Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

These were such a different kind of breakfast bar, that I was so happy to try out this recipe that I came across. It wasn't a muffin, it wasn't too sweet and it was just perfect for something new and different and the added bonus, WE LOVED THEM. But, better than that, I loved that they could be pre-made and frozen to be enjoyed any day of the week. (I just ate my last one this week, that was a sad day... I guess it's already time to make another batch)

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe found at Real Mom Kitchen; originally from Better Homes and Garden

2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, and vanilla. Don’t worry about clumps of the brown sugar, those will dissolve as it sits while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Then fold in the carrot, zucchini, and walnuts

In another bowl combine add the flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda. Whisk to blend together.

Add to flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz) pkg reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp lemon zest

Once the cake is cooled prepare the frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Spread or pipe the frosting over the cooled bars.

Snickerdoddle Cupcakes Topped with a Cookie

Here is a recipe re-do. A Snickerdoodle Cupcake topped with a Snickerdoodle Cookie. I have been making these cupcakes for over a year now and everyone loves them. It's the most requested dessert at my parties and this time I saw this great twist on Bakerella with adding a cookie on top and I couldn't resist.

Just in case you missed these recipes previously posted on my blog, here there are again! This is a MUST make cupcake for your next gathering. ENJOY!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

originally found over at Your HomeBased Mom

3 cups cake flour (we use any flour we have on hand)

1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 sticks butter, softened,

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 c buttermilk

cinnamon sugar: 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon

Oven preheat to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients (except for cinnamon sugar, set aside). With paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 -3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour. Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook in New York City

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

6-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed in an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.

Makes approx 32 regular cupcakes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

from my sister-in-law Michelle

1 cup butter
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Mix together: 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon; set aside.

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs in electric mixer. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add to the wet a little bit at a time and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for 2 or more hours (we usually chill overnight).

Roll into 1" balls then roll into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Flatten with a fork and Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Banana Cupcakes

These were so good and since I have some more over-ripe bananas right now, I think another batch will come to be in just a day or two. The banana flavor in these is wonderful and I love the hint of yellow added to the frosting it just screams BA-NAN-A!!! Don't ya think?

My sister-in-law is expecting and when cravings come, they come. The first batch of these came from her dropping off a handful of bananas to me and saying "can you make something". Well of course, I can. We were both kinda done with Banana Bread, I've already made Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies and Banana-Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies, so it was time to move on to Banana Cupcakes.

This is normally served with Cream Cheese Frosting but the sis-in-law HATES cream cheese, really really hates it! This called for a substitute and so we used our NEW favorite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. But either way you make them, I am sure they will be eatin' up in no time at all!

Banana Cupcakes

from Bakerella

1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 large ripe banana (or almost 1 cup)
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tray with 12 baking cups. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer for about four minutes. Add banana and mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add half the flour in three additions alternating with milk in two additions. Scrape down the sides with each addition.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until done.

Cream Cheese Frosting

from a friend Carol

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all together in an electric mixer and blend until fluffy! Add food coloring if you wish.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

from Magnolia Bakery in New York City

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
Green Food Coloring

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed in an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.

Nerd Cupcakes & Pioneer Woman's Flour Frosting

A Nerd Cupcake, yep I've seen it all now. I came across this cupcake on Pinterest. This is my new hobby, Pinterest it's an amazing place to play, browse and find so many fun things! Click on over to check it out and/or click on the right and get an invite to come play. I only pin recipes but you can pin anything and everything you find on the Internet to your board. Don't wait, like I did. Check it out now: Pinterest. Now, let's get to these Nerd Cupcakes.

One of my twin daughters LOVES Nerds. And I mean she really really loves them and so when I found this cupcake I knew this had to be one of the cupcakes for their party. While we were in New York last month for their 18th birthday she found a GIANT Nerd box... I think I might have to try and find one of these in California and buy it for her.

I have to say that these cupcakes were the first to go at the party, and NO not just the kids ate them. Everyone took one bite and said WOW these are so good. No one could believe there were nerds throughout the cake and on top of the frosting. I do NOT like Nerds, and I LOVE these cupcakes.

