Smore's Cupcakes!

My friend was hosting a bake sale for an annual cancer walk last weekend and the baker in me, could not let that opportunity pass without trying out some new cupcake creations.

Today's post is for Smore's Cupcakes...I also made French Toast Cupcakes but that will be a post for another day. Stay tuned.

For now, bake yourself up a batch of these bad boys

First, make your graham cracker bottom crust:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Smash up about 15-20 Graham Crackers in a zip lock and dump into a bowl. Add enough melted butter to make them into a crust. Usually 4-5 tablespoons will do it. Put about 1TB into each muffin liner and press down with a cup. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes until just firm. Put aside to cool for at least 10 min while you mix up the cake batter.

Chocolate Cake- I heart the original Hershey's Chocolate Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

•  2 cups Sugar
• 1-3/4 cup Flour
• 1.5tsp Baking Powder
• 1.5tsp Baking Soda
• 1tsp Salt
• ¾ cup Cocoa
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Veg Oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Boiling Water

nocouponsDIRECTIONS:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together all your wet ingredients EXCEPT the Boiling Water.  In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Slowly mix into wet. When combined slowly pour in boiling water. The batter will be really runny, but don’t worry!

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). I spray the top of my muffin tins with cooking spray so nothing sticks.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

If you make these ahead, they freeze really well if unfrosted!

And then you will need:

Marshmallow Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

• I cup marshmallow fluff
• 1 cup butter
• 2-2.5 cups powdered sugar
• A little milk (maybe)

nocouponsDIRECTIONS:

Cream cold butter in mixer. Add in Marshmallow fluff and a little powder sugar. Keep adding in sugar. If mix is a little dry you can add a little milk. Beat on high until frosting consistency.  Frost cupcakes.

Now for me, I have to add toasted marshmallows and Hershey's chocolate bars to the top of my cupcakes. 

Put a bunch of mini marshmallows onto a baking sheet and torch with your kitchen torch. If you don't have one, put under the broiler for a few seconds. Keep an eye on them cause they will brown up and melt quick! Let cool and put a few on top of each cupcake. Finish off with a slice of Hershey bar!

SO DARN TASTY

These will keep at room temp for a day or two but if it's hot put them in the fridge cause the frosting and chocolate bar will start to melt :)

These are perfect to bring to a cookout. Everyone will think you are a baking pro and only you will know how easy these really were!

Happy Baking!!

Jenn

Protein Sugar Free Banana Muffins

I have a ton of bananas on my counter that have just about seen their last day. I would hate to just throw them out so I have created a sugar free banana muffin with no flour and added protein powder!

Add all of the dry ingredients to your food processor and blend:

3/4 cup Old Fashion Oats
2 scoops protein powder-I used banana but vanilla would be good too
1/2 cup Splenda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp cinnamon
Dash salt

Wiz in food processer. We all know I LOVE my Ninja :)

Once combined add in:
3 Bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt- I used 0% Vanilla Chobani, but plain will work
1tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (I actually use the Vanilla bean paste)


Combine until well mixed.Pour mix into well sprayed muffin tins. Do not use paper liners. Using paper liners with recipes with oats will cause the muffins to stick to the liners.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 18 min .Remove from oven and turn out onto cooling rack.

These muffins will also freeze really well. My mix above made 9 full size muffins when filling the muffin tins 3/4 of the way to the top. These would also be really great with some nuts or blueberries mixed in. If you try either of those let me know!

One of these will find it's way to my belly for dessert tonight...and maybe one for breakfast tomorrow am!

These muffins have about 90 calories, 8 grams of sugar and 9 grams of protein if you make full size muffins and get 9 out of your mix :) Counts will vary depending on your yogurt and protein powder!

If you try these let me know! I always love feedback :)

My love of baking

I must admit I have a love of baking. It used to be I loved to eat all of the goodies I made, but these days full sugar treats are a thing of the past for me. I still do however love to make my full sugar yummy goodies for loved ones, and friends. People see a plate of cookies, batch of cupcakes, or slices of cake and their eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning.
Seeing other people enjoy my baked goods makes me smile. Plus I get to taste test my recipes on people who I know will be honest with me.

I have a obsession recently with cupcakes and sugar cookies.
Here are some past creations over the last year or so....

I am planning another batch of sugar cookies soon to ship to my cousin, just have to pick out some cool shapes!

Local and need baked goods?? Let me know....I do parties :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting, Chocolate Drizzle and a Banana Chip

Disney Princess Cookies- Belle, Snow White and some others

Cheeseburger Cake- Vanilla and Chocolate Pound Cake- decorated with Fondant

Chocolate Chipolte Cupcakes with Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla Cow Sugar Cookies- I Heart Cows

Vanilla Cupcake Sugar Cookies

The "Princess" Basket- Disney Princess Dresses, Castles, Cupcakes, and Crowns

Dad's Tackle Box Birthday Cake

TV Dinner Cupcakes

Easter Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream frosting and a Tulip Decorated Sugar Cookie Topper

"Watermelon" Cake - Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream frosting and fondant

Stevie's Pokemon Cake- my first attempt at Pokemon...

