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It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

21 Feb

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There’s something so nostalgic about a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. It was my favorite packed lunch growing up and was ecstatic when my mom packed one as my lunch growing up. Peanut butter and jelly cupcakes are a nice trip back into your childhood days … in cupcake form.

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For someone who is an absolute cupcake lover, it’s been quite a while since I made cupcakes “just because”.  Until yesterday, I couldn’t remember the last time I baked cupcakes that weren’t for a particular event (birthday, bake sale, holiday, etc) and knew time was well over due.

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Ingredients — Cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped salted, roasted peanuts

Directions

  • Preheat to 375 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners
  • In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside
  • In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and mix in peanut butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Mix in sour cream and peanuts.
  • Bake for about 19-22 minutes or until golden.SONY DSC

Ingredients — Frosting

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  •  1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoons vanilla
  • 2 table spoons milk, or as needed
  •  2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

  • Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer
  • Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable
  • Add vanilla
  • Beat for at least 3 minutes, or until fluffy
  • Spread onto cooled cupcakes
  • Decorate with a dollop of jelly and crushed peanuts

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The flavors that mimic and recreate my childhood and current cupcake baking love are paired together to construct a treat that brings us all back to the days of our youth.

xo, ff

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Last Minute Touches*

24 Dec

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Wow, I can’t believe it’s already Christmas! Merry Christmas Eve! Like many of you, I’ve been baking, shopping, and running around like a crazy Christmas elf to ensure things are perfect for the holiday.

We had a cookie swap at work a few weeks ago and I was pressed for time, so I baked reindeer sugar cookies. Festive, tasty, and quick to make. My kind of cookie.

Ingredients–Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

-In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

-Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

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Nutella Frosting–Ingredients
1 stick softened butter
4 cups powedered sugar
3 tablespoons Nutella (hazelnut spread)

Directions
-Cream butter
-Add in Nutella
-Slowly add in powdered sugar

If you’re headed to family’s house to spend Christmas Eve, be sure to bake these cookies. There’s still time!

Merry Christmas!

xo, ff

Christmas Cookie Swap*

16 Dec

SONY DSCWe had a cookie swap at work last week and all of the cookies I came home with were just so tasty that I couldn’t resist sharing with you all. There’s nothing better than a good ol’ fashioned cookie swap–and we sure did have a grand time.

SONY DSCEnjoying homemade Christmas baking is highlight of the season for many of us, but making many different treats from scratch can be time consuming and a lot of work. Stock your freezer with an assortment of cookies, bars, and all things delicious by hosting a cookie exchange! We each baked 6 dozen cookies and come home with a hefty plate with an assortment of cookies. Successful in my book!

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The cookies everyone baked were peanut butter kiss cookies, hot chocolate cookies, thumb-print cookies, pecan bars, shortbread cookies, oreo truffles (not in the photographed–these didn’t make it home ;x. So tasty!), and reindeer sugar cookies (post to come)

What are your favorite Christmas cookies to make?

xo, ff

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Turkey Day Treats*

21 Nov

Ah, it’s already Thanksgiving eve. Almost time to enjoy a little turkey, a little football, a little togetherness. I totally dig Thanksgiving … and diggin in! I enjoy it all, but there is a special place in my heart for dessert. Yum! I’ve been baking like crazy and coming up with new recipes, but check out recipes I’ve been drooling over.

Chocolate Pear Tart from Just. One. More. Bite.


Plum crumble bars from the Cilantropist


Peach & Cinnamon cobbler from Dean Bros.


Candy apple pie from The Kitchn

The best part? It’s not too late to make these!

What are you favorite Thanksgiving desserts?

xo, frillyfab

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Satisfy Your Hunger

17 Sep

What better way to start your Monday than with cupcakes? I can’t think of one either. After an entirely too long of a trip down the candy isle the other day, I’ve been on this huge candy-bar dessert kick lately. With a ridiculous amount of snickers bars finding their way to my cart, I knew something must be done with them. Snickers and a cupcake? Heck to the yes.

Ingredients — Cupcakes
-3/4 cup butter, softened
-1 2/3 cup sugar
-3 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-2/3 cups cocoa powder
-1 1/4 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-1 1/3 cup water
-2 teaspoons Torani Salted Caramel syrup (Optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans or line cupcake tins with paper liners.
Combine butter, sugar, eggs, salted caramel syrup, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix on high for 3 minutes. Stir together cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the water, beating until well blended. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean

Ingredients — Frosting
-2 sticks butter, softened
-6 cups powdered sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon salted caramel Torani syrup
-2 tablespoons caramel sauce

Directions
Beat butter until creamed. Add vanilla and caramel syrup. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Incorporate caramel sauce

Chocolate cake + salted caramel sauce + caramel buttercream + Snickers = A truly decadent cupcake explosion.

