s'mores cupcakes.

i made these cupcakes for this first time this past weekend. i found them on pinterest and my mom asked me to make them for the family for fourth of july. 

for someone who isn't completely in love with chocolate...you really wouldn't know it because i sure keep making over-the-top chocolate desserts.  

ultimate brownies.
s'mores bars.
cookie dough topped brownies.
oreo brownies.

yeah. so. anyway.


these cupcakes are made from scratch and are super yummy.


the marshmallow fluff center is creamy and ah-mazing. 


and, the graham cracker buttercream is basically fantastic. 

the recipe is from your cup of cake. this is the first of her recipes that i have made and i have no doubt that it won't be my last. 

s'mores cupcakes:
--recipe from your cup of cake

chocolate cupcakes:

1 ¾ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder                          

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup boiling water

graham cracker crumbs

marshmallow cream centers:

4 oz cream cheese

½ cup marshmallow cream

1 ½-2 cups powdered sugar

craham cracker buttercream:

8 oz cream cheese

½ cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tablespoons whipping cream or milk (i used milk) 


directions: 
preheat your oven to 360 degrees and line two cupcake tins with liners (this makes about twenty four cupcakes).  spoon about a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of the liner.

in a large bowl, mix sugar, brown sugar, and oil for about three minutes or until smooth. add sour cream and vanilla to sugar mixture.  

add eggs one at a time. gently mix to incorporate. 

in another large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

alternating between the two, add dry ingredients and boiling water to the sugar mixture. mix to combine. 

fill liners about 3/4 full.

bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
let completely cool before adding the cream centers. 

marshmallow cream centers: 
in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, marshmallow cream, and powdered sugar. add more powdered sugar to taste. 

when cupcakes are cooled, remove a small section in the top and pipe the cream into it. 


graham cracker buttercream: 
in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. add powdered sugar, vanilla, and graham cracker crumbs. the mixture will resemble cookie dough until you add enough milk or cream to create buttercream consistency. pipe frosting on top of marshmallow cream filled cupcakes. 

you can also drizzle chocolate and sprinkle with mini marshmallow, only if you want. 

but seriously, why wouldn't you?  

s'mores bars.

i wrote this post a LONG time ago but never got around to baking/taking pictures of them. i finally got a chance to bake tonight :) 

as you may have noticed, i like to bake. a lot. and i like to bring whatever i bake for others to enjoy. because i'm nice like that. so whenever my family gets together, everyone knows i'll be bringing a dessert. and i'm okay with that. and it all started with these sinfully delicious bars. ok, so i realize i make a lot of bars. i'm ok with that as well. i honestly don't remember where i found this recipe. i obviously didn't make it up...it was probably from all recipes. the original recipe is for an 8x8 pan which in my opinion is not enough. especially if you plan on taking the bars any where. plus, if you are going to go through all the effort, you might as well make a 9x13 pan.

so on a side note -- my cousin (whom i love dearly) asked for this recipe so she could make it on her own. i asked her how it went and this was her response: ummmm.... i'm going to need an inside tip or something. can you buy graham cracker crumbs? do you use all that butter? mine just weren't as good as yours...

i love her.

on a second side note -- these were also a huge hit at cookie club. so you know you can't go wrong.

graham cracker layer: 

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup flour

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

chocolate layer:

3-4 hershey's chocolate bars

marshmallow layer:

1 cup marshmallow crème/fluff

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. beat butter & sugar together until light and fluffy. add egg and vanilla. mix well. in another bowl, stir in flour, crumbs, baking powder, and salt. add flour mixture to butter mixture. beat until blended.

Press half of the dough into a lightly greased 8x8 pan. arrange chocolate pieces over dough. spread crème on top (this part is a pain – it is sooo sticky! i don't really have a tip so good luck!). 

layer the second half of the dough on the top of the marshmallow layer.

bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

cookie dough topped brownies.

these have to be the easiest homemade brownies in the world. everything is mixed in a sauce pan. it is fabulous.

plus, cookie dough is amazing. i could eat it every day. 

i have made these a couple times before and every one loves them. they are super rich so don't try to eat the whole pan. you might get sick. don't say i didn't warn you. 

but this time, i decided to make brownie cupcakes...i think they turned out super cute!

like i said, these are super easy and i would almost bet you have everything you need for them in your kitchen right now.

cookie dough covered chocolate brownies + printable version
--mel's kitchen cafe

brownie layer:

