Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

We go through bananas like gangbusters in this house. Lola loves them and so do Matt and I. However, every now and then I'll buy a few too many and we can't eat them all before they get too ripe. Not that I mind because it just gives me a great excuse to make banana bread!

I had some overripe bananas the other day but instead of making banana bread, I decided to make some cupcakes with an homage to banana bread. Keeping that in mind, of course I used cream cheese frosting on the cupcakes!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes: 18 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 overripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:
16 oz (2 bricks) cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Make the cupcakes:

• In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer on medium, cream together the butter and sugar. Whip until light and fluffy.
• Mash the bananas with a fork. Add them to the butter mixture along with the vanilla, egg, and milk. Mix until combined. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gently fold the flour mixture and the chocolate chips into the butter mixture.
• In a cupcake pan prepared with cupcake liners, fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with batter.
• Bake at 350° F for 20 - 25 minutes.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting:

• In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer on medium, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar.
• Add the vanilla and continue to whip on high for about 2 - 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

This made a little bit too much frosting for the amount of cupcakes that I had. But I, uh, took care of that problem... haha

Also note, this recipe, along with all banana bread recipes, really come out better if you use overripe bananas. That way they're nice and soft and their sugars are well developed. Here are the bananas I used for this recipe:

Fudge Sundae Cookies

If you couldn't already tell, I love thumbprint cookies. The base is a delicious butter cookie. From there you can roll the dough in chopped nuts, coconuts, toffee bits, etc. Then you make a little indent with your thumb and fill it with anything delicious like melted chocolate, nutella, fruit jam, lemon curd, the possibilities are endless!

For my Fudge Sundae Cookies, I rolled them in sliced almonds then topped them with chocolate and a cherry. The perfect hot fudge sundae in a cookie!

Fudge Sundae Cookies
Makes: 18 cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
18 maraschino cherries
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 egg, beaten
3 oz (1/2 cup) semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp unsalted butter

• Sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip together the butter and sugar on medium for about two minutes until light and fluffy.
• Mix in the vanilla on slow speed until combined.
• Add the flour mixture in three additions until completely combined. The dough should be the texture of bread crumbs.

• Scoop out two tablespoons of cookie dough, about the size of a golf ball. Roll the dough into a ball.
• Roll the ball in the beaten egg, then in the almonds until it is completely coated.
• Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper then firmly place your thumb into the center of the ball and make an indent.
• Repeat until the baking sheet is full. You will likely need to make two batches.
• Bake at 350° F for 16 - 18 minutes until the cookies are slightly browned and firm.
• Let cool for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• Melt the chocolate and butter together. You can do this either in the microwave or in a bowl over some boiling water. Just be sure not to overheat the chocolate. You don't want it to seize up (turn dry and crumbly).
• Place about a teaspoon of the chocolate mixture in the thumbprint of each cookie. Then top each cookie with a cherry.

Verte Montagne Cupcakes

Time for dessert! To be honest, I'm not much of a baker. Matt is a much better baker than me. But, I figured I need to at least have some dessert recipes on my blog. So here we go!

My inspiration came from my love of Andes candies. I thought, "wouldn't that be delicious to have a cupcake stuffed with Andes?" Yes! It would! If you're one of those weirdos who don't like chocolate and mint, you should turn around and go back to where you came from. We don't take kindly to folks like you around here.

Truth be told, I'm not totally thrilled with how these came out. The Andes ended up sinking to the bottom. I may try this again and stuff the candy into the cupcake after it has been baked. I'll let you know how that goes.

Verte Montagne Cupcakes
Makes: 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 package boxed cake mix
eggs
water
vegetable or canola oil
8.5 oz package of Andes chocolate and mint candy

Frosting:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup heavy cream

Make the cupcakes:

• Mix the cake batter according to the directions on the package. Mine called for 3 eggs, 1 1/4 cups water, and 1/2 cup oil. Yours might be a little different. I know, I know - boxed cake mix! I told you I'm not a great baker ha!
• Unwrap the Andes candies. Then cut each in half, two at a time, making four squares.

