Cookie Dough Cupcakes

This is my new favorite dessert!!!

For the cookie dough:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla2

1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:

3 sticks softened butter

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:

3 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the cookie dough, combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a 1.5 tbsp scoop, shape the dough into balls or tubes. Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

**If you don't feel like doing the cupcake batter from scratch, you can use a cake mix and just prepare as directed for cupcakes**

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla.
Using a 3 tbsp scoop, fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.
Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins.

To make the frosting, combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips!

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Call for Help

I'm in need of some creative assistance.  My sister-in-law had to have some serious surgery today, and I'm planning on bringing her dinner on Monday when she gets out of the hospital.  She has five darling but very picky kids and a food-loving husband.

I am just so sick of all the things I usually make when I bring dinners to people.  I need new ideas!  Since they live in Layton and I have a day job, I would prefer something that travels really well, holds heat well (if it's meant to be served hot, that is), and could be mostly assembled the night before or in the morning before work. Oh, and even though I like lots of out-there flavors and veggies, I think she and her kids only like pretty standard stuff.  In the past I've made things like chicken enchiladas, lasagna, chicken pot pie/casseroles, soup, chili, etc.  I just need help out of my rut!

Thanks!

Pretzel Jello

This is one of those quirky, quintessential Mormon salads/desserts (it's Jell-o for heaven's sake!), and I'm pretty sure the missionaries we had over last night ate half the pan.

2 1/4 cups pretzels, crushed*
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. butter, melted*
2/3 cup sugar
1 block cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs. sugar
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tub Cool Whip
1 large package raspberry Jell-o
1 small package raspberry Jell-o*
3 cups boiling water*
1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed

Crush pretzels in a food processor or a Ziploc with a rolling pin until they are pea-sized crumbs.  Mix with melted butter and 2/3 cup sugar, then pat into a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, then let it cool.

Dissolve Jell-o in boiling water, then stir in raspberries.  Refrigerate until thickened and syrupy.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese with 3 Tbs. sugar and pineapple.  Gently fold in Cool Whip.  Spread over cooled pretzel crust.  When raspberry mixture is this consistency of a thick syrup (but not set yet), spread it over the top. Refrigerate until fully set.

This keeps for a few days in the fridge before the crust gets soggy, but it never lasts that long at my house!

*The original recipe calls for 2 cups of pretzels, 3/4 cup butter, 1 lg. pkg. of Jell-o, and 2 cups water.  However, I like a slightly thicker crust and a slightly thicker Jell-o layer, so I modified it.  This definitely fills up a 9 x13 pan to the brim, too, so do with it what you will.  I also barely spray the bottom of my pan with Pam before baking the pretzels.  I never did before, until I saw a crust completely adhere to the bottom--weird with all the butter in there--so now I err on the side of caution.

Easy Guacamole

I don't know about you, but we love avocados and Mexican food at our house.  I always bought Wholly Guacamole pre-made from the store, but I decided to make my own last night and it was awesome!

4-5 ripe Haas avocados
1/2 red onion, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 small jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced (optional)
juice of 2 limes (or you can use bottled lemon or lime juice, but this tastes fresher)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 roma tomatoes, diced or 1/3 cup jarred salsa (or 1 tomato and a scant 1/4 cup salsa)
scant tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Lawry's seasoned salt
pepper


When I made this, I just kept tasting as I went, so feel free to start small on the seasonings and work your way up until it tastes right to you.  I started out by scooping the avocados into a bowl, and tossing them in lime juice so they wouldn't brown.  I tossed in both types of onions, jalapeno, 1 tomato and a scant 1/4 cup salsa.  I added garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin, and sprinkled the mixture liberally with Lawry's salt and pepper.  Then I mashed everything together with a fork.  I don't like my guacamole pureed into baby food, so I left it a little chunky.  When I tasted it, it needed a bit more flavor, so I added a touch more chili powder, salt, and pepper.  I like my guacamole to have a distinct citrus-y and onion-y flavor, so if you don't, cut back on the onions and the juice and just add them bit by bit to taste.

Chicken and Rice Burritos

I got this recipe from another blog, and it was a big hit.  It also made a ton (for my little family), so I made them into frozen burritos for quick lunches.  It's not fancy by any means, but pretty quick and filling.  You can completely adapt this to your own family's tastes and size, too.  I served them with homemade guacamole and blue corn tortilla chips.

2-3 chicken breasts, diced
1 6.9 oz. box Rice-a-Roni, Spanish flavor
2-3 Tbs. butter or olive oil
2 cups water
1 16 oz. jar salsa, any flavor or brand
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn (don't need to defrost)
6-10 tortillas, depending on size (Everyone raves about the uncooked kind from Costco, but since I didn't have time last night to make an extra trip, I just used regular Mission brand flour tortillas)
baby spinach, for serving
shredded cheese, for serving
guacamole, for serving

In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, saute onions and bell peppers in butter or olive oil.  When onions are translucent, add rice and chicken.  When chicken and rice are starting to brown, add water, the seasoning packet from the rice, salsa, beans, and corn.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice and chicken are cooked and the liquid is absorbed.

