{ Top Twelve of 2012! }

 
2012 was a great year for Sugar Bean Bakers.

I've had a lot of growth on the site, I've made things I always wanted to (especially this), but never tried, celebrated SBB's 2nd Anniversary, I posted my first party ideas, my first non-food tutorials, and my first travel tips.

Not to mention I made a great new friend! My first real food blogger friend!

So, exciting times.

I'm going to post the Top 12 posts of 2012, however, a couple are not recipes. Soo... I'll also post the top 12 Recipes of 2012 (making 14 posts in all).

Are you ready?? 

14. (recipe #12) -Straight from my elementary school cook's recipe book,  

Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats

13. (recipe #11) -For Dr. Seuss' Birthday, I made these crazy tie dye cupcakes.
Because crazy tie dye just screams "Dr. Seuss"!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

12.  In celebration of my SECOND favorite ginger,  (hey, the Bean is a red-head!), I whipped up this Homemade Cocoa for Ron's birthday

Cocoa for Ron (& you!)

11. I love chocolate and mint together. And, hello? put brownies in the mix and you have a true winner! For St. Paddy's, I made

Mint Oreo Brownie Truffles

10.  When the Bean was little, it was such a PAIN trying to find good Valentine's Day box ideas. You'd think they'd be all over the web, but in my years of searching, I came up with precious few. So, my first non-recipe post makes an appearance in the countdown.

Valentine's Day Box Ideas 

9. Reese's Cups are by far the Bean's favorite candy, so, of course, I had to shove them in a cupcake & then top said cupcake with Peanut Butter Buttercream. It had to be done.

Reese's Cupcakes

   8. Ironically, this cupcake, not the Reese's I just posted, is the Beans F A V O R I T E cupcake.

Of course, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough + Cupcake + Cookie Dough Buttercream does seem like a no brainer for #1 in his book.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes  

7. A family classic is next. My grandmother in law's (aka Grammy) Strawberry Pie. It's just about hubby's favorite thing in the history of forever.

Grammy's Strawberry Pie

 6. Next is something I THOUGHT I'd created. Of course, I didn't. Darn internet full of darn creative people. Alas, I was pretty proud of myself, and the Bean has deemed them necessary at Easter forever now.

Carrot Strawberries  

 5. This was simply summer day fun that I decided to share with you. I had no idea it'd be so popular! They are super pretty & people really do enjoy them, so, you should definitely try this sometime!

Layered Drinks

 4. This was an idea I found via Pinterest. Simply Peanut Butter Blossom cookies with chocolate hearts instead of the normal Hershey Kisses. Very cute & festive update for Valentine's Day.

Peanut Butter Blossoms the VDay Way

 3.  My other non-recipe post. I'm over the moon stupid with happy that this is such a popular post! A lot of time and love went into this party. It went over in real life amazing, and I'm so excited that it is so popular on my blog too! It makes my geeky little heart go pitta patta.

The Epic Harry Potter Party Post

 

2. I love when my playing around in the kitchen with no real plan works out. This worked out very well. So well, that I make this often now. Very popular with the chocolate & mint lovers in my life! I even did another version of it for Christmas.

Here is the Christmas version- Candy Cane & Chocolate Cupcakes

Here is the original, crazy popular post

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

 

 And... numero uno is..........

1. This recipe is so popular that since I posted it in August, it has been the number one hit on the blog EVERY DAY.  EVERY. DAY.  So, without further adieu, I give you....

Buckeye Bites: A Peanut Butter & Chocolate Treat 

 

 That's all, folks! The top 12 recipes of 2012!

It's been a great year & I'm looking forward to what 2013 brings.

While it may seem a little selfish, I'm really hoping for more comments this year. The only way I know you like a post is by stats. I get precious few comments on anything. If you like a recipe, please consider popping me a reply.

Thanks so much.

Here's to a sweet 2013!!!!!!!!!!

Tina 

{ Pretzel Turtles }

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I've seen these around the internets for a long time now, but I'd never gotten around to making them.