•  Now stack the four squares.

• Now insert the stack into each cupcake sideways.

• Bake the cupcakes according to the directions. Mine took 18 minutes at 325° F. To test when the cupcakes are done, you'll need to gently tap the top of a cupcake. If it bounces right back then it's done. The toothpick test won't work with these cupcakes because the melted chocolate in the center will make it seem like they are still wet in the center. You don't want to overcook your cupcakes - that will make them dry.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting:

• Resist the temptation to stick the butter in the microwave to soften it. I'm the biggest offender of this rule but this particular recipe really won't work out if you do it that way. You've got to just let the butter sit on the counter for about an hour to let it soften.
• Sift together the sugar, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
• Whip the butter in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium for about two minutes until it is light and fluffy.
• Add the sugar and cocoa mixture, mixing on slow. Mix for about one minute until it is completely combined and a dry crumbly texture.
• Add the vanilla, mint, and heavy cream.
• Mix on high speed another two minutes until the frosting is smooth and light and fluffy.
• If the frosting seems too thin, add some more sugar. If the frosting seems too thick, add some more heavy cream.
• Frost the cupcakes with an off-set spatula or with a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

Classic Cheesecake

Who doesn't love cheesecake?! I think this is one of those desserts that you can pretty much count on everyone liking. And the best part about cheesecake is that it's basically a blank canvas - albeit a delicious canvas! You can swirl in any number of flavors -  fruit, chocolate, caramel; add little goodies to the crust - nuts, chocolate chunks, oreo crumbs; and/or top it with delicious toppings - chocolate ganache, macerated berries, berry sauces, caramel sauce... mmmmm......

There's honestly nothing special about my cheesecake recipe. It's pretty much as basic as you can get. The only thing you might find different about it is the amount of sugar. My cheesecake has about half the amount of sugar you would typically find in a cheesecake recipe. The reason is because I like the delicate balance between sweet and savory. I don't want to just be overwhelmed by sweet. Plus it will help add balance if you add a bunch of sweet additions like chocolate or caramel.

Classic Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve of graham crackers)
2 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
4 bricks of cream cheese (1 brick is 8 oz), softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 325° F.
• Combine the graham crackers and the sugar.
• Brush a 9" spring-form pan with some of the melted butter.
• Mix the remaining butter into the graham cracker mixture.
• Dump the graham cracker mixture into the spring-from pan and press it down with your fingers making sure that the crust reaches all of the edges but does not go up the sides.
• Bake for 15 - 18 minutes until golden brown.
• Allow crust to cool completely.


• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar.
• Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until fully combined.
• Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
• Place the spring form pan into a deep roasting pan. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven, then fill with boiling water so that the spring form pan is surrounded by water. Just be sure not to get any on the cheesecake!
• This technique is called a water bath. It allows the cheesecake to cook more evenly and minimizes the risk of the dreaded crack in the middle of the cheesecake.
• Bake at 325° F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Do not open the oven door! Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in for another hour (for a total cooking time of 2 hours and 15 minutes). This will allow the cheesecake to finish cooking gently in the residual heat. This also protects from getting a crack in your cheesecake.
• Remove the cheesecake and allow to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Remember how I said you can customize this recipe? Well, I made mini cheesecakes! Instead of a graham cracker crust, I placed a whole oreo at the bottom of each cupcake liner and then filled them with the batter.

Some of my favorite variations of cheesecake:

• Turtle - Add chopped pecans to the graham cracker crust; top the cooled cheesecake with drizzles of chocolate and caramel.
• White Chocolate Macadamia - Add chopped macadamia nuts to the graham cracker crust; pour white chocolate ganache over top of the cooled cheesecake, allow to chill for at least 1 more hour.
• White Chocolate Raspberry - Add 4 oz of melted white chocolate to the cheesecake batter; pour over graham cracker crust, then swirl in raspberry jam before baking.
• Coconut Lime - Add flaked coconut to the graham cracker crust; replace vanilla with 2 tbsp lime juice and add the zest of 1 lime to the cheesecake batter.
• Brownie Batter - Make fudge brownie mix, reserve 2/3 cup, pour the rest of the brownie batter into bottom of spring-form pan, bake for the normal recommended time, remove from oven then allow to cool; pour half of the cheesecake filling over the cooled brownie crust, mix the reserved brownie batter with the remaining half of the cheesecake filling, swirl together with the plain cheesecake filling, bake as normal.