I took about 1/2 box of the 6 oz Nerds and mixed it in the cake mix.

This is the coolest trick to dip the top of your cupcakes in a bowl of the Nerds.

Nerd Cupcakes
found the Nerd idea at Bake it in a Cake
used my own cake recipe

1 box Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 large eggs
3 oz Nerds Candy

Preheat oven to 350. Place paper baking cups into regular size muffins. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, buttermilk, butter and eggs. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Add in the Nerds and mix by hand.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared baking cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick insert in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Plain Flour Frosting
from Pioneer Woman "That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had"

5 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar (not Powdered Sugar)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left, mix for at least 4 to 6 minutes. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it, another 4 to 6 minutes. Put your timer on and just wait, watch it transform into amazing frosting. Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

This frosting is plain, very plain. There is not a sweet taste to this, which is perfect for this recipe because the Nerds are so powerful. These cupcakes need a smooth light frosting.

This post is linked up one, two or all of these FABULOUS Linky Parties!

Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a simple frosting recipe, but it's now my ONE and ONLY Cream Cheese frosting I use. I made one of the cupcakes for my daughters party with this frosting, so I thought I would share this recipe with all of you! Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

from a friend Carol

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all together in an electric mixer and blend until fluffy! Add food coloring if you wish.

This cupcake recipe is also on my blog Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!

POM Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

It's NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE Day!!

Yes, they really do have a food holiday for everyday of the year!

I made a whole bunch of cupcakes for my twin daughters 18th birthday party! Here is just the first one of the four different flavors I made. Of course, complete with all different kinds of frostings. I am so happy to make all the different frostings, so that we were able to taste them all on the same day at the same time. I have really found my favorites now. Watch in the coming weeks as I unveil all of the cupcakes and my NEW favorite frosting recipes.

Here is the first cupcake with POM juice one of my twins favorite juice. The cupcakes were great, moist and chocolate'y but they do not have a POM flavor, but non-the less they were delicious especially with this new A-MAZ-ING White Chocolate frosting, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE.

P.S. And my cupcake decorating skills are getting better and better! :-)
I actually do not have flat cupcakes, anymore! YAHOOO!!!

POM Chocolate Cupcakes
originally found on Lick the Bowl Good

1/4 cup POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water, heated to boiling
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Place a paper baking cup in regular sized muffin tin; set aside. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water. Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.

Add to the flour mixture all at once to the wet mixture and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy). Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about 3/4 full).

Bake 20-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before topping with the frosting. I used my new White Chocolate Buttercream frosting from Magnolia Bakery in New York City.

This recipe only make about 7 regular cupcakes, so double it if you need more!

WOW, WOW, WOW, this frosting is A-MAZ-ING (I already said that I know, but it really is)! I just love white chocolate and have tried a few other frosting recipes, but none are as good as this one. I found this recipe in my newest cookbook from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, that I bought myself in New York City. We discovered this bakery in New York and of course enjoyed a few cupcakes while we were there.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, New York City

1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp milk
9 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and bet until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 more minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and desired consistency.

Freezer Tip: I have tried it and it REALLY works! If you have left over cupcakes, store them in a tupperware-type container with the frosting on them and freeze. When you are ready to serve, defrost them to room temperature and serve. They taste just like they were made that day! What a great way to store homemade left over cupcakes from a birthday party or event.

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day (click here for over 70 GREEN recipes from THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS linky party), and boy do I have a special GREEN recipe for you today! This is OUT OF THIS WORLD! My daughter said this is the best cupcake I have EVER made. And considering I bake all the time, I take it that this is one of those FOREVER keep recipes. I first got my inspiration from another girl scout cookie cupcakes I made last week Peanut Butter Patty Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes and then another blogger Ladybird Ln linked up this recipe Chocolate Mint Cupcakes which is almost exactly what I was thinking. And so as the Irish would say.........

Kayley & Ashley

I really hope you ALL decide to make this DELICIOUS CUPCAKE... I guarantee you will not be disappointed. We made these for one of my girls BEST FRIENDS for her birthday (which was yesterday.... "SWEET" 18th Birthday Ashley)!

