Fluffy Nut Cupcakes

I was seriously thinking about calling these “fluffternutter cupcakes”. Like it was big, real decision. But every time I’ve heard of something being called “fluffernutter”-whatever there has been marshmallow involved.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

This time, the marshmallow was replaced with whipped cream; however, I do fully intend on coming up with a marshmallow frosting version soon!

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

The whipped cream was a huge hit. My dad, the leading taste-tester in the family with the most honest and un-biased feedback, gave in a full-mouthed double thumbs up.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

 

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

These cupcakes consist of my absolute FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe that I use all the time, stuffed with a delicious and super creamy peanut butter filling, and topped with a fluffy and perfectly sweet whipped cream frosting.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

This may be one of my all-time favorite cupcake combos!

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes

(makes about 12-16 cupcakes)

FOR THE CUPCAKES: 

(My absolute FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line regular cupcake tins.
  2. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa powder, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Cream butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture. Add the cocoa mixture. Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins.
  4. Bake in preheated oven 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool in tins, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When thoroughly cooled, stuff with peanut butter frosting below and frost with whipped cream frosting below.

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING FILLING:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoon2 vanilla extract

6-8 cups powdered sugar, or until correct consistency

  1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on high speed until creamy. Mix in vanilla extract. Slowly add in powdered sugar until a semi-creamy consistency that resembles frosting, but is creamy [thin] enough to pipe into cupcakes.
  2. Once cupcakes have been cooled, fill piping bag, that has been fitted with a standard-sized round piping tip, with the prepared peanut butter filling. Stick end of piping bag into the center of a cooled cupcake and squeeze filling into cupcake until small cracks start to show by where you inserted the piping bag tip. Continue with the remaining cupcakes until each has been filled, you may end up with excess filling

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like your whipped cream

  1. In the chilled bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the cream using the whisk attachment for about 1 minute. Add in powdered sugar gradually to taste and continue whipping until stiff peaks form and the mixture resembles whipped cream. Pipe and frost onto stuffed cupcakes. Keep cupcakes in fridge, as it is unsafe to have whipped cream sitting out for extended periods of time.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

 

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: A survey reported that 12% of Americans think that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. Yikes

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Eeeek! Prom is tomorrow. I feel like I was seriously just writing the overview of prom weekend from last year, weird how the time flies!!

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

I’ve been my uber busy self this week. It is like everything that I need to do for senior year has been piled into one week. We have AP tests starting this Monday after prom weekend (yeah, our school is that cruel) and then I had senior night for soccer last night, the soccer program pasta dinner Wednesday night, a game Tuesday night, and several tests and practice AP tests throughout the week that the teachers have been throwing at us to be prepared for next week.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

Thankfully, my dress was bought and altered with plenty of time before this week and my appointments were scheduled for hair and such pretty far out to be sure I got the time I wanted. Oh and another nice little twist to throw in for my prom weekend?…we have a soccer game. Yep, same thing as last year.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

My coach insists EVERY year to schedule a game on the day of prom, so then we all get to sprint from the game to our appointments with hardly a shower. I guess he likes to keep us busy.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

Enough with the prom talk, I’m sure I will have plenty to say after the weekend. Let’s talk about these bars! I have never had a nanaimo bar, but had heard about them and have been intrigued for a while now. This is a peanut butter version, and guys…you NEED these in your life! They are super decadent little bites of a chocolate-coconut graham cracker crust, with a smooth peanut butter filling, topped with a thin shell of chocolate. Yum!

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

(Makes 36 small bars)

FOR CRUST:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (I used dark)

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 cups (1 sleeve/9 crackers) graham cracker crumbs

1 cup shredded coconut

FOR MIDDLE LAYER:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

2 Tablespoons vanilla pudding powder

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR TOP LAYER:

4 oz. semisweet chocolate

  1. Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in a double boiler until fully incorporated (don’t let it come to a boil). Add the beaten egg and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Press down firmly into an ungreased 8 x8-inch or 9 x9-inch pan. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 
  2. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, instant pudding powder, and powdered sugar, until light and fluffy. Spread filing over crust layer in an even layer. Pop pan in fridge for about 30 minutes to let it firm up a bit.
  3. Melt the chocolate for the top layer, spread over the filling and spread out evenly with a knife or spatula. Let sit in fridge for about 1 hour, then slice into bars and keep in sealed container. I keep them in the fridge to stay firm.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: Only 1 out of 700 identity thieves gets caught

Monster Cookies

I have been thinking.. I really, really want to get a scooter. Ever since my mom and I rented them in Key West, I have been considering it even more. I should probably start growing my money tree first, but like in all seriousness, I think they are a smart investment especially for when I get out of college. So fuel efficient and hellooooo parking is like a bajillion times easier.

