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

Chocolate Chip Spider Cookies

I have seen several different versions of these spider cookies on Pinterest this fall. I don't know where the idea first came from, but it is definitely creative and caught my attention. After seeing them again two weekends ago, I finally decided to make them myself. I have actually made these cookies twice in the past two weeks. First I bought a piece of black licorice rope from a local candy store and cut it into pieces to form the spider legs. Although the cookies were cute, I wasn't completely happy with the results. Basically I didn't love how the spider bodies were a different color than the legs. I am such a perfectionist that I had to try again. Next I bought a brown frosting pen to draw legs onto the spider cookies. Much better! 

Feel free to use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, however I highly recommend the recipe  below. It results in soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, just how I love them. It also results in perfectly round cookies every single time out of the oven. Again the perfectionist in me loves round cookies. Also to note, I stuck a few mini Hershey's kisses on top of the cookie dough balls just before baking. I decided to use the mini kisses instead of regular chocolate chips in order to make the spiders a little bigger in size. I love those mini kisses. As my boyfriend would say, they are perfect for all those times when a chocolate chip is too small, but a regular Hershey's kiss is too big!

Chocolate Chip Spider Cookies
Recipe from Hungry Happenings (originally adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Brown frosting pen

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

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

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Allow to cool slightly. Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. 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 chocolate chips (retaining about 1/4 cup) and gently fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Scoop out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Place the remaining chocolate chips on top of each cookie dough ball. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are set and cookies are golden brown in color. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Draw 8 legs on select chocolate chips with the brown frosting pen.

Chocolate Skeleton Cupcakes

Happy Monday! I can't believe that Halloween is less than two weeks away. Seriously where does the time go? This week I thought I would share a few more Halloween-inspired desserts in order to get ready for the holiday. For some reason, I am much more creative with my Halloween baking than I am at any other time of the year. It is just so fun to create Halloween cupcakes. In the past I have made Spider Cupcakes and Bat Cupcakes, both of which were really cute and a big hit with everyone that I shared them with. And then this weekend I made Chocolate Skeleton Cupcakes, along with one other cupcake recipe that I will share later in the week.  

You really can use any cupcake recipe you want to make these Skeleton Cupcakes. The recipe I used, which I linked to below, just happens to be my favorite one-bowl chocolate cupcake recipe. It is the same recipe I used to make all of the other Halloween cupcakes on my blog. But feel free to make vanilla cupcakes or any other flavor of your choice. Personally I would choose chocolate nine times out of ten. To draw the skeleton's body and face, I used Wilton frosting pens that I picked up at a local craft store. Although I haven't tried it, I would think you could also melt some chocolate and white chocolate chips and pipe the chocolate onto the cupcakes using a plastic bag or squeeze bottle. Enjoy!

Chocolate Skeleton Cupcakes

1 batch chocolate cupcakes (I used this recipe)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

White frosting pen

Black frosting pen

12 large marshmallows

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.

Draw a smiley face on each marshmallow with the black frosting pen. 

Take the cupcakes and dip them into the bowl of chocolate ganache one at a time, making sure to completely cover each top. Let the excess ganache drip off. Place a marshmallow on top of each cupcake, holding down in place for a few seconds. Allow the ganache to set. Draw a skeleton body on each cupcake with the white frosting pen. 

Cupcake Charlie's {Mashpee, MA}

No trip to Cape Cod is complete without a cupcake. Or at least that is how I feel. Whenever Dan and I visit his family at the Cape, we always make a stop at Cupcake Charlie's. Located in Mashpee Commons, Cupcake Charlie's is always crowded and has quickly become one of my favorite cupcake shops in Massachusetts. 

Fifteen freshly baked cupcake flavors are offered each day at Cupcake Charlie's. I always have such a hard time picking out which cupcakes to sample! Above is my favorite flavor, the funfetti cupcake. I love all things funfetti and this cupcake definitely does not disappoint. 

Here is the peanut butter pleasure cupcake, another personal favorite of mine. You can never go wrong with the chocolate and peanut butter combination. 