Ashlyn & Ashley

My girls have spent the last 5 years with Ashley (which they meet at their Jr. & Sr. High School). I know they are really gonna miss her next year (as they are Juniors and she is a Senior this year)!  It just won't be the same without her! Maybe with a little LUCK they will all end up at the same college!

Now onto this cupcake extravaganza.... and yes I've already txt'd and facebook'ed a few folks so I can try and buy some more girl scout cookies, CUZ WE ARE ALL OUT!!! And I know we will need to make these cupcakes again soon! (Now if only I could make a GLUTEN-FREE version, I guess I will have to get started on that too!)

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

from Tina Hudgens with Inspiration from Others

Chocolate Cake Mix, we used Triple Chocolate or Devil's Food Cake (follow directions on the back, then crush one tube of the cookies very finely and mix in the batter)

White Cake Mix (follow directions on the back; and then add 6 to 8 drops of Green Food Coloring to mixture)

Fill the mini-cupcake tin with half chocolate and half "green" cake mixture and bake as directed by the box. About 12-14 minutes. Cool and then frost.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
from Magnolia Bakery in New York City
frosting recipe updates 10-13-11

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
Green Food Coloring

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed in an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.

Crush a few additional Thin Mint Cookies to decorate with. 

Peanut Butter Patties (Tag-a-longs) Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

This is my cute little nephew (2-1/2 years old) eating his way through this delicious Peanut Butter Patties Cupcake. This blog post is also one of thee funniest photo shoots to date here on MOMS CRAZY COOKING.

I was babysitting my nephew (and one of his sisters too) but he just LOVES Aunt Tina's Cupcakes. He knows everytime I see him, stop by his house, or he comes to my house that most likely I will always have somekind of cupcake for him. This time I thought it would be fun to have him bake some with me.


He was a riot taking pictures, best model I've had so far. I would tell him, I need a picture of this or that, make sure you look this way or that way? And he would do just what I asked him. I think my sister needs to tap in on that talent. He would be a perfect model. Even when I wanted the perfect picture of him taking a bite of the cupcake, he put it right to his mouth and said "is this good", "did you get it", and "okay am I done now", "can I take a real bite". IT WAS SO DANG CUTE!!! I could of cooked all day with him, but cupcakes were as far as we got.

The outcome though was these one-of-a-kind outrageously delicious, better then any peanut butter cupcake I have ever tasted Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes. That thank goodness we can only make these a few times a year, when those cute little girl scouts come around selling there delicious cookies. If you see them outside the store, know any girls that still have cookies to sell, then I suggest you get some Peanut Butter Tag-a-Long (or Peanut Butter Patties), so you can make these AWESOME Cupcakes.  I found this recipe over at Inside BruCrew Life and I just knew I had to try them and I am SOOOO happy I did!

Peanut Butter Patties Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes
originally found at Inside BruCrew Life

1 box vanilla cake mix
1 box Peanut Butter Patties (Tag-a-Longs) Girl Scout Cookies

Preheat oven to 350. Place liners in a cupcake pan. Make up the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Put about 2 Tbsp of cake batter into the liner, then set in one cookie on top. Finish off each cupcake with the rest of the batter. Fill it at least 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22-24 minutes. Let cool and then frost with Honey Peanut Butter Cream, add sprinkles and eat!

Honey Peanut Butter Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and peanut butter. Add the water, salt, and vanilla and cream again. Slowly add the powdered sugar until desired thickness. After all the sugar is added, beat in another 1-2 Tbsp water (optional). Then beat in the honey until creamy. (Make sure that it doesn't get to creaming)

It's the WEEKEND, a great time for any kind of PARTY including Linky Parties! Today, we will link this recipe to: Check Me Out Saturday, Cookbook Sundays, It's Party Time, Recipe Swap Sundays, Sister Sister Sunday, One Food Club, Sweets for Saturday, Spotlight Saturday, Sundae Scoop, Muffin Monday, Cupcake Tuesday and Potluck Sunday

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS LINKY PARTY #17 (Cherries) and Cherry Coke Chocolate Cake

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #17

The Theme is: Cherries


Cherries... Cherries.... Cherries.... This is actually a fruit I LOVE but don't ever buy or ever cook with for that matter! (I wonder why this fruit is so often passed by?) When it came time to get a recipe ready for THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS I was stumped. I have never made anything with cherries, (I guess I made cookies once White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies), but I usually never even have cherries around. So, finding a recipe was equally as challenging.

