Cherry lime muffins made healthy (or not!) with whole wheat flour and reduced sugar options. Use fresh or frozen cherries in this easy cherry limeade-like muffin recipe.
I've had cherry limeade as a flavor profile to work with on my idea list for months now. It also seems I am always looking for new recipes to utilize all the cherries we manage to pick in the summer months! Sweet, juicy cherries combine with tart lime for an easy new breakfast bake.
[Read more...]Rum coconut cupcakes come together and taste like a tropical cocktail in dessert form! Coconut and rum flavor the cupcakes, which are topped with an EASY vanilla rum American buttercream.
Do you ever have a hard time choosing between after dinner drinks or dessert? I don't usually have this problem because I always choose both!🙄 If you would rather not have to make a choice, I've got you covered with these tropical cocktail inspired cupcakes.
[Read more...]A perfect homemade s'mores recipe! Ooey, gooey, s'mores bars with homemade graham crackers and homemade marshmallow meringue, dipped in chocolate. No campfire required and sure to be a hit!
This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated with some new photos and text. I've also made some adjustments to the ingredient amounts in the recipe.
Homemade s'mores are the ultimate summer treat ~ or in my house, an anytime dessert! Whoever came up with the idea is a genius. Crunchy graham crackers, gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate...it's pure perfection!
We may love this combo so much that I also have a simple s'mores cake and s'mores cookie bars.
I came across this idea years ago on Pinterest and I am so happy that I printed out the recipe as the blog that originally posted them is no longer functioning. The blog was called Sweetened with Honey and as soon as I saw the pictures I knew I needed to make them. I've made a few tweaks to her recipe and recently realized I could scale down the marshmallow meringue and melted chocolate as well, so the recipe card has some new ingredient amounts.
The graham crackers are swoon worthy. Deceptively simple, but the taste is ah-maz-ing!! Once you make them, you may never go back to buying graham crackers at the store again. They are that good! The ingredients are basic ~ flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, butter, brown sugar, and honey. But they come together and bake up to make a perfect graham cracker.
Homemade s'mores also need an ooey-gooey marshmallow! The middle layer is marshmallow fluff. A traditional meringue gives the texture and flavor of a melted marshmallow and is perfect for these dessert bars!
Whisk egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar together over a pot of simmering water. This gently cooks the egg whites and melts the sugar. The cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites. Once the sugar is fully melted (I test by rubbing a little of the mixture between my clean fingers. If no grittiness remains and they are hot), they are done.
Then whip the heated egg white mixture and some vanilla in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until stiff and glossy peaks form.
Once your graham crackers are cooled, you top them with a thick layer of meringue and another graham cracker on top to make a *sandwich*. They need a quick trip to the freezer after this step to firm up before their dip into melted chocolate. Then you will be on your way to homemade s'mores heaven!
Milk chocolate is the classic chocolate used in s'mores. You can use chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar for this recipe. Milk chocolate melts easily and gives a mellow, sweet chocolate touch. That being said, if dark chocolate is more your thing, use dark chocolate! I haven't tested this recipe with white chocolate, but I'm pretty sure that would be fantastic too (although it would be a sweeter dessert bar)!
Homemade s'mores bars do take a few steps, but all the steps are simple and the final results will make you look like the queen or king of your kitchen. You'll get comments like, "you MADE these graham crackers"?? "you MADE the marshmallow filling"?? "These taste better than any s'more I've had before"!
And only you and I need to know how simple they really are! 😉
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Homemade S'mores Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Ooey, gooey, s'mores bars with homemade graham crackers and homemade marshmallow meringue, dipped in chocolate. No campfire required and sure to be a hit!
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
*graham cracker recipe from a no longer functioning blog, Sweetened with Honey
The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.
Recipe shared with Full Plate Thursday, Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck
This easy homemade lemon ice cream recipe is perfectly delightful! The lemon is balanced with white chocolate and the no-churn ice cream is creamy with irresistible homemade lemon cookie crumbles mixed in.
Ice cream + cookies = love. Especially when it's another easy no-churn recipe!
