Saturday Morning Snapshot
If someone could explain my own 2AM photo shoot planning sketches to me, that’d be suuuuuper helpful because they are incomprehensible by the light of day.
State of the Blog
Happy Easter, everyone! How are you celebrating the day? I have barn duty all weekend, so I’ll be spending it shoveling manure and covered in horse hair. Basically the best.
Baking Mischief had a couple of recipes featured in BuzzFeed posts this week. My Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes With Broccoli and Cheese Sauce in 31 Utterly Divine Ways To Eat A Potato and my Samoa Cupcakes in 13 Game-Changing Ways To Eat Girl Scout Cookies . If you are looking for dinner or a sweet treat, check some of those other recipes on there out. They are awesome!
This week on the blog I posted my favorite pizza recipe, a round up of beautiful desserts to make this spring, and the last post in my Girl Scout Cookies Cupcake series. I’m so glad to finally have those all out. I marathon baked and then photographed all of those cupcakes in one weekend more than a month ago and it’s been killing me sitting on them all this time!
Next week we’ll have my last recipe in our March Meatless Monday series, another round up, and, not to over-hype it or anything, the most ridiculous recipe I’ve ever made. Stay tuned!
Recipes/posts released this week were:
Homemade Margherita Pizza – Simple but impressive homemade margherita pizza with dough and sauce from scratch!
21 Bright and Beautiful Desserts to Make This Spring – A round up of 21 gorgeous desserts perfect for bright and sunny spring days.
Thin Mint Cupcakes – Moist chocolate and peppermint cake covered with a smooth chocolate coating. A delicious cupcake version of the most popular Girl Scout cookie.
Pop-culture Corner
Bat V Supes is out this weekend, and man, I enjoy schadenfreude as much as the next person but I’m actually starting to feel bad for everyone involved. Didn’t stop me from reading all the reviews though, from the delightfully rage-filled “I’ve Never Hated Anything The Way I Hate ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’” to this truly thoughtful piece from Film Freak Central. Even if the film’s not good, there’s been some great writing about it this week.
Oh, and this Sad Affleck meme is not to be missed.
Speaking of poorly received Henry Cavill movies, I rewatched The Man from U.N.C.L.E. this week and I’m so bummed more people didn’t take to that film because it’s very slight, but completely charming. I would have shelled out money for a sequel in a heartbeat. Did you catch it this summer?
Did you know there was a Bridget Jones 3 in development? I had completely forgotten until the trailer dropped this week. I don’t know how I feel about this movie existing, but Emma Thompson’s growl of displeasure toward the end of that trailer is my everything.
Finally, if anyone’s looking for me this weekend, I’ll be right here, watching this video on a continuous loop until May 6th arrives…
Meal Planning
Saturday: Mom’s Sunday Beef Stew Sunday: TBD Monday: TBD Tuesday: TBD Wednesday: TBD Thursday: TBD Friday: TBD
These Thin Mint Cupcakes are moist chocolate and peppermint cake covered with a smooth chocolate coating. A delicious cupcake version of the most popular Girl Scout cookie.
Welcome to the last cupcake in my Girl Scout Cupcake Series! Over the course of the month, we’ve had Tagalong Cupcakes , based on my personal favorite Girl Scout cookies. There were the intensely peanut buttery Do-si-do Cupcakes. And last week, we had Samoa Cupcakes for people who like that sort of thing, which I hear are delicious, but cannot confirm. <3
Today we tackle the best-selling Girl Scout cookie, Thin Mints! Thin Mints are the favorite cookie of almost everyone I know, so pressure was high to get this cupcake right. And you know what? I feel pretty good about these.
Thin Mints are a pepperminty, crunchy chocolate cookie dipped in chocolate. They are good at room temperature but best when stored in the freezer and eaten cold. So my Thin Mint Cupcakes are my favorite chocolate cake base infused with peppermint and dipped in a smooth chocolate coating. They are excellent at room temperature but also very, very good after being popped in the freezer and chilled.
The flavors in this one are pretty on point because chocolate and peppermint are generally going to taste like chocolate and peppermint. So my Thin Mint Cupcakes taste quite a bit like cookie Thin Mints, which translates to, AMAZING.
Texture is where these cupcakes shine. The chocolate cake is moist and light, laced through with the fresh taste of peppermint. And the hard chocolate coating provides a delightful contrast, and really looks just like the top of a Thin Mint!
