Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

I apologize for being absent from my blog for a few days. Our oldest daughter and granddaughter were visiting from MA. Our granddaughter celebrated her 22nd birthday while here, and she asked grandma to make her some Cookies and Cream Cupcakes for the occasion. I had never made them before, so I had to find a recipe online that I thought would be successful. I chose this recipe for Oreo cupcakes as it had everything I was looking for:  a chocolate cupcake with big chunks of Oreo cookies in it; made from scratch, yet easy to make; a buttercream frosting, that’s not too rich or sweet; and a 5-star rating. These cupcakes did not disappoint. The only hassle I had was decorating them, but that’s an easy fix. The frosting has finely crushed Oreo cookies in it, so you need to choose a larger size decorating tip than I did, so the occasional uncrushed piece doesn't jam up the tip. If you love chocolate and you love Oreo cookies, these cupcakes are fit for a princess….I know, because our princess was thrilled with them!

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Coarsely chop Oreo cookies. I put them in a large resealable plastic bag and pounded with a rolling pin to get coarse chunks.

In medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
 

Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until foamy. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain.

Add the chopped cookies to the batter. Stir to combine. 

Spoon the batter into the liner cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (It took about 22 minutes for mine.)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare Frosting: 

Finely crush the Oreo cookies (to a dust-like consistency). I put mine in the food processor.

Beat shortening (I used Crisco shortening) and butter on medium-high speed of hand mixer for about 5 minutes, until fluffy.

Reduce speed to low. Gradually add powdered sugar until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and milk. Beat on same speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until fluffy. Add the crushed cookie crumbs. Mix well. If needed, add another splash of milk. (I added one splash more.)

Frost the cupcakes. Despite grinding the Oreo cookies to a dust-like consistency, a few larger pieces would show up in the frosting and jam the decorating tip. So, I would suggest using the largest decorating tip you have, to allow for this. Decorate cupcake by inserting a mini Oreo in the frosting.

Note: the recipe below yields 12 cupcakes and more frosting than you will need for 12 cupcakes. I wanted 24 cupcakes, so I doubled the cupcake portion of the recipe and made 1-1/2 times the frosting portion.

COOKIES AND CREAM CUPCAKES
Source: Food.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or substitute almond, chocolate or vanilla)
• 10 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup solid shortening (such as Crisco)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 5 Oreo cookies, ground to a dust-like consistency
• 12 mini Oreo cookies, for decorating (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2.  In medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set
     aside.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
4.  Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until foamy. Gradually add the dry
     ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain.
5.  Add the chopped cookies to the batter. Stir to combine. Spoon the batter into the liner cups, filling
     them about 2/3 full.
6.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a
     wire rack to cool completely.
7.  Prepare frosting: Beat shortening (I used Crisco shortening) and butter on medium-high speed of
     and mixer for about 5 minutes, until fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar until
     incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract
     and milk. Beat on same speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until fluffy. Add the crushed cookie crumbs. Mix
     well.
8.  Frost cupcakes. Note: Despite grinding the Oreo cookies to a dust-like consistency, a few larger pieces would
     show up in the frosting and jam the decorating tip. So, I would suggest using the largest decorating
     tip you have, to allow for this.
9.  If desired, decorate cupcake by inserting a mini Oreo in the frosting.



