With Sprinkles on Top

I know that red velvet isn’t necessarily linked to Christmas… but hey, it looks the part! It’s RED. I’ve made red velvet cake and cupcakes on this blog, so I thought I’d round it all out by making whoopie pies. Mmmm mmm. Every time I make red velvet anything, I think of my friend Beth. She loves red velvet and has even developed a rating system — taking into account the frosting-to-cake ratio, flavor, moisture, etc of various red velvet cakes that she tries. I love that level of dedication and enthusiasm toward baked goods!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
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1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 oz. bottle red food coloring

Filling:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
Milk (as needed)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with a mixer for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Alternately add flour and buttermilk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in red food coloring.
3. Spoon dough from a rounded measuring teaspoon 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack and cool.
4. Making frosting; in a large bowl combine cream cheese, 3 TB butter, and peppermint extract. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 3 cups powdered sugar. Add milk, if needed, to make a filling of spreading consistency.
5. Spread filling onto flat sides of half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down, pressing lightly together.

I have a special affinity for mini cupcakes. I wish more people would make them and I wish more bakeries would sell them. They’re easier to eat and you can mentally trick yourself into thinking that you can eat more mini cupcakes than regular-sized cupcakes (kind of like the mini candy bar phenomenon at Halloween). I also have a special affinity for the combination of mint + chocolate — and then to throw in cream cheese frosting? SOLD! Paula Deen’s recipes never fail me and this one is no exception.

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Recipe source: Paula Deen
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3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream

Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line mini muffin pans with liners or non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Stir in sour cream. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
4. Cool completely on wire rack.
5. While cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and peppermint extract at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
6. Frost cupcakes and garnish with crushed candy canes or sprinkles.

Makes approximately 48 mini cupcakes — or 24 full-size cupcakes.

I love Christmas cut-out cookies (I’ll be posting a recipe for those later this month!) but sometimes they are just so… much… work. Make the dough, chill the dough, roll the dough, cut the dough, bake the dough, frost the cookie, decorate the cookie, PHEW! If you want an easy shortcut that still maintains the flavor and concept of a frosted cookie, give these a try.

Sugar Cookie Squares
Recipe source: Land O’ Lakes
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3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 Tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Combine sugar, 2/3 cup butter, milk, vanilla, and egg in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well.
2. Spread mixture into ungreased 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set; cool completely.
3. Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and almond extract in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Spread frosting over cooled bars; decorate with sprinkles [optional], cut into squares.

I had some York patties leftover from Halloween and wanted to use them in some capacity. These are incredibly rich, so maybe cutting them into 1-inch squares would be the best way to go (instead of the giant brownies I created).

Yield: About 24-30 brownies

York Peppermint Patty Brownies

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A classic candy paired with a perfect, ooey gooey brownie!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 8 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 5 eggs
• 3-3/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-2/3 cups flour
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 bags York Peppermint Patties

Instructions

1. Line the bottom of a 9×13" pan with tin foil and cover with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Microwave the unsweetened chocolate and butter for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cooking interval. Keep cooking and stirring until the chocolate and butter are melted. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl (or in your stand mixer) beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and almond extract for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the melted chocolate mixture and flour. Mix until incorporated.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Spread half of the batter into the buttered pan.

7. Unwrap your peppermint patties and line them up over the top of the bottom layer of batter.

8. Cover the patties with the second half of the batter.

9. Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes. [This part can be a little tricky. Stick a knife in the top layer of brownie and be sure that it comes out clean before you take them out of the oven.]

10. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Notes

Your yield will depend on how big or small you cut your brownies.

 

Butter pecan is one of my favorite ice cream flavors, but I’ve never had a butter pecan cake until now. Pecans always remind me of two things: the south and Christmastime. When the smell of roasted pecans filled my apartment, all I could think about was the holiday season and how special it is. It’s like an assault (in a good way) on your senses – smells (cinnamon! roasted nuts! pine! cookies!), sights (lights!), sounds (Christmas music, whether you love it or hate it, is unavoidable!), and nostalgia so strong that it hurts my heart. Hope you are all having a wonderful season so far.

Butter Pecan Cake
Recipe source: Bake or Break
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Cake:
6 oz. white chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sifted flour [cake flour works best!]

Frosting:
2 Tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
11 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
16 oz. powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make cake:
1. Place white chocolate in a bowl and pour boiling water over it, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray two cake pans with non-stick spray.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in melted white chocolate and vanilla.
4. Combine buttermilk and baking soda. Add flour to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture. Begin and end with flour. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended.
5. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold into batter. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
6. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. [depending on what size cake pan you use and how much batter you add to each, the baking time may need to be adjusted]
7. Spread frosting between layers and on the top and sides of cake. Store in refrigerator.

To make frosting:
1. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add pecans and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until toasted (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in toasted pecans and vanilla.