Sunshine Cupcakes

A few summers ago, I vacationed in upstate New York at the Finger Lakes at my friend's lake house. I know right?! Before you get too jealous of my wonderful connections, I'll tell you that it rained 75% of the time I was there, ruining my plans to sunbathe and water ski to my heart's content. (I have fair skin and can not tan and I've never water skiied a day in my life, but when imagining a summer on a lake one fantasizes of these things.)
One day my friend's neighbor kindly brought us treats. She had baked a "sunshine cake" and I laughed at the irony of it. Also, the fact that the cake was chilled made it seem even less sunny to me. However, with the first bite of my slice, all my cynicism was obliterated by the fresh citrus punch of the cake. The mandarin oranges lend a sweet moisture to the cake while the smooth cream cheese mixed with tangy pineapple compliment the cake to create a citrus "sunny" flavor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners. In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix cake mix, eggs, canola oil, and mandarin oranges on low speed until completely combined, then continue to mix on high until fluffy (2-3 minutes)
 

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes until they look like this

Golden brown. Let rest in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to rack to cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and butter in stand mixer with paddle attachment until fluffy. Add vanilla, sugar, drained pineapple, and Jello mix and beat until fluffy...er. Add yellow food coloring, if you want your frosting to be extra sunny. I didn't, but next time I will! 

 Frost your cooled cupcakes or eat the frosting with a spoon....I won't judge

 

I wish my camera could pick up the moisture content of these cupcakes. Garnish with candied lemon peel, orange peel, colored sugar, etc if desired. Stick them in the fridge. Room temp, these cupcakes are pretty good, but cold and rested they are AMAZING! So try to be patient.

Sunshine Cupcakes:

recipe by Sweet & Savory

Ingredients: 
 
Cupcakes:
 
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/4 cups canola oil
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, undrained and crushed

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cups (2 sticks) salted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cups powdered sugar
1 box Jello cheesecake mix
yellow food coloring, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 24 cupcake tins with cupcake liners. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula. Add crushed mandarin oranges with juice and beat for 3 more minutes.

Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let rest in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, pineapple, powdered sugar, and Jello mix and beat until combined. Stir in a few drops of yellow food coloring, if desired.

Have at it! Frost your cupcakes and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight before serving.

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

During this holiday season, I needed a high yield dessert recipe for a Christmas potluck. I'd had my fill of pumpkin pie and all things chocolate, so I choose to bake my take on Starbuck's seasonal Cranberry Bliss Bars. These fly off the shelves at the coffee shop each year and mine were a huge hit at my potluck. The distinct flavors and textures of the sweet, crunchy, red cranberries, tangy orange zest, and fragrant yellow crystallized ginger are all tied together by the creamy white chocolate in this fall brownie-like dessert.

Note: buy your crystallized, or candied ginger at an Asian market. At Smith's 2 ounces costs $10.99. I got mine for $3.99 for 10 oz at my nearby Asian market. Do not panic if you can't use it immediately. When stored in an air tight container, crystallized ginger has a 2 year shelf life.

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray. I like Baker's Joy because it takes care of the buttering AND the flouring of your dish for you!

 

Cream your butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

 

Add vanilla and minced crystallized ginger. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

 

Slowly add in increments the dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture with the mixer on low speed. Scrape the bowl. Add white chocolate chips and chopped craisins and mix by hand until just combined.

 

Evenly spread batter into prepared baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes until the edges look like.....

This! Golden brown. Let cool completely before frosting.

 

While the bars cool, prepare the frosting. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar while gradually adding lemon juice, 1 tsp. at a time. Add vanilla extract and orange zest and beat until combined.

The frosting should be thick like this. Set frosting aside while you prepare the white chocolate drizzle.

Place shortening and white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of simmering water.

This is called a double boiler. (It's a good technique to be familiar with, but if you're short on time, melt the chocolate and shortening in the microwave)

Allow to melt slightly on the double boiler, then whisk until smooth. Pour into a Ziploc bag and set aside.

Time to build! Spread frosting evenly on cooled bars.

Sprinkle with chopped craisins.

Snip one corner of the Ziploc bag with the white chocolate drizzle in it and drizzle over bars in a criss cross pattern. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I like to cut mine into triangles. Make 5 vertical slices and 3 horizontal slices. This gives you 24 bars. You can stop here, or do what I do and make a diagonal slice through each bar creating 2 triangles. This gives you 48, three-bite triangle portions.

Aren't the triangles cute? I think so. I also think if you are able to wait a full calendar year between gnoshing on these fall treats you are a superstar. I'll be making these in the spring, summer, and winter as well!

