pumpkin.banana.muffins

I don't really like banana bread or pumpkin bread, so I don't really know what sparked my interest in making these muffins other than I had extra pumpkin left over from the pumpkin baked oatmeal and bananas that were quickly rotting, that I needed to use up. I have to tell you though, that they were surprisingly good! The recipe didn't call for chocolate chips, but I added them to half the batch and I have to say I liked those better (no surprise there). Anyways, I hope you enjoy this unique mixing of flavors! Happy Baking! :)

PUMPKIN BANANA MUFFINS

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup rotten bananas (about 2 large bananas or 3 smaller ones)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp salt

Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine butter, oil, white and brown sugars, eggs, banana, and vanilla. Mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

4. Gradually add some of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well.

5. Add in 1/2 of buttermilk. Mix well.

6. Continuing adding the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk until everything is combined, ending with the dry ingredients.

7. Stir in chocolate chips if desired.

8. Pour batter into muffin pans.

9. Bake 15-25 minutes or until done.

10. ENJOY! :)

Note: Since this was adapted from a bread loaf recipe, the baking time may be way off. I didn't time how long it took for the muffins to bake. 

pumpkin.baked.oatmeal

I want to confess...I'm a pinterest addict. My roommate introduced it to me and I'm hooked!! Now that I'm on break and have some free time and no constraints to a meal plan, I have been trying out some of the recipes I have pinned. I have been drooling over this baked oatmeal for awhile now and I finally got the chance to make it today! I have to say, it definitely lived up to my expectations. It was like a healthy pumpkin cinnamon roll...well before I smothered it with cream cheese icing! ;)

PUMPKIN BAKED OATMEAL

adapted from: chocolatecoveredkatie.com

1/2 cup oats

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spices

3 packets sweet'n'low

1/4 cup canned pumpkin 

1/4 cup milk, creamer, or water (I used skim milk.)

1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees.

2. Combine raw oats, spices, pumpkin, and milk. 

3. Pour into two ramekins (make sure you spray them so they pop out nicely)

4. Cook for 13-15 minutes or until it gets firm.

5. Set oven to "high broil" for 2-3 minutes, or until it reaches desired crispy-ness.

6. Take out of oven.

7. Loosen the sides with a knife and flip onto plate.

8. Top with streusel, frosting, or desired garnish.

9. Enjoy! :)

 <--Just out of the oven.                   

sugar.cookies

You know those really good sugar cookies at WalMart that you never buy because you know you would eat all twelve in one sitting? No? Well...they are the really fluffy cookies with the ungodly amount of icing on the top? Still no?...your loss! 

Seriously though, these cookies are SOOO good! They are fluffy, soft, and have so much flavor. If you are like me and avoid buying the Lofthouse sugar cookies at WalMart because you will eat all of them, then I would suggest only making half a batch of these cookies. I've made them twice and I didn't count how many they made the first time, but the second time around 66 of these babies were baked! I'm really good at sharing, but a week later there are still two dozen sitting in my kitchen. 

Here they are in Christmas form:

SUGAR COOKIES

Recipe from: sweetpeaskitchen.com

Cookies: 

6 cups flour, divided

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups light sour cream

Frosting: (this is a double recipe because I always use WAY too much frosting) :)

2 cups butter, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

8 cups powder sugar

12 Tbs heavy cream

Food coloring

Sprinkles

1. In a medium bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

3. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour).  Divide dough into sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. (I added more flour because my dough was still sticky)

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. 

5. Generously flour a work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

6. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powder sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 Tbs at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined.

7. Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, the store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to add the flavors to develop.

cinnamon.streusel.muffins

A lot of the Christmas gifts I received this year were baking related. I got the ever-so-popular cake pop book, spatulas, a cake stand, measuring cups, a recipe book, and these adorable muffin liners! I had to use them at once, so I made cinnamon streusel muffins for Christmas morning. They were a huge hit! 

