Burgers and Pasta Salad

It's got to be pretty spectacular to pull me out of non-blogging status to actually posting something anymore. I wish that wasn't the case. There have been times when I thought about something I've made and when I try to find it, I realize I never posted it, and then I have no clue where to look. Yesterday I made some hamburgers that were good, and today I made some pasta salad to go with the leftover hamburgers. Would you believe I got the inspiration for the burgers from the back of the Lipton box? True. As for the salad, I have a photo album category on my phone where I put recipes that I gather on the go. What I mean is that if I'm away from my house (and computer) and I see a recipe that looks good, I'll take a picture of it and it usually stays right in my phone and I never try it. Today was an exception, and I'm glad it was!

Lipton Onion Soup Burgers, adapted

2 lbs ground beef, 85% lean

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 T mayonnaise (I used light)

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Gently mix everything together. Form into 8 patties. Grill or pan fry (I grilled!) until desired doneness. Top with cheese if you want. 

Pasta Salad  (adapted from centercutcook.com)

1 lb pasta of your choice (I used spiral pasta)

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion (optional; I opted out because I didn't have an onion)

4 to 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

1/4 cup sugar

2 T apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried parsley

optional- chopped broccoli

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse under cool water until no longer hot. Drain well. While waiting for the pasta to cook, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, pepper and parsley. Stir in the red bell pepper, celery, onion and broccoli (if using). When the pasta is no longer warm, stir it into the dressing mixture. Gently stir in the cheese. Chill salad for about 30-60 minutes before serving. 

And now I'll be able to find these recipes again because they're posted! Good thing there was a little bit of leftover salad so I had something to use for my photo!

Coconut Cupcakes

I've recently been given the responsibility of being the coordinator for my ward's Relief Society extra meetings. For January we talked about happiness, how to make and keep goals, and household budgets. We made a "happiness jar" where the sisters can write down one happy thing that happened each day and at the end of the month or year (depending on the size of their jar) they can review their happy moments. For a treat afterwards, I made coconut cupcakes that looked like snowmen, and some chocolate cupcakes with mini marshmallows and sprinkles. I've had so many comments on the coconut cupcakes (one sister said it was the best cupcake she had ever eaten, and another sister confessed she ate three cupcakes- one chocolate, and two coconut. She told the others that the coconut cupcake had a filling that was to die for.) I knew I needed to post the coconut cupcake so I would remember which recipe I used for easy retrieval in the future. You can find the original recipe here, but I have adapted their recipe a little and changed the frosting completely, because their frosting was way too sweet.

I forgot to take pictures at the meeting. My niece, Kyanna, happened to snap a couple, but you can see it was after a coconut cupcake had been taken. 

Coconut Cupcakes (recipe adapted)

Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix

4 egg whites

1/2 cup oil (I used coconut oil)

1 cup canned coconut milk

2 tsp coconut extract (I used 1 tsp coconut emulsion)

Filling

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp coconut extract (I used 2 drops of coconut oil)

1 T sweetened shredded coconut

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

2 T heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/4 tsp almond extract
2 T coconut milk (if necessary)

Topping

Sweetened shredded coconut
Regular and mini chocolate chips (optional)
Chocolate sprinkles (optional)
Orange noses (optional. Mine were from Orson Gygi, or you can try orange Starbursts shaped to look like a nose, or jelly beans)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites, oil, coconut milk and extract. Add cake mix and beat until mixed well. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 16 minutes, or until top of cake springs back lightly when touched. Cool cupcakes.
For the filling, place the powdered sugar, cream and extract in a mixing bowl and beat it for about two minutes. Stir in coconut. Core out the center of the cupcakes, reserving the cake you just removed. Use a spoon or piping bag to add the filling to the center of the cake, then plug the hole back up with the cake that was removed earlier. You may have to remove a portion of the cake, and just put the very top part of the cake back into the hole. 

For the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese for several minutes, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Add the cream and beat for about 2 minutes longer. Add the extracts and check for consistency of the frosting. If it is too thick, add a little of the coconut milk to thin it. Frost the cupcakes and then turn them upside-down into a bowl of shredded coconut to cover the frosting. 

I decorated my cupcakes with a snowman face. Thanks, Michele, for the mini chocolate chips! Can you believe I was "out" of something? I had inadvertently used up the last of my mini chocolate chips earlier that same day. 

