Lemon Lime Cupcakes

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Ruthanne

Refreshing lime cupcakes topped with lemon butter cream- SO easy and fun!!

I just can’t say goodbye to those summer flavors and colors….I know I should be sharing my apple and pumpkin recipes with you, but these just make me so happy!!  The tart and the sweet….lime green and yellow….if you are missing summer already these are the perfect remedy this weekend!

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed white cake mix
  • Oil, eggs and water to make mix according to box
  • 1 small box(3 oz) of lime jello
  • 2 sticks of salted butter
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter
  • 3 c. powdered sugar
  • 3 t. lemon extract
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • Yellow food coloring (to desired shade)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make cake according to directions on box, but add lime jello before mixing.
  • Pour into 24 lined cupcake tins and bake according to package.
  • Cool cupcakes completely.
  • Make frosting by combining butters (softened), powdered sugar, lemon and vanilla extracts and coloring in a large bowl and beating on high until light and fluffy.
  • Pipe frosting onto cupcakes (watch this video for techniques)
  • Decorate as desired.  I topped with heart sprinkles and sour fruit heart candies, but I thought it might be fun to top with course salt and a cute straw and call them Margarita cupcakes!  Be creative!

 

My thoughts:  These are so easy.  Because they use Jell-O, the flavor possibilities are incredible.  Raspberry and Lemon?  Peach?  If you want a really easy twist on a plain cupcake these are your recipe!  Enjoy!!!  ~r

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Candy Surprise Cake!

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Ruthanne

Imagine the moment you cut into a cake and pull that first piece out.  Now imagine a waterfall of candy pouring out of the center of the cake.  Every child’s dream come true!  This recipe was inspired by a conversation at work; my friend Mary was telling us how she liked to surprise her kids with candy-filled cakes on their birthdays.  She used a variety of candies and one time actually filled the cake with runny orange frosting and called it a volcano!  I loved the idea and decided to bake my cake in a bowl to make it tall enough to fill (Mary used layers).  What a fun idea for the upcoming Halloween season- the possibilities are as endless as the candy on the shelves!  Here’s how it was made:

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed cake mix (any flavor you’d like- I used confetti)
  • Water, eggs and oil to make mix according to box
  • Candy to fill center of cake (I used Skittles and it took about 1 1/2 cups of candy)
  • 1 stick of salted butter
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
  • 1 t. clear vanilla flavor
  • Sprinkles to decorate with if desired.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Prepare cake according to package and pour into a greased and floured 2 quart glass bowl (I used my 2 Quart Batter Bowl from Pampered Chef)
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes- or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  • Cool for 15 minutes.
  • Run a knife around edges to loosen, and gently tip out onto a wire cake rack to cool completely.
  • Once cool, trim flat edge even and set on serving plate with dome side up.
  • Cut a round opening in the top of the cake, gently pulling the cake out.  Keep the top layer, but spoon out the core, leaving about an inch of cake at the bottom.

  • Gently pour candy into the center of the cake and place the top back on (like a pumpkin!)
  • Make frosting by beating softened butters, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until light and fluffy. 
  • Frost cake and decorate as desired.

  • Cut a slice and watch the smiles start!

My thoughts:  This is SO much fun to cut into and serve- it made everyone laugh when the skittles started pouring out!  It serves up messy (be prepared to scoop skittles out for each serving).   The Skittles started to get soft inside the moist cake eventually- they still tasted great- but if you want them fresh just serve this within a few hours of making it.  You’ll want to think this through for other candy types as well.  I’m guessing most would be best served right away.  Believe me— it is worth the surprise factor!!!!  Enjoy!!!! -r

9-24-12 My friend Angie from the Czech Republic just sent this picture of her cupcakes using this recipe:

SO fun!  Great job Angie!!  If you want to try a cupcake version of this cake, save some time with a Cupcake Corer to remove the centers!


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Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Ruthanne

These rich cupcakes, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting, have a gooey cinnamon roll filling that will leave you wanting cupcakes for breakfast every morning!  These are an absolutely perfect treat for a breakfast party or a brunch!

(makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed yellow cake mix (with oil, water and eggs to make according to package)
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 2 T. ground cinnamon
  • 6 T.  packed brown sugar
  • 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar (divided)
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp
  • 2 sticks of salted butter, room temp
  • 2 T. clear vanilla flavoring

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make your filling first so it can cool while your cupcakes bake.
  • Place whipping cream, cinnamon and brown sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Set aside to cool (you can place this into the refrigerator if you want to speed the cooling process along.)
  • Make 24 cupcakes according to the directions on whatever box mix you choose  to use. (I like Duncan Hines)
  • Use a small paring knife to cut a small cone out of the top of each cupcake.

