Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cookie Frosting

Last weekend, Mike and I packed up the truck and drove 5 hours to go camping with my Mom's family in Canada.  It was hot, but thankfully we had a bit of shade on our lot.  We enjoyed catching up with everyone, swimming, campfires, and lots of good food (of course!).

My Dad's birthday was on Saturday and so I made him cupcakes to celebrate.  He loves chocolate and peanut butter (who doesn't?) so when I saw these cupcakes, I knew I had to make them.  I'm so happy that I did--these cupcakes were delicious, but the icing on the cake, literally, was the peanut butter frosting!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cookie Frosting

Makes 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For the ganache:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
For the peanut butter cookie frosting:
9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups powered sugar

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder until dissolved.  Set aside.

2.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking power and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

4.  Beat in eggs one at a time until combined.  Blend in vanilla.

5.  Turn the mixer on to low speed and add the dry ingredients alternating with the coffee mixture.  Mix after each addition until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

6.  Divide the batter into paper lined cupcake tins, filling each 2/3 of the way full.

7.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8.  When the cupcakes have cooled, make the ganache.  First, place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl.

9.  Bring the heavy cream to simmer, pour it over the chopped chocolate, and let it stand for about 2 minutes.

10.  Whisk the heavy cream and chocolate until a smooth ganache forms.  If necessary, let the ganache sit at room temperature to thicken before using.

11.  To make the peanut butter cookie frosting, combine the peanut butter and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium for 1 minute.

12.  Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low until completely combined.  Increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.

13.  Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and form it into a round patty.  Use the tines of a fork to make a crisscross pattern on top of the patty.  (You want it to look like a classic peanut butter cookie.)  Repeat with remaining mixture.

14.  Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache to ice it.  (If your ganache is too thick to dip, use an offset spatula to spread it over the cupcakes.)  Place a peanut butter "cookie" on top of the ganache.

Store in a airtight container in the fridge.

Source:  Sweet Savory Life via Annie's Eats

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!  I hope you have fun plans with your family or friends.  Mike and I are off to the parade, so I won't be sharing a recipe today.  Come back tomorrow though, I'm sharing a delicious recipe you won't want to miss!

Source

Tomato, Corn, and Black Bean Salsa

If you're looking for a great dish to bring for your 4th of July celebration--look no further.  This salsa comes together in minutes, is fresh, and tastes delicious!  I brought this to a family potluck, thinking it was nice and simple but nothing too special.  To my surprise, it got rave reviews.  I knew if our family enjoyed it (and requested the recipe), it was definitely worth sharing! 

Tomato, Corn, and Black Bean Salsa

Serves 12

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons lime juice (or juice of 1 lime)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon cilantro
salt and pepper

1.  In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, tomato and onion.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro.

3.  Pour the marinade over the vegetables.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

4.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Foodie Pen Pal

I absolutely adore receiving mail.  Ask Mike--when I know there is a package scheduled to arrive for me, I'm anxiously tracking it online (when possible) and checking the mailbox to see if anything's arrived yet.  I love the suspense of not knowing what's in certain packages--like those I receive as part of the Foodie Pen Pals Program.

This month I received my package from a reader, Kim, who happens to live on the East side of our great state.  She sent me a fantastic package filled with delicious foods--all new to me!

These chocolate covered fruit bites were amazing!  I loved them so much that I went online to see where I could buy some.  I couldn't get the small packages like this around here, but I found a large package at Walmart--sooo yummy!

These fruit strips were perfect for a mid-morning snack.  They fit perfectly in my purse and each strip is 1/2 a serving of fruit.  It's a great healthy snack.  I loved the apricot flavor!

Kim sent me a European chocolate bar--I haven't tried it yet, but it looks delicious.  The almond thins also look delicious, but I haven't opened them yet--I'm saving them for our camping trip!  I did eat the Greek Yogurt bar with lunch the other day--it was delicious!

Mike was really excited to see this stick of salami.  We're big fans of sausage and cheese with crackers.  I can't wait to try this!

I also received some Black Fig Vinegar, Apple pop, and mild green Tabasco.  We had a Mexican dish the night my package arrived so we topped it with the Tabasco and it was delicious.  The pop is currently chilling in my fridge--I'm waiting for my next Mexican food night to enjoy it.  (Kim says she enjoys hers with Mexican food).  I'm looking for a good recipe to use the Black Fig Vinegar in--any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you, Kim, for introducing me to a great selection of delicious foods.  I've loved everything I've tried, and I can't wait to try the rest!

To see the package of Farmer's Market treats I sent to Meg, visit her blog here.

Thank you, Lindsay, for your hard work each month.  This program is so fun!

If you're interesting in joining Foodie Pen Pals, here's some important information for you:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. -Foodie Penpals is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.
-Visit The Lean Green Bean for more details!

