Best of 2013- Reader Favorites

Today I am highlighting the ten most popular recipes from 2013 on Spoonful of Flour. It is always so much fun to look back on the year and all of the recipes that I made. I also love to see which recipes are popular among my readers and compare that list to my own list of personal favorites. As you will see, 2013 was the year of cupcakes and coconut oil. Starting from the bottom, here are the year's most popular recipes:

10. Pumpkin Pie Poptart Cupcakes

9. French Toast Sticks

8. Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

7. Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

6. Coconut Oil Brownies

5. Lucky Charms Cupcakes

4. Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream

3. Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

2. Parmesan Truffle Tater Tots

1. Coconut Oil Banana Bread

Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes

I still can't believe that Christmas is only a few days away. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Thanksgiving. Having only four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas is no good, no good at all. Especially when you are sick for one of those weeks and do not feel like getting out of bed. Now with only a few days left until Christmas, I am trying to make up for lost time and crank out a few last minute holiday recipes.

Although I was still not feeling 100% this weekend, I did find some time to make these Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes. Eggnog is good on its own, but like so many other things in life, it is even better when combined with chocolate. These moist chocolate cupcakes are lightly spiced with both eggnog and ground nutmeg. They have a perfectly sweet kick to them. But my favorite thing about these cupcakes is the eggnog frosting. It is light and fluffy with sweet yet subtle eggnog flavor. I plan to substitute milk or heavy cream for the eggnog and use this frosting all-year round to frost cupcakes. Enjoy the holidays everyone!

Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes
Cupcake recipe from Baked by Rachel, Frosting recipe from Annie's Eats

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup eggnog
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sour cream
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 1/2 tbsp eggnog

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the salt, baking soda, ground nutmeg, flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggnog and sour cream. Mix until combined. 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. 

Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg. Mix until combined. Add the eggnog and increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 additional minutes. Frost fully cooled cupcakes. 

DIY Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

This past weekend we had our first big snowstorm of the winter season. Just a few hours after the snow started falling, I also got my first cold of the winter season. Lets just say that I haven't wanted to get out of bed since Saturday night. While I haven't done too much baking over the past few days, I did make a few of these DIY Chocolate Chip Cookie Mixes. They only take a few minutes to assemble and make such a cute gift for the holidays. 

Recently I have gotten really into making homemade gifts. A few months ago, I made a few bottles of Vanilla Extract that are now sitting in my cabinet and ready to give out. I also love making an assortment of cookies and packaging them up in boxes with ribbon. I know that these DIY Chocolate Chip Cookie Mixes will be a great addition to my holiday packages this year. Since they are so easy to assemble, they also make a great last minute gift idea for all of the procrastinators out there- can you believe that there is only one week left until Christmas??

DIY Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Recipe from The Baker Chick (originally adapted from Very Best Baking)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 wide-mouth quart-sized mason jar

To assemble each jar:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Scoop the mixture into the bottom of the jar and tap to level out.

Gently pour the chocolate chips on top of the flour and smooth them out into an even layer. 

Scoop the brown sugar into the jar, followed by the granulated sugar. Press down gently if all of the sugar does not fit into the jar. 

Include the following instructions with the jar:

Cream 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter with 1 egg and 3/4 tsp vanilla extract. Add the contents of the jar and gently fold with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F until golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Gingerbread Cookies

It was so much fun participating in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap this year. I could definitely get used to homemade cookies showing up at my doorstep every afternoon. Wouldn't that be nice? 

These Gingerbread Cookies were my contribution to this year's swap. When I think of holiday baking, I first and foremost think of gingerbread, even before I think about eggnog or peppermint. Although I never liked gingerbread as a kid, I am now at a point where gingerbread is my favorite holiday flavor. Unlike the hard and dry gingerbread houses I remember making years ago, these cookies are perfectly soft and chewy. I also love making these Gingerbread Cookies during the holiday baking season because they hold up really well and are perfect for shipping out to friends and family. Although the cookies are good on their own, they can easily be dressed up with frosting or royal icing to make them even more festive. 

