Buttermilk Syrup

I can't believe how crazy busy I've gotten in the past couple of months. It feels like I'm never home and when I am I'm too tired to think about anything more complicated than pancakes or waffles. Fast and easy kind of dinner. It's an additional bonus that it's not a repeat because who actually has time for breakfast in the morning??? Not me, or anyone else that lives with me.

One thing that makes breakfast for dinner a bit more special and makes  it feel like mom cares about you is homemade syrup. Don't get me wrong, there will always be a place for Mrs. Butterworth but sometimes it's nice to takes a few extra minutes and do something without all the preservatives that's rich and buttery and totally not good for you in an oh, so good way. This syrup is one that pops up all over the place. Most everyone I know has a version of it and they are all good. This is the one I use. Take that for what it's worth. :) It's good over all breakfast foods and I have to stop myself from just eating it with a spoon out of a bowl!

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk (or 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice and enough milk to make 1/2 c. let sit for 5 minutes)
1 cube butter (don't use margarine)
1 T. Karo syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil for 1 minute in a small saucepan stirring constantly. Add soda and vanilla. Serve warm.

Samoa Cupcakes

I swear this isn't going to turn into a cupcake blog...although that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I've not had a lot of cooking time and it seems that having to take something to someone or to a function is the only thing that inspires me to actually do it of late.

You know the Samoa Girl Scout cookies? They are my favorite ones. I have been known to knock out a whole package in no time at all with little to no help. This is a sort of cupcake version. Well the batter tastes like Mounds if I'm entirely honest and it's too cakey to actually be a Samoa but the toasted coconut and caramel definitely give you that kind of feel. And really, how wrong can you go with chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut? I'm thinking you can't. Unless you burn the coconut, which is always a possibility at my house...The frosting has some salt in it to kind of cut the sweetness, I would start with 1/2 tsp and if you're going for the whole "salted caramel" thing increase it by taste from there.

Samoa Cupcakes
1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup coconut
2 tsp coconut flavoring

Prepare mix according to package directions. Stir in coconut flavoring and mix well. Fold in coconut. Fill cupcake liners and bake. I did mini cupcakes and they took 12 minutes. Adjust your bake time accordingly.

Caramel Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks butter; softened
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. caramel topping
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2-1 tsp salt

Cream butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and caramel. Mix well. Add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy and the right consistency. Add salt and mix well. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

After frosting the cupcakes top with drizzles of caramel and chocolate ice cream topping and a little toasted coconut. You could probably make the chocolate sauce from scratch if you prefer but Hershey's was pretty good in a time crunch!

Tie Dye Cupcakes

Soooo, I'm not dead, just crazy busy. I got a new job at work and it's kicking my butt. If it doesn't look like a frozen pizza or corn dog it pretty much hasn't happened at our house this month. This is where B steps in and takes over in her alter ego as "The Jigglette".

We needed to take a treat to some neighbors but have been putting it off because I'm always running out of time so this morning B took pity on me and did it all by herself. She's kind of hooked on Pinterest (like mother like daughter) and decided to try a tie dye cupcake that she saw there.

These are a basic yellow cake mix. She divided it into 5 bowls and tinted them fun colors.Then she filled the muffin tin with spoonfuls of the different colors. She didn't swirl anything together, just dropped the different colors in and they came out awesome! The frosting is chocolate buttercream that I do actually have a recipe for! 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 c. special dark cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
4 T. heavy cream

Cream butter in mixer until fluffy. Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa, mix with the butter on low speed until absorbed into the butter. Add salt, vanilla and cream and beat on med for approx. 3 min or until fluffy. Adjust thickness with either more sugar or more cream depending on how you prefer it.