1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (i use milk chocolate chips)
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
cookie dough layer:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3 T milk
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
chocolate chips

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. cut butter into small chunks and place in a medium saucepan with chocolate chips. melt over low heat, stirring constantly.

remove from heat when chips are fully melted. 

mix sugar into the melted chocolate mixture. add eggs, one at time. finally, add flour and salt and beat until air bubbles begin to form. pour batter into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan. 

bake for 20 minutes and the turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

cool completely and frost with cookie dough icing.

in a bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. mix in vanilla and milk. gradually add the flour and salt. stir in as many chocolate chips as you like.
cut into bars and store in refrigerator.

pumpkin cheesecake.

last year, for christmas, i asked for a spring-form pan and i actually got one from my boyfriend! i was so excited. i had so many plans for making all kinds of cheesecake. well, not so much. 

cheesecake is so delicious and i do love it but it is kind of a pain to make. 

not to mention, you can't really eat it right away. like don't even plan on eating it the same day. and to be honest, if i am putting the effort in to baking something, i'm thinking that i'm probably not gonna want to wait twenty fours to eat it. 

maybe that's just me. 

however, i am totally powerless when it comes to pumpkin so when i saw the recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake over at brown eyed baker, i knew i had to try it!

i was a little nervous about baking a cheesecake...i really didn't want it to crack or have air bubbles so i am so thankful this one turned out! 

p.s. i am really, really sorry if you are sick of pumpkin...i promise not to post any more pumpkin recipes for a while!  plus, i have a hard time getting appetizing pictures of anything pumpkin...it drives me crazy!

pumpkin cheesecake + printable version

--recipe from brown eyed baker

crust:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (i crushed the cookies in my blender)

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
pinch of salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

cheesecake:
32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
4 eggs, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. double-wrap the bottom and outside of a 9-inch spring-form pan with heavy duty foil. 

in  a large bowl, mix together the crust ingredients and press into the bottom and on the sides of the spring-form pan. bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. remove from oven and cool completely.

bring a large pot of water to a boil to use for a water bath.

in a large bowl or mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the sugars on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about three minutes. add the pumpkin and mix on low until completely fully blended. add the eggs one at a time, beating well until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. next, add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat until well combined, about one minute. lastly, add the cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, cloves and allspice and mix on low to blend.

pour the batter into crust. **tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. 

place the pan into a larger pan and pour the boiling water into the larger pan until it is about halfway up the spring-form pan.

lower oven temperature to 325 F and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the middle still jiggles a little. keep the cheesecake in the oven for about an hour with the door closed. remove from the oven, remove from water bath, take off foil and place on wire rack to cool completely for about two hours. when completely cool, place in refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight. 

serve with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce, if desired.

leftover cheesecake can be wrapped in plastic wrap for about four days or can be frozen for two months.

pumpkin brownies.

i know i said i wouldn't post another pumpkin recipe for a while. but i have to. i'm sorry. so here it is.

this is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes ever. i could seriously eat the entire pan by myself. please act surprised.

my aunt gave it to me and i have been making it for years now. i think the original recipe came from southern living but i that could be wrong. actually, i am kind of annoyed. i used to have a printed out copy of the recipe and last year i decided to write it down on a recipe card and for some crazy reason, i didn't write the entire recipe down?? like as in the amounts for the cream cheese mixture...so this is my improvised version...and don't worry, it is just a good as the original. i promise.
pumpkin brownies + printable version
--possibly southern living? 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla, divided
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
3/4 of a small can of pumpkin
----
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla (remainder from above)


in a large mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. gradually add brown sugar and beat until well blended - about two minutes. add eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla. beat to blend.

in another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and spices. add to butter mixture and beat until well mixed. 

add pumpkin to mixture and beat until just combined. spread in a flour/greased 8x8 pan. 
----
in another bowl, beat softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. add sugar, egg, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. beat until well combined.

drop this mixture by heaping tablespoons on top of the batter. using a butter knife, gently swirl mixture however you like. 


bake about 20 minutes or until center comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted.


serve with caramel sauce and ice cream, if desired.