They are a total crowd-pleaser and also the easiest to make of all the cupcakes in the series, so if you have to pick just one Girl Scout cupcake to make, I recommend these
Girl Scout cookie season generally runs through April, so very soon we will have to say goodbye to our favorite cookies (whichever ones they may be) until next year. Fortunately, these cupcakes will be here to tide you over in the mean time.
More Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes
Tagalong Cupcakes
Samoa Cupcakes
Do-si-do Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ▢ 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons ( 125 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 cup ( 200 g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons ( 30 g) cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 cup buttermilk shaken
- ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 large egg room temperature
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/2 cup hot coffee
- ▢ 3/4 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate Coating
- ▢ 2/3 cup ( 4 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chopped (high quality chips or baking chocolate are fine)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake cups.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and slowly whisk until combined.
- Pour in the coffee and peppermint and whisk until batter is smooth. The batter is going to look alarmingly runny at this point, but don’t worry! It’s supposed to look like that.
- Fill cupcake cups just 2/3 of the way full, no higher. This should make 15-16 cupcakes. If you have one, transferring the batter to a liquid measuring cup and pouring it into the cupcake cups makes this process much tidier!
- Bake for 17-20 minutes. Try not to open the oven door too often or jostle the pan while cupcakes are cooking. It can cause them to sink. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the cupcake pan on a wire rack before adding chocolate coating.
Chocolate Coating
- Place chocolate and oil in a small microwave-safe dish wide enough for cupcake dipping. Microwave on medium in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until all chocolate is melted. Stir vigorously until chocolate is smooth and shiny.
- Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the coating and allow the excess to run off. If you’d like, you can use a toothpick or cake tester to poke holes in the top of the cupcakes like the holes on the cookies. Place on a wire rack to dry. Chocolate will set more quickly in the refrigerator but will set if left on the counter in about an hour.
Notes
A lighter quick and easy fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli for busy Meatless Mondays, full of broccoli and cheesy Alfredo goodness!
Did everyone have a good Easter? Mine was very low key and involved a couple of bordeaux eggs and a sugar coma…
We’re going to finish of our March Meatless Monday series with some more comfort food, Easy Fettuccine Alfredo With Broccoli.
Who doesn’t like Fettuccine Alfredo? Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who isn’t a fan. I mean, what’s not to like. It’s creamy, cheesy, and delicious, aaaaaaaand, slurpy fettuccine noodles are just plain fun to eat.
This version of fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli is one of my favorites because it’s meatless, so Meatless Monday approved, it’s made with half and half rather than heavy cream, so you don’t need to be rolled away from the table after eating it, and it takes almost zero time and effort to make.
Two pots, 20 minutes, no knives required. Win, win, win.
Oh and did I mention it’s delicious too? Broccoli and Alfredo were made for each other and this particular Alfredo sauce is fantastic. It’s slightly garlicky, cheesy, and just the perfect level of not-too-rich.
Give it a try. You’re going to love it.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Scroll past the recipe for some of my favorites!
Ingredients
Pasta and Veggies
- ▢ 12 oz fettuccine
- ▢ 12 oz broccoli florets bought bagged (or cut up at home)
Alfredo Sauce
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 4 oz, 1 stick) butter
- ▢ 2 cups half and half*
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ▢ 3/4 cup ( 3 oz) shredded Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
Instructions
Pasta and Veggies
- Cook fettuccine according to package instructions in a large pot of generously salted water. Add broccoli during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time and cook until done. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.
Alfredo Sauce
- While your pasta cooks, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add half and half and stir. Allow to come to a simmer and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced. Watch closely and do not allow to come to a full boil.
- Add garlic powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and Parmesan. Pour sauce over noodles and toss to coat.
- Serve and sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.
Notes
Make-ahead Instructions: Pasta and sauce should be cooked just before serving. Broccoli can be cut up to two days in advance and stored in an air-tight container. Make sure broccoli is dry before storing. Recipe for Two Instructions: Recipe halves easily. For the cheese, half of 3/4 cup is 1/4 cup, 2 tablespoons. No other cooking changes are needed. Freezer Notes: This sauce and pasta does not hold up well for freezing.
More Pasta Recipes
Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bell Peppers – A rich and creamy pasta loaded with Parmesan cheese, chicken, and bell peppers, as easy as it is delicious. You don’t want to miss this one!
Quick Mac and Cheese for One – A quick recipe for mac and cheese for one. Easy, cheesy, and oh so good.
Lightened Up Copycat Carmela’s Chicken – Chicken, mushrooms, and delicious caramelized onions cooked up in a wine and cream sauce and served over rigatoni. A lightened up version of the Macaroni Grill favorite.
