Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

I've had this recipe in my book for awhile...I just forgot about it. And when I was trying to decide what to do for Brent's cake...I knew I had to make this one! As everyone knows--Brent loves the chocolate peanut butter combination. The original recipe had me making a cake from scratch in two 9-inch cake pans. Unfortunately, they turned out sunk in the middle and didn't come out of the pan. So, I went with a cake mix. And, honestly, how can you go wrong with a cake mix? When they do it so well, why stress with homemade?

Step One: Make chocolate cake!

Step Two: Make peanut butter frosting (this isn't an exact recipe. Play with it until it turns into the right consistency!)

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk (may need more)
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Mix peanut butter, vanilla, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar until the consistency looks right. If ti gets too thick, add more milk. If it seems to runny and soft: add more peanut butter or sugar.

Step 3: Top with chopped peanut butter cups.

It was awesome!!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Just in time for Valentine's Day, here is a yummy and special treat you can make for your family and friends! Red Velvet Cupcakes! It took me a while to like the taste of red velvet, but this recipe is awesome! Red velvet isn't meant to be a chocolate cake in the color of red, it's more of a mix between chocolate and vanilla cake, with a denser texture. It is really moist, and looks amazing (hello! It's ruby red in color!). But enough typing, more eating.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 T red food coloring
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake papers. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. (Sifting is important here because it helps the texture to be more fluffy). In a large bowl gently beat the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the went and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake papers, about 2/3 full. (I find it really easy and lots cleaner to pour the batter in a gallon-size baggie and snip of a corner. Then I can just squeeze the amount of batter in the cupcake liner without dripping all over the pan like I do when I fill with a spoon.) Bake in oven 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once halfway through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Modified from Paula Deen

Cream Cheese Frosting (the best part!)

1 cube butter, softened
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time and vanilla.

Isn't the color beautiful?? It just screams VALENTINE'S DAY!!

I frosted mine with a large star tip, and topped it with sliced almonds I chopped up a bit. You can use chopped pecans, shredded coconut, or nothing!

Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies

I stole my husband's lap top for a minute so i can finally post something! These were by far my favorite Christmas cookie this year and I made them several times. They really taste like a truffle because they are so soft and moist inside the chocolate shell. And they are tiny so you can eat a million of them and not feel too bad!

Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies

1/4 c. butter, cubed
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
1 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c. Chopped Andes mint candies
dipping chocolate, white, milk, or dark chocolate
optional toppings: sprinkles, nuts, crushed candy canes

In a small pan, melt butter and 1/2 c. chocolate chips. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in the egg, sugars, and extracts. COmbine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and stir into chocolate mixture. Fold in 3/4 c. chopped Andes mints.
Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. or until tops appear slightly dry. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Dip cookies in melted dipping chocolate and sprinkle with toppings.

*I couldn't find Andes mint candies so I chopped up those green mint chips and used them instead