GOLDEN Birthday Cupcakes!!

A little over a month ago, I celebrated my golden birthday! I really wanted to make golden cupcakes (yes, I do make my own cake for my birthday :)), but hadn't found anything that would have golden frosting (and was something that I thought looked good). One of my gifts from my sister, was the cookbook Cupcake Heaven and while flipping through it I found a recipe for peanut butter and jelly cupcakes...and the frosting looked golden...PERFECT! And that they were :)

Peanut Butter and Raspberry Jelly Partycakes

makes 12 (I think it made about 15 for me)

4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour (called for self-rising, but I used all purpose plus the baking powder and salt)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp raspberry (or strawberry ) jelly (I used raspberry preserves)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in pans. Beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture and fold in.

Spoon teaspoons of batter into the liners, flatten slightly and make an indent. Drop about 1/2 tsp of jelly into each indent. Top with the remaining batter. Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan about five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut butter frosting

I didn't want to use the frosting the recipe called for, so I just used a basic butter/powdered sugar frosting recipe and added peanut butter.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter (I prefer JIF)

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk (more or less depending on consistency)

Beat butter and peanut butter. Add powdered sugar. Once completely mixed in, add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until frosting is spreadable. Beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.

Spread frosting on cupcakes. Enjoy, and take a bite!

Truffles...oh so EASY!

Truffles, like a lot of candy making can be intimidating. VERY intimidating.

Even for someone like me...a kind of self-proclaimed "foodie"...I have always been a little scared...or I guess more apprehensive of trying to make them. In order to find a winning recipe to start my truffle adventure with, I went to the most reliable baking/cooking/candy source I know--Betty Crocker :)

I have now found out what I have been missing all this time! There is absolutely nothing to be scared of. As long as you can be patient and attentive, there is no way you can mess it up! I made them for the first time to take to a girl's day with some friends...I figured chocolate would go over well! I loved them so much, I made a different variation to give to a friend for her birthday last Tuesday. They're just so super easy and fancy....love it!

So, for the recipe :)

Chocolate Truffles

(adapted from Betty Crocker's Marvelous Chocolate Truffles)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or 12 oz. semisweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4 Tbsp. butter

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

sprinkles, nuts, other toppings

Melt chocolate, heavy whipping cream, and butter in a heavy saucepan on low heat or over a double boiler.

Once completely melted, cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm, stirring occasionally. Take out and scoop and roll into balls. Place on foil or wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Take out and dip in melted chocolate or peanut butter chips. Sprinkle toppings over melted chocolate shell before it cools.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

(adapted from the BHG New Cookbook)

1 cup dark chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

6 Tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves or jam

cocoa powder, chopped nuts, sprinkles, edible glitter, other toppings

In a double boiler or in a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the dark chocolate chips and heavy cream together. Remove from heat and stir in seedless raspberry preserves. Allow to cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm, stirring occasionally. Using a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon, portion the truffle mixture and roll into balls. Place on foil or wax paper lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and roll in toppings.

My personal fav is the red one in the back...rolled in EDIBLE GLITTER...yes there is such a thing...A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Enjoy, and take a bite!