Recipe For Mini Vannila Cupcakes

I have made and certainly eaten my fair share of treats this holiday season. But they're all gone now, and my family and I needed something sweet to eat.

Though I am a big chocolate lover, I also like vanilla a lot. These vanilla cupcakes are packed with a delicate vanilla flavor. I made them in mini size because my grandchildren like that size, and I think they look cute.

Williams-Sonoma is my favorite cooking store that I go to when I want to buy long-lasting quality kitchenware. I feel the same way about their recipes, that they are great quality, and I can depend on them to deliver something I will like. This is a Williams-Sonoma recipe, for both the cupcakes, and the buttercream frosting.

The frosting can be tinted, and these cupcakes can be made adorable for a little girl's birthday party, baby shower, and more. And they are absolutely yummy!


Recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes and Frosting

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

 6 tablespoons sanding sugar

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners, or a 24 mini pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes for standard size, or 10 to 12 for mini size. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

 

 

Recipe for Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

6 cups confectioners’ sugar

16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 1/2 Tbs. milk, plus more, if needed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

 

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the confectioners¿ sugar, butter, the 4 1/2 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Frost cupcakes with frosting and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.

 

Makes 24 mini cupcakes, or 12 regular size cupcakes.

 

RSVP For The #24HourEsterC Twitter Party

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Make Your Big Game Day Delicious With SNICKERS® Cookie Pots

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BigGameTreats #CollectiveBias

I can honestly say that I love football. But not for all the usual reasons. Yes, the games are exciting to watch, I love rooting for my team, and I do love it when we win. But the real reason is because my grown-up kids all love it, and it gives us a chance to spend a few hours together on an occasional Sunday. We are all so terribly busy, and any chance I get to see my kids having fun together is a great day for me.

This year when it's time for the Big Game, I want to make something really tasty to have on hand for dessert. Since my family adores SNICKERS® bars, I decided to make SNICKERS Cookie Pots. These are basically a big warm cookie filled with deliciously melted SNICKERS candy, and topped with some vanilla ice cream.

I'm happy when I have a recipe that's easy to make, and turns out even better than I thought it would. These SNICKERS Cookie Pots are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and perfect for friends and family to eat on the day of the Big Game. Score!!

Not only are we SNICKERS fans, but everyone loves Skittles® too. I like having bowls of candy out for everyone to help themselves. My grandchildren enjoy sorting the Skittles by color, and doing counting games with them, and of course they have to all have exactly the same amount so there's no fighting.

Our family has a friendly team rivalry going on because my two sons have a favorite team, and my son-in-law's favorite team is a different one. This has been going on for years, and it's funny and we have all had some good laughs, and a few lost bets, too.

One thing we do all agree upon is good tasting food. Food really is a big part of our game days, and I'd like to share my recipe for SNICKERS Cookie Pots with you.

This recipe is easy to make, and you start out by slicing up the SNICKERS bars. I used fun size, but you can use the larger full-size bars if you want. Of course it's hard not to eat as you cut them, at least for me. You will need one cup of them.

After you have combined the batter ingredients, stir in the sliced SNICKERS pieces. This recipe makes six servings, and can easily be doubled.

Spoon the batter into 3-inch ramekins, and top with a few extra SNICKERS pieces. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. When they are done, they will still be gooey in the center, so be careful not to over bake them. That's what makes them taste so delicious!

Recipe for SNICKERS Cookie Pots

Ingredients:

baking spray
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sliced SNICKERS bars, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease 6 3-inch ramekins with baking spray, set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until well blended and creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until well mixed. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of SNICKERS.
Fill the ramekins 2/3 full with the dough. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup SNICKERS pieces evenly on tops.
Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes. The centers will still be slightly undercooked  when removed from the oven. Let them sit until they are no longer hot, but warm, and top with vanilla ice cream.

 

I found SNICKERS and Skittles in the candy aisle at Walmart. I always like that Walmart offers such a big selection of candy, and in different sizes, too.

Do you have any favorite Big Game inspired recipes that you like to make? Leave me a comment and let me know. I'm always looking for yummy recipes.

My Five Favorite Soups List Of 2014

With the new year just a couple of days away, I wanted to share with you my five favorite soups that I cooked this year. Soup is such a delicious and comforting meal, and perfect for those chilly nights that winter brings.

I hope you enjoy my soup round-up, which starts with Italian Sausage, Noodle, and Kale Soup. This soup is extra hearty, and even people who say they don't like kale, end up loving this soup. And the Italian sausage in it, brings a great flavor to it.



For me, Butternut Squash Soup is earthy and delicious. I roast a couple of squashes in the oven to make a double batch of this soup, and freeze half of it. It's so great to come home on a cold day and know you can pull a batch out of the freezer and have it for a yummy meal.



I'm such a big cheese lover, and it's so packed with cheesy goodness, that this soup is one I make over and over again. Cheesy Vegetable Soup lets you be very flexible about using the veggies you have on hand. I usually always have most of the ingredients on hand, and this soup is very quick and easy to put together.



Your slow-cooker can be your best friend when it comes to making soup. It's so easy to toss ingredients into it and let them simmer away all day. This Chicken and White Bean Soup is packed with flavor, and my whole family adores it, especially the kids.



I think every cook should have a really great vegetable soup recipe. This Easy Vegetable Soup is mine, one that I make year-round. It adapts well to veggies you have on hand, and the flavor really is deep and delicious. I love pairing this with a hearty bread, and it makes a delicious and comforting meal.

Recipe for Cranberry Muffins

Cranberries always remind me of Christmas, so I make sure to include a few baked goods with them as an ingredient. I love the tartness of them balanced with sweetness. Muffins are quick and easy to make, and you can even make these ahead and pop them in the microwave to heat up.

 

Recipe for Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in cranberries; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, rind, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.