  • Finish the filling by adding 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the (cooled!) cinnamon/brown sugar/cream mixture.
  • Beat on medium speed until well combined and creamy.
  • Place filling in a zip-top bag, clip a corner and pipe filling into each of the cone-shaped holes on the top of each cupcake.  You should have some filling left at the end- set this aside to drizzle on the top after frosting.
  • Make your buttercream frosting by placing all 4 sticks of  (softened) butter, 3 cups of powdered sugar and the vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beating on high until very light and fluffy.
  • Clip a corner of a zip top bag, place a decorating tip in the corner, fill the bag with frosting, zip it shut and pipe frosting over cupcakes, covering up the filling (check out this video if you need help piping frosting).
  • Drizzle the remaining filling over the top of each cupcake and sprinkle each with just a little cinnamon.

These cupcakes are best served shortly after they are made (like cinnamon rolls are!)  If you need to make them in advance, keep them refrigerated (because of the cream filling).  Be sure to let the cupcakes come to room temperature before you serve them or your buttercream will be hard.

My thoughts:  You know when restaurants indicate on a menu that a dish is one of their signature dishes and *hint hint* you should try it?  This is one of those recipes for this blog.  These are one of my very favorite creations thus far.  Now, I have to qualify that with this: I LOVE cinnamon rolls- especially big gooey ones, and I love frostings and fillings.  These cupcakes have gotten rave reviews with everyone I know.  The only negative comments I’ve heard have been from people who say there’s too much frosting/filling.  If you are the sort that scrapes frosting off things anyway, my recommendation is to cut the frosting recipe in half.  As for me…bring on the gooey sweet happiness!!!  I really REALLY hope you get a chance to try these –if you do, let me know what you think!  Enjoy!  -r

9-24-12 I’m adding to this post because my friend Megan just told me about a really cool time-saver—a cupcake corer!!! (honestly, what will they think of next….!)  I just ordered it and I’ll let you know what I think.  If you want to check it out yourself click here: Cupcake Corer.  So fun…!

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Coconut Lemon Drop Cookies

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Ruthanne


These crunchy little cookies are full of sweet coconut and tart lemon drop flavor- yum!!!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 T. (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter -room temp.
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 6 t. lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 c. flour
  • 1 c. finely crushed cornflakes
  • yellow food coloring (to desired shade)
  • 1 c. shredded coconut
  • 1/2 c. Wilton’s candy melt in white chocolate
  • 15 lemon drops (or other lemon-flavored hard candy)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Heat oven to 250 degrees.
  • Place 1 c. shredded coconut on a small cookie sheet and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until it is dried and crunchy— not browned– just dry and crunchy.  Remove from oven and cool.
  • When coconut is cool, use your hands to crush it up  into smaller pieces, set aside.
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Cream sugar and butter together, add vanilla.
  • Add lemon juice, food coloring, flour and coconut, beating until well combined.
  • Add crushed cornflakes and mix (use clean hands if you want!) until well combined.
  • Use a small cookie scoop to spoon batter onto parchment paper. Press tops down a little to make the cookie flat on top.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes.
  • Allow cookies to cool.
  • Crush candies in a small zip-top bag using a hammer.
  • Melt Wilton’s candy melts in a small bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth and completely melted.
  • Spoon melted white chocolate into a zip top bag, clip a corner off and drizzle over each cookie.
  • Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle generously with crushed candy.  Allow chocolate to harden and ENJOY!!

My thoughts:  These cookies were really a stretch as far as inventing goes– I was really unsure if they would be any good at all.  They are SO yummy- I’ve had 4 now…(shhh….) I took them to a Labor Day picnic and everyone loved them– especially the “crunchiness”.  Well, everyone but my Uncle Keith who hates coconut….who hates coconut?  Just seems wrong.  Anyway– if you like lemon and candy and coconut and cookies—you are gonna love these little treats!!!!  Enjoy!  -r

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Caramel Fudge Brownies

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Ruthanne

Layers of brownie, soft caramel and fudge make this dessert irresistible!!!
If these brownies look familiar to you, it is because they are the very same recipe as my Mint Creme Brownies but with a thick layer of caramel instead of the mint creme.  I love these brownies because they hold together so well and are so chocolatey and rich- the sky is the limit as far as different toppings you could layer on top of them, but here’s a recipe for caramel:
INGREDIENTS:
BROWNIE:

  • 1c. butter
  • 2c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2c. cocoa
  • 1/2tsp. salt
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1c. milk
  • 1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

CARAMEL:

  • 32 Kraft caramels (unwrapped)
  • 1/2c. butter
  • 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk.

FUDGE GLAZE:

  • 12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 12 T. butter (do not substitute margarine here!)

