Tried & True Tuesday: Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

. Okay, short [but sweet] post!

After glancing through my last seventeen few posts, I've noticed a heavy trend of fruit.  And that is obviously expected, since it's fruit season insanity and I can't resist walking past ripe, seasonal produce.  Oh, sidenote: I hit the jackpot at the Farmer's Market this last weekend and made a wooooonderful coffee cake.  So come back around later this week.  Just saying.

But back to the point of this post.  To break up the beautiful monotony of my fruity posts, I decided to throw in a little chocolate-peanut butter combo.  And we all know that is simply unbeatable.

So let me introduce the oh-so-wonderful Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies from Martha Stewart.  These little cake sandwiches are pure deliciousness, let me tell you.  The peanut butter buttercream filling is uber creamy and, of course, peanut buttery.  The filling in itself is addicting, I'm warning you now that you will be tempted [and will give in] to dipping those little fingers into the bowl a time or two.  I, of course, had extreme will power but...just kidding!  I had no what we call 'willpower', nor do I ever when it comes standing in the kitchen with batters and frostings galore.  But I'm willing to sacrifice myself for the betterment of baking.  Betterment?  Yes.

Alright and super short post turned into a regular one.

Now back to these whoopie pies.  The filling is then sandwiched between two soft, decadent rounds of chocolate cake.  Perfect little items to fulfill that chocolate peanut butter fix.  And since they're small, you can have a couple .

My Notes:

• The directions below are for free form whoopie pies, but if you have a whoopie pie pan then you can also use that.
• When I made these, I decided to make mini whoopie pies, which yielded about 30.  If you like this idea, simply drop scant teaspoons of batter onto baking sheets and bake the cakes for about 9 minutes.

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

From Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

Cake:

1-3/4 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. vegetable shortening

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 c. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

2/3 c. creamy peanut butter

8 tbsp. unsalted butter

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.  Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl; set aside.
2. Add butter, shortening, sugar, and dark brown sugar to in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment; cream on high speed until smooth (about 3 minutes).  Add egg, beat until pale and fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Add half of flour mixture, then milk and vanilla extract; beat until well combined.  Add remaining flour mixture and beat together.
3. Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on baking sheets.  Bake 10 minutes in upper and lower thirds of oven; switch positions and rotate.  Continue baking 2 to 4 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched.  Let cool on baking sheets (about 10 minutes).  Transfer to wire rack to let cool completely.
4. For filling, cream peanut butter and butter in medium bowl on high speed.  Reduce mixer to low speed and mix in powdered sugar until combined.  Beat mixture on high speed until fluffy and smooth (about 3 minutes).  Add salt to taste.
5. Spread scant 1 tablespoon peanut butter buttercream on half of cookies.  Top with remaining cakes.

Yield: 1 dozen whoopie pies

PB&J Cupcakes

. Oh my, these are a keeper.  And would you guess that Ms. Martha Stewart supplied the recipe for this goodie yet again?  Well she did.  We're 2-2 with Martha recipes lately.

You've probably noticed or read that I like to make desserts on a seasonal basis.  There's just no better ingredient than a seasonal fruit, in my opinion.  But I think we can all agree that PB&J's aren't really seasonal.  Right?  Actually more of a nostalgic eat.  And I needed something just like this for last Friday night.  Why?

Please excuse both the 'I just went swimming' and 'I haven't washed my face in days' look I'm rockin.'

Well for the return of this lady, right there!  That's Ms. Jess [Draemel] Allen, fellow blogger at Blonde Ponytail but most importantly, one of my former college softball coaches!  Jess is an absolutely wonderful woman: wildly passionate, driven, dedicated, and just a joy to be around.  She was a huge inspiration in my college career to always strive to become a better player.  She definitely left her mark on myself and many other players, and that's something I'll never be able to express or thank her enough for.

Her blog, Blonde Ponytail, mainly focuses on health and running.  I've maybe called her crazy a time or two since she's that lady running marathons and calling a 5-mile run easy.  Ha, easy my butt ☺  But just a glimpse of any of her posts will show you what I'm talking about, so wander on over and I know you'll enjoy Blonde Ponytail as much as I do!

Anywho, since my BFF from softball [please see the above picture, she's the one with the frosting-stache), myself, and several of the softball girls wanted to catch up with Jess, we decided to all meet at a slowpitch game a bunch of them were playing in.  And you all know what that means!  Baaaaaaked Gooooooodies!

