Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Have you been searching for an unforgettable, perfect chocolate cupcake recipe? I think it's fair to say your search will likely end here. While I was relaxing outside a light summer breeze that only evenings have to offer gently swept across my face, and I slowly sank my teeth through that whipped, lightly tangy, kissed with cocoa frosting and into the cupcakes fluffy, tender crumb with a moisture that was bound to stick to my teeth, then my taste buds touched that rich yet perfectly sweet chocolate divinity I knew my search was over. Pure bliss? Yes it was =). 

The secret to this recipe is that I adapted it from one of my all time favorite cupcake recipes that I recently created, my Red Velvet Cupcakes. I knew how similar red velvet is to chocolate so I knew it would be fairly easy to create this one. Let me tell you I have been having a rough time creating the perfect white cupcake, maybe this was much easier for me because chocolate is my true love. Why settle for white when you can have chocolate? Life isn't complete without it. 

My reason for choosing to pair this frosting with this cupcake is because I often get a brownie at a local bakery with a Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting and it goes perfect with the rich chocolate brownie. I've been meaning to make the frosting at home for quite some time now and I knew this was the cupcake for it. I love how well the frosting's gentle cream cheese flavor, along with the light taste of chocolate and it's sweet buttery richness compliments the chocolate cupcake. I didn't want an overpowering frosting, just one that would highlight the cupcakes perfection. And with a cupcake so incredible I'd say fancy frosting technique is required. I absolutely love the way the world famous Hummingbird Bakery decorates their cupcakes so I adapted that technique to frost these cupcakes. It's whipped perfection with a pronounced indentation to hold a generous pile of sprinkles right in the center. If it looks better it will taste better that's my theory.  This is chocolate at it's finest. Enjoy and indulge a little!

P.S. in the unlikely event that you have any left over frosting, simply refrigerate it a few hours until firm and enjoy it by the spoonful - it tastes just like fudge when it's cold!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Yields about 15

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup salted butter, firm but not cold

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

one recipe Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy about 3-4 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until combine. Measure out buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and add vanilla extract to buttermilk then whisk to combine. Working in 2 separate batches, add buttermilk mixture followed by flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing just until combine after each addition (batter will be thick). Fill 15 paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven 18 - 22 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost generously with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter, firm but not cold

6 oz cream cheese, cold

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder

3 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla. Sift cocoa powder into mixture then blend until combine (you'll want to sift it to break up any lumps). Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Sloppy Joes

How on earth do you make a Sloppy Joe look classy? You don't =). They are just good ol' shloppy, yes shloppy, deliciousness. Piled high and spilling over. It's impossible for any bun to fully retain all that saucy, meaty goodness. How I love a good Sloppy Joe. They may not be the fanciest meal but they are oh so scrumptiously tasty. I grew up eating them so I will always love them. These far outdo what comes in a can. Isn't everything better made fresh from scratch? Don't be scared of the long list of ingredients, other than the fresh peppers, most of them are ingredients you likely already have on hand. I kept adding a little of this and a little of that until I got this recipe just where I wanted it. If you are a cheeseburger fan, try them topped with a sprinkling of freshly grated cheddar cheese. Also, if you like a little heat feel free to add in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Yields about 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (or an additional 1/2 cup red bell pepper)

1/4 cup diced poblano pepper (optional)

1 medium carrot finely grated (about 1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 Tbsp dried parsley

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt, and then to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, crumble in ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until beef has browned. Drain beef into a bowl lined with paper towels, reserving 1 1/2 tbsp fat in pan.

Add onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, poblano pepper and carrot to fat in skillet and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until veggies become translucent and tender. Add in garlic and cook 1 more minute. Reduce heat to low and add remaining ingredients, along with browned beef and stir. Cover and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve warm on toasted hamburger buns (delicious toasted with butter and rubbed with a clove a garlic), and sprinkle optional cheddar cheese over Sloppy Joe mixture.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Peach Crumb Bars

Peach cobbler meet sugar cookies meets crumb cake to create one delicious Peach Crumb Bar. These summer inspired dessert bars are loaded with fresh, sweetly spiced, juicy peaches and will quickly remind you of your favorite peach cobbler. Their texture is soft yet crumbly, moist (thanks to all the juice from the peaches) and slightly cake-y. I would highly recommend eating them warm because it's like peach pie or cobbler, it's just not near as good cold. These are excellent when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but they are also amazing all on their own. Enjoy! Oh, and you're going to want that corner piece =), it's my favorite.

