Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

You know when you get that craving to something sweet and chocolatey. Well this cupcake will definintely satisfy that craving. Chocolate and hazelnut coming together is the perfect combination! Just be sure to have a glass of milk handy to wash it all down. These are amazingly rich and delicious!

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes:

Base:
You can use any chocolate cake recipe you like. I used the chocolate cake recipe from Chef in Training. You'll notice the recipe on the site is for Nutella cupcakes. I used the cake part, but switched up everything else. 

Most cupcakes bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Let your cupcakes cool completely. Once cool, make a small hole in the center of each cupcake by removing some of the cake and fill with some nutella. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream:

1 stick butter, softened
1/2-3/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (start by adding 1/2 cup and increase if you would like more flavor)
1-2 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
4-5 cups powdered sugar
Chopped hazelnuts for garnishing (optional)

Beat Butter and hazelnut spread. Add 1 TBS milk and vanilla. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency. Add more milk if your frosting is too think, a tablespoon at a time. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with chopped hazelnuts. 

Yummy!

Lime Rickey Cupcakes

 One of my most favorite drinks, especially in the summertime is Lime Rickeys. One of my other most favorite things is cupcakes thanks to the Talented Terrace Girl Teresa introducing me. I have really developed a love of cupcakes and baking them! I think my family and friends love my passion for baking cupcakes as well as they are my main test tasters! The best part of baking cupcakes is creating a recipe and having it turn out to be a great success! Well I have wanted to make a Lime Rickey cupcake because I absolutely love lime rickeys and figured hey that would make a good cupcake. Well the other day I did it! This cupcake tastes like a lime rickey. Yum is all I gotta say!

Lime Rickey Cupcakes

Base:

• 1 white cake mix
• 2 TBS oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• zest and juice of 1-2 limes (I used 1 1/2 limes)

Mix all ingredients together, fill muffin tins with liners and fill liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Grape Buttercream:

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 small package grape jello
• 5 cups powdered sugar-give or take

Beat butter and cream cheese together for about two minutes. Add vanilla and grape jello and mix until well combined. Add powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish each cupcake with a slice of lime if desired and enjoy!

Makes 3 dozen cupcakes

Sweet tooth Tuesday: Homemade Krispy Kreme Donuts

Ok so who doesn't love Krispy Kremes! I know I do and I've got a copycat recipe for them! I think the best way to eat a Krispy Kreme is to stick it in the microwave for only about 10 seconds, enough to warm the donut and make the frosting soft. Yum!!! Every time I have made these they seem to go quickly and I never bring home leftovers. You have one and then you can't stop there. Making these is a little bit of a process, but overall they are easy to make.

Homemade Krispy Kreme Donuts

Donuts:

• 2 TBS yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 5 cups flour
• oil for frying

Glaze:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1.2 tsp vanilla
• 4-6 TBS hot water

Donuts: Dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat on low, scraping the bowl for 30 seconds. Then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the bowl. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (about an hour). Dough is ready when an indent remains. Turn onto a floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, gently roll dough to 1/2 inch thick.Cut with a floured donut cutter and place on a baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for them to grow. Cover and let rise until doubled (30-40 minutes) Sides must not touch! Using a wide spatula, slide donuts into hot oil, turn as they rise to the surface. Fry just until golden (about a minute each side) Carefully remove and drain. Dip in creamy glaze, cool on wire rack, and then dip in glaze again.

*Note: If you don't have a donut cutter you can use a mason jar ring, or even the rim of a glass to make round donuts. I don't have have a donut cutter, do it this way, and my donuts turn out great!

Glaze: Heat butter until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in water 1 TBSP at a time, until desired consistency has been reached. To make a chocolate glaze, melt 4 oz of milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips with butter and continue with glaze recipe.

