Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

At the bottom of the cupcake liner before you add the cake mix, insert one whole oreo cookie.  Yes you heard right... a whole cookie BEFORE you even make the cupcake mix.

Pick your favorite cake mix - white or chocolate.  I chose white this time so you could see the oreo cookies.

Make the cake mix according to package directions.  Crush 12 oreo cookies in the food processor.  Add to  the cake mix.  Bake as directed.

These are super yummy cupcakes with a surprise inside.  Yay!  I love surprises.  

Let the cupcakes cool and make the delicious cream cheese oreo icing!

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pipe icing onto cupcakes with your favorite piping bag and tip.  Top with 1/2 oreo.

Enjoy!!

Summer Fruit Pizza

I decided I wanted to try a fruit pizza.  It was supposed to have a sugar cookie crust but here in Lillooet they do not sell any kind of sugar cookie mixes so I decided to go with chocolate chip.  Fruit and chocolate go together so I thought it was probably doable.  I know that they have to be eaten quickly so they do not get soggy so I thought I would do them in pie pans so that I could get 2 for each package of cookie dough.  Then I could have twice the fun decorating too!!

They baked up really nicely in the pie plate!

They fit pefectly on a dinner plate for decorating too.  Obviously meant to be!

I decided to try an icing that I had read about a long time ago and had always wanted to try.  Something light and cream cheesy... mmmmmmm.

A super simple yet delicious icing.  One jar of marshmallow creme and one package of cream cheese.

Let cream cheese soften on the counter for 10 minutes.  Mix with the entire jar of marshmallow fluff.

Voila!

Spread icing over the entire pizza, all the way to the edges of the cookie crust.

Decorate with your favorite fruit.  I decided to make a fruit sun with strawberries, pineapple and oranges.

I made a simple syrup glaze with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup water.  Bring water and sugar to a boil on the stove over medium heat.  Let cool to room temperature and brush over fruit with a pastry brush.  Serve ASAP.

Summer is here!

P.S.  I still have 3 more pizzas to decorate!  Yay!!

Ice Cream Cones that won't melt in the sun!

Today I wanted to make something no-bake as it is very very hot here.  No ovens allowed.  I remember seeing a really cool treat at Cookies and Cups.  I thought I would try this - but with my favorite no-bake treat.

Peanut Butter Frosted Flake Treats

1 cup sugar

1 cup white corn syrup

2 cups peanut butter

5 cups Frosted Flakes

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  

Add peanut butter. 

Mix well.

Pour over Frosted Flakes.

Let mixture cool for a few minutes.  Shape into balls with your hands or use a handy dandy cookie scoop and fill ice cream cones.  You may need to press down on your scoop of yumminess to ensure it sticks to the cone.

Top with something cute like these delicious Almond & Toffee Drops.

My recipe made 12 cones and one pie plate size giant cookie (I was out of cones).

I will drizzle this in chocolate and then take it to work tomorrow for a breakfast treat for everyone.  Hey, it has cereal and peanut butter - don't judge.

Jello popcorn

This recipe will be loved by my zombie loving family.  I am 100% sure that there will be comments about zombie popcorn.  For normal families this will just be jello popcorn.  You can use any flavor jello.  I just happened to have red Cherry jello left over from our Canada Day recipes last week.  From all the internet research I did, some flavors have much better colors of popcorn than others.  The lime green was not particularly pretty.  This one turned out very colorful.  I think it would be a good Halloween recipe too.  

jello popcorn

-8 cups popcorn  - *1 bag of microwave popcorn*

-3 Tbsp light corn syrup

-1/4 cup butter

-1/2 cup white sugar

-1 (4 serving size) pkg of jell-o

preheat oven to 300.

1. pop microwave popcorn.

2. pick out all the kernels * do not skip this step*

3. in a medium saucepan add corn syrup & butter. cook over low heat until butter is melted.

4. add sugar & jell-o, stirring until jell-o is dissolved.

5. bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. turn down & simmer for 5 minutes *stir constantly*

6. place popcorn in a large bowl. once mixture is finished cooking, add to bowl of popcorn, stirring to coat.

7. line cookie sheet with wax paper or aluminium foil and spread popcorn mixture out.

8. bake at 300 for 10 minutes.

9. cool. 

10. break into pieces.

This smells so yummy when it is cooking on the stove.  An hour later my house still smells like cherries.  

When my kids wake up this is going to be a nice surprise for them!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Birthday Canada!