Rainbow Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Need I say more? I mean... Really?

This is my dessert for tonight, after Gabe's famous Alfredo that brings all the boys to the yard. If you don't know the song "Milkshake" by Kelis, consider yourself lucky. I do however feel the need to enlighten you with this song, so please: click here.  Anyways, when I get bored, only one thing comes to mind- cupcakes.  So I decided I would attempt rainbow cupcakes. Unfortunately I didn't have any red food coloring on hand from my previous red velvet expeditions, so green, yellow, blue, and a teal color had to do. These are of course topped with a to-die-for buttercream frosting that could be the reason I end up losing a foot to diabetes. But I don't care. At least that foot will be lost as a happy, well-fed foot. On to the recipe, shall we?!

For the cake:

What you'll need:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup milk

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with 24 cupcake liners
-Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined.
-In a separate bowl, combine together dry ingredients. Add half ingredients and mix until combined. Add milk, mix, then add remaining half of dry ingredients and mix.
-Pour batter into four separate bowls. Add desired amount and colors of food coloring to each bowl.

-Layer different colors of batter in cupcake liners. Bake for18-21 minutes and cool before frosting.

They look pretty cool, right?

Now for the frosting!

What you'll need

• 4 sticks of butter (I told you, this will be the reason I lose a foot to diabetes. It's best to just not think about it.)
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2-4 tablespoons milk, if needed

-Cream butter. Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix well. Then add vanilla and milk one teaspoon at a time if needed. If the frosting becomes too liquidy, add more powdered sugar.

I had to do a cupcake photo shoot. So I apologize...

As always, enjoy!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

This morning when I woke up, I was dying to bake and to bake anything.Chelsea and I were ready to bake cupcakes, but I didn't have any cupcake liners or parchment paper... Since actually getting dressed and going to the store to purchase something was out of the question, we opted for cookies instead, and found these delicious and easy peanut butter cookies.

I know my chocolate drizzle doesn't look very pretty, but the cookie makes up for it, I promise!

What you'll need:

• 2/3 cup sugar (plus extra to roll the cookies in)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the peanut butter and sugar in a bowl by hand, since using a machine just doesn't work out very well... Add in the egg and baking powder and mix until combined.
2. Roll cookie dough into small balls, then roll in sugar before placing on a cookie sheet. Press a fork lightly on the cookies, to flatten them.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then let cool completely before moving. Drizzle with chocolate if desired. 

See?! They were even pretty in dough form.

And continued to be pretty after they spent some time in the oven. I'm really in love with these cookies...

Have I convinced you to try them yet?! I hope so. Enjoy!