If you're ready to eat, fill tortillas with rice and chicken mixture, baby spinach leaves, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.  When I made some to freeze, I only added cheese to the rice-chicken mixture in the burritos, since I've never seen how guacamole and sour cream freeze, and I didn't want the spinach to wilt.

The best traditional homemade pizza recipe

Pizza
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°), divided
10 ounce bread flour (about 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup Basic Pizza Sauce
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves

Preparation
1. Pour 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with a knife. Add flour to 3/4 cup water; mix until combined. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and yeast in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add yeast mixture, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to flour mixture; mix 5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 24 hours.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Press dough out to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured baking sheet, without raised sides, sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap.
3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack. Preheat oven to 550°. Preheat the pizza stone for 30 minutes before baking dough.
4. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Sprinkle dough with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread Basic Pizza Sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange cheese slices evenly over pizza. Slide pizza onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide. Bake at 550° for 11 minutes or until the crust is golden. Cut pizza into 10 wedges, and sprinkle evenly with basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories:
421
Fat:
10.9g (sat 4.7g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g)
Protein:
16.9g
Carbohydrate:
62.8g
Fiber:
6.5g
Cholesterol:
22mg
Iron:
4.4mg
Sodium:
754mg

Basic Pizza Sauce
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove tomatoes from can using a slotted spoon, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes. Stir tomatoes, juices, salt, and oregano into garlic mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information
Calories:
66
Fat:
4.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:
1.2g
Carbohydrate:
6.2g
Fiber:
1.4g
Cholesterol:
0.0mg
Iron:
1.4mg
Sodium:
175mg
Calcium:
48mg
Try it and let me know what you think. It makes your house smell soooo yummy. Just an FYI, the dough is INCREDIBLY sticky and is supposed to be. I mixed it with my hands and spent 5 minutes trying to rub off as much as possible into the bowl. To make the crust I just kind of held it by the edge and rotated it around and let gravity do it's work. It really is a very simple recipe, just needs planning to make the dough the night before. But it's tasty and filling without the heavy food coma afterward!

Jen's Favorite Buttercream Frosting

I LOVE frosting! In fact, yesterday Morgan (4) said..."I think we should make cupcakes because then I can lick the frosting right off the top," and I laughed out loud because I knew EXACTLY where he learned that from! ;) Anyway, I have tried a lot of recipes for buttercream frosting and I have never been head over heels in love with one, so finally I decided to break the mold and experiment instead of following recipes that were never just right.

Seth doesn't like frosting - at all - it is almost like a Jack Sprat thing - I eat his frosting he eats my cake, but when I made this frosting, he loved it! Yesterday I took cupcakes with this frosting to a baby blessing and I had a couple of requests for the recipe, so without further ado, I give you my favorite buttercream frosting recipe - and it is easy! There are a lot of extra instructions I am adding in because I learned a lot about frosting success while experimenting so I am sharing with you...I will list the un-noted recipe below the noted one if you want it easier to read!(One note: because this is modified I usually eyeball it and don't measure precisely, so if it doesn't taste just right to you, don't be afraid to make adjustments!)

1 cup butter (room temperature - if you don't store your butter at room temperature, you can put it in the microwave in a small bowl on defrost for 10-20 seconds and it will soften without melting)
1/2 - 2/3 cup crisco shortening (I don't measure this I just add 2 large heaping spoonfuls)
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract (not immitation vanilla - the pure stuff makes a difference - if you want white frosting, get the clear vanilla extract - McCormicks and Watkins make good ones)
2 tsp. almond extract (optional, but it really neutralizes the taste of the powdered sugar...sometimes I substitute other flavors here, but I always add at least 1/2 tsp. of almond extract)
4 cups confectioners sugar

4 Tbsp. cream or milk (you can use either or both, but I have found that I like the taste best when I use 3Tbsp cream and 1 Tbsp milk)
1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional - this thickens up your frosting to counteract the liquid food coloring or flavors without more powdered sugar)

I usually mix this in my kitchenaid with the whipping attachment, but if you are using a handmixer, I recommend using your whipping attachment. Cream butter and crisco until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract and whip. Gradually mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time - scraping sides as needed. Add milk. Whip for 2-3 minutes. Adjust ingredients to taste. Add glycerin if needed.

Adjustable ingredients:
To thicken a lot without more butter taste add more crisco.
If it is too powdery add more milk or cream.
If it is the right consistency but tastes too much like powdered sugar add more vanilla or almond extract.
If it tastes just right, but isn't thick enough add more glycerin.



Recipe without notes:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 - 2/3 cup crisco shortening
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
4 cups confectioners sugar
4 Tbsp cream or milk
1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional)

Cream butter and crisco until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract and whip. Gradually mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time - scraping sides as needed. Add milk. Whip for 2-3 minutes. Add glycerin.