Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

Archive for September, 2010

We've taken the deliciousness of a Pineapple Upside Down Cake and made it bite sized!  Perfect for a Sunday morning brunch, cupcakes are garnished with a pineapple ring and maraschino cherry along with brown sugar for a sweet and fruity treat!

Ingredients:

Cake Batter
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
12 maraschino cherries
2 (20-ounce) can pineapple rings

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350º. Place butter and milk for the batter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl to cool.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the pineapple topping. Melt the butter and mix it with the brown sugar. Spoon about 1 T of the mixture into each cup of a 12-cup gourmet muffin pan.

3. Place one pineapple ring int the center if each cupcake tin and put one cherry in the center of each pineapple. Slightly press the fruit into the topping mixture to coat it.

4.  In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir the ingredients with a fork until they're evenly blended. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the milk-butter mixture and stir well to combine the ingredients into a smooth batter.

5. Pour the batter into the muffin pan, dividing it evenly among all the cups. Bake the cupcakes until they're lightly browned, dry around the edges, and pulling away from the pan a little, about 25 minutes.

6. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen each cupcake from the edges and bottom of the pan, then place a cookie sheet over the top. Invert the pan, turning the cupcakes out onto the cookie sheet, then transfer them back to the rack to cool completely. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature.

Picture courtesy of rbertieg on Creative Commons.

MMMM Peanut Butter and Chocolate - a wonderful combination.  If you're looking for bars to make for a special gathering, or simply as an indulgence for your family, this recipe is sure to please!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

The first time I had this ice cream cake was at a birthday party I took my kids to.  Everyone raved about how delicious it was, and it tasted like a lot of work was put into it.  Then the mom told me how she made it - ice cream sandwiches!!  Who would have thought?  Well if you haven't thought of it before, start thinking now!  It is so creamy and delicious, and you can make it unique to the flavors you love.

To change things up, you can use different flavors of ice cream sandwiches. Some things you can add (crunched on top or between layers) : Heath Bars, Butterfingers, M&Ms and more!

Ingredients:

I'm not sure about where you live, but it's getting cooler here.  For some reason, when the weather starts to cool down, I get in the mood to make muffins!  Baking them fills the air with that delicious muffin smell and the day just seems to get better after sitting down to this delicious treat warm from the oven!

If you have some ripe bananas sitting around, here is a great recipe for banana crumb muffins.  The crumb topping adds delicious flavor and texture to an already scrumptious treat!