Hummingbird Cupcakes.

These may be the very best cupcakes I've ever had. 

Just the name hummingbird cake says Easter and spring to me. 

Need more convincing? These sweet, moist, sugary rich Southern cupcakes are chock-full of bananas, coconut, crushed pineapple, cinnamon, and toasted walnuts & are topped with a ridiculous addicting cream cheese frosting that you'll want to eat with your fingers a spoon. 

I died while these were in the oven. Died. They smelled that good. I'm surprised they got frosted at all.

Usually these are topped with a fancy dried pineapple flower or a sprinkling of nuts, but it's almost Easter & I was feeling festive. So I added some toasted coconut & a few speckled peanut butter eggs! It made me giggle.

I'll do anything to add peanut butter to a recipe.

I didn't expect to love these so much. There's no chocolate. There's no cheesecake. There's no strawberries. They're full of fruit and nuts, which makes them practically healthy. If you like, you can even convince yourself that they're just classy banana nut muffins, which makes them perfectly acceptable for breakfast, right?

Right?

... don't answer that.

It's probably best for everyone if I never make a hummingbird cake. 

Happy Easter baking! 

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 really big bananas)
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional) [I used walnuts, toasted for 5 minutes at 350°F)
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, vanilla, and sugar and beat until blended and smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the mashed bananas.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the pineapple, nuts (if using), and coconut with a spatula until evenly mixed.

Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a Wilton #1M tip to frost these cupcakes.)

If decorating with toasted coconut, place about 1 cup of unsweetened coconut on a baking sheet or in a metal pie tin and place in oven for about 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. Be sure to check it every few minutes, shaking pan or stirring with a spooon to make sure it toasts evenly.

Source: From Annie's Eats.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes.

Something happened when I made strawberry shortcake cookies. 

I zested a lemon.

And all of a sudden, everything felt like spring.

So I made cupcakes! 

Lemon cupcakes. 

Confession: I used to eat lemon slices like they were oranges when I was younger. It makes me cringe now.

But not these.

These are filled with sweet, sugary lemon flavor. And zest. Lots of zest.

Oh and a ribbon of raspberry jam. Did I mention that? 

I should've. It's the best part. 

Together with the swirl of raspberry buttercream on top, these cupcakes turned out so beautifully and were absolutely heavenly. I really love the strong, but not overpowering lemon flavor of the cake and the sweet layer of raspberry jam hidden inside. They're perfect for springtime and Easter, but I think they'd be super cute for even Mother's Day. 

Especially with the little marshmallow flowers. 

Oh and look what I woke up to this morning!

It's our 3 year anniversary! Can you believe that? 3 years. I have the best boyfriend in the world.  

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Cupcakes
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 teaspoons seedless raspberry jam (Confession: I didn't use seedless)

Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl until fluffy & well blended.  Add eggs, beating to blend. Beat in half the flour, then buttermilk and lemon juice, then the remaining flour.

Drop a spoonful of the cupcake batter into the bottom of each muffin cup.

Use the back of a spoon to spread it around to the edges of the tin, otherwise the jam will go right to the bottom.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of the batter of each muffin cup.

Divide remaining batter among muffin cups to top the jam.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat butter and raspberry jam together until well mixed and smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until you reach a consistency that you desire. Pipe onto cupcakes and decorate! (I used a Wilton #1M tip for these cupcakes.) 

Source: From Recipe Girl.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies.

I have a problem. 

I kind of love strawberries.

In a normal day, I will consume: a big cup of Dunkin Donuts strawberry shortcake coffee, wild strawberry-flavored water, a small bowl of fresh strawberries, sometimes frozen, because I'm weird, sometimes with strawberry yogurt, cuz that just seems more healthy, more strawberries snuck throughout the day when no one's looking because I'm convinced I'm starving, & sometimes, if my own wiggling isn't enough, strawberry Jello.

So it was only a matter of time really before strawberries found their way into my cookies too. 

I immediately fell in love with the idea of these and was so, so excited to try them. What could be more perfect than a strawberry shortcake cookie? 

I mean, unless, somewhere in the world, a strawberry shortcake cheesecake exists. Because we all know how I feel about cheesecake.

These bitesize cookies reminded me more of a strawberry muffin top or miniature scone: tender and soft and cakey on the inside & slightly crisp and golden brown on the outside. They were everything I love about shortcake, light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth, and bursting with springtime flavor (and strawberries!). You can even see the flecks of lemon zest in them. 

They're best eaten the day that they're made... or for breakfast the next.

Especially with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream sandwiched between two fluffy cookies. 

Or crumbled warm over ice cream. 

Or covered in whipped cream. 

I love spring.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Printable Recipe

12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling over the cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and remaining sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until moist and fragrant.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the zest/sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Using a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs. Add the cream to the bowl and stir until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in the strawberry mixture.

Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool. The cookies are best the day they're made, but can be kept in an airtight container for 1 day.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Source: From Pink Parsley Catering.

Food That Should Exist.

Or if it does exist, should find its way to my doorstep.

1. Peanut butter cup frappuccinos.

2. New flavors of chocolate chips: raspberry (I know I've seen these before), mocha, triple chocolate (milk, dark, and white), ooooh... and a white chocolate chip with raspberry swirls. 

