{ Skillet S'mores }

I have a confession.

These photos have been sitting on my camera for a year. #oops.

I found them when trying to make sure I had all of my 2015 photos downloaded onto my computer. I couldn't just let them go to waste, eh?

So, here we are. Skillet S'mores.

I served these to a group of VERY happy teenage boys, and also, my husband. There was nothing left. Nothing.

This is definitely something I now have in my arsenal. It's so easy, fast, and fun. Not to mention the taste.

Easy, gooey, chocolately. Good.

Amen.

Skillet S'mores

by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

1 Tablespoon oil

1 bag milk chocolate chips (I like Hershey's brand for this)

15-20 large marshmallows, cut in half

graham crackers

cast iron skillet (or other oven proof skillet*)

Preheat oven to 450* F

Pour oil into pan and brush with a pastry brush or coat all around with a paper towel. Be sure to coat the bottom and sides well.

Pour in chocolate chips. Top with marshmallow halves.

Bake for 5-7 minutes until marshmallows are toasted.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. This will give allow the heat from the pan to keep melting the chips.

Serve warm with graham crackers, but be wary of the hot pan.

*You can use another type of pan, but cast iron retains the heat for a better all around melt.

Adapted from Dessert for Two

{ Red Velvet Pancakes }

So, it happened. And it happened so fast. I don't think I even realize how fast it was happening, but it did, and it's here and there is nothing I can do about it. I knew it was going to happen and I knew it was going to happen quickly, but, I just don't know how it's here already.

My Bean is a Senior.

*momma wail*

I know I'm biased, but isn't he handsome?

Please note the Mr. Roger's tee shirt. That's just the kind of people we are.

For the first day of school I always like to make him something special for breakfast. It has been, very often, pancakes over the years. Since I made the Birthday Cake Pancakes for his 17th though, everything has changed. Normal pancakes won't do.

I considered making those again, which I've dubbed 'celebration pancakes' now, so he can have them more often, but I wanted this to be something even more special since it was his last first day of school (sans college).

Red Velvet it is.

He loves Red Velvet and the tang of cream cheese icing, so these were perfect. So easy to make too.
Like the Birthday Cake Pancakes, I mixed up the dry ingredients before I went to bed so they would be ready in the morning. I just measured everything into a lidded mixing bowl. I also made the glaze the night before. I refrigerated it, then sat it out as soon as I got up so it would get the chill off. Shaves a few minutes off the hectic before school routine. Then in the morning, I just measured in the wet ingredients and fried them up.

He said these are even BETTER than the Birthday Cake pancakes!

I think I just got an A+!

Happy School Year to all.

Tina



Red Velvet Pancakes
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

For the pancakes:

1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 cup red velvet cake mix*

1 1/2 Teaspoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Egg

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon Oil

Add all dry ingredients, into a mixing bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Slowly pour the wet into the dry and mix until combined. 
*cake mix is often lumpy, sift if needed

Pour a bit of oil into your pan and let heat. Drip a drop of the batter into the oil. When it begins to sizzle, add your pancakes.

When bubbles form on the cakes, carefully flip them over.
Test center by poking a small hole in it. If batter comes out, cook another minute or so.

Place on a paper towel just for a second to absorb any extra oil, then place on plate and serve!

This is a small recipe, it makes about 8 medium sized pancakes, easily doubled, tripled, etc.


Cream Cheese Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 oz cream cheese, softened 

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix softened cream cheese and powered sugar in a small bowl. Stir in milk a little at a time until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

Refrigerate any leftovers

You could also use my simple Vanilla Glaze instead

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2  Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add powered sugar and milk to melted butter. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Add vanilla and stir until combined. 

{ Cotton Candy Cream Cupcakes }

My count on cupcakes for the month of April, so far, is 26 dozen.

I'm tired of cupcakes. Cupcakes are dumb.

Wait, no, what am I saying? Forgive me cupcakes. Please, please forgive me.

I'm just a little tired of you right now. Don't worry, it won't last long!

I've made cupcakes for a fundraiser (twice), I've made cupcakes for a party, I've made cupcakes for a friend, and lastly, I've made cupcakes for a baby shower. That's where these come in.

If you didn't guess already, my friend Julie is having a boy!

 With all the other baking I'd been doing, I decided to keep these simple and start with a box mix. From there, I added grocery store cotton candy (you can usually find it in the candy or chip aisle), some sprinkles, a little vanilla to the batter, filled with a lovely cream filling, and then topped with a cotton candy buttercream.

While a very sweet cupcake, these are Bean's new favorite. He really LOVES them.

You can top your cupcakes with a bit of Cotton Candy, but do not add it until just before serving or it will dry up and get all yicky (professional term). I decided to top mine with shiny, pearly Sixlet and some blue sugar crystals.

If I were making these for a different occasion, I would have done a plain buttercream tinted pink as well, and swirled on a bit of pink, then a bit of blue for a truer cotton candy look.

These are still pretty cupcakes though. You can see little bits of the cotton candy peeking out of the top of the cupcake, and when you bite in, you will definitely see it and your sprinkles.

Much fun!

While I am, in fact, quite tired of cupcakes, I have more ideas for them up my sleeve... as always!

Tina


Cotton Candy Cream Cupcakes
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

For the cupcakes:
1 box White Cake Mix plus ingredients listed on back of box
1/2 cup cotton candy (more for garnish, if desired)
1 Tablespoon blue jimmie sprinkles (or blue and pink)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preaheat oven to 350 F.


Prepare cupcake pans with liners and set aside.

Mix up cake as directed on back of box. Add in vanilla. Pack 1/2 cup cotton candy in a measuring cup. Once measured, break it up and mix into the batter. Lastly, add the jimmies and beat lightly to avoid streaking.

Scoop batter into liners and bake according to box.

While the cupcakes are baking, start the cream filling.

Cream filling:

1 Cup Whole (Vitamin D) Milk

5 Tablespoons Flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Cup Butter (not margarine) barely room temp

1 Cup Granulated Sugar (NOT powdered sugar)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into the milk until smooth. Heat, stirring constantly, until very thick (thicker than pudding). Remove and allow to cool fully. You can sit the pan in an ice bath if you don’t want to wait.

In your mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. 

Once cool, in the flour/milk and beat until fully combined. Add in the vanilla. Beat until fluffy.

Finished it will look like a thick whipped cream.

When the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the cream filling into the cupcakes. (See here for instructions if you do not know how.)

Top with Cotton Candy Buttercream

Cotton Candy Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb. (about 4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup packed cotton candy

blue food coloring

With mixer, beat butter for 3 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and salt until well combined. Add cotton candy to heavy cream a little at a time. It will melt into the cream. Add heavy cream/cotton candy liquid to butter/sugar mixture. Beat on high for 4 minutes.  If too thick, add more cream 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

Pipe onto filled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, sixlets, cotton candy, etc.

Buttercream adapted from Bakingdom
Cream filling recipe from Tasty Kitchen

 Linked up on Tip Junkie