WLS Friendly Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My favorite banana bread recipe is one from Martha Stewart but post-op I can't eat it as originally written. Because I am a constant recipe tweaker the below is my latest version. Don't get me wrong...Martha is my go to girl, but below is a recipe I can have a piece of without feeling like someone is ripping out my pouch!

Here is what you will need:

9x5x3 loaf pan or mini loaf pans- buttered and floured ( I use the spray and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper)

2 TB Melted Butter
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Golden Flaxseed ground
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 large egg, and 1 Egg White
2 tsp Vanilla ( I like the Vanilla Bean paste)
2 large Bananas mashed well ( about 3/4-1 cup)
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar (which is what I use)
Handful or two of Sugar Free Chocolate Chips- Martha uses Walnuts but I don't


Prepare your pan and set aside.

Mix egg and egg white together. Add rest of wet ingredient and combine well.
Add mixture of dry ingredients ( I like to sift all the dry together first) to the wet and mix until just combined.
Stir in the Chocolate Chips (or whatever add in's you like) by hand gently.

Add to prepared pan and bake at 350 for about 25-30 min. It is done when your knife comes out clean!

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Fudge Pie! Healthy & Sugar Free

For all of you who asked, here is the original link the the Chocolate Fudge Pie made with Tofu Chocolate Bar Pie by Chocolate Covered Katie.

Of course I can't leave a recipe well enough alone so I made a few changes. Make sure you use the FIRM tofu. I made mine with 1TB cocoa powder, sugar free chocolate chips and with Stevia in the Raw as my sweetener. Make sure you mix really well. I use my NINJA!

Now, this time I also made a crust. Next time, I won't. I am going with Katie on this one...so much better minus the crust!

Here is what I used for my crust:

1-3/4" cups of Fiber One Cereal (the one that looks like rabbet food) crushed up to look like graham cracker crumbs

4tsp melted butter- I use Earth Balance Vegan Spread

2TB Stevia (or sugar, splenda, or agave)

1tsp cinnamon

Mix all together and mash into a 9" pie pan. Bake a 350 for about 8-9 min.
Let cool completely before filling.

I didn't think so many people were going to ask for the recipe so I only took one pic of my piece yesterday. But it is delish! You can't see it but there is some Sugar Free Whipped Topping on the side...

If you try this recipe let me know how you like it! I am not really a tofu fan, but  a new way of eating introduces you to so many new things!

Apple Almond Quick Bread

A fellow blogger friend had a recipe for  Strawberry Almond Quick Breadthat was super delicious and since I have a fridge full of yummy fresh picked apples I thought might try and see if I could change the recipe around a bit. Low and behold a delicious loaf of bread came bursting out of my oven.

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup Almond Flour

1-1/2 cups All purpose or Spelt flour

2/3 cup Splenda (that's what I use since I have to be sugar free but you can use regular Sugar)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ginger (ground or about 1/2 tsp fresh grated)
1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice
1 healthy TB lemon zest
2 eggs
1/2 cup Veg Oil ( or canola)
3 large apples peeled and diced
1/4 milk (add very last)
1/8 cup Torani Caramel (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 and butter and flour a 5x9 loaf pan. I love pam for baking. Saves me time and effort.

Cook prepared apples in pan for about 5 min until slightly tender. I like to add 1/8 cup Torani Caramel while cooking for a little extra zing but you can leave it out and use water.

Combine all dry ingredients. Add wet except for apples and milk. Fold apples into mixture and stir a few times. If it seems dry, slowly add the milk. Some days I use 1/8 cup, some days I use 1/4. All depends.

When all looks good, add to prepared pan. I cooked mine for about 55-60 min. 

Cool on wire rack for 10 min and remove from pan. Slice once cool. 

I brought mine to work and kept a couple pieces for us at the house. They were delish.

If you try this recipe out let me know!

Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lia Sophia

So recently I attended a Lia Sophia party, dead set on not buying anything. Well that didn't happen. But I was able to impress the other guests with a semi diet friendly version of my Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies. The "SuperTaster" Jmac swears she could taste the Splenda...I think she is silly.
If you want to switch out splenda for sugar, the conversions are below.

You will need:
2-1/4" Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 sticks of room temp butter
1/2 cup Splenda (or sugar)
1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar( or 1 cup light brown sugar)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp good vanilla
2 large eggs at room temp
A mixer- I love my Kitchen Aid

In your mixer cream the splendas (or sugars) with the butter until smooth and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add Vanilla.

Add in baking soda, salt, and flour mixture slowly. Save a little of the flour mixture to coat the chocolate chips before dumping those in. I usually do about a 1/4 cup of the flour mixture mixed with my chocolate chips so they spread out well in the batter. Once everything is just combined you are ready to bake.

I measure mine with a very small ice cream scoop meant for cookies.

In a 350 pre heated oven bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes. $5 bucks at Walmart. My oven is insane so sometimes it is 7 minutes sometimes it is 12. Go figure.

My Splenda cookies are delish and around these holidays when all we do is eat goodies, it's not a bad recipe to try...if you are dairy free, just buy dairy free chocolate chips. If you are gluten free, just switch out the flour and play with the recipe a little.  You can also add in nuts, dried fruit, etc. Go crazy! A recipe is just a starting base...so go forth and make it your own.

Happy Baking!
Jenn