{ 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

{ Reese's Cake }

Today is my Bean's 18th birthday. As ridiculous as that sounds, it is, in fact, true.

Last week I was reading the book Hyperbole and a Half  (so funny. SO. FUNNY. Also, a little sad, but mostly FUNNY. You should totally read it.) by Allie Brosh from the blog of the same name. One of the chapters was called God of Cake, and it seemed only fitting to talk about today.

You see, Bean loves cake.

Here is a peek at God of Cake:

drawings property of Hyperbole and a Half

God of Cake is actually a post she has online too. For the love of all that is good and holy GO READ IT NOW. DO IT. I'll wait here.

Ok, now that you are back, let me share this.

Instead of being his grandpa's cake, like in Allie's story, it was his dad's. Instead of being 4 like Allie, he was 3.

I caught him in his playroom with the entire cake, fork in hand. Yeah, that happened.

See the chocolate up on his forehead? #Cakeprobs. Major ones.

Since he's making a silly smooshy face, I have to show you a couple more adorable photos from the same age, then I'll get to the Reese's Cake at hand.

I mean, look at that. LOOK AT THAT FACE. Could I stay mad? Definitely not.

The boy loves cake, big time. He also loves Reese's. All things Reese's.

This cake involves most all things Reese's!

This is a 3 tier (6") chocolate cake. Between the layers is not only peanut butter buttercream, but a hardy sprinkling of Reese's Pieces. The outside is coated in more peanut butter buttercream, a deep chocolate glaze, and topped with Reese's Pieces and chopped up Reese's Cups.

I made the 18 out of one Reese's Stick & two Reese's Cups with the centers cut out which I put together with a bit of melted chocolate. It wasn't super neat and I fussed over it a lot, but didn't have time to fix it, so- there it is.

We celebrated his birthday with family on Easter. This cake was wildly popular!

Stay tuned, I'll be posting his birthday party (which takes place Saturday) sometime in the next week or so.

For now, I'll leave you with this, my adult child.

Quit it. No really, stop it now. Sigh.

Sigh.

Tina


Happy Birthday, Bean. You'll always be my baby. Momma loves ya ten thousand tons.

<3





Reese's Cake
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

For the cake, I used this recipe:

Chocolate Cupcakes

I used the above recipe from Bakingdom
I used three 6" pans, but you can also use two 8" pans instead.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

2 sticks (1 cup) butter (softened, but still cold, not room temp)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 Cup to 3/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

pinch of salt

milk

Whip the softened butter in the mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach a nice consistency. I normally use about 4. Beat until smooth. Start by adding 1/2 cup peanut butter- add more to taste. 

Chocolate Glaze

4 Tablespoons of Butter

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Cup Confectioners Sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 Tablespoons HOT water

Melt the butter

Whisk in the cocoa, sugar and vanilla.

Add 2 tablespoons water. If it’s not enough, add the 3rd.

This should be runny, but thick enough to fully coat your spoon.

To Assemble:

Spread peanut butter buttercream between layers, sprinkle with Reese's Pieces

Frost outside of cake with peanut butter buttercream. After this, I place my cake in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate glaze. After cake is chilled, glaze over cake. Top with chopped Reese's Cups and Reese's Pieces. Garnish with Reese's Pieces. Return to refrigerator.

Allow to sit out at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Cake decor inspired by Make Bake Celebrate.

{ Pot 'O Gold Cupcakes }

Somehow, it's March.

This year has flown by. I think it's because my boy is about to graduate and I really would prefer time to stand still.

Time is stubborn though, and it won't listen to me at all. We march forward anyway (see what I did there?).

Now, here we are. 2 days til St. Paddy's day, less than a month until Bean turns 18, and just over 2 months until graduation.

I need distractions, man.

So, I made these fun cupcakes. A wee rainbow sitting atop clouds of fluffy buttercream.

I love that at his age something like these cupcakes still thrill him. Much like my Hogwart's Sorting Cupcakes, these have a surprise. When he & The Girl bit into them... well... they were, indeed, suprised ;)


Pot 'o gold cupcake need something right... like, gold? I've got ya covered!

Fun, festive, and tasty!

Pot o' Gold cupcakes.

Happy St. Paddy's!

Tina



Pot 'o Gold Cupcakes
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

Needed:

Chocolate cupcakes- baked and cooled
Vanilla Buttercream icing
Gold Sprinkles (Yellow sanding sugar would also work)
Airheads Extremes Rainbow Berry Sour Candy




Core a hole in your cupcakes. Fill with gold sprinkles. Swirl on buttercream. Top with a mini rainbow of candy.

