Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

 from Dreamcakes in Birmingham, Alabama
Makes:  16 cupcakes
Hands-on time:  1 hour
Total time:  2 hours

½ cup cocoa
1 cup boiling water
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup, plus 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache*
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting**

1  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until blended and smooth; cool.
3.  Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
4.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.
5.   Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin pans, filling each cup two-thirds full.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool completely on wire racks.
6.  Insert a round metal tip into a large decorating bag; fill with 2 cup cooled Chocolate Ganache.  Insert metal tip 1 inch into top of cupcake; squeeze about 1 Tbsp filling into cupcake.  Repeat process with remaining cupcakes.  Place remaining ganache in squeeze bottle; set aside.
7.  Spread Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting onto cupcakes. Drizzle each cupcake with reserved ganache.

* Chocolate Ganache
Place 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil; remove from heat.  Place 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped, in a bowl.  Gradually add hot cream to the chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.

** Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Beat ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened and 1 cup creamy peanut butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar; beat at low speed until blended.  Add 1/3 to ½ cup heavy cream and 2 additional cups powdered sugar;  beat at low speed until blended.  Add more cream, beating until frosting is easy to spread.

Lemonade Sunshine Cupcakes

 from Evelyn’s Kitchen in New York City
Makes:  18 cupcakes
Hands-on time:  1 hour
Total time:  2 hours

6 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick) unslated butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Lemonade Frosting*

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Process chocolate in food processor until finely chopped.  Toss chocolate with 1 Tbsp flour; set aside.

2.  Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

3.  Whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, salt and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with milk.  Begin and end with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.  Add lemon zest and juice; beat for 1 minute.  Stir in chocolate.  Spoon batter into lined muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until cupcakes are firm but not dry.  Remove and cool completely on wire racks.  Top with Lemonade Frosting.

* Lemonade Frosting

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp sea salt
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted and divided
1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest

1.  Beat butter and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds or until smooth and creamy.
2.  Add half of powdered sugar, milk and half-and-half, beating until blended; scrape down sides of bowl.  Add remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, beating until blended and stopping to scrape bowl as needed.  Beat mixture on high speed 5 to 6 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Strawberry Cupcakes

 from Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills
Makes:  12 cupcakes
Hands-on time:  1 hour 20 minutes
Total time:  2 hours 20 minutes

2/3 cup halved fresh strawberries
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp Kosher salt
Strawberry Frosting*

1.  Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.  Puree strawberries in food processor.  Combine with milk and vanilla; set aside.

2.  Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add egg and egg whites, one at a time, at medium speed.

3.  Whisk flour with baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture.  Begin and end with flour mixture.  Beat at low speed after each addition.

4.  Spoon batter into lined muffin pans.  Bake 20 minutes or until tops are dry to the touch.  Remove and cool on wire racks.  Top with Strawberry Frosting.

* Strawberry Frosting                                                                                                                      
Puree ½ cup halved fresh strawberries in food processor.  Reserve 3 Tbsp puree; save extra for other uses.  Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter and 1/8 tsp Kosher salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar at low speed until blended.  Add 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract and 3 Tbsp strawberry puree; beat just until blended, thick and creamy.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 red pepper (roasted or pan fried until tender)
2-3 carrots
2 small zucchini
2 cans of diced tomatoes (w/oregano seasoning)
4 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of red wine
1 cup of cooked rice (brown or white)
1 lb of italian sausage (browned)
Italian Seasonings
Garlic powder
oregano
salt & pepper

Combine the roasted red pepper with the cans of tomatoes and red wine in a food processor and puree.  Meanwhile sautee the carrots for a few minutes in olive oil and add the chicken broth and zucchini. Add the pureed mixture and spices (to your taste) and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add the sausage during the last 5 minutes. Fill each individual bowl with a 1/4 cup of rice and pour soup over top. Serves 4-6

Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER

If you've ever had these cookies from my house,  you know EXACTLY the ones I'm talking about.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened (salted or unsalted both work)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I've used 60% cacao and semi-sweet and they both taste great - I have to admit that butterscotch and white chocolate probably need much fewer chips, as they turn out pretty darn strong!)

Mix butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until creamy.
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until blended.
Fold in oats.
Stir in chocolate.

I do all of this with a stand mixer, but by hand would work too.

Drop 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes.

These might just change your life. 

you're welcome.