So when debating on what to make, I knew I wanted to zero on something that would ring a bell with us all.  I immediately thought of what our softball team referred to as 'bench snacks.'  Between every double header, we always had 'bench snacks' for the team to refuel before heading out for the second game.  And one of the 'bench snacks' staples were all of the fixin's for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Every double header, no fail.  So what better way to reminisce about our softball years than with our Saturday peanut butter and jellies?

And these cupcakes were nothing short of AH-mazing!  Martha really knew how to take that classic sandwich and plop it into a peanut buttery, soft, and moist cupcake, topped with a fantastically smooth peanut butter-cream cheese frosting.  And where does the jelly fit in?  Well, right in the centers!  MmmMMmM!

Even though our little reunion was cut drastically short [due to some rain and lame lightning], it was so great to see Jess and the softball girls.  It's a bittersweet thing though, wonderful getting to see them all again but also remembering how much I miss those ladies!  We went from hours upon hours, day after day, together, and then once graduation hit, hello real world and goodbye friends.  But I guess that's what makes these little gatherings so fun, huh? .

My Notes:

• When filling the liners, gently flatten the tops of the batter before baking.  The batter is fairly thick and if you don't do this, you'll end up with little pockets of uncooked batter.  Boo to that.
• I chose to use strawberry preserves this time around, but you can use whichever flavor of preserves or jam you prefer.
• The directions say to fold in the whipped cream when making the frosting.  However, I found that the whipped cream wasn't really combining, so I continued to use my electric mixer with the whisk attachment and the frosting turned out great.

PB&J Cupcakes

From Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

Cake:

1-3/4 c. all purpose flour

3/4 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1-1/3 c. sugar

2/3 c. creamy peanut butter

3 large eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:

Your favorite flavor of preserves or jam

Peanut Butter Frosting:

6 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.

2.  Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3.  Add peanut butter and combine well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  

4.  Reduce speed to low.  Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and vanilla extract, and ending with dry ingredients.

5.  Divide batter among muffin cups, filling a little over 1/2 full.

6.  Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Let cool completely on wire rack.

7.  Once cooled, cut out centers of cupcakes using a paring knife.  Fill centers with preserves.

8.  For frosting, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with mixer on medium speed.  Add salt, then peanut butter, and then vanilla extract.

9.  In separate bowl, whisk heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Fold into peanut butter mixture.

10.  Frost cupcakes as desired. 

Yield: 20 cupcakes

Nectarine Sconecakes

. Martha, Martha, Martha.  Oh, Martha.  You've done it to me again.  Caught me hook, line and sinker!

And with what bait, you ask?  Nectarine Shortcakes [but I'm debating calling them scones...].  Pure, plain and simple (I'm all about the three-word phrases today, by the way.  Oh, there's another one!).

Well, it's not hard to imagine that these Nectarine Shortcakes took over my heart in all but the two milliseconds (mmhmm, milliseconds) it took for me to take one large bite out of these little lovelies.  Ever since I can remember, I've had a deep-burnin' love for nectarines.  By far my favorite fruit of all time.  A juicy, ripened [should I add in one more adjective to keep the theme running?] is almost....no, IS impossible to beat.  Please, provide an example of something better than a nectarine.  Can't.  Sorry.

So the nectarine element in this treat is fairly self explanatory.  I'll admit though, I was a bit worried when I first started putting these together because my nectarines were not quite ripe.  But don't worry folks, Martha covered us on this, too.  The nectarines macerate before being added to the dough and this little trick really brings out their wonderful sweetness.  So ripe or not quite there yet, everything will turn out just fine.

The shortcake/scone [I can't decide which is a better descriptor?  Sconecake?!]  part is, quite honestly, one of the best I've tasted.  And no questions asked, the best 'sconecake' I've ever tried making.  I've made shortcakes and scones before and have been somewhat disappointed.  The last shortcake I made was beyond bland.  My parents and boyfriends' parents can vouch for me on this one.  And I've made a few scones before that were actually pretty good, but can sometimes run on the bland side or dry out.  However, not the case with this one here.

