Strawberry Cupcakes...It Doesn't Get Much Better!

This recipe is by far one of the most requested when I am bringing cupcakes somewhere! It tastes like eating fresh strawberries and they are so delicious. The recipe is actually a 3 layer cake recipe that comes from The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook by Anne Byrne. I liked the cake so much that I simply made it into cupcakes! I did make one little tweak on the amount of flour and I find it made it work better as a cupcake. I also added vanilla to the icing. I hope you and yours enjoy them as much as me!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Icing
Makes 2-2 1/2 dozen cupcakes

Cake:
- 1 package plain white cake mix
- 1 (3 oz.) package strawberry gelatin
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Set them aside.
2. Place the cake mix, strawberry gelatin, flour, oil, sugar, milk, eggs, and strawberries and juice in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The strawberries should be well blended into the batter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups (fill about 2/3-3/4 full) and place them in the oven. I find an ice cream scoop to be very helpful in filling the muffin cups.
3. Bake 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out mostly clean. Cool on a cooling rack in the pans about 10 minutes and remove to cool completely before frosting.

Icing:
It may require more than one batch of icing, depending on how much you like!
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, or more if needed
- 1/2 finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice, more if needed
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla

1. Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and blend it with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy. Stop the machine and add 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup strawberries and juice. Blend on low speed until the frosting is creamy and of spreadable (or piping) consistency. If it is too thin, add more sugar. If it too thick, add more strawberries.
2. Either spread or pipe (using a 1M tip) the icing on the cupcakes and decorate as desired using sprinkles, fresh strawberries, or anything you like!

Yummy Crab Cakes

I made crab cakes for the first time last night. They were delicious. By delicious I mean perhaps the best crab cakes I've tasted...but I don't mean to brag. It's difficult to go wrong when you have lump crab meat in a cake! A couple of people asked for the recipe so here it is, as best as I can write it down. Sometimes I cook with a dash of this, a sprinkle of that, and a little bit of love. ;) So, try this out and let me know what you think!

Crab Cakes

1 pound lump crab meat (about 2 cups)
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 cup onion and celery, chopped
1 egg, well beaten
Salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
Butter cracker crumbs (I used Club)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute' the onion and celery until soft and translucent. Remove the skillet from the heat. In a bowl mix the crab meat, mayonnaise, ground mustard, parsley, sauteed vegetables, and seasoning to taste. Add the egg and mix. Form into patties (I used an ice cream scoop to make them uniform) and coat in cracker crumbs. Return the skillet to the heat and add  remaining olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the cakes and cook them until browned on both sides. The ice cream scoop makes a pretty decent sized cake, so I was able to get 4 out of it. Enjoy!

3 Minute Nutella Chocolate Cake

My friend, Lacie, sent me a text the other night about this chocolate cake she made. In a mug. In the microwave. In three minutes! I decided to give it a try tonight and added my own little twist! It is tasty and rich...and perfect when you need a little chocolate fix!

Three Minute Chocolate Cake

4 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

4 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons Milk

3 Tablespoons Oil

1-2 Tablespoons Chopped Hazelnuts (optional)

3 Tablespoons Chocolate Chips (optional)

Small Splash of Vanilla

Nutella

French Vanilla (or plain) Cool Whip

Add dry ingredients to a large mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and hazelnuts, if using, and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't worry, it won't explode! Poke holes in the top of the cake and spoon a small amount of Nutella over the top of the warm cake. Move to a plate and serve with Cool Whip...or eat it right out of the mug!

Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes

If you know me at all, you know that my current "thing" is cupcakes. I love, love, love creating and baking yummy and pretty cupcakes. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity it gives me to be creative and, to be honest, I like that people like them! So, one of the fun cupcakes I recently made had a Fruity Pebbles buttercream and it was de-li-cious! As a child this was one of my favorite cereals so this one was very nostalgic for me. I used a Funfetti cake mix for the cake. I would definitely recommend serving these pretty quickly if you want the texture of the cereal. When they sit for a while the flavor develops more but they also become a little chewy. Anyway, enough commentary! Here's the recipe for the buttercream. Make these and enjoy them!

Fruity Pebble Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely crushed Fruity Pebbles (about 2 1/2 cups un-crushed)
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups powdered sugar (You may need more for piping consistency)
• 2 Tablespoons milk

How to Make

1. Cream your butter and shortening together until smooth
2. On low speed slowly add in your powdered sugar, when incorporated, add your milk and turn speed up to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Turn back to low speed and add in your crushed Fruity Pebbles cereal and mix until incorporated.

Recipe adapted and inspired by The Novice Chef

A Sweet Giveaway!

I realize it's been a while since I've posted anything here. To say it's been busy would be an understatement! So, I'm working on getting back at it. For my first post back, I want to share this giveaway by Janey Pie Photography. She's done some great work for some of my family and I'd like you to check out the blog and the info about the giveaway! You can find it here.

My Favorite Girls

Last week two of the most precious children ever born came for a visit! I got to spend 5 days with my beautiful nieces, Payton and Parker. They are already almost a year old...it's hard to believe how time flies! Here are a couple of pictures from our time together. I can hardly wait for the next visit I will have with them...their first birthday!

 

Sweet Parker playing games under the coffee table.

 

Payton and I did a little grocery shopping. This might be one of my best memories with her!

 

While Payton and I were at the grocery store, Parker had some fun with the wet wipes!

 

Payton loved her time in the Jenny Jump-Up but she wore herself out!

 

 

The girls loved being with Dixie! They took every chance they had to spend "quality time" with her!

