First Birthday Animal Cupcakes

My baby had a fabulous first birthday!  Instead of cake I made sheep, pig, turtle, and chick cupcakes.  The cupcake recipe is from the joy of baking website.  I used safflower instead of canola oil and made a cream cheese icing instead of ganache.  I used the agave cream cheese recipe from weelicious.com, but added maple syrup and extra agave to make it sweeter.

Sheep

To make the sheep I pressed shredded coconut into the icing.  I used confetti candy for the head, chocolate chips for eyes, black licorice for ears, and chocolate mint sticks for legs. 

Pigs 

To create pink icing I added strawberry juice (from frozen berries).  The nose and ears are pink mints, the nostrils are chocolate chips, and the eyes and mouth are licorice laces.

Turtles  

To tint the icing green I added a few drops of liquid chlorophyll that I bought at a health food store. I used green licorice laces for the shell, pecans for the feet, chocolate chips for eyes, and a candy mint leaf cut in half for the head and tail.  

Chicks

I pressed finely shredded coconut into the icing to create feathers.  The beak is an almond, and the eyes and comb are licorice lace.  

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes 

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium sized bananas)

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup safflower oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 24 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
 6 tablespoons agave nectar

3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place all the ingredients in a mixer and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy.

Double Chocolate Cookies

These are the best chocolate cookies I have ever eaten.  My mom found this recipe in Taste of Home Contest Winning Recipes.  The original recipe, by Michelle Wolford, is for ice cream sandwiches, but we ditched the ice cream part.  I use whole wheat flour instead of white and the cookies are still scrumptious.  I always double the recipe, as the original only makes about a dozen.  Bet you can't eat just one!

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour 
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Grease the cookie sheets.  Mix the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until mixed.  Add the chocolate chips.  Each cookie should be a heaping teaspoon of dough.  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. 

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

My grandma always has these cookies on hand when we visit.  She makes them really small, so when I make these cookies I do the same thing - then I can eat three instead of one!  I use real (or pure) vanilla because it tastes so much better than imitation vanilla.  Splurge a little and your mouth will thank you.  

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 scant cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease cookie sheets.  Soften the butter and mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and coconut.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients.  Add chocolate chips and stir.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Makes 36 mini cookies.