With Sprinkles on Top

You guys. This cookie cake was to…die….for. It was reminiscent of a cookie cake from the Great American Cookie Company – but without the preservative aftertaste! Whenever I see a cookie cake I always think of the episode of Sex and the City where Miranda’s near-perfect [but not perfect for her] boyfriend gives her a gigantic chocolate chip cookie that says “I Love You.” She couldn’t say the words back to him and ate the entire cookie just to make the problem disappear.

I didn’t know what I write on this cookie cake or how to decorate it, so I resorted to a line from my favorite TV show, Parks and Recreation. Treat yo self! The show is back for its 5th season starting tonight, so be sure to watch. I can’t wait for Ron Swanson to return to my life.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Recipe source: dineanddish.net
Print Recipe

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour, plus 4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Beat butter and sugars together.
2. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
4. Add dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well blended.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Spread dough into a 15 1/2 inch round pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

*I decorated the cake with store-bought frosting. You could always make homemade buttercream if you’d rather use that.

I don’t like coconut [as I have mentioned 3,409 times on this blog so far – ha!]. So let’s jump right into learning a bit about the Almond Joy!

• Almond Joy is produced by Hershey and its sister product is the Mounds bar (dark chocolate, no almond).
• The Almond Joy bar was introduced by Peter Paul in 1946.
• The “Sometimes you feel like a nut / sometimes you don’t / Almond Joy’s got nuts / Mounds don’t” jingle has been around since 1970.
• Although Peter Paul as a company no longer exists, the name is still featured on the Almond Joy wrapper.
• Almond Joy bars have been referenced in TV and movies. On Weeds, the Almond Joy was the favorite candy bar of Nancy’s late husband, Judah. Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson inquires of there are any other candies available at Ann’s party besides Almond Joy, as he is allergic to almonds. Lisa Simpson bought an Almond Joy bar at the Kwik-e-Mart before a playdate.
• In the 2000s, Hershey began introducing new and limited-editions of the bar: pina colada, double chocolate, white chocolate key lime, milk chocolate passion fruit, and toasted coconut have all been featured Almond Joy flavors. [all trivia taken from Wikipedia]

Almond Joy Cupcakes
Recipe source: Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2010
Print Recipe

For the cupcakes:
2 large eggs plus 4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup cream of coconut (I found this in the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store)
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

For the topping:
2 cups whole milk
1 14-oz bag of shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the glaze & garnish:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
48 roasted almonds, for garnish (I used sliced almonds instead)

1. Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk the whole eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk in the cream of coconut and the coconut and vanilla extracts until smooth.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat in the butter, one piece at a time, with a mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (about 3-4 minutes). Add half of the egg mixture, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the remaining egg mixture until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each about halfway. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean — about 18-22 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes; transfer to racks and cool completely.
4. Make the topping: Combine the milk, coconut, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the milk is absorbed and the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. (this took longer than 15 minutes for me — and I had to add extra powdered sugar to get the mixture to thicken)
5. Make the glaze: Put the chocolate, corn syrup, butter, and 3 Tablespoons hot water in a microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on 50% powder until the chocolate melts (about 2 minutes). Whisk to combine. Keep warm.
6. Top each cupcake with a heaping Tablespoonful of the coconut mixture, pressing gently until compact. Spoon 1 teaspoon glaze on top and garnish with almonds. Refrigerate until the glaze sets, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

I think that the Reese’s peanut butter cup may be my favorite candy of all time. Cause let’s be real, not much is better than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. A step up is the dark chocolate Reese’s. Yet another step up? The Easter egg peanut butter cup. The eggs somehow taste even better — how is that possible? A changed chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio? In any case, these cupcakes are a tasty replica of the classic Reese’s flavor.

•  The Reese’s peanut butter cup was created in 1923 by H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton Hershey.
• After being inspired by Hershey’s success, H. B. Reese started his own candy company in the basement of his Hershey, PA home — and used Hershey chocolate to make his candies.
• The H. B. Reese Candy Company was sold to Hershey in 1963.
• Countless variations of the classic peanut butter cup are produced: miniatures, dark chocolate, white chocolate, big cups, unwrapped miniatures, caramel, marshmallow, peanut butter eggs, peanut butter hearts, peanut butter pumpkins.. the list goes on.
• Hershey licenses the Reese’s name to other companies for the production of other products: General Mills’ Reese’s Puffs and ice creams by Breyer’s, Baskin Robbins, and Dairy Queen. [all trivia from Wikipedia]

Reese’s Peanut Butter Mini Cupcakes
Recipe source: Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2010
Print Recipe