This 'sconecake' has a slight sweetness, which kind of reminded me of those Hawaiian Sweet Rolls we have come to love and devour.  Not too sweet but just enough to keep your attention.  They were also so extremely moist [thanks to the nectarines] and soft that I was actually very surprised.  Like I mentioned, it's hard to find recipes that turn out like this.  And before baking, the 'sconecakes' are brushed with cream and sprinkled with raw sugar, which gives them an ever so subtle crunchy top.  Superb.  Simply superb.

And even though I can't get nectarines at my local farmer's market [boo], this is such a great weekend breakfast/brunch recipe to try for those of you who can.  Well, I guess even if you can't you can still have a go!

But before you get started, I came to the realization that including the 'My Notes' section of my posts before the actual recipe would probably be more beneficial.  I mean really, what sense does it make for someone to get through the recipe and then read my tips.  A little too late, right?  So here are my notes for Nectarine Shortcakes, let me know if you like this move or if you'd still prefer keeping 'My Notes' until the end .

My Notes

• These 'sconecakes' are best the day they are made, however, I surprisingly noted that they were still fantastic two days down the road.  They did soften quite a bit because of the fruit, but they were addicting nonetheless.
• I am thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly, convinced that the reason these scones came out so wonderfully [not to toot my own horn!] is because I used a food processor for as many of the steps that I could.  In the past, I've handled the dough much more and it resulted in tougher goodies.  Use a food processor if you have one!
• Keep your ingredients (i.e., butter, heavy whipping cream) in the refrigerator until you are absolutely ready to use them.  The cold ingredients produce a lighter, flakier, end result.

Nectarine Sconecakes

From Martha Stewart



Ingredients:

1/2 lb. nectarines, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. plus 2 tsp. sugar

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 c. heavy whipping cream, plus more for brushing

Sugar in the Raw, for sprinkling

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 400°F.  Combine nectarines, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons sugar in small bowl.  Let stand for 15 minutes.

2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl.  Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut in butter until mixture forms small pieces.

3.  Stir in heavy whipping cream.  

4.  Fold in nectarine mixture.

5.  Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface.  Pat into 8-1/2-inch round.  

6.  Using 2-1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 rounds and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush with heavy whipping cream; sprinkle with sugar in the raw.  

7.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool on wire racks.  

Yield: 8 'sconecakes'

Tried & True Tuesday: Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

. Hey guys, it's Tuesday yet again!  Where does the time go, seriously?

Anywho, I realize that this summer I've been posting quite a bit of recipes that have included fruit: Blueberry Coffee Cakes, Blueberries & Cream Sweet Rolls, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars, Double-Chocolate Strawberry Cookies, and Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Bars, to name a few.  And I don't know if you recall, but I love doing the seasonal thing (even though I came to terms with Nebraska having, oh, nothing, ever in season besides rhubarb!!).  So for the most part, I've made my goal.  Which I'm happy about.  But do you also notice a trend with the goodies I've done?  Apparently I have forgotten that there are other fruits in this lovely world and I kind of feel like I've been missing out!  Don't get me wrong, I love strawberries [and found a burning love for rhubarb] but you gotta switch things up every once in a while.  Keep things interesting.

So I racked my brain for past recipes I've tried [and loved] and remembered this one, Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies.  Although I really do love this recipe for the ridiculously soft, crackly sugar cookie and a sweet but tart white chocolate filling made with pureed fresh raspberries, my mom truly LOVES this baked goodie!  Yes, this cookie sandwich is fantastic but she goes above and beyond with her feelings for this treat.  I really couldn't tell you what pulled the trigger, but she requested this recipe ASAP after the first time I made them and I know she's also made them a few times to bring in to her office.  I rememember most recently she called me from the grocery store asking for the list of ingredients because she just had to make these.  Crazy lady (wink, wink!).  Mom, if you're reading this, you should probably leave a comment telling your side of this story .

Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

From Martha Stewart

I'm so sorry for these ugly, ugly pictures.  But my Tried & True recipes are obviously ones I've previously made, LONG before the blogging world.

Ingredients:

Cookie:

1-3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 large egg

4 tsp. vanilla extract

White Chocolate Raspberry Filling:

1 c. fresh raspberries

2 tsp. sugar

7-1/2 oz. best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 c. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.  Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. Mix butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add egg and vanilla extract; mix until smooth.  Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture.
3. Scoop batter using 1-inch scoop and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, setting 2-inches apart.
4. Bake 4 minutes; remove sheet from oven and gently tap sheet on counter to flatten the cookies.  Return to oven and bake 4 to 6 additional minutes or until cookies are set.  Let cool on sheets before removing to wire rack.
5. For fillng, puree raspberries and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in food processor.  Pour mixture through fine sieve into a small bowl; discard seeds.  Set aside.
6. Melt white chocolate in heatproof bowl.  Whisk in heavy whipping cream in a slow stream.  Slowly whisk in raspberry mixture.  Refrigerate for up to 45 minutes.
7. Spread one heaping teaspoon of raspberry cream on undersides of half of the cookies.  Top with remaining cookies.