**i usually double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan but i wanted to try it in a round 8" cake pan...i love the way it looked IN the pan but it was a pain to get out without ruining the cream cheese icing so maybe next time i would make it in my spring-form pan??

pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes.

i found another amazing pumpkin recipe. i could seriously eat a pumpkin treat every day. so so good. this recipe is really easy which i love. i have another recipe i have made for pumpkin cream cheese muffins which are more "homemade" and definitely take more time. however, these may be my new favorite. they are so soft and light...

ahhh - i could eat them all! which is bad news, especially since matt doesn't really care for much pumpkin. oh well...more for me, i guess =) 

pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes + printable version
--kraftfoods.com  

1 pkg of spice cake 
1 pkg of instant vanilla pudding mix (4 serving box)
1 cup canned pumpkin
+ whatever the spice cake recipe calls for on the box (i needed a couple eggs, some water, and vegetable oil) 


8 oz pkg of cream cheese, softened 
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg 

preheat oven to 350. line cupcake tins with 24 liners. 


in a large bowl, prepare cake batter according to directions on box. blend in pudding mix and pumpkin.


spoon mix into prepared liners. 


in a large bowl, whip cream cheese until creamy. add egg and sugar until blended. drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture on top of pumpkin batter.


bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. cool in tins for five minutes. remove and place on cooling racks until completely cool. 

oreo brownies.

i love oreo like nothing else. i almost always get oreo concretes when we get ice cream. it is my favorite. i also am addicted to those white fudge dipped oreos that come out around christmas time. holy cow. those are phenomenal, right?

when i was younger, there was something out there called oreo brownies. it was a box mix. i think betty crocker made it. they were awesome. brownies with a oreo cookie topping and white icing drizzled across. i remember having my sister make them for me for my birthday one year. she's pretty sweet like that. only for whatever reason, i don't think they make them any more. at least they don't sell them here. so when i saw this recipe on my new FAVORITE baking blog, i almost died. i couldn't wait to try them but i kept putting it off, for fear i might eat the whole pan -- not that i would really do that but why even put myself in that situation, right? 

so yesterday, when i was supposed to be writing a paper that was due today, i decided i couldn't wait any longer. i needed to make these right then and there.

oreo brownies + printable version 
-- recipe found at confessions of a cookbook queen

26 to 28 oreos, coarsely chopped
2 TBS butter, melted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (i used milk chocolate)
1/2 cup vanilla or white chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (i don't like nuts -- so i didn't use these)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

preheat oven to 350 degrees. line an 8x8 pan with foil, leaving a little bit over the edges. lightly grease. 

in a large bowl, mix melted butter with chopped oreos. 


spread half oreo mixture on the bottom of the pan. next, layer both types of chips, marshmallows, and nuts. cover with the remaining oreo mixture. 

pour sweetened condensed milk all over the surface of the entire mixture. 

bake for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown. cool to room temperature. remove foil and cut into squares (i stuck my pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes to help pull off the foil).  

 

chocolate eclair dessert.

the other day my mom was telling me all about her girls weekend up to wisconsin with some of her friends from college. one night they had a bonfire on the beach, they did their own facials, and even did yoga on the beach. it sounded amazing. she even told me what they had to eat (and i am super jealous of this woman's kitchen -- 2 dishwashers and 2 ovens! heaven.) anyway, one of the meals included a dessert that seemed super delicious and super easy to make. it was ice cream sandwiches layered in a 9x13 pan with layers of cool whip in between. it sounds yummy. after my mom told me about that dessert, i began to think about another dessert that is sorta kinda similar.

i kind of remember eating this as a kid...so i really hope that my mom actually made this and i am not just making up memories in my head. that would be so bad.

chocolate eclair dessert + printable version
--from my book of recipes...i have no idea where it came from...


box of graham crackers
can of chocolate frosting
8 oz tub of cool whip
2 3 oz instant vanilla pudding mixes
3 cups of milk


in a 9x13 pan place a layer graham crackers. 

in a large mixing bowl, add pudding mixes and milk. stir and let thicken. add cool whip. 


using half of the pudding mixture, pour over the graham cracker layer. repeat another graham cracker layer. add remaining pudding mixture. top with final layer of graham crackers. spread chocolate frosting over the last layer of graham crackers. 


refrigerate until ready to serve. 

cinnamon roll sugar cookies.

cinnamon roll sugar cookies, um...yes please?!

i love, love, love cinnamon rolls. they are definitely one of my favorite things to eat. but to be completely honest, i don't really love making cinnamon rolls. i hate waiting for the dough to rise and then rise again. usually when i want something sweet...i want it right now...not two hours from now.