Now stop drooling and get your butt over here and eat them because I’ve got entirely too many tempting cupcakes on the counter…

Fun Fact Of the Day: Over 15 million Snickers bars are manufactured everyday. Holy sugar high!

Happy Monday!

xo, frillyfab

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Cupcakes*

4 Sep

It’s not officially Fall, but in my mind, this past weekend marked the unofficial official start of the Fall season. As much as I adore summer, I don’t get the chance to bake as much as I would like to during the summer months. It’s too hot, I’m catching some rays, spending the day outdoors … the list goes on. One of my favorite things about Fall (it’s a long list ahh) is getting back to my routine of weekend baking. Baking is my therapy. It’s what keeps me sane and what melts away the stress that builds throughout the week. I start back on my full-blown baking frenzy around this time of year and this weekend was the kickoff. Not so lucky for my friends and family that I pawn my baked goods onto. Sorry guys! (Not sorry)

I apologize for the unoriginal title. But I mean, a dessert that has chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and cupcakes?! … you don’t really need an original title. They’re that delicious.

Ingredients–Cupcakes
-1 1/4 sticks butter
-1 1/4 cups sugar
-3/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons vanilla
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup flour
-your favorite pre-made cookie dough (shh, our secret! )

Directions
On top of a double boiler, melt the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt. Melt, stirring occasionally. Drop in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour.

As if they weren’t already amazing, I frosted these little pieces of heaven with cookie dough frosting. Chocolate chip cookies baked inside of brownie cupcakes topped with cookie dough frosting? Holy amaze-balls!

What better way to start your Tuesday?

xo, ff

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Olympic Fever

6 Aug

If there were such thing as Olympic fever, then I’m pretty sure I’d have it. I’m not sure what it is this year, but I’m all about keeping up-to-date with the Olympics. I’ve stayed up way past my bedtime for the past week eager to see if USA wins another medal. I know, I know, I can just look it up online, as there’s plenty of spoiler alerts, but nothing beats watching the athletes in action.

In Sunday’s post, I wrote about taking time to yourself and doing things that make you truly happy. Baking is what makes me truly happy … Throw in a dash of the Olympics and I’m one jolly girl.

I made a vanilla/vanilla cupcake, because what else scream American then the traditional Vanilla/Vanilla cupcake combo? Yeah, I couldn’t think of any other either.

Ingredients — Cupcake
-2 cups flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-3/4 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1 cup milk
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350f and line cupcake cups with liners
-Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
-Beat in eggs one at a time
-Add flour (mixed with baking powder and salt) alternating with milk beat well
-Stir in vanilla
-Bake for 15 minutes

Ingredients — Frosting
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon milk
-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions
-Beat butter on medium
-Add in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla

What I love most about these cupcakes? There was no pressure to make these perfect. The heat and humidity were certainly not working in my favor and my frosting completely melted within seconds, but I was still overjoyed. I hadn’t baked in what seems like months, so just the chance to create something was good enough in my book.

Are you guys just as obsessed with the Olympics? What’s your favorite sport to watch?

xo, frillyfabulous

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Fabulous Arnold Palmer Cupcakes*

30 Jun

One of my favorite summer time drinks is a classic Arnold Palmer, or simply a half lemonade, half iced tea concoction. It’s refreshing, tasty, and most of all fun to say! With 4th of July being known for outdoor picnics, the need for something refreshing to keep you cool is required. I decided that these Arnold Palmer cupcakes were an appropriate treat for the holiday weekend!

If you like Arnold Palmers (even if you don’t, these cupcakes will make you want an AP!), you’ll be in absolute ecstasy after just one bite. These fluffy, yet subtle flavored, cupcakes are nothing less then delicious and will certainly be a new summer picnic staple at my house!

Ingredients (Cupcakes)
-1 cup milk
-5 black tea bags
-1 cups unsalted butter
-2 cups sugar
-4 large eggs
-1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
-1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-3/4 tablespoons baking powder
-3/4 teaspoons salt

Directions

-Over medium heat, heat milk until hot to touch. Place tea bags in milk, and let steep for 15-20 minutes. Remove tea bags and let milk cool

-In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1/2 cup milk and tea mixture, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.

-In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add dry mix into the wet ingredients.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes

The recipe calls for a lemonade & iced tea frosting, and although that sounds delicious, I created my own unique frosting. For a simple (healthier too!) frosting, I used 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, a splash of vanilla, and 1/2 cup of powered sugar … and oh my was it DELICIOUS! … Let me back track a little …truth be told, I attempted making the frosting the recipe calls for … but it didn’t turn out as expected … Being a little impatient and with The Voice about to start (yay, Javier!) I didn’t wait for my butter to set at room temperature, and if you’ve ever tried baking with cold butter, well it turns into a gritty mess. Not so pretty! After a frosting flop and not enough ingredients to make a new batch, I concocted my Greek yogurt frosting with things I always have stocked in my fridge/pantry. It was my first attempt at Arnold Palmer cupcakes and Greek yogurt frosting, and I can truthfully say that it’s my new favorite cupcake combination .. until next week that is ;).