{ Easiest Valentine's Heart Cake Ever }

Since I was a little girl, I've loved to bake and cook. I've always loved to celebrate the holidays in grand style. I know who to thank for this too. My friend Betty.

Betty Crocker.

I had these cookbooks growing up, and I'm sure my mom still has them. They were old when I was a kid,  so, I think they are from the 60's or so. I think my mom found them for me at a yard sale. I loved pouring over them, especially the Party book.

Oh, the parties I would plan in my head! Who knew I'd actually grow up and throw such parties?!

I *think* it was in one of these books I came across this heart cake. I know I've been making it since I was about 10, in any case. I loved this because I could make a Valentine's Day present for my mom and dad and I didn't need any special pans. You've probably seen this a million times before, but there may just be someone out there who hasn't. Plus, it makes me happy, so there ;)

All you need:

A round cake and a square cake.

 Here's the whole process:


Cut.

Place.

Ice.

The end!

Couple tips. Definitely level your cake first. Add a bit of frosting between the round halves and the square. Use a fluffy type icing, not a ganache. You may need to 'build' up between the halves and the square.

I like to swirl the icing because it's beautiful, rustic, and forgiving.

To add a little extra pow to it, cut out a heart from a piece of cardstock, lay on top

Sprinkle powdered sugar over

andddddd..............

Pretty! Be sure to do this step just before serving. The powdered sugar tends to disappear!

There you have it. Easy, beautiful, tasty.

And who could say no to a chocolate heart?

No one, that's who!

May your day be lovely,

Tina <3

{ Peppermint Crunch Bark }

Hello Decemeber, hello Christmas!

I'm SO excited to see you.

Yeah, I have eleventy million things to do, but I loooooooooooove you, and you are finally here!

One of my favorite things to do at Christmas is bake with my awesome friend, Lori and also with my boy. Lori and I make trays of treats for teachers, neighbors, family members, and other friends. It's always an exhausting but great day. Together we make what could be a chore into a great time! Love me some Lori time!  Bean loves to make Buckeyes and Cake Balls, so we always do that together. Also, rolled and decorated sugar cookies because what is more Christmas than that? The boy LOVES traditions, and I love that.

I know that Peppermint Bark has been done and done again, but this is just a wee bit different.

This adds a layer of Andes Peppermint Crunch chips in the middle. I love the flavor it gives, but even more, I love the color. It makes a classic, lovely Christmas treat just that much better.

Isn't the red festive? I'm pretty smitten.

These are totally going on the Christmas trays this year!

Delicious, easy, and inexpensive to pack little boxes up as gifts for friends, family, co-workers, etc!

Tina



Peppermint Crunch Bark
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

6 ounces white chocolate*
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate*
6 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch chips
2 candy canes, crushed
1 Tablespoon white sanding sugar
1 Tablespoon red sanding sugar


*Chips work great, but for even better flavor, use a higher quality chocolate, chopped into small pieces


Add crushed candy canes & sanding sugars to a small bowl and set aside.

For instructions on melting chocolate, follow this link: How to Melt Chocolate.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Melt semi-sweet chocolate. Pour onto pan and spread out. Tap on counter to remove any bubbles. Allow to harden by placing in the fridge (about 20 mins) or freezer (about 10 minutes).

Melt Peppermint Crunch. Pour on top of the hardened chocolate layer. Tap to remove bubbles. Return to fridge/freezer to harden.

Melt white chocolate layer. Spread on top of Peppermint Crunch layer. Tap to remove bubbles. Immediately top with crushed candy cane/sugar mixture.

Allow to fully harden. Cut or break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

Makes approx 1 1/2 pounds

This can be made in any quantity as long as the chocolate/Peppermint Crunch portions are even (adjust candy canes accordingly).

You can add a bit of peppermint extract if you wish, if you prefer it a bit more pepperminty. I like the mild peppermint flavor that the Peppermint Crunch adds.

{ Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches }

So, you remember those Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies I posted? Yeah. Next. Logical. Step.

Am I right?

So, basically, just bake up a batch, allow to cool and then, fill with ice cream. Ok?

Ok!

Not much trickery here, just a delicious summer treat.

This was Bean's idea. I have to give him credit for this. I've done cookies filled with cream before, but he very much wanted ice cream and he wanted them made with his favorite chocolate chip cookie. Easy enough.

