Best of 2012

Want the most popular recipes from my blog?  Click the links to see why these are the top ten blog posts for 2012.  Start a baking marathon tonight or save them to your list of recipes to try.  Happy New Year!


1.  Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake

2. Hibiscus Tea Cupcake with Lemon Hibiscus Tea Frosting

3.   Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes with Ancho Whipped Cream

4.  Mango Cardamom Icebox Cake

5.    Chocolate Banana Upside Down Cake

6.  Pistachio Chocodate Cookies

7.  Thomas Keller's Oreos

8.  Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

9.  Blackberry Coffee Cake

10.   Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Biscoff Spread Cookies

Biscoff Spread Cookies

This cookie butter is better than Nutella.  Yeah, I said it.  Not too sweet and has a cinnamon and gingersnapish taste.  I had no idea what I was in for when I stuck a tablespoon inside this jar and found myself constantly going back for more.  Extremetly addictive - these cookies were meant to cure a sad and gloomy day.  Soft, cakey, buttery melt in your mouth cookies that satisfy an excuse for breaking the diet.

I really tried to ignore the Biscoff bandwagon until I had them on my trip to Italy when flying Swiss Air.  The European cookie is popular with coffee until some genius made it into a spread.  The spread is made of Speculoos cookies which can now be found in Trader Joe's grocery stores (called Speculoos Cookie Butter).  If you don't like chocolate you will like this spread.  If you don't like peanut butter you will like this spread.  Even if you like both you will like this spread.  The cookie butter is everything you want it to be and more and thats why these cookies are perfect.

Biscoff Spread Cookies

from Baking Bites

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Biscoff spread
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
approx 1/2 cup coarse sugar, for rolling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in Biscoff spread, egg and vanilla until smooth. With the mixer on low, gradually incorporate the flour mixture until the cookie dough comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Place sugar for rolling in a small, shallow bowl. Shape cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. 

Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until cookies are very lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dr. Seuss Inspired Birthday

I'm always trying to be creative for each of my son's birthdays. I have to say this particular birthday really brought out the "Wonka" in me.  Every detail was exciting, surprising and whimsical.

If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are changed by adult society. ~Jean Piaget

Dr. Seuss themed buffet table.

Swedish fish, pop chips, gold fish, swirled cookies and skittles all reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss book.

Cat in the Hat cupcakes.  These were my red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  You can find the recipe here.

Save the best for last.  A Seuss inspired...

rainbow cake!

The kids had a wonderful day and each child left with a 'Cat in the Hat' hat!

Probably the most fun I've had at a child's birthday party and I am happy it was my son's.