Pesto Pasta with Peas and Sundried Tomatoes

It's summer time and if you're anything like me, that means a lot of grilling, outdoor eating, and get-togethers with family and friends.  It's been a while since Mike and I have had a free weekend, and our schedule doesn't appear to be opening up any time soon.  Whether we are having company over to our house, or going to someone's house for dinner, I prefer to limit my time spent in the kitchen--it's too hot to spend hours cooking! 

Salads are perfect for hot summer days.  I love a good pasta salad--it's great as a side dish, and I enjoy taking the leftovers to work for lunch.  I made this pasta salad for a work party.  We were sending our interns off and celebrating a fantastic year with them.  Because of the incredible amount of food at the party, I ended up with a good amount of leftover pasta salad.  My boss loved it so much that she asked me to bring the leftovers to work.  She enjoyed this pasta salad for lunch a couple of times!

I used sundried tomatoes from Enduring Sun in this recipe.  They were incredible--so sweet they tasted like candy!

Pesto Pasta with Peas and Sundried Tomatoes

Serves 8-10

You will need:
1 (16 oz) box whole wheat pasta shells
1 cup sundried tomatoes
2/3 cup frozen sweet peas
1/3 cup pesto
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Cook the pasta shells to al dente, following the directions on the box.

2.  Drain noodles and transfer to a large bowl.

3.  Stir in sundried tomatoes, sweet peas, pesto, olive oil, salt and pepper while the pasta is still hot.

4.  Serve the pasta immediately or chilled.

Source:  Eat Yourself Skinny

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Dog Biscuits

It's a special day around our house today!  We're celebrating a birthday!  Finally someone in our family has a summer birthday (Mike and I have winter birthdays).  Today, our baby puppy is 1 year old!  It's incredible how time has flown by since we rescued him.  We adopted Champ last September.  He weighed just 16 pounds.  Now, he's a year old and weighing in at 62 pounds.  He's a bundle of energy and we spoil him like crazy!

Champ when he was a puppy

"Mommy, can I have a cookie?"

In honor of his birthday, I decided to make some special treats.  I wanted something pet-friendly, but also something that was special for him.  I turned to one of my favorite blogs, and I knew that if her fur baby enjoyed this treat, mine would too.  Champ loved this snack--I snuck him a little piece of the raw dough when I was making this yesterday and he gobbled it right up!  Champ loves peanut butter--I think he takes after his mommy :)

Can you see the biscuit in his mouth?  He carries large pieces of food around before eating them!

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Dog Biscuits

Makes 13

You will need:
2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups flour

1.  Mix all ingredients together until a dough is formed.  Add more flour or water if necessary.

2.  Roll dough into 1-1/2" balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Press down gently to flatten biscuits.

3.  Bake at 300 for 20 minutes.  Turn off the oven and leave the treats in it for several hours to harden.

Source: Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Grilled Chicken Gyros

In December, Mike and I were in Toronto with my family and we stopped at a tiny restaurant for lunch.  I ordered a shawarma and I was immediately enthralled with the taste.  I couldn't stop thinking about them after we returned home and I told Mike that we needed to find a place nearby that we could get shawarmas.  I couldn't find a shawarma joint, but I was able to find a (tiny) restaurant that sells gyros.  There's a slight difference between a shawarma and a gyro, but I was thrilled to find a similar restaurant.  The food is incredible, and I've told a few people about this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that they must visit!  A couple weeks ago, a new Mediterranean restaurant opened up in my home town.  Mike and I ate there one day and were thrilled with the flavors of the gyros we enjoyed. 

I've been so obsessed with gyros lately that I decided I must try to make them at home.  When I selected my Secret Recipe Club recipe for June, I knew that I would use the Man'ooshe Lebanese Flatbread to make gyros.  I found a fabulous Tzatziki sauce and I knew I had the makings of a fabulous dinner. 

Mike and I invited some of our best friends over for supper (and a campfire in our new fire pit!) last Saturday night.  My friend, Alecia, visited Greece while studying abroad in college, and said she ate gyros everyday when she was there.  She took a bite out of her gyro and said that it tasted just like what she ate in Greece.  She said it brought back a lot of memories.  And then, she asked for my recipe.  I would say this recipe was a grand success!

Grilled Chicken Gyros

Serves 4-6

You will need:
4 large chicken breasts, cut into strips
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, minced
4-6 flatbreads
Tzatziki sauce
diced tomatoes
sliced pickles
diced onions

1.  In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, curry powder, olive oil, salt, ground cumin, and garlic. 

2.  Place chicken strips in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal bag and toss to coat.

3.  Refrigerate chicken in marinade for 3-4 hours (the longer the better!).  Remove chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before grilling. 

4.  Place chicken strips on a pre-heated grill.  (You can skewer the chicken strips, or use a grilling basket, if desired). 