And am the only person who thinks Lindt should make chocolate chips? 

3. Chocolate-covered marshmallows, the size of M&Ms. Or just marshmallow M&Ms! Imagine the s'mores cookies you could create with those. Bonus points if the marshmallow bits have a graham cracker layer too. S'mores M&Ms! 

4. Anyone work in M&M research & development? Because there should also be a peanut butter pretzel M&M.

And a peanut butter white chocolate.

No, really. Why is there no white chocolate?

I heart M&Ms. Have you noticed?

5. Ice cream cones made out graham crackers. I've wanted these ever since I fell in love with strawberry cheesecake ice cream. 

6. Deep fried cake bites. Mmm. Like red velvet bites drizzled with cream cheese icing. Better yet, fried strawberry shortcake bites... little cubes of pound cake, maybe with a layer of strawberry buttercream, fried & served with strawberries & powdered sugar & whipped cream. The type of food you can only get away with eating at a summer fair.

... maybe what I'm really craving is french toast?

7. Lucky Charms marshmallows. Like... bags of just the marshmallows. 

8. Chocolate-flavored heavy whipping cream. I use whipping cream in my coffee... is that weird? This would be a convenient way to make a mocha without using real chocolate. 

9. French toast made with zucchini bread. Or cranberry-orange bread. Banana bread. Croissants!

10. Extra thick, extra fluffy pancakes slit open like a pita bread and stuffed with scrambled eggs & bacon.

Bonus points if shaped like baby elephants.

I'm hungry.

Chocolate Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I love chocolate chip cookies. Can you tell? This being my third post about them this week and all.

I'm sorry. You love me.

If it helps, I promise to post something so different in the next few days that you'll wonder if it's the same blog.  

But for now... these.

The thing I love most about chocolate chip cookies is the possibilies.  

You can bake them onto graham crackers like s'mores. 

You can stuff them with Oreos. 

You can mix and match them with other cookie doughs to make them pretty and marbled.

You can fancy them up with oats and M&Ms and pecans or make mini frosting-stuffed cookie sandwiches. 

Or... you can stuff them with even more chocolate.

In the original recipe from Picky Palate, Jenny, who I am personally blaming if I go up a pant size this week, stuffed her cookies with Reese's and Kit Kats and Snickers. Because I lack the willpower to let these sorts of things in my house, I used what we had on hand: bite-size special dark and milk chocolate Hershey bars...

... and mini Heath toffee bars. 

You know. Cuz that's just so much easier to resist than a peanut butter cup.  

Speaking of Kit Kats... did you know there are other flavors besides chocolate? Like blueberry, baked corn, sweet potato, and apple? I know. My mind was blown too.

Anyway. These were amazing. I love that they look like regular, deceitful chocolate chip cookies on the outside...

but were full of secret awesome on the inside. They'd be the perfect cookies to make to use up any leftover Halloween candy.

You know. If it was October and not the beginning of spring. 

Chocolate Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10-ounce bag of chocolate chips
Assorted mini chocolate bars or snack-size candy bars

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of dough and place on top of a mini chocolate bar. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of chocolate bar. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until candy is completely enclosed with dough.

Place onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet and bake cookies for 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Source: Picky Palate.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What's better than a chocolate chip cookie?

A chocolate chip cookie stuffed with even more cookie.

Holy addicting.

There's not much else to say. These are every bit as good as they look- a big bakery-style chocolate chip cookie...

... stuffed with an Oreo cookie that turns cakey and soft in the oven. They're rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicous.

Make them. Now. 

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10-ounce bag of chocolate chips

1 bag of Oreos, or about 24 Oreos (Jenny used Double Stuff in the original recipe, I used regular Oreos) 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of dough and place on top of an Oreo cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough.

You know these are going to be good when the dough balls are the size of small grapefruits.

Place onto a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet and bake cookies for 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Source: Picky Palate.

Soft, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Earlier this week I realized I'd never posted a recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

Also, I've never made pie.

And I've recently discovered bits of flour, batter, and frosting in the crevices of my camera.

I think this officially makes me a food blogger.

If you like your cookies on the crunchy side with a slightly soft center, I recommend the pretzel M&M cookies I posted last year. It's a similar recipe, using shortening instead of butter, is boyfriend-approved, and has been my go-to recipe for years. 

But, if you're like me, and prefer a soft, thick, chewy, bakery-style chocolate chip cookie with an almost cookie dough-y center that melts in your mouth... this recipe is infinitely better.

And my new favorite.

This is the recipe Jenny from Picky Palate uses in all of her famous stuffed cookie recipes, except I threw in a half teaspoon of cinnamon in to make the chocolate chips really pop. I love the way cinnamon tastes in chocolate chip cookies. 

My knees nearly buckled when these came out of the oven. They were soft and gooey and perfect, like fancy gourmet cookies, but better. 

But instead of shoveling a hundred of them into my mouth like I wanted to, I loyally stacked them onto a plate, hunted down natural lighting in the middle of a rainstorm, and got cookie crumbs all over my camera and lens. 

Food bloggers. We're a crazy special bunch.

Soft, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (12-ounce) bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add eggs one a time and then the vanilla, until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls (I used a cookie scoop) onto a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are done.

Source: Barely adapted from Picky Palate.