Tin Roof Cheesecake

Makes 1 small 5″ cheesecake.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 3/4 oz. chocolate wafers (~7 cookies)
2 tablespoons halved roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
For the chocolate covered peanuts:
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey (or corn syrup)
pinch of salt
1/4 cup halved roasted unsalted peanuts
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a small 5” spring form pan.
In a food processor, make the crust by grinding together the chocolate wafers, peanuts, sugar, salt and melted butter. Pour the mixture into the spring form pan, and pack it down and up the sides of the pan. Pack very well using a shot glass or small glass.
Bake the crust on a baking sheet for 8 or 9 minutes. When done, remove from oven and turn the oven down to 300°.
Meanwhile, beat together all cheesecake ingredients. Beat until very well combined, but don’t over do it—you’ll put too much air in the batter and cause cracks in your final product.
Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 36-38 minutes, until the center is slightly jiggly but not wet when you touch it.
Leave the cheesecake in the oven, but turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Let sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, move the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool another 30 minutes.
Finally, run a knife around the edge of the pan, and then cover with plastic wrap before moving it to the refrigerator. All of these steps ensure that your cheesecake will not crack or deflate.
Let the cheesecake chill for a minimum of 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate covered peanuts: have ready a sheet pan lined with wax paper or a silicone mat.
Combine all ingredients except peanuts in a double boiler and melt over low heat (you can also use your microwave on 20-second pulses). Once chocolate is melted and shiny, stir in the peanuts. Immediately pour this mixture onto the awaiting sheet pan and let cool until set in the fridge (~10 minutes).
When ready to serve the cheesecake, unmold it carefully from the spring form pan, move it to a plate and decorate with large chunks of the chocolate covered peanuts.

From (lost source, sorry!)

Milk Chocolate Brownies

She used 18 snack size Reese’s cups for this, slightly offset to get a piece of peanut butter cup in as many bites as possible.

Any brownie recipe should do, although I don’t recommend really dark brownie recipes or very cake-like brownies. But let’s face it. These are brownies with peanut butter cups inside them. You can’t really mess up.

from Gourmet via Epicurious

DOUBLE IF MAKING PEANUT BUTTER CUP BROWNIES

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
8 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cover 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.

3. Melt butter and half of the chocolate over low heat until both are completely melted. (Personally, I would actually recommend melting all 8 ounces in one go to give a sweeter taste throughout, especially if you’re making the peanut butter brownies).

4. Remove from heat and cool for approximately five minutes. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla, then beat in eggs one by one until smooth.

5. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl, whisk, then stir into chocolate mixture. If only half of chocolate was added in Step 3, stir in remaining chocolate.

6. For Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, pour half of batter into pan and top with eighteen Reese’s cups as discussed above.

7. Pour second half into pan, completely covering Reese’s cups, and bake for approximately an hour for peanut butter cup brownies, or 25-30 minutes for regular brownies. This will vary greatly based on how thick your brownies are. Once the top of the brownies no longer jiggles when the rack is moved, remove brownies. Brownies will be lightly fudgy in middle when finished.

from snarkysweets

Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

3/4 cup butter, very soft (not melted but softer than room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cups creamy PB
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla


5-6 Reese's peanut butter cups (regular size) cut into 6-8 pieces each
IMPORTANT: Do NOT omit the Reese's Peanut Butter cups. They take these brownies over the top and add the "Double" Peanut Butter taste the title tepts tastebuds with

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8" square pan with foil and lightly coat with PAM cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the two baking chocolate squares in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth and melted after stirring. Do not scortch! Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, Beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and wisk together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Do not overmix.

In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat until just combined.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into prepared pan. Evenly drop 1/2 of cheesecake batter in dollups over brownie batter. Run a knife through both mixtures to slightly swirl.

Dollop remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter over swirled mixture. Run knife through the browine and cheesecake dollups (not all the way through the already swirled layer) to create a swirled pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes**, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not overbake or they will harden, if underbaked they will be too gooey. Every oven is different so watch and check these after about 35-40 minutes of baking to ensure propper doneness.

