Pumpkin Spice Butter Cream Frosting (and cakes too)

I am unabashedly proud of this recipe. I have never been a member of those envied cooking czars who can whip up great recipes out of thin air...I need a guideline, measurements, pictures, and help!
Anywho... I actually came up with the DIVINE recipe for this frosting all by my lonesome!
(and in my few moments of epiphany overload I brilliantly adapted my cake mix too). ;)

Easy Pumpkin Spice Butter Cream Frosting (& Cupcakes):

For the cupcakes you will need:

• 1 box Spice cake mix
• (try carrot cake mix too-yummy)
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1/3 c. oil
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree's.  Mix all ingredients together, beating for 2 minutes on med. speed.  Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each cupcake liner and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire racks (the 1/4 c. measure generally yields exactly 24 cupcakes).

For the Butter Cream Frosting you will need:

• 1 c. butter (don't substitute with margarine), softened
• 4 c. powdered sugar, lightly sifted
• 4+ Tbsp. buttermilk (amount will vary, depending on consistency)
• 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (totally adjustable to your personal taste)
• 2 drops red food coloring & 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)

Whip butter until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Mix in 1 Tbsp. buttermilk after each addition of powdered sugar, repeating these steps until the frosting is well mixed and hold peaks.  Add vanilla extract and pie spice, and mix thoroughly. Use additional powdered sugar if necessary to thicken frosting.  Frost those cuppy cakes and enjoy!!

 

We love linking with:

http://hoosierhomemade.com/cupcake-tuesday/

Sister Sister Sunday

4 Ingredient Chocolate Cookies

Yep, you read that right! These cookies have just 4 ingredients!  How simple can it be, really?
And, they are really good, kid friendly, and just plain easy...Lovely!

~CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES~

Ingredients

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix

1-8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 egg

1/2-3/4 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the first three ingredients together until very will incorporated.  The dough will be stiff.

Drop by teaspoon full into the powdered sugar, rolling to coat the ball completely.  
Place the ball on a baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper.  Press down the ball with the bottom of a cup that has been dipped in the powdered sugar.

 Bake for 12-15 min, until the cookie has 'cracked' open and appears just slightly wet withing the cracks.
Cool completely on a wire rack, store in a covered container.  Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.

Yummy, yummy, in your tummy!

Note:  Try making these with a lemon cake mix too-great!

No Bake Brownies-no kidding!

I knew the minute I saw the title of this blog that I was going to love it! 

CONFESSIONSOFACOOKBOOKQUEEN.BLOGSPOT.COM

See?  I love cookbooks, I read them like other's read literature, I collect them, I re-read them, again and again, I spend hours browsing through them in bookstores...in other words, Kristan, the self titled Cookbook Queen is a woman after my own heart!

Well, then I started browsing through her blog, and yep, I spent HOURS reading her recipes and notes, and I'm hooked!  Here is one of the recipes to first catch my eye!

~NO BAKE BROWNIE'S~

Quoted from Kristan's blog:  "For today, because it's been so dang hot outside, I chose the no bake brownies. And I get that you may be skeptical, I was at first too. How brownie-like can they taste? I can assure you that although they are not exactly typical, they are definitely a brownie. Crushed vanilla wafers soften to a cakey consistency that is just right."

INGREDIENTS

~2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

~12 oz. can evaporated milk

~3 c. vanilla wafer crumbs

(crush the contents of an entire 12 oz. box)

~2 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows

~1 c. sifted powdered sugar (Do NOT skip the sifting)

~1/2 tsp salt

~1 c. chopped cocktail or dry roasted peanuts

Line a 8"  or 9"  square pan with foil, leaving a 2"  overhang on 2 sides. Generously grease with butter and set aside.

Combine chocolate chips and 1 1/4 c. evaporated milk in a microwavable bowl. 

Microwave on low power, stirring every 30 seconds 

until chips are fully melted. Set melted chocolate mixture aside.

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, marshmallows, powdered sugar, salt and peanuts. Stir until blended. Reserve 3/4 c. melted chocolate mixture for the top of brownies. Add remaining melted chocolate mixture to the crumb mixture. Stir until well combined. Using fingers, press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.

Add 1 tsp. remaining evaporated milk to reserved melted chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth. Spread evenly over chocolate crumb mixture. Chill in pan 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

These brownies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days....do not freeze them.

Disclaimer: Reading her blog is dangerous.  It will consume you, and your family won't know where your at!

THANKS KRISTAN!

Eggs Benedict

My husband and I love eggs benedict, but hollandaise sauce can take more time to make that I like, so I was really happy to find this quick and easy recipe!

Many thanks to Sara over at Readhead Recipes for this great dish!  And take a minute to hop over to her blog, she has great recipes there!

Simplified Eggs Benedict

Simplified Eggs Benedict

egg gravy, see below
4 eggs
4 slices of Canadian bacon, heated up in small frying pan
2 English muffins, cut in half and toasted

Faux-Hollandaise (aka Egg Gravy)

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until slightly golden in color. Add mustard and a little salt and pepper. Slowly add the milk, a few tablespoons at a time until well incorporated. Once all milk is in, bring to a soft boil until the thickness is to your liking. If it gets too thick you can add more milk.
Poach eggs and toast just before ready to eat. To poach eggs bring water to a soft boil, turn heat to low. Drop eggs in gently and let simmer over low for about 4-6 minutes or until yolks are hard enough for you. To test, push gently on the yolk with the back of a spoon. Remove with slotted spoon and drain off water.
To assemble place English muffin, then Canadian bacon, then egg, then sauce. Serve immediately and eat up (cause nobody likes cold eggs).
Serves 2.