so when i saw this recipe on the picky palate i thought the idea was fabulous. and don't get me wrong, IT IS. it just isn't as easy as i originally thought it would be. however, they are still delicious and totally worth making.

i decided to make these for cookie club this time and i thought i would cheat a little bit by using pre-made sugar cookie dough. um...yeah, that didn't work out so much. i'm not sure if i could have fixed the issue but the cookie dough seemed to "dry" to roll and kept cracking so i could never get it to roll up into the cinnamon roll log. luckily, i had all the ingredients for the sugar cookie dough recipe posted on the original recipe so i scraped my first attempt and moved onto the next. the dough is great...soft and fluffy BUT you have to let it chill for at least two hours...SO you might as well be making actual CINNAMON ROLLS. so, like i said earlier...these are worth making if you have the patience and the time...

cinnamon roll sugar cookies + printable version

--recipe found on picky palate 

sugar cookie dough**: 
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

cinnamon roll filling: 
12 tablespoons softened butter, (slice 2 Tablespoons 6 times totaling 12 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 cups
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided

in a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter. add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.

in two batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.

once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches X 5 inches.

spread each rolled pieces of dough with 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape.  using a sharp knife (or dental floss), cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. remove and let cool for five minutes before removing from baking sheet.


cream cheese frosting:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk, to thin

beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency.  frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve.  

**according to jenny over at the picky palate...these are 100% times better after they have chilled in the fridge for at least thirty minutes...i honestly enjoyed them fresh out of the oven and chilled...so just do whatever you want!

**makes at least six dozen - so i made the entire sugar cookie dough recipe (it makes a ton) and after i divided it into two batches to chill, i only used one half for my cinnamon roll sugar cookies. i divided it into thirds, like the recipe says and ended up with three dozen cookies. for the filling that means i used half of what the recipe states...and for the frosting i ended up using a half batch of the cream cheese frosting i posted here.

peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting.

i made these a few weeks ago when my boyfriend was out of town. i was bored and needed something to do. instead of my homework for the next day or working on my paper that was due later in the week. things that are actually productive. i chose baking. it so much more fun. i was excited to try this recipe out. i found it on a site called smitten kitchen. this is the first recipe i have made from her. i really, really liked the frosting. i will definitely use that recipe again. but the peach cupcakes were okay. they weren't bad. just okay. i was expecting a bolder peach flavor and it just wasn't there. maybe my peaches weren't ripe enough?? 


**i wouldn't normally want to post something that i am not 100% in love with...BUT i got to thinking...for someone else these might be amazing...so why not? plus, i would hate to waste some good pics =)

peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting + printable version
-- recipe from smitten kitchen 

cupcake batter:

3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt
3 large peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped smallish 

in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and set aside. in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy. add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition, and then vanilla. gently mix in the buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt. add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and carefully fold in the peach chunks.

divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners. bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

frosting:
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

in a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, and beat until smooth. you may need to chill the bowl in the refrigerator until the frosting thickens back up, maybe 30 minutes, then frost/decorate cooled cupcakes. 

 

diet cherry 7up cupcakes.

i know what you are thinking. how in the world can a cupcake be diet? but seriously, it can. kind of. i first heard about diet cupcakes from hungry girl. i also saw it on one of my favorite sites grin and bake it. she has a couple variations that i am dying to try out. she also has a ton of non-diet cupcakes i am also dying to make! so since we have been eating a lot of sweets around here...and since i can't seem to stay away from baking, i figured this was the perfect cupcake for me! plus, these are the easiest cupcakes in the world to make. that immediately makes them a winner in my book. you should definitely try them out. and you can totally play with the flavor combos...another good one would be lemon cake with slice or diet 7up...or if you are chocolate fanatic, maybe try chocolate cake and diet cherry coke??

diet cherry 7up cupcakes + printable version
--recipe from grin and bake it

1 box of white cake mix
1 can of diet cherry 7up
2 egg whites *optional but i would use them if you can!

preheat oven to 350 degrees. add cake mix and egg whites to mixing bowl. pour in can of cherry 7up. follow the cake box directions for amount of mixing time. line 24 cupcakes tins with paper liners, if using. fill each one about 2/3. bake for about 15-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

lowfat cream cheese frosting: 
--recipe from grin and bake it

8 oz. lowfat cream cheese, softened
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

mix cream cheese, marshmallow, lemon juice and vanilla in mixing bowl until combined. gradually add powdered sugar. 

