Confectionery Canary

Who doesn't love cupcakes?!  I've actually always had difficulty making homemade cupcakes, but with this recipe, I finally had success!  That and lowering my oven temperature and not improvising ingredients.  I made this fun batch of cupcakes for Easter but this basic recipe works great for any occasion!  This recipe will give you about 20 delicious little cupcakes!

What You'll Need:
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake pan(s).  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Cream together until the mixture is smooth.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together then add to the butter mixture, mixing on low.  Scrape down sides and bottom.  Slowly add in milk.  Mix everything until it's just combined.  You don't want to over mix or else your cupcakes will become dense.  Spoon batter into cupcakes liners, (two tablespoons worth per liner worked for me), about half full because they will rise.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 when you put your pan in the oven.  This technique effects how they rise.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely then frost with your favorite frosting or a delicious buttercream! (click the word "buttercream" for my recipe!


**Canary Curve Ball: Click HERE for a fun floral cupcake decorating idea, perfect for spring! >>>>>>>>

You've got to give these tasty little treats a try!  I bought a ton of bananas the other day and couldn't think of enough ways to use them before they spoiled.  So I found a muffin recipe, made a few tweaks, and here's the result!

What You'll Need:
- 6 Tbs unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- dash of salt
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 2 large bananas, mashed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cupcake pan with liners or spray.  Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook until the butter begins to brown and smell like caramel.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla extract and yogurt.  Mix in mashed bananas.  In a very slowly stream, pour the melted butter into the egg mixture to temper it so the eggs don't curdle.  Pour mixture into dry ingredients, mix well but do not over mix, or else your muffins will be dense.  Spoon mixture into prepared cupcake pan, filling cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

*You can add so many things to these muffins!  Blueberries, strawberries, nuts, Nutella, peanut butter or simply enjoy them plain!  If you add peanut butter or Nutella, just fill your cups, take about 1/4 teaspoon of Nutella, dollop into the center of the muffin mixture and cover with mixture. Follow the same baking procedures.  Banana Nutella Muffins pictured below.

Here's a simple weeknight recipe I threw together the other night when we were in the mood for tacos but something different. Keep in mind this recipe will feed 3 to 4 people tops. Just double the ingredients for a bigger family.

What you'll need:
-1 box Kraft macaroni & cheese
    (or homemade)
-1/3 cup milk
-1 teaspoon butter
-1/4 cup salsa
-1/2 lb ground beef
-1/2 packet taco seasoning
-1/4 cup water
-Tortilla chips or crushed taco shells
-1/2 cup Mexican cheese

Directions:
Boil macaroni noodles until tender. In a medium skillet brown ground beef, add taco seasoning and water. Mix well and let simmer. Drain pasta, add milk, butter, cheese and salsa. Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well.  Pour macaroni into pan, layer on taco meat, chips or crushed taco shells and cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes and enjoy!  (I used a loaf pan, any smaller sized pan will work for this amount) You can top with more salsa, sour cream, or leave out the chips/shells and serve over tortilla chips and lettuce.

What could be better than cake and cookies? Cake cookies!
Oh yes, these cookies are delicious and incredibly simple!
I discovered these tasty treats while visiting my husbands parents.  His sister and mom had made some, so we gave them a try and it was love at first bite! I knew I had to make them for us asap and add some cream cheese icing too!  They've quickly become one of my favorite "cookies!"

Cream Cheese Frosting is one of the most simple, delicious and versatile frosting's you can make! It's great on cupcakes, cakes, cookies and spoons! ;)

What you'll need:
-1 8oz block of cream cheese (room temperature)
-3 to 4 cups of confectioner's sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Let cream cheese reach room temperature. Place in bowl of electric mixer. Sift in confectioner's sugar cup by cup. Cream together on medium speed. Add in vanilla, scrape down bowl, mix thoroughly until thick and fluffy. Add more sugar for thicker frosting.  Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes if using a piping bag, (this helps stiffen the frosting to better show the design you pipe) otherwise, ice cooled cakes or cookies and enjoy!  For more frosting, simply double or triple all ingredients.

*Sweet Tweet Tip: Oh no! Forgot to let cream cheese reach room temperature? No worries, simply place on your stove top surface, above your warm oven, while you bake. (obviously doesn't work if stove top and oven are seperate units.) The heat from your oven will warm the upper surface of your stove top where your cream cheese is, softening it much faster. Works for butter too!