This make 2 dozen donuts

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

This Sunday I was home from church with a sick little baby girl so I had some extra quiet time while everyone else was away.  So I decided to make a treat....okay....so it's not any different from when I have a houseful...I still make treats.  But I guess I just got a little bored since the baby was sleeping.  I wanted something simple, and something that I had all the ingredients on hand since it was Sunday.  So I figured this would be good.  And kid-friendly =)

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

(Recipe from Chef in Training)

• 6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal
• 20 Regular Oreos chopped
• 5 cups mini marshmallows
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, pour measured Rice Krispie Cereal.
3. Chop and mash Oreos. You can do this by putting them in a ziplock bag to help keep the mess under control. You want the Oreos to be a variety of sizes from chunky to finely crushed.
4. Add Oreos to Rice Krispy cereal and stir to combine.
5. In a medium sauce pan, heat butter and marshmallows together over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they melt together.
6. Pour melted marshmallows over cereal and oreos and use a spatula sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to quickly combine all the ingredients.
7. As soon as all the cereal is combined, spread mixture into the prepared 9×13″ dish. Use the spatula to press the mixture around the dish, and flatten as needed.
8. Let sit until completely cooled.
9. Drizzle with melted chocolate or sprinkles if you want.

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Peanut Butter Balls

These little balls are bursting with peanut butter flavor and sweet enough to satisfy any sweet craving. This is a treat that the kids can help make. My 5 year old helped with these and had lots of fun doing so. The great thing about these is that they leave no mess! Yay! 

Peanut butter balls

5-6 cups rice crispy cereal

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

Put rice cereal in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling add peanut butter and remove from heat quickly. Pour peanut butter mixture over rice cereal and toss to evenly coat. Place your hands under the sink and run cold water on them.  Form balls with your hands and place on a sheet of wax paper to cool  Makes 24.

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Nutella Oreo Cheesecake Deep Dish Cookie Pie

That name is a mouthful!!  But so is this dish!  It is very good and really rich!  The way I found this was I was going to a Pie Night (everyone brings a pie to share) and I didn't have a pie and it was in 2 hours...not enough time to make a pie.  So I searched pinterest and found this recipe.  It was a huge hit with everyone!!!  Here is the place I found it: Back For Seconds

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups butter (softened)
• 8oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup Oreos (chopped )
• 3/4 cups Nutella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350* In a large bowl cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add in the soda, salt, and flour and mix until incorporated being careful not to over mix. Stir in 1 cup of oreos and the chocolate chips by hand.  Press half of the dough into a greased cast  iron skillet.  Spread 1/2 cup nutella all around the dough and top with remaining dough. Bake for 30-35 minute or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (there will be some melted chocolate  on the toothpick, you just want to be sure the dough itself is cooked through) Let cool and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup of nutella (melted) and remaining oreos

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Chocolate lasagna

Our birthday tradition is that the birthday person gets to choose their dessert and dinner.  I couldn't decide on my dinner but I knew what I wanted for dessert: Chocolate Lasagna!!  Since my hubby was making it, it had to be easy so this recipe doesn't require any cooking =) And he was creative and changed up the recipe...he made it mint chocolate...my favorite!!

(yes, I turned the dreaded 3-0 this year!!)

1 package regular Oreo cookies (Not Double Stuff) – about 36 cookies (we used the grasshopper Keebler ones)
6 Tablespoon butter, melted
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cold milk
1- 12 ounce tub Cool Whip, divided
2 – 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding.
3 1/4 cups cold milk
1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (we used the Andes mint chocolate chips)

Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. We recruited the help of our 4 year old...and a rolling pin.  He had some fun.  When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.
Combine the Oreo crumbs with 6 tablespoons melted butter. Press the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the fridge while you mix the rest.

Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this over the crust.

In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. 

Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

(yes, those are finger smears....they may or may not match the size of my fingers....)

Pumpkin week: Pumpkin Spice bundt cake

Back I think 3 years ago my mom invited me to a Relief Society activity that was themed "everything pumpkin" held at her church building. We made some halloween luminaries similar to what Kayla made and posted not too long ago as well as had the opportunity to try out a ton of yummy pumpkin recipes. This recipe I am about share is one that came from that. The great part is that the recipe of each item was there so if you loved something you could have the recipe and could make it again!

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

• 1 15oz can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup each canola oil, buttermilk, and water
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp each baking soda and baking powder
• 1/2 tsp each salt, nutmeg, allspice,  cloves
• 1/2 cup raisins (I didn't put these in cause I don't like raisins)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar

In a large bowl beat pumpkin, sugar, oil, buttermilk, water, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla until well blended. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, aallspice,  and cloves. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Place on cooling rack to cool completely and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Week: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I love cinnamon rolls....I love pumpkin flavoring....so what better than to combine them together?  This is a perfect fall treat.  Especially warm out of the oven, on a cold day.

