Rainbow Cupcakes

Have you ever wanted to make rainbow cupcakes before? I know I have, but never felt like dealing with the mess I would make or the amount of time it would take to split up the batter and color it.  I finally decided to stop being lazy, and make *Rainbow Cupcakes*!

The first thing you want to do is make your favorite vanilla cake recipe.  Next, split up your batter into 6 cups/ jars.  I used drinking glasses because they go straight into my dishwasher!  It looks the purple color might be missing, but I assure it is not--it is in the white bowl sitting near my mixer.  I used a 1/2 cup measuring scoop to evenly distribute the batter.  Next add 2-3 drops of food coloring and mix well.

Now it's time to make your cupcakes!  Using the spoon specific for each batter, add 1 spoonful of the batter in the following order: red (or pink), orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  Your scoops do not have to be placed in the same spot for each cupcake.  In fact, I recommend that you don't distribute it evenly so that each cupcake has its own character.  Don't worry about overfilling the cupcake tin- they will round up at the top and you will be able to see many colors.  Bake your cupcakes per the instructions, let cool, and frost with chocolate icing!

Voila! You have made rainbow cupcakes without all the fuss.

Funfetti Cookie Cake

Hey everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I last posted.  My life as a graduate student in Biochemistry has been hectic to say the least!

However, I am very pleased to share a brand new recipe: a Funfetti Cookie Cake!  I mean, who doesn't love sprinkles, chocolate, or cookies?

Ingredients:
10 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup funfetti cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sprinkles
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Pull butter out of fridge and let sit at room temperature
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Cream butter
4. Beat in brown sugar until mostly combined and then beat in granulated sugar. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Beat in eggs and vanilla.  It will be very liquidy, but don't worry about it.
6. Beat in baking soda, baking powder, and cake mix.  If you do not have funfetti cake mix, then you can use vanilla or yellow cake mix and add in more sprinkles.
7. Beat in flour, about a 1/3 of a cup at a time.
8. Add in the sprinkles and chocolate chips.
9. Grease a 9" (or 8") cake pan and spoon in the cookie dough. Press flat into the pan.
10. Bake for 30 minutes.

Passover Brownies 2.0!

Two days ago I posted a recipe for Passover Brownies.  Well, my Grandma Ellen sent me another recipe, this time for S'mores brownies, and I just had to try them!

Ingredients:
4 ounces (1/2 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup matzah cake meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups mini marshmallows, or large marshmallows cut up
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional--I omitted)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, with an oven rack in the center of the oven.
Grease a disposable 8" x 8" or 9" x 13" pan with butter and matzah cake meal.  I used an 8 x 8 pan.  It is really important to use a disposable pan, because these brownies are messy and hard to get out of the pan.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for about 60 seconds.  Then add in the 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips, and stir until melted.  Microwave for 20 seconds if needed.  Stir in the sugar, and let cool until teped.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time.  Stir in the cake meal and salt.  Last, add in 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups marshmallows, and walnuts if adding.  Pour into the pan, and spread evenly.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

You now have two options as to how to continue. The first way is how I did it, the second way is how the instructions said to do it...I would *probably* follow the instructions, but seeing as I made these very late last night I misread what I was supposed to do.

1) Let brownies cool for 20 minutes.  Then add marshmallows to the top and broil for about 1 minute.  Take out, and place some chocolate chips on top.  Let melt for a few minutes, and then take a fork and spread the chocolate.

2) After the brownies are set, add marshmallows onto the top and place back in the oven for 3-4 minutes.  The marshmallows should be puffed, not browned.  Remove the brownies from the oven.  You can now add the chocolate chips as above, or melt and place in a bag and drizzle over the top.

Cool the brownies, and place them in the fridge overnight.  Cut the brownies up with a knife that has been run over hot water.   This step is very important, as the marshmallows will otherwise stick to the knife.  You might have to place the knife back under water half-way through.

Put the brownies back in the fridge and enjoy!!

More photos to come later.