Banana Bread Cupcakes

What do you do with a bunch of overly ripe bananas?  Banana bread of course!  Or in my case, banana bread cupcakes!  These cupcakes were inspired by nothing more than a bunch of bananas sitting on my counter.  I added some chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness, but all in all they are pretty simple little cakes!
   
Banana Bread Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 T heavy whipping cream


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4.  Add eggs, vanilla, and bananas to creamed mixture and mix until combined.
5.  Fold in chocolate chips.
6.  Fill liners 3/4 of the way full with batter, and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7.  Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pans.
8.  Cool completely on wire rack.
9.  To make frosting:  beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy; add cinnamon, vanilla, powdered sugar, and whipping cream.  Mix until frosting reaches desired piping consistency.
10.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Pineapple Strawberry Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

These cupcakes came about as a way to use some of my leftover ingredients from the past week and make some cupcakes to celebrate a friend's engagement.  I knew she liked pineapples and strawberries, so I had the perfect opportunity to utilize my ingredients.  The pineapples and cherries were leftover from pineapple upside-down cake cupcakes, and the strawberry purée was from chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes.  I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to bake for some reason!  When I texted my mom a picture of the cupcakes along with a description, her response was, "Different lol."  True, they are definitely different, but the flavors mesh into tropical deliciousness!  Congratulations on your engagement Kendall & Brandon!  I hope you enjoy them!  

Pineapple Strawberry Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

1 can crushed pineapple (21 oz)

3 eggs

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup strawberry pie filling, puréed

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and puréed

1 tsp cherry or raspberry extract

6-8 cups powdered sugar

2-4 T half & half

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.  Combine crushed pineapple, eggs, and yellow cake mix in a large bowl.  Mix until combined.

3.  Layer 2 T of cupcake batter to muffin pan, followed by 1 T of puréed pie filling, and then top with 1 T of cupcake batter (totaling 3 layers).

4.  Bake for 16-18 mins or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

5.  Cool completely on wire rack.

6.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add cherries, extract, powdered sugar, and half & half; mix until combined.  Continue to add powdered sugar and/or half & half until desired consistency is reached.

7.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. 

The Week in Review

It has been exactly a week since my last post, which is quite a while for me.  This past week has been extremely busy with orders, school, clinicals, and work.  I got the opportunity to bake for a bridal shower, and make an amazing Valentine's Day cake!  I just wanted to share some pictures with you!  The cupcakes for the bridal shower were white chocolate strawberry and lemon blueberry, and the Valentine's Day cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting and fondant decorations.  Hope you enjoy the photos!  I will post a new recipe this weekend!

Papa's Super Simple Healthy Brownies

The more I write these blog posts, the more I realize how many things I considered a normal part of childhood that many others don't.  I was probably at least 12 years-old before I ever had a brownie prepared according to the directions on the box because we always had "Papa's brownies."  I grew up in a world where banana rum fudge cake, and plum cakes were birthday staples, and there was no such thing as an artichoke in my vocabulary (as far as I was concerned it was a carciofo), until I reached about 10 years-old.  Along with these things, these brownies were a childhood staple.  My Papa got the recipe from the newspaper, like many of his others, and I added the glaze just to kick it up a notch.  Papa's version of the brownie was simply dusted with powdered sugar.  They are a fraction of the calories because the eggs and oil are completely removed, but they are still chewy and delicious!  


Papa's Super Simple Healthy Brownies
Brownies:
Brownie mix (one that calls for 2 eggs & a 1/2 cup oil)
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup water


Glaze (optional):
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2-3 tsp water
2 drops red food coloring (optional)


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for glass pan) and grease 13 x 9 pan.
2.  Combine brownie mix, yogurt, and water.  Mix well.
3.  Spread mixture into pan (it will be very thick).
4.  Bake for 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from edge.
5.  Cool completely before cutting.
6.  To make glaze:  combine powdered sugar, almond extract, water, and food coloring (if desired).  If mixture is too thick, add water 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.  If mixture is too thin, add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
7.  Drizzle cooled brownies with glaze.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Who doesn't love cinnamon rolls?  Personally, I would take a cinnamon sugar flavored dessert over something chocolate any day.  I told you about my obsession with putting cinnamon on vanilla ice cream in an earlier post, so this should come as no surprise.  These cookies are somewhat time consuming, but trust me, they are well worth it.  If you would like to take a short cut, just roll them into balls instead of creating the spiral shape.  They are delicious and are a winner with both kids and adults!  

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

2 cups of flour, plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1 tablespoon for divided use

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, softened, plus 3 tablespoon for divided use

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar, plus ½ cup for divided use

1 egg yolk

¼ cup smooth applesauce

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoon of milk

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

2.     Place ½ cup butter, granulated sugar and ¼ cup of brown sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until light in color.  Add in egg yolk, applesauce, light corn syrup, and vanilla.  Beat to combine.

3.     Using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, fold in flour mixture until just combined.  Dough may have some flour streaking.  Divide dough in half and wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Place remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and ½ cup of brown sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine.

4.     Remove one wrapped dough.  Dough will be sticky so place it between two large pieces of wax paper and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Using a pastry brush spread 1 1/2 tablespoon of softened butter on dough.  Sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top and gently press it into dough.  Roll up dough, beginning with long side.  Place roll seam side down on plastic wrap and cover tightly.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Place both rolled doughs back in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.

5.     Remove chilled roll and cut into ½ inch slices. (*Alternately pinch off 1 ½ tablespoons size dough and roll into a ball for a cookie shape.)  

6.     Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To make glaze:

Sift powdered sugar and add in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until drizzling consistency is achieved.

Assembly:

Drizzle tops of cookies with glaze and let stand at room temperature until glaze dries completely.  Store cookies in an airtight container.

Source:  Bakers Royale Cinnamon Roll Cookies