DIRECTIONS:
BROWNIE:

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Cream butter and sugar together. 
  • Beat in eggs, cocoa, vanilla and salt.
  • Add flour and milk (alternating them and mixing well in between).
  • Spread evenly in greased jelly roll pan.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
  • Cool.  

CARAMEL:

  • Place unwrapped caramels, butter and sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan and heat until completely melted.
  • Stir this constantly to prevent scorching (about 6-8 minutes).
  • Gently pour over cooled brownies and spread to edges.
  • Put entire pan in freezer while you make the glaze (10-15 min) to allow the caramel to harden a little.

FUDGE GLAZE:

  • Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
  • Pour over cooled caramel and gently spread evenly over top
  • Chill until top layer is hard and cut into bars.

My thoughts:  The mint creme brownies are one of my favorite desserts— add caramel instead and these are just soft gooey sweet amazingness.  If you want a harder caramel layer just store these in the fridge until you serve them.  Softer caramel?  Leave at room temperature and serve with a fork!   I wish I didn’t have a plate of them left in my kitchen….they are calling me….do you hear them??   Enjoy!!! r-

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Mini Cookie Dough Cheesecakes

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Ruthanne


These yummy little cheesecakes have chocolate chips in the crust and adorable little chocolate chip cookies baked right on the top.  A perfect mini party dessert!!

INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 mini cheesecakes)

  • 3/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers
  • 2 1/2 T. melted butter
  • 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips
  • 1 (8oz) bar of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temperature)
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 t. vanilla
  • 1 tube of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (I use Pillsbury)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 325.
  • Open tube of cookie dough and using a small melon baller or Mini Cookie Scoop make 12 small cookie balls (about an inch in diameter) and set aside. (You will not use much of the dough for this recipe- which means you can make cookies later!!!)
  • Combine graham cracker crumbs with butter and mix well.
  • Add mini chips, and when well combined, evenly divide into a Mini Cheesecake Pan (make sure you place your metal disks in each cup first!)
  • Press crumbs into bottom of each cup using a Mini Tart Shaper
  • Combine softened cream cheese with sugar and add egg and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.
  • Evenly divide batter into each of the 12 mini cheesecake cups.
  • Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
  • Remove pan from oven and gently place one cookie dough ball on the top of each mini cheesecake.
  • Return pan to the oven for 10-12 minutes- until cookies are baked on the top of each cheesecake and starting to brown.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely.
  • Refrigerate overnight, remove from pan and ENJOY!!

My thoughts:  It took me two tries to get the cookie dough to bake on the top all cute and pretty.  Its all in the timing.  My first attempt at this recipe, I put the cookie dough on top before the cheesecake was baked.  The cookie dough sank and pushed the cheesecake batter right over the top of the pans, leaving a huge mess!  Putting the dough on near the end of baking worked perfectly.  Lesson?  When at first you don’t succeed, try again! (also, stock up on cream cheese when it is on sale so it doesn’t cost a fortune to experiment!)  I really hope you love these yummy little treats!  Enjoy!!  -r

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Frosty Pudding Pops

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Ruthanne

Finish off the hot days of August with these creamy popsicles made with pudding!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 box (4 servings, 3.9 oz)instant chocolate pudding
  • 1 box (4 servings, 3.9 oz)instant vanilla pudding
  • 3 cups of cold milk (divided)
  • 1 (8oz) container of Cool Whip topping (divided)
  • 12-14 popsicle or sucker sticks
  • 12-14 (3oz) paper disposable cups

DIRECTIONS:

  • Empty vanilla pudding into a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2c. of cold milk.
  • Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 of Cool Whip to pudding and mix well.
  • Repeat this process with the chocolate pudding.
  • Place each mixture into separate  large zip-top bags and seal.
  • Clip a corner off of each bag and squeeze into cup in layers (tap cup on counter to flatten each layer before adding the next)
  • Freeze overnight.
  • Clip into the top of each cup with scissors and tear/peel cup away from frozen pudding pop.  
  • Serve and ENJOY!

My thoughts:  These are so easy to make and so yummy to eat!  I love how rich and creamy they are.  You could use any flavor of pudding.  My next batch will be chocolate with coconut!  Enjoy!!!

