everyday food made simple

1. I think spring has finally arrived in Minnesota. The moment the temperature becomes warm enough to bust out our grill, it’s officially spring in our house. Grilling weather also means s’mores before dinner.

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2. Speaking of s’mores, did you hear Starbucks is coming out with a limited time s’mores Frappuccino? We all know I love s’mores things almost as much as mint chocolate things. So yes, I’ll totally be trying it out. Duh.

3. For years the mister has been trying to convince me that seasonal Reese’s peanut butter eggs/bunnies/hearts/Santas/whatevers taste way better than the regular peanut butter cups. I guess he was right, because apparently someone has proved that the Valentine’s ones won out with a whopping 60.34% peanut butter.

4. If you happen to live near these 10 best donut shops in the U.S., I’m jealous. I’m still searching for a favorite artisan/gourmet donut shop here in Minnesota.

5. Pasta that you won’t have to drain? Is it a genius idea, or is draining pasta really that big of an hassle?

6. This “Truth or Drink” video, Kids vs. Parents edition is both awkward yet cute at the same time. I would never ever ever in a million years play it with my parents. Noooo thank you. I envision a whole lot of awkward silences and blushing. And drinking. Definitely lots and lots of drinking.

7. Homemade cookie butter baking chips?! Say what??????!!!!! I think I’d be renaming them as “snacking chips”.

8. It’s been years since I’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy, but apparently they killed off Derek Shepherd last week and sparked an uproar on social media? And here I am, finding out about it a week later…

9. I stumbled upon this article on Yahoo! the other day that talks about the food blogging business. The food blogging world really is a wonderful little community with some amazing people in which I constantly find myself learning so much about all sorts of aspects of it every day.

Have a good week everyone!

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If you are ever in need of a quick, easy cookie recipe that’s going to make you the most popular person at a potluck (or if you want to bribe your coworkers to like you – which is what I do all the time), you totally need to add this recipe to your list.

mississippi mud cookies

These cookies may be the easiest cookies I’ve made in a long time. How easy, you may ask? Well let me tell you the two main things that make up this cookie.

Hold on to the edge of your seats, my friends. Ready?

  1. Cake mix.
  2. Marshmallows.

And that chocolate drizzle that goes on top? You bring butter and milk to a boil, throw all the other ingredients in the pot, whisk, and drizzle away.

See? Told you it was easy. There’s barely any prep work that goes into it. No waiting around for things to chill in the fridge or 12 different steps to follow just to make some cookies.

mississippi mud cookies

mississippi mud cookies

mississippi mud cookies

Although these are extremely simple to make, your coworkers or friends would never guess that the actual cookie was made out of a box of cake mix. Talk about a cookie tasting like it came from a gourmet bakery without all the effort and the price that goes into making or buying a gourmet cookie.

mississippi mud cookies

The cookie is soft and chewy. The marshmallows are sweet and gooey. The chocolate sauce? It’s there for a whole lotta fancy and a titch of sweetness.

mississippi mud cookies

mississippi mud cookies

They look and smell so good that even your dog will be willing to stand guard for these cookies – you know, in case some crazy eagle swoops in through your window and snatches the entire pan with its long talons and flies away with it to a nearby tree…

Unless your dog is like my dog and likes to take naps while on guard duty.

mississippi mud cookies   mississippi mud cookies  mississippi mud cookies   mississippi mud cookies

….Well, then you’re on your own to defend that eagle…. :)

mississippi mud cookies
Print
For the cookies
  1. 1 box Devil's Food Cake mix, dry, not prepared (I used a 15.25 oz box of Betty Crocker)
  2. 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  3. 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  4. 3 cups mini marshmallows
For the chocolate drizzle
  1. 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  2. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  3. 2 cups powdered sugar
  4. 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  5. 3 tablespoons skim milk
  6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, butter and eggs until well combined. Drop about 1.5 tablespoons worth of dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1-2" of space in between each dough ball.
  3. Bake for exactly 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven (do not remove from cookie sheet) and top each cookie generously with mini marshmallows - press them down a bit if they keep rolling off the cookie. Return cookies back to oven and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely
  4. While the cookies are cooling, make the chocolate drizzle: In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, salt, and powdered sugar and set aside.
  5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter and milk to a boil. Add in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar mixture. Whisk vigorously until mixture is smooth. Drizzle over cookies*. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  6. Makes 18-20 cookies
Notes
  1. * If your chocolate drizzle starts to harden, pop it in the microwave and heat in 15 second intervals until runny again.
Adapted from Chef In Training
Adapted from Chef In Training
Simple Everyday Food https://www.simpleeverydayfood.com/
Recipe adapted from Chef In Training

© Simple Everyday Food. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use any of my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.
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1. During a moment’s lapse of judgment, I decided to join Snapchat. I’m not sure what made me do it, but I thought I needed to jump on the bandwagon since it seems like a lot of people I know have been joining the Snapchat community lately. I don’t even know where to start – I’m still slightly confused at the point of the whole thing. If someone could enlighten me, that’d be swell.

