Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

Day 2 of the 2013 Cupcake Palooza. Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream. I've made these a couple of different times and they are always good. And they always make me want a big glass of milk even though I'm pretty lactose intolerant and that would make my stomach hurt. I think it's the peanut butter, it makes me think of the peanut butter sandwiches I ate when I was little!

And, funny story, I tried to take some of these to the neighbor's as a thank you and got almost to the front step, slipped on some ice, did that crazy cartoon save yourself dance, and proceeded to drop the plate of cupcakes on the sidewalk. It's a good think this recipe makes a few extra!

Anyway. This is my basic devil's food cupcake. Pretty much my go to chocolate. The frosting is straight up peanut butter tonight but as I was frosting I was thinking that the next time I will swirl chocolate buttercream and the peanut butter cream together. There's always a next time for me :)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
about 30 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 c. oil
1 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. sour cream
3 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 bag peanut butter chips (opt)

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. peanut butter
3-4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. pure vanilla extract
2-3 T. milk (I eyeball it, there isn't a whole lot of measuring)

1. Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, sour cream, and butter milk.
2. Add vanilla and beat for a couple of minutes until smooth.
3. Fold in peanut butter chips if using.
4. Fill cupcake liners
5. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes
6. Cream butter and peanut butter together
7. Gradually add the powdered sugar and milk alternating until frosting is the right consistency.
8. Add vanilla. Beat until fluffy.

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Somehow, I've once again managed to get myself in the position of agreeing to do something that now seems like a Herculean task. Last year I did "The 12 Days of Cupcakes" for the people at Randy's work. Twelve different cupcakes, the last 12 work days of the year, 4 dozen a day. I truly didn't even consider at the time that they were going to think that was a "tradition" that would continue. I haven't thought about it again since Jan 1 2013. Apparently I'm the only one that was operating under that assumption. After multiple requests and inquiries from Randy's coworkers I've agreed to give it another go.

So. Twelve more kinds of cupcakes (I can't repeat myself), twelve more marathon baking sessions and a whole lot of butter and cream cheese....YUM! I've planned 12 different kinds than last year so we will see how it goes. I'm sure that the photography will be sketchy as I will for sure be taking pictures in the middle of the night. :)

Here's Day 1.  I drizzled warmed Nutella over the top of the cupcakes but you could melt chocolate chips or make ganache or just use chocolate sprinkles. I would have garnished with banana slices but I was afraid they would go brown and neglected to buy dried bananas at the store so those are just in my head.

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting 
2 1/2 doz cupcakes
Adapted from Your Cup of Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1/2 c. flour
3 ripe bananas smushed
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs (I used extra large eggs so 4 large would probably be ok)
3/4 c. sour cream
2/3 c. oil
3/4 c. buttermilk (this makes a huge difference in the texture)
1 T. pure vanilla extract

1. Mix the dry ingredients.
2. Smash bananas and sprinkle baking soda over them, stir.
3. Mix the dry ingredients with the eggs, sour cream, oil, and buttermilk. Blend together well. Add the smashed bananas. Stir in but don't over stir.
4. Fill cupcake liners with 1/4 c. batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter
1 8 oz cube cream cheese
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1. Cream softened butter and cream cheese together.
2. Add powdered sugar gradually mixing well
3. Add vanilla.
4. Beat until fluffy.

Baked Tortellini

I always have these great and grand plans to make the fabulous recipes that I have pinned on Pinterest or stumbled across and printed from the internet when I go grocery shopping. Then, real life happens and I come home from work tired and grouchy, or I'm the only one home to feed and cooking doesn't sound nearly as fun. So then, because I was such a good little grocery shopper and followed my carefully planned menu from my wish list of recipes I'm quite often left with ingredients that I am too tired to use as they were originally intended. This package of tortellini was in this category.

For whatever reason my kids have never really like spaghetti in any variety. I've tried different shaped noodles, tortellini, ravioli etc with sauce but it isn't ever received with loud shouts of praise. But, they do like lasagna type dishes. So, I dug through the pantry and refrigerator and did a dump and hope for the best kind of dinner. It was pretty tasty and for the energy challenged after work it was a win. It was good for lunches the next day too! Bonus!

Baked Tortellini

1 package refrigerated tortellini
1 jar marinara sauce
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning
1 cup Ricotta cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese or Italian Blend

• Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain well. 
• In a med saucepan mix sauce, tomato sauce and seasoning and heat through. Pour over pasta and mix well.
• In a prepared 9 x 13 baking dish layer half the tortellini, the ricotta cheese, a good handful of mozzarella cheese and the remaining pasta. 
• Top the pasta with the rest of the mozzarella.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and melted.

Clear Punch

When I was a little girl I used to go to my Grandma's to visit and we would quite often get to have lunch with her. We'd scooch up to the bar and she would feed us whatever she had in the fridge and we would always get to have "clear punch" with our meal. Now, we all knew it was really water but it was waaaay more fun to call it clear punch. Even now I will catch myself or one of my sisters offering one of the kids clear punch and I kind of laugh inside because it's such a happy little memory!

This really is "clear punch". It's flavored with lemon extract and citric acid so it's really lemonade-esque but it is definitely in the punch category and is definitely clear unless you choose to make it something else. We made this for Jeff and Jessica's wedding reception and it was a hit. And even more importantly it was EASY. I just made it all up in coolers the day before and added ice and lemon slices when I put it in the dispensers that night. We also had flavored syrups that people could use as an add in and that seemed to go over well.

I think this would be awesome with some crushed raspberries or strawberries added to the lemon slices. Seriously yummy....

The picture is kind of sketchy, I just snapped it at the reception because I didn't plan ahead and take one at home but it's better than nothing, right?

Clear Punch

4 1/2  quarts water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 T. citric acid
1 T. lemon extract (I added a little more because it was going to be diluted with ice)

Float lemon or lime slices in the punch for color. Or berries, or oranges...the list is endless.