Baking

Jack & Coke Chocolate Cupcakes

/ Jodi / 29 Comments
jack daniels and coke cupcakes 1

Jack & Coke Cupcake

Imagine…  moist chocolate cupcakes flavored with Coca-Cola… then filled with fudgy Jack Daniels whiskey flavored ganache… top that with sweet Jack Daniel’s flavored buttercream frosting… and add a gummy cola candy for good measure…
jack daniels and coke cupcakes 2

Jack & Coke Cupcakes

Yep – this is what I made last night for a special buddy we’ll be seeing today.
jack daniels and coke cupcakes 3

Jack & Coke Cupcakes

These Jack & Coke cupcakes are from a recipe I found a while back on stressbaking.com and modified a bit to my liking.

Jack & Coke Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
  • 1 12 oz can Coke (Not Diet Coke – you need the sugar in the original)
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
Ganache Filling:
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp Jack Daniels whiskey
Frosting:
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter
  • 8 Tbsp Jack Daniels whiskey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 18 gummy cola bottles (only if you want them to be extra cute)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line 18 cupcake cups with paper or aluminum liners.

Combine Coke and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add cocoa powder, sugar, brown sugar and whisk until sugars are dissolved and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add cooled cocoa mixture.  Stir to combine. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into cupcake liners to 3/4 cup full.  Bake 15 mins. until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare ganache by melting chocolate chips, cream, butter and Jack Daniels in a small saucepan on low-medium heat.  Stir until smooth.  Remove from heat, and let cool completely (you can even stick in the freezer to quick cool it).
Cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes with an apple corer, and pipe ganache into the holes in each cupcake.

Prepare frosting in electric mixer by combining butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and Jack Daniels.  Pipe onto cupcakes as simple or fancy as you like and top with a gummy cola bottle to make it extra cute.

Enjoy!  And remember don’t eat Jack & Coke Cupcakes and drive!  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Thanks Leslie @ stressbaking.com for a great idea and recipe!

Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

O – M – G !  Fresh raspberries meet freshly baked homemade chocolate chip cookies – Can you even imagine the yumminess?!?!

Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookie

I was a little skeptical about trying this, but I wanted to do something a little different…

something a little extra special…

You see I have a very special house guest arriving tonight.  My sweet McSister, Kelly.

And what kind of hostess would I be if I had no fresh cookies on hand??!!  (And besides – last week’s batch of chewy oatmeal raisin cookies has vanished, so we needed a fresh stash for my hungry guys.)  🙂

Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookie 2

All I did was take my standard chocolate chip cookies recipe and fold in some fresh raspberries.

In order to avoid making a big pink, smooshy mess of the dough, I simply added a fresh raspberry to each ball of cookie dough as I formed it assuring that some of the berry remained in tact and the rest spread around to flavor more of the cookie.

If you love red raspberries, you are going to go crazy for these!

I hope my McSis likes them.

In case you are wondering why Kelly is so special…

Well – besides being an incredibly amazing woman, hospice advocate, and the best dirty martini maker east of the Mississippi, Kelly saved my life…

At least that’s the way I see it.

Several years ago, I was on a business trip to our Northeast PA office in Wilkes-Barre, PA.  It was a newly acquired entity to our business, and I didn’t know many of our new employees.  I don’t remember a lot of the details of the trip, with the exception of one biggie – the town decided to flood during my trip.

It was scary!  People were being evacuated, businesses were closed, and I was very anxious to get home.

Problem was – every road that led back home was flooded – even the major interstate.  Try as I might to drive home, I kept getting turned around and blocked by rushing water.

Giving up, I found the first hotel in the town I was in when I got stuck, but alas no room at the inn…  At every place I tried….

Kelly was one person in this area that I had talked to at least a couple of times.  I had her number in my cell phone, and I called her, practically in tears, seeking direction.

Kelly calmly informed me that she lived on “high ground” near the Pocono Mountains, and didn’t even hesitate to guide me, road by road, turn by turn, to her home, welcome me in with a hug as if we’d been friends for life, provide me with a soft, warm bed, some simple delicious food, and the best dang dirty martinis I have ever ever ever had (and I’ve had my share!)

Another co-worker had been evacuated from her home, so Kelly invited her to join our “party.”

That night, three ladies – all with last names that start with Mc – became “sisters.”