2. Who’s ready for summer? Oh me!! Over here! Meeeee!!!! Can you see me frantically waving my hand over here? I can’t wait to make this Mexican street corn recipe this summer. It looks so crisp and fresh! Not to mention the fact that our family eats corn in the summer like it’s going out of style.

3. Speaking of summer, Minnesota’s been super blessed with some amazing sunny warm weather lately. Here’s a list of restaurants around the metro that have amazing patio seating. I intend to check a few off of my list this summer.

4. Scrambled eggs and cheese-stuff biscuit waffles?! OH. EM. GEE. I saw these a few weeks ago and made them for dinner one day, complete with homemade sausage gravy. It was delightful and ridiculous. Biscuits and waffles and eggs and cheese and sausage and gravy?!  Mmm mmm mmm.

5. Did anyone else see this? I really thought this was created by some guy who was sick of his cranky PMSing girlfriend/wife and designed this out of frustration. Nonetheless, it’s genius. “I need a scoop of “I Think I’m Dying” and a scoop of “Don’t Come Near Me” in a sugar cone please”. Bahaha!

6. If you were born without the fashion gene like I was and have trouble figuring out what to wear with what, I found this guide on to how to layer clothes. Every day I’m thankful that I have a job that I don’t have to think too much into what I’m going to wear to work. Usually the biggest decision I have is planning out whether or not my coworker and I want to be matchy-matchy or not. Throw on some scrubs, make sure they’re not inside-out, make sure your hair is presentable, there’s no drool crusted on your face, and out the door I go.

7. And if you’ve been called a hoarder and your loved ones have staged an intervention for you before (this has not happened to me… yet), here’s a link to ways on how to part ways with things that you may think you need, but you really don’t need.

8. When it comes to mac and cheese, I’m all about using spiral-y pastas… unless it’s the traditional 79-cent boxed mac & & cheese (with yellow cheese) – then only elbow macaronis will cut it. I’ll totally be making this recipe sometime in the near future.

 Have a good week everyone!

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samoa cupcakes

Before we go any further, don’t you just want to lick that caramel drizzle off your screen????

Those who know me know that I’m a sucker for sweets, especially when it’s anything that involves mint and chocolate. So when you see me choose anything over mint chocolate, you know it’s gotta be good. I don’t do it often, but when I do, you know Girl Scout cookie season is upon us

…(I would’ve made you a Dos Equis meme of myself, but I didn’t want to make a fool of myself).

As big of a Thin Mint lover as I am, the Samoas have traditionally been my favorite – the shortbread cookie, toasted coconut, and the sweet chocolate and caramel drizzles over the top are flavor combinations made in heaven.

And believe it or not, I actually still have an entire box of Samoas stashed in the back of my cookie cupboard from last month – it’s a miracle in itself that that box has survived this long!

samoa cupcakes

And then there are these ridiculous cupcakes. The cupcakes with layers and layers of textures and flavors that makes it a sweet, decadent, indulgent treat – yellow cake dunked in rich dark chocolate, topped with a sweet fluffy caramel buttercream (made from scratch!), garnished with crunchy toasted coconut flakes and drizzled with more melted dark chocolate and caramel sauce.

Pardon me as I wipe the drool off of my keyboard.

samoa cupcakes

samoa cupcakes

Pretty much everything in this recipe is made from scratch, except for the coconut flakes, because, well, I can’t seem to find coconuts anywhere around where I live, and shredding them myself seems a little time consuming…

samoa cupcakes

samoa cupcakes

But can we first talk about this homemade cake?! It’s OMGIcanjusteatallthecakesbyitself good. It’s so soft, fluffy, moist, and super duper delicious!

samoa cupcakes

Next up: the caramel sauce. It may seem easier to use store bought caramel sauce for this recipe, but please believe me when I tell you that you definitely need – NEED!!! – to make this homemade caramel sauce. It seriously only took me maaaybe 5 minutes to make and you can definitely taste the difference between the homemade version vs. the store-bought ones. The flavors are more pronounced – stronger, richer, and way more intense in flavor… I promise you totally won’t regret it!

So promise me you’ll make the caramel sauce? Pinky promise? I’ll even give you some tips!

  • Make sure you read all the instructions (preferably several times) prior to making the sauce… you want to know what you’re doing before you start the process rather than reading the instructions as you go. Get all the ingredients you need before starting: you want to have everything you need in arm’s reach, because once things start happening, it goes fast.
  • Although it only takes a few mere minutes out of your day to make this, it’s kind of a recipe that requires you to babysit it as you make it. That means if you’re a multi-tasker like I am, try to refrain from having five things going on all at once that all require your attention (ahem Pinterest, Instagram, changing the TV channel, trying to get the dog to stop harassing the cat…).
  • At the same time, be patient! It may take a few minutes for your boiling sugar-water mixture to start turning colors, but don’t forget to swirl your pan occasionally and have your whisk handy for when the mixture turns amber brown.
  • Once things start happening, whisk whisk and whisk some more! Make the whisk your best friend for these few minutes. Be one with the whisk.
  • Don’t be scared of making caramel! Seriously, it may seem like a daunting task but it’s really a lot easier than it seems. Plus as cliche as it sounds, it really does taste so much better (I just typed “butter” instead of “better”… hahaha!) than store-bought ones. Not to mention that it will also make your house smell like a caramel candy-making factory.
  • You’ll most likely end up with extra caramel sauce, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find things to do with it. I’m pretty sure I’ve ever heard of anyone complaining about extra caramel… have you?!