Yields: 12 cupcakes

Lemon Bar Flags

With Memorial Day coming up, I was so anxious and excited to post this, as it is so festive and perfect for this holiday. But this past weekend, my kitchen turned into a comedy of errors. My go-to recipe for lemon bars failed me big time. For the first time ever, the lemon filling wouldn't set up. So, I thought, "Okay, no problem, I must have misread a quantity, I’ll trash it and start again." The second try was more disastrous than the first. Exasperated, but determined, I gave it yet another shot. Alas, the 3rd try was worst of all. By this point, I was frustrated to tears. What went wrong? I went to the web site where I originally found the recipe to verify the ingredients. Oddly enough, all the quantities under the list of ingredients had question marks instead of numbers.(I've never seen that before.) Needless to say, along with discarding my failed lemon bars, I destroyed the recipe, also. Guess it’s a mystery I’ll never solve. After a good night’s sleep, I felt rejuvenated and went online to find a more reliable recipe. When I came across this posting at Cooking Classy™, I just knew it would work; lots of eggs (unlike my failed version), along with additional egg yolks, which would give it that deep yellow color that's so gorgeous. Woo Hoo! Not only did it work, but it was fantastic! Without a doubt, the best lemon bars I ever tasted. The texture and flavors are everything you imagine a lemon bar to be, and more. Now, for the festive part…..giving it that special patriotic touch, which makes it so fun for this upcoming weekend!  A dusting of powdered sugar over all, some red stripes (via decorator icing) and some blueberries and you’ve got an adorable replica of the American flag. Picnic perfect! And with my new "go-to" recipe for lemon bars (many thanks Jaclyn), preparation is a breeze (once and done, phew).

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 13x9-inch baking dish. 
 

In food processor (or mix in a bowl), pulse together flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add diced butter and pulse until mixtures crumbles (or, if mixing in a bowl, use your fingertips and/or a fork to combine). Press mixture into an even layer on bottom of prepared baking dish (press together any cracks). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

While crust is baking, begin to prepare filling (because you want to pour prepared filling over hot crust).

Zest and juice lemons. Juice orange.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix in lemon juice, orange juice and lemon zest. 

Add eggs, egg yolks and heavy cream. Whisk vigorously to blend well. 

Pour mixture over hot crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Return to oven and bake until filling is just set, about 20 to 25 minutes (I used max time of 25 minutes). Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 

To decorate: 

Note: one tube of writing gel will only decorate 2 bars. To decorate all, use red decorator icing with writing tip.

Generously dust surface of lemon bars with powdered sugar. (This will be “white” part of American flag, so you want a good amount of coating.) Cut into squares. (I cut 9 squares, but they were on the large side, so you can cut them into smaller sizes if you prefer.) Using red decorator frosting with a thin writing tip, draw about 6 lines across the bar (to represent the flag’s stripes).  

Note: I was only able to decorate 2 bars with one small tube of red gel icing. So, you may want to buy regular red decorator icing, instead of dishing out a lot of cash for several of these small tubes.

Wash and thoroughly dry blueberries. For each “flag” place 6 blueberries in upper left hand corner (to represent stars); 3 on top and 3 directly below that. Decorate remaining cut bars in same manner.

Oops! Mike ate one before I was done decorating.

Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator.

Before serving, let refrigerated bars rest at room temperature about 30 minutes, so it’s slightly firm, but just starting to soften.

LEMON BAR FLAGS
Source:  Cooking Classy™ (Lemon Bars)
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, diced into cubes and softened

Filling:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh navel orange juice
• 4 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3-1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Toppings:

• Powdered sugar
• Fresh blueberries
• Red writing gel, or red decorator icing

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 13x9-inch baking dish.
2. In food processor (or mix in a bowl), pulse together flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar and 1/2
    teaspoon salt. Add diced butter and pulse until mixtures crumbles (or, if mixing in a bowl, use your
    fingertips and/or a fork to combine). Press mixture into an even layer on bottom of prepared baking
    dish (press together any cracks). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
3. While crust is baking, begin to prepare filling (because you want to pour prepared filling over hot
    crust).
4. In large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix in lemon juice,
    orange juice and lemon zest. Add eggs, egg yolks and heavy cream. Whisk vigorously to blend well.
5. Pour mixture over hot crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F. Return to oven and bake until filling
     is just set, about 20 to 25 minutes (I used max time of 25 minutes). Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
    Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
6. To decorate: Generously dust surface of lemon bars with powdered sugar. (This will be “white” part of
    American flag, so you want a good amount of coating.) Cut into squares. (I cut 9 squares, but they
    were on the large side, so you can cut them into smaller sizes if you prefer.) Using red decorator
    frosting with a thin writing tip, draw about 6 lines across the bar (to represent the flag’s stripes).
    Wash and thoroughly dry blueberries. For each “flag” place 6 blueberries in upper left hand corner (to
    represent stars); 3 on top and 3 directly below that. Decorate remaining cut bars in same manner.
7. Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator. Before serving, let refrigerated bars rest at room
    temperature about 30 minutes, so it’s slightly firm, but just starting to soften.