Peach Crumb Bars
Yields about 24 bars


Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups peaches, peeled, pitted and diced (about 8 small peaches, use firm but ripe)
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
3 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp orange zest (optional)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup salted butter, cold and diced into cubes
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar (optional)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In a large mixing bowl, toss peaches with orange juice and optional orange zest. Sprinkle sugar mixture over peach mixture and toss to evenly coat, set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream and vanilla extract. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir until well combine. Add in remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and stir until combine. Spread and press half of crumb mixture into an even layer in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Toss peach mixture once more and pour over bottom crumb layer and spread peaches into an even layer (spread juices evenly too). Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top of peaches into an even layer. Sprinkle top evenly with optional Turbinado sugar. Bake in preheated oven 45-50 minutes until golden. Serve warm with optional vanilla ice cream or allow to cool and cut into bars (Note: I prefer these bars warm but you could also serve them cold with sweetened whipped cream). Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Lemon Belgian Waffles with Blueberry Syrup

I can't believe I've had this blog for nearly 10 months and I haven't posted one waffle recipe yet! Breakfast foods are some of my favorites to make (and blog) so I can't tell you why I've waited until now to do a waffle post. 

In my home I make pancakes and french toast more often than waffles and I think one reason I prefer to do so is because with Belgian waffles you can only make one at a time. With pancakes and french toast I can make like 6 at a time. I've been wanting to buy one of the Belgian waffle irons that cooks two at a time. I have a long list of kitchen gadgets I want, you'd think the list would get shorter as I get more things but it just gets longer. I don't get into fancy clothes and home decor just fancy kitchen accessories =). I'm running out of kitchen storage space.

Anyway, thanks to this recipe I know waffles are going to make their way into my home far more often, even if it means cooking one at a time until I get a double Belgian waffle iron. These are crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Just as a waffle should be. You get a perfect flavor combination when you pair the vibrant, citrus flavor of the lemon waffle with the sweet, mellow flavor of the fresh blueberries. I decided to add a little bit of applesauce in this recipe rather than doing all oil. I like to be just a little healthy when I can =). If you want to you could replace the applesauce with more oil or butter but I do love them just as they are. Also, if you didn't notice I added the lemon poppy seed variation at the bottom. All you have to do is add poppy seeds since these are already lemon. Enjoy!

Lemon Belgian Waffles
Yields 5-6 waffles


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk 
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (or melted butter, cooled)
2 Tbsp applesauce
2 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice


Directions:
Preheat a Belgian waffle iron (and butter if necessary). In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk vegetable oil, applesauce, 2 egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. In a small mixing bowl, using and electric hand mixer, beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form.
While whisking, slowly add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture and whisk just until combine (don't over-mix, batter should be slightly lumpy). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter just until combine. Cook batter (mine fit about 3/4 cup) on waffle iron according to manufactures directions, until golden (cooking time will vary depending on brand and model of waffle iron). Slowly lift lid when removing waffle from iron so waffle doesn't split. Serve warm with Blueberry Syrup, Vanilla Cream Syrup, Maple Syrup or butter and powdered sugar. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Variation: simply mix in 3 Tbsp poppy seeds into flour mixture and prepare as directed. I would recommend serving them with Vanilla Cream Syrup and if you want to make it Lemon Vanilla Cream Syrup just add a little bit of lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Blueberry Syrup


Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup cold water
2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen works too, I use frozen when not in season)
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice


Directions:
Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in water, add blueberries and lemon juice. Cook mixture over medium high heat, stirring frequently until mixture reaches a boil. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium low and allow to gently boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour syrup into a blender, cover and blend on low speed about 1 minute until well pureed. Alternately, if you don't want skins and seeds, force mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Store in refrigerator up to one week (You will likely have some left over, it makes great blueberry lemonade. Just add cold blueberry syrup and lemon juice to sparkling water to taste).


