Quinoa Chocolate Cupcakes

Here is a special treat for all of you gluten-free goddesses out there....chocolate cupcakes! These treats are something that I really missed after going gluten-free and I am so excited to have found this delicious recipe from an awesome blog you should all check out, Muffin Tin Mania. 

I was surprised at the texture of these cupcakes and how moist and chocolatey they were. I honestly think they taste just as good as normal chocolate cupcakes. I plan on using this base recipe to make other flavors of cupcakes. I made a mean pineapple coconut a couple of weeks ago and I think the quinoa base would be perfect for those. Another plus of these GF cupcakes is that the base is quinoa, which is one of few complete proteins. So....even though there is sugar, butter and oil on the ingredient list, these are basically a health food, right? Ha! Well, maybe not quite, but I also did go ahead and add some ground golden flax to up your Omega 3, protein and fiber intake! Next time I make these, I am planning on subbing the oil for applesauce and I think that should keep them just as moist as before, but cut some of the cals!


And because I couldn't resist, I added my standard frosting that I get requests by the bag full from friends...Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting. Oh yeah, get it.


Ingredients: (as adapted from Muffin Tin Mania)

2/3 cup beige quinoa (uncooked)

1/3 cup low-fat milk (I used rice milk)

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coffee extract (I brewed 1/2 cup of dark roast espresso)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup palm or other raw style sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground golden flax

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and 1 1/3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 12 minutes, or until water has absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, peanut butter and coffee extract in a blender and process until mixed. Add cooked quinoa, oil and butter and blend until smooth.

3. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and flax in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients to bowl and mix until everything is moist. Divide batter in a 12 piece muffin tin that you have coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool before taking out of the tin.


Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting
1. 8 oz cream cheese
2. 4 cups powdered sugar
3. 4 oz unsalted butter, softened
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 1/3 cup Bailey's or another Irish Cream Liquer


Mix it up until smooth!

Enjoy!!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Mmmmmm another 4th of July favorite, so celebratory! This year, to celebrate our great nation's birthday, I headed back to my hometown to spend the weekend with my wonderful parents. Mom and I of course had all of these yummies planned, and we had already made these delicious cake balls a couple of weeks earlier for the birthday of one of my coworkers. They were so good, we knew we had to make them again.

So, Happy Birthday, once again to America! Enjoy these red velvet cake balls!

Cappuccino Parfaits

Holy great after-dinner treat, or let's face it...Sunday afternoon snack?? This cappuccino parfait is so creamy and delicious, it will literally melt on your tongue in espresso caffeine jolting goodness :) I had to try these out first for myself, but are going to be so fun to serve to my girlfriends for brunch or my fabulous neighbor girls for one of our tea parties. After all, at these tea parties, we only wear tutus, tiaras and eat and drink fabulous things. Seriously, these girls are the most wonderful pint-size treats in my life, love every minute with them.

Have fun and serve these parfaits in different juice glasses to add some whimsy to your party. One of my favorite things is to explore antique shops and thrift stores in search of fun juice glasses. My dear mother started me on this and neither one of us ever passes up a fun and unique addition for my collection!

Recipe courtesy of Everyday Cookbook of Martha Stewart Living.

Ingredients:
1 container part-skim ricotta (15 oz)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Instructions:
1. Puree ricotta, sugar and espresso powder until very smooth
2. Divide evenly in glasses
3. Add a little something special by sprinkling espresso powder on top and maybe a coffee beans or chocolate chips for good measure ;)

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Ruffle Cake

Ok friends, seriously now, how good does this cake look? I have been dying to try this frosting technique after a friend sent me this to-die-for picture of a pink ruffle cake made for a 5 year-old's princess birthday party. If I were that little girl, I think I would have squealed, screamed and jumped up and down, as I'm sure this special little princess did.

Instead of making my ruffle cake for a delightful little darling, I made mine for my wonderful coworkers. Really, I just like to give them sugar to keep everyone on a high throughout the day ;)

This cake is so fun and elegant and red velvet, please....you can do no wrong with that choice, use this frosting technique for any occasion and wow everyone. I have also included an easy how-to video,  courtesy of sweetandsaucyshop to help you get started!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups AP flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz red food coloring

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans
3. Lightly whisk eggs in a bowl. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir with whisk until mixed well.
4. Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine really well.
5. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute, or until completely combined.
6. Pour cake mix into both pans and drop the pans on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
7. Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Let cakes slightly cool, then, remove them from the pans, cover in plastic wrap and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:
I used store-bought cream cheese frosting for this cake, and honestly, no one even knew!

Have so much fun making this cake!! Enjoy!