We laughed, we cried, we drank, we ate, we hugged, and we formed a bond that I will never ever ever forget.

My sweet Kelly has moved away from that area to a warm southern climate where her hubby got a new job, but she is still a valuable member of our company’s hospice team and a lifelong friend.  So when she informed me she was heading to Mars to visit our HQ office, there was no questions where she would be staying.  Her room is waiting.  Cookies are baked.  Olives are ready to be stuffed with blue cheese to float in martinis.

And my hubby will finally get to meet my McSister, Kelly.

Love you buddy!

Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookie 2

4 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
3 cups Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks (1 1/2 bags)
2 cups fresh red raspberries

Directions:

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until light and fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, and mix another minute. Gradually add flour and beat until well incorporated, but do not overbeat.

Fold in chocolate chunks. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With your hands, form a cookie dough ball about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Make an indentation with your thumb and place a fresh raspberry in the indentation. Squeeze together, shape and flatten slightly. Place on baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on baking stone for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

To make eating these even more special, enjoy with a nice glass of Port wine. Oooooo Laaaa Laaa!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

/ Jodi / 11 Comments

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are one of my hubby’s faves, and I was surprised to notice I had not posted my recipe here yet.

When I make oatmeal cookies, I like to make them ginormous – – – typically about 3 inches in diameter.

It just seems to be the right way to make them….  Do you think I subconsciously consider them healthier in the cookie category?  There are oats.  There is fruit.  Sometimes there are nuts….   (no worries about that little ole’ bit of butter and sugar!)  😉

I also tend to flatten them a bit before baking, which I do not do with my chocolate chips and others.  I think because they are so full of HEALTHY oats, they don’t tend to spread and flatten as much on their own.

oatmeal raisin cookies 3

To me, the best oatmeal cookies are not puffy or fluffy, but crispy on the outside edges and chewy on the inside.

I change up the fruit or nuts for however the wind is blowing for me that day, so sometimes I add just golden raisins (which I always buy over the standard “brown” ones), other times I use raisins and dried cranberries (like this time).  Sometimes I add chopped walnuts… and sometimes not.  I’ve been known to add dried cherries or dried blueberries (and even candy orange slices once!).

oatmeal raisin cookies 2

So for you oatmeal cookies lovers, here’s my favorite tweaked from the Quaker Oats canister lid called “Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:”

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  • Servings: 2 dozen ginormous or 4 dozen regular sized cookies
  • Print

Ingredients:oatmeal raisin cookies 3

14 Tbsp softened butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups uncooked oats
1 cup golden raisins (or fruit/nuts of your choice)

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for two more minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add oats and raisins and mix well.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough into large 2 inch balls (or smaller 1 inch if you prefer), place on baking stone, and flatten with the palm of your hand.

Bake 8 minutes for small, 10 minutes for large.

Jodi’s Best Cookie Baking Tips: Electric oven provides most even, consistent baking. I always bake on stones as opposed to aluminum or glass or metal.  I always refrigerate my cookie dough for several hours before baking. I always under bake as the cookies continue to cook slightly while cooling on the baking stone for 2-3 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Cookies freeze well if stored in airtight freezer bags after completely cooled.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Enjoy an EGGcellent Easter!

/ Jodi / 12 Comments

cadbury egg cracked

The anticipation is over – time to dive in.

Easter egg green and blue

To brightly colored eggs…

Easter Eggs 2015

and yummy sweet treats!

Mason and Ella making Cadbury Blondie Bars Easter 2015

And could anything make me smile more than receiving this photo texted to me yesterday of these two cuties making “Jodi’s” Candbury Mini Egg Blondies and decorating it with my name?!??!!

Mason and Ella making Cadbury Blondie Bars Easter 2015 Jodi

I am truly blessed!  Thank you Mason and Ella!  ❤

Wishing you all blessings and joy and the anticipation of Easter Eggs YOUR favorite way!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Cadbury Mini Egg Blondie Bars

/ Jodi / 14 Comments

cadbury mini egg blondies

I’ve been randomly buying Easter candy to play with in baking (don’t you?!?) and couldn’t resist picking up a huge bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs just knowing they would be great in something (because they ARE great – right?!).

cadbury mini egg blondies 4

And according to one of my guests last night, these Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies are her new favorite.  (Thanks sweet Katie!)

cadbury mini egg blondies 5

When perusing for ideas, I came across this recipe by  Bakeaholic Mama.

cadbury mini egg blondies 2

And since the recipe only made an 8×8 pan, I obviously doubled it!  But then realized (after I began cutting them…) that doubling an 8×8 recipe in a 13×9 pan makes for some pretty thick blondies!  (Next time I would do in a bar pan if doubling.)

cadbury mini egg blondies 3

Since they were extra thick, I just cut them in smaller pieces.

