Cherry Coke Cupcakes


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Horrible Picure.

Cherry Coke Cupcakes:

For the cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
¾ cup Coca-Cola

¼ tsp. maraschino cherry juice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Maraschino cherries, stemless

For topping:
2/3 cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. powdered sugar
Maraschino cherries

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners as my batch was extrememly messy and stickey! Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together and set aside. In a mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg. Combine the buttermilk, Coke, maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla extract. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture  alternating with the liquid and dry ingredients. Pour the batter evenly into the liners and place 3 stemless maraschino cherries into each cupcake. You will need to push them down into the batter. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until done.

To make the whipped topping, add the heavy cream and whip with a mixer. Start adding the confectioners' sugar and continue to whip until well blended.

I also added some coke and cherry juice, which totally turned it into a sticky glaze instead of a nice fluffy topping. It was so very delicious, but as usual the overall look was not so pretty. I also made the cupcakes the night before and whipped up the topping the day of presentation. These cupcakes were SO yummy. They held the perfect mix of cherry, chocolate and coke. I had zero complaints from the cupcake eaters aside from the fact that I made them very sticky. :) This recipe came from Annie's Eats and her cupcakes are much prettier and actually have whipped frosting on top. I would absolutely make them again.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies
1 C Unsalted Butter
1 C Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 C Sugar
1 C Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2.5 C Flour
1 t Baking Powder
.5 t Salt
1.5 t Baking Soda

Mix together butter, peanut butter and the sugars. Add the eggs and beat. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Stir this mixture into the batter. Refrigerate the mix for an hour. After an hour, make 1 inch dough balls and place on a cookie sheet. Mash down with a fork. Cook for roughly 10 minutes at 375.

I had a sweet craving and decided to make cookies. This recipe was chosen because it is what I had on hand. Very simple ingredients. It was super easy to make and delicious to eat. J is not a peanut butter fan and he loved them.A quick and easy thing to make for guests unless they are allergic to peanuts. 

HHBC: Black Tie Affair (January)

Before the month ends I will try to get a complete post of this month's HHBC. It was a NYE/Black Tie Affair although we did not dress up. B was our wonderful hostess and I think it was one of the best so far! For our favors we painted HHBC wine glasses. Due to my horrible artistic skills, there will be no picture of this cute idea.

Pork Loin
Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
Roasted Potatoes
Green Bean Bundles
Banana Pudding
Cotton Candy Cosmos

Who knew cotton candy came in a creepy snowman container?

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake

• 1 Angel Food Cake - Large

Custard:

• 1 Cream cheese -softened, 8 oz.
• 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz.
• Cool Whip - 12 oz.

For the glaze:

• 1C Sugar
• 3T Cornstarch
• 3T Strawberry Jello Mix
• 1C Water
• 2C Fresh Strawberries - cut in half

Slice the cake into 3 equal layers horizontally. Mix together the cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped topping for the custard and set aside. In a medium saucepan, stir the sugar, cornstarch, Jello and add the water. Stir on medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Fold in the strawberries. Place the first layer of cake and top with a layer of glaze and then a layer of custard mixture. Repeat layering in this order for the remaining cake, glaze and custard. Garnish the top with strawberries and mint leaves.

Such a pretty dessert! If you have a tall glass dish I would suggest using it as the serving piece. Of course this comes from someone who lacks in presentation so take that advice carefully! I have really started to like fruity desserts and the Strawberry Shortcake started this trend. The texture is very light, but this sweet is surprisingly very rich in taste. I really thought only chocolate desserts could be so rich until I had this. Yummm.