I first went to a few of my favorite cookbooks, and NO recipes with cherries, then a few more cookbooks and still no cherry recipes. I then hit the Internet searching for something, anything with a cherry in it, and really I only came across a few recipes I was even half interested in. But, in sticking with my $150 dollar grocery budget and continuing to clean out the pantry, I decided to use a recipe that called for maraschino cherries (only because I had 3 jars in the cupboard that I originally bought to make my White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies).

Well, I just served up the recipe I did come across and I have happy faces on everyone, including a friend of my daughters. She is a foreign exchange student from Finland and she loved it too! If I can please the kids in America and in Findland, I guess I can report that this cake was amazing. And if it is amazing it's a keeper and when it's a keeper it gets transferred into my scrapbook/cookbook and will be passed on down to my children and hopefully these recipes will be made for many generations to come.

Cherry Coke Chocolate Cake

original recipe found on Tasty Kitchen

1 jar (8 -10 oz) Maraschino Cherries (drained, reserve 1/2 cup juice)

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 box Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix

1 cup Diet Cherry Coke

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

3 eggs

Drain the jar of cherries, and reserve 1/4 cup of the juice. Chop the cherries into fourths. In a large bowl, mix the cake, cherry coke, oil, eggs and the cherry juice. Stir in the chopped cherries and the chocolate chips. Pour batter into a bundt pan, that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cook cake completely for at least 1 hour.

Vanilla Marshmallow Frosting

1 (12 oz) container Vanilla Frosting

1 cup Marshmallow Creme or (15 marshmallows, melted) 

Mix together frosting and marshmallow creme to frost cake. Top cake with chocolate sprinkles or some mini chocolate chips. For an extra special touch melt a little chocolate and dip a few cherries in the chocolate, decorate the top of the cake with these chocolate covered cherries.

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! This post also linked to: My Meatless Mondays, Made by You Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Homemaker Monday, I Made It Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, MMMmonday, GCC Recipe Swap, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

*****************************************************

Here is a complete list of the past weeks and a list of what's coming up on This Week's Cravings!

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS" target="_blank "><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/ThisWeeksCravingsButton.jpg" /></a>

Please only link recipes with this theme!
This week's theme is: Cherries

The SIMPLE Rules: (Click for complete list of guidelines for This Week's Cravings)

1. Please stick to the THEME and only link up recipes that go with our theme for the week. 

2. Add our button and/or a DIRECT link back to this post, inside of your post (not just on a wall of linky parties, this doesn't allow YOUR readers to come back to the linky party and see all the fun recipes! Which this is the intent of a linky party in the first place).

3. Also we'd love for you to hop around and visit the other link-ups! After all it's a BLOG PARTY and it's not fun for everyone linking up if you don't hop around and say Hello!!!


PLEASE follow the simple rules, so everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to link back or add a button IN YOUR post you will receive a gentle reminder to add it, before we delete your post! THANKS A MILLION!

This Week's Cravings Past & Future Recipe Links

February 14 - Sweet Potatoes and Favorite Potato Recipes

February 21 - Favorite Recipes with CHERRIES

February 28 - Kid-Friendly Recipes

March 7 - Romantic Dinner Recipes

March 14 - St. Patricks Celebration - GO GREEN!!!