Dough

1/4 c. warm water

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 c. milk

1/2 c. butter

1- 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

5 1/2 c. flour (may need more if the dough is too sticky)

Filling

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

Stir the yeast into the water, and let it sit until it dissolves.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat, stirring until the butter melts. Pour the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the milk-butter mixture, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Let the mixture cool just a bit, until it’s about 100 to 110˚F. (It should feel warm, but not hot.) Stir in the dissolved yeast and the pumpkin puree, and mix until combined. Stir in the salt.
Dump 5 cups of the flour into the bowl, and stir until you’ve got a sticky ball of dough. If the dough isn’t coming together, stir the extra ½ cup of flour.

Now’s the part where you cover the dough and let it rise.  Let it sit for 1 to 3 hours, or until the ball of dough doubles in size.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a half-inch-thick rectangle. (If the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin or the work surface, sprinkle a bit more flour over everything.)
Now make the filling: Place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and nuke it until it’s melted. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and spices. Spread the butter evenly over the rolled-out dough, and sprinkle the brown sugar mixbut leave an inch of space along the top of the rectangle (should be a long edge, not a short edge)
Starting at the bottom edge, carefully roll the dough upwards into a log. Seal the roll by pinching it closed along the top.
Butter the sides and bottoms of two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes (you can also use 9-inch cake pans). Slice the log into 16 to 18 rolls, about 1 to 1½ inches thick.I used embroidery thread to cut my rolls so they don't get smushed by the knife Put the rolls into the baking dishes, making sure they have a little room to rise.

If you’re going to bake the rolls immediately, cover them with a clean dishtowel and let them rise for about 30 minutes, until they get puffy. If you’re going to bake the rolls later, cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator — when you’re ready to bake, let them sit on the counter and rise for 1 hour before putting them in the oven.
Bake the rolls at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking dishes halfway through cooking. 

When the rolls are golden brown , take them out of the oven. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, Then putyour favorite cinnamon roll frosting on top.  

For my frosting, I don't really have a recipe. I used cream cheese (for this recipe I used 2 8 oz. blocks) and whip them in the mixer.  I added about 1- 1 1/2 tbsp. of vanilla and then powdered sugar.  I did it to taste, but I don't like it overly sweet so I didn't use a ton, maybe 1 1/2 c. but I didn't measure.  Then I just added about 2- 3 tbsp milk to thin it out.

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Strawberry lemonade brownies

Do you like Strawberry Lemonade?  These brownies are that...in food form!!  They are super yummy!  They were a nice break from the chocolate recipes I usually do.  Instead of the lemon glaze, I got some of my homemade freezer strawberry jam and poured it over top.  It was fabulous!!

Ingredients

½	cup unsalted butter, softened
¾	cup flour
2	eggs, large
2	tbsp lemon zest
2	tbsp lemon juice
¾	cup granulated sugar
¼	teaspoon sea salt
For the tart lemon glaze (I didn't do the glaze, but if you want it, here's the recipe):
4	tbsp lemon juice
8	tsp lemon zest
1	cup icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.  Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set. Cut into bars and serve. 

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Chocolate Vanilla Swirled Cupcakes

Delicious and surprisingly easy these cupcakes were also made for my sisters bridal shower. The theme was tie dye but I thought that we should get some chocolate in there some how so this was my compromise.

I started out by making two cake batters, one vanilla and one chocolate. (Yes I used a box. I have a hard time bringing myself to make cake from scratch. I blame my Mom. She is an amazing cook and baker but cakes were never her thing.)

Look at my big (scary) helper.

I just used regular spoons to fill the cupcake wrappers. I alternated white and brown and ended up putting four spoonfuls total in each cup. It didn't take as long as it sounds. My pan is a little messy because I had so much "help".

Follow your recipes baking instructions.

They ended up really fun on the inside.

Next was the frosting. I used my families recipe for the vanilla frosting. It is super easy and really yummy.