**After about 35-40 minutes of baking (with about 5-7 minutes of baking time left, you just need to eyeball it) gently place cut up Reese's cups over top of almost fully baked brownies. Finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. The Reese's PB cups will melt but hold their shape slightly. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and serving.

from BlondeAmbition

Raspberry Swirl Frozen Dessert

Rich, creamy and delicious! That's how our tasting panel described this delicious raspberry treat. And it's worth the time, because you know it's safe to eat! Karen Suderman - Sugar Land, Texas

12 Servings
Prep: 45 min. Cook: 20 min. + freezing

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
5 teaspoons sugar

FILLING:
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1-1/2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping
1 package (10 ounces) frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press into an 11-in. x 7-in. dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, in a small heavy saucepan, combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Set aside. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and remaining water and sugar. With a portable mixer, beat on low speed until mixture reaches 160°. Transfer to a small bowl; beat on high until soft peaks form. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in egg yolk mixture. Fold in whipped topping, then egg white mixture. Drain raspberries, reserving 3 tablespoons juice. In a small bowl, crush half of berries with 1 tablespoon juice. Set remaining berries and juice aside. Spread a third of cream cheese mixture over crust; spoon half of crushed berry mixture over the top. Repeat layers. Cut through with a knife to swirl raspberries. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with reserved berries and drizzle with remaining juice. Cover and freeze for 5 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 217 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 164 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1-1/2 fat.

From TasteofHome

Reindeer Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels
Mini brown M&Ms
Regular-sized red M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Form dough into 1/2-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color... some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.).

Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely.

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

from Bakergirl

JT -- I made these at Kris' house.  They came out cute, but you have to work fast!  I couldn't find mini M&M's or mini chocolate pretzels (check Trader Joe's next time!), so I made substitutions.  They came out cute.  They don't travel real well - the pretzels are a bit loose.  Also, the pretzels tend to get stale.  Chocolate covering would help on both counts.

PUMPKIN SPICE CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

PUMPKIN SPICE CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (16 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

Blend cake mix with dry ingredients. Mix in eggs, water and pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan. Bake 350 degrees 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Mix glaze and drizzle over cake.

GLAZE:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
Few drops of orange food color

Applesauce Cookies

Makes 24

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 195 degrees C ). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and egg. Stir in the applesauce. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Then mix in the raisins and nuts.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove to cool on wire racks.

Servings Per Recipe: 24
Calories: 158  Total Fat: 6.8g  Cholesterol: 9mg  Sodium: 81mg 
Total Carbs: 23.4g  Dietary Fiber: 0.6g  Protein: 1.7g

from Allrecipes.

My Mom made these cookies and they are really good. The texture is was makes them special for me - they are sorta crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. So good!

RASPBERRY APPLESAUCE JELLO

3 sm. pkgs. raspberry Jello
3 c. boiling water
2 pkgs. frozen raspberries with juice
2 c. applesauce

Add 3 cups boiling water to Jello. Stir in raspberries and applesauce. Set until firm.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

adapted from My Baking Heart
makes enough for 24 cupcakes
Printable Recipe
6 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk (or Baileys)

Cream butter and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.

Slowly add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency, then beat another 5 minutes creamy.

from bean town baker

Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe Source: How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients - Base
50g brown sugar
200g icing sugar
50g margarine (you can use butter, but I think it tastes better with margarine)
200g smooth peanut butter

Ingredients - Topping
150g dark/milk chocolate (I use dark)
1 tablespoon margarine/butter

Method
1. Combine the ingredients for the base. I use my Kitchenaid with the K beater attachment.

2. Sample the dough. If you want it more peanutty, add more peanut butter; but know that this will make the dough softer and more squidgy.

3. Line a 23cm square tin (or equivalent) with baking paper. Press the dough evenly into the tin and refrigerate.

4. Make the topping. Put the chocolate and butter into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until mostly melted. Stir.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the base and spread. To get the chocolate flat, rap the tin on the tabletop and it should flatten out.

6. Refrigerate until chocolate is just set. Occupy yourself with other tasks so you don't die of anticipation.

7. Cut the peanut butter bar into little squares with a hot knife. If the chocolate is too hard and the base too soft - meaning that when you try to cut, the base all squidges out of shape - then turn the bar upside down and cut.

