Spring Snickerdoodles

Ingredients - Spring Snickerdoodles (Taken from Something Swanky's White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Pudding Cookies)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 package (3.4 oz) white chocolate instant pudding mix

2 & 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 bag white chocolate m&ms

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Look at all that chocolate!  It's a miracle that the dough even makes it into the oven!

Preparation - Spring Snickerdoodles
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream the butter for 1-2 minutes, then add the sugar and cream for an additional 3-4 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, mixing after each addition.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt.  Add slowly to the butter mixture, and mix until combined.
5. Fold in the m&ms and white chocolate chips.
6. Using a cookie scoop, create small balls to roll in the cinnamon sugar.  Coat well.
7. Place dough balls onto a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (In other words, try not to eat them before they are cool.  These are to die for while they are still warm and gooey!)

Cinnamon sugar covered dough balls.

Mini Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Mini Car Bomb Cupcakes - Guinness Irish Stout Cupcake, Jameson Whiskey Ganache, & Bailey's Irish Cream Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients - Mini Irish Stout Cupcakes (From My Baking Addiction's Guinness Cupcakes)

1 bottle Guinness or other dark stout beer

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 T vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa

2 cups sugar

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking soda

Preparation - Mini Irish Stout Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper cupcake liners in a mini cupcake baking pan.

2. Mix the Guinness, milk, oil, and vanilla together.  Beat in each egg and then the sour cream, mixing well after each addition.  

3. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda.

4. Add the cocoa mixture to the Guinness mixture by the cupful, mixing until just combined after each addition.

5. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full with batter and bake for 12 minutes. 

6. Let cupcakes sit in the pan for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Recipe makes about 80 mini cupcakes.

7. Once cool, place in the freezer for approximately 10 minutes.  This will help the ganache in the next step set without running all over the cupcakes!

Mini Irish Stout Cupcakes

Ingredients - Whiskey Ganache (Taken from Sugar and Snapshots)
1 (4 oz) Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, chopped
0.5 cup heavy cream
1 T butter, softened
3 T whiskey

  

Preparation - Whiskey Ganache
1. Put chopped chocolate and butter in a small bowl, set aside.
2. Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan.
3. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until butter and chocolate are completely melted.
4. Add in whiskey, and stir until combined.
5. Refrigerate for 5-8 minutes, or until ganache is cool to the touch.
6. Remove cupcakes from freezer. Dip each cupcake in the ganache to the cupcake liner.  Twist your wrist and allow any extra ganache to run off before turning right side up and allowing to set.
7. Let the ganache covered cupcakes set for approximately an hour before adding the buttercream from the next step.

Whiskey Ganache

Ingredients - Irish Cream Vanilla Bean Buttercream (Taken from Sugar and Snapshots)

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 T Bailey's Irish Cream

Preparation - Irish Cream Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1. Whisk the egg whites and salt in a metal bowl (the metal Kitchenaid mixer bowl works great!)
2. Add sugar and whisk until combined.
3. Suspend metal bowl over a simmer saucepan of water and whisk until sugar is melted, 2-5 minutes. (The sugar is melted when you can no longer feel the granules and the mixture is smooth.)
4. Whisk mixture for approximately 8-10 minutes on medium/high. The mixture will have stiff peaks.
5. Add in butter a tablespoon at a time.  Take your time!  Make sure each tablespoon is incorporated before adding the next. Once all butter is added, the mixture will look curdles.  Mix on high for 5-10 minutes until it has come back together.
6. Add powdered sugar and mix until combined.  If not sweet enough, add to taste.
7. Add Bailey's and mix.
8. Place buttercream in a piping bag and swirl onto cupcakes.

Irish Cream Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla Bean Sprinkle Cupcakes with Candy Chip Frosting

Ingredients - Vanilla Bean Sprinkle Cupcakes

2.5 cups plus 2 T all-purpose flour

6 T cornstarch

1 T baking powder

2 vanilla beans, split & seeded

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 T vanilla extract

1 package Wilton Color Burst Batter Bits (or more, if you want to add additional colors!)

Preparation - Vanilla Bean Sprinkle Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and vanilla beans for 4-5 minutes.

4.  Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition.

6. In another bowl, mix the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.

7. Alternate adding the flour and sour cream mixtures to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix on low after each addition until just combined.

8. Fold in the Batter Bits.

9. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full.  For regular sized cupcakes, bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  For mini cupcakes, bake 12-14 minutes. 