Tips: Let your ice cream sit out for a few minutes until just soft. Scoop, smush, wrap, freeze all in rapid progression. Do not add your sprinkles before freezing. Add before serving.

I wrapped mine in parchment paper and tied with bakers twine. They are cute and functional. You can take this a step further and put in a freezer bag to ensure no freezer burn.

I feel this will be a new go to dessert request around here.

I can't even complain.

Tina


Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
By Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

I recipe Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ice Cream of your choosing
Sprinkles if desired

Let ice cream soften a bit before scooping

Add 1 scoop of ice cream to the bottom side of a cookie. Top with another cookie. Smash down a bit to allow the ice cream to spread. Immediately eat or wrap and place in freezer to enjoy later.

Add sprinkles before serving if desired

{ Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies }

Bean loves the sweet salty combo of chocolate dipped pretzels, of my sweet and salty cupcakes, but his favorite thing? My sea salted chocolate chip cookies.

When I made them again the other day he said something about them being on my blog. Well, I've not blogged them, until now, quite obviously.

His reaction went like this "YOU HAVEN'T BLOGGED THESE?".

The fact that there are already a kajillion sea salted chocolate chip cookie recipes on the interwebs didn't mean much to him. So, here I sit. Blogging.

He's quite the connoisseur of chocolate chip cookies. These are far and away his favorite. So, here they are.

Sweet, salty, chocolatey. I mean really, what's not to like?

The boy has a point.

Tina



Sea Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (regular table salt)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325* F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the melted butter and sugars. Beat together until creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla mix again. Mix in the baking soda and table salt into the flour in a small bowl. Slowly add the flour mix into the dough. Beat until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop out a large cookie scoop, or about 2 tablespoons at a time. (I like to roll my cookie dough between my hands to give it a cleaner appearance when baked. You can skip this step if you like, they still bake up pretty.) Place cookies about 3-4" apart on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Bake 14-16 minutes.

Allow to cool on sheet for a couple minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack to fully cool.



Adapted from Baking Illustrated 

{ Easy Peanut Butter Cupcakes }

In under two months I will be in Orlando.

This long planned, long saved for, long awaited trip is under two months away. I can't even believe it.

Soon, I will walk down Diagon Alley. I will stop at Florean Fortescue's and have a bit of ice cream. Peanut Butter & Strawberry? Um. Probably not. I'm liking the sound of Butterbeer or Clotted Cream though!

Minus two months until the Magic Kingdom and Mickey Mouse. -2 until Epcot. Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom. And Darla! Under two months until I meet my geek mate IRL!! Exciting times, my friends.

Until then... I give you, PB cupcakes. Because why the heck not?

These are the eassssssssssiest PB cupcakes ever. You need a box mix, ingredients listed on the back, and peanut butter. That's IT.

You're welcome.

These are great topped with peanut butter buttercream, with PB buttercream and a dab of jelly for PB&J cupcakes, with vanilla buttercream, or, as Bean likes them, with chocolate buttercream. Obviously.

Whip up a batch today!

I will eat one and dream of hot Orlando days and fireworks filled nights.

I. Can't. Wait.

Tina



Easy Peanut Butter Cupcakes
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

Preheat oven to 350 F
Line cupcake tins with cupcake papers

1 box white cake mix & ingredients listed on back
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Mix cake according to back of box, then beat in peanut butter.

Scoop into prepared liners & bake according to back of box

Top with Peanut Butter Buttercream, Vanilla Buttercream, or Chocolate Buttercream

{Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie Dippers}

So, I've totally been MIA. Sorry 'bout that.

In the last few weeks the Bean has gone to two proms, he was sick for an entire week, and it was Mother's Day. It's been quite a time!

Now there are only 6 days left of school, so let's see if we can get this 'normal life' thing moving again, eh?

Bean LOVES to dip cookies in milk or tea. I'll be honest, I'm not a dipper. He was joking the other night about his cookie not fitting in his cup, and, well, lightbulb!

These shortbread cookies are cut to fit into any glass or mug. Great for you and your dippin' friends!

They are a simple shortbread cookie with chocolate chips added in. After you roll out the dough, just cut into rectangles. These will never be perfect due to the chips in them, but cut them as nicely as you can. To retain the shape better, put the cookie sheet of cut cookie into the freezer for 30 minutes prior to baking.

After cooling, you have a light, crispy, perfectly dippable cookie!

Easy, eh?

Tina

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie Dippers

by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar (for dusting)
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until fluffy. Add the salt and flour. Continue  beating until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand with large clumps. Add in chocolate chips.