For a bit of class, instead of having Peanut Butter Bars you can have Peanut Butter Balls. Instead of forming the dough into a bar, roll the dough into small balls and freeze them. Then dip in chocolate. If desired, you can drizzle more chocolate over the top once the bottom layer is hard.

Another change you can make is to add Rice Bubbles to the dough. This is a good thing - the crunchiness is good, and the addition of another ingredient means the volume of dough is greater. Therefore, you can get more yum out of the same recipe!
from food for torte

Over the Top Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies

* 3/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 2 large eggs
* 2 tsp vanilla
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
* 32 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, each cut into 4 pieces

1. Mix the ingredients down to the vanilla. Add soda, salt, and flour. Fold in chocolate chips.
2. Using and ice cream scoop, scoop dough (these are big cookies). Place 6 scoops of dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Use your hand and slightly flatten each scoop of dough. Cook for 12 minutes at 350.
3. Remove cookies from oven and lightly press 8 cut up pieces of the Reese’s peanut butter cups over the top of each cookie. Return to oven for 2 more minutes. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before placing on cooling rack. I think these cookies are best eaten warm. However, the still taste great the next day. Are best if eaten no later than the day after baking. Makes 18 cookies.

Variation: use mini or regular M&M pieces in place of the Reese’s pieces.

from real mom kitchen

Fruit Dip

From who knows where…
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 seven ounce jar marshmallow fluff
- Juice from one orange (I’ve substituted with limes for a tangier flavor – it’s great both ways)

Take cream cheese out of fridge and let soften. When the cream cheese is soft enough to blend, add the fluff and orange juice and beat the you-know-what out of it. Serve with fruit and prepare to be transported straight to paradise. Strawberries and green grapes are my favorite with this dip, but just about any fruit tastes great!
from this week for dinner

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

1 package (18 ounces) white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 cup of water
1/3 cup, plus 1/4 cup of frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
pink food coloring
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
lemon candies, for decoration

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Beat cake mix, egg whites, water, 1/3 cup concentrate, oil, and a few drops of food coloring in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

To make frosting, beat sugar, butter, and remaining 1/4 cup concentrate in medium bowl with mixer at medium speed. Beat in a few drops food coloring. Frost cupcakes and decorate with lemon candy.

Flourless Lemon Cake

3 large lemons
250 g ground almonds
6 eggs
A pinch of salt
250 g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cover the lemons with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 2 hours. I recommend putting a lid on the pan, because if you’re anything like me you’ll forget the lemons are on the stove, water evaporating away, and 2 hours later you’ll come back to find their dried and possibly charred remains.
Once the lemons have cooked, drain the water off and leave them to cool. When they are at room temperature, cut them open and look for any seeds that might be lurking within, and get rid of those.
Then take all of your ingredients in a food processor and whiz together to form the batter. The lemons go in skin, pith, flesh, and all.
Dump the mix into a lined springform cake pan, and bake at 190C for about 45 minutes, or until cooked in the middle. If it is getting dark on top you can cover it with foil while it finishes baking.
from Nigella via ButtermilkPartyCake

Stuffed Strawberries with Mint

2 pints strawberries (about 1.5 pounds)
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
4-6 tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest from one lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
In a medium bowl, use a fork to beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with the petal tip (The star tip makes the filling look pretty, but you have to worry about lemon zest clogging the opening). If you don't have a pastry bag, you can spoon the filling into a resealable plastic bag and use scissors to cut off one corner. Rinse the berries in a colander, then pat them dry. Use a small paring knife to cut the hulls out of the berries. Pipe some filling into each strawberry, then garnish with a small mint leaf. Arrange on a plate and serve, or prepare in advance and refrigerate for up to four hours before serving.
from ShiningSpoon

"THE BROWNIE"

by: King Arthur Flour

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon espresso powder
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Parchment paper a 9x13 pan.

2. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3. While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips. ( let it cool- it makes presentation even better! )

6. Spoon the batter into a parchment lined (sides and bottom!) 9" x 13" pan.

7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.
from the Indecisive Baker

Perfect Lemon Cupcakes

Made May 1, 2010
I thought the cupcakes were very good.  I was afraid they might be too much like a moist pound cake, but they weren't... nice and fluffy.  The frosting was also good, very lemony.  For me, though, it was a bit too sweet for this cake.  I've never been a big fan of buttercream, might try with cream cheese frosting or just whipped cream.  But everyone else seemed to be happy with the combo.  -jt

Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil (I only used 1/2cup)
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. For 24 cupcakes, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  For regular cake, pour into a greased 9×11 pan or two round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don’t over bake!
The cupcakes will fall slightly as they cool -- it just makes more space for frosting!