Below is the single recipe.  Double it if you dare!  And if you don’t like blondies (boo to you!), these little mini eggs would taste great in a batch of brownies too!

Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups Cadbury Mini Eggs

Directions:

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cream melted butter with sugars using electric mixer.  Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until light and fluffy.

Slowly add in flour mixture until incorporated.

Fold in Mini Eggs.

Spread batter into a greased 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish.

Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes or until a tooth pick is inserted in the center and comes out clean. 

Let the bars cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe from Bakeaholicmama.com

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Thin Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

/ Jodi / 15 Comments

thin mint cupcakes

Imagine fresh baked chocolate cupcakes topped with icing that is “spiked” with Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies (and then topped with one more to grow on!)

Yep – that’s what I baked yesterday…  in between a trip to the gym, putting out the patio furniture, a walk with Mikey, and caring for the toughest guy I’ve ever known (dear hubby) who is recovering from some shoulder repair surgery he had this past week like nobody I’ve ever seen!  (That’s my Marty!)

You may remember I recently made some Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint Cookies (my youngest son, Nick’s favorite ever); so when I had the urge to bake some cupcakes and was considering what to make, I knew I had to try these when I came across this recipe by  Lizzy @ YourCupofCake.  Lizzy’s recipe called for using a boxed Devil’s Food Cake Mix, but I didn’t have that, so I made mine from scratch.

thin mint cupcake

I also baked mine a minute or two too long (darnit!).  I’m more of a cookie and pie baker than cake/cupcake, but I’m working on it.  And truthfully, I’m not sure you can beat a Duncan Hines Cake Mix, so don’t hesitate to use your favorite chocolate boxed cake mix or cake recipe for this.  The real KEY to this cupcake recipe is all in the icing!

thin mint cupcake and milk

So bake your favorite chocolate cupcakes, and then frost with this yumminess from YourCupofCake.

Thin Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Servings: 14 cupcakes
  • Print
Ingredients:
14 Chocolate Cupcakes – baked and cooledthin mint cupcake 2
Thin Mint Frosting:
1 cup softened butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/4 cup milk
10 Thin Mint cookies, finely crushed & sifted
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Beat butter with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and peppermint extract and milk.  Beat again. Add crushed cookies and powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  Top with sprinkles and and an extra cookie if desired.
This is my second entry for this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge, because I just had to share something FRESHly baked!
Thanks to everyone who “liked” my photo yesterday, by the way!  In my 10 months of blogging so far, I received notice that yesterday’s post was my all-time favorite post for “Likes.”
I hope you like this one as well!  🙂
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Easy Rustic Apple Tart

/ Jodi / 17 Comments

apple tart

We had some friends and family over yesterday for a winter “picnic.”

So often we have people over for the holidays and then don’t get together much until Spring and Summer because of the cold, snowy weather.

Well – heck with that.  I say celebrate it.

So while the snow fell to the tune of another 6 inches or more, we lit a fire, Marty plowed the driveway, and I made a big pot of creamy loaded potato soup, some fresh baked bread, and this super easy rustic apple tart.

We had a great time enjoying simple food and sharing stories of love and friendship.  Such cherished memories!

apple tart 2
If you are looking for a quick and easy, but beautiful dessert, here’s the recipe:

Easy Rustic Apple Tart

Ingredients:

1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
2 large apples, cored and sliced paper thin (with a mandolin is easiest)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix together sliced apples, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Let set for 5-10 minutes.
Place puff pastry on baking stone (or baking sheet).
Curl up edges a bit and for circle (or simply leave in rectangular shape.
Place apples on top and bake for 18-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
Immediately remove to serving platter.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve plain or with whipped cream, ice cream, and or drizzle with caramel sauce.
Enjoy!

Happy Monday friends!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Grandma’s Easy Poppy Seed Cake

/ Jodi / 24 Comments

poppy seed cake

As a child, my Grandma made me a poppy seed cake every year for my birthday.   Sound odd?  Well – my birthday is on New Year’s Eve, and who isn’t sugared out by then after all the Christmas cookies and holiday treats?