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop around

and read some GREAT recipes!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake: Its the Great Pumpkin Cake, Charlie Brown

I am so excited that this cake turned out absolutely gorgeous (oh and delicious too)!! It was a huge under taking on my part. I am NOT a professional baker, nore a professional anything when it comes to the kitchen. I am just a recipe collector (and that's an understatement...check out my book of all the recipes I've cut out to make) and a recipe maker. So, when I came across this recipe on this wonderful blog More Than A Mount Full - A Culinary Journey, I just knew that I had to make it (or at least attempt to make it). And to my surprise (and my mother-in-law's too) it came out just perfect.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Its the Great Pumpkin Cake, Charlie Brown from More Than A Mount Full

Crunch Topping adapted from Good House Keeping

3 Cups Walnuts, finely chopped
3 Cups Vanilla Wafers (about 75 cookies)
3 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Sticks Butter, melted

In a food processor, pulse cookies to a fine crumb, then pulse walnuts finely. Add in Brown Sugar and mix well. Add in Melted Butter and blend together. Divide mixture into 4 round sprayed Cake Pans, pressing into bottom and spreading it evenly into each cake pans.  Makes about 10 cups; 2 cups for each cake pan and reserve about 2 cups of the mixture which will be baked to use on the sides of the cake. Set pans aside and begin cake.

Pre-heat Oven to 350 degrees.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 sticks of Softened Butter
1 (16 oz) can Solid Pack Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp Pure Vanilla
1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Large Eggs

In your mixer beat sugar and butter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scrapping down the bowl frequently. Add In Pumpkin and all the rest of the ingredients, except the eggs. Mix just until blended. Add in the Eggs, one at a time just until blended. Divide batter equally into your 4 prepared cake pans (about 1-1/2 cups per cake pan), smooth it out and make it as even as possible in the pan.  Place remaining crunch mixture in another cake pan or pie dish and allow to bake for the same amount of time as the cakes.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25  minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If you use 2 racks to bake on in the oven, at the halfway mark rotate the pans. Allow pans to cool about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire racks and allow to completely cool. Break up the extra crunch mix to very small bits to use to decorate the cake with.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 (8 oz) packs Cream Cheese
1 (16 oz)  Marscapone (or use 2 more 8oz pkg of Cream Cheese, if you wish)
2 sticks Softened Butter
1 lb  Powdered Sugar
1 tbsp Pure Vanilla

Whip the cream cheese, marscapone, and butter till very smooth and creamy. Slowly add in the powdered

sugar while mixer is on low setting. Add in Vanilla and mix well.  Set aside till needed.

After your cake is completely cooled (you can even refrigerate for a few hours) begin frosting the layers and putting the cake together.  After you have assembled all the layers with some frosting between them, start to spread the remaining frosting on the sides and top.  When finished frosting, coat sides and top with your extra crunch mixture.

The cake should be allowed to chill for a few hours before cutting, it will help firm up this cake.

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! This recipe is linked to the following linky parties: Show & Tell Linky Party, Gold Star Wednesday, Works for me Wednesday, Creative Share Wednesday, Make it Yours Day, and Midweek Motivation

Banana Doughnuts with Banana Frosting (GLUTEN-FREE)

Okay, whoever thinks Gluten-Free food tastes horrible has got to taste these doughnuts. AMAZING, DELICIOUS, SCRUMPTIOUS ON MY, that's just a few words to describe these luscious GLUTEN-FREE doughnuts. On my 8 hour search last Friday for gluten-free recipes I came across this amazing recipe and I knew I had to give it a try. And not just for my daughter, because we all love doughnuts and we don't eat them much (more because of the calories then anything else).  

In researching this recipe a little more I found some great web-sites. This recipe is actually from Everyday with Rachel Ray former editor Silvana Nardone. She even has her own blog for gluten-free baking and cooking Dish Towel Diaries and a cookbook: Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals. (I went right over to Amazon and purchased my own copy). The recipes look and sound amazing, out of all the gluten-free cook books I've looked at this seems to be my favorite so far.

Banana Doughnuts with Banana Frosting
Everyday with Rachel Ray  former editor Silvana Nardone

1 1/4 cups gluten flour & 1 tsp of xanthan gum (or use regular flour if you don't need gluten-free)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 bananas)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (make sure it's gluten-free)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease nonstick, 6-count doughnut pans (makes about 16 doughnuts). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla and the oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Spoon the batter about three-quarters full into the prepared pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool completely on a rack.

