Recipe

I'm kinda getting bored with blogging. 

I'm thinking about hosting a Valentine's Day Giveaway to create some excitement around here so check back to see what's up!

I do LOVE all things Valentines!
Love the colors, the sweets, the LOVE, the shapes, the decorations....  So today I'm gonna share a recipe that I am going to make for my Valentines. My mother-in-law & sis-in-law made these cupcakes on my birthday and they were soooo good.  I've been looking for an excuse to make them again.  Maybe they were just so good because I didn't have to make them and usually that's the case on my birthday cause I end up making a cake for Colby.  No, I'm pretty sure they were just that good!

I think I may try and copy some of these awesome ideas. 

Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-cupcakes-recipe/index.html

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Fudgy Pudgy Cake

Another cake!!  Yes I love to bake, someday I hope to attend school to be a pastry chef but that day is a few years away.  Until then though I will practice making everything that gets my interest, lately that seems to be cakes.  A couple of weeks ago I made this cake.  I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.  It was really really good, and quite easy to make.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

My cake is on the top, but just to do the cake real justice I included the picture from the magazine where I got the recipe.  I also included the recipe below.

Ingredients

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup butter, softened

2-3/4 cups packed brown sugar

3 eggs

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FILLING:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup 2% milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup butter, softened

GLAZE:

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1/4 cup 2% milk

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Chocolate curls, optional

Directions

In a small bowl, combine cocoa and hot water until smooth; cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and cocoa mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir vanilla.

Pour into three greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool completely. In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in cooled mixture.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake.

For glaze, in a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in cocoa until smooth. Add milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. With an electric mixer, beat in confectioners' sugar until blended. Cool for 15-20 minutes; spread over top of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Oh, and I made these too...

Along with making Jam and making treats for Pack Meeting I also made these delicious Pumpkin Brownies. Oh, they are sooo good and just the right treat for this time of year. I think I will post the recipe so that you can all try the goodness for yourself. After you make them and eat the whole pan all by yourself and gain 5 pounds, don't be mad at me!!!


Pumpkin Brownies

4 eggs
1 2/3 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Oil
1/2 c. applesauce
1 15oz can pumpkin

2 c. flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
Combine wet ingredients. Sift together dry ing. Combine wet and dry and spread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)

1/2 c. butter (softened)

2 tsp vanilla

5 c. powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla and sugar. (I always end up adding at least a 1/2cup more powdered sugar just so it's not so runny)

best banana bread ever

I made this bread today....gonna have to make it again tomorrow because the boys and I ate it all! Seriously so so good. I even added the nuts since Mark is gone and couldn't complain! I left one loaf nut free for the boys, but I love it with the nuts! The recipe calls for Canola oil, but I used Olive Oil instead and it worked just fine and I used Almond Extract instead of Banana Extract(who knew there was such a thing as banana extract?) And I am sure you could use whole wheat flour too, I will have to try that next time. What would we do without Taste of Home, they have the best recipes ever! Seriously you all need to try this one.

Zucchini Banana Bread
Cooking for 2 - try a FREE ISSUE today!
"I got this recipe from a friend at work and now it's one of my favorites," says Donna Hall of Wolfforth, Texas. "it makes three small loaves, but they freeze very well."
SERVINGS: 18
CATEGORY: Lower Fat
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 40 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon banana extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg, bananas, oil and extracts. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Transfer to three 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 3 mini loaves (6 slices each).

Coconut French Toast

One of my favorite cooking magazines, thanks to my mom, is Taste of Home. Their Spring 2008 issue is so great! I tried this Coconut French Toast for breakfast Sunday morning and we loved it! Well, Mark and I loved it, my kids will not eat home made French Toast, they say they only like the frozen French Toast Sticks. Yuck, someday they will learn to appreciate homemade everything! Anyway, this recipe was so easy and so good. Give it a try and let me know what you think. If you like it you can find other great recipes here.

Coconut French Toast Recipe


TIME: Prep/Total Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
12 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 slices day-old bread
1 package (7 ounces) flaked coconut
Maple syrup
Directions: In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, sugar and cinnamon. Add bread, a few slices at a time; let soak for 1 minute on each side. Coat both sides with coconut. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 475° for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with syrup. Yield: 7 servings.