OVERNIGHT WHOLE-WHEAT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FILLING AND CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Want to make a man happy?  Just give him peanut butter and chocolate.  These cupcakes made my man and his friends ecstatic.   None of these health-food-averse creatures suspected that there were whole grains and a sugar substitute in their treat.   (The cupcake was adapted from Beantown Baker’s blog and from Flour, a well-known Boston bakery.  The frosting is my own.  Next time, I’ll work on reducing the fat content, too.)

What I like about this cupcake recipe is its simplicity.  Just mix the batter with a whisk, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to three days.  It took me two days to get to it.  By then, the batter that started out thin had become thick and spongy and was easy to scoop into the cupcake tins.  To divide the batter equally among 12 cups, you’ll use less than 1/4 cup though.  The cupcakes rise up and crown nicely, and they’re sturdy, though a tad crumbly.  The temptation here is to use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop and just make fewer cupcakes, probably about 10 or 11.  Don’t do that, because you’ll get those ugly wide rims from too much batter.  You can use an ice cream scoop, but remove about a tablespoonful of batter before filling the liner.  You can make your own peanut butter filling, but why bother when Peanut Butter & Co. makes the divine White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter.  It’s perfect for a filling.

Here are some more chocolate cupcake recipes that I’ve rated highly:  Chocolate Banana Cupcakes, Dairy-Free Cocoa Cupcakes, 100% Whole Wheat Chocolate Cupcakes, and Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes.

Overnight Whole-Wheat Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting Rating:  9.5 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

CUPCAKE:  1/2 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp. NuNaturals white stevia powder OR 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces 1/2 tsp. Diamond kosher salt 1/3 cup water 2 oz. (2 squares) Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/2 cup milk 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. chocolate flavor (from Spices, etc. online – optional but nice) 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour OR 1 cup AP flour  1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda FILLING: About 1/2 cup Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter* FROSTING: 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, soft 1/3 cup Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter 1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch or natural 2-3 Tbsp. mild-tasting plain Greek yogurt, such as Fage 1 Tbsp. Kahlua or coffee 1-1/2 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, melted, cooled slightly GARNISH:  About 1/3 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed *Peanut Butter & Co.’s line of delicious flavored peanut butters can be found at Wal-Mart and many grocery stores and also online. Make the cupcakes:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar, butter, salt and water, stirring as needed.  Place the chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl; pour the butter mixture over and whisk till the mixture is smooth.  Whisk milk, egg, yolk, vanilla and chocolate flavor (if using) into chocolate mixture till combined.  In medium bowl, whisk together flours, stevia, baking powder and baking soda; add to chocolate mixture and whisk till smooth.  Let batter sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for up to three days.  When ready to bake cupcakes, remove batter from fridge and set oven to 350F.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.  Use about 3 Tbsp. batter for each cup.  Bake about 17-22 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with a few crumbs.  (My cupcakes took 19 minutes.)  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting. Make the frosting:  In medium bowl, beat butter and peanut butter on low speed to smooth and well combined.  Sift sugar and cocoa powder together.  Gradually add to butter mixture with the yogurt, mixing on low, then on medium speed after each addition till mixture is again smooth.  Add Kahlua (or coffee if using).   If frosting is too thin at this point, add up to 1/2 cup additional sifted sugar to bring it to frosting consistency.  Add melted chocolate, and beat mixture on medium-high till smooth and well combined.  Yield:  enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes.  Assemble the cupcakes:  Scoop the centers of the cupcakes with a serrated spoon or Cuisipro cupcake corer.  Use discarded cupcake pieces for snacks.  Transfer peanut butter to a resealable sandwich bag.  Snip end of one corner to make a 1/2” – 3/4” hole through which you will pipe the peanut butter into the cupcake cavity.  Frost cupcake with swirls using a Wilton 1M or 2D decorating tip, or apply frosting with a knife.  Garnish with crushed honey-roasted peanuts, if desired.  TIP:  Don’t discard the egg white!  Add it to your scrambled eggs, or freeze it to use for marshmallow frosting  or Swiss Buttercream frosting.

HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Hummingbird cupcakes are appropriate for any time of the year, but are particularly nice for Spring.  The flavors of pineapple, bananas and pecans wake up your tastebuds and make you feel as if Spring has arrived.  I made these for Easter dinner with friends, one of whom is severely lactose intolerant.  While these cupcakes are dairy-free, the frosting and malted milk balls are not.  So, in case he didn’t want to scrape off the frosting, I also made Dairy-Free Cocoa Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling and Marshmallow Frosting. 