Banana Frosting
1/4 cup shortening, at room temperature
2-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (1 banana)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (make sure it's gluten-free)
1-3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the shortening, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and the lemon juice. Glaze the doughnuts with the frosting.

(We will be using this frosting on many things to come in the future, this would be awesome on cupcakes too)!



I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! This recipe is linked to the following linky parties: Feasting in Fellowship,  Fab Friday, Family Friendly Fridays, Fat Camp Friday, Feature YourSelf Friday, Sweet Tooth Friday and Flaunt it Friday

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GOODIES: Pumpkin Cupcakes

It's National Cupcake Day!

Day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas Goodies

Here's the list of the 12 Days of Christmas Goodies in case you need an idea (or two) for baking this year!

Day 1 - White Chocolate Spice Cookies

Day 2 - Munchable Mice

Day 3 - Red Velvet Cake Balls

Day 4 - White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

Day 5 - Nut Clusters (Butterscotch and Almond Clusters in a Crock-Pot)

Day 6 - Melting Snowman with Family Sugar Cookie Recipe

Day 7 - Pumpkin Cupcakes
Day 8 - Christmas Candy Bark
Day 9 - Grandma's Hundred Dollar Fudge

Day 10 - Snickerdoodle Cookies
Day 11 - Grandma's Butter Cookies

Day 12 - White Cranberry Crunch Bark

I hate saying this over and over again that "this or that" is another favorite in our house. But you have to know I ONLY post the good stuff and this will make it into that forever growing "favorite cookbook"! I was looking for a pumpkin flavor somethin' or other and came across these cupcakes. (I have to say I cheated a little on my 12 Days of Christmas Goodies, as I have NOT made these since Thanksgiving). They were just SOOOOO yummy and I had to share the recipe with all of you and I HOPE to be making these again soon (and of course will decorate with some festive Christmas sprinkles). But for now this photo will have to do!

Pumpkin Cranberry Cupcakes (or mini chocolate chips)
from Calm in the Kitchen

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries (or 1 cup mini chocolate chips, I have some family who do NOT like cranberries)

Mix oil, sugars, eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla together with a mixer on low until completely mixed. In a seperate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until done. Stir in the cranberries. Scoop into cupcake tins lined with papers and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes!

I have found my FAVORITE Cream Cheese frosting. And this has been a LONG process. I love how thick this frosting is and I love the tatse!

Cream Cheese Frosting

this is NOW my GO-TO recipe for any cream cheese frosting recipe I need! (LOVE IT!)
from a friend Carol

8 oz cream cheese - softened

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all together in mixer and blend until fluffy!

This post is also linked to: Merry Merry Munchies

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GOODIES BLOG HOP PARTY

<a href="http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/12%20DAYS%20OF%20CHRISTMAS%20GOODIES" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/12DaysofHolidayGoodies-1.jpg"></a><br /> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <textarea name="textarea" rows="4"><a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/12DaysofHolidayGoodies-1.jpg"></a><br /> <br />

If you would like to play along on the 12 Days of Christmas Goodies Blog Hop Party, feel free to link up a recipe or two of some GOODIES you are making this year. And if you wish to add this BLOG HOP PARTY to your own post, see below for the link and add it! You and your readers will then be able to see all the recipes people link up right on your own blog. (What a FUN and COOL idea! Gotta LOVE Mr. Linky)

Looking for the 12 DAYS OF CHRSITMAS GOODIES Blog Hop....

click here to see the entire hop on Day 12 !

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GOODIES: Melting Snowman with Our Family Sugar Cookie Recipe

Day 6 of 12 Days of Christmas Goodies

Last Christmas we were on a quest to find the BEST Sugar Cookie recipe around. I think we must of made at least a half-a-dozen Sugar Cookie recipes (along with an ole' family favorite, that I had kind' of forgotten about) and wouldn't you know it. Each and everytime we did a taste test, the ole' family favorite would always come out on top. I made them for serveral people, we had voting contests, we layed them out for days in ziploc bags and actually left them out on the counter too (not intentionally). And ya know our ole' family favorite was still SOFT every time. Here are a few of the top reasons this recipe will now and forever be the only Sugar Cookie recipe we ever make.