I had to post this. I let my dog sample the batter while I was cleaning up. She approves!

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars 

Recipe adapted from Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars by Todd Wilbur

Ingredients:

Bars:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T crystallized ginger, minced
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cups craisins, chopped
3/4 cups white chocolate chips

Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cups craisins, chopped

White Chocolate Drizzle:
3/4 cups white chocolate chips
2 tsp. shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between each addition with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract and crystallized ginger and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture gradually until just combined. Scrape the bowl, incorporating any remaining flour into the batter. Mix white chocolate chips and craisins into batter by hand.

Evenly spread batter into prepared dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let cool completely before frosting.

While bars are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar, adding lemon juice 1 tsp. at a time to reach thick frosting consistency. Add orange zest and vanilla extract and beat. Set aside.

In a double boiler, prepare the white chocolate drizzle. Melt white chocolate chips and shortening, whisking to combine thoroughly. Pour into Ziploc bag and set aside.

Time to build! Spread on top of cooled bars. Sprinkle the 1/4 cups chopped craisins evenly on top of the frosted bars. Make a small snip in one corner of the ziploc bag with the white chocolate drizzle in it. Drizzle over the bars in a criss cross pattern. Refrigerate bars for at least 1 hour before slicing. (or if you're impatient, pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.) Makes 24 bars or 48 triangle slices.

Glazed Lemon Cake

I baked these cakes during my summertime all-things-lemon frenzy after I grossly overestimated the amount of citrus fruit needed for the citrus bridal shower. So, why did I wait to publish this post until now? Surely not because I am a habitual procrastinator, no. I reserved this recipe until now because miniature loaves of quick bread are the answer to every holiday gift giving conundrum and this recipe is my favorite quick bread of all time! When wrapped in cellophane and tied with a festive ribbon, these make the perfect tangy and sweet holiday gift for your child's teacher, your neighbors, or the host of the next dinner party you attend. Because a polite dinner party guest should never show up empty handed!

As I said, this is my favorite quick bread recipe. I love it more than banana, zucchini, coconut, apple, and even pumpkin chocolate chip bread. The fresh lemon zest and juice in the sugary glaze coats your taste buds with a zesty, bright flavor that is subtly echoed in the buttery, light lemon cake. It's delicious in the summertime and a flavorful reminder of summertime during these colder months of the year.

This recipe yields enough batter to fill a bundt pan, loaf pan, or four mini loaf pans. I like to make mini loaves because a) everything's cuter in miniature and b) I can never have just one slice of this cake and I fell better about eating 2 mini slices of lemon cake than 2 big slices! 

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a bundt pan, loaf pan, or 4 mini loaf pans. I like to take this preparation one step further and line the bottom of the loaf pans with parchment paper. This ensures even browning of the bottom and sides of the cakes as well as an easy release from the pan after baking.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Alternating with the buttermilk, and dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture in three additions.

Add the lemon juice and zest. Scrape the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 65-70 minutes if using a bundt or loaf pan or 15-20 minutes for mini loaf pans.

Bake until the cake's edges are golden brown and pull away from the side of the pan slightly or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack while you prepare the glaze.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice and zest and beat until smooth. Sample if you must, you must, but keep in mind you have to glaze an entire cake too!

With a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes in the warm cakes. Pour the glaze on top of the cakes and allow to cool completely in the pan and the glaze to set. When cool, remove from pans, slice, and serve.

If you are able to stop yourself after eating one slice, I salute you.

Glazed Lemon Cake 

recipe adapted from Silver Palate Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 Tbsp lemon zest, tightly packed
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Lemon Glaze

1 lb powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp lemon zest, tightly packed
1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a bundt pan, loaf pan, or 4 mini loaf pans. If using loaf pans, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients in three additions to creamed butter and sugar mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Add lemon juice and zest.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hr 5 minutes if using a bundt or loaf pan, 15-20 minutes for mini loaf pans. The edges will be golden brown and will pull away from the side of the pan slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon glaze. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add lemon zest and juice.

Using a wood skewer, poke holes in the cake. Pour the icing over the surface of the cake. Allow to cool completely in the pan. When the cake is completely cool, turn out of the pan and serve.

Citrus Theme Bridal Shower

Welcome summer and my obsession with all things lemon! Like clockwork, the onset of warm weather and sunny afternoons makes me crave the sharp zing of citrus. This time of year I'll take my lemons as lemonade with a sprig of mint, squeezed over grilled fish or chicken, or baked into something sweet. I was fortunate enough to kick off my sweet and sour summer with a citrus themed bridal shower. Being the fanatical party food enthusiast that I am, I jumped at the challenge of figuring out a menu with citrus in every dish.

