Hummingbird Cupcakes

Posted by: Annie

Craving warmer weather anyone? Despite growing up on the Jersey Shore*  I am not the biggest fan of what is considered "beach" weather, but I am definitely sick of twenty-degree mornings, panty-hose and close-toed shoes. These cupcakes remind me of the lovely spring time weather that I am craving. When I saw them on Annie's Eats, I immediately fell in cupcake love with the ingredients and the name - Hummingbird Cupcakes. The pineapple and banana flavors mixed with coconut are out of this world, and become addictive when topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.

*(Disclaimer: it is nothing like the show people- I only Snooki poof my hair for special occasions)

What you will need:

For the Cupcakes:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

11 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (approximately 3 medium-sized)

2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained

2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional- I omitted)

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed,  beat the butter, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the mashed banana. With the electric mixer on low speed, slowly mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Using a spatula fold in the pineapple, nuts and coconut.

Fill the liners until 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes then remove and cool completely on wire racks.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed beat until the cream cheese and butter are well combined and smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, initially on slow speed, and then increase the speed until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with coconut if desired. 

Source: Annie's Eats

Monkey Bread

Posted by: Maggie

Annie and her boyfriend Scott stayed with me on Saturday night, and we stayed out late singing karaoke at a bar called Sobe in Arlington.  I started out the evening with "Family Tradition" (best song ever to do at karaoke if you have a bad voice like me - people participate with it!), Jeff did "It's Not Unusual" and "Don't Stop Believin," and then Annie and I did a really embarrassing duet of "I've Had the Time of my Life," in which I channeled Patrick Swayze (RIP).  

Needless to say, there was some liquid courage involved in performing cheesy songs in front of a crowd of people, and we all needed something tasty this morning to soak up any beer still lingering in our stomachs. 

Enter, Monkey Bread.  I've been wanting to make this for a weekend breakfast for some time now, but it makes a huge amount that Jeff and I would barely make a dent in.  I figured with Annie and Scott here to help, it would be the perfect time to break out this easy and delicious breakfast treat.

P.S.  I implore you to make bacon as a side dish.  The bread is extremely sweet, and the saltiness of the bacon complemented it deliciously.

Here's what you'll need:

3 cans of Buttermilk biscuits (the non-flaky ones in the smaller 7 or 7.5 oz cans)
1 cup white sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 sticks salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Open biscuits, and cut each biscuit into quarters.  Dump cinnamon and sugar into a large gallon-sized ziploc bag, and shake to combine.  Dump biscuit pieces into the cinnamon/sugar bag, and shake to combine until the pieces are thoroughly coated and unstuck from each other.

Place biscuit pieces evenly in an un-greased bundt pan.

In a medium saucepan, melt two sticks of butter over medium heat.  Throw in the brown sugar, and stir for a couple minutes until combined with the butter.

Evenly pour the mixture over the biscuit pieces, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until dark brown on top.  Let sit for 15-30 minutes, and then invert onto a serving plate.

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Posted by: Maggie

I LOVE Oprah.  My love for the Oprah show is only obstructed by the fact that I have a full-time job that overlaps with Oprah hours, and I'm too cheap to pay for DVR.  I used to love when I'd come home from school before my sisters got home, and I could sit and watch it with my mom.  I'd be glued to any episode about medical or psychological issues (probably kind of odd that as a teenager I preferred those over the celebrity guests), and like most Oprah fans, I fantasized about being an audience member in one of her famous Oprah's Favorite Things episodes.

When I heard that Oprah was retiring from her talk show and starting her own network called OWN, I was super excited.  24 hours a day of Oprah approved programming? Sign me up.  I was even more excited when I discovered that my bottom rung cable package was actually offering the channel without making me pay extra. 

Fast forward a couple months when I get a friend request over on Tasty Kitchen  from Kristina Kuzmic, and she writes on my wire to check out her facebook for updates on the Oprah competition.  "What Oprah competition??" I thought to myself, before switching over to facebook to check it out. 

Long story short, I adored the show.  For those who missed it, it was called "Your OWN show" and it was an "Apprentice" style competition to win a show on Oprah's new network.  In Kristina's case, she was competing for a cooking show.  I rooted for Kristina from the beginning, and was thrilled to see her (and the other finalist Zach) both receive their own shows out of the competition. 

This recipe for chocolate oatmeal bars was posted on Kristina's facebook several weeks ago.  After having the first delicious taste, I decided that I wasn't going to share with my coworkers, and these were going to be my breakfast for the rest of the week.  The oatmeal negates the stick and a half of butter and makes these breakfast appropriate, right?

What you'll need:

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter
½ cup + 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 Tablespoon milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to use as handles to lift bars out, and spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Melt the butter over medium low heat.  Add the brown sugar, and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the vanilla, oats, and milk, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

After oats are cooked, press half of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan.  Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in the microwave, stir to blend, pour over oat crust, and smooth with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture on top and press lightly into the chocolate.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.  Keep refrigerated.

Source: I tried to link to the facebook post with the recipe, but it has disappeared.  I'll try and find it again later, but until then check out her page!