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Kool-Aid Truffles

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Ruthanne

These chocolate-dipped truffles have creamy sweet centers made with the unique flavors of Kool-Aid drink mixes!  Your kids will love them!!!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese (softened to room temperature!)
  • 3 cups of powdered sugar
  • 3 cups of white chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 (0.16oz) packet of Kool-Aid drink mix (any flavor- see my choices below)
  • 2 bags of Wiltons Candy Melts in White chocolate or Dark chocolate
  • Sprinkles, cookie crumbles or colored candy melts (I used Blue and Red)

Blue Raspberry Truffle

Lemon-Lime and Graham Cracker Truffle

Chocolate-covered Black Cherry Truffle

White chocolate Mango-Peach Truffle

DIRECTIONS:

    • Cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar and Kool-Aid in a large mixing bowl.
    • Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments (stirring in between) until smooth and creamy.
    • Add melted chips and vanilla to cream cheese mixture and combine until completely smooth.
    • Refrigerate for at least one hour.
    • Remove mixture from refrigerator and use a small cookie scoop to make small balls of filling (I placed these on a plate and put them back in the fridge to chill while I prepared my chocolate to dip)
    • Melt the Wilton’s Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth and creamy.
    • Dip chilled balls of filling in the melted chocolate, draining away excess and placing on parchment paper to harden (if you want pictures of how I dip things click here for a previous recipe)
    • Decorate with sprinkles, cookie crumbles or drizzles of fun colored chocolate. 

My thoughts:  These are so much fun to make!!  I just love them.  I actually divided the recipe in half (and used just 1/2 of a packet of Kool-Aid) so that I could try lots of flavors and not make 4 full batches.  One batch makes quite a few truffles- about 40 if you use a small cookie scoop to measure them out.  

My warning????  These are SO sweet. (SOOOOOOOO sweet!)  They almost make your teeth hurt they are so sweet.  They are great with a cup of coffee though, and they will cure you of your sugar cravings fast!  

Dipping them in chocolate is always the hard part if you haven’t done much candy making.  Keeping the fillings chilled helps and (of course) practice helps.  They are MUCH easier to dip than cake pops though.  If you don’t want to dip them, I’d suggest chopping chocolate up fine (or cookie bits, or candy bits) and just rolling the finished truffle filling in toppings instead.  Be amazing and create your own flavor combinations– I’d LOVE to hear about what you and your family create!!!  Enjoy!  -r

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Carrot Cookies with Creamy Orange Frosting

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Ruthanne

These moist cake-like carrot cookies are topped with a thick orange cream frosting.

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:

  • 1 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed carrots (I used canned)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:

  • 5 T butter (melted)
  • 3 cup powder sugar
  • 3 T fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 4 t finely grated orange rind

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Beat together shortening, sugar, eggs and carrots until smooth.
  • Add flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Mix together until smooth and creamy.
  • Using a Small cookie scoop, scoop batter onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F.
  • Cool completely.
  • To make frosting, add all ingredients together and beat until smooth,
  • Frost cookies and enjoy!

My thoughts:  Yuck.  I don’t like carrots and I don’t like carrot cake, carrot muffins, carrot anything…these were no exception (I’ve gotta be honest here!!).  I got this recipe from my sister-in-law who promises that people love them and rant and rave over them.  I will find that out tomorrow when I serve them- and from you if you try them!  They are easy as can be to make and they really are very moist and cake-like (which I prefer to crunchy cookies)…but those carrots….sigh.  The frosting, on the other hand, is delicious.  I love the orange flavor and I think it would be wonderful over lemon cupcakes- yum.   In any case– enjoy—and do let me know if you try these and what you think!   -r

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Caramel Cream Cupcakes

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Ruthanne

These cream and caramel filled cupcakes are topped with a rich caramel frosting.

A few months ago I visited Sprinkles cupcake shop in Chicago.  My favorite cupcake was the salted caramel- because of the frosting.  It was so thick and creamy and had a wonderful buttery caramel taste.  I’ve been obsessed with recreating it and I think I have finally come close- thanks to my sister-in-law who recommended her mom’s Penuche frosting.  I’d never heard of Penuche frosting before– I learned that Penuche is a fudge-like candy made by caramelizing brown sugar with butter.  So penuche frosting…? Well…its pretty much amazing.

The cupcakes aren’t anything crazy.  I used a Fun-da-Middle mix again and added caramel sundae topping in the middle with the cream (sooooo yummy!)  Use any mix or recipe you like– it is all about the frosting today!

INGREDIENTS:

  • Fun-da-Middle cupcake mix (with eggs, oil and water to make according to box)
  • 1 cup caramel ice cream topping
  • 3/4 cups butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make cake mix according to box, but after adding cream to centers, spoon a little caramel ice cream topping into centers as well.
  • For frosting:  Melt butter and stir in brown sugar.
  • Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes (stirring constantly)
  • Carefully add milk and bring to a boil.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • After cooled, add salt and vanilla.  Stir well.
  • Beat in 4 cups of confectioners sugar.
  • Frost cupcakes immediately (frosting hardens quickly and becomes hard to spread).

My thoughts: What a yummy and beautiful frosting.  This recipe makes enough to frost about 16 cupcakes if you pipe quite a bit on.  I’d use less next time as it is a VERY rich frosting.  You could easily frost 24 cupcakes using a little less on each than I did.  I keep think of other things to use this frosting on….you might see this recipe again someday soon… enjoy!!!! -r

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