What's Cooking | Banana Nut Muffins

[Recipe adopted from The Food Network]

Hey Divas!  For the past couple of weeks my bff has been asking me to bake some banana nut muffins...so today I finally decided to whip up a batch and try this super easy recipe I found over at The Food Network.  The muffins are super moist and left an aroma throughout my house that was out of this world.  Definitely a recipe worth trying out!

 Enjoy!!

Total Time: 27 min.
Prep: 7 min.
Cook: 20 min.
Yield:12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts chopped ( I used walnuts)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter muffin tins or use paper liners

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake18 to 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done. Cool on a rack.


Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This n That

Hey Divas!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!!  It's Spring (YaY Spring) but it's been raining like

crazy out here in Cali and I'm loving every minute of it.  Today we had a break from the rain (which is suppose to start back up tomorrow) and I got a chance to hook up with an old co-worker at one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Brea called Renaissance Bistro. Definitely a good time with an old friend!!

Shrimp Fettuccini with a creamy parmesan sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and red chili flakes tossed with a roasted garlic and parmesan cream sauce

This weekend I had book club, so I met up with the Women Of Wisdom for lunch to discus our book of the month...."One In A Million" by Kimberla Lawson Roby which was a great read.  It's always nice seeing the ladies and catching up.  This weekend I also did a little baking...something I've started doing since I've been blogging and I absolutely LOVE IT.  Have a great week Divas!!

"WOW"

Vanilla cuppies I baked for a customer this weekend.

What's Cooking | Lemon Cupcakes

Hey Divas!  I hope you're all having a fabulous week so far!  I know I am:))  This California weather is absolutely divine and I've been taking full advantage of it.  For some strange reason I woke up this morning with lemon cuppies on my mind (weird...I know right) so I decided to whip up a batch, and I got a chance to use my new decorating tip which I absolutely love.  These cuppies turned out waaay better than I expected.  Definitely a recipe worth trying.

Ingredients (Yields 28-30 Cupcakes)

3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup whole milk, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees .  Line 30 cupcake pan cups with paper liners.

2. Sift the self-rising flour and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating each egg until incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

3. Gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, one third at a time, alternating with half the milk and half the lemon juice after each of the first 2 additions of flour. Beat until just combined; do not over mix.

4. Fill the prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full, and bake 17 minutes or until golden brown. & toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a rack.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-2 drops yellow food coloring (if desired)
1 box of confectioners’ sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, lemon juice, and food coloring together until smooth. Add sugar and beat ingredients on low speed. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Enjoy!

What's Cooking | R U Down With The SWIRL!!!

I made these cuppies weeks ago for a family function and they were absolutely delish!  Just add a lil chocolate mixed with a lil vanilla and WaLa! You have these tasty Swirl cuppies.

Vanilla Batter (Makes 12 cupcakes)

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream   

Chocolate Batter (Makes 12 cupcakes)

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

You will need 2 medium bowls.  1 for the vanilla batter, the other for the chocolate.

Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa (for chcolate cuppies), flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.

Fill prepared cups with alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batter, filling each three-quarters full. Run the tip of a paring knife or wooden skewer through the batter in a figure-eight motion to make swirls. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely,

Icing: Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 lb. butter (room temp.)

8oz Cream Cheese (room temp.)

1 lb. Box of Confectioners Sugar

1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla, then slowly add confectioners sugar until mixed well.  Icing should be light and fluffy!   Enjoy!!

This New Years Eve was my cousins youngest son Carsyn (aka Mit-Mit's) birthday and he turned 2 yrs. old. I made chocolate and vanilla cuppies for his party @ Chucky Cheese! You can never go wrong with a basic vanilla and chocolate recipe. Try it...You might like it :))

The B-day boy...Mr. Carsyn!!

What's Cooking - Neapolitan Cupcakes

It's been a while since I've baked anything, but I couldn't resist making these babies right here! 

This past weekend I took a trip to the Farmers Market and picked up a coulpe of baskets of strawberries and what better way to put them to use right?  This is definitely a great treat for that office Halloween Party this year!  You'll definitely be the talk of the office!  Enjoy!!

Vanilla Batter (Makes 24 cupcakes)

• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Chocolate Batter

• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Prepare both vanilla and chocolate batters; fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each, side by side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not over mix).