Last week, when my friend Lori said she was going to try them, well, I had to try too. Sorry, I'm a bandwaggoner.

It's something I'm working on ;)

But for now, I'm a big ole copycat. Sorry, Lori!

She got hers made before me and said they were "ta die fer".

Ok, I'm paraphrasing in rapper slang. I don't know why I just did that.

Apologies.

She actually said, "they are delicious".

These.Are.Seriously.Easy.

You need 3 things.

Rolos, Pretzels, Pecans.

This takes 5 minute to bake.

The most labor intensive part of the entire thing is unwrapping the Rolos. Yes, that IS annoying. I make the Bean do it. I'm pro Child Labor. You know, when it comes to the hard stuff, like.. unwrapping candy. (oh, and chores, I'm pro chores!)

For the preztels, I really love the little "window pane" pretzels. I don't find these by a big manufactor though. I'm not sure how widely they are available. I buy the store brand from Kroger. The mini twists will work as well. I just like the square, cause, you know, it's hip to be square. (cue Huey Lewis and the News).

Basically, you stack the rolo on the pretzel

Then bake for 5 minutes at 250 degrees F.

Remove and immediately top with a pecan. Push down so it flattens out some.

If you are a nut hater (like me) you can opt to top these with M&Ms instead.

However, pecans have such a mild flavor, I don't mind them here at all.

Then, let cool.

Like I said in the  Peanut Butter Blossoms, it will take at least a couple hours for the chocolate to set back up enough that you can store them.

Of course that doesn't mean you can't eat them. You'll just have to lick chocolate off your fingers.

What a crime.

Great for Valentine's Day & Holidays.

Or you know, any of the other days of the year!

Tina

*I wish I knew who came up with idea originally, but I've seen it so often, I wouldn't know who to credit.

I'll just say, well played  Turtle Genius, well played.



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{ Gooey Cookies & Red Velvet Cookies }

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It’s a twofer post! Two, two, two recipes in one!

I made these for the first time last week. I had 3 teenage boys here, and they all went through the roof for them.

This recipe is based off what I’ve known as Gooey Bars. It tastes just like them, but in cookie form.

I found the recipe here at Food.com and knew I had to try it.

Success?

Here is the conversation that followed the baking of these cookies:

Friend 1: “These are EPIC cookies!”

Friend 2: “I’m in HEAVEN!”

Friend 1: “They are HEAVEN COOKIES!”

Bean: “I just tasted nerdvana!”



(yes, he said NERDvana).

I guess you could say they liked them. I’m just not sure.

These cookies are moist, tender, and rich!

They are also EASY and take only a few ingredients. YUS! Love that.

So, for the Gooey Cookies, you’ll need:

Gooey Cookies

¼ cup butter , softened (no substitutions) 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla 

1 egg 

4 ounces cream cheese , softened 

1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix 

1 cup powdered sugar 

First, beat together, in a large mixing bowl, the cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and butter until light and fluffy.

Then add in the cake mix

until well blended. It will be quite thick. Cover and chill for 30 mins in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 while the dough is chilling.

After the chilling, form into balls (I made mine a little smaller than the size of a ping pong ball) and roll in powdered sugar.

Bake for 12 minutes. Do not let brown. With about 2 mins left, I lightly pressed a glass on top of them to make them a little flatter.

You don’t need to do this, if you want little fat cookies. It’s all good

Remove to cooling rack.

Yummy in muh tummy!

The Bean professes that these are his new favorite and that I should make them daily.

Sure. That’s gonna happen.

Now.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Yesterday, I don’t know if you’ve heard this or not, but there was a wee little game on the telly called “The Super Bowl”.

We had a party for our youth group (where NONE of us watched the Super Bowl), and I needed some snackage to take.

Well, I made the Pull Apart Pizza Bread, but needed some sweeties.

I thought about it for a while, and finally decided to throw caution to the wind and use the above recipe, but with Red Velvet Cake Mix.

I am probably not the 1st person to try this, but I didn't follow anyone's recipe.
I figured, if it was good with yellow cake, it's gonna be even better with Red Velvet, right?
 