Ever since sharing the recipe for cherry bourbon crumble ice cream, I've been obsessed with creating new flavors. Lemon white chocolate is a match made in heaven. Sweet and creamy; the perfect balance of tart lemon and white chocolate swirled with homemade lemon cookie crumbles. And the cookie crumbles!!! Seriously, SO GOOD.
[Read more...]Biscoff cookie butter cupcakes are tender and full of Lotus Biscoff or speculoos flavors! Topped with a fluffy cookie butter Swiss meringue buttercream.
Do you think they have cookie butter's anonymous?? Just asking for a friend!😉
Biscoff, cookie butter, speculoos... whatever you call it, I have come to realize that many of you feel the same way that I do about it. We are addicted!! Biscoff cookie butter cupcakes are an adaptation of my wildly popular cookie butter cake recipe. You will love these cupcakes because they are tender and moist, topped with a layer of cookie butter spread and then a silky and fluffy cookie butter Swiss meringue buttercream.
For more cookie butter treats be sure to check out cookie butter brownies, biscoff cookie mousse and cookie butter cookies.
Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you are not familiar with cookie butter, it is a food spread similar in texture to peanut butter. It is made with ground spice cookies called speculoos that originated in Europe. The Netherlands and Belgium were the first countries that I associated with the delicious creation. Delta and Alaska are both airlines that give out the crunchy cookies.
Trader Joe's carries their brand called Speculoos Cookie Butter and they also have Speculoos Cookies. Target, Walmart and Kroger are all retailers where I have found Lotus brand of Biscoff cookies and cookie butter spread. It is often with the peanut butter, but sometimes it is in the bakery section. The TJ's version and Lotus products can be purchased on Amazon.
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.
First, you need Biscoff cookies ground to more of a flour-like consistency. Use a food processor (the mini prep that I have does a great job). Crushing the cookies with a rolling pin in a zip top bag works as well.
Then whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cookies, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream the unsalted butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Next, scrape up and down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until well combined. Finally, alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. The batter is quite thick.
Fill the cupcake liners (these are my favorite!) with two tablespoons of batter. I have tested these cupcakes over and over and found the sweet spot to be two tablespoons.
Any more batter and the cupcakes will sink in the center. You might notice in the following photos that I did not follow my own advice and overfilled some of my liners.🙄
The cupcakes are still absolutely delicious if you overfill them, they just don't look pretty unfrosted. To be honest, this recipe does not typically yield domed tops. The cupcakes are flat on top and may be slightly sunken in the middle.
Spread a thin layer of cookie butter spread across the top of each cupcake after they have cooled.
Swiss meringue buttercream is the frosting of choice in my house. I love that it is silky and fluffy and not overly sweet. It is definitely more time consuming and technique sensitive to make. If you don't want to attempt it, use my easy cookie butter frosting recipe instead.
I always, I mean ALWAYS, wipe down my mixing bowl, whisk and whisk attachment for my stand mixer prior to beginning Swiss meringue. Use either white vinegar or lemon juice. Grease is meringue's ultimate enemy and you don't want it messing with your success.
Swiss meringue buttercream starts with heating egg whites, sugar and salt over a saucepan of simmering water. The mixture is heated until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is hot. I test by dipping a clean finger into the mixture and rubbing it between my fingers. The mixture should be completely free of any graininess. I'm too lazy to use a thermometer, but if you are concerned, it should be 160°F to ensure the egg whites are fully cooked. Then you beat the mixture on medium-high in a stand mixer until glossy, stiff peaks form, about 5-10 minutes.
Once the meringue is ready and cool, switch to the paddle attachment and add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. The butter should be room temperature, but not overly soft. I find about an hour is all it needs on the counter before using.
The meringue will go through several changes as you add the butter. Initially, the meringue gets thin and soupy looking. Then, about ⅔ of the way into adding the butter, the mixture will start to look curdled and it often still looks this way once all the butter is incorporated. You will be sure you have ruined it.
