Sweet Treat Friday!

What's better than a Friday?  A sweet treat to go along with the end of your week!  Some of you may or may not know, but I love to cook and bake.  I grew up watching my mother cook everything under the sun sprinkled with carribean flavor, so it was natural for me to pick up cooking.  I love trying new things and one of my favorite places to search for new recipes is The Food Network. Looking to give in to my sweet tooth, I searched for a good dessert recipe and stumbled on Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler.  I tried this a long time ago, but wanted to do my own thing in terms of the ingredients.  Two words: bad idea!  For those who don't really bake, know that baking is more of an exact science.  When cooking, you have more room to sprinkle a little bit of this and add a little bit of that, but when baking, every measurement needs to be exact.  The smallest change could ruin your recipe. 

This peach cobbler is perfect way to end your week, cozy up on the couch, and rest.  Now that the cold weather is upon us, it's the best time to warm up with this delicious dessert!

Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups milk

Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Until next time...keep the forward movement....

Food Fun: Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Fun fact about me:  I love to cook and bake!  I've been cooking since I was 9 years old.  The older I've gotten, the more things I've learned and the more variations I've tried.  Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite dessert recipes; Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!  I've made this time and time again and each time, it's a hit!  I've even had people who weren't fond of desserts or coconut, ask me to make them over and over again.  If you're looking for a new recipe that rivals even the best chocolate delicacies (I'm a chocolate lover at heart, lol), try these cupcakes.  They're sure to disappear the moment you set them down! 

Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes  
  

  Directions

  
  

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

     
  

  Into a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  
  
  

  Using a hand held mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until just combined. Add vanilla and coconut extract. Add buttermilk and dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. Mix in the shredded coconut.
  

  
  

  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks before frosting.  
  

  
  

  Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:  
  

  • 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened  
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, for garnish 
    

    Using a hand-held mixer beat cream cheese and butter together until light and smooth. Add vanilla extract and slowly add the confectioners' sugar 1cup at a time until thoroughly incorporated.  
    

    
    

    Pour coconut flakes evenly onto a baking sheet. Place in oven for 2 to 3 minutes allowing flakes to cook and turn a golden brown color. Make sure you do not burn.  
    

    
    

    Frost cupcakes high with about 4 tablespoons of icing. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes.

    
    

    

    
    

    Until next time....keep the forward movement....