Salted Carmel Cupcakes

Salted Carmel Cupcakes...

this just screams Starbucks doesn't it?

I'm pretty sure coffee flavors were what my Starbucks-lovin' husband was thinking when he was parusing my 'sweet treats' Pinterest board for his birthday cupcakes and came across these. 

It took all of 1/1,00 of a second for him to decide as soon as he saw them.

(Do you remember the Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino Cupcakes he requested two years ago?)

My first thought about the Salted Carmel Cupcake pick?

Good choice. 

And indeed, it was.

Amber over at CrazyLittleProjects shared this recipe and I am so glad she did.

I love that the cupcake recipe uses a box cake mix to make it a little easier. You could very easily substitute your favorite chocolate cake recipe.

I was a little nervous about the homemade carmel sauce but it came out perfect. (Confession: I did buy a jarred carmel sauce... you know, just in case. I've had a few very unsuccessful carmel attempts in the past!)

The only change I made was to use flaked sea salt rather than kosher salt to sprinkle on the cupcakes. I just love seeing those pretty little flakes sitting in the sticky carmel sauce. 

Flaked sea salt on dessert just happens to be my new favorite thing.

Especially when they are sprinkled on these cupcakes!

Happy 31st Birthday to my favorite person.
(I can't wait to see what cake he picks for next year!)

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Perfect Chocolate Icing {on Spring Cupcakes}

I have been on the hunt for a GREAT chocolate frosting. I knew I didn't want to use cream cheese and I tried a fudge frosting but it turned out too runny.
Then when the Hubs asked for yellow cake with chocolate frosting for his 30th birthday, the pressure was on!
I searched and pinned icing recipes on Pinterest for days.
And I came across {this} one from Key Ingredient. It looked simple and I had all of the ingredients on hand.

Let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
-Oh my yum.-
In fact, I've made it twice in the last couple of weeks. And as I'm sitting here typing, I'm trying to come up with a reason that I need to make another cake just to have this icing!
Get ready to kiss that canned chocolate frosting good-bye.

Here's What You'll Need:
1 cup softened margarine
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 Tablespoons milk

Here's How:
In a stand mixer, whip the margarine and cocoa together until smooth.
Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar.
While stirring, slowly stream in the milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Scrap down sides and whip.
This is where the magic happens.
It'll turn from pasty, thick icing to glossy, lick your fingers good icing. 1-2 minutes of whipping and it will be fluffy and smooth.

(This is enough frosting for 24 cupcakes.)


I made classic yellow cupcakes (shhhh, it was from a box!) and piped this yummy chocolate frosting on top.
To take them to our Youth Group's Easter Egg Hunt, I topped the icing with toasted coconut and 2 'eggs' to resemble a little birdies nest.
(The eggs were candy Whoppers shaped as eggs.)

And just in case you didn't know......

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Valentine Recipes

Chicken Bruschetta Skillet

This was the first time I made this, but certainly not the last!
It's an easy, delicious meal that is sure to become a great, go-to, weekday meal!

What You'll Need:
1 can diced, Italian tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese, plus more for topping
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Here's How:
1. Pound chicken until even in thickness. Slightly brown over medium heat in a buttered, hot skillet.
2. Remove chicken and add tomato sauce and garlic to the pan. Return chicken to the skillet. Top the chicken with the can of drained, diced tomatoes and the cheese.

3. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

I topped mine with more cheese and served it with hot buttered noodles.

 The original recipe called for crushed croutons at the end. I had intentions of this, but honestly forgot. You can see the original recipe here.


Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Here's What You'll Need:
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs. distilled white vinegar
1 Tbs. instant coffee granules
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
Icing:
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Here's How:
Cake:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350* with the rack in the center. Spray two 8x2 inch round cake pans with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

3. Combine water, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla in a large measuring cup.

4. Add coffee liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide batter between pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

5. Cool cakes on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them onto the rack. Leave the cakes upside down to cool completely.

Icing:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Stir in sugar and cocoa. Mixture will be thick and grainy.

3. Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and coffee into a large measuring cup. Mix until smooth.

4. Gradually add cream mixture to chocolate until blended and smooth. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 6-8 minutes. Do not boil.

5. Off the heat, add vanilla. Cool icing at room temperature until spreadable, 2-3 hours.

Ice your cake and eat it too!

(And yes, I need not let you know how D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S this was. Just look at the picture.)


I pretty much followed the recipe step-by-step but the original recipe is found here. I spotted it in a free Cuisine At Home magazine I received in the mail.

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Chocolate Covered Strawberries

A sweet, easy treat for anyone, anytime of the year. Especially Valentine's Day!

These strawberries are smothered with a dark coating of love.

 Follow these simple instructions below and you will be will sure to have a crowd favorite!

Here's What You'll Need:

12 Strawberries

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

1 Tb shortening

White chocolate chips + more shortening (optional for decorative drizzle)

Here's How:

1. Rinse your strawberries and lay them out on a kitchen towel.

You'll want the strawberries completely dry before dipping. I let mine air dry for 1-2 hours.

2. Pick your chocolate!

This last time I made them, I did 12 strawberries covered in semi-sweet chocolate and I did another 12 using sugar-free chocolate.

3. Add 1 cup of your preferred chocolate and 1 Tb of shortening to a double-boiler with simmering water. If you do not have a double boiler, simply use a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Make sure your double boiler or glass bowl is not touching the water and you'll want to keep stirring to avoid burning your chocolate.

4. When your chocolate is melted, removed the pan from the heat.

Stir well to smooth the clumps and start dipping!

(Drip off as much as patience allows!)

5. Place the dipped strawberries on wax paper on a cookie sheet.

6. (This step is optional. I did not do this step for my sugar-free strawberries because I couldn't find sugar-free white chocolate chips.)

Melt a small amount of white chocolate chips the same way you melted the chocolate.

(Make sure you clean out your double boiler well before melting.)

7. Dip the end of a knife into the white chocolate and drizzle over your chocolate covered berries.

(It helps if you line your strawberries up like I did after the initial dipping.)

Refrigerate until hardened.

8. Display, serve and ENJOY!

I actually made these two batches for an auction at my daughter's school.

I decided to lay them in Valentine cupcake liners and place those in red tissue-filled foil pans.

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Chocolate Snowflake Cookies

Chocolate Snowflake Cookies


What You'll Need:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar

Here's How:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.

3. Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended.
4. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended.
(This is where I find chilling the dough will make the rolling process much easier. I divide the dough into 1/2's, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it for an hour.)

5. Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Roll balls into sugar.

6. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

7. Bake about 11 minutes or until set and no longer shiny. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

(Good recipe Cute Bell!)

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