10. Let cupcakes cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients - Candy Chip Frosting

1.5 sticks butter, softened

0.5 block cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1.5 tsp heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 jar Wilton Brownie Crunch Rainbow Chips

Preparation - Candy Chip Frosting

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the powdered sugar a cupful at a time and beat until light.

3. Add the cream, salt, and vanilla one at a time and beat after each addition until well mixed.

4. Fold in the rainbow chips.

5. Frost cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to be eaten.

Mini Black Magic Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients - Black Magic Cupcakes
(From Hershey's Black Magic Cake)
2 cups sugar
1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water 
2 tsp instant espresso
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preparation - Black Magic Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line mini or regular cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Recipe will make about 48 mini cupcakes or 20 regular cupcakes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking power, and salt.  Stir until well combined.
3. Add eggs and buttermilk to the sugar mixture.  Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water and add to the sugar mixture, then add the oil and vanilla. Mix on low until just combined, then mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Batter will be very thin.
4. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.  Bake mini cupcakes for about 13 minutes or regular sized cupcakes for about 21 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Use a cupcake corer to remove the centers of the cupcakes, reserving the lid.

Ingredients - Peanut Butter Filling
(From Kraft's Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes)
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preparation - Peanut Butter Filling
1. Whisk pudding mix and milk until well combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Add in peanut butter, stir until combined.
3. Place mixture into a ziplock baggie and snip off one corner.
4. Pipe peanut butter mixture into the cored out cupcakes and replace cupcake lids.

Ingredients - Chocolate Ganache
(From Kraft's Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes)
1.5 cups cool whip
4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 package chopped peanuts

Preparation - Chocolate Ganache
1. Melt cool whip and chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval.  (Should melt after about 1 minute and 30 seconds.)
2. Dip each cupcake into the melted chocolate and twist to cover.
3. Sprinkle chopped peanuts onto cupcakes before the chocolate dries.
4. Refrigerate cupcakes.

Cheesecake Bites

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bites
(adapted from Mom on Timeout's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes)

Ingredients - Graham Cracker Crust

1.5 cups graham crackers, crushed
6 T sugar
6 T butter, melted
1 bag mini Peanut Butter Cups

Preparation - Graham Cracker Crust
1. Spray a mini cupcake or bar baking pan with butter flavored cooking spray. Use a paper towel to soak up excess spray and make sure bottom and sides of pan are covered. 
2. In a medium sized bowl, stir the melted butter and sugar together until well blended.
3. Add the graham cracker crumbs and stir until combined.
4. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top mixture with 1 (for mini cupcake pan) or 2 (for bar pan) mini peanut butter cups. Mixture makes enough crust for about 40 rounds or 24 bars.

Graham Cracker Crust with Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients - Cheesecake Filling
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Preparation - Cheesecake Filling
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed for approximately 5 minutes, or until fluffy.
3. Add sugar, flour, and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well.
5. Fill cupcake or bar pan 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake approximately 20 minutes for a bar pan, or 12 minutes for a mini cupcake pan, or until cheesecake is set. Allow to cool completely in pan.

Cheesecake Filling

Cheesecake Bars awaiting their topping

Ingredients - Toppings
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 T shortening, divided
Mini peanut butter cups, chopped (optional)

Preparation - Toppings
1. Place peanut butter chips and 1 T shortening in a ziplock baggie. Microwave for 30 seconds, then knead together. Repeat. Snip small corner off baggie and squeeze over cheesecake.
2. Repeat step one with milk chocolate chips.
3. If desired, press chopped peanut butter cups into topping.

          

 Milky Way Dark Cheesecake Bites

Milky Way Dark Cheesecake Bite

If peanut butter cups aren't your thing, Milky Way Dark Cheesecake Bites are a good alternative! Simply replace the graham cracker crumbs in the recipe above with chocolate graham cracker crumbs and omit the peanut butter cups. In the cheesecake filling, after Step 4, stir in 1.5 cups (about 4 candy bars) of Milky Way Dark candy bars.Instead of the peanut butter and milk chocolate topping, I like to melt 1 cup Jif Mocha Hazelnut spread in a ziplock baggie (no shortening needed) for about 20 seconds in the microwave.  Snip off a small corner of the baggie and drizzle over the cheesecake bites. Top with chopped Milky Way Dark candy.

Enjoy!