If you want to find out more about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, click here for more information. And be sure to check out the links below for the delicious cookie recipes that I received this year! (Note: not all of the posts are live yet- I will update later in the day with the links)

Molasses Cookies from Chelsea at This Grand Adventure

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies from Cristina of Cupcake and Bacon

Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from allrecipes

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the molasses and egg. Mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix until just incorporated.  Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place the cookies onto the prepared bakings, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired. 

Gingerbread Donut Muffins

My obsession with donut muffins continues, this time in the form of Gingerbread Donut Muffins. Which by the way are equally as good as these Glazed Blueberry Donut Muffins and these Glazed Pumpkin Donut Muffins. In the past I have always dipped my donut muffins in glaze, but this time I decided to switch things up and dip them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. To be honest I can't really decide which option I like better. When it comes to donut muffins, you can't go wrong either way. 

I wish there were more than three weeks weeks until Christmas because I am just getting started with my holiday baking. At least I waited until after Thanksgiving last year- I am been known to pull out the eggnog and peppermint in mid-November in years past. But three weeks hardly seems like enough time to bake everything that needs to be baked, not to mention shop for all the presents that need to be bought. Am I right?

Gingerbread Donut Muffins
Recipe from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from Bon Appetit) 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus tbsp. light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 1/3 cup cold water

Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Add the molasses. 

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add the second half, again mixing until just incorporated. Add the water and mix until incorporated and no lumps remain.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

While the muffins are cooling, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Dip each muffin into the melted butter, then into the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Make sure each muffin top is evenly coated with the mixture. Repeat with the remaining muffins.

Fontina Macaroni and Cheese

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! My family and I spent the day at my aunt's house and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. I am so lucky to have such a great family and always look forward to spending time with them. 

I made this Fontina Macaroni and Cheese right before Thanksgiving and the entire pan was gone within just two days. Mac and cheese has always been my favorite food and I love trying new flavor variations whenever I come across them. As far as quick and easy recipes, I love this Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese because there is no baking required. Plus the creamy gouda cheese is sauce is amazing. But when it comes to baked macaroni and cheese, nothing beats my mom's homemade version. It is the best. You can now add this Fontina Macaroni and Cheese to my list of favorites. I have a feeling that list will just continue to grow and grow.  

Fontina Mac and Cheese
Recipe from Annie's Eats (Originally from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook by Jack Bishop)

1 lb. medium pasta shells
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded
Salt
Pinch of fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package instructions until 1-2 minutes shy of al dente.

Dice 4 tablespoons of butter and place in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan set over low heat, warm the heavy cream. Cover to keep warm. 

Once the pasta is cooked, add to the bowl with the butter and toss to evenly coat. Stir in the warm cream and the Fontina cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese starts to melt. Add salt to taste, followed by the fresh nutmeg. 

Pour the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. 

In a small bowl, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the panko breadcrumbs and shredded Parmesan to the bowl. toss with a fork to coat evenly with the butter. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the pasta. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the topping turns golden brown in color. Serve immediately. 

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I feel like my window to post pumpkin recipes is quickly coming to a close. So now I have no choice but to share all of the remaining pumpkin recipes that I have saved in my drafts folder. If you are like me, you will continue to bake with pumpkin throughout the year. Last year I even posted a few recipes in February- sorry but they were too good not to share! But since everyone will be talking about Christmas baking next week, I figured I would share the last of my pumpkin recipes here and now.

You have to save the best for last, right? Well these Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes are my very favorite pumpkin recipe from this fall. That is saying a lot too- I made a lot of pumpkin recipes! Anyways, these cupcakes are everything pumpkin cupcakes should be- packed with sweet pumpkin flavor and warm fall spices. After making several batches of sub-par pumpkin cupcakes, I am so glad that I came across this recipe. I should have known that brown butter would take regular pumpkin cupcakes to a whole different level. I paired them with my favorite cream cheese frosting because pumpkin + cream cheese is such a great combination. And I even topped a few of with with these Edible Acorns, because I just couldn't resist!

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, Frosting recipe from Annie's Eats

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree

Frosting:
10 oz. cream cheese, chilled
6 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.