HHBC: Christmas Elves

I am overdue for the December HHBC considering that it is almost the end of January. What can I say? Things have been crazy busy! For the December HHBC, DJ was the host and decided on a Christmas theme. Dinner was yummy and the holiday decor made it easy to get into the Christmas spirit! Plus, because she and I are basically sisters separated at birth it was no surprise that the music of choice was Hanson's Christmas album, Snowed In. It's just not Christmas without some Hanson. DJ also gave us reindeer head piece things, a stylish business card holder and a festive drinking glass. Without delay, here is what was on the menu:

Beef Brisket
Scalloped Crack Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Strawberry Shortcake
Fruity Pebble Cocktail

Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• 14 oz Sweetened, Condensed Milk
• 1 (5 ounce) Package Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 3 C Cold Milk
• 1 t Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cool Whip - thawed
• 4 Bananas - sliced
• 1 Package Vanilla Wafers
  

Using a mixer beat the cream cheese until fluffy in a large bowl. Add in the condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla mixing until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip and continue to mix evenly. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over the wafers. Spread with the pudding mixture and top with remaining Cool Whip. Place remaining wafers on top and chill until ready to serve. 

Let me start off by saying that I am not a banana dessert person. Honestly, if I am indulging in a dessert it should have absolutely zero healthiness to it and I associate fruit with being healthy.  With that being said, one of our fabulous friends from Abilene made this one night. I decided to try it and I was hooked. This recipe is so simple to make, but it tastes like you spent hours preparing it. I made it for the family for our big Christmas dinner and I made it for the January HHBC meeting. It received positive feedback on both occasions. Definitely worth trying.

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and decided to walk on the wild side since I do NOT bake.

Like ever.

As most of you faithful readers know by now, the dishes I make taste awesome. However, I severely lack in presentation. For Christmas I decided to make these pretty cookies as gifts and whipped up six dozen or so.

At first this recipe seemed overwhelming, but once you get started it is very simple. J really liked the cookies and he does not like sweets. I also had positive feedback from those who dared to take a bite. It is a different twist to the typical cookie and I even decorated the cookies by coating the tops with white chocolate and colored sprinkles. Edit: Years later (December ’16) I decided to make these for a Christmas Cookie party we attended. Once again, they did not disappoint and I went sans sprinkles on the decorating. Personally, I thought they tasted better a day later.

What are you waiting for? Get to it!

Fixings 

1 Jar Maraschino Cherries - chopped
2.5C Flour
1/2C Sugar
1C Cold Butter - cubed
1 Package White Chocolate Chips
1.5t Almond Extract
2T Cherry Juice
Salt - dash
Sprinkles

Fix It

1. Drain the cherries, but save 2T of cherry juice. Chop those cherries up into tiny pieces!
2. Mix the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl, then add the cold butter. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender (a fork will work too) until the mixture turns into a crumby substance.
3. Add the cherries, white chocolate chips, almond extract, salt and cherry juice.
4. Dig your hands into the bowl and mix the ingredients together.
5. Rolls the mixture into small balls and place on a greased cookie sheet (or parchment paper).
6. Dip the bottom of a glass or mug (I used a juice glass) in sugar and smash the cookies flat.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for roughly 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
8. Cool on the pan for a few minutes then move to a cooling rack.

Onto the super fun part! You have a few options to jazz up these delicious treats! When I first made these, I dipped part of the cookie in the white chocolate then dipped it again in festive red sprinkles. For my most recent batch, I used white chocolate for a whimsical drizzle – ideal for those who lack in craftiness or patience.

1.  Melt the white chocolate in thirty second intervals. Be sure to stir every so often. I even added a bit of butter, just for kicks.
2. Once fully melted, use accordingly. If going the drizzle route, try using a fork to splatter the yumminess.
3. Let the white chocolate cool and enjoy! 

Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark
1 Bag Nestle Semi Sweet Milk Chocolate
1 Bag Nestle Semi Sweet White Chocolate
Peppermint Candy Canes - crushed

Crush candy canes into tiny pieces. Melt the entire bag of chocolate morsels. This can be done in the microwave in thirty second increments. Make sure to stir throughout the melting process and be careful not to burn the chocolate. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and pour the melted chocolate on the foil spreading it evenly across the pan. Repeat the same process with the white chocolate and swirl it into the milk chocolate or spread it on top. Top the chocolate with the crushed candy cane and place in the fridge until completely cooled. Break into pieces when ready to serve and keep leftovers in the fridge to prevent melting.

