Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownies

I'm sure you all remember that famous episode of I Love Lucy when Lucy and Ethel look for jobs and end up in a candy shop making chocolate. I promise this recipe won't be as hard as Lucy's job, it's so easy anyone can do it. It was a rainy day today so I decided to have a lazy day bake some brownies. The movie Julie and Julia was on today which made this day so perfect, I got to eat brownies and watch one of my favorite movies! This recipe is also gluten free which is great for those who are allergic and it tastes soo delish! They are packed with dark chocolate chips and coconut, the chocolate melts in your mouth with every bite you take! You need to try these!

I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix.

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Put the mix into a large mixing bowl.

2. Beat in 1-1/2 sticks of melted butter, 1 egg, 2tsp. of gluten free vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of warm water. Mix until combined.

3. Now I added a whole bag of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips and a little more than half a bag of coconut, if you don't like coconut then you can skip this step.

4. Spread the mix into a greased pan, I used an 8x8 pan. I like to use a smaller pan because it makes the brownies thicker and more moist. There will be some left over brownie mix so I put the mix into a greased cupcake tin. Leave in 20-25 minutes, I like to take the brownies out a few minutes early because it makes the brownies more ooey and gooey!

I love love love tea cups, I can't get enough of them! When the brownies were done baking I took the brownies from the cupcake tin and put them into some beautiful tea cups. It's an easy way to make these delisious treats adorable and fun to eat.

Buttercream Icing

Are you looking for a simple and easy icing to make? Well Buttercream icing is perfect for you! It only takes a few minutes to make and it is fool proof, well almost. Many years ago my friend and I took a Wilton Cake Decorating Class and one of our assignments was to make Buttercream frosting. We were not thinking and hand mixed the icing instead of using a mixer. Yes, I know rookie mistake but at the time we were only in eight grade. However, buttercream icing can not only be used for icing cakes and cupcakes but it can also be used to pipe cute decorations which will make any cake look more presentable! This is the recipe that Wilton taught me. Try this classic recipe and please use a mixer;)

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1 stick of butter

2 tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

4 cups of confectioners' sugar

**If you want video instructions click here:)

You will want to mix the butter and the shortening together (with a mixer!) until smooth, next you will add the vanilla, if you use Wilton's Clear Vanilla Extract then it will not give your icing that dull color that normal vanilla extract does. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar one cup at a time at medium speed, don't freak out! The icing will look dry but this is when you add in your milk, and waa laa! Buttercream frosting. In the picture above I added light blue coloring to my frosting and I also added pink edible sugar pearls to give it that girly touch. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Fall is coming up quickly! Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. The air is crisp, all the leaves are falling and the fall baking begins! Baking in the fall is much more enjoyable than baking in the hot summer heat. Today was a nice cool day so I decided to try out a new recipe. I found it on Martha Stewart's website. Let me tell you, these are amazing! They are  little pieces of pumpkin heaven stuffed with cream cheese clouds! Naturally I love anything that has cream cheese frosting so once I saw these I knew I had to try them! (However, I did leave out the ground ginger only because i'm not a fan of it but they still tasted great.) Happy baking!

The recipe:

Ingredients for the Whoopie Pies:

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• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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• Cream Cheese Frosting:
• • • 3 cups of confectioners' sugar
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Now for the directions:
• 1.      Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
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• 2.         In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
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• 3.    Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
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• 4.       Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
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• 5.   Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.
 Here are a few quick tips!
• 1. Rather than dirtying up a bowl put the dry ingredients into a Zip-Lock bag, that way it won't make a mess and when your ready to mix them you can zip up the bag and shake. It also makes it easier when your adding your dry ingredients into your wet, you just un-zip the bag and pour a little in at a time. My sister taught me this great trick!
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2. If you don't have parchment paper you can use a baking spray on the pan so they won't stick.

3. This frosting can be a bit runny so I

 suggest leaving it in the fridge for a half hour or until

 it seems to thicken up a bit more, that way you won't have sliding Whoopie Pies!

Delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These red velvet cupcakes have to be my favorite cupcakes to make. They are so yummy! Every time I make this recipe they always comes out AMAZING! I got this recipe from Paula Deen so of course they are delish. I recommend these for anyone who is looking to try a new recipe out and to also impress your friends and family.

Here is the recipe:

Cupcake Batter

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Recipe

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Now for the directions, as long as you follow every step they will come out great, no need to get baking anxiety! I find that when i heat the oven to 370 instead of 350 my cupcakes rise extra high and get that nice rounded top. Just note that since your oven will be heated 20 degrees higher it will bake slightly faster.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. You can use a piping bag to pipe the icing on or you can just spread it on top. For the animals i used fondant and i got small cookie cutters to cut them out.