Peanut Butter Captain Crunch Cookies

It is somewhat surprising that I would never eat a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast. There is not a dessert I wouldn't eat, but when it comes to breakfast, I prefer the healthier whole grain cereals. It is not  a bad thing-just interesting. However, when it comes to snacking, I could eat Captain Crunch all day long. Sometimes I bring a small bag to work to have for an afternoon snack, but it never makes it past mid-morning. I love Captain Crunch. A lot. And the idea to add Captain Crunch to regular peanut butter cookies has been in my mind for a while, but for some reason I just got around to making these cookies last weekend. 

I shared these cookies with some friends on Saturday night and everyone loved the extra crunch that  the Captain Crunch gave these cookies. It  takes regular peanut butter cookies to a whole new level, in the best way possible. 

Peanut Butter Captain Crunch Cookies

Recipe adapted from Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups Captain Crunch cereal, slightly crushed

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

In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the peanut butter, egg and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated after each addition. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer off. Add the Captain Crunch. Mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. 

Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool on  the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Butterfinger Puppy Chow

Happy Friday! Do you all have any fun plans for the weekend? I don't have too much going on but sometimes those are the best weekends. And anyways, next weekend I will be in Chicago so I definitely have a lot to look forward to and plan. If you have any recommendations for places to see or restaurants to check out, please let me know! You know I am always looking for a city's best bakery. 

I usually don't post anything on Fridays, but I was really excited to share this Butterfinger Puppychow. Up until last week, I had never tried Puppychow, or Muddy Buddies as some people call them. But maybe that was a good thing because this Butterfinger Puppychow is one of the most addictive snacks I have ever had. I had to sent the rest of the bag into work with my boyfriend so that I wouldn't eat it all. Given that I am a big-time snacker, I couldn't keep my hand out of the bag. And now I can't stop thinking about what flavor combination I should try next- any suggestions? 

Butterfinger Puppychow

Recipe from Your Cup of Cake

6 cups Rice Chex Cereal
1 cup milk chocolate melts
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup Butterfingers, crushed

Add the Chex cereal to a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate melts, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Melt in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir with a spoon and then put the bowl back in the microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Pour the mixture over the Chex cereal and stir until evenly coated.

Dump the entire mixture into a plastic bag, add the crushed Butterfingers and shake until evenly coated.
Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet and let cool completely.

Lucky Charms Cupcakes

The idea to make these cupcakes has been in my head for a long time. Once I get an idea, I can't stop thinking about it. So this past weekend I finally got into the kitchen and made Lucky Charms Cupcakes. Although I never really liked Lucky Charms growing up, I knew I could transform them into a cute and tasty cupcake. For the frosting, it was a no-brainer. I had to go with a marshmallow frosting.  I went back and forth on the cupcake base and ultimately settled on a funfetti cake. Funfetti is one of my all-time favorite flavors and I thought its colorful appearance went well with the theme. The funfetti cupcakes themselves are perfectly light and airy with the addition of six egg whites in the batter. I know that I will make this recipe over and over again- I think it would also be really good with vanilla or strawberry buttercream. Finally I topped the cupcakes with Lucky Charms. Just one note- the Lucky Charms were a little soggy and started to melt the next day. If you plan to make these cupcakes in advance, I suggest waiting to add the Lucky Charms until just before serving them.

I think these cupcakes would be especially good for a child's birthday party. But whatever the occasion, these cupcakes are magically delicious!

Lucky Charms Cupcakes

Cupcakes from Annie's Eats,  Frosting from Martha Stewart
Yield: 24 Cupcakes

1 cup whole milk, divided

6 large egg whites

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 3/4 cups cake flour 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

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

1/2 cup multi-colored sprinkles

Frosting:

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

2 cups powdered sugar

7 1/2 oz marshmallow fluff

2 tsp vanilla extract

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

In a liquid measuring cup, combined 1/4 cup of the whole milk, egg whites, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk until combined. 

In a stand mixer, combine the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and continue to mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the remaining 3/4 cup whole milk. Increase the speed of the mixer and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes. With the mixer now on low speed, add the egg white mixture in three addition, mixing for at least 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sprinkles and gently mix with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin tins. Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to 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. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar. Gradually increase the speed and mix until fully incorporated. Add the marshmallow fluff and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy, another 1-2 minutes. 

Pipe frosting on cooled cupcakes. Garnish with Lucky Charms.