Monster Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

I have my eyes on this beauty. Normally I wouldn’t want my car a real “out there” color, but I am in love with that aquamarine color! (Dear Santa…This would be great in about 4 years when I graduate from college. Thanks! love, Casey) A girl can dream right??

Monster Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Anyways while I’m waiting for that dream to come true, I have some monster cookies to share with you all! There are loads of variations of the famous “monster cookie” floating around everywhere, but this one is the version I came up with that is loaded with a bunch of stuff.

Monster Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

I wanted to put crushed pretzels and peanut butter chips in there too, but I didn’t want to overload the cookie with add-ins. Feel free to mix up the add-ins what whatever you have in the house! This recipe is great for using up post-holiday candy that is laying around that you can cut into small pieces and throw in the dough.

Monster Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Monster Cookies

(Makes about 2 dozen large cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/3 cup M&Ms

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
  2. Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Mix in peanut butter. Add in egg and vanilla extract. Stir in baking soda, flours, and oats. Finally, mix in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and M&Ms until thoroughly combined.
  3. Drop dough by Tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet, flatten cookies slightly (they don’t spread in the oven), and bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and golden. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes then transfer onto wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Monster Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Monster Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: The most popular sport as a topic for a film is boxing.

Peanut Butter Bread

Peanut butter has been a long time friend of mine.

Peanut Butter Bread | Beautiful Disasters

It has been there with me through several phases and stages in my life. It has stuck with me through thick and thin. It has been stuck in the middle of a sandwich with grape jelly. It has been stuck in the middle of a sandwich with banana. It has been stuck in the middle of a sandwich with marshmallow fluff. It has also been stuck on the roof of my mouth a lot. But I digress…

Peanut Butter Bread | Beautiful Disasters

Sometimes you think of a recipe and are like “Why is this just making sense to me now?!”. That is basically peanut butter bread [for me].

Peanut Butter Bread | Beautiful Disasters

I felt slightly guilty making this recipe because for some reason, my dad (the pb&j-aholic), does not appreciate peanut butter cookies, breads, frostings, or basically any recipe based around peanut butter. And this recipe happens to be peanut butter on steroids. But that just meant more for me!

Peanut Butter Bread | Beautiful Disasters

This recipe is delicious by itself, but if you want to spruce it up, it would be something special if you put in a cup of chopped nuts or a cup or chocolate chips! I loved having a slice of this everyday after school, it’s great to give you a little boost of energy and is amazing with some grape jelly spread on top. Or by yourself if you don’t have the patience for spreading jelly..

Peanut Butter Bread

(Makes 1 loaf)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk (I used skim)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your loaf pan with cooking spray. Mine was a silicone loaf pan, but I sprayed it anyways just for good measure.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together flours and baking powder until fully combined. Set aside
  3. Using the mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and peanut butter until combined and smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Be sure to scrape down the sides to include everyone in the party!
  4. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixtures and slowly mix together until combined and crumbly. Slowly add in the milk and mix until fully incorporated.
  5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Let cool for about 20 minutes in loaf pan and then cut and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bread | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second.

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins

Peanut butter and banana, we meet again.

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins | Beautiful Disasters

They’re just TOO good together! Seriously guys, if you don’t believe me or think it sounds funky…I assure you, it is awe-to-the-some.

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins | Beautiful Disasters

Last time I combined this dynamic duo, I made a bread, but this time I opted for some muffins and sneaked in some oats for some nice added texture. I don’t know why, but oats totally rock my boat. I love them in cookies, bread, muffins, and everything! Oats just seem to fill everything out to make them more complete.

 

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins | Beautiful Disasters

Anyhoo, these are a perfect and easy breakfast treat or a nice on-the-go snack!

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins | Beautiful Disasters

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins

(Makes about 1 dozen muffins)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup creamy peanut buter (or crunchy, if you want an extra crunch with the oats)

1 ripened banana, mashed

1 egg

2 Tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola are good)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 375˚F and line about 12 muffin cups with liners, set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, brown sugar, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, peanut butter, mashed banana, egg, oil, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
  3. Add whisked wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until completely mixed in. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl with your rubber spatula to be sure all the flour gets incorporated.
  4. Fill prepared muffin tins with batter, about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in tin for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer muffins to wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy! Store leftovers in cake dome or sealed container. Be sure that when you are storing muffins they are completely cool, or else steam could build up, creating soggy muffins (yuck!)

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: A million dollars’ worth of $100 bills weighs only 22 pounds!