Add the butter a medium-sized skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the butter turns brown in color. Once brown, turn off the heat and continue to whisk for another minute. Allow to cool completely. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. In another large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and cooled butter. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to whisk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated. 

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting: 

Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed of the mixer and beat for another 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add the vanilla extract.

Frost fully cooled cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Most weekends I know exactly what I want to bake. This past weekend was not one of those weekends. I did not make my mid-week grocery list and had no idea what I was going to make until the  very last minute. All I knew was that I wanted to make something with chocolate and peanut butter. That should come as no surprise- favorite. combination. ever. Anyways, I considered making these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, but ultimately decided to switch things up a little bit. Instead of making a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting, I decided to try a peanut butter cupcake with chocolate frosting. Definitely a good decision. 

Despite all of the cupcake recipes on my blog, I recently realized that I have yet to post a recipe for chocolate frosting. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to share my all-time favorite chocolate frosting recipe. It is light and creamy, with just the right amount of chocolate flavor. Just make sure to frost the cupcakes immediately after making the frosting so that the chocolate doesn't have a chance to harden first. So here you have it, another chocolate and peanut butter recipe for the archives. And it is a good one at that!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Cupcake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, Frosting recipe from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
9.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup + 1 tbsp sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sour cream. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the buttermilk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients, and mix until combined after each addition.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool until just barely warm. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the melted chocolate, followed by the sour cream. Mix until smooth and blended. Frost cooled cupcakes immediately so that the chocolate does not harden first. 

Edible Acorns

This past weekend I made a batch of my very favorite Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes. I just realized that I haven't share this recipe on the blog yet, but I will make sure to do so very soon. Anyways, I planned to decorate the cupcakes with orange and brown sprinkles until I remembered these Edible Acorns. I first made these Edible Acorns last fall and put them in a bowl for a fun fall decoration. But they also make the perfect cupcake toppers! 

These Edible Acorns are incredibly easy to make- only four ingredients and a few minutes or your time are all you need. Simple and delicious! Check back soon to see my Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with these adorable acorns on top.

Edible Acorns
Idea from We Are That Family

Mini Nutter Butters
Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Hershey's Kisses
Store-bought chocolate frosting

Take a Nutter Butter and place a small dollop of frosting on the center of one side. Place a mini chocolate chip on the dollop of frosting and hold it in place for one minute. Place another dollop of frosting on the other side of the Nutter Butter and attach a Hershey's Kiss. Hold the Kiss in place for another minute. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Once all acorns are assembled, place them on a baking sheet and put the sheet into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies

Have you guys tried pudding cookies yet? I think I have tried almost every pudding flavor out there and these Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies might just be my favorite. Because really when is pumpkin not my favorite? Especially when cinnamon chips are involved. Everyone has their own idea about what makes the perfect cookie- thin, thick, soft, chewy or crispy. While they are all good in my book, I especially love soft cookies. And nothing guarantees soft cookies quite like a box of instant pudding mix. 

I recently started my Christmas baking list and lets just say that they are a lot of cookies to be made in the next two months. It will be hard to beat these Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies but I will certainly try. I know that pumpkin spice pudding mix can be hard to find in stores, but make sure to snatch it up if you see it and make these cookies of course!

Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies
Recipe adapted from Mint Chip Pudding Cookies 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Turn off the mixer. Add the cinnamon chips and gently fold into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula. Scoop cookie dough onto the prepared bakings sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Oil Blueberry Muffins

For those of you who are counting, this is now the fifth blueberry muffin recipe I have posted on my blog. Although that might seem like a lot, I don't think you can ever have enough blueberry muffin recipes. Plus all of the recipes are slightly unique and deserve their own spot in the archives. These coconut oil blueberry muffins are one of my recent favorites. Like I have mentioned in the past, coconut oil gives baked goods very sweet yet subtle coconut flavor. It is not overpowering, but provides just the right amount of sweetness to muffins, cookies, breads and so much more.