Yield: 3 dozen cookie sandwiches

Tried & True Tuesday: Strawberry Shortcake Cookies...Again!

. I know, I know, this is a repeat.  I just posted the recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cookies last Tuesday, but hear me out.

So we can all recall that my parents were in town visiting this last weekend for Mother's Day.  Well, before their arrival, I asked my mom if there were any goodies from my blog that she'd been wanting to try out but hadn't gotten around to yet.  Almost right away she replied with "what about those strawberry cookies?"  Sure thing mama!

Well let me tell you, these were ridiculously better than I remember!  Hence, I am posting this recipe for a second time, with step-by-step pictures, to convince you how yummy these little cake cookies are. They were soft, tender, slightly sweet, and a perfect snack to have for people to pick at throughout the day [not that we did that...].  I think what really made the difference was the strawberries.  Well, duh.  I believe the very first time I made these was some time in the fall or whenever strawberries weren't in season, so that probably effected the ultimate product.  But now that strawberries are in full bloom, I would say right. about. now! would be the perfect time to make a batch or two of these gems .

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

12 oz. strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 c. heavy cream

Sanding sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl.  

PAUSE RECIPE!

Sorry, I do want to show you a couple pictures showing how I cut the strawberries.  The first time I made these, I Ieft the strawberries in larger chunks.  This time around, I cut them much smaller and I think it made a difference because you got more bites of strawberry.  

Cut the strawberry into equal slices...

...then cut the slices in half...

...and then cut the halved slices into fourths!

Okay, continue...

2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar in large bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry blender or rub together with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3.  Stir in heavy cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

4.  Using 1-1/2-inch ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing evenly apart.  Sprinkle with sanding sugar.  

5.  Bake 24 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to wire rack to let cool.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

*My Notes:

• In my original post, I lied said that these cookies only last about a day.  Okay, my bad.  They lasted a good three days, getting better by the hour!  The longer they sat, the more moist they became.

Tried & True Tuesday: Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

. How was everyone's Easter weekend?!  Hopefully relaxing and filled with family and friends!  Even though I would argue that relaxing, holidays and family don't really go together.  But maybe that's just my family...?  Joking, Dad ☺

My boyfriend and I actually had a very laid back weekend, spent studying for the CPA (boo), cleaning, running around after Leo, and partaking in my most recent home project: painting the kitchen bathroom.  Whew, that's been a project on the back burner.  I decided I had dragged my feet long enough though, so I finally grabbed some paint from Home Depot and got to work.  I've been dead set on painting the bathroom a darker shade of yellow, to go with the antique-y feeling I'm going for throughout our house.  Well...it didn't really turn out like I had hoped.  I'm trying to let it grow on me though.  My assumption is that the change from the original dark red color to yellow was so dramatic (and I felt like I was in McDonald's PlayHouse the entire time), that it's taking me a bit to adjust.  Fortunately the color darkened a little after drying, so I think I'm right on track.

Thoughts?  Opinions?  Good or bad, I'd love to hear it.  I need to get some decorating advice...

Go Packers?

See my dilemma?  Help me out here!

But while you're thinking about the decorating advice you'd like to give, let's get to this recipe.  So we all know it's strawberry season and maybe it's just me, but it appears that the strawberries have been taking steroids.  I made a strawberry dessert this last weekend (not the one I'm posting, but it will definitely be up soon!) and I couldn't believe how HUGE the strawberries are!  You buy a carton and you only get 8 to 10 pieces...rip off?  Well, that could go either way and I can't really complain about monstrous strawberries.  But I will say I enjoy seeing some fresh, ripe produce around here.  It's been way too long.

