Carrot Cake Pancakes

How I love a stack of hot of the griddle, drenched in syrup, fancy pancakes! Here's a recipe you are definitely going to want to add to the weekend mornings breakfast rotation. I think I could probably eat the entire batch of pancakes by myself =). They really do taste just like fluffy, sweetly spiced carrot cake, especially when they are smothered with Vanilla Cream or Cream Cheese Syrup. My obvious inspiration for these was the real thing, and I looked to my favorite carrot cake recipe to create this one. I would say for serving, one of the two syrups listed is a must, maple syrup just doesn't cut it with these. Also, I've never liked nuts in carrot cake only sprinkled over the frosting. That's why with these I chose to sprinkle them over the top, but if you like nuts in your carrot cake then feel free to mix some into the batter with these. 

If you were wondering why I decided to soak the carrots overnight with the buttermilk and sugar, it's because I wanted to give the carrots a head start softening and I thought adding the sugar would help draw some of the natural sugars out of the carrots (but really what do I know, I just experiment and if it tastes good then something scientifically genius must have happened =). I love the natural orange color it gives the pancakes too. Enjoy! Breakfast shouldn't always come from a box. 

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Yields about 8 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, about 3 medium carrots

1 cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (applesauce would be a good low fat substitute)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 recipe Vanilla Cream Syrup or Cream Cheese Syrup, recipes follow

chopped pecans, for serving

Directions:

In a medium airtight container, whisk together grated carrots, buttermilk and granulated sugar. Cover container and refrigerate overnight.

The following morning, preheat a non-stick griddle to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.  Add egg mixture and carrot mixture to flour mixture and whisk just until combine. Pour about 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup batter onto a buttered if necessary, preheated griddle (if you want more pancakes do 1/4 cup) and gently spread batter out (just slightly, I do this so the centers aren't thicker than the edges) using the back of the measuring cup. Cook pancakes until bubbles begin to appear on the surface and bottom is golden brown then flip and cook opposite side until golden. Serve immediately with Vanilla Cream Syrup or Cream Cheese Syrup and garnish with chopped pecans.

Vanilla Cream Syrup
Yields about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sugar, cream, buttermilk and salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil and sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla, whisk for about 10 seconds until frothy.  Serve warm.  Syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week and reheat before serving. 

Cream Cheese Syrup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in sugar, buttermilk and cream cheese. Cook mixture, whisking constantly until cream cheese has melted. Stir in baking soda and whisk for about 10 seconds until frothy. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week and reheat before serving. 

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Kebobs and a Great Find

Check out this video...

Say what? Disposable bakeware! Has anyone tried these yet? I'm dying to get my hands on some. I absolutely love to cook and bake but I hate the cleanup. These things are genius. I definitely want these at the next dinner party I host. Thank you thank you Chinet for improving the world of cooking. Less stress due to less mess, yes please. I'd rather spend my time in the kitchen making delicious food rather than cleaning up after it. Bake, eat, toss, repeat =).

Feast your eyes on the perfect summer dinner. These Grilled Chicken Kebobs are so tantalizingly delicious! Tender chicken, lightly charred fruit and veggies all finished off with a generous smothering of homemade teriyaki sauce, yes these are wow good! I know the servings I listed says 4 but I might recommend 3, my husband and I each ate about 4 skewers. They were so tasty I just couldn't stop, but they're mostly veggies right? Really these are quite healthy. They are low in fat, full of fruit and veggies and a great source of lean protein from the chicken. I love when I can have a healthy meal that is so amazingly good. Healthy and yummy, it's a definite keeper. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Kebobs
Yields about 4 servings (10 Kebabs)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 small green bell peppers (or 1 1/2 large), diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 small red bell peppers (or 1 1/2 large), diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced into 1 1/2 inch wedges
3 heaping cups fresh pineapple, diced into 1 1/2 inch chunks (and about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick)

Marinade/glaze:
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 tsp molasses
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp cold water
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, light-brown sugar, honey, orange marmalade, molasses, grated ginger, garlic and pepper. Reserve 1 cup of sauce mixture in a bowl in refrigerator and pour remaining sauce over diced chicken in a large ziploc bag. Seal bag and place bag in a bowl (to prevent leaks) in refrigerator and allow chicken to marinate 4 hours in refrigerator. 
To prepare glaze, pour reserved 1 cup sauce into a small saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cold water and cornstarch, then pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan and stir. Bring sauce just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat and allow to gently boil 1 minute,  stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
To prepare kabobs, using either metal skewers or water soaked wood skewers, thread a piece of marinated chicken (discard marinade), followed by an onion wedge, a chunk of red pepper, a chunk of green pepper and a chunk of pineapple, then repeat pattern twice and finish with an additional piece of chicken (I fit 4 pieces of chicken on the kebab total then 3 of everything else).
Grill kebabs over medium heat, 12 - 16 minutes rotating once halfway through grilling, until chicken has fully cooked through. Remove from grill and brush kebabs with teriyaki sauce, serve warm with cooked white or brown rice if desired (alternately you can brush kebabs with teriyaki sauce during the last few minutes of grilling but I say why waste such good sauce that will drip to bottom of the grill).

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

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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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