5.  Grill chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is fully cooked.

6.  Top each flatbread with a scoop of Tzatziki sauce, then top with grilled chicken, tomatoes, pickles, and onions.

Tzatziki Sauce

I love cucumbers.  The smell and taste of them makes me think of summer.  I enjoy eating them raw, but also in salads and on sandwiches.  I'd never had Tzatziki sauce before (to my knowledge), but I knew I would enjoy it because of the cucumber.  Tzatziki can be used as a sauce on gyros, as an accompaniment to meat, or as a dip for pitas or fresh vegetables.  It has so many possibilities and it's so delicious!

As promised on Monday, this is the sauce I used for our flatbreads. I'll be sharing the rest of the filling on Friday. Patience my friends...

Tzatziki Sauce

Makes 1 cup

You will need:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 of a large cucumber
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced to a smooth paste

1.  Scoop yogurt into a small bowl and mix until smooth.

2.  Peel cucumber and grate it into fine pieces.  Place in cheesecloth and squeeze to remove the water.

3.  Add the cucumber, salt, olive oil, and minced garlic to the yogurt and mix well.

4.  Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. 

Source: Simply.Food

Man'ooshe Lebanese Flatbread

Each month, I eagerly look forward to finding out which blog I am assigned to for The Secret Recipe Club.  This month was no exception.  I was assigned to Simply.Food, described as "a vegetarian kitchen dedicated to "simple" home cooking".

I'll admit, at first I was a little intimidated by the thought of a vegetarian blog, especially since Mike and I do eat meat.  As I browsed through the vast collection of recipes, I was still a bit intimidated because the majority of Nayna's recipes are Indian and contain quite a few ingredients that I am not familiar with.  However, I pushed my initial intimidation aside and decided to branch out and try something I might not have attempted otherwise.

I made my usual list of recipes that looked delicious.  When it came time to narrow down my list, I was drawn to the recipe for Man'ooshe Lebanese Flatbread.  This flatbread is widely available in Lebanon and is often topped with a spread called Za'tar, vegetables, salads, or it can be used as a base for a pizza.  With options like that, I simply couldn't resist trying it!

I found the flatbread to be quite simple to make.  I choose to make mine slightly larger that Nayna's recipe, so I ended up with 8 flatbreads.  I think mine were the perfect size though!  I served my flatbread for dinner the other night.  My friends and husband absolutely loved it.  I'll be sharing the recipes I used to fill the flatbread later this week.

Man'ooshe Lebanese Flatbread

Makes 8

You will need:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon quick yeast
1 cup hot water (100-110 degrees)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic paste

1. In a large bowl combine the flour,salt, yeast and sugar.

2. Add the water a little at a time and mix to make a dough that is soft and pliable.

3.Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes gradually adding the oil until it is combined and a soft dough is formed.

4. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean towel.  Set it aside in a warm place to rise until double, about 2-3 hours.

5. Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and place it on a floured surface.

6.  Add the garlic paste and  knead again for 2-3 minutes.

7. Dive the dough into 8 pieces and roll each out into a 8 inch round.  (Or as round as possible!)

8. Heat a skillet or griddle and place the flatbread on it. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip it and cook for 2-3 minutes more until golden brown spots appear on it.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Source:  Simply.Food

Baby Cakes in a Jar

As I was thinking about planning the baby shower, I knew that I wanted to come up with something creative for the dessert.  I finally decided to make cupcakes in a baby food jars.  I was able to get some empty jars from a friend, so I scrubbed the label glue off the outside and they were perfect.

I will warn you that this idea became quite the adventure.  The ladies at the shower got quite a laugh when I told them about my cake fiasco!  I didn't think about compensating for the cake to expand and so I filled the little jars probably 3/4 of the way full.  When I peeked into the oven to check on them, the cake had expanded over the jar and most of them were sticking out about 2 inches above the jar.  They looked quite funny!  I was able to cut that portion off the cakes before I frosted them. 

My friend and her husband knew that they were expecting a baby girl, and they had already named her Esther Elizabeth.  I thought it was only fitting that the baby cakes be topped with an E!

Baby Cakes in a Jar

Makes approximately 24

You will need:
1 box of cake mix, prepared according to instructions on the box
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 drops of food coloring
1 cup white chocolate chips

1.  Fill clean baby food jars 2/3 of the way with cake batter.

2.  Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean. 

3.  While the cakes are baking, prepare frosting.  In a medium bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese.

4.  Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Set aside.

5.  Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.  Spoon into an icing bag or a small ziploc bag.  If you're using the ziploc bag, snip the corner off so you can pipe the letters.

6.  Place a piece of waxed paper on a flat surface.  Pipe the chocolate into the desired shape or letter.  When you're done set them aside. 

7.  When the cakes are cooled, frost them as desired.

8.  Wait until shortly before serving to top the cakes with the chocolate shape or letter.