So for today, I'm posting a recipe that utilizes this seasonal fruit, with simple ingredients that hand over the spotlight to the strawberries.  The Strawberry Shortcake Cookies come, again, from Ms. Martha Stewart.  I wouldn't exactly call these 'cookies', but actually more emphasis on the 'shortcake.'  I would say they're more of the consistency of a soft scone, studded with fresh bits of strawberries and sprinkled with a bit of sugar to lend a slight sweetness [and make them look extra pretty].  The cake [cookie/scone, whatever you want to call it] is very light in flavor so these are, of course, perfect for a mid-morning snack or a spring time dessert.

And don't forget that decorating advice I asked for, I really could use some ☺ .

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

from Martha Stewart

Such a terrible picture, sorry.  This was taken long before I ever had a blog!

Ingredients:

12 oz. strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 c. heavy cream

Sanding sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine strawberries, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl.  
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar in large bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry blender or rub with fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  
3. Stir in heavy cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
4. Using 1-1/2-inch ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing evenly apart.  Sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Bake 24 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to wire rack to let cool.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

*My Notes:

• These cookies are best served the day they are made.  And unfortunately, they only keep for about a day.  A little give and take when you're baking with fruits...
• If you can, try to avoid having the strawberries at the bottom of the dough ball.  When I made these, the strawberries on the bottom charred a bit and that just isn't very appealing.

Easter Carrot Cupcakes

. Whew, what a crazy last 24 hours!  It's been filled with batches of [botched] cupcakes, a little sleep, full day of work, my mom and brother coming to Omaha for all of 2 hours, and a new little addition to the household for the coming month.

And who is this new member of the family, you ask?!  Well it's that little [big] guy below, my brother's beagle, Leo!

Whether we're prepared for a four dog adventure or not, we got it!  My brother has finals during the first week of May and along with that, working, and productive extracurriculars, his time at home is going to be severely limited.  So, as a good sister would (wink, wink), I offered up my services to watch Leo for the month of May.  My boyfriend and I are both very excited to have this little guy around but...you may want to check back in with us half way during May.  Could be a different story?  Joking!  We'll have our hands full for sure but Leo is such a cute boy, I know he'll fit riiight in with us.

But let's get to these Carrot Cupcakes that I promised you on Tuesday!  Okay, so the overall cupcake turned out great: moist, flavorful, and I must say, so incredibly cute!  And aside from the frosting, this is a one-bowl cupcake recipe!  Can't get much easier than that ☺ But not going to lie, there was a teeny road bump along the way.  I wanted to double the batch since the original recipe only makes a dozen cupcakes (these were for Treat Day at the office and there's definitely more than 12 people in my department!).  However, somewhere along the way something went wrong and I ended up with cupcakes caving into themselves.  In a panic, I started a second batch [without doubling the recipe] and the cupcakes turned out fairly well.  They still didn't look like I remembered but the flavor was there so that's all that matters.  The rest of the way was smooth sailing: a sweet cream cheese frosting, toasted coconut, and a few Cadbury Chocolate Eggs to top off this Easter goodie.  My goal was to end up with a 'birds nest' on top of the cupcake (in the spirit of Easter) and I think I ended up with a pretty good representation.  You can be the judge though.

I truly wish everyone a very Happy Easter and hope that these Carrot Cupcakes make their way onto your dessert table! .

Carrot Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour

1-1/2 c. finely shredded carrots

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. shredded coconut

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Garnish:

1 c. shredded coconut

1 (10 oz.) package mini chocolate eggs

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350°F.  Oil or line with muffin cups a standard muffin tin.  In bowl, combine sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and eggs.

2.  Stir in baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt.  Add flour; mix.  Stir in carrots, walnuts and coconut.

3.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool completely.

4.  Spread coconut for garnish evenly on baking sheet.  Bake 3 minutes and then toss coconut to mix.  Bake additional 3 to 5 minute or until toasted and golden.  Set aside.

5.  For frosting, in medium-sized bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Whisk until smooth.

6.  Frost cupcakes.  Garnish with toasted coconut and place two to three chocolate eggs on top.  

Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes

*My Notes:

• To make the cupcake batter, I only had to use one bowl and mixed everything with a spatula.  So very easy and less clean up!
• I usually shred my own carrots, but for some reason this time around I bought already shredded carrots.  The pieces were a tad bit large, still good, but I would recommend buying finely shredded carrots or just doing it yourself.
• When filling the cupcake liners, I only filled them about 1/2 full.  I personally like the look much better and having a more flat top for the garnishes worked out very well.