My mom has an old cookbook from the Methodist church we grew up in, before we moved. It is filled with DELICIOUS recipes. This recipe was actually a coffee cake, but I converted it to muffins, just so I could use these liners! It is super easy and even easier if you convert it back into a cake! Merry Christmas!! :)

CINNAMON STREUSEL MUFFINS

Cake:

1 yellow cake mix

1 box instant vanilla pudding mix

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 1/3 cups water

2 eggs

Streusel:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

3-5 tsp cinnamon

4 Tbs melted butter

Icing:

3/4 cup powder sugar

1 1/2 T milk (or to desired consistency)

1. Beat all ingredients for the cake for 2 minutes at medium speed

2. Spoon batter into muffin pan. (1/4 full)

3. Fill 24 muffin wells. Set remaining batter aside.

4. Combine all ingredients for the streusel.

5. Sprinkle half the streusel mix over batter in muffin wells. Set remaining streusel aside.

6. Spread remaining batter over streusel in muffin wells. (wells should be 2/3 full now)

7. Top with remaining streusel.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. (I didn't time the exact amount, so watch carefully!!)

9. When cool, drizzle icing over top!

10. ENJOY!! :)

peanut.butter.nutella.swirl.cookies

5 semesters down, 3 to go!! I just finished up my finals this week and I cannot believe I am halfway through my junior year of nursing school! Due to this extremely physically, emotionally, and most of all mentally demanding week, I have put off posting this blog...which is now a little past due.


Back in November, I registered for a nation-wide cookie swap where I got matched with three people to send a dozen cookies to. In return, I got a dozen cookies sent to me from three different people. For my end of the swap, I made peanut butter nutella swirled cookies! My dad especially enjoyed them. What I loved most about this swap was getting to share my cookies with a few strangers. I also liked that I found a few more blogs to my list!! I hope that my receivers enjoyed their cookies as much as I enjoyed baking them! :) Merry Christmas, baking world!

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies 

adapted from: ericasweettooth.com

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup nutella

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.

5. Microwave Nutella for 20 seconds and then drizzle over the dough. Fold in Nutella with a spatula until well-distributed throughout the dough.

6. Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes and then roll small balls by hand.

7. Place about an inch apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and use a fork to press down the balls slightly.

8. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.

9. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

10. ENJOY! :)

wedding.sugar.cookies

I've recently expanded my baking abilities and gotten a bit more creative, decorating wise. I made and decorated these sugar cookies for my sister's bridal shower. I got the idea from a search I did on google images. Basically, I just frosted them and then piped the detail on. Simple enough, right? :)

cupcake.cake.balls

Apparently this blog served as procrastination from nursing school, judging by my activity on here during the summer. Oops! While I did bake this summer, my fault came from not taking picture and posting them. Here is something I made back in June for  my little cousins kindergarten graduation (so cute!). He loves "Cayla's cake balls" and he even helped me make them one day this summer. He is quite the little chef! I decided to step it up a little and not just dip my cake balls, but to make them into these cute little cupcakes! I also found this clear paint can at Michael's, so I decided to package them up and slapped a few curled ribbons on it! :) 

Here is the final product:

(I guess I should add his school colors are green and white)

CAKE BALLS

1 cake mix (prepared)
1 can cream cheese icing (NOT WHIPPED! It also helps if you refrigerate it first)
1 pkg almond bark or enough chocolate chips to dip the cake balls
sprinkles, extra chocolate, etc. to decorate with


1. Prepare cake mix according to directions of box and let cool completely.
2. Crumble cake into a large mixing bowl. (I usually accomplish this by cutting the cake into small pieces and then using my hands...also a fun way the kids can get help!)
3. Mix in cream cheese icing.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. (I usually refrigerate after this step too to help the balls set up more, but if you are in a hurry you don't have to)
6. Dip cake balls into chocolate! (Yummy!)
7. Decorate with sprinkles or drizzle with chocolate.
8. ENJOY! :)


For cupcake cake balls:
1. Follow steps 1-5.
2. Place a spoonful of milk chocolate (about half full) into peanut butter cup mold (pictured below).
3. Press cake ball into milk chocolate.
4. Let set up or refrigerate for a few minutes.
5. Remove from mold.
6. Dip the naked half of the cake ball into colored chocolate.
7. Decorate with sprinkles or drizzle with chocolate.
8. ENJOY! :)


<--Peanut Butter Cup Mold