Chocolate Cupcakes and Vanilla Buttercream Icing

I found this recipe at http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/. I wish I had a picture of these cupcakes but they were gone in what seemed like seconds. These are the best cupcakes I have ever had and they were really easy to make.

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 ¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder 

1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

• Preheat oven 350
• Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix
• Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix with dry ingredients
• Add boiling water and mix just until blended (batter will be watery)
• Pour batter into well greased cupcake pans
• Place in oven and bake 20-25 min
• Once done, let cupcakes cool on a wire rack and then add icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
1/3 cup butter at room temperature
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Beat butter until creamy
Add in powdered sugar gradually
Then add milk and vanilla

These are so delicious…I hope you love them as much as I did. Visit http://www.thefarmchicks.com/ it is a great website and has so much fun stuff on there!

Homemade Apple Pie

I have found a great EASY apple pie recipe. I found it on the website www.cooks.com

Pie Crust

2 Cups Flour

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 Veggie Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Apple Pie Filling

6 Green Apples, skinned and diced

1 cup sugar

Dash of Salt

Several Sprinkles of Cinnamon

Dash of Vanilla

Mix in a bowl all together. 

Once it is well mixed divide into two pieces. 

Work dough into a ball and then roll out each piece.

Place on piece in bottom of a pie dish. 

Then add Apple Pie filling...(Place all six dices apples in bowl and add in the other ingredients and let stand covered for about 10-15 mins).

Place small pieces of butter in about 5 places around the pie.

Next add the second crust.

Cut in several places to let air out.

Bake in oven at 350 or 45-50 mins.

I like to serve with some BlueBell Ice Cream!!

This really takes no time at all and it is such a wonderful pie!

Sugar Cookies and Icing

These are some great cookies that I made today for the first time. I did them for Valentine's day but they are clearly wonderful for anytime of the year.

Sugar Cookies

1 stick of butter

1 cup sugar

1.5 tablespoon milk

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash or two of vanilla and cinnamon

In Mixer mix butter, sugar, milk, egg.

Once well blended add flour, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon.

If mixture looks too dry add a bit more of milk and vanilla.

Once mixture is fully mixed spoon onto cooking sheet. 

Bake at 350 for about 8-10 min or until golden brown around edges.

Makes about 20-24.

Once fully cooled add icing.

Icing

2.5-3 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons of milk

Vanilla

Dash of Salt

Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl. 

The icing should have a smooth and not too thick texture.

Once mixed Ice away!!

I like to add sprinkles.

You can always add food coloring to add color to your cookies.

Bon Appetite!