peanut butter brownie trifle.

i love trifles. and i absolutely love my trifle bowl. it has held some of the most wonderful desserts i have ever made. and they are usually super easy to make which makes trifles even better. this week we had a potluck at work and i have been pretty busy with school this week (two tests & a paper due) that i really didn't want to make something super involved. i remembered my trifle bowl and knew that was the answer. matt's mom makes a trifle with brownies that is yummy but i had this recipe in my stash so i decided to give it a try. unfortunately, i didn't get to go to the potluck so i wasn't there to see the response but i did get a text from my coworker, christa, who told me that it was already almost gone! i guess that's a good sign, huh?? 

peanut butter brownie trifle + printable version
--slightly adapted from mel's kitchen cafe

brownie layer:

1 9X13 pan of your favorite brownie recipe (i just used a boxed mix)
10 ounce bag of peanut butter chips

prepare brownie recipe according to directions. add bag of peanut butter chips. pour brownie batter into a 9x13 pan lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. bake for required amount of time.cool completely.

pudding layer:

5 ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 cup cool whip, divided

whisk pudding mix with milk for 2 minutes, or until thickened. you may have to stick in the fridge for it to firm up all the way. add peanut butter and vanilla until creamy. carefully blend in 1/2 cup of cool whip into pudding mixture.

peanut butter cup layer:

24 regular sized (about 2 inches in diameter) peanut butter cups, divided

**i  used a bag of mini reese's & quartered them but next time i would probably chop them smaller.

roughly chop up peanut butter cups into whatever size you prefer. reserve about 1/4 c for garnish. 

when the brownies have cooled, invert onto cutting board and cut into 3/4 in pieces or really whatever size you feel like. 

layer half of the brownies on the bottom of the trifle bowl or whatever bowl you are using. top with half of the pudding mixture and layer half of the remaining chopped reese's. repeat with remaining brownie pieces, pudding, and reese's. use the remaining 1/2 c of cool whip for garnish and top with reserved 1/4 c of reese's.

 **ps...i apologize for my poor quality photos...it was late & i was too tired to care.

oatmeal raisin bars.

i made these bars for the first time a couple weeks ago. honestly, this is one of my favorite bar/cookie recipes. if i could have, i would have eaten the entire 9x13 pan. i am not lying. ask my sister. oatmeal raisin cookies are good but i have a hard time getting the soft, under-baked cookie that i so, so love. this recipe solves that problem. you have to try them. i promise you will love them as much as i do. if you don't, something is terribly wrong with you. 

** i wrote this paragraph right when i began the blog...so it's been a couple months since i originally made these...

BUT we made these bars again last night and my first paragraph was reconfirmed. i L O V E these bars!

so last night we had one of my best friends, alyssa, over for dinner...we just grilled up some steaks and i made some amazing mashed potatoes from pioneer woman's blog (i know this a baking blog but i might have to share this recipe because they are THAT good!), corn on the cob and caesar salad. but i knew i needed some dessert so decided on these. 

for those who know alyssa, never in a million years would you have guessed that she is the one that made these! (she once asked if she could cook on the stove with a metal bowl, yeah...) so when i started to get the ingredients out last night and she asked if she could help and i of course said sure. and before i knew it, she basically made the whole recipe...i'm so proud of her! and don't worry, she knows i am talking about her...she was the one to suggest that these go on the blog this week...she wanted a picture of her "baking" but we couldn't find the camera! maybe next time...

oatmeal raisin bars + printable version

-- from young and hungry cookbook by dave lieberman.

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1/4 inch pieces

1 c sugar

1 c lightly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats

1 cup raisins

preheat oven to 350. grease a 9x11 inch baking pan (yeah, i don't have one of those so i use a 9x13 pan). 

stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. in another bowl, beat margarine, butter, and both sugars until creamy. beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy. add flour mixture to butter mixture in two batches and beat until thoroughly mixed. stir in oats and raisins until they are evenly distributed. 

spoon batter into prepared pan and pat it down to an even layer. (i always spray my hands with non-stick spray or wet them with water, so the batter doesn't stick to my hands) 

bake 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges start to get crispy. remove from oven and cool in the pan. (i only baked mine for 25 so they are a little gooey-er) 

**the recipe says it makes 16  2 x 2 1/2 inch bars

strawberry lemon cupcakes.