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Pan Seared Honey Glazed Salmon with Browned Butter Lime Sauce - The Best Salmon I've Ever Eaten

Okay so, I wrote a long post about the pure amazingness of this salmon then I went to cut and past it below the photo and forgot to paste it, posted it and lost my "paste." Yeah the most frustrating and stupid thing ever! I hate when that happens! Oh well, moving on =)...
I'm going to be a little lazy about it and just tell you, you need to try this salmon! It is really the best salmon I have ever eaten! I saw this recipe over Epicurious, from Gourmet Magazine. I will be honest, Gourmet Magazine is sometimes too "gourmet" for me. Their version of this however looked awesome! Simple yet incredible. I created my own version by jazzing it up to suit my taste. Rather than grilling it I pan seared it, obviously. I wanted a tiny bit of sweet to balance out the citrus-y tang so I added honey, and what better way to get that perfectly golden brown, crisp crust then to pan sear it along with a little sprinkling of flour? I also thought if you're going to make butter one of the main components of the dish then you may as well brown it and add another layer of delicious flavor. It's amazing how well the citrus of the lime, the silky sweet of the honey and the deep, rich flavor of the browned butter go together. They all compliment the salmon perfectly. I can tell you now, the majority of the time this is going to be my go to salmon recipe. Not only does it taste phenomenal but it is incredibly easy to make. Serve this alongside some roasted aspargus and garlic mashed red potatoes and you've got a delicious, elegant meal definitely set to impress. Enjoy!

Pan Seared Honey Glazed Salmon with Browned Butter Lime Sauce
Yields 4 servings


Ingredients:
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets, rested at room temperature 20 minutes
8 tsp flour, divided
2 Tbsp honey, divided
zest of 1 - 2 limes (I like it with a generous amount so in my opinion 2)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 recipe Browned Butter Lime Sauce, recipe follows


Directions:
Working in batches of two salmon fillets at a time (or using two skillets, because you don't want to overcrowd the salmon when cooking it on the stove-top so it cooks more evenly), place salmon fillets on a cutting board or plate and sprinkle 1 tsp flour over each side of the salmon fillets and spread flour to evenly coat. Evenly drizzle 3/4 tsp honey over each side of the flour coated salmon fillets.* Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil into a 10 inch non-stick skillet, swirl pan to evenly coat bottom and heat over medium heat. Once oil it hot, carefully place salmon ) in pan and cook over medium heat, 3-5 minutes per side until salmon has cooked through and bottom has nicely browned. Plate salmon immediately, drizzle each fillet with 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp Browned Butter Lime Sauce and sprinkle with lime zest. Serve warm. 


*note that once you remove the salmon from the plate some of the flour and honey coating will stick to the plate so I'd recommend just scraping it up with a spatula and adding it to the salmon once it's in the pan, alternately you could just coat one side with the flour and honey then after adding it to the pan you can coat the top side with flour and honey. Either way works I'd just say don't waste any of that delicious coating.

Browned Butter Lime Sauce


Ingredients:
6 Tbsp salted butter, diced
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Place butter in a small (light colored) saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is fragrant and has turned a tan shade (for a step by step tutorial on how to brown butter see link here, although I would recommend not to stir constantly rather swirl pan occasionally). Remove from heat and add browned butter along with lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute until well blended. Pour sauce into a small glass dish (note: whisk butter mixture with a fork before pouring onto salmon as it will separate, rewarm if needed).
I didn't have much of this left after drenching the salmon with it but I used what was left over fresh corn on the cob, so good! Try if you'd like.


Recipe Source: inspired by Gourmet Magazine, July 2006

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Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Oreos, one of life's simple pleasures. Oreos can give any dessert an instant upgrade. I love love love them. One of my all times favorite desserts is Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (with Cold Stone's Sweet Cream of course). That crisp, chocolate cookie with rich, sweet cream combination is a match made in Heaven. When I saw these cupcakes over at Beantown Baker I knew I had to try them. That ice cream deliciousness in cupcake form. Yes! "Please! Please! Gimme, Gimme, Gimme. I need, I need, I need!"(What About Bob, one of my favorite movie's and quotes =).
I made a few small changes to the recipe, I didn't think 1 stick of butter was quite enough moisture for 24 cupcakes so I added in 1/3 cup sour cream and reduced the amount of milk slightly, then increased the baking powder just a tad. Other minor changes I made were, I didn't use room temperature egg whites and I didn't add the 2 tbsp flour to the chopped Oreos because I cut mine into small pieces so they wouldn't really sink anyway. I also thought these cupcakes needed a ton of frosting so I used my own concoction and made a big batch. It's not often I want a heaping pile of frosting on my cupcakes but in my opinion these definitely require it. It is the "cream" of the cookies and cream. Thanks Beantown Baker for a great post! Enjoy and savor every last bite of these delicious cupcakes!