The Hummingbird cupcakes were adapted from a recipe on the Food Network website by The Neelys.  Theirs is made with butter which I switched out for oil.  I increased the butter in the frosting and decreased the sugar.  These are decorated for Spring, but they can also be served with cream cheese frosting garnished with chopped nuts instead of the nest effect of toasted coconut topped with malted milk eggs.  Though these were very tasty and well received, my favorite recipe is a Southern Living recipe for a Hummingbird cake that I adapted to cupcakes.

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Rating:  9.5 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

CUPCAKES: 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, whisked then lightly spooned and leveled 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. Diamond kosher salt 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, soft 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans 1/4 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice 2/3 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 large) Heat oven to 350F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer till light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing just till incorporated and adding vanilla with last egg.  On low speed, add flour mixture gradually, beating only till just incorporated and being careful not to over mix.  Stir in pecans, undrained pineapple and bananas using a spoon or spatula.  Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to fill paper liners 3/4 full.  Bake 16-18 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.  Yield:  12 cupcakes CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: 4 oz. cream cheese, soft 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, soft 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract In a medium bowl, using medium speed of electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter till smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating till again smooth after each addition, and adding vanilla with last addition.  Continue to beat after all sugar has been added and frosting is fluffy and light.  Yield:  enough frosting for 12 cupcakes

PERFECT PILLOW = PERFECT SLEEP

Perfect pillow = perfect sleep.  Well, not always.  It's more complicated than that.  Speaking as a long-time insomnia sufferer, sleep can be affected in a variety of ways.  I had fixed all the major causes of my insomnia (copper poisoning, carb overload, magnesium deficiency, lack of exercise).  Once I got all that under control, I was left with the pillow problem.  I just couldn't find one that didn't give me a pain in the neck, literally.

A 1979 car wreck left me with a neck problem.  After trying all the pillows out there, I decided to give up looking and just hold on to my old, flattened shred of a pillow that was no longer a pillow.  There was no loft left, no softness, no comfort.  In short, I was miserable.  I was able to get a night's sleep, but I wanted a new pillow and couldn't find one.

Then my hubby, a bored retiree who has discovered the internet, who also needed a new pillow, found Sweet Spot Pillow.  He ordered a queen-size pillow with regular support and loved it from day 1.  Soon he was telling everyone about his new pillow, and others were purchasing it and loving it as well.  Skeptically, I decided to try his and was surprised at how comfortable it was.  So I decided to order one.

The Sweet Spot Pillow is available in different sizes and different support models so you can customize your pillow to your needs.  The website has "The Pillow Advisor" to help you make your selection, but because of what I'd been through with my neck, I needed more help.  So I contacted customer service.  The end result is that I now have a low-profile standard pillow, and I've never been happier.  I can rest easy because my neck does not hurt when I go to bed.  In fact, I'm so happy with this pillow, I just had to give Sweet Spot Pillow a shout-out.  If you need a new pillow, try them out.

Full disclosure:  I have not been compensated in any way for this endorsement.  I was not asked to make this endorsement, it was completely my idea, just sharing the love.

WINNER ANNOUNCED

The winner of the Friendship Dairies $75 gift bag is bluang3lbby.  

Congratulations to the winner.  Please email me your name and mailing address by
midnight Sunday, April 5.  If I do not hear from you by then, another winner will be selected.

USE UP THAT SOFT CREAM CHEESE!

Looking for ways to up that tub of soft cream cheese?  Please don't try to bake with it, because the results won't be good.  Instead, add some to eggs with some chopped parsley or spinach, salt and pepper for a delicious scrambled egg breakfast.  Saute some halved sweet grape tomatoes alongside the eggs and you will have already eaten one of your veggies for the day.

Or you could make this prize-winning appetizer that also makes a great snack:
It’s a simple recipe – avocado, pesto, cream cheese and a dash of lemon juice, but that one bite is memorable.  Avocado-Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes are good year round but especially nice at Christmas time.

You could also make these incredibly scrumptuous Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs that are great as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, but could also make a filling afternoon snack.

And, lastly, one of my favorite ways to use up soft cream cheese:  Spread on crostini and top with smoked salmon.  How easy is that? 

Don’t have crostini?  Just use whatever rolls you have on hand or in the freezer.  Even hot dog rolls will work.  Slice them into rounds about 1/4 thick.  Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Pour some olive oil in a small cup; add a little salt, pepper and crushed basil or Italian herbs.  Stir, then brush lightly on top side of rounds.  Bake at 400F till lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, turn rounds over and brush other sides with herbed oil.  Bake another 5-10 minutes, or till lightly browned.  Cool and store in tightly-sealed container at room temperature.

