Shiver Me Timbers; Vanilla Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes

Shiver me timbers… Here is a cupcake recipe that will make your Halloween a happy one.   And if it doesn’t, I’ll walk the plank.

This recipe combines all of my favorite flavors (vanilla, peanut butter, and chocolate) into a sinfully moist and rich cupcake.  Factor in the homemade vanilla buttercream icing, and your timbers will be shivering too! 

Vanilla Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes by The Joy of Caking

1/2 c. olive oil

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. sour milk

1/3 c. creamy peanut butter

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. dark chocolate chips

Place 12 cupcake liners in cupcake tins.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add oil, sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and eggs; beat thoroughly with electric mixer.   Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, milk, and flour; mix completely for about 2 – 3 minutes.  Remove 1 – 1 1/2 cups of batter from the large bowl and place in a  small bowl; set aside.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave for about 1 minute;  mix melted chocolate to the small bowl of batter.

Using a small ladle, fill cupcake papers equally with vanilla peanut butter batter.  Using a dining sized tablespoon spoon chocolate peanut butter batter on top of vanilla peanut butter batter.  Using a toothpick, swirl the chocolate peanut butter batter into the vanilla peanut butter batter.

Bake for 14- 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean when inserted into center of cupcake.  Cool slightly before moving cupcakes to cooling rack. 

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

3 tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. clear vanilla extract

1/2 bag (1 lb.) of confectioners sugar

2-3 tbsp. milk

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Add milk one tablespoon at a time to ensure proper consistency.

Once cupcakes are cool, frost and decorate.

 

As luck would have it, SweetWorks Candy recently sent me a box of goodies to put to good use.  I couldn’t resist using some of them to decorate these cupcakes in a pretty Halloween fashion.  I  just love the bright and flashy color of their Pearls, Sixlets, and Gumballs.  Don’t they make the cupcakes look so adorable? 

A big thank you to SweetWorks for providing me with the candies used in this post.  Please note – I was not compensated for writing this post and the opinions herein are my own. 

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Skinny Mini’s

I have a proclamation to make.  I have fallen head over heels for mini desserts.  And let me tell you why – they are so stinkin cute, you can eat more than one and NOT feeling guilty, and they are darn tasty. 

I recently received some mini dessert dishes from Libbey Glass and I’m going to put them to the test.  I wanted to blossom my creativity a little and these little beauties have given me the incentive to do just that.

The first dessert I came up with is made with sugar-free raspberry gelatin.  HOLD ON!  DON’T LEAVE!  You are going to want to see this, even if it’s just out of curiosity.   

I wanted my first mini dessert to be simple, low calorie, and for a more mature audience.  Wait until you see how I adultified (new word) it.   

Please allow me to introduce … Skinny Mini’s.  A raspberry (sugar-free) gelatin topped with Mascato infused whipped cream and mini vanilla shortbread bites.

As for the taste, I ate three of them just while I was taking pictures.  When I made that announcement to my husband he laughed at me and tried to tell me that making mini’s means you ration yourself.   Nah… I don’t think so.  Not when you are talking about sugar-free gelatin, a tiny dollop of whipped cream, and a bite sized shortbread cookie I quickly retorted. 

To make Skinny Mini’s you will need (per my suggestion) one box of twelve Libby Flare Dessert Dishes and mini spoons (they are sold as a package). 

You will also need one small box of sugar-free raspberry gelatin.  Prepare the gelatin following the instructions on the box and divide it equally into the dessert glasses.  Refrigerate until firm.

Mini Vanilla Shortbread Bites

1 stick of chilled margarine

1/4 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, and line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add margarine, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer until creamy. Add sifted flour, and mix until batter holds together. Spread batter onto prepared baking sheet making a square about 5”x 5”. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Use a mini cookie cutter to cut baked cookie dough; set aside.

Mascato Infused Whipped Cream

1/2 c. of heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. of white Mascato wine

1/2 tbsp. of granulated sugar

Place heavy cream and sugar in a chilled bowl and mix with electric mixer until cream thickens into whipped cream.  Slow drizzle the wine into the whipped cream while the beaters are going.. Using a pastry bag squeeze whipped cream on top of each gelatin dessert.  Place a mini shortbread bite on top of  each dessert topped with whipped cream; garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Now, enjoy!

How could you possibly feel guilty indulging in these?  Really…

While Libbey did provide me with these mini dessert dishes, I was not compensated for this post, and the opinions contained herein are my very own.