Kahlua Kupkakes

 Well friends, it certainly has been awhile. Please accept my dearest apology for being mad crazy absent from my food blogging life. The fall is most definitely a busy time in Nebraska when you work for a University where football reigns king. Although my mighty Huskers did not have the storybook ending to the Big 12 we were all hoping for, we will now gallantly ride off into the distance and arrive in the good company of the Big Ten!

I was planning on "kickstarting" the blog up again with a New Year's post, well you can guess how that went, since it is now the 14th of January. Whoopsies. But in another attempt to have a great homecoming back to my little online home away from home, I am getting back to the blog after being named an Aries! The first sign, the color of red, the sign of fire, the representative of....birth? Excuse me? My symbol is now a ram and a uterus? I'm not sure my old Taurus stubborn ways are ok with this change, but since apparently Taurus was lazy and I am now an active Aries, I better get back on blogging regularly! I have a new personality, new traits, I hope I'm still in the correct career field. Good thing I'm not married yet, because I could have married the completely wrong person if I would have matched him up with my sign, phew.

So in an attempt to start living my life as an Aries, with no further adieu, I give you Kahlua Kupkakes in celebration of Jeff's birthday, new signs, and our belated-but-sure-to-be-a-great-time staff holiday party!!

(As adapted and changed from Annie's Eats)
Yield: approx. 20-24 cupcakes
Ingredients:

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup warm water
¾ cup buttermilk
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. Kahlua

For the Kahlua: Of course, you could just go out and buy some Kahlua, but why not make it yourself? Here is an easy recipe for homemade Kahlua!
12 cups Toffee flavored coffee (brew your favorite kind or flavor for a fun twist!)
2 pounds sugar (white, brown, you pick)
1 bottle Everclear

Boil coffee and add sugar, stir until dissolved. Let cool. Add Everclear and mix it up! Bottle and share with your friends, or have a party and tell everyone to bring a different coffee flavor so you can trade :)


For the frosting:
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powder sugar
7-8 tbsp. Kahlua
2 tbsp. heavy cream (I used 1% milk, because that's what I had in the fridge)


Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F
2. Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk well to blend.
4. Mix the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil,  vanilla extract and Kahlua in a separate bowl.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high speed until smooth, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake until the tops look set, about 18-20 minutes. When cupcakes look finished, stick a toothpick in the middle of a cake and if it comes out clean, they are ready to come out!
7. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.  Poke a few holes in the top of each cupcake with a fork and brush with Kahlua while still warm. Allow to cool completely.

 

To make the frosting:
1. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Mix in the powder sugar slowly until incorporated.
3. Add in the Kahlua and beat on medium speed until well blended.
4. Pour in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Thank you for joining me on my first addition back to blogging as an Aries, I appreciate all of you and hope you enjoy these delightful treats!!

PB & Chocolate Pie

I really can't think of two ingredients that go better together. I absolutely love peanut butter and chocolate. Let's be honest, each is so delicious on their own, why wouldn't you want to combine them? I made this pie for my church at our annual soup supper and it was quite the hit. I even had women coming into the pie room reserving pieces of my pie!

If you are a pb and choc fanatic like I am, you will not regret making this pie. Did I mention it is pretty much the easiest thing EVER to make? Because it is.

Recipe courtesy of Kraft foods Food & Family magazine

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter, divided
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) Jello-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping, divided
1 Oreo Pie Crust (6 oz)
3 squares Baker's Semi Sweet Chocolate

Instructions:
1. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter until well blended. Add milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Whisk 1 cup Cool Whip; spoon into crust. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, microwave remaining Cool Whip and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on high 1 1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool completely.
3. Spread chocolate mixture over pudding layer in crust. Microwave remaining peanut butter in small microwaveable measuring cup or bowl 30 sec.; stir. Drizzle over pie. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

Lick your lips and devour your yummy pie!

Sweet Potato Pecan Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm back, I'm back! I have been in a baking rut this past month and the only thing I can equate it to is the oven-temperatures outside. Because every time I step out into the lovely summer Nebraska weather I feel like I'm sitting on the lower rack of my oven, I find it slightly difficult to get home to my AC'd house and turn on my delicious-treat-making oven!

Well, after my best friend Courtney of Ice Cream & Wine sent me an article of 10 delicious cupcake recipes from myrecipes.com, I was inspired once again! As I played the slideshow of my luscious choices over and over one cake in particular stood out again and again. Although I plan on making every flavor, the winner for the weekend is Sweet Potato-Pecan with Cream Cheese Frosting. For any of you who know me or have read through my other sweet treat recipes, you are well-aware that I do not like frosting. Yes, many think I am slightly nutty but I just can't stand a sugary gritty sweet texture in my mouth. And that is not what she said...