Depending on how you place the eyebrows, your snowman will look happy or cross, 

confused or goofy. 

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

We had some friends over last night and I served this pie. The ladies are always calorie conscientious so I offered a smaller choice to one of the ladies and a larger choice to her husband. After she finished her slice, she was eyeing her husband's pie thinking she might have to steal a couple more bites off his plate. She regretted accepting the smaller slice! The husband said he needed me to make this again in February and bring it to his house (he was referring to having me make this for his birthday. No cake for him, bring on this pie)! It's a little extra effort than this pie, but they all sure seemed to love it a lot, so I think it was worth it. I found the recipe on Pinterest which took me to this blog's post which I have adapted below. It is very similar to the custard I use for my coconut cream pie.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie 
CRUST:
26 Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
In a food processor or blender or a Ziplock bag and a rolling pin, process or crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Pour 1 1/2 cups of crumbs into a medium sized bowl, reserving the leftover crumbs. Add the melted butter to the bowl and stir together. Press the buttered crumbs into and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Place in refrigerator while making custard.
CUSTARD:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk (use whole or 2% milk)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
4 oz. white chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas (not overly ripe, but not green either)

Pressurized whipped cream or sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate curls, if desired
Directions: In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk; stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Slowly stir a small amount of hot filling (about 1/2 cup) into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Return pan to medium heat and bring custard to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, the white chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until the chips are completely melted. Cool slightly. Remove pie crust from refrigerator and slice bananas so they fit the bottom of the pie crust in a single layer. You will use about a banana and a half for this. Pour half of the custard on top of the bananas, then add reserved cookie crumbs on top of the custard. Slice the remaining banana(s) on top of this layer of custard. Place plastic wrap on top of the custard and refrigerate for about four hours. Just before serving, add whipping cream over pie and sprinkle with chocolate curls. You can garnish the plate with a little chocolate ganache if you happen to have some handy. Yield: 8 servings. 

Buckeye Cupcakes

The peanut butter obsession continues over here. I was told that this was "one of the best cupcakes I've ever had." She continued to say, "The Buckeyes were so very yummy! Perfect peanut butter frosting." So if you're looking for chocolate and peanut butter yumminess, try this out. Thanks for the glowing review, Michele!

Buckeye Cupcakes

For the buckeyes:

1/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cups smooth peanut butter (I used Skippy)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate candy melts or other chocolate for dipping

Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer at low speed, stir the meted butter and peanut butter together until blended. Stir in the vanilla extract, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Roll peanut butter mixture into small balls, then freeze the balls for at least 20 minutes. I made mine ahead of time, putting the frozen balls into a Ziplock bag. Remove the balls from the freezer. Poke a toothpick into the ball and dip into melted chocolate so that the chocolate comes up to the top of the ball but doesn't cover it completely. Use a second toothpick to free the ball from the first toothpick. Use the back of a spoon (or your finger) to smooth over the hole left by the toothpick. Place buckeye on parchment paper until chocolate solidifies. Work quickly so the peanut butter balls don't get to soft. If necessary, return un-dipped balls to the freezer until firm again.  

For the cupcakes:

1 (15.25-oz) box devil's food cake mix (or other chocolate cake mix)

1 (3.4-oz) box chocolate instant pudding

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup regular milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. You'll need about 24 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan (or pans). In mixing bowl, blend together the sour cream,  vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Add cake mix and pudding, blending just until combined. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cupcakes test clean with a toothpick. 

Cool cupcakes for 2 minutes in the pan, then remove warm cupcakes to a container that can be covered, such as a couple of 13x9-inch pans. Cover pans with plastic wrap. Doing this helps lock in the moistness of the cake. Keep cupcakes "under wraps" until they are completely cool. 

For the peanut butter frosting:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream (or more, depending on desired consistency)

Beat together the peanut butter and butter, then add in vanilla extract and salt. Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Add the heavy cream (you can use milk if you want, but start with a little less than 1/4 cup and see what your consistency is before adding the entire amount). Beat until light and fluffy. 