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Yields 2 dozen 


Ingredients:
24 Oreos
16 Oreos, chopped into small pieces (almost bits or pebble size)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
12 Oreos, chopped into halves, for garnish (optional)
1 recipe Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with 24 paper muffin cups. Using a sharp knife, split 24 Oreos into halves leaving cream filling attached to one side (save filling free cookie sides to crush and sprinkle over frosted cupcakes). Place 1 Oreo half, with cream filling side up, at the bottom of each muffin cup, set aside.
In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add in egg whites, one at a time, mixing until combine after each addition. Measure 3/4 cup milk into a liquid measuring cup, then add sour cream and vanilla to milk and whisk to combine. 
Working in two separate batches, add flour mixture followed by milk mixture to butter mixture, and mix just until combine after each addition. Fold in 16 chopped Oreos. Evenly divide batter among prepared muffins cups (pouring it over the tops of the Oreo halves), filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven about 23 - 26 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 
Once cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting. Finely crush about half of the cream filling free cookie sides and sprinkles over cupcakes then garnish cupcakes with optional cookie halves (you could even use the remaining 12 cookie halves). Store cupcakes in an airtight container.


Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting


Ingredients:
10 Tbsp butter, firm but not cold
10 oz. cream cheese, cold
2 1 /2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar


Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together butter and cream cheese until fluffy about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 


Recipe Source: cupcake adapted from Beantown Baker, frosting Cooking Classy

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Crispy Pesto Parmesan Chicken

My all time favorite dressing is Old Spaghetti Factory's Creamy Pesto Salad dressing. I've made my own copycat version so I can enjoy it at home all the time. It is definitely a family favorite. Not only do I dress my salad with it but I use it the same way you'd use ranch, for example, to dip fries or pizza in or to drizzle over baked potatoes. When I serve it alongside a breaded chicken I always end up dipping my chicken in it too. That is why I decided just to create a recipe that incorporated it right in from the start rather than just dipping it. This is similar to a baked ranch chicken only with a Pesto salad dressing and some Parmesan instead of ranch dressing. Technically it should probably be called Crispy Pesto Dressing Parmesan Chicken (because it doesn't use pesto, but rather pesto dressing) but that's far to long so I went with the shorter version.
This chicken is so flavorful and delicious! I love the flavor of basil and it works wonders to this chicken. And that perfectly golden, crispy bread crumb coating that you get to sink your teeth into is incredible. Spaghetti Factory should consider adding it to their menu =). I love this as it is but I think sometime in the future I may even try it with a little bit of lemon zest. Enjoy!

Crispy Pesto Parmesan Chicken
Yields 4-6 servings


Ingredients:
4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup dry white bread crumbs
1/8 tsp onion powder
Olive oil cooking spray


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 13x9 baking dish. In a shallow bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, dried basil, 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, 1/8 tsp garlic powder and season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together Panko bread crumbs, dry white bread crumbs, remaining 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, onion powder, 1/8 tsp garlic powder then season bread crumb mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken in basil (pesto) dressing mixture and coat both sides, then dip in bread crumb mixture and coat both sides (I'd recommend giving a generous dipping in each). Align coated chicken breast halves in a single layer on baking dish. Spray tops of chicken breast halves evenly with olive oil cooking spray. Bake chicken in preheated oven 30-35 minutes until cooked through (I wanted mine nice and golden so I moved the oven rack up a bit during the last minute of baking and broiled them. If you do this don't walk away from them, watch them constantly to prevent over browning). Serve warm.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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My Idea of the Perfect Snickerdoodle Cookies

Is there anything that can replace a fresh, homemade cookie warm out of the oven? Cookies are my weakness in life. Let me rephrase that, cookies are one of my many weaknesses in life. Seriously, why do they have to be so good? If they tasted horrible it would be so much easier to never eat them, but they taste amazing so I can't help but always eat them far too often. That is one reason though that I try create my favorite version of different kinds of cookies. I'm not a very picky eater but I think I know food can be labeled from awful, to bad, to acceptable, to decent, to good, to delicious, to unforgettably extraoridnary. I always am for the unforgettably extraordinary, though I know I wont always achieve it, it pushes me to make things better. I think I also know the difference between an okay cookie and a perfect cookie. 

