Hummingbird Cupcakes

I watched Cupcake Wars and they made hummingbird cupcakes. They looked delicious and pretty easy to make. Apparently hummingbird cake is pretty popular in the south. Traditionally hummingbird cake has pecans in it, but I'm allergic so I used sliced almonds.

I need to work on my icing skills.

ingredients

1C sliced almonds

4 bananas chopped into pieces

1C chopped pineapple

2 3/4 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 3/4 C sugar

3/4 C vegetable oil

2 8oz pkgs of cream cheese, room temp

12 tbs butter, room temp

1 tbs lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

2C confectioner's sugar

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line muffin tins or grease cupcake cups (I have silicone cupcake cups that I use instead of wasting cupcake liners).
3. Combine almonds, bananas, and pineapples in a bowl with 1/2 C of flour. Make sure all pieces are coated.
4. In separate bowl, combine 2 1/4C flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
5. Beat eggs and sugar in mixer until thick and creamy.
6. Add oil to the egg mixture.
7. Gradually add flour mixture to egg/sugar/oil mixture.
8. Fold in banana mixture.
9. Put batter into cupcake cups.
10. Bake cupcakes about 28 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Let cupcakes completely cool.
12. Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer until fluffy
13. Gradually add lemon zest and powdered sugar.
14. Beat until smooth.
15. Refrigerate ~20 minutes.
16. Frost cupcakes.
17. Enjoy!

Cinnabon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

I made these for work, they were a huge hit! I love me some Cinnabon so I will keep trying to recreate the wonderful cinnamony taste forever.

ingredients

Cake

3C All-Purpose Flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1C butter, room temperature

2C sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1C milk, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

8oz cream cheese

1/4C butter, room temperature

2 tbs caramel sauce

2C powdered sugar

Caramel Chocolate Syrup

4tbs caramel sauce

1tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tray with liners (or grease a muffin tray).
2. In large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In separate bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and cream with butter until white and fluffy (I used my mixer and took about 7 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
4. Turn mixer speed to low and add flour mixture and milk a little bit at a time.
5. Divide batter amongst cupcake liners. Bake about 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and cool.
7. (This can be done while cupcakes are cooling or while they are baking). Combine cream cheese and butter with paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Add caramel sauce. Turn speed to low and add powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
8. Beat on high speed until mixture is smooth (~3 minutes).
9. Mix all caramel chocolate sauce ingredients together and stir until well combined and smooth.
10. Frost cupcakes.
11. Drizzle with caramel chocolate syrup.
12. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana

My boyfriend actually made this recipe, off of a "healthier version" recipe from People magazine.

ingredients

4 thin, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Olive Oil spray

Salt & Pepper

2 C marinara sauce

1 C drained canned whole plum tomatoes, chopped

1 C chopped fresh basil leaves

1 C mozzarella (they suggested reduced-fat cheese but I don't like the way reduced-fat cheese melts)

6 tbs grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/2 C bread crumbs (they suggested whole wheat, though I used regular seasoned bread crumbs)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil spray.
2. Heat pan on medium-high heat, spray chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken ~1.5 min per side until cooked through.
3. Spread half of the marinara sauce over bottom of baking dish. Put chicken on top of marinara sauce. Spread the rest of the sauce over the chicken and top with chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with half of the basil and all of the cheese and breadcrumbs.
4. Bake chicken for 10-12 minutes until cheese melts. Sprinkle remaining basil on top.
5. Enjoy!

Pardon my absence..

Grad school took over my life for the last few months.

I am taking a summer class, but I will hopefully have more time to keep up with recipe posting :)

Stay with me!