i honestly had never heard of cupcakes in a jar before -- they are so flipping cute. my mom's good friend, merry introduced me to this funky way to do dessert. she's pretty awesome like that. her endeavors include a smores one, which i'm sure is to die for, pina colada, and turtles. she may have more but i just haven't heard about them yet! anyway, when my mom told me about merry's cupcake in a jar, i was intrigued. after sneaking a peek of merry's creations on her facebook page (thanks, mom!) i began envisioning flavor combos in my head. i know for sure i want to try some type of pumpkin and spice cake but i figured that should be for later in the fall. so i tried to figured out something summer-y and one thing that came to mind was strawberry lemonade. so i began searching for inspiration for my strawberry lemonade cupcakes and i remembered these babies. i had wanted to make these earlier this year, and never got around to it. so i thought maybe i should turn this "crunkcake" into a cupcake in jar. i did some more research and found another blogger who had made these for a bachelorette party. she commented that the lemon cupcakes turned out "lopsided" and if she made these again, she would probably use a different lemon cake recipe. i decided to find a different recipe and ended up using one i found on your home based mom's blog. the cupcakes were definitely yummy and i would make them again!

i was a little intimidated by the frosting recipe. i had never made meringue frosting before but i am happy to say that it worked great! i loved the hint of malibu (coconut) flavor and thought it was perfect with the lemon and strawberry flavors. i would definitely recommend it!

i am going to have to practice my technique for assembling the cupcakes in jar. i wasn't super please with how they "looked" even though i thought they were delicious. oh well, just means more baking and i'm okay with that =)


strawberry lemon cupcakes + printable version

lemon cupcakes:

1 package lemon cake mix 1 C sour cream
3/4 C water
3/4 C oil 4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

mix together dry ingredients in large bowl (preferably something like your kitchen aid mixer). add wet ingredients. mix on medium speed for about two minutes. it is a pretty thick mixture.

pour batter into prepared cupcake tins, either with paper liners or nonstick spray. i ended up with 24 full cupcakes.

bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. don't over bake.

** the original recipe said that the cupcakes will fall after they come out of the oven. this is normal and you just need to fill up the indentation with more frosting. i definitely had this happen but i wasn't to worried since i knew they were going into the jars.

malibu italian meringue buttercream:

2 egg whites, room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
12 tbsp (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1-2 tablespoons malibu caribbean rum, coconut flavor, to taste

beat the egg whites in the bowl of your mixer with the whisk attachment until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and beat just before stiff peaks form.

while that is going on, stir together the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. when syrup reaches a boil, put your candy thermometer into it and continue boiling, without stirring, until it reaches about 238-242 degrees fahrenheit.

immediately remove from heat and with your mixer on, slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites, beating constantly at high speed and making sure to not pour directly on the side of the bowl. beat meringue until the bowl is cool to the touch.

change out your whisk for your paddle attachment and scrapes down the sides of the bowl. on medium speed, gradually add butter about two pieces at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated. continue beating until buttercream is smooth. **don't worry if your mixture may look curdled before all butter is added - it will come back together before beating is finished. if that doesn’t work, try chilling it a bit in case your meringue was too hot.

finally, add the malibu and mix thoroughly.

strawberry puree:

5 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed - i ended up using fresh 1 teaspoons sugar, more or less (to taste) - i probably ended up using more, big surprise 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, more or less (to taste)
in a blender, pulse strawberries a few times until pureed. stir in the sugar and lemon juice until it taste like you want it to.

sliced strawberries

i only had a few strawberries and i just cut them into slices so only a few of the jars ended up with layers of strawberries.

to assemble: **i used 8 oz jelly jars (i found mine at walmart in the canning section)

because i had never made these before, i definitely experimented a little with how to put these together. my first couple jars, i sliced a cupcake into thirds, horizontally, and put the bottom piece into the bottom of the jar. i then layered sliced strawberries, frosting, another layer of cupcake, some more strawberries and frosting, finishing up with a swirl of frosting (i just used a ziploc bag) and i drizzled strawberry puree on top. i also tried not slicing the cupcake and just used two cupcakes as the layers. another variation was to drizzle strawberry puree in the first layer to soak into the cupcake layer.

but you can really do it however you want!

i was not super happy with how the end product looked from the side view. i thought they ended up being a little too messy so next time i will have to figure out a better way to add the frosting without smearing the glass. i'll let you know what i figure out!