For the ganache: (recipe is adapted from My Baking Addiction)

4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped finely

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 T honey

2 T light corn syrup

2 T vanilla (yes, that is tablespoons)

Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around the side of the pan, but do not boil. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over chopped chocolate and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Stir the cream and chocolate together until it is combined. Add remaining ingredients. Let the ganache set up for about 15 minutes and then transfer to a Ziplock baggie. 

To assemble: 

Frost the cupcakes a few at a time (because if the frosting sits too long, you can't get the chopped peanuts to stick). I used a Wilton 2D tip. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag of ganache and drizzle the cupcake, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Top cupcake with a buckeye, pressing down very gently. Continue until all cupcakes are decorated, or you can take a break from the assembly process and test-taste your creation. 

You'll probably have a few buckeyes left over. That's a bonus! I think I could eat those all day long!

Mississippi Mud Brownies

It's not unusual for me to crave peanut butter with my chocolate. I was thinking about making Tim Riggins Brownies from Our Best Bites, but it wasn't exactly what I was wanting (the brownie, that is. You'd be crazy to not be in the mood for Tim Riggins at all times!). Somehow I found a different recipe which was exactly what I wanted, but because I was feeling lazy that day, I simplified it and the results were fast, easy and delicious.

I had read somewhere that baking in condiment cups was a great idea because you don't need cupcake pans since the cup is sturdy enough to stand on it's own. While that is true, using cupcake pans is not a problem for me; I have several! I found the cup to be a little too sturdy, and it was difficult to get the brownie out of its wrapper. I won't be doing that again.
These are smaller than a normal cupcake, and the brownie to peanut butter cup ratio was off just a little, in my opinion. The next time I make these (which will be soon), I will make them in a normal cupcake size.

Mississippi Mud Brownies
1 box of your favorite brownie mix, plus ingredients listed on box to make brownies (I used Pillsbury)
Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cups (or bells if they're available), unwrapped
Regular size marshmallows, cut in half (use a clean pair of scissors instead of a knife)
Chocolate frosting
Reese's Baking Bits and sprinkles (optional, but not really)

Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Fill cupcake liner 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Place a Reese's cup into the batter. If you can find the bells, put the bell into the batter upside-down. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top with a marshmallow half.

I had those flat marshmallows but didn't have regular ones, so you've gotta go with what you've got! Place back in the oven for 2 minutes or until marshmallows barely start to puff up. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and then remove from pan and cool completely.

When cool, frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

Decorate, if desired. Go ahead, break out your stash of yumminess! 

If you need a favorite chocolate frosting recipe, try this one.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
milk (or heavy cream) if needed

Beat butter and cream cheese together for about three minutes, scraping down the bowl if necessary. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract and slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Check the consistency and sweetness, adding more powdered sugar if necessary. If it is too thick at any point, add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream. 

Butterfingers Rice Krispies Treats

Can we talk about deliciousness?

I keep a container dedicated to Butterfingers, which I buy in bulk from Orson Gygi. I used the the Butterfingers to make the deliciousness. 

My supply is getting low! I need to stock up again soon.
I took these treats to an impromptu family lunch yesterday.

I couldn't wait to try them and had to sneak a taste before I took them to my mom's house. 

I thought a sliver missing would be less noticeable. 

The "frosting" is actually this stuff. 

Everyone who tried them loved them. I know I really loved them! I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with a normal Rice Krispies Treat again. Ever. 

Butterfingers Rice Krispies Treats 

1/2 cup candy corn

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

3 T butter

10 oz. miniature marshmallows

5 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Dark Chocolate

Crushed Butterfingers (about 2 cups, divided)

Measure out the Rice Krispies cereal into a large bowl. Grease a 9x13-inch pan (I lined mine with a Silpat instead, and then cut the bars carefully). 

Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, put candy corn in the microwave and heat on 50% power until melted. Stir peanut butter into the melted candy corn. Once the butter is mostly melted, add the marshmallows to the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Heat until marshmallows are almost completely melted but still have several marshmallows holding their shape. Add peanut butter mixture to the marshmallow mixture. Stir to combine. Add the cereal and stir quickly. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle about a cup of crushed Butterfingers onto the cereal mixture. Add the remaining cereal mixture. Press down on the cereal lightly- don't compact it! After the treats have cooled for about five minutes, spread the peanut butter spread over the treats until they are covered as thick or thin as desired. Immediately sprinkle remaining Butterfingers over the top and cool completely.