Spumoni Cookies

I love the pistachio commercials lately. They've got some pretty funny ones. Matt and I saw one a couple of nights ago and it brought back memories of how I used to love spumoni as a kid (and still do!). Almost as instantly as I thought of spumoni, the idea of spumoni cookies popped into my head. I made sure to write the idea down so I wouldn't forget. However, the idea has been haunting me for the last couple days. I couldn't stop thinking about them. So tonight I finally broke down and got a few ingredients to give it a try. Believe it or not, this was my first try at the recipe and I think it's pretty much perfect! Some things were just meant to be...

Spumoni Cookies

Yield: about 3 dozen
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz white chocolate chips (1 package)
1/2 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
10 oz jar of maraschino cherries, stems removed and cut in half

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a whisk until the flour and cocoa are evenly combined. Set aside.
• Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer.
• Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 additions, mixing for only about 3 seconds each time. You don't want to over-mix the cookies. The dough will be extremely thick; that's exactly what you want.
• Add the white chocolate chips, pistachios, and cherries. Mix for another 3 seconds until combined.
• Spoon out 2 tablespoons of dough - about the size of a golf ball. Roll the dough between your hands into a ball shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies.
• Bake at 350F for 12 - 14 minutes until firm but not crisp.
• Allow to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. If you skip this step, your cookies will crumble apart.

Isn't Lola so helpful?!

I was thinking about turning these into ice cream sandwiches with spumoni ice cream in the middle. Too much? Maybe. But the only reason I didn't was because I couldn't find spumoni ice cream at Walmart tonight *runs away in shame*

Notes:

1. This is a great recipe to start practicing prepping your mise-en-place with. This term refers to the practice of getting all of your ingredients ready before you start cooking. I'm not saying you need your vanilla ready to go in a tiny little bowl like you see on tv. But just have all of your ingredients out of the cupboard and ready to go; have the pistachios chopped and the cherries stemmed and halved; have the baking soda, cocoa, etc ready; have your measuring instruments out; etc. This will make cooking and baking much easier.
2. If you've never used parchment paper before, I heavily encourage you to start now. Once you use it, you won't know how you ever survived with out it. Your cookies and other baked goods will never stick to your pans ever again. It can be found at any store in the paper goods aisle next to the tin foil and plastic wrap. It's about $4 for a roll. But that will last you a while and it's well worth it!

Cardamom Chocolate Lava Cake

I was complaining to my mom recently about how expensive cardamom is. The next thing I knew, I got a package in the mail from her. It was a little ziploc bag of cardamom. I'm glad no one in the postal service thought it was drugs haha! I was so excited to see that little baggy of ground spice. It smelled absolutely amazing; like a freshly peeled orange.

The recipe I had originally intended to use the cardamom in was a chicken dish. However, I've got plenty to last me quite a while. So I took to the web searching for inspiration for a new recipe. One thing I noticed quickly was that cardamom pairs well with chocolate. A few sparks later and...

Cardamom Chocolate Lava Cake
5 tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar

• Grease 2 medium ramekins (or 4 small ramekins) and sprinkle with granulated sugar to prevent sticking.
• Combine the butter, chocolate, and cardamom in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir until all of the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. You may need to pop it back in the microwave for about 10 seconds to completely melt the chocolate.
• Add the eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture. Then add the flour and powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth.
• Pour the batter into the ramekins and place them on a baking sheet for easier handling.
• Bake at 400° F for 12 - 15 minutes.

Off into the oven they go!

• Remove from oven, the centers will still be very jiggly. That's ok. It's molten lava cake after all!
• Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes.
• Run your knife along the edges of the cakes. Then turn upside down onto a plate.
• Devour.