Banana Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Cupcake Connesaurs! My name is Kate and as a guest blogger it is my job to thoroughly delight and entertain you. So entertain I shall, I have decided it would therefore be best to write this blog in rhyme.

I figured it was about time.

I’m glad to introduce,

A cupcake that will produce

Such an exquisite taste

It probably isn’t chaste.

I apologize for the illusion

But upon eating, you may see delusion

Of resting in the Havana

As this is a cupcake full of banana!

Topped with peanut butter frosting

This recipe will not be costing.

Friends will circle you

Begging you to be true

And bestow upon them a cupcake

Of which your oven is most proud to bake!

Banana Cupcakes  (yields about 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds, and place one on each cupcake, if desired.

Thoughts: This cupcake recipe Olivia has used previously with a Honey Cinnamon frosting. Because those cupcakes had turned out so well we decided to re-recipe!  I will also add that this cupcake batter is fantastic both pre-oven and post-oven encounter. Whether it was improper measuring, we filled exactly 12 cupcake tins and just had a little too much batter left over (but we were out of cupcake tins). So I will say that this batter also makes for fantastic dollar size banana pancakes!  

Peanut Butter Frosting (yields about 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1.     Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer.

2.     Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable.

3.     Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Thoughts: We were slightly worried about peanut butter frosting becoming overwhelmingly peanut buttery, however it was decided this frosting was perfect! There was a great balance between fluffiness/taste of a frosting and the peanut butter flavor!

 Sincerely yours in all baking endeavors,

Kate

Pizza Puffs

So last Sunday as everyone know was the Super Bowl, and since I am a native Pittsburgher having the Steelers in the game was absolutely thrilling.  I had been looking forward to this game for weeks and could not have been happier when I “Stumbled Upon” this recipe for Pizza Puffs.  They were a huge hit and it is definitely necessary to double and possibly triple this recipe (depending on the rest of the snacks you are serving).  We had a lot of food at the beginning of the game so I mixed my batter and saved it in the refrigerator until half time.  Since the game did not end as I would have liked it was nice to have an excellent snack to warm my stomach and soul.

If you are not a fan of pepperoni I believe these would be excellent with all kinds of pizza toppings.  I plan to try them with mushrooms, tomato chunks, pepper, onions, or sausage.    

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup) – I just bought the Hormel mini pepperoni circles
1/2 cup pizza sauce
finely chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 375^o.  Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg.  Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes (or refrigerate until needed).
Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

In a sauce pan heat the pizza sauce and sprinkling of basil until heated all the way through, be careful not to let it stick and burn.  Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.