Using your hands, press all of the crumbs together in the bowl until it all forms a dough.

Sprinkle counter with flour, turn out the dough onto the counter and roll. Cut into rectangles.

Place on parchment or a slipat mat. Freeze for 30 minutes to retain shape while baking.

Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.

Allow to fully cool.

Adapted from Bakingdom's Buttery Shortbread Cookie

{Sweet & Salty Cupcakes}

I'm mid-birthday party planning for Bean's 17th. It's not going to be a major blowout with 25 kids like his Super 16th, but, it's going to be FUN.

I hate to keep you all in suspense, but, I'm gonna! It's going to be nerdly, awesome fun. No, not a Potter party, those are reserved for Harry himself, and for me! Let's just say, it's British, it's pretty nerdy, or at least fandom-y. It's not Doctor Who, I've done that as well (party, cake, cookies). Suffice it to say, we are pretty excited about this. The party isn't until April 12, so forgive me for talking about it a month in advance, kay? Thx.

I know it's far off, so in the meantime, I made you some cupcakes.

They are sweet, they are salty, they are delish.

Chocolate cupcakes, topped with a caramel buttercream, drizzled with caramel, sprinkled with sea salt, and topped with a pretzel. Am I forgiven for teasing you about the birthday party now? I thought so.

Enjoy... I'm going back to my party planning now. Lots to do, lots to prep, lots to investigate...

Tina


Sweet & Salty Cupcakes
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

Needed:
 Chocolate Cupcakes (I like this recipe, or you can use a box mix)

1 recipe Caramel Buttercream

Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Sea Salt

1 Pretzel for each cupcake

Pipe Caramel Buttercream onto cooled chocolate cupcakes. Drizzle with caramel topping, sprinkle with sea salt, and top with a pretzel.


*note, do not top with pretzels until close to serving time. They can get soggy in the buttercream.

{Soft, Rolled Chocolate Sugar Cookies}

Yes, my last post was a sugar cookie as well. I can't even help it. I LOVE SUGAR COOKIES. I'm very picky about them though. They need to be FAT, soft, and slathered in buttercream. These are all very important elements to the, in my opinion, perfect sugar cookie.

While dealing with all the snow and the Polar Vortex Jr, we've been spending a lot of time at home. Yesterday, Bean was off school because of the temps. Apparently our Ohio buses are not equipped to deal with -35 windchills. So, we kept on with our Harry Potter movies (over the weekend we'd watched 1-5). After we finished Half Blood Prince, we wandered into the kitchen to make these. I'd mentioned wanting to make them to Bean a few days ago, and he just couldn't let it go. Since he was little, I've said that he "loves chocolate like a girl". And that, my friends, is putting it mildly.

So, cookie time it was.

Chocolate sugar cookies are an interesting beast. By interesting, I mean delicious, of course. They are not quite brownie, not quite sugar cookie. They are allllllll good though.

These work like regular sugar cookies. You roll them out and cut with cookie cutters. They look great on a tray with regular sugar cookies.

What to top them with? Chocolate buttercream, of course! What else? Honestly, they'd be great with regular buttercream too, but chocolate. I sprinkled mine with a little bit of sparkling sugar and some chocolate jimmies. Perfection.

I'm not sure that they will replace sugar cookies as my favorite (well, after Snickerdoodles), but they are daggone good.

Chocolatey good.

Enjoy.

Tina


Chocolate Sugar Cookies
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

Cookies:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4  sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and put aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with mixer. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla. Pour the flour mixture in, a little at a time, until it is mixed thoroughly.Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours (or overnight).

While rolling, preheat oven to 400. Prepare baking sheet with silpat, parchment, or ungreased.

Roll the chilled dough out on a surface dusted with a small amount of cocoa powder. For these, I rolled the dough to about 1/4" so they would be soft and fat. Cut to desired shapes with cookie cutters. Brush off excess cocoa with a pastry brush before baking.

Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before icing.


Chocolate Buttercream
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers


(you will only need 1/2 recipe for these cookies)

3/4 cup butter (softened)
1/4 cup shortening (I prefer Crisco)
1/2 to 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
 
Beat the butter and shortening until fluffy (3-4 mins). Slowly add in the powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat for about 3 minutes. Add in the milk starting with 2 tablespoons. Add vanilla. If too thick add the extra tablespoon of milk. Mix until distributed.

*start with 1/2 cup. If not chocolatey enough, add the extra 1/4 cup.