Immediately, my brain began to churn out citrus dessert ideas. However, out of respect to those who believe cupcakes and chocolate do not a meal make, I added some savory components. I even went as far as adding a salad to the menu.

Citrus Bridal Shower Menu

 Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Lime Sauce 

ourbestbites.com

  (bottom left) I served these in little plastic cups I bought at a restaurant supply store. Scoop a tablespoon of the dipping sauce into the bottom of the cup and stand the fries up in the sauce. This presentation turns fries and dipping sauce into finger food!  

Strawberry Citrus Spinach Salad

spinach, strawberries, mandarin oranges, candied almonds, poppy seed dressing. Simple!

Mixed Fruit with Citrus Yogurt Sauce

tasteofhome.com 

Lemon Basil Chicken Salad Sandwiches  

a bright Paula Deen chicken salad sandwiched into mini croissants

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

i added orange extract and zest to my favorite chocolate cupcake and cream cheese frosting recipes. Just make sure you add them little by little until you've achieved your desired citrus flavor level.

Lemon Bars

twopeasandthierpod.com 

the best lemon bar recipe EVER

Izze Sparkling Juice

we used the cans of clementine, lime, and grapefruit flavors. So cute!

True to form, I took too few pictures of the table. Also true to form, I took 2 closeups of my favorite part of every bridal shower....DESSERTS!

Don't those just scream summer? The best part of this menu was how much could be made in advance. The honey lime dipping sauce, chicken salad, and citrus yogurt sauce was made the night before so the flavors had plenty of time to blend and intensify. I baked the lemon bars and the cupcakes the night before, but saved the frosting for the day of the party. Remember, when planning a shower or dinner party, do as much in advance as possible. Your guests want to see YOU at the party as well as enjoy your culinary truimphs!

Lime Glazed Coconut Cookies

My mom is an amazing cook. She can bake anything, cook anything, and usually get it done without glancing at a recipe. When I try a new recipe and make a horrible mess of it, she can always swoop into the kitchen and rescue my ruined dish. Growing up, she made dinner every night and baked goodies on the weekend for us to snack on throughout the week. Because of all this culinary pampering during my youth, I am a bit of a food snob! I know every kid blames their parents for their problems, but this is definitely all her fault. And I love her for it:)

When it comes to cookies, my food snobbery prevents me from getting excited about these sweet treats if they're from a bag, box, wrapper, or from premade cookie dough. I love homemade cookies because that's what I grew up with. I think they taste a zillion times better than those bought from the store. Note: Oreos and Girl Scout Cookies are an exception here! There's just no improving on those cookies. Furthermore, I love the process of baking cookies from scratch. It's relaxing and fun for me and I especially love giving cookies I made to my friends and neighbors....and saving a few for myself!

These cookies remind me of Mother's Iced Oatmeal Cookies with a tropical twist. A bit of a stretch you say? Here's a visual aid...

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These are a fresh twist on a classic cookie and 100% homemade. Let these cookies transport you to the tropics!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and line a cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and extracts.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Add coconut and oats on low speed, mixing until the dough just comes together. Give the bowl a good scrape with a rubber spatula.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and evenly space onto your prepared cookie sheet. Chill excess dough between batches.

The cookies will flatten considerably while they bake.

Bake for 10 minutes until browned. Let cool 2 minutes on the hot cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat the rolling, baking process until all the cookies are baked and cooling.

While the cookies cool, prepare the lime glaze.

Zest and juice about 3 limes.

Whisk the lime zest, juice, and powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl until smooth.

There you go! Easy glaze. 

When the cookies are completely cool, set them on top of the glaze face-down. You may need to gently press the cookie into the glaze to evenly coat top side of the cookie.

Return cookies to the cooling rack until the glaze sets, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy! Put the lime in the coconut cookie and eat them all up!

Lime-Glazed Coconut Cookies yields about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

Coconut Cookies: 
  
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oats
1 cup shredded coconut

Lime Glaze

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp lime juice
3 tsp grated lime zest

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg until smooth, scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat in the extracts.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the stand mixer on low speed, incorporate the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl. Turn the stand mixer on to low speed again and add the oats and coconut until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place onto the lined baking sheet. (12-15 balls of dough will fit nicely onto one pan.) Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on hot pan, then place cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cooled completely, prepare the lime glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest until smooth. Dip the cookies into the glaze face-down to evenly coat the tops of the cookies. Return the cookies back to the wire cooling rack to allow the glaze to set.