If you had nice stiff peaks on your meringue to start (see the above photo), all is going to be fine! Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla and cookie butter spread and turn the mixer to high. Then walk away for about 5 minutes. When you return you should have nice, silky cookie butter Swiss meringue buttercream.
I used a disposable piping bag and a Wilton 1M tip, this Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit is a great value for some piping tips and bags!
Here is an important thing to remember when piping swirls, use even pressure the whole time. I start in the middle of the cupcake and create a circle around the cupcake. You can stop there and have a rosette or keep building with smaller circles on top of each other until you reach the the height you want. Release the pressure when you reach the end and lift the bag away. Julianne at Beyond Frosting has a great video on decorating cupcakes.
Practice definitely does make piping easier! You can practice piping on some parchment or wax paper, or even a plate before you actually pipe the cupcakes. Once you feel like you are ready to frost, just spoon the practice buttercream back into the piping bag and go. Have fun!
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Biscoff Cookie Butter Cupcakes. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Biscoff cookie butter cupcakes are tender and full of Lotus Biscoff or speculoos flavors! Topped with a fluffy cookie butter Swiss meringue buttercream.
Use only two tablespoons of batter per cupcake liner! If you overfill the liners, the cupcakes will sink dramatically in the middle. They will still taste great and you can hide the sink spot with more frosting, if needed! The cupcakes normally are quite flat and may have a slightly sunken middle.
* Your butter only needs about 1 hour of time (depending on temperature of your kitchen) to get to room temperature. You want the butter still slightly cool to the touch and not overly warm or soft.
** At some point your buttercream is going to be a sloppy mess. It may even look curdled. Do not fear, just keep whipping and it will magically come together into a beautiful whipped frosting. If you feel it is too soupy, place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and then re-whip.
The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.
This easy cherry nectarine crostata is the perfect way to celebrate summer's fresh stone fruit. It's a rustic, simple and downright delicious dessert!
It's hard to beat summer in the Pacific Northwest! The sun shines more than it rains. It is typically warm, but not crazy hot, and the daylight lingers well into late evening.
We frequent several of our local farmer's markets; which are filled to the brim with local fruits and vegetables. We also love to visit some of the local farms to pick our own berries. Greenbluff, in Eastern Washington is one of our favorite places in the summer. It's become a tradition to go cherry picking every year, which has driven me to create lots of cherry centric recipes.
[Read more...]This cherry bourbon crumble no churn ice cream is an easy vanilla base that is studded with a bourbon crumble and swirled with a cherry bourbon reduction. You are going to fall in love with this creamy homemade recipe that requires no ice cream machine!
I kind of feel like I'm cheating on my ice cream maker.
I professed my love for ice cream when I shared my favorite homemade cinnamon ice cream recipe. That love hasn't changed at all!! Mr. two sugar bugs and I often have a bowl of ice cream in the evenings. I'm pretty sure I finish every bowl and proclaim, "I really, really love ice cream".
[Read more...]Butterscotch mixed nut bars use butterscotch chips, nuts and sweetened condensed milk. This EASY recipe makes the best sweet and salty cookie bars!
Do desserts with butterscotch chips make you nostalgic? It seems that chocolate, peanut butter and caramel tend to take the spotlight in treat recipes. In all honesty, I don't use butterscotch all that frequently. When I do, it takes me straight back to childhood!
[Read more...]This is an easy homemade COOKIE BUTTER caramel sauce! A perfect topping for ice cream, brownies, and all kinds of desserts! If you love that Biscoff and speculoos flavor and are looking for other ways to use it, this recipe is for you!
From my first taste of cookie butter, I've been obsessed! It's essentially cookies (Biscoff or Speculoos) ground to a paste that you can use like peanut butter. It has hints of gingersnaps, cinnamon and brown sugar and it is downright addicting!!
[Read more...]SunButter crunch brownies are an easy triple layer brownie dessert for your recipe box! Chocolate, marshmallow and a crunchy sweet topping create three distinct layers of flavors and textures.
This nut-free recipe makes the most scrumptious bars!! Homemade brownies on the bottom, stuffed with a marshmallow meringue and topped with a crispy, SunButter white chocolate crunch.
[Read more...]