This caramel apple cupcake was the "flavor of the day," a special flavor chosen by the bakers on a daily basis. I was so excited to see a fall flavor and decided that we needed to try this cupcake. I loved all of that dripping caramel. 

Here is Charlie's chocolate chip cupcake. Sometimes simple flavors are my favorite- I love this moist vanilla cupcake loaded with chocolate chips and topped with a miniature chocolate chip cookie. 

The nutter butter cupcake was another fun flavor offered on the day of our visit. 

Cupcakes are $2.95 each, which is similar to the price at other bakeries but the cupcakes at Cupcake Charlie's are extra-large in size. Did I mention that there are 130 unique flavors that rotate for the "Flavor of the Day"? I guess I have a lot more sampling to do! 

If you want to check out Cupcake Charlie's, you can find more information here:

Cupcake Charlie's

10 Central Square

Mashpee Commons

Mashpee, MA 

http://www.cupcakecharlies.com/mashpee-cupcake-shop/

Cookie Monster Cookies

A few weeks ago our friends welcomed the arrival of their second son, sweet baby Eli. Like I have done in the past, I wanted to make our friends a batch of cookies, something to say congratulations right after Eli's birth. Sugar cookies shaped as baby onesies are generally my go-to, but this time I decided to try something a little different. Since our friends also have a 2-year old son, I thought these Cookie Monster cookies would be perfect for him. I could not have been happier with how they turned out.

I will let you in on a little secret. Although they might look complicated, these Cookie Monster cookies really aren't that difficult to make. Simple sugar cookies are baked and then topped with vanilla buttercream which is tinted blue and piped onto the cookies using a "grass" piping tip. I found that the frosting got too stiff for piping after about 10-15 minutes. In this case, I suggest adding a little bit more heavy cream to the frosting (unless you can pipe frosting onto 18 cookies faster than I can, in which case you might be fine).  Despite having a sore hand after all was said and done, these Cookie Monster cookies were definitely worth the effort.  Aren't they cute? I am already thinking about how I can turn the rest of the Sesame Street characters into cookies! One final thing to note- It is hard to give a yield for sugar cookie recipes because it really depends on the size of your cookie cutter. I made about 18 cookies using the recipe as written below, but you might get more or less depending on how big you make the cookies. I used a 2 inch cookie cutter for reference. Enjoy!

Cookie Monster Cookies

Recipe from Katrina's Kitchen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 large egg
4 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:
1 cup shortening
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 cup heavy cream (a little more might be needed to reach desired consistency)
Blue food coloring

Decoration:
Mini chocolate chip cookies, cut in half
White baking melts
Black or brown M&M's

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

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

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, as well as the vanilla extract and almond extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. The dough will be very stiff.

Roll the dough out on a well-floured surfaced. Cookies should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles using a small cookie cutter. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until edges are set and slightly browned.  Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting, add the shortening to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until combined after each addition. Add the heavy cream and beat until frosting reaches your desired consistency. Finally add the blue coloring until frosting reaches your desired color. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small "grass" tip (I used Wilton #233). Pipe frosting onto the cookies.

Add the mini chocolate chip cookies, white baking melts and M&M's as eyes. In order to attach the M&M's to the baking melts, I suggest using frosting or melted chocolate chips. 

Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes

Happy Tuesday! I hope that everyone enjoyed a nice long weekend. I spent part of the weekend dog-sitting at my parents' house and got an early start on some Halloween baking. Every year I have to make at least one Halloween-inspired dessert. Last year I make these Dark Chocolate Spider Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache- so cute and fun! At the time, I had the idea to make these Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes but decided to wait another year to make them happen. 

These Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes are very similar to the Dark Chocolate Spider cupcakes. Both use my very favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. The recipe always results in perfectly moist and chocolatey cupcakes. And the best part is that it is a one-bowl recipe. Not only are they incredibly easy to make, but there is only one bowl to clean up after you are done. The cupcakes are then dipped in a rich chocolate ganache, followed by a bowl of purple sanding sugar. You could also dip them into chocolate sprinkles (like I did with the Spider Cupcakes), but I really like the way that the purple sanding sugar looks. To make the wings, I took a few Oreos, removed the white cream, and cut each chocolate cookie half into two halves. Any round chocolate cookie would work. Later this week I have one more Halloween recipe to share- I seriously love Halloween baking!

Dark Chocolate Bat Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Dark Chocolate Spider Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache
Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Purple sanding sugar
Candy eyes
6 Oreos, cream removed and each half cut into two halves

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

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the ganache, combine the heavy cream and chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl set on tip of a pot of barely simmering water. Allow the chocolate chips to melt completely, stirring occasionally, stirring 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.

Take cooled cupcakes and dip them into the bowl of chocolate ganache one at a time, making sure to completely cover each top. Then dip each cupcake into the purple sanding sugar. Return to the wire rack. Place Oreos on top of each cupcake and hold in place for a few seconds. Add the candy eyes. Leave the cupcakes on the wire rack for a few minutes to let everything set.

Things I'm Loving- October Edition

Given my love for all things pumpkin, it was a little bit surprising that I had never tried pumpkin ice cream up until a few weeks ago. I am officially obsessed. I love the pumpkin ice cream from Emack and Bolio's in Boston. 

Have you guys tried a cronut yet? For months I had been hearing about the famous cronuts at Dominique Ansel Bakery. After striking out on our trip to New York City, I finally got to try one at West Town Bakery in Chicago. Half donut and half crossiant, they are incredibly flaky and delicious. I recently discovered that you can get cronuts, or crumbnuts as they are called, at Crumbs Bakery in Boston. The cinnamon sugar crumbnut is my favorite! 

How cute is this "Autumn Essentials" free downloadable print from Jones Design Company? It highlights all of my favorite things about fall- especially the pumpkin, crunch leaves and boots. I printed out a copy, put it in a frame and currently have it displayed in my bookshelf. Thank you to my mom for finding this awesome print! 

Right next to my "Fall Essentials" print is this Pumpkin Pecan Waffles candle from Bath and Body Works. Every year I buy a ton of their fall-scented candles and soaps. I just can't help myself. This scent is my very favorite- it always smells like pumpkin waffles when I walk into my apartment!

Have you ever tried any of the Tree Hut products? I recently picked up this body scrub from Ulta and have been using it every night since then. Not only does it leave my skin feeling incredibly soft, but I also can't get enough of the almond & honey scent. It smells a little bit like almond extract, which is one of my favorite scents ever. 

And finally I leave you with this e-card I found on Pinterest the other day- it makes me laugh every time I think about it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Disclaimer: I have no affiliations with any of the products or companies mentioned above. I am just sharing them with you because I love them.

Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins

I really don't know how it is already mid-October. It seems like just yesterday I was wishing that summer would never end. Before we know it there will be snow on the ground and gingerbread baking in the oven. But I don't want to get too ahead of myself yet. There are still 75 days left until Christmas (I can't tell if that is a lot or a little!?). But at least for now, 'tis the season for apple and pumpkin baking! 

Earlier this week I mentioned that I only have one more apple recipe left to share. Yes, I finally made it through all of those apples that we picked. Well this is that final recipe. And it is a good one. Do you guys like caramel apples? I almost never have them, but these Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins are such a quick and easy way to enjoy that delicious combination of caramel and apple. Chopped apples and caramels are folded into the muffin batter, which is then topped with a layer of streusel topping.  Don't skip out on the streusel topping- Other than the melted caramel, that is my favorite part of this recipe!

Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins
Recipe from Tracey's Culinary Adventures (originally adapted from Taste of Home)
Yield: 12-14 Muffins

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peeled and diced apples
12 caramels, chopped

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

To make the streusel, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, ground cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the apples and caramels with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the muffins.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

Happy Tuesday! Three weeks later, I am finally getting through all the apples we picked at Cider Hill Farm. After I share one more apple recipe later this week, I think I am finally done with the apples, at least for now. Even though I like apple, it is  definitely not my favorite fall flavor. Pumpkin will always hold that number one spot for me. I haven't done nearly enough pumpkin baking yet this fall- a combination of trying to get through my massive haul of apples and a few kitchen fails have gotten in my way. But I know that there is still a lot of pumpkin baking to come.

Before I close the door on apples, I need to share this Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping because it is one of my favorite apple recipes yet. I planned on sharing this recipe yesterday, but a really fun Sunday afternoon with my family left me too tired to finish things up on time. I love coffee cake with a really thick and prominent crumb topping- no wonder why this New York Style Crumb Cake is one of my favorite brunch recipes ever. Anyways, this Apple Coffee Cake is not only packed with cinnamon and chopped apples, but it also has the most delicious cinnamon crumble topping. A definite winner in my book.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping
Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

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

In another large bowl, combine the butter and light brown sugar. Beat until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread into an even layer.

To make the topping, combine the light brown sugar, flour, ground cinnamon and butter in a small bowl. Mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown in color. Allow the coffee cake to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

DIY Scrabble Tile Coasters

Right after we purchased a white coffee table, I knew I wanted to make my own coasters to keep it from getting stained. I had seen the idea to make scrabble tile coasters somewhere on the internet and decided that it would be perfect. My boyfriend loves to play Words with Friends- the iPhone equivalent of Scrabble- to the point that he is a little bit obsessed. He is even playing as I write this post. I thought that these coasters would be a fun addition to our apartment. 

These coasters are incredibly easy to make- scrabble tiles, strong glue and q-tips are all you need. We bought the scrabble tiles on eBay, which we found to be much cheaper than buying the game from a local store. However, keep in mind that each set only contains a specific amount of each letter. For instance, there is only one J, K, Q X and Z per set. For this reason you might want to plan out which words you want to spell out beforehand. We ended up buying another two sets of letters in order to make all of our coasters.

To make each coaster, spell out four 4-letter words with your scrabble tiles. I chose a theme for each tile, all of which were drink related. However, feel free to choose any words you want. Once all of the words are chosen, use a q-tip to gently brush the sides of the tiles with glue. Press the tiles together and hold in place for a few seconds. Continue until all of the pieces are glued together in the shape of a square. 

Aren't these coasters fun? I think it would be to make a set of coasters, package them up and give them as a hostess gift or even a stocking stuffer. I absolutely love the way that they turned out- now any ideas for how I can use the leftover scrabble tiles?

Apple White Cheddar Scones

The apple baking is still going strong in my kitchen. Even though many people switch to pumpkin once October rolls around, I still have two more bags of apples to get through first! Despite all of the apple baking I have done lately, I feel like I've hardly made a dent in our apple stash. Or maybe we just came home with a few too many apples. That is a definite possibility too. I am known to go a little overboard when it comes to buying and/or picking out food. You should see all of the things that end up in my cart when I go food shopping each week. 

After making these scones, I am a bit obsessed with the apple and cheddar combination. I once tried an apple cheddar grilled cheese- so, so good- but forgot just how good it was until I came across the recipe for these scones. It really is the perfect balance of sweet and savory- a nice change from all of the sweet apple muffins and cupcakes coming out of my kitchen lately. I think these scones are best served warm out of the oven, but can also be enjoyed the next day. If you don't plan to eat all of them right away, consider freezing a couple to bake at a later date. 

Apple White Cheddar Scones
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen (originally adapted from The Perfect Finish)

2 fresh apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated white sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place apple chunks on the prepared baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes or until soft and golden in color. Let the apples cool completely. Leave the oven on.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, apple chunks, grated cheese, heavy cream and 1 egg. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overmix.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface. Form a 6-inch circle with your hands. Cut the circle into 6 equal wedges and place each wedge onto the a new baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg. Brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle them with the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown in color. Allow the scones to cool on a wire rack.