These cupcakes are absolutely superb and I hope you enjoy them as much as my friends and family did! I also thought of a way to cut some calories but haven't experimented with it yet. Use 1/2 cup butter instead of a full cup, use 1 1/4 cup sugar instead of 2 cups, add an extra egg and add 1/3 cup applesauce. Just a thought, I'll let you know how that turns out when I whip it up!

Recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 (16 oz) can mashed sweet potatos (I could only find cut canned sp's but with a little hand mixer action, mashed was no problemo!)
2/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting mixed with ground cinnamon for an extra kick!

Instructions:
1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes
3. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition
4. Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice and vanilla. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place baking cups in muffin pans, spoon batter into cups, filling 2/3 (I did about 3/4 because I like big cupcakes!) full
5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool. Decorate cupcakes with frosting and garnish if you so desire!

Oh, and be ready to see these more often when C and I open our cupcake shop. Girls can dream.

Mmmmm...the aftermath of my mom and I taste testing the finished product.

Patriotic Parfaits

Happy Fourth of July! I have been so excited for the 4th this year so that I could try out all kinds of fun red, white and blue cakes, cupcakes, breakfast treats and such when my mom dropped the bomb. She is back on weight watchers and would refuse to eat any of my delicious concoctions. What! Seriously? Even for our amazing country's birthday? Shame shame. I love my mother dearly and therefore, I abided her wishes and held back from creating anything containing deliciousness such as butter, oil, sugar, love, bacon grease...you get the picture. After pondering what such delights I could whip up, I decided that fruit parfaits fit the bill and I could even add some love back into those.

This was an extremely easy dessert and we even got my if-it's-not-chocolate-for-dessert-I-don't-eat-it dad to try it! Berries are in season and are on sale, so stock up and impress your friends and family with this sweet treat!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 instant sugar-free white chocolate pudding mixes
2 cups blue berries
2 cups blackberries
4 cups raspberries
whipped topping (I used the reduced or low fat so my mom felt better about it)
mint to garnish

Instructions:
1. Whip up the pudding according to the directions and let chill
2. Simply layer the pudding and berries in fun clear glasses to showcase the colors and layers
3. I put my whipped topping in a bag and cut a bottom corner to pipe it on top

Happy Birthday America!

Vanilla Mango Minicakes with Fresh Blackberries

Ok, so I catered my first event last week and was I ever excited. Pretty recently, a lot of my friends and coworkers have learned how much I enjoy cooking and baking and have been rather intrigued. My roommates tell me they just don't understand how I can be in the kitchen for 3 to 4 hours prepping, baking, plating and frosting. They told me to sit down, take a load off. Then, when I reply that unless they want me to leave some goodies at home I better not sit down...they scream in answer, "keep working, keep going, we want treats!" Ha! I am of course more than happy to make some extra for them and love their input on my new recipes.

For a friend's "golden birthday" she threw a bash downtown and asked me if I would be willing to make the food for her party! I was super excited and humbled that she wanted me to provide the goodies for her birthday and wanted to make sure I did a great job and made all of her favorite foods. She had known about my Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes and really wanted to try those, so put it on the list! She also loves all kinds of dips so I wanted to prepare some delish things to use those great scooper chips. Guacamole and fresh salsa it is!

The last thing I came up with was another sweet treat. Since I was already making a rich chocolate cupcake, I wanted to switch up the flavors and make a lighter fruity cake. I recently bought a new baking pan and was dying to try it out. It is like a muffin pan but instead of each cake being round they are all mini squares. So cute! These vanilla mango mini cakes were light and fluffy and had just a perfect hint of sweet mango flavor. I am definitely going to be making these again!

Ingredients:
1 French Vanilla cake mix
1 bag of frozen chopped mango
1 white chocolate sugar-free instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup water

Irish Car Bomb Surprise Cupcakes

Ok, I'm just going to say it. Two of my absolute most favorite things to indulge in, daily, if necessary are: chocolate and alcohol. Yep, there it is. I'm just throwing it out there, judge me. But you may think twice after you take a bite of these Heavenly delights. As I was thinking about a special dessert I could make for a coworker's birthday I was thinking about some delectable combinations that would mix and marry with outrageously wicked results. I was still in a bit 'o an Irish mood, let's be honest, when am I not in an Irish mood, and saw a recipe that I could really work with. If you haven't looked at Annie's Eats Blog, you MUST! She makes absolutely fabulous food and has great pictures and inventive recipes. I altered her recipe for Guiness and Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes and made mine the "semi homemade way".

