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.