In the case of these muffins, shredded coconut gives them a little extra coconut kick but it can also be left out if desired. If you are a true coconut lover, try substituting coconut milk for the low-fat milk.

Coconut Oil Blueberry Muffins
Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Yield: 10 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 large egg
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil, egg, milk and vanilla extract until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gently fold with a rubber spatula. The batter will be thick. Add the shredded coconut and blueberries. Gently fold into the batter.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

I first made these cranberry cream cheese cupcakes last year when I was testing out cupcake flavors for Thanksgiving. Out of all the flavor combinations that I tried, cranberry + cream cheese was my favorite, although sweet potato + marshmallow was a close second. These cranberry cream cheese cupcakes were also one of my dad's favorite cupcakes from last year. This past weekend we celebrated my dad's birthday and I wanted to make his something special. I remembered that he loved these cupcakes and immediately got started on making them again. Instead of trying something new, sometimes it is best to go the safe route and make something that I already knew he would enjoy.

I love this combination because the sweet cream cheese frosting, which has a slight maple flavor, is the perfect complement to the tart cranberries in the cupcakes. You could leave out the maple syrup all together, but I love the extra sweetness that it provides. Happy birthday to my amazing dad- I love you!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Krissy's Creations (cupcake originally adapted from Confessions of a Foodie Bride, frosting from Annie Eats, who adapted it from Confections of a Foodie Bride)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups fresh cranberries, tossed in 1/2 tbsp flour

Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. 

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to beat until fully combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated after each addition.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined.

In a small bowl, toss cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Turn off the mixer and add the cranberries to the bowl. Using a spatula, mix until fully incorporated into the batter. 

Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Frosting:

In a stand mixer fitted the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. 

Slowly add the powdered sugar to the bowl and continue to mix until incorporated. Finally add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix until frosting is smooth and reaches your desired consistency. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Say hello to one of my favorite fall cookies, the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie! I am a chocolate chip cookie girl all the way. I would choose a chocolate chip cookie over a sugar cookie, an oatmeal cookie, or any other cookie out there. But in the fall I like to switch things up and add pumpkin to the mix. Because really when is adding pumpkin a bad idea? These pumpkin chocolate chips cookies are soft and chewy, just the way I like my cookies to be. 

I am finally down to my last can of pumpkin- I started the fall season with 8 cans and have been baking pumpkin everything since then. I only have a few more recipes to share before I turn my attention to holiday baking. At the supermarket tonight we came across eggnog, gingerbread cookies and a whole aisle of Christmas candy. I don't want to get too ahead of myself yet though- lets slow it down and enjoy these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a while first! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Mix until fully incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer and add the chocolate chips. Gently fold into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula.

Scoop cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Favorites at Trader Joe's

Have you guys been to Trader Joe's lately? I love this time of year because they sell pumpkin everything. A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to Trader Joe's and picked up a few of my favorite pumpkin items. The girl at the cash register said that it must to be pumpkin day. Why yes, yes it was pumpkin day. Today I thought I would share a few of my must-try pumpkin treats from Trader Joe's.

Earlier this fall I tried pumpkin ice cream for the first time. I loved it. I need to stock up on this "Pilgrim Joe's" pumpkin ice cream so that I can enjoy it all-year round. So rich and creamy!

For the most part I never bake with boxed mixes. I prefer to make everything from scratch whenever possible. However, for the few times when I am in a pinch and need to use a boxed mix, I love to use the boxed mixes from Trader Joe's. In my opinion, they are much better than the boxed mixes you get at other grocery stores. I love the pumpkin pancake mix, as well as the pumpkin bread/muffin mix sold  every fall. 

Another boxed mix that I love is the Trader Joe's pumpkin bar baking mix. Now that I think about it, their bars are not too different than the Pumpkin Chocolate Chips Bars I made last week. Although I prefer the homemade version, the boxed mix is still really good.

I was a little bit skeptical when I first saw these pumpkin macarons. I didn't think frozen macarons would be very good, but decided to try them anyways. I was pleasantly surprised. Although they are no Bouchon Bakery macarons, I liked them more than I expected. 