I know Christmas has passed, but I wanted to share this recipe for next year. I'm sure candy canes are on sale so you could probably make this today! This is another festive dessert that is great for the holidays. As stated previously, I am not a huge fan of peppermint but the chocolate prevents your taste buds from being overwhelmed. A very simple recipe that would be easy and fun for kids.

Reindeer Food

Reindeer Food
6 C Chex Cereal
1/3 C Crushed Peppermint
1 bag Nestle Tollhouse White Morsels

Melt the entire bag of white morsels. This can be done by microwaving and stirring the chocolate in 30 second increments. Take half of the crushed peppermint and mix into the white chocolate. Mix the cereal and melted chocolate mixture in a big bowl. Make sure the cereal is well coated. Pour the cereal onto a sheet of aluminum foil and top with the remaining peppermint. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Store in an air tight container until ready to serve.

I am not a huge peppermint fan by any means. That being said, this is a secret recipe for crack. I swear it is that addicting. I made it for a Christmas party last weekend. It made a good amount, but if you are going to be serving a large group I would double the recipe. It is very, very easy to make and requires little effort. A great snack for the holidays.

Apple & Pear Cobbler

Apple & Pear Cobbler

4 Fresh Pears - sliced

4 Fresh Apples - sliced

2T Cinnamon Powder

1T Nutmeg Powder

1C Sugar 

3/4C Butter - melted
1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar together with the sliced apples and pears. Place the pear and apple substance in a baking container and cover with the yellow cake mix. Pour the melted butter on top (make sure the top is coated w/ butter). Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

I personally have not made this, but I would. Such an easy recipe that seems to require minimal effort and a short baking time. My sister works at a hotel and this is a popular recipe served there. She emailed it over - however she has not tried it either because she doesn't eat apples, pears or cinnamon. She's an odd bird. :) As with any cobbler, I imagine ice cream would be a heavenly addition.

Homemade Apple Pie

Homemade Apple Pie

8 medium apples - 4 Granny Smith, 4 Courtland, Jonathan or another firm apple (You need about 8 cups)

Lemon Juice

3/4C Sugar

1/4C Brown Sugar

1/4 C Flour

2 t Cinnamon

1/4 t Nutmeg

Pre Made Crust

Pillsbury Dough

Butter

Peel the apples and cut them into slices or chunks. Put the apple slices in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Mix the sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Add this mixture to the apples and toss well. Make sure the apples are completely coated. Fill the pie crust with the apple mixture. For the lattice crust, you can use the Pillsbury dough that you unroll and use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips. Place the strips vertically and horizontally across the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Check the crust to make sure it is not burning -if it is than place aluminum foil on it. Ten minutes before it is done, brush the crust with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Serve hot with ice cream.

This was our dessert from the October HHBC. It was SO delicious and even better with vanilla ice cream on top. A wonderful festive dessert for the fall season.

Hungry Hungry Bia's Club

One day while I was stalking an Eat, Sleep, Cheer blog, I decided that I wanted to do something similar. I had always thought about having something like that in Abilene, but life gets crazy and the idea was hidden somewhere in my brain. However, after deciding that I do not have enough on my plate this fall, I finally decided to sent out an email and see if there was any interest in a supper club. It was at this time that Hungry Hungry Bia's Club was born. We decided to get together monthly: the host picks the theme, the main dish and something else (side, drink, appetizer, etc.) Everything else gets assigned to the guests.

Last week, I hosted the first HHBC meeting and I believe it was a success. It was great to have a few drinks with the girls (my featured drink almost killed everyone) and I love new recipes! We started with a small group (4 of us total) which worked out well because most of us currently reside in an apartment AND everyone was able to eat at the table. Winning.