For the cupcakes:
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1-1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 10 oz. bag peanut butter chips
(you may also need a bit of powdered sugar, more on that in the instructions below)

For the glaze:
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
6 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped

1. Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350F and line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the butter, cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until the butter melts (about 2 minutes). Whisk to combine, then whisk in the brown sugar.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the warm cocoa mixture. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla; stir into the batter until just combined but don’t overmix.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each 3/4 of the way. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched (about 15-20 minutes). Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Make the topping: bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over the peanut butter chips in a bowl and let stand until the chips melt (about 5 minutes). Whisk until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add some powdered sugar to thicken. Refrigerate until the topping is set, about 10 minutes, then beat with a mixer until fluffy. Transfer to a pastry bag with a 1-inch round tip and pipe topping onto each cupcake. Place in the freezer while you make the glaze [I skipped this step and they worked out fine].
5. Make the glaze: put the butter, chocolate, and 3 Tablespoons hot water in a small, deep microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave on 50% power until the chocolate melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Dip the peaks of each cupcake into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.

Makes about 24 mini cupcakes.

Snickers are one of my favorite candy bars. I’m usually not a huge fan of nougat, but somehow the Snickers changes my opinion! Such a perfect combination of chocolate, caramel, nougat, and peanuts.

• Snickers are made by the Mars Corporation — and Snickers has annual sales of $2 billion.
• The candy bar was introduced in 1930 and is named after the favorite horse of the Mars family.
• The bar was marketed under the name “Marathon” in the UK until 1990.
• Snickers are sold in a variety of sizes and variations – fun size, ice cream bars, Snickers peanut butter bars, etc.
• Deep-fried Snickers are a popular snack at state and county fairs – and the Cheesecake Factory sells “Snickers Bar Chunks and Cheesecake”.
• Mars has partnered with the NFL, Betty White, Mr. T, NASCAR, Roseanne Barr, Joe Pesci, and others for Snickers advertising. [all trivia from Wikipedia]

Snickers Cupcakes
Recipe source: Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2010
Print Recipe

For the cupcakes:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
2 cups chopped salted roasted peanuts, plus more for garnish

For the nougat frosting:
2 13 oz. jars marshmallow creme (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Pinch of salt

For the chocolate frosting:
6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2-1/2 cups powered sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs and both sugas with a mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Gradually beat in the melted butter and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture, the milk, and then the remaining flour. Fold in the peanuts but don’t overmix.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about halfway. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean — about 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
4. Make the nougat frosting: beat the marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and salt with a mixer until smooth; set aside. Make the chocolate frosting: put both chocolates in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50% power until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, then continue to microwave until melted, 1 to 2 more minutes. Add the powdered sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
5. Spread nougat frosting over each cupcake, then top with chocolate frosting, leaving some of the nougat exposed. Garnish with peanuts.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Today marks the start of a series of cupcake recipes that mimic popular candy bars. I saw these ideas in Food Network Magazine a few years ago and knew that I had to try them all. Every Monday for the next six weeks I’ll post a new candy-inspired cupcake recipe — plus a little candy trivia for each.

The first in the series is the York Peppermint Pattie cupcake!

• York Peppermint Patties are produced by the Hershey Company.
• The pattie was first produced by the York Cone Company in 1940. The product was sold nationwide after the York Cone Company was acquired by the Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company in the 1970s.
• Peter Paul merged with Cadbury Schweppes in 1978 — and the Hershey Company acquired Cadbury Schweppes in 1988.
• Production of the York Peppermint Pattie currently takes place in Mexico.
• A signature of the pattie is the distinctive, yet quiet, noise that it makes when broken in half. [all trivia found on Wikipedia]

York Peppermint Pattie Cupcakes
Recipe source: Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2010
Print Recipe

For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3-1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the topping:
1 pound (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons peppermint extract

For the glaze:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Make the cupcakes: preheat oven to 350F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Put the butter, cocoa powder, and 3/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until the butter melts (about 2 minutes). Whisk to combine, then whisk in the brown sugar.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the warm cocoa mixture. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla; stir into the batter until just combined but don’t overmix.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
4. Make the topping: Beat the powdered sugar, corn syrup, shortening, and peppermint extract with a mixer until a tight paste forms. Gather into a ball, place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2-1/2-inch round cutter or juice glass to cut into disks; reroll the scraps. Place a peppermint disk on top of each cupcake.
5. Make the glaze: Put the chocolate, corn syrup, butter, and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave on 50% power until the chocolate melts (about 2 minutes). Whisk to combine, then cool slightly. Spread the glaze over the peppermint topping, leaving some peppermint exposed. Refrigerate until set, at least 20 minutes. Serve cold.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.