Week 28. "Delicously Classic" Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Snickerdoodles are some of my mom's favorite cookies...she taught me to love them when I once thought I was a "just chocolate" girl. And these cupcakes sounded delightful...how can you lose with a classic favorite?



Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablesppon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temp.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 tablesppon cinnamon. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping sides of bowl if needed. Beat in vanilla.
Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until done, about 20 mins. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temp, or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar (I used about 2 1/2 cups)

In a medium bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time). Beat until smooth and creamy.
Frost the cupcakes, then use a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar to dust the top.

**Hannah's Hints**

* These are probably my very favorite cupcakes I've ever made. They taste like snickerdoodle cookies, except in cupcake form. Just delicious and moist and wondiferous!

* These cupcakes are best eaten the day they are frosted, keep at room temp until ready to serve.

* The icing is what really makes it the best, so be generous with it! I'll definitely be using it again! (As I stated above, I only used 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar because I don't like so much sugary sweetness...but it's still sweet enough!)

* These are so ridiculously easy that I think everyone should make them! Go...do it!

Superfun Bonus Update

Here's what I've been up to lately!

Chamomile Cookie log!


Chamomile cookies...light and sweet, good for tea time! Although I felt like a drug dealer cutting open chamomile teabags haha!


Cinnamon Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies!!


No Bake Cookies! My very favorite cookies ever because they're delicous and soooo easy! And with the help of my new favorite scooper (which I stole from my parent's house) everything is so much easier now!


LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE ME TO POST THESE RECIPES!

I've been spending the summer dying my hair! This was step 2 in the process of becoming blonde, and the next picture is step 3!


My heart was broken...when my heart measuring cup snapped in three!! Boooo...


The wonderful boy and I have been together for 5 months, so he got me these gorgeous flowers. Oh, how I smile :-D


I love using my old vanilla bottles for itty bitty flowers... tres vintage!


Yeah, it's been a pretty fun summer!

Week 27. "Because they're in season" Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

I keep hearing about everyone getting their fresh peaches and I wanted in on the action! I just love fruit when it's in season and I think fruit in dessert is the smartest thing ever!



Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of nutmeg

6 tbsn. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar

1/4 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cups buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt

2 medium peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped small-sh



For the frosting:

3/4 cups light brown sugar

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 tsp. vanilla



Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, scraping down the sides and bottom after added. Then add the vanilla, and gently mix in the buttermilk/ sour cream/ yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it thickens up a bit, about 30 minutes, then spread or dollop onto the cooled cupcakes.

**Hannah's Hints**

* These are pretty darn good, the chunks of peaches make a good surprise!

* Speaking of surprises...you should store these in the fridge...because you will get an unpleasant surprise if you let them sit out a couple days...ew...

* I accidentally forgot to put the vanilla in the frosting, but it was still delicious! So, don't worry about it...but let me know if it's like way amazing if it has the vanilla in it.

* Also, I used buttermilk when the option is given...it calls for exactly one of those little mini cartons. Yay for convenience!

Week 26. "4th of July" Cherry Coffee Cake Muffins

For this week, I thought I should make something red, white, and blue...but that's so typical. Boooooring. So, I decided to honor the break from tradition that the 4th of July symbolizes. America decided to break from British rule and so I decided to break from my cupcake rule this week...so I made muffins! YAY!



I'm sorry I can't figure out how to make this recipe appear...blogger is being strange! But follow this link and you'll find this gorgeously cute recipe (hopefully!)


**Hannah's Hints**

* Ok, here's the deal. I don't make up any of my cupcakes...at least not so far. So I'm totally not ashamed to put this recipe up in its original form. Also, is it not THE cutest thing you've ever seen!!?? How can you resist making these!?

* These are super delicious. Though, the cherries I had were huge and I could only fit three in each cup. That melty gush of cherry is simply divoon!

* When you taste these...please please pleaaaase remember that they are muffins, not cupcakes. Which is why they aren't crazy sweet. But they're some darn good muffins!!


* Back to cupcakes next week!

Week 25. "Ridiculously Amazing" Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Wow...I'm behind. Darn. That's ok, I'll just make two different kinds of cupcakes for the 4th of July :-) I was intrigued by the idea of a blue velvet cupcake, thinking it would be like red velvet...you know, a little chocolate-y. But no. It was crazy blueberry-full. Don't tell my sister, I used the rest of her blueberries... ps. I converted these measurements from metric, crazytown.



Blue Velvet Cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup fresh blueberries, blended
extra blueberries for cupcakes and decoration
4 tsp blue food colouring (obviously the more the blue-er)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk or natural yoghurt
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature)
4 1/2 oz cream cheese, cold

a 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with cupcake cases

Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F (Gas 3).
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat on a medium speed with an electric whisk until light and fluffy and well mixed.
Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together blended blueberries, blue food colouring and vanilla extract.
Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until everything is combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).
Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add half the buttermilk (or natural yoghurt). Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added.
Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth even mixture.
Turn the mixer down to low speed and add salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the cases until 2/3 full. Drop in 2-3 blueberries per cupcake and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to slightly cool in the tray before removing to wire cooling rack to cool completely.
When cupcakes are cool, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top.

Cream cheese frosting:

Beat the icing sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed.
Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

**Hannah's Hints**

* Looking back at this recipe, I totally didn't follow it. Oops. Didn't sift the powdered sugar for the icing. But it was still delicious. Also, used regular instead of caster sugar. Eh. No one knew.

* Also, a lot of these measurements were approximate. Haha, that's ok.

* The white wine vinegar smells icky when it goes in, but it bubbles with the baking soda and it's like science...yessss. And, it cooks out.

* Also, I had mom blend the blueberries. Aaaaaaand I forgot to tell her how much to measure out first. So there were probably a lot more blueberries than it called for. But just put a TON of blue food coloring and you'll never know the difference.

* When you put the blueberries in to bake on the top, it looks like a crazy blue alien creature. I love it. I love when cupcakes have eyes!!

Week 24. "We Picked Blueberries" Lemony Blueberry Cupcakes

When we went home, the lovely boy and I agreed to wake up at the wee hours of the morning to go pick fresh, delicious blueberries! This is the tradition I missed the MOST when I was in London last year. They are beautiful, and BIG...my bag only held the most delicous and amazing blueberries- I'm picky. So, of course, I wanted to make lots of things with them!



Lemony Blueberry Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
10 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Frosting:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh blueberries (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.

To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

**Hannah's Hints**

* Lemons and blueberries. What could be healthier? Yes, this IS a health-food cupcake.

* It's awkward to mix everything with the whisk, so if it gets too thick to whisk anymore, don't feel guilty about using the mixer. I did it.

* Yummy, these are good! I believe my mom said, "Definitely my second favorite, next to Champagne Pear Cupcakes" which means a LOT.

* It's hard to keep the blueberries on top...it's ok if they fall off because people will eat them too fast to notice they're lopsided.