Now, let me tell you… they were good PLAIN.

And OH SO PRETTY!

(those little choccie hearts are Valentine Junior Mints, by the way, cute, right??)

I can rarely leave well enough alone, however, so I whipped up a batch of Cream Cheese Icing and made…

you guessed it, Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies.

I had 3 people tell me that these were one of the best things I’d ever made… so there ya go.

Apparently, they were acceptable.

Here’s the Cream Cheese Icing Recipe:

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened (not melted!)
 

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
 

1 teaspoon vanilla 
 

3 cups powdered sugar
 

Beat together the vanilla, cream cheese, and butter. Add powdered sugar slowly. 
 

Dip spoon into the bowl. 

Remove. 

Lick.

Moan happily.

The end.

Oh, you can also spoon (or pipe) between two Red Velvet Cookies!

You know, if you have any to spare!

These Red Velvet Cookies would be GORGEOUS for Valentine’s Day and Christmas!

Now, I think chocolate cake mix will fall victim to this recipe next!

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*

 

There you have it, two recipes, one post.

Now that, my friends, is a deal!

Tina

*




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{ Dew Me A Favor Valentine Printable }

Ok, so, what can I dew?

This is by far the most popular drink around these parts.

It's sickly sweet, but hey, people like it! I indulge in a glass myself every now and again.

However, this is the first to go whenever we have a party.

When I go out to eat with a group, 90% of the people order the Mt. Dew.

So.. without furter adew (see what I did there?? ha):

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Just like the Crush labels, cute on a bottle (2-liter or 20 ounce) and look- even cute on a can!

Here's the printable- right click, save as for full resolution:

Dew Be Dew Be Dew...

Tina

*For personal use only

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{ Crushing On You, Valentine }

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The Bean loves Orange Crush. Not as much as Mt. Dew, of course, he IS a teenager, but he’s a big ole fan of the Crush.

For some reason, it “tastes better” in the bottles, ie, it costs 3x as much.

However, for Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be totally cute, you know, Crush…

Haha.. get it?

So, I whipped up these tags.

They can be used on a single bottle, or the whole 6 pack in the carton.

You could just as easily tie them on a 20 ounce bottle, or a 2 Liter. You could probably even tape them on a can, or a 12 pack of them.

I’ve made these printables in orange for Orange Crush, purple for Grape Crush, and red for Strawberry Crush.

Wouldn’t they be cute tied on your drinks for Valentine’s Day dinner? Or for special Valentine’s Day movie night?

Hope you enjoy them!

They are for personal use only, thank you.

Here are the printables. For full resolution, right click>save as

Crush away, my friends, crush away.

Tina

Not into Crush Check out my Mt. Dew printable instead!




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{ Peanut Butter Blossoms the Vday Way }

So, let me tell you about Peanut Butter Blossom cookies.

For years, I had convinced myself that these were called Peanut Butter Kisses.

Incorrect.

Peanut Butter Kisses are those black and orange wrapped peanut butter taffy that old ladies give on Trick or Treat.

And that no one likes.

I remember getting those on Trick or Treat and thinking, “trick, definitely trick.”

That and boxes of raisins. And pennies.

What was with the pennies?

Pennies.. me no likey.

Snickers? Me likey!

Peanut Butter Kisses? Nay.

Peanut Butter Blossoms? Yay!

So, that is what I’m making today.

You’ve probably all made these a time or two. Or a hundred.

You probably even have your own favorite recipe.

I’m showing you mine though. You, of course, can substitute your own if you wish it.

These are updated for Valentine’s Day. I thought I'd come up with the idea on my own, but, hello- internet says wrong. 

I found these by Betty. You know, Betty Crocker.

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Heart shaped chocolates in place of the kisses. Total brill.

Yeppers.

Now, you’ll see residing there in the middle of these puffy peanut butter cookies lies Dove chocolates.

Confession #1: I don’t like Dove chocolate.

GASP!

I know so many people out there, including the Bean, LOVE Dove. Dove is 2nd on the Bean’s list, only after Godiva.

I, however, prefer Hershey’s. True story.