With Greek yogurt being a little on the runnier side, my frosting came out a little more runny then I would have liked … but that’s what adds personality right!? Pretty frosting or not, this new recipe won me over! Yummers!


Let me know if you make these … especially if you make the proper frosting ;)

XO, FRILLYFABULOUS

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Lemons & Limes, Oh My!

12 Jun

My sister’s birthday was yesterday and if couldn’t already tell, I love birthdays –actually … any holiday!- L and I are complete night and day. She’s blonde, I’m a brunette. She’s tall, I’m 5’2”. She doesn’t go to bed until wee hours of the night, I’m passed out by 10pm … you get my gist. We’re total opposites (that’s what makes us gel and get along so well) but one thing we both have in common is our love for citrus flavored anything. With our love for lemon & limes, and her birthday being in the middle of citrus season, a “lemon & lime” themed party couldn’t be any more appropriate.

To add lemon and lime theme, I created three citrus based drinks that I knew would be both satisfying and refreshing. The flavors I concocted were limeade, lemon & lime water, and a lime fizzle. Definitely delicious and refreshing!

Of course cupcakes made an appearance at the party … how could they not!?! L & I love cupcakes and it would not be a birthday party without them! Not only does L love limes, she also love margaritas … when trying to think of the cupcake flavor for her birthday, it clicked … hmm, lime & margarita … what a perfect combination for a cupcake!? Yep, a lime margarita cupcake. Let me tell you, this cupcake resembled the traditional margarita perfectly. The moist vanilla cake with a hint of lime complimented the lime & tequila frosting beautifully.

Ingredients
-3 sticks (12 ounces) butter, softened
-2 cups granulated sugar
-4 large eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 large egg whit
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-2 3/4 cups flour
-2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-2 teaspoons salt
-3/4 cup plus
-2 tablespoons whole milk
-Grated peel of 4 limes, plus 1/4 cup lime juice
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-2 tablespoons gold tequila
-1 drop green food coloring

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 cupcake pans with baking liners. Using an electric mixer, beat 2 sticks butter and the granulated sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, egg white and oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. In a large glass measuring cup, stir together the milk, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. On low speed, mix in one-third of the wet mixture, then one-third of the dry mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the dry mixture. Mix in half of the grated lime peel.

Fill each baking liner about three-quarters full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when gently touched, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, using the electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 stick butter until creamy. Beat in 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the tequila, and the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, lime peel, 1 teaspoon salt and the food coloring until smooth and creamy. Beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar one-third at a time, until just soft enough to spread.

Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes. Add the sugar crystals to a bowl; lay each frosted cupcake on its side in the bowl and gently rotate to form a rim of sugar. Top each cupcake with a lime wedge candy.

These cupcakes will make any summer holiday or Cinco de Mayo party complete … or even try making them for the lime obsessed in your family.

Cheers!

xoxo, frillyfabulous

Little Balls of Delight*

7 Jun

Moist, flavorful cake … rich, creamy frosting … surrounded by smooth, delectable chocolate … Are you drooling yet? The lovely treat that I’m talking about is a cake ball. Cake balls are making the rounds in the blog world, and as soon as I spotted the recipe I knew it could be dangerous. Cake balls are similar looking to a truffle, but much lighter and airier like a cupcake … they’re a cupcake truffle hybrid! Although cupcakes still take the cake -hehe-, cake balls come in a close second.

I first made these bite size treats for a co-worker’s birthday (aka my test lab). Everyone raved how the crisp chocolate complimented the texture of the moist cake and frosting mixture just perfectly. Since then, I’ve become obsessed with these little beauties and I find an excuse to make them almost every weekend. This weekend boyfriend asked if I would make some so he can bring them to work on Monday … did you really even need to ask boyfriend!? … an excuse to bake AND a means of getting them out of my house so I don’t devor them in their entirety .. YES I’LL MAKE THEM!


Ingredients
-Cake Mix
-8 ounce frosting
-12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions
-Bake cake according to recipe
-Once cake it baked, let cool
-Once cake is cooled, crumble cake & mix frosting in
-Form cake mixture into balls
-Place cake balls to chill in fridge for approx. 1 hour (The the chocolate bonds better if it’s chilled)
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler
-Dip balls into chocolate so it is evenly coated
-Once dipped, place on wax paper and let harden

This time around, I used strawberry cake, cream cheese frosting, and dipped them in a milk chocolate coating…they tasted just like chocolate covered strawberries! The fun in creating these treats is in combining flavors and colors for distinctive results.

I wish I could take credit for these decadent cake balls, but I’ll give credit where credit is due … to the one and only Bakerella! Have you seen her site? If not, you need too … It’s truly eye candy for the baking obbessed! She’s incredibly talented and so fabulous!

xx, frillyfabulous

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