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
6-8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (I added 6 cups total). Use and store at room temperature. (Don’t refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about three days.)

from Real Mom Kitchen

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats 

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crackers (about 1 package)
3 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, making sure there is at least an inch overhang on all sides, preferably a couple on both ends. In a food processor, process graham crackers to fine crumbs, add sugar and pulse several times to combine. With processor running, add melted butter and process for about 15-30 seconds more. Press crumbs onto the pan in an even layer. Bake for about 10 minutes and cool in pan on a wire rack.

Filling:
1/3 cup whole milk (I used skim milk and just replaced a little bit with heavy cream)
12 oz cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 can dulce de leche

Beat softened cream cheese with mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating and scraping the bowl after each egg. Add the milk and salt and beat on low until smooth. Add the dulce de leche and beat on low speed until smooth. Pour over the crust and smooth with a rubber spatula. Set pan inside a larger pan and add hot water to the larger pan until water is about half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes until filling is just set. Cool on wire rack for about 2 hours and then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours more.

Chocolate Glaze:
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 T unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 tsp light corn syrup

In a large measuring cup, add chocolate pieces, butter and corn syrup. Microwave on low powder for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 20-30 seconds until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Pour glaze over chilled cheesecake, tilt the pan or use an offset spatula to smooth the chocolate up to all the edges. Chill at least 30 minutes more.

Use excess foil to remove the bars from the pan, peel foil off the back, and transfer to a cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, cut into squares and serve.

from Homemade by Holman

Mayan Chocolate Cupcakes

Mayan Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa-Cinnamon Buttercream
(Cupcake recipe adapted from Hello Cupcake)

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 (18.25 oz.) box Devil’s Food (or other chocolate variety) cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
4 eggs
Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer dark chocolate cocoa, but any works!)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more or less to achieve desired consistency)
Method:

To Make Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Add the first six cake ingredients (cake mix through cayenne) together in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, until the batter is well-mixed. Increase speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.

Pour or scoop the batter into the paper liners until they are 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

To Make Frosting:

Cream butter in an electric mixer on medium-speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Then add cocoa powder and cinnamon and mix on low-speed until combined. Gradually add in the milk and powdered sugar, alternately, until combined. Then beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, another 3-5 minutes. (Add in more powdered sugar if consistency is too thin.)

***To frost 24 cupcakes as I did (pictured above), I’d recommend making a double batch of the frosting. But if you’re just spreading it on with a knife, one batch should be plenty! :)

Ali’s Tip:

For an extra kick, try grinding a pinch of ground sea salt on top of these! It truly kicks them up a notch! (And then you can tell your friends that they’re “salted cocoa-cinnamon buttercream”!)

Strawberry Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecakes

(adapted from this recipe, makes about 14 cupcake sized cheesecakes)
140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
50g/2 oz. butter
250g/9 oz. cream cheese
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
250g strawberry jam
Optional: White chocolate buttons

Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. I used a whisk to break up any lumps. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.
Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.
Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and gently fold until just combined. Spoon into cupcake tray lined with paper liners, filling to about 5/6ths full.
Bake cheesecake in a water bath (I placed my cupcake tray in a roasting tray that was 3/4 filled with water) for approximately 30 mins or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with some moist crumbs attached. To avoid the cheesecakes cracking or collapsing, turn the oven off right before they are ready and then leave the oven door slightly open so they cool gradually. After 5 minutes, remove them from the oven and let them sit in the tray for another 10 minutes. Remove from the tray and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cheesecakes are baking, place strawberry jam in a small saucepan and gently heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool and set slightly. When your cheesecakes have cooled, spoon a layer of strawberry jam over the top.
Optional: Decorate with white chocolate buttons to make them look like toadstools, which is kind of awesome. Leave to set for about half an hour and then remove paper cases before serving. Can be stored in fridge overnight.