Impossible Peaches and Cream Pie

Okay; this isn’t exactly a pie. Remember when Bisquick® first introduced all the “Impossible Pies?” You mix together the ingredients and when it cooks, it "magically" makes its own crust. Well, that’s why I renamed this “Impossible Peaches and Cream Pie.” It’s hard to categorize this recipe. It’s more like a moist shortcake-type dessert. It’s so soft, it dissolves it your mouth when you take a bite. It’s refreshingly light and the cinnamon sugar topping (which may seem overabundant while preparing), adds a whole other dimension of flavor. The crust layer is made with flour, salt, baking powder and dry vanilla (cook ‘n serve) pudding mix. It is then topped with sliced peaches and a “creamy” cheesecake layer. The cheesecake layer doesn’t cook long enough to really set up, giving it that soft, silky texture. Then the whole “pie” is generously sprinkled with a cinnamon/sugar mixture. Does this make a “mouthwatering” presentation? Not exactly. But, would you give it a try if you knew that the author, Debbi Borsick, has won numerous blue ribbons for this pie (as well, as some of the recipe reviewers)? This is one of those visually deceptive desserts, all the beauty is in the taste. It’s an incredibly simple dessert to throw together for that backyard bash. Whether served warm with a scoop of ice cream, or cold with a dollop of whipped cream, this pie will “win” you tons of compliments.

Missing from photo: butter

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Grease sides and bottom of a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan (or spray with a non-stick flour infused spray like Baker’s Joy).

VERY IMPORTANT! For this recipe to come out perfect, it is imperative that you only use a 10-inch pan. Too many recipe reviewers have complained that the cake part comes out soggy when they try to use a smaller pan. If you don’t have a 10-inch pie pan, then substitute a 10-inch springform pan. If you prepare it, exactly as directed, you will get perfect results.

Thoroughly drain peaches, reserving 3 Tablespoons of juice. Although, not in the original instructions, I cut the peach slices in half (or thirds). I thought this way you get a “taste” of peaches in each and every bite (and it would more thoroughly and evenly cover the crust layer). Another note: peaches must be as dry as you can get them. After I cut them into smaller pieces, I laid them out on paper towels and blotted them dry. 

In medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and dry pudding mix (must be cook ‘n serve, NOT instant). 

Add butter, egg and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. 

Pour mixture into prepared pie pan.

Evenly arrange peach slices on top of the cake/pudding mixture.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and reserved 3 Tablespoons of peach syrup. Beat for 2 minutes. 

Spoon mixture over peaches, leaving a 1-inch border around outside edges of pie pan. 

In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. Sprinkle over top of pie. (Yes, it looks excessive; but, trust me, if you cut back, you’ll regret it later. It adds such a nice dimension of flavor to the finished pie.)

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. (I cooked mine for 35 minutes exactly. I wouldn’t exceed that, because cake will continue to cook while resting.)

Chill before serving. 

IMPOSSIBLE PEACHES ‘N CREAM PIE
Source: Debbi Borsick, All Recipes
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking pwder
• 1 (3-ounce) package Cook ‘n Serve vanilla pudding mix
• 3 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (29-ounce) can sliced peaches, drained well, reserving 3 Tablespoons syrup**
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Cinnamon Topping:

• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Grease sides and bottom of a 10-inch* deep-dish pie pan (or spray with a
    non-stick flour infused spray like Baker’s Joy).
2. Thoroughly drain peaches. Cut in slices in half (or thirds). Drain on paper towels. Blot dry with
     additional paper towels.
3. In medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and dry pudding mix (must be cook ‘n
    serve, NOT instant).
4. Add butter, egg and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared pie pan.
5. Evenly arrange peach slices on top of the cake/pudding mixture.
6. In small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and reserved 3 Tablespoons of peach
    syrup. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture over peaches, leaving a 1-inch border around outside edges
    of pie pan.
7. In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. Sprinkle “all” of the mixture over top of pie.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. (Do not exceed 35 minutes.)
9. Chill before serving.

