Baked in the South

  Ingredients: 1 box samoa girl scout cookies 2 pounds (4 8-oz packages) cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten 1 cup sour cream Pinch of salt Chocolate sauce Caramel Sauce Sweetened Coconut Directions: Preheat oven to 275°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top.  Top with sweetened coconut, and drizzle with chocolate sauce & caramel sauce. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minut...

  Devils' Food Samoa Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Ingredients 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 3/4 cup hot water 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter 2 1/4 cups sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup sour cream, room temperature 1 box of Samoa Girl Scout Cookies Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then co...

    Devils' Food Tagalong Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Ingredients 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 3/4 cup hot water 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter 2 1/4 cups sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup sour cream, room temperature 1 box of Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then...

  So I submitted my first round of photos to both Foodgawker and Tastespotting yesterday and have already had two pictures accepted.  My Junior League French Quarter Cheese & Laura Bush Cowboy Cookies !   Can I get a woooohooooo!   This is probably better than Christmas!  I have been dancing around my office all afternoon.  If you don't know what these two websites are, you should definitely check them out.  They are professional food photography websites and it can be very difficult to get your photos approved.  I have been diligently working to get my photography up to par, and have finally made it!  I still have a long way to go, but I am starting to get a handle on aperture, depth of field, ISO, etc.  I use Photoshop Elements for my editing, which is a huge learning process in itself.  I would recommend watching some videos on post processing, as they really help get your photos to "pop"  I will eventually do a post ...

Happy Fall Ya'll!  I made you some cupcakes!  It's my favorite time of year, especially now that Starbuck's has their Pumpkin Spice Latte back.  I thought I'd try to replicate the yummy pumpkin flavor in these delicious cupcakes.  These aren't dry like most pumpkin recipes and they are sweet & moist like cake rather than dense like muffins.  So get yourself a pumpkin spice latte and bake these little bits of goodness! Ingredients: For the Cupcakes: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 t. ground cinnamon 1 t. groung nutmeg 1 t. allspice 2 T. espresso powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin 1-2/3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup canola oil 4 eggs For the Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature 3 cups powdered sugar (1 box) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tin with liners 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the fl...

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes For the cupcakes: 1 box white cake mix prepared according to package directions 6 oreos crushed For the frosting: 2 boxes confectioners’ sugar 2 sticks of butter at room temperature 1tsp vanilla 6 oreos crushed Directions For Cupcakes: Mix cake mix according to package directions. Stir in Crushed oreos.  Line 24 cupcake tins and fill about 3/4 way full. I use an ice cream scoop to get nice uniform cupcakes. Bake for 18-22 minutes.  Let cupcakes cool completely. For Frosting: Blend confectioner's sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth.  I sometimes like to add in some crushed oreos to the frosting as well.  the more cookies, the better:) Pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes with a large 1M tip or large star tip. Sprinkle with crushed cookies and top with an oreo!

There is nothing quite like a good margarita.   And to make a good margarita, you have to use the best ingredients.   I like a nice tequila, either Patron, or Cuervo.   But the real secret to a great margarita is the Grand Marnier Liqueur (or Cointreau).   Although it is expensive, it is so worth it!   You don’t need to use much, so it will last awhile in your liquor cabinet!   You can find the recipe for my texas margaritas here .   And here is the recipe for my famous Margarita cupcakes!   I made these for a rehearsal dinner and they were a hit!   Margarita Cupcakes For the cupcakes: 1 box white cake mix prepared according to package directions 3 limes, zested and juiced 3 T. Tequila 1 T. Grand Marnier or Cointreau For the frosting: 2 boxes confectioners’ sugar 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice 2 T. tequila 1 T. Grand Marnier pinch of kosher salt Directions: For Cupcakes: Mix cake mix acc...

Brownie Fudge Sundae Cupcakes Ingredients: 1 Box Fudge Brownie Mix 2 sticks butter 2 boxes confectioners sugar 1t. vanilla Whipped Cream Rainbow Jimmies Chocolate syrup Directions: For Brownie Cupcakes Mix brownie mix according to package. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners, fill liners 2/3 to the top with brownie mix. Bake brownie cupcakes for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely before frosting For Buttercream Frosting Beat 2 softened sticks of butter with 2 boxes of confectioner's sugar, and add 1 t. vanilla. Use a large frosting tip to pipe frosting on to cooled cupcakes. Top frosting with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkle with lots of rainbow jimmies! Linking Up with these Lovelies!

Ingredients: 1 Box Fudge Brownie Mix 2 cup of Creamy Peanut Butter 2 sticks butter 2 boxes confectioners sugar 1t. vanilla 8 Nutterbutter cookies Chocolate syrup Directions: For Brownie Cupcakes Mix brownie mix according to package.  Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners, fill liners 2/3 to the top with brownie mix. Add 1 T peanut butter to batter befor baking.  Bake brownie cupcakes for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cool completely before frosting For Buttercream Frosting Beat 2 softened sticks of butter with 2 boxes of confectioner's sugar, and add 1 t. vanilla.  Use a large frosting tip to pipe frosting on to cooled cupcakes.  Sprinkle crushed nutterbutter cookies on top of frosting & drizzle with chocolate syrup!  Delish!

Patriotic Fourth of July Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients Cupcakes 1 box of White Cake Mix ( I like Betty Crocker White Super Moist) 11/4 cup water 1/3 cup of oil 3 eggs Strawberries Blueberries Frosting 2 boxes of confectioners sugar 2 sticks of softened butter 2 tsp. vanilla For cupcakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.  In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, water, eggs & oil on low for 30 seconds, then medium for two minutes.  Pour cupcake mix into cupcake liners until each is 2/3 full. Bake for 18-24 minutes.  Let cool completely before frosting! For frosting: Beat together softened butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla until creamy & smooth.  I use a large pastry bag and large frosting tip seen below.  Fill bag with frosting and frost away.  To get the fancy high top.  Start with frosting tip on outer edge of cupcake and frost in a counterclockwise m...