Add this homemade caramel sauce into some plain ol’ buttercream frosting, and you’ll end up with the a frosting that may just be the highlight of the entire cupcake.

samoa cupcakes

samoa cupcakes with caramel buttercream frosting
Print
For the cakes
  1. 1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 2 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  6. 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  7. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  8. 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  9. 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  10. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  11. 1/4 cup skim milk
  12. 1/4 cup buttermilk
For the caramel sauce
  1. 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  2. 3 tablespoons water
  3. 3 tablespoons butter (I used unsalted butter because that's what I had on hand - you can use salted butter or a combination of both unsalted + salted, if desired)
  4. 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream, combined in a small bowl
Caramel buttercream frosting
  1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  2. 2 cups powdered sugar
  3. 1/3 cup caramel sauce
  4. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  5. 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, if necessary
Optional toppings
  1. Chocolate sauce* (see Notes)
  2. 1/2 cup toasted coconut
For the cakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with liners and set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk and buttermilk, whisk together and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and whip using the paddle attachment on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed. Add in the vegetable oil and mix some more. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium-low speed after each addition just until mixed. Add in the vanilla extract and mix some more.
  4. Add in the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the butter, alternating between the flour and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined after each addition (flour - milk - flour - milk - flour).
  5. Spoon cake batter into the lined muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (mine took exactly 17 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wired cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the caramel sauce
  1. {Before starting this, read the instructions first - I have tips on how to make the caramel sauce in the post, and gather all your ingredients so you have them nearby}
  2. Using a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to make sure the sugar completely dissolves. Once the mixture starts to boil, stop whisking. Carefully swirl the pan every once in a while the mixture continues to boil. Once the mixture reaches a dark amber color, add in the butter and whisk vigorously until butter has melted and is incorporated. Remove from heat immediately, wait 3 seconds, then very carefully pour in the heavy cream while you're constantly whisking the mixture. Be very careful, as it may splatter as you add in the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth and let cool before transferring to a bowl/container to cool completely.
For the caramel buttercream
  1. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until combined. Add in the caramel sauce and the vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium-high until frosting looks light and fluffy in texture. If the frosting looks too thick, whip in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until you reach desired consistency.
To assemble the cupcakes
  1. Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the chocolate sauce, letting the excess run off and return cupcakes back to their upright positions. Let the chocolate have some time to harden prior to piping the frosting, about 10-15 minutes. Pipe the caramel buttercream frosting over the tops of the cupcakes with your favorite piping tip, top with toasted coconut flakes, and drizzle with extra chocolate and caramel sauce. Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  2. Makes 12 cupcakes
Notes
  1. * To make chocolate sauce: add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
Adapted from Cooking Classy
Adapted from Cooking Classy
Simple Everyday Food https://www.simpleeverydayfood.com/
Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

© Simple Everyday Food. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use any of my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.

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1. I’m all about storage hacks that can effectively de-clutter the house, because organization is kind of my thang.

2. I grew up being a Disney child, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I still watch Disney cartoons to this day, especially the classics (Beauty and the Beast, anyone?). But have you ever thought about these questions when you watched Disney movies? I haven’t. What happened to watching cartoons for the pure love and enjoyment of it all? Do we really have to think that much into everything? (Although I’ve gotta admit that many of these questions are all very legit)

3. I can relate to almost every single one of these. Does that mean that I’m old? But for the record, hospital personnel (and many EMS people) still carry beepers around.

4. Last week, Nadia Cakes rolled out their annual April Fools cupcake line. Of course I had to get them. I felt like many of them tasted similar (vanilla cake, vanilla frosting), but kudos to them for the beautiful, meticulously decorated cupcakes. I couldn’t get myself to eat the Tootsie Roll kitty poop. I just couldn’t.

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5. Speaking of April Fools, did you see this? Imagine ALL THE GLITTER with one simple spray.

6. Peeeeps. You either like them or hate them. Here are 6 things that you probably didn’t know about those yellow marshmallow chicks. Me? I don’t mind them, but I also don’t buy packs and packs of them at a time. But Peeps s’mores? That’s something I’m on board with.

7. In case you’re into listening to Podcasts and you just happen to love food as well, here’s a list of some food Podcasts that you might want to check out. I’ve tried getting into the Podcast thing but listening to people talk on air just has never been my thing.

8. Sweet, decadent dessert bars that ooze melty chocolate, salted caramel, creamy Nutella, and peanut butter? I think I need to have every single one of these in my life.

9. These homemade noodles. They remind me soooo much of home. Chewy, non-uniformly knife cut noodles that puts any other kind of noodles to shame.

Have a wonderful week, folks!

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