Funfetti Cookies

Since I'm on a cookie kick (see above posts) this one sounds amazing, but it wasn't a part of my cookies extravaganza today simply because I was baking with what I had and I didn't have funfetti cake mix. The grocery store was not high on my list of prioritites today.



Stolen from ??? I'm not really sure where they originated, but I stole the pretty picture from Melissa's Magic in the Kitchen

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (I use Funfetti)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I used canola oil - you can probably use less than 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons of instant french vanilla pudding
Canned frosting and sprinkles (you do not have to frost them)

Directions

Mix together the first four ingredients, drop batter on a lined cookie sheet (tablespoon size) and bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool then frost them and add sprinkles.

Diet Coke Cupcakes

Now this is my kind of recipe. Not too bad for you junk food w00t w00t. It's also a super easy.

Ingredients

1 box of cake mix
1 can of diet soda

Directions

Mix soda and cake mix and put it in the oven according to the directions. How much easier can it get? Some people say they turn out a bit better with 2 egg whites, so I'll probably do that next time.

Typically you want to mix darker sodas with darker cakes and lighter sodas with lighter cakes. The most basic combos being

chocolate cake with diet coke/pepsi
white cake with diet sprite/sierra mist/7-up (I used to love 7-up, but I haven't had it in years ... I need to go buy me some 7-up)

Feeling a little more daring?

white cake with diet orange soda (supposed to be very yummy)
white cake with rasberry gingeral is something I would like to try

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Stolen from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
1 1/8 cup (9 oz) frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed*
White cake mix (yes, the boxed stuff)
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Non-stick spray
1 recipe Lemon Buttercream Icing (recipe follows)

* For a less tart cupcake (and these babies do pack a punch), try reducing the amount of pink lemonade. 3/8 cup water and 3/4 cup pink lemonade will cut the tartness.

In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and the pink lemonade concentrate. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for 90 seconds (the batter will still be a bit lumpy; take care not to overmix so you don’t end up with dry cupcakes).

Spray each cupcake liner with the non-stick spray and spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups between 2/3 and 3/4 full). Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registers “done” in the center cupcake. Remove the pan from the oven and cook 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the icing and ice the cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream Icing
3 cups + 3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Red food color (to color icing and sugar, optional)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and food coloring (if using) to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy and uniformly pink. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip and ice the cupcakes.

Optional - Add the sugar and a couple drops of the food coloring to a food processor. Process until the sugar turns pink. Spread the sugar onto a plate and let dry for 15 minutes. Sprinkle onto freshly-iced cupcakes and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Pic Stolen from Beantown Baker

Peanut Butter Cupcakes (from Crazy about Cupcakes) makes 20
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Preheat over to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs. Beat well. Mix in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well.

Fill the cupcake lines one-half to three-quarters full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

Cookies N' Cream Cupcakes

Picture Stolen from Beantown Baker

Cookies-N-Cream Cupcakes (from Crazy about Cupcakes) makes 20
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup sugar

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup chocolate sandwich cookies, lightly crushed

Preheat over to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

In a large bowl cream together the butter, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in sugar. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the crushed cookies.

Fill the cupcake lines three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.


Cool Whip Topping (Stolen from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix with milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping until no streaks remain. Spread evenly over cake. Fold in some crumbled Oreos and you're good to go

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Stolen from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Snickerdoodle Muffins

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 and ¼ cup sour cream
2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling

1.Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.
2.In a separate, mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tarter.
3.Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar.. Place muffin in to muffin tin.. Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

Dulce de Choco-leche Cake

Stolen from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Dulce de Choco-leche Cake
For cake:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
12 oz dark chocolate chopped (divided, can use chips)

For filling:
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

For frosting:
4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

For garnish:
Chopped/shaved chocolate or chopped candy bars

To make the filling: Remove label from can and place upright in a pot of water on the stove. Gently boil the can for approx two hours making sure that the can is always covered with water (a dulce de leche bomb, while it sounds tasty, is not what you want going off in your kitchen). Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To make the cake: Pre-heat oven to 350. Prepare two 9-inch round pans using whatever method you prefer: grease and flour, grease and sugar, baking spray with flour (I prefer the latter).

Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for two minutes. Carefully add the boiling water and mix well (batter will be pretty thin). Pour batter into the pans and top each pan with half of the dark chocolate. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans or until the toothpick test registers done. Remove from the oven. Cool cakes 10 minutes in pan and then remove the cake from the pans and transfer to a wire rack for cooking.

To make the frosting: Beat heavy cream on high until soft peaks form, add confectioner’s sugar and beat for 1 minute more.

To assemble the cake: Level both layers and spoon dulce de leche mixture over the cut tops of both cakes, spread evenly, allow to soak into the cake and repeat until all the mixture has been used completely. Spread the frosting on the top of the bottom layer and add the top layer. Frost the cake and coat with the garnish of your choice.

Super Bowl Truffle

Stolen from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Super Bowl Truffle

Ingredients
1 standard cake mix (homemade or pre-packaged)
16 oz of the frosting of your choice
4 oz Chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, or white) to coat the truffles
4 oz add-ins (optional) such as mini-chocolate chips, walnuts, dried fruit, etc

Bake the cake in a 9×13 pan as directed by the recipe/package selected. Tear the cake into small pieces while still slightly warm. Add the cake, frosting, and any add-ins to a bowl and combine. Do not over mix - the cake/icing mixture should be “swirly,” not homogeneous. Use a spoon and form the mixture into balls and refrigerate (just long enough for next step). Melt the chocolate over a double-boiler and use two forks to roll the truffles into the melted chocolate. Place the truffles on a cookie rack to rest so that they don’t “grow feet.” (You can refrigerate to speed up the process.) Serve when the chocolate coating has cooled and hardened completely.

You can add food coloring to the white chocolate for the drizzle