No Room for What-ifs

I never intended for my blog to become all about recipes...although recipes definitely fit in the category of my favorite things! However, there is much more to my favorite things! One of my other favorites is books. Reading has always been one of my favorite things to do. I like seeing a bookshelf full and could get lost for hours in a book store. My genre of choice is typically fiction. Recently a friend of mine has been "encouraging" me to read something different...a biography. Specifically, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom's biography. It took me a little while to get into it but I'm so glad I read it and will now recommend it to anyone who will listen! There are two quotes that have been incredibly meaningful to me at this juncture in my life:

"There are no 'ifs' in God's world and no places safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety...let us pray that we may always know it!" spoken to Corrie by her sister, Betsie

"There are no 'ifs' in God's kingdom. I could hear her soft voice saying it. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don't let me go mad by poking about outside it." Corrie ten Boom

As I have been struggling through the sadness of leaving Brook Hills, I have asked many what-if questions.  What if the timing of Scott's coming had been different...would I still leave? What if things had always been good...would I still leave? What if I had pursued China harder...would I be moving there instead? What if I was going to China...would I be seen as a "better" or "more radical" Christian? These are just a few of the questions that have been floating in my head. Then one day I had a realization that I needed to reevaluate the way I was thinking. My thoughts were being driven by pride and sadness rather than faith.

I am incredibly excited about moving to Pineville Park and I am fully confident that this is where the Lord is leading at this point in my life. He has opened an amazing door to be part of his work in an amazing congregation. I am thrilled at the opportunity to do life with them and to be part of the disciple-making process there. It is going to be hard some days (all of life is) but it's going to be amazing some days, too! I am excited and humbled that God has chosen me to be part of this great congregation!

The what-if questions have led me to realize, like Corrie, that if I am going to truly trust God's sovereignty as I say I do, then there is no room for what-ifs. God has this thing rigged! He knew where he wanted me. He aligned the circumstances, the timing, and the location for his glory. It's not about me. It's about him and I'm ready to be part of his great work in Pineville and central Louisiana!

PB&J Cupcakes

My two favorite foods...peanut butter and cheese, any kind of cheese. I don't need the two together but I think one or both will make almost anything taste better! So, my friend, knowing my fondness of peanut butter and baking, told me about a cake she made and I decided to make it into cupcakes! So here's the recipe for yummy PB&J cupcakes! You could also make a layer cake instead of cupcakes. Bake 2 round cakes instead of cupcakes, use the jelly as the filling, and frost it with the peanut butter buttercream.

For the cakes, bake one box of yellow cake mix according to the box directions. When making cupcakes, I like to use an ice cream scoop like this. I find it keeps them uniform and cuts down on the mess. Once the cupcakes are done, let them cool completely on a cooling rack while you prepare the buttercream. Here's the recipe...

Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing
Recipe from Wilton

1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening (I typically use Crisco)
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lb. pure cane confectioners sugar
4-6 tablespoons milk

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Re-whip before use.

Once the cupcakes are cool, you are ready to fill them with jelly/jam/spread. I have used both grape and strawberry. You can use any flavor you like. To fill them, there are two option. The first is to use the Bismark 230 tip (sold by Wilton) and a piping bag. Insert the tip then squeeze the jelly into the cupcake as you remove the tip (that's what I did for the ones in the picture below). The second is to use a cupcake corer and fill the hole with the jelly. Once you have them filled they should look something like this:

 

After this, frost the cupcakes with the peanut butter buttercream. I like to use a piping bag fitted with the 1M or 2D tip. As a topper, I used gummy snacks in the shape of the fruit filling. As you can see above, there were grape and strawberry. Here's what the finished product looks like:

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

These are yummy, yummy, yummy! I made them to bring to work today and they were quite a hit. Here are the recipes I used for the sugar cookie cake and the cinnamon buttercream icing.

Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
recipe by Baked Perfection

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Recipe makes approximately 30 cupcakes.

Cinnamon Buttercream

recipe by Wilton

 

1 cup solid white vegetable shortening (I use Crisco brand)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

10 1/2 teaspoons water

1 lb. pure cane confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon Wilton meringue powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt (optional)

Cream shortening and water in an electric mixer. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Add flavorings and blend an additional minute or so, until creamy. Makes 2 1/2 cups icing. I used a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip.

My Favorite Soup

My favorite soup (aside from those my mom makes) is the Queen's Soup at Atwood's Bakery in Alexandria. It is a think creamy soup with wild rice and chicken. I have found the recipe here by John Folse. Today I got an email from Bisquick with a quicker and easier version that's almost just as good! I tweaked a couple of things (some on purpose, one on accident) that you'll see in green. I thought I'd pass it along! Let me know if you try it!

Here's the recipe:

2

tablespoons butter or margarine

2

medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)

1

medium carrot, coarsely shredded (1 cup)

1

medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) I used 3/4 cup

1

small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup) I'm not a fan so I left them out

1/4

cup Original Bisquick® or Bisquick Heart Smart® mix

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1/4

teaspoon dried thyme leaves, if desired

1

cup water

1

can (10 1/2 oz) condensed chicken broth

1 1/2

cups canned or frozen cooked wild rice I couldn't find it in the freezer or can so I used the Far East brand white and wild rice mix and prepared it according to the directions, omitting the spice packet

1

cup half-and-half I used fat free

1/3

cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/4

cup chopped fresh parsley 

I added 4 shredded cooked chicken breast tenderloins

1. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrot, onion and bell pepper; cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2. Stir in Bisquick mix, salt, pepper and thyme. Stir in water, broth and wild rice. I added the chicken here. I also accidentally added the half and half here. It didn't ruin it. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in half-and-half, almonds and parsley. Heat just until hot (do not boil).

Makes 4 servings (1 1/4 cups each)