1. The cookies are SOFT and stay SOFT for a long time (days and days and days)!
2. They cook perfectly every time, in just 10 minutes.
3. They do NOT use cream cheese or sour cream (or any other fancy thing).
4. Simple and Delicious!

I was already a few days into my 12 Days of Christmas Goodies when I came across these adorable Snowman and I just knew I had to make them. If you've been a reader of mine you know that for Halloween I made these cute little Mice (and brought them back as Christmas Mice) and then for Thanksgiving I made the ever so friendly Turkeys (which were not ever-so friendly on my time, but still came out so cute!), I think I see a pattern here and now for Christmas time I have these adorable Snowman that my children will be passing out to some of their lucky friends today at school! I JUST LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME!

For a COMPLETE tutorial of these famous Melting Snowman click here to be taken to Truly Custom Cakery. This is where I found the recipe and I do not want to mess up their AWESOME tutorial. I will share below MY family recipe for Sugar Cookies and the icing recipe I choose to use on these deliciously cute Melting Snowman. I used our favoirte family recipe for the sugar cookies and then used a standard Royal Icing so that I could get the melting snow look. (See below for the normal icing I use when I just frost sugar cookies).

Our Family Sugar Cookie Recipe

from long-time family friend Sandi

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1-3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup milk

Beat egg, sugar, butter and vanilla. Mix flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add in milk and blend all together. Chill (overnight or at least for several hours). Roll out dough with additional flour and cut cookie cutters to cut out. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. (darker pans make cookies turn out darker and a little bit crisper, but still soft)

Royal Icing

from allrecipes.com

4 egg whites

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Beat egg whites in clean, large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy (use only grade A clean, uncracked eggs). Gradually add sugar and lemon extract. Beat at high speed until thickened.

Above are just a few different decorations I have done on our ole' Sugar Cookies.

1. Dipped in White & Milk Chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. (top left corner)
2. Christmas Tree design was done with Wiltons Icing in a tube. (the main photo)
3. EVERYONE's favorite way to enjoy Sugar Cookies with icing recipe below. (center picture on left)

Sugar Cookie Icing

4 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

1/2 cup butter shortening
5 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Beat all together until fluffy. Add food coloring if desired.

GRAB OUR BUTTON AND JOIN IN THE

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GOODIES BLOG HOP PARTY

<a href="http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/12%20DAYS%20OF%20CHRISTMAS%20GOODIES" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/12DaysofHolidayGoodies-1.jpg"></a><br /> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <textarea name="textarea" rows="4"><a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/12DaysofHolidayGoodies-1.jpg"></a><br /> <br />

If you would like to play along on the 12 Days of Christmas Goodies Blog Hop Party, feel free to link up a recipe or two of some GOODIES you are making this year. And if you wish to add this BLOG HOP PARTY to your own post, see below for the link and add it! You and your readers will then be able to see all the recipes people link up right on your own blog. (What a FUN and COOL idea! Gotta LOVE Mr. Linky)

Here's the list of the 12 Days of Christmas Goodies in case you need an idea (or two) for baking this year!

Day 1 - White Chocolate Spice Cookies

Day 2 - Munchable Mice

Day 3 - Red Velvet Cake Balls

Day 4 - White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

Day 5 - Nut Clusters (Butterscotch and Almond Clusters in a Crock-Pot)

Day 6 - Melting Snowman with Family Sugar Cookie Recipe

Day 7 - Pumpkin Cupcakes
Day 8 - Christmas Candy Bark
Day 9 - Grandma's Hundred Dollar Fudge

Day 10 - Snickerdoodle Cookies
Day 11 - Grandma's Butter Cookies

Day 12 - White Cranberry Crunch Bark

This post is also linked to: Merry Merry Munchies, Fat Camp Friday, From Apples to Zucchini, Home and Family Friday

Looking for the 12 DAYS OF CHRSITMAS GOODIES Blog Hop....

click here to see the entire hop on Day 12 !