*NOTE:  VERY IMPORTANT! For this recipe to come out perfect, it is imperative that you only use a 10-inch pan. Too many recipe reviewers have complained that the cake part comes out soggy when they try to use a smaller pan. If you don’t have a 10-inch pie pan, then substitute a 10-inch springform pan. Prepared exactly as directed, you will get perfect results!



** As an alternative to peach syrup, you can substitute Peach Schapps
 

Boston Cream Cheesecake

Cheesecake is my Achille's heel. But, Mike’s weakness is Boston Cream Pie. This dessert satisfies both our cravings. The best of New York and the best of Boston rolled into one:  a layer of moist yellow cake, followed by a creamy cheesecake layer, and topped off with a silky chocolate glaze. This cake reminds me a lot of Junior’s Original New York Cheesecake, only this one is much easier to prepare because you start with a cake mix, rather than baking from scratch. This calorie-laden indulgence will tip the scales (literally), but your sweet tooth will love you for it! Three layers of deliciousness that add up to one decadently irresistible dessert.

Preheat oven to 325° F. (300° F. if using a dark nonstick springform pan). Grease bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy).

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. You will only be using half of the batter for this dessert. (You can always use up the balance by baking some cupcakes or a single layer cake.) 

I poured prepared batter in a measuring cup so I could give you exact half measurement.

Pour half of the cake batter (about 2-1/4 cups) into prepared pan. If using a silver springform pan, bake for 25 minutes. If using a dark pan, bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until blended. 

Pour cheesecake mixture over prepared cake layer in pan.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until center is almost set. A toothpick test won’t work, as center will still be wet. But, if center of cheesecake springs back when touched, it’s done. (If using dark pan, baking time should be the same, but at the lower temperature of 300° F.) 

Cool on wire rack. After 30 minutes, run a knife (or metal spatula) around rim of pan to loosen cake. 

Cool completely before removing rim of springform pan.

In bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa. 

Add melted butter. Gradually add milk (starting with only 2 Tablespoons, then adding more as needed). Mix well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy. 

Carefully spread icing over cooled cheesecake layer.

Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.

I added too much milk to the frosting, so it didn't set up as firmly as I would have liked, but the end result was still delicious!

BOSTON CREAM CHEESECAKE
Source: Cake from Kraft Philadelphia Recipe Collection
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

• 1 package yellow cake mix* (If you can find a 1-layer size package, that would work best. Otherwise, just use half of the batter from a standard 16.5-ounce package.)
• 3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs

*Note: You will also need oil, eggs and water, as called for on cake mix packaging.



Frosting:

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons milk (adjust quantity to desired consistency)
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. (300° F. if using a dark non-stick springform pan). Grease bottom of a 9-inch
    springform pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy).
2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. If using a standard 2-layer package, you will only be
    using half of the batter for this dessert. (You can always use up the balance by baking some cupcakes
    or a single layer cake.)
3. Pour half of the cake batter (about 2-1/4 cups) into prepared pan. If using a silver springform pan,
    bake for 25 minutes. (If using a dark non-stick pan, bake for 20 minutes.) Cool on wire rack for 15 to 20
    minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended.
    Add sour cream. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until
    blended. Pour cheesecake mixture over prepared cake layer in pan.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until center is almost set. A toothpick test won’t work, as center will still be
    wet. But, if center of cheesecake springs back when touched, it’s done. (If using dark pan, baking time
    should be the same, but at the lower temperature of 300° F.) Cool on wire rack. After 30 minutes, run
    a knife (or metal spatula) around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely before removing rim of
    springform pan.
6. In bowl, combine sugar and sifted cocoa. Add melted butter. Gradually add milk (starting with only 2
    Tablespoons, then adding more as needed). Mix well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy.
    Carefully spread icing over cooled cheesecake layer. 
7. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.