So this poppy seed cake was always just right – not too sweet – no heavy, sugary icing – just a fun old-fashioned bread-like cake that speaks love to me.

poppy seed cake slice

Marty used to make it for me sometimes through the years; but the older we get, the more I just don’t want anything sweet by my birthday. (Red wine, however, is ALWAYS welcome!) 🙂

So I have had a hankering for poppy seed cake lately, and when I passed a package of poppy seeds in the grocery store yesterday, I just threw them in the cart and came home and baked it!

poppy seed cake 2

Don’t be surprised if it reminds you more of a sweet bread – more like banana bread or zucchini bread. It is yummy for breakfast with coffee or just as a treat.  (And of course it goes well with red wine.  What doesn’t?)

Here’s our recipe:

Grandma's Easy Poppy Seed Cake

  • Servings: One Yummy Cake
  • Print

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 cup poppy seeds
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 10 inch tube or bundt pan.
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.
Make a well in the center and add eggs, vanilla, oil, and milk.  Mix well.
Fold in poppy seeds.
Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn onto rack to cool.

When cool, sprinkle generously with sifted powdered sugar.

ENJOY!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Chocolate Chunk & Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

/ Jodi / 17 Comments

chocolate chunk and peanut butter chip cookies

Some days just call for baking cookies…  Like when you wake up and it is 13 degrees BELOW ZERO F!…  What a great way to warm up the house – right?

chocolate chunk and peanut butter chip cookies 3

And besides, my son, Nick, has been whining for requesting some chocolate chip cookies for a couple of weeks now.  I’m kind of “famous” for my chocolate chip cookies, but I hate doing the same old thing.  I’m a change junkie.  So instead of the usual chocolate chip cookies, I kicked it up a notch by mixing chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips in my classic recipe.

chocolate chunk and peanut butter chip cookies 4

They taste pretty awesome…  with a glass of milk…. coffee… hot chocolate… red wine (LOL!  Everything goes with red wine – right?).

chocolate chunk and peanut butter chip cookies 2

Chocolate Chunk & Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

  • Servings: 5 dozen large cookies
  • Print

Ingredients:

1 lb (4 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 bag Nestle’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
1 bag Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

Mix softened butter and sugars with mixer until well blended. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until creamy. Add dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) until well incorporated. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Refrigerate dough for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp balls and flatten slightly. Bake on baking stone for 8-9 minutes. Let cool on stone for approximately 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Cookies freeze well in Ziploc bags.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Apricot Chocolate Chip Cookies

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

apricot chocolate chip cookies

Apricot and semi-sweet or dark chocolate is such a yummy combination, so I thought I’d try it in a cookie – as a twist to my “almost famous” chocolate chips cookies.

apricot chocolate chip cookie

and it’s a winner according to my guys.

apricot chocolate chip cookie batter

I snipped a half pound of dried apricots into the batter.

apricot chocolate chip cookies on rack

and tweaked up my original chocolate chip recipe by exchanging vanilla extract with half almond and half orange extract (though I think vanilla might be yummy too) and used 1/2 a bag of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to allow the apricot to be the “star” of the cookie.

apricot chocolate chip cookies plate

The balance of flavors seemed just right.

Hope you’ll give them a try.

And can you believe it is the last day of January 2015 already!?!?  We are hunkering down for a snow storm here in Mars this weekend, and of course, the Super Bowl, so we will be set with some sweet treats if “needed.”  🙂

How about you?  What’s happening in your part of the world this weekend?

Have a good one!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

And here is the recipe.  Enjoy!

Jodi's Apricot Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Servings: 2 dozen large cookies
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

1 cup butter, softenedapricot chocolate chip cookies plate
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. orange extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) dried apricots, snipped into small chunks
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Nestle’s Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Blend softened butter with granulated and brown sugar with mixer until well incorporated. Add in almond and orange extract and eggs and mix on medium-high speed until creamy. Add in flour, baking soda, and salt on low speed until incorporated. Fold in apricots and chocolate chips.

Chill dough for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and flatten slightly.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

I think I will share this recipe with my friends over at Fiesta Friday for the Anniversary Party, because every party needs cookies – right?!  Check it out for lots of awesome recipes by some amazing foodie bloggers!