Kentucky Bourbon Cupcakes

As you all know, my dad loved bourbon; specifically Maker's Mark.  Four years ago, for his birthday present he and my mom came to visit in Kentucky and I treated them to Woodford Reserve and Four Roses tours.  It was such a great weekend.  This year, his 57th birthday would've fallen on Labor Day weekend so we had an extra day.  An extra day usually makes for a lovely, lazy weekend.  With my extra lazy time, I decided it was fitting to bake bourbon cupcakes.  With Maker's Mark of course.  The cupcake is a fabulous recipe that tastes like a spice cake and the buttercream tastes delightfully like the inside of a bourbon ball.  So go ahead, bake these babies up!

Maker's Mark Cupcakes with Bourbon Buttercream
(cupcakes adapted from Maker's Mark; icing from this recipe)

Cupcakes:
8 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
3 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
1/2 cup Maker's Mark bourbon

Icing:

1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs Maker's Mark bourbon
2 slight pinches of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking pans with cupcake liners.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and molasses.  Next, begin adding in all the dry ingredients.  Mix in the skim milk until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Add the bourbon and fold in manually with a spoon.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 27 minutes.  Let cool in pans for at least 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks.

For icing, cream the room temperature butter.  Slowly add in the powdered sugar in increments.  Follow that up by adding the vanilla, bourbon, and salt.  Mix until the icing has that 'whipped' look.  Frost once the cupcakes are cool.  Cheers!   

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies {with Cinnamon Chips!}

After months of corresponding with the Chicago Alpha Gam Junior Circle, I finally made it to an event!  Woohoo!  It was the A(GD)mazing Race, themed after the show but taking place in Chicago and there was a potluck afterwards.  Seeing as it has cooled off lately, I baked my go-to fall potluck dish: Harvest Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  These things are amazing.  I ran across the recipe in a Splenda cookbook I purchased several years ago and now make these cookies several times every fall.  The pumpkin makes them light and fluffy and the spices and raisins give it the perfect fall flavor!

Harvest Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(Adapted from the Splenda cookbook)

1 cup butter or margarine - softened
1/2 cup Splenda sugar blend (I haven't been able to find this lately, so I used the Domino Light blend)
1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend  
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup raisins
1 package Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together the softened butter with the sugar and brown sugar.  Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, blending until thoroughly combined.  Gradually add in the flour, oats, and other dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the raisins and cinnamon chips.  Place dough in tablespoon sized dollops on the baking sheets.  Bake for 14-16 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheet for 7-8 minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.

To achieve the more healthy Splenda version, just omit the cinnamon chips.  I was feeling adventurous and wanted a bit of extra fall flavor in this batch and therefore added the chips.  If you're all about some cinnamon-y delicious fall flavor, stick to this recipe.  This is my favorite fall cookie and super easy to prepare.  Hope you enjoy this batch of cookies as much as I always do!

S'mores Graham Krispies

Say hello to the chocolately goodness of the S'mores Graham Krispie.  While I've tried several variations of several s'mores cookie recipes and been left disappointed and unsatisfied, this recipe certainly takes the cake.  It's a fabulous and true-to-taste combination that will definitely give you the s'more taste you're looking for!

S'mores Graham Krispies

4 tbs butter
1 bag (10oz) mini marshmallows
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups Golden Grahams cereal
1 1/4 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter over low heat.  Add in marshmallows and continue to melt.  Once marshmallows are melted, stir in vanilla extract and remove once fully combined.  Pour over cereal, begin mixing, add in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and continue to mix until evenly coated.  Using a spatula, press into a greased 13x9 cake pan.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top and press into the mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.  Enjoy that campfire taste!

Granola Bar Goodies

Somehow I had forgotten about this recipe!  I made it a lot last spring.  Since I gave up sweets again this year for Lent, I went back to these tried and true granola bars.  There are two versions posted below: the version I make during Lent and the recipe I usually follow. 

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Granola Bars
(adapted from this recipe) 

1 cup old fashioned oats - divided use
1/2 cup cereal - divided use (I either use a Fiber One cereal or Honey Nut Cheerios)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsps vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
5 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.

Place 3/4 cup of the oats, 1/4 cup of the cereal, and raisins in either a food processor or blender a pulse a bit to chop down the composition of the ingredients.  Place this in your mixing bowl along with the coconut, baking soda, salt, vanilla, flour, oil, molasses, and honey.  Mix until ingredients are well combined.  Add in the remaining 1/4 cup of oats and 1/4 cup of cereal.  Mix until just incorporated.  Your dough should be the consistency of cookie dough, however it will be much stickier.  Using a spatula (which you can spray with nonstick to make this process smoother) transfer the mixture to the baking pan.  Bake for 18 minutes.

Original Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Granola Bars       
(adapted from same recipe linked above)
 
1 cup old fashioned oats - divided use
1/2 cup cereal - divided use (I either use a Fiber One cereal or Honey Nut Cheerios)
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 chocolate chips
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsps vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
5 Tbs honey

Use same directions as above.

Which version did you try?  I hope they become one of your favorites as they have definitely become one of mine!!

Road Trip Snack - Pumpkin Puppy Chow!

Carl and I (dogs in tow too) spent our Thanksgiving weekend in Wisconsin.  It's about a six and a half hour car ride from where I'm at in Indiana..more if Chicago traffic is not friendly.  Naturally, I made us a snack to munch on along the way.

Pumpkin Puppy Chow
(adapted from this recipe)

8 cups Chex cereal (I used Corn Chex, as Carl prefers that over Rice Chex, but either works.)
10 oz. white chocolate
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Place Chex cereal into a large bowl/dish and have a gallon size Ziploc bag ready. 

Melt the white chocolate.  After the chocolate melts, stir in the pumpkin while still over heat.  Pour this mixture over the Chex cereal and quickly make sure the pieces get as evenly coated as possible.  Transfer into the large bag, add the powdered sugar and spices, and shake it up!  Shake until you have an even coating & make sure to store in an air-tight container.