Decorating and plating these cupcakes in my own special way was the most fun part of this process and the result was ah-ma-zing. As those who know me can attest, I am NOT a frosting person. I will scrape frosting off, I will give it away and I will eat around it. I always want a center piece of a cake so that I don't have to deal with all of that sweet cream. Well, let me tell you, do not be surprised if someone finds me at midnight sneaking around piping this frosting into my mouth! I love love love this frosting and insist that it be used. I frosted them before I went to work to ensure freshness and visual appeal. My coworkers went "ga ga" to say the least. They were extremely impressed and gave me extremely generous compliments for the fun and easy task I performed. I was even told that I should now extend my specialities to not only event planning for weddings, but also offering the service of providing (at an extra cost, of course) the groom's cake!

I wanted to make sure I had enough for everyone who had found out that I made these delights and it really was worth it to see the look of pleasure and soon-to-come chocolate coma flash across their faces. Because of the popularity of these cupcakes, I will be making them the next 2 weekends, one for my Grandpa's 87th birthday and then next when one of my best friends, Courtney, (and fellow food blogger @ Ice Cream & Wine ) comes to town for a visit!

I hope you enjoy my combination of my sweet indulgences and decide it's about time to combine the things that you love!

Ingredients:

Cake
1. Devil's food cake mix
2. 1 cup Guinness
3. 6 tbsp unsalted butter
4. 2 large eggs
5. 2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache
1. 6 oz bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (reserve 1/2 ounce for chocolate shavings)
2. 2/3 cup heavy cream
3. 2 tbsp unsweetened butter
3. 1 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

Frosting
1. 1 tub cream cheese frosting (any brand will do)
2. 6 tbsp. Bailey's Irish Cream
Yep, that's it.

Directions:

Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line your cupcake pan with liners.
2. Simmer Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When combo begins to simmer, add 1/2 of the cake mix and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine eggs and sour cream and whisk until smooth.
4. Combine the remaining dry ingredients, Guinness batter and sour cream and eggs and mix until all are incorporated.
5. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 to 3/4 full.
6. Bake for about 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Allow to cool on a wire rack completely.

Ganache
1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering. Pour over the chocolate in a small glass or stainless bowl. Let sit for about a minute and then whisk until smooth.
2. Be sure the chocolate is completely melted and then add the butter and Bailey's and stir until combined. Cool mixture, in refrigerator if necessary, until thickened. (If you place it in the fridge, be sure to mix every 10 minutes or so to ensure smooth consistency)

Frosting
1. Mix frosting and Bailey's until smooth! (Sounds way too easy doesn't it?)

Please frost and decorate the cupcakes any way you choose and let me in on your creative secrets! But, to frost them as I have listen up: This is extremely easy and looks uber professional. Simply use a paring knife to cut a hole in the center of the cupcake. Pipe the ganache in the hole. (An easy method I use for piping is to simply place your ganache and frosting, respectively, in a Zip Loc bag, remove the air and snip a corner at the bottom.) Then, pipe the frosting around the ganache hole or all over, if you want a lot of delicious frosting, place the cut out on top of the frosting and sprinkle on the chocolate shavings. Super easy and extremely attractive!

Yummy Chewy Chocolate Cookies

The ideal chocolate chip cookie. Many search for years and experiment endlessly trying to perfect this simple yet oh-so-complex cookie. The chocolate chip cookie has been a favorite since 1930 when Ruth Wakefield created the delightful delicacy at the Toll House inn she and her husband ran. My mother makes absolutely divine chocolate chip cookies and after being raised on her recipe I found it difficult to create anything but. Until now. I am somewhat of a chocoholic and get my fix from Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips that I keep in my fridge. I am also a cofeeaholic. I like it strong and I like it dark.

While in my favorite thinking spot (my kitchen) I decided to combine my guilty pleasures to create my version of the ideal chocolate chip cookie. It is adapted from the recipe on the Ghirardelli bag with personal changes and additions to make it my own. The cookie is soft and moist has an almost cake-like texture. The addition of the applesauce cuts down on calories while contributing to the cakey texture. Espresso powder is my secret (not-so-secret now) ingredient and adds a bit of a kick to the cookies while mixing its bitterness beautifully with the bitterness of the dark chocolate chips. Enjoy these scrumptious treats and share them with friends and family (or you might inhale them all yourself!)

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar-free applesauce (cinnamon applesauce is delicious as well)

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp espresso powder

2 large eggs

2 cups Ghirardelli chocolate chips (or your favorite, but this one is the best!)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375F

2. Combine flour with baking soda and salt, then set aside

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until smooth

4. Add vanilla, eggs and espresso powder one at a time while mixing on low until all combined

5. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture

6. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts

7. Place mixture in freezer for 5 minutes

8. Form small tablespoon-sized balls (I use a cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper)

9. Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown, let sit on the cookie sheet to cool

10. Dig in!!