Autumn Harvest Dinner
Apple &Spice Pork Roast

Seasoned Asparagus

Feta & Tomato Pasta Salad

Apple Pie

Caramel Appletinis

A wonderfully flavored menu! Maybe apple should have been the theme? My mother had given me a few place settings that were "fall ish" so I used the linens to set the table. Also, since most of our stuff is in storage (including all of our bar ware), I picked up a few martini glasses for the featured drink. I put a few caramel candies in each glass and also placed a few blank recipe cards on top. Voila! A very inexpensive, but useful favor for the guests. In the next few days I'll post the recipes to the dishes listed above. Yum!

The table setting. I would have gone crazy if our stuff wasn't in storage. :(

Recipe cards from Hobby Lobby.

Martini glass with caramels for the drinks.

Guest Blog from And Puppy Makes 3: Lemonade Pie

Hi there! My name is Laura and I'm really excited to be guest blogging for Bentley. Like the car.! You can check out my blog, And Puppy Makes Three, to see Adrienne's guest blog appearance soon! Adrienne asked me to bake something because it's not her favorite thing to do. Ironically, the dessert I chose to blog about is a no-bake pie! Oops! BUT, this is perfect for people who, like Adrienne, aren't too keen on baking. 

This lemonade treat is the perfect end to a summer meal and a delicious way to cool down from the warm, sunny weather! What's even better? You won't have to spend loads of time in the kitchen to whip this up! It takes about fifteen minutes to put this pie together and then you can head back outside to the pool to spend time with your friends and family! 

You will need:

1 can evaporated milk

2 lemon instant pudding mixes

1 tablespoon of lemon zest

2 packages of softened cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 can of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

thawed frozen whipped topping

and a graham cracker piecrust (Click here to get my recipe for a graham cracker crust) 

Step 1: Whisk the evaporated milk, pudding mix, and lemon zest together until well combined and mixture is thickened.

Step 2: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and vanilla until they are fluffy.

Step 3: Add the lemonade concentrate. Beat until smooth. 

Step 4: Pour the milk mixture into the mixer bowl and beat until blended. I should have beat mine for longer. The cream cheese wasn't complete blended.

Step 5: Pour mixture into the graham cracker pie crust.

Step 6: Cover and let chill for at least 8 hours.

My dog, Jackson, wanted to help ;)

Final Step: Garnish with whipped topping and lemon zest and enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

Welcome to a special edition of Bentley Like the Car - I Should Be A Princess.

While I very much enjoyed the Royal Wedding - okay, I just love Kate Middleton. Back in the old days I thought Prince Williams was so handsome, but age has not treated him too kindly. However, I adore Kate! I think she is pretty, but I obsess with her poise and amazing fashion sense. So I was excited to see the Royal Wedding attire. I loved it. And thank goodness for DVR so I could fast forward the LONG wedding!

And I thought this was so hilarious:

However, this post would not be complete without a recipe - royal wedding style. So without further delay insert drum roll here

Fruit Pizza

Roll of sugar cookie dough

8 oz neufchatel cream cheese

1/2 C sugar

1/2 t vanilla extract 

Fruit

Bake the cookie first according to instructions. Obviously you want to flatten it out before the bake. Place cookie in the fridge to cool. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread the icing on the cookie and add fruit accordingly.

This is a cool yummy treat that my sister is obsessed with. C loves to make and design this dessert. Aside from the fruit below, you can always add in what you desire - raspberries, kiwi, etc. A very easy to make item that I can imagine, would be easy to make with your kids! My cats weren't too interested in it though.....

Thanksgiving Food (part 1): Pumpkin Cheesecake & Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I cooked a lot this holiday and I really enjoyed it. I'm not a huge baker (because I will completely eat what I make and don't need the calories), but I love to make cheesecake since it is my husband's favorite dessert!

Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Cheesecake:
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

She also has a recipe for the crust, but I was short on time so I just bought the kind already made in the store. Shhhhh!!! I knew I would have leftover pumpkin so I looked online to find another delicious treat and VOILA - chocolate chip pumpkin cookies. I received numerous compliments on both treats. I will definitely use both recipes again.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla paste (extract will work just fine)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.


In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.


Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in.


Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.


Add vanilla and chocolate chips.


Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 12 -14 minutes until light and firm.