Vanilla Frosting

1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt

Whip it all together for a few min till thick and fluffy looking. You may want to start out with half the milk and add more as you need it.

And for the chocolate we have always loved the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Add powdered sugar and milk, beat on medium speed until desired consistency. Add more milk if needed. Stir in vanilla.

I was originally going to just try to dump the frosting in the piping bag, trying to get most of the chocolate on one side and most of the vanilla on the other, then hoping they would swirl together nicely. But while researching something else I came across this technique of filling a piping bag on The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle and thought it would be perfect for this. 

First you lay out a nice long piece of plastic wrap on your counter. Then you spoon one color of frosting in a line across the middle of the plastic wrap with the other color on top. (You could do as many colors or flavors as you want.) 

 Then you carefully wrap the sides of plastic over your frosting so it looks like a tube and twirl the ends till they are wrapped nice and tight.

Then you "thread" your tube through your piping bag pulling it down as far as it will go.

And cut off the extra plastic. If you have the cool piping bags with the removable tips you will want to do all this before adding your tip. I am not that cool. If you just leave the plastic near the end of your tip it will bunch up and not be pretty coming out. All you have to do is pull your tube of plastic back in your piping bag a bit so that the frosting will squeeze out and the plastic won't get in the way.

Next you swirl to your hearts content. I think they came out lovely. And yummy! My Dad ate three at the bridal shower alone.

Now I have ideas for all kinds of color and flavor mixes I could do with this same technique. Orange and vanilla, lemon and lime, chocolate and caramel. What do you think? 

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Soda Pop Ice Cream

The weather here in Utah has been so hot this summer that we are continually trying to find ways to cool off. It especially doesn't help that I'm 26 weeks pregnant!  One way of beating the heat is eating ice cream, one of my favorite things to do. I LOVE ice cream! Homemade ice cream is even better. Usually we make vanilla ice cream, but I ran across a recipe on Pinterest for some soda pop ice cream and figured we should try making this. I am really skeptical when it comes to homemade ice cream recipes, but I have to tell  ya that this ice cream is really yummy. You can use whatever flavor pop you want. We used rootbeer since my family are HUGE rootbeer fans. I think my husband and daughter could survive of rootbeer! Haha.  Anyways this is a super easy recipe. We are excited to try out more flavors of pop!

Soda Pop Ice Cream:

• 4 Cups any flavor pop (I used Rootbeer)
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 Cup whole milk

Combine all ingredients together and place in an ice cream maker. Once the ice cream maker stops or slows done your ice cream is done! Take out and enjoy!

***Our ice cream took about an hour in our ice cream maker to be completely hardened.***

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Grasshopper poke cake

For Father's Day, i told my hubby to pick a dessert he wanted me to make.  This is what he picked.  It's got just a hint of mint, and lots of chocolate =)  If you like thin mints, or grasshopper ice cream or chocolate and mint, you will like it.  I think the only thing i will change next time is to maybe use mint chips in the chocolate cake.

(you can't tell but the whip cream is actually tinted green)

Ingredients

• 1 chocolate cake mix + water, oil, eggs as listed on the box
• 1 - 14.5 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 - 12.8 oz jar Hershey's Special Hot Fudge Sauce
• 1 - 10 oz package Keebler Fudge Mint Cookies (or Thin Mints, when in season)
• 1 - 16 oz container cool whip (I like lite)
• 1 Duncan Hines Mint flavor packet
• 1 cup Andes Mint chips

Instructions

1. Prepare and bake the cake mix in a 9x13 baking dish. Allow to cool completely.
2. Use the bottom of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the entire cake (about 20 holes). Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake, trying to fill the holes.
3. Heat the hot fudge sauce in a small bowl in the microwave. 30-40 seconds should do the trick, you jut want it to soften a little.
4. Crumble half of the fudge mint cookies into the hot fudge sauce and mix. Spread the cookie/fudge sauce over the cake.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the mint packet and the cool whip. Spread the whipped topping over the fudge layer.
6. Crumble the remaining cookie crumbs over top of the cool whip. Sprinkle the Andes Mint chips over top.
7. Refrigerate and chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
8. Cut and serve. Serves 12-15.