I love pumpkin butter and this version from Trader Joes is one of my favorites. It is good on so many things, including toast and english muffins. If you have never had pumpkin butter before, it is truly for all of the pumpkin lovers of the world. It is a much stronger and pure pumpkin taste than many other pumpkin sweets. 

Pumpkin cream cheese- I could literally eat it with a spoon. I like it best spread on a pumpkin bagel. There is no such thing as too much pumpkin.

If I had a toaster in my apartment, I would probably make these frozen pumpkin waffles every morning. 

I was so excited when I saw these pumpkin croissants. Although they still require an overnight rising period, they are extremely easy to prepare. I also love their chocolate croissants.

Pumpkin Ravioli is one of my favorite fall meals. The Trader Joe's version is slightly sweeter than most. The filling tastes similar to pumpkin pie- it is almost more of a dessert ravioli than a dinner ravioli. But I still love it!

And I saved the best for last- the Trader Joe's pumpkin body butter. It is definitely my new favorite body butter. It is so thick and creamy. I think it smells more like cinnamon and other fall spices more than it smells like pumpkin. But I love it, even more than the coconut version they sell during the rest of the year. 

Those are all of the pumpkin things that I am loving right now- anything else that I am missing?

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I am just sharing these products with you because I love them. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Happy Halloween! We are officially halfway through the Trick-or-Treating window and only one kid has stopped by our apartment. One single kid! I don't know why but I expected a much bigger turnout given the number of young kids in our apartment building. Such a disappointment! On the other hand, we now have a huge bowl of leftover Halloween candy- I can't complain too much about that. I can almost guarantee that all of the gummy bears will be gone tonight. And I am thinking that another batch of Kit Kat Cupcakes need to be made with the leftover Kit Kats. 

Anyways, we are almost in November now and I have been hearing that some people are all pumpkin-ed out. I am not at that point yet though. Actually I never get sick of pumpkin- I am known to bake with it all-year round. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are one of my new favorite pumpkin recipes. Packed with chocolate chips, these bars are incredibly moist and cakey in texture. Not only are they easy to make, but they completely satisfy my craving for all things pumpkin at this time of the year.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Recipe from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl on a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined. Add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until incorporated. Wit the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer. Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. 

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread out into an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. 

Kit Kat Cupcakes

Since this is our first Halloween in the new apartment, I have no idea how many trick-or-treaters to expect tomorrow tonight. There are a few young children in the building so we are prepared with a  giant bowl of candy bars to give out. Of course I won't be too disappointed if there is some leftover candy at the end of the night. That just means I can make these Kit Kat Cupcakes again. Kit Kats are at the top of my favorite Halloween candy list, along with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers and Starbursts. But really there aren't too many candy bars that I would turn away. The idea to make Kit Kat Cupcakes has been in my head for a long time and Halloween seemed like the perfect opportunity to  finally make them. I topped rich chocolate cupcakes with a whipped vanilla buttercream and fun-sized Kit Kats. Although the buttercream is good on its own, I decided make it even better and add more Kit Kats to the mixer. I highly suggest using a large round frosting tip rather than a star tip to frost these cupcakes- otherwise Kit Kat chunks might get stuck in your frosting tip.

These Kit Kat Cupcakes are my contribution to the Trick or Treat Blop Hop. I'm teaming up with my friends today to bring you nine delicious sweet treat recipes. Be sure to check out the other tasty treats below. If you dig sweets then be sure to check out #TrickorTreatBlogHop on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram.

Candy Shop Rice Krispie Treats from The Land of Milk and Cookies

Healthy Nutella Spider Truffles from Honey and Figs

Peanut Butter Cup Snack Cake from Uni Homemaker 

Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Reese's Mini Cupcakes from Life Made Sweeter

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Butterfinger Sides from Brooklyn Farm Girl 

Reese's Crescent Rolls from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Snicker's Deep Dish Cookie Pies from Spoonful of Flavor

Kit Kat Cupcakes

Cupcake recipe from Cook's Illustrated, Frosting adapted from Annie's Eats (originally adapted from Sweetapolita)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Frosting:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbsp vanilla extract

8 small Kit Kats

Kit Kats for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. 