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with strawberry icing.

Icing Ingredients

1/2 cup whole fresh strawberries or frozen berries (thawed)
1/2 lb Butter
8oz Cream Cheese
1lb Box Confectioners Sugar
1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Place strawberries in small food processor; process until pureed.  In an electric mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese then slowly add confectioners sugar until mixed well.  Add vanilla and strawberry puree mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

What's cooking - Lemon Bars

I've been debating for a while on whether or not I should make these Lemon Bars because, from my past experiences the lemon bars I've tasted were way to tart for my liking.  I finally decided to give this recipe a try which was adopted by Ina Garten.  The recipe uses the juice from 2 limes which gave these babies a great contrast.  I don't mean to toot my own horn but BEEP BEEP.   Enjoy!

 Crust

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For The Filling

• 6 extra large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1 cup flour
• Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill for 15minutes.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into triangles or squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.

What's Cooking - German Chocolate Brownies

TGIF Divas!  Here's  a super tastey treat that is sure to become and instant hit!  Take a brownie that’s already delicious on it’s own without anything else, then you add brown sugar, cream cheese, coconut and pecans and that perfectly delicious brownie is now transformed into a German Chocolate Brownie!  These are ridiculously easy to make, but BEWARE!! Don't make them "fudgy" or this recipe will NOT work.

German Chocolate Brownies

• 1 pkg brownie mix (19 – 20 ounce size)
• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into smaller pieces
• 4 oz (half of an 8 oz pkg) cream cheese
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package for cake like brownies. Pour batter into greased 9x13 inch pan.

Place butter, and cream cheese in small saucepan and cook on medium heat until cream cheese is completely melted. Don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled, it will come together when you add in the remaining ingredients. Stir in the brown sugar and take the mixture off the heat. Add the coconut and pecans and mix well. Mixture will be thick. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture all over the top of brownie batter.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Cool before devouring.

What's Cooking - Banana Crumb Muffins

 I stumbled across this delicious recipe by accident over at All Recipes.Com while looking for a recipe for Banana Bread, but once I read the stellar reviews I immediately knew I had to try these Banana Crumb Muffins out.  They recipe is super easy and it only took about 35 minutes to mix ingredients and bake.  When these muffins came out the oven, the smell immediately filled my house and once I tasted them I was in half a mind to just eat them and forget about taking photos (lol). But as you can see, I was able to snap a few shots.  If you like bananas or banana bread like me,  this is definately a recipe worth trying out.   Enjoy!

Banana Crumb Muffins

 (Makes 10 muffins)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tbsp butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

What's Cooking - Honey Raisin Bran Muffins

Not many people realize it but eating breakfast is the secret to staying healthy. No matter how busy you are, it's important to fuel your body so that you can have energy throughout the day. I ran across this Honey Raisin Bran Muffin recipe in a Health Magazine and decided to make muffins just to have a lil something something to snack on in the morning.  I usually don't eat breakfast, especially during the week, but last week I decided to make a concious effort to eat breakfast every morning, and I can honestly say I had more energy throughout the day.  No matter what you choose, eating breakfast gives your body and your brain the energy they need to carry you through the day.  Be good to yourself and eat breakfast.  Just like milk..it does a body good:))

HONEY RAISIN BRAN MUFFINS

Makes: 12 muffins

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 cups Raisin Bran cereal (I used Kelloggs Raisin Bran)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
3 tbsp oil

Directions:
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, stir together cereal, milk and honey. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cereal is softened. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture stirring only until combined. Portion batter evenly into 12  2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

What's Cooking - Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes

Living in LA, I've heard time and time again about how great the cupcakes are at Sprinkles. However, having tried them on several occasions, I simply cannot justify the price nor the hype. The cupcakes themselves are quite dry and the frosting is overbearingly sweet at $3.25 a pop!  So when I ran across this recipe over at MoptopMaven, I was curious to see how this recipe would turn out.  Out of all the cuppies I've baked..I would have to honestly say these were my least favorite.  If I ever decide to make them again I will use fresh strawberries instead of frozen berries.  The cupcakes were plain with a tiny hint of strawberry.  Anyway, just thought I'd post the recipe for those who just can't get enough of Sprinkles!  Enjoy!


Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes

Recipe Ingredients:
2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Icing Ingredients:

Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.