You’ll be using up that tub of cream cheese in no time with these ideas.  Happy eating!

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $75 VALUE GIFT BAG!

Hey, readers, listen up because I have a great giveaway to tell you about. 

To celebrate their upcoming food truck tour*, Friendship Dairies is giving away to one lucky reader the following:

Branded Friendship cloth grocery bag ($15 value)

$15 iTunes gift card (to create a mix for your workouts)

 Brita Filtered water bottle ($10 value)

Rocco DiSpirito’s new cookbook: “Now Eat This! Italian: Favorite Dishes from the Real Mamas of Italy--All Under 350 Calories” ($26.99 retail)

There will also be two Coupons for FREE Friendship Dairies products ($8 value)
TOTAL VALUE OF GIVEAWAY:  $75

This contest is limited to US entries only, including Alaska and Hawaii residents. 


HERE’S HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Leave me a comment telling me which item of the giveaway is your favorite.

HOW TO GET A SECOND ENTRY (TWO STEPS):  
1.  Tell your friends on Facebook about this giveaway, and link back to this post.
2.  Leave me a comment that you told your friends on Facebook about this giveaway and that you linked back to this post.

HOW TO GET A THIRD ENTRY (TWO STEPS);
1.  Tweet about this giveaway, linking to this post.
2.  Leave me a comment that you tweeted about this giveaway and that you linked to this post.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS TUESDAY, APRIL 30, MIDNIGHT, DST.  Winner will be announced no later than Saturday, May 4.  Good luck!


*Friendship Dairies will be having a food truck tour with celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito that will be passing through the New York Metro area this May.  The mobile mixer truck will be serving free 5-ounce Friendship Fit to Go™ 1% Low Fat, 1% Low Fat Pineapple, and 4% Regular cottage cheese samples with innovative mix-in options.  Check out the Friendship Dairies website to find where you can purchase their products in your area, to follow the food truck and to get recipes.  (Friendship Dairies products are predominantly distributed along the East Coast of the US with limited distribution in other states.)

GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIES WITH CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

I won a basket of goodies from Bob’s Red Mill when I entered a giveaway on Muy Bueno Cookbook’s website.  It was a really good prize:  an apron, a Chicago Metallic baking pan, spatula, French whisk, 4 boxes of gluten-free brownie mix and a $50 gift certificate.  I loved everything, but was conflicted about the brownie mix because I’m not a fan of mixes.  However, I am a fan of Bob’s Red Mill and regularly purchase their products, so I decided to give the mix a try. 

I used fresh-brewed coffee in place of the water to amp up the chocolate flavor, and also added chocolate flavoring that I bought from Spices, etc.  Just for fun, I threw in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Then I topped the cooled brownies with a divine chocolate-peanut butter frosting and sprinkled the frosting with honey-roasted peanuts. 

I could hardly believe these brownies were gluten free.  Though the package says the brownies are cake-like, I did not find them overly so, maybe because I didn’t overbake them.  Moist, chocolatey and fudgy, these were just too good – I had to get them out of the house quickly.  The lucky recipients thanked me profusely, as I tried not to think about how good those brownies tasted. 

I’m not done experimenting.  Next time, I might try using some peanut butter in place of some of the butter.  I might even use coconut milk in place of the water and coconut oil instead of butter.  Who knows what I might do with the other three packages.  My thanks to Bob’s Red Mill and Muy Bueno Cookbook for a great giveaway.

Gluten-Free Brownies with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

BROWNIES: 1 package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Brownie Mix 1 large egg, room temperature 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted scant 3/4 cup warm coffee 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 tsp. chocolate flavoring (optional, but nice) 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Heat oven to 350F.  Spray a 9x12" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, stirring with spatula till barely combined.  Spoon mixture into pan.  Bake 19-22 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool completely before frosting. CHOCOLATE-PEANUT-BUTTER FROSTING: 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, soft 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup smooth Peanut Butter (I used Jif Natural) 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar 1 tsp. chocolate flavoring (optional but nice) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted 3-4 Tbsp. heavy cream, half and half or milk 1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped honey-roasted peanuts In medium bowl, on low speed of mixer, combine butter, cocoa powder and peanut butter till smooth.  Gradually add confectioner’s sugar, flavorings and cream, mixing on low speed until again smooth.  Add melted chocolate chips and beat on low then increase speed gradually to medium-high and beat till frosting is smooth.  Do not overbeat.  Spread frosting over cooled brownies and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.