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, chocolate and cocoa powder. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Set aside and allow to cool. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until fully combined. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl, followed by 1/3 of the flour mixture. Continue whisking until combined. Add the Greek yogurt, followed by the rest of the flour mixture. Whisk until fully combined. The batter will be thick. 

Distribute the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the frosting, unwrap the Kit Kats and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground.

Add the butter to the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod into the bowl and add the salt. Mix until combined. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Increase the mixer speed and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the ground Kit Kats and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and add Kit Kats to the top of the cupcakes. 

Graveyard Cupcakes

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice and relaxing weekend. Yesterday I finally got around to doing some much needed kitchen cabinet organization. You wouldn't believe all of the random ingredients I accumulate over time. With so many half-empty bags of this and that, it was finally time to organize and put everything into labeled mason jars. I can't tell you how much better it looks. Actually, it looks a bit like a candy store when you first open the cabinets. There is a jar of regular Milky Ways, next to a jar of Caramel Apple Milky Ways, next to a jar of Hot Cocoa Milky Ways- you get the picture. I have a little bit of a candy addiction. But at least now my addiction is organized. 

After sharing these Chocolate Skeleton Cupcakes last week, I mentioned that I still had one more Halloween-inspired cupcake left to share. Here it is. These Graveyard Cupcakes are incredibly easy to make and would be the perfect addition to any Halloween party. I found a container of bone sprinkles at a local craft store, but they are completely optional if you can't find them. Enjoy!

Graveyard Cupcakes

1 batch chocolate cupcakes (I used this recipe)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 Oreos, cream removed from the center

12 Milano cookies
Black frosting pen
White bone sprinkles (optional)

To make the ganache, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl set above a pot of barely simmering water. Allow the chocolate chips to melt completely, stirring occasionally throughout the process. Do not let the chocolate burn. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.

Place Oreos in a sealed plastic bag. Crush the Oreos using a rolling pin until finely ground. Pour the crushed Oreos into a small bowl.

One at a time, dip the cupcakes into the chocolate ganache and allow the excess to drip off. Then dip each cupcake into the bowl of crushed Oreos. Make sure to evenly coat with the Oreo mixture.

Cut off the bottom of each Milano cookie to form a straight edge. Using the black frosting pen, write "RIP" on each cookie. Place a cookie onto each cupcake and press down slightly. Stick bone sprinkles into the Oreo mixture if desired. 

Donna's Donuts {Tewksbury, MA}

A while back I was watching a new show about donuts on the Food Network. It was very similar to Cupcake Wars, except the contestants were competing to make the best donut instead of the best cupcake. Further evidence to support my opinion that donuts are the new cupcakes! Anyways, one of the contestants was the owner of a small donut shop in Massachusetts called Donna's Donuts. 

Donna's Donuts is located in Tewksbury, right next to my hometown of Andover. I can't believe I never knew it existed. From the outside Donna's Donuts doesn't look like anything special, but the donuts are some of the best I have ever had.

The other weekend my mom and I decided to check out Donna's Donuts for the first time. Unfortunately they were sold out of their famous cheeseburger donut, but we tried a few of their other flavors instead. I have always loved old-fashioned style donuts and this is exactly what is offered at Donna's Donuts.  My favorite was the cinnamon glazed donut.

I brought home a buttercrunch donut for Dan, which has always been one of his favorite flavors. He gave this one two thumbs up.

I also loved the chocolate crueler from Donna's Donuts. It is one of the best I have ever had. 

Last weekend my mom and I went back and finally tried the famous cheeseburger donut. Although it is 100% donut, I can't get over how much it looks like a cheeseburger. It is a chocolate donut sandwiched between two glazed donuts and covered in pastry cream to resemble cheese.

I also spotted this steak and cheese donut. Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you- this one is 100% donut too! How fun are these specialty donuts!

If you want to check out Donna's Donuts, you can find more information here:

Donna's Donuts

2106 Main Street

Tewksbury, MA 01876

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Donnas-Donuts/49881018526