Coconut Lemon Mini Cupcakes

These little babies were well received at Book Club and work. So light, they couldn’t possibly have too many calories or be bad for you!

Coconut Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 cup coconut, processed in food processor
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1½ cups coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350° and put mini cupcake papers in mini cupcake pan. With electric mixer, mix cake mix, coconut, eggs, oil, and coconut milk for 2 minutes. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 15-18 minutes, until top is set and springs bake when touched. Cool completely before frosting.
Makes approx. 48 mini cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1 lemon, finely zest and squeeze juice
2-3 Tbl cream
yellow food color
coconut

Beat butter with electric mixer for 5 minutes until creamy lighter in color. Add powdered sugar, zest. Add enough food color, cream and juice to make desired color, consistency and taste. Pipe onto completely cool cupcakes, and dip frosted top of cupcake in bowl of coconut.

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Mini Wedding Cupcakes

My daughters and I had a fun day baking together to make these mini cupcakes for their best friend’s wedding reception. Oh how I wish my sweet girls lived closer! We have learned to make the most of every second we have together and time in the kitchen talking and laughing is some of the best quality time there is.

My girls are the two on the far right.

White Wedding Cake Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1¹/3 cups water
2 Tbl oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 325°. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (makes approx 80 mini or 36 regular).  In large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Stir together water, oil, vanilla, sour cream, and egg white. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Scoop batter into prepared cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake 15 minutes for mini cupcakes, 18 for regular size cupcakes. Frost completely cooled cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Batter can be baked as 13″x9″ cake or 8″x8″/9″x9″ layer cake. Recipe from recipegirl.com.

One Year Ago: Oreo Sweet Rolls

Two Years Ago: Dark Chocolate Cream Pie

Three Years Ago: Sticky Pecan Muffins

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Mini Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Chocolate Mini Muffins

For a quick little snack!

2½ cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup butter, melted & cooled
1/2 cup oil
1½ cups milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare muffin pan with papers, spray or use Demarle (no prep necessary). In large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, and nuts. In medium bowl, whisk together cooled melted butter, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix by hand just until well incorporated. Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until top center is set. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

* For regular size muffins, bake 25-30 minutes. For mini bread loaves, bake for 35-40 minutes.

One Year Ago: Wedding Sweets

Two Years Ago: Whole Wheat Refrigerator Rolls

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Mini Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Mini Apple Pies

Two of my favorite people are coming for dinner, Mom and Dad. We are eating fairly light because after dinner we are going on a long walk. I do know that my parents would love a little something sweet after our meal, so here is a little something sweet!

Pastry:
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter flavor shortening
3 Tbl ice water

Stir together flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the shortening.  Add 1 Tbl of water at a time, mixing with fork until dough holds together.  Make into a disc (handle as little as possible), wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour.

Apple Pie Filling:
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in mini chunks (about 1½ cups)
lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbl flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°. Roll out pastry dough , cut out 8 rounds about 3½” in diameter. Gently fit down into mini muffin cups in mini muffin pan. Put tiny cut apple chunks in bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice, toss. Stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apple chunks and toss to coat. Spoon apple filling into pastry cups. Gently pressing down to fill cups completely up to top. Cut out desired shape of pastry dough to place on top of each mini pie. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or sugar crystals or both. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden and filling is bubbling. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, remove and cool completely on cooling rack. Makes 8 mini pies.

One Year Ago: Mac & Cheese & More

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Mini Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Strawberry Danish Mini Rolls

These cute little sweet rolls are simple to put together, thanks to the shortcut of using ready-made crescent roll dough.  This recipe is from inspiredbycharm.com.

                       

1 pkg Pillsbury Crescent Sheet or Crescent Roll dough
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbl sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350°.  Unroll crescent sheet or rolls on lightly floured surface.  Roll out into a rectangle (sheet into one large, crescent rolls pinch seams and roll two rectangles).  Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, spread over dough in even layer.  Spread jam over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up jelly roll style and cut into into approx. 1″ pieces (crescent sheet 16 pieces, crescent roll rectangles 8 pieces each).  Put into mini muffin tray, or sprayed mini muffin pan.  Bake for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for a few minutes in pan, then finish cooling on wire rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Mini Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

 

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

Another delicious use for the mini muffin pan!  A moist, rich brownie with a creamy peanut butter center, semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnut chunks.

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tbl water
1¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup chopped walnuts, divided
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 Tbl powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick spray.

In medium microwave-safe bowl combine sugar, softened butter, and water.  Microwave on high about 45 seconds or until butter is melted.  Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted.  Stir in egg and vanilla, mix well.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt, stir until combined.  Allow batter to cool to room temperature.  Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.  Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, they will be about 2/3 full.

Bake for about 13 minutes.  While baking, mix peanut butter and powdered sugar.  When brownie bites come from oven (try to do this part fast to get them back in the oven), gently push top of brownie in with a spoon to create space for the peanut butter.  Drop about 2 tsp of peanut butter mix into hole of each brownie bite.  Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chips and 1/4 cup walnuts over the brownies.  Return to oven for about 3 minutes.  Cool completely.  Makes 20.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Mini Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

There is a whole page on Pinterest of Oreo cheesecake pictures, fun to look at.  Oreos and cheesecake are favorites of my daughter Rachel, so mixing the two together are a little bit of heaven.  Too bad Rachel is away from home and didn’t get to taste these.  I will be making them again.

Crust
1 cup crushed Oreo crumbs
4 Tbl butter, melted

Combine Oreo crumbs and melted butter, stir until combined.  Press scant tablespoon into each mini muffin cup, press to level and cover bottom. Set aside.

Filling
2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, room temperature (Neufchatel is fine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt
6 coarsely chopped Oreos

Preheat oven to 275°.  Beat cream cheese on medium with electric mixer.  Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla.  Pour in beaten eggs, a little at a time.  Beat in sour cream and salt.  Stir in chopped cookies by hand.  Scoop batter into each muffin cup over crust, filling each almost to the top.  Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, 22-25 minutes.  Cool in pan for about 15 minutes, on a wire rack, then transfer to a plate and put in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Before serving, top each cheesecake with dollop of stiffly beaten whipped cream and a mini Oreo cookie.  Makes about 20.