Let me tell you how I would describe the perfect Snickerdoodle. Where to start? Cinnamon, a must. But, almost always when I add cinnamon I like a little nutmeg, they are companions in my mind. Therefore nutmeg, a must. Als`o important is a fair amount of buttery goodness, shortening and margarine are unacceptable =), they will only ever be able to poorly mimic all that butter can do. Another key, flavor. I don't like things bland so sometimes I add more than the average cookie, hence the vanilla and almond extract. Also, the brown sugar adds another slight layer of flavor. The perfect Snickerdoodle should have a soft, chewy center and an ever so slightly crisp exterior, like a magic shell to bite through. A cookie shouldn't be under-baked or over-baked or basically your end result won't show you what the recipe is intended to create. Texture is another key factor in a great cookie. It should be tender, chewy, fluffy, moist and in my opinion, with a tiny bit of cake-y. That is why I've added the sour cream and cornstarch in this recipe, they both improve the texture. One ingredient many Snickerdoodle recipes have is cream of tartar but I'm not a big fan of the acidic tang it gives the cookies, so the joy of creating your own recipe - you do it exactly as you feel like so I chose to leave it out.

Do you think I'm opinionated about cookies yet or what? I can't hold a long conversation about politics, sports or fashion but if you want to talk food I'm all yours =). I hope you love and share these cookies! Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies 
Yields about 3 dozen cookies


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened 
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar 
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 tsp almond extract (use a 1/2 if you want a slightly more noticeable almond flavor)


1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip together butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and light brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Mix in egg and egg yolk. Stir in sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Add in dry mixture and mix just until combine. Allow mixture to rest 20 minutes at room temperature. In a separate small bowl, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Scoop dough out by the heaping tablespoonfuls (each ball should be about 1 1/2 Tbsp) and roll into balls, then roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture (give them a good coating). Bake on Silpat lined or buttered cookie sheets in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Cream Puff Pie (aka cream puff cake or eclair cake)

 Let me state things plainly, you are going to want to make this pie =). It is one of the easiest and tastiest pies I've ever made. I adore cream puffs. Basically I could eat about 20 or more in one sitting (if I didn't exercise any self control). So, when I saw this cake, and noticed how many of the reviewers had made a pie version of it I knew I had to give it a try. I don't want a little wimpy piece of cake I want a big slice of pie! I'm so glad I tried this pie. I like it equally as much, if not more than cream puffs. 
I used a different pastry cream than that listed on the original recipe. I like to call it "cheaters pastry cream" because it is made from a boxed pudding mix. It's not often I use mixes when I cook and bake but in this case, for pastry cream, I love to. It always guarantees the perfect consistency, a great texture, and I also like how it's just a bit sweeter than your average pastry cream that's made from scratch. I don't know if I would love it so much if it weren't loaded with so much cream though =). I've said it before, cream makes everything better. Yes, my Momma taught me right. She loves cream and she definitely handed that down to me. You will find this pie is anything but shy on the cream. That is what makes it so incredibly creamy, delicious and decadently divine. You may even want to make two of these because they are going to go quick. Enjoy and share! 

Cream Puff Pie
Yields about 8 - 10 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk (preferably whole or 2%)
1 (5.1 oz) package instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding mix

3/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:
To prepare puff pastry pie shell:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter a 9 inch pie dish, set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes together forming a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and while stirring, add in eggs one at a time mixing until well combine after each addition. Using buttered hands, spread mixture into an even layer over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pie dish. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool pie shell completely. Meanwhile (you can do this while the pie shell bakes), prepare chocolate sauce by combining semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave chocolate mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Cool completely (it needs to be cool or it will melt the whipped cream, you can chill it in the fridge while the pie shell bakes and cools, then reheat it slightly in the microwave on HIGH power in 5 second intervals, stirring after each interval until desired consistency is reached).

To prepare cheaters pastry cream:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, milk and pudding mix, for about 3 minutes until mixture has thickened. Spread pastry cream into an even layer over cooled puff pastry pie shell (note that it's pretty much inevitable that you're going to have some bubbles in the pie shell, you can try and flatten them a bit before spreading in the filling).

To prepare sweetened whipped cream:
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 3/4 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add in granulated sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread sweetened whipped cream evenly over pastry cream layer.

Cut pie into slices and drizzle each slice with cooled chocolate sauce. Serve immediately. Note: this pie is best served the day prepared. Also note, the sweetened whipped cream will begin to separate after about 3 hours so plan accordingly. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

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