing about what to give).  Here it is, Fancy Caramel Popcorn.  This popcorn is my favorite caramel popcorn and my new favorite holiday treat!  I think I ate about 10 cups of it in one sitting, so be warned, it’s addictive.  And you wouldn't believe the caramel is made in the microwave, so it’s very simple to make.   You've got to love that!  I combined the ideas of many recipes to create just what I was looking for.  This is the perfect last minute treat to give to family, friends or neighbors.  It’s also the perfect crowd pleasing snack for parties (it’s likely you won’t see one piece of this delicious caramel covered popcorn left in the bowl at the end of the party =).

I love the combination of flavors in this popcorn.  You get salted crunchy pretzels, lightly salted nuts and chewy popcorn covered in sweet, silky , not too gooey caramel and it’s finished off with a generous drizzling of decadent melted milk chocolate and white chocolate.   Yeah, all that in one, it would have to be incredible, right =)?  Try this popcorn out and I believe it’s likely to become one of your new favorite holiday treats as well.  Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!  I hope one of my recipes makes it to your holiday table, bringing your family and friends together =).  Merry Christmas!

Pretty enough to make a styrofoam bowl look fancy =)

Fancy Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:

1/3 cup un-popped popcorn kernels

2 ½ cups mini pretzels, broken into pieces*

1 cup lightly salted peanuts or chopped almonds

½ cup salted butter

1 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

½ cup light-corn syrup

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda

½ cup milk chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Pop popcorn kernels in a popcorn popper into a very large bowl.  Be sure to remove any un-popped kernels (so no one breaks a tooth).  Add in crushed pretzels and peanuts and gently fold mixture together, set aside.  In an large microwave safe bowl, melt butter, it should take about 50 seconds.  Stir in brown sugar, light corn syrup and salt.  Mix well.  Microwave mixture for 2 minutes, then stir and immediately return to microwave and cook 2 more minutes.  Remove from microwave, add in vanilla and baking soda and stir until frothy, about 10 seconds (don’t be tempted to dip your finger in and taste test, it is HOT).  Pour caramel over popcorn mixture and gently stir until evenly coated.  Pour caramel coated popcorn mixture onto a parchment or wax paper covered cookie sheet (if you don’t have either paper you could even just butter the cookie sheet).

Melt milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, on 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag or ziploc bag and cut the tip off and drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn.  Repeat this step with the white chocolate chips.

Place chocolate covered popcorn in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and break popcorn into pieces.  Store popcorn in an airtight container.

*I just take a handful of the pretzels and crush them in my hands, the size is probably one pretzel broken into 3-4 pieces, in case you were wondering =).

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Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

WARNING: please eat these sparingly. =)  These are seriously amazing, just not totally healthy.  They remind me of the delicious cheese fries you can get at Outback Steakhouse or Texas Roadhouse, they are oh so good just not oh so good for you =).  It's the holidays after all right?  I love these potatoes!  My grandpa was a potato farmer so my family has always been a big time meat and potatoes family.  And trust me my mom makes the best mashed potatoes on the planet!  You can also leaved these potatoes unloaded, without all the extra topping just the cheese and seasoning.  But, for a special occasion, I think you are going to want to load them =).  Enjoy!

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Yields 12

Ingredients:

6 large Russet Baking Potatoes

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup cream

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

12 oz. medium or mild cheddar cheese (about 3 cups)

Season salt 

8-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 green onions, chopped (chives work also)

1 recipe Ranch Dressing, recipe follows

Directions:

Wash and scrub potatoes, poke each one several times with a fork.  Place in oven and bake 400 degrees for 65-70 minutes, or until soft when squished (I don't ever preheat the oven, I don't think it's necessary).  

Remove baked potatoes from oven (reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees), slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh into a large mixing bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh so potato maintains it's shape.  Place potato skins on a baking sheet.

Add butter to hot potato flesh in mixing bowl and mash potatoes with a potato masher until no longer chunky.  Add in cream, sour cream, salt and pepper and beat potato mixture with an electric mixer until potatoes are smooth and fluffy about 2 - 3 minutes (Note: if you like your potatoes any thinner just add a little bit of milk a few tablespoons at a time to reach desired consistency).  

Fill potato skins with mashed potatoes and smooth out tops with a spoon.  Sprinkle filled potatoes with cheddar cheese.  Sprinkle each potato with about 1/8 tsp season salt (you could do more or less to your taste) and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Bake filled potatoes for 15 - 20 minutes (depending on how gooey or crisp you like your cheese). 

Remove from oven, sprinkle potatoes with crumbled bacon and chopped green onions, and drizzle with ranch dressing.  Serve immediately.

Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

1 heaping Tbsp ranch seasoning mix

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well.  Cover and let rest in refrigerator 1 hour.

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Easiest Eggnog Ice Cream

It doesn't get any easier than this!  This recipe contains a whopping 2 ingredients.  Can you guess =)?  Eggnog and sugar.  One day I was sitting their wanting ice cream, and since it's eggnog season I thought eggnog ice cream sounded good.  So, I was trying to decide what ingredients I would make it with.  Often when I am trying to mimic the flavors of something I look at the ingredients listed on the package of whatever I'm trying to mimic.  Eggnog ingredients are very similar to ice cream ingredients.  You've got your cream, milk, sugar and egg yolks.  Which led me to, why not just use eggnog, rather than using a whole list of ingredients, making a custard and allowing it time to cool before processing.  This is probably the easiest thing I have ever made, next to toast.  I love the simplicity of this recipe.  And it tastes exactly like eggnog, imagine that =).  I thought the eggnog did need a bit more sugar but if you don't like your ice cream as sweet as I do only add as much as you'd like. 


Eggnog Ice Cream


Ingredients:
1 quart eggnog
1/4 cup sugar


Directions:
In a mixing bowl whisk together eggnog and sugar until sugar has dissolved.  Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturers directions.  Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm (or enjoy as shake, no continued freezing necessary).

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Banana Crumb Muffins

I won't lie, I am obsessed with browned butter lately.  I love the extra bit of flavor it adds to a dish.  It makes things a bit different from the norm.  Banana bread is a classic, and I always love changing up the classics.  These muffins can be made without or without the crumb topping, they are wonderful both ways.  Don't confuse this crumb topping with a streusel topping, they are quite different.  I got the inspiration for this crumb topping from a blueberry crumb cake recipe I tried a while ago from Gourmet Magazine.  I fell in love with it because it wasn't overly sweet and it was SO crumbly, just like one big delicious layer of crumbs.  For the best results (try to =) allow these muffins time to "ripen" after baking, about 4 hours or overnight, before enjoying.

Banana Crumb Muffins
Yields 16 muffins


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, browned*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups mashed well, overripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)


For (optional) crumb topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp butter


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together browned butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Stir in sour cream.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix in mashed bananas.  Slowly stir in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Fill paper lined muffin cups about 2/3 full with mixture
To prepare crumb topping, in a bowl whisk together 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar.  Add 2 Tbsp butter and blend mixture with your finger tips until large clumps form (it will still be very dry and powdery but when you press it together large clumps should form).  Sprinkle 1 Tbsp crumb topping over each unbaked muffin.  
Bake muffins 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool (Side note, I dusted the crumb topping evenly across the top after baking).  Once cool store in an airtight container and allow to "ripen" about 4 hours or overnight for prime taste.



*For a step by step tutorial on how to brown butter see link here.  Be sure to brown it enough so you get that wonderful browned butter flavor in this recipe, also careful not to over-brown or it will be bitter.  

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