Confession #2: I love Peanut Butter Kiss Blossom Cookies, but I pop the chocolate off and eat it last!

I never eat the chocolate AND the cookie together.

Is that odd? Please reassure me that I’m not the only weirdo person out there that does this!

My unlike of Dove aside, these are SUPER DE DOOPER cute, yes?

No worries, I’ll just pop the chocolate off and feed it to the Bean. I doubt he’ll object.

You can roll these in pretty sanding sugar, if you like:

to get cookies like this:

If you want, you could tint the dough with red gel food coloring.

I didn’t take that route today though. Maybe some day I’ll travel it.

I, personally, think they are prettier this way.

Make some for your sweeties for Valentine’s Day, you know you wanna,, that way you can have some too!

Tina

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

*recipe adapted from Pillsbury

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Sugar

48 Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milk chocolates, unwrapped (or in this case, heart shaped chocolates)

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, shortening, peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg; mix with electric mixer on low speed until stiff dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with 1 milk chocolate candy, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around edge; remove from cookie sheets.

The chocolate will keep its form, but will take at least a couple hours to set back up, so be sure not to touch it.

Remove from oven, then press chocolate candy into cookie. Cracks will form- that's fine, that's what you want; remove from cookie sheets.

I made some of mine larger (you can see one in the photo with the colored sugar), and baked for the larger for 12 minutes. The smaller (normal size) I baked for 10. 

The chocolate will keep its form, but will take at least a couple hours to set back up, so be sure not to touch it. 

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{ Double Trouble Cookies }

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Chocolate Chip cookies are good.

Cream filling is good.

So, do you know what is great?

Yes, you are right- looking at Ian Somerhalder is great but that’s not quite what I meant.

Chocolate Chip Cream Filled Sammich Cookies.

Greatness on a plate-ness.

This is a combination of 2 recipes I’ve posted in the past.

Those being:

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie and the Amish Cream Filling I used in my Red Velvet Whoopie Pie recipe.

Start with the cream filling first, that way while you are working on your cookies, it will have time to cool and you can move on to finish it while the cookies are baking.

I make these cookies a bit smaller than the recipe linked above. I use a medium sized cookie scoop- about a Tablespoon, then I roll them in my hands to make them bake up nice and smooth. Bake for about 10-13 minutes.

One recipe of cookies in this size makes about 18 cookie sammies.

You won’t need the entire cream filling recipe for that, so your choices are

A. Make 2 batches of cookies

B. 1/2 the Cream Filling.

Pick A! Pick A!

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By the way, while making these, this conversation occurred:

Bean: “Mom, these cookies are DELICIOUS, what is your secret ingredient??”

(This is where normal people say ‘my secret ingredient is LOVE’)

Me: “Oh, I always bake with Awesome.”

Bean: “Let me see your jar of Awesome!”

Me: “Um, yeah, no. You aren’t touching my jar of Awesome.”

Bean: “Why  not?”

Me: “Because you’d use it all up trying to be awesome. Duh.”

Yeah, these types conversations actually happen in my house.

Regularly.

But anyway- to the stuff…

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk

Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by Tablespoons, then roll to make them bake up smoothly.

(if I were making these regularly, not with the filling, I make them much larger- as noted in the original recipe, I don’t roll those either)

Bake for 10-13 (15 minutes if making the larger cookie) minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly browned.

Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe originally found at AllRecipes

Amish Cream Filling 

3 teaspoons flour

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Crisco

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) Butter

2 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

Mix flour and milk in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. It will thicken as you stir.

Cool completely, you can sit the pan in an ice water bath to cool faster.

Cream together Crisco, butter, sugar and vanilla. Then add cooled milk mixture. Add powdered sugar. This will be thick when done. Your spoon will stand in it, and it will not drip off.

Remember this will be about double what you’ll need for the filled cookies.

This is edited from a recipe I found online, I cannot remember the original source

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So, there you have it. Double Trouble Cookies.

They are great.

Know what would be super great?

Eating these cookies WHILE looking at Ian Somerhalder.

Yup.

Tina




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