Dark Chocolate Espresso Cakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter FrostingLast weekend a few friends and I headed up to New York City for a girl’s getaway. It was my first time in New York and it just so happened to be restaurant week. So we literally ate and drank our way through the city and picked up 2 Broadway shows along the way.

Our trip started out early Thursday morning. We checked in at our hotel, found a local eatery for an egg sandwich, and headed down Broadway for some shopping and sight seeing. We ate lunch at the amazing Craft Bar and thanks to restaurant week, I was able to have three delicious courses with a blueberry peach parfait to wrap things up. For dinner, we had reservations at The Lamb’s Club and to wind down the evening, we had drinks at The View courtesy of the Marriot Marquis. If you have never been to The View, it is honestly the coolest place to see a 360 degree roof-top view of the city. The restaurant actually spins, slowly, so that you get to check everything out while you are dining.

Friday morning we were able to pick up tickets to Rock of Ages for later that night. After breakfast, we paid our respects to Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower.

Groud Zero

Standing there, among the thousands of names of people who lost their lives on 9/11 is quite humbling and emotional to say the least. My heart goes out to all of you who lost someone on that tragic day and for the ones who are continuing to fight.

The rest of the day included adventures in Chinatown, Chianti in Little Italy, lunch at Mercer Kitchen in SoHo, drinks at Samovar {Russian Vodka Room} and finally, Rock of Ages. I also got to stop by the infamous Junior’s for a slice of Red Velvet Cake. Yeah.

Saturday began with brunch at Sarabeth’s. Yes. THE Sarabeth’s. I have a huge secret crush on Sarabeth’s. I have her jams and her jellies. Her preserves. I even have her cookbook. This was by far my favorite place to eat. I had almond crusted french toast and fried potatoes. So delicious!

Sarabeth's

After brunch, we did a bit more sightseeing, taking in St. Patrick’s cathedral and stopping for drinks at Rockefeller Center. We ate at Carmine’s for dinner before our next Broadway show, Kinky Boots. We had great seats and even got to meet several cast members afterwards. I was in total awe of the cast, the set, and the costumes. I highly recommend it. After the show, we took the Subway back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep before our early flight back home the next day.

So to celebrate my first trip to the big city, I made you fancy Dark Chocolate Espresso Cakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

These cakes are the perfect little treat for any occasion, but I think the espresso and dark chocolate give it more of a New York City feel. Don’t ya think?

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cakes with Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

    Dark Chocolate Espresso Cakes:
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa, fill with hot water to the 1/2 cup line
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 8 tablespoons {1 stick} unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup dark chocolate morsels
  • Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting:
  • 8 tablespoons {1 stick} unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
  • splash of milk

Instructions

    For the cakes:
  1. Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with baking cups.
  3. In your bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar.
  4. Add egg and egg yolks, one at a time until incorporated.
  5. Beat in vanilla and sour cream.
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again for 30 seconds.
  7. Measure out 1/4 cup cocoa and then add hot water to the 1/2 cup line; stir until it becomes a thin paste.
  8. Add cocoa mixture to your wet ingredients and mix well.
  9. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, espresso powder and salt.
  10. Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, a little at a time, until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
  11. With a rubber spatula, stir in the dark chocolate morsels.
  12. Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared tin.
  13. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  14. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
  15. For the frosting:
  16. In your stand mixer bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff.
  17. On low speed, slowly whip in your confectioner sugar one cup at a time until smooth.
  18. Add a splash of milk as needed to make your frosting creamy and fluffy.
  19. Spread 2 -3 generous tablespoons of the frosting on top of each cooled cupcake.
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Buncha Crunch Rice Crispy Treats

When we visited the WWOHP last, the Hubs picked up a treat for me from HoneyDukes as we were leaving. It was an extremely large {it took me several days to eat it} rice crispy treat with a thick layer of chocolate on top. It was definitely delicious, but oh so rich. I could only handle a little at a time.

Since then, I have been thinking a lot about that treat. So when the Hubs asked me to recreate it last week, I was totally into it, but I also wanted to put the ole BNP spin on it.

Whenever we go to the movies lately  I almost always buy either a popcorn and M&M’s or my go-to, Buncha Crunch. And we have been seeing a lot of movies lately, which means Buncha Crunch is on my brain, in my mouth, and around the house. So I thought, why not combine my love for Buncha Crunch with my long lost treat from the WWOHP.

Buncha Cruncha Treats

So not only did I put my beloved Buncha Crunch in the everyday, average rice crispy treat, but I also put them on top…Oh yeah, and I drizzled chocolate and peanut butter on top of that. Because.

Buncha Crunch Treats

Buncha Cruncha Treats

Recipe by Carrie

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 package {10 oz.} marshmallows
  • 6 cups rice crispy cereal
  • 1 cup Buncha Crunch candy, plus more for topping
  • chocolate drizzle
  • peanut butter drizzle

Instructions

  1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment or grease thoroughly with baking spray to prevent sticking.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt your butter on medium heat.
  3. Add your marshmallows and stir until they are completely melted.
  4. Add your rice crispy cereal, 2 cups at a time, and mix well.
  5. Take your rice crispy mix off of the heat, and stir in your Buncha Crunch. Keep in mind that the longer you stir, the more they will melt. I mixed it as quickly as possible before pouring it in the pan.
  6. Pour your rice crispy mix into prepared pan and using a spatula, press firmly until it is level.
  7. Top with additional Buncha Crunch, and let cool.
  8. To make the chocolate and/or peanut butter drizzle, you will need Candy Melts. You can pick them up at any craft store.
  9. Melt the candy according to the package directions.
  10. Using a disposable piping bag or ziploc bag, pour melts into the bag and snip the end.
  11. Drizzle the rice crispy treats with the chocolate/peanut butter both vertically and horizontally.
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Buncha Crunch Treats

Flourless, Sugarless, Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

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Peanut Butter and I have always had a very intimate relationship. It is with me every morning for breakfast. It makes time for me in my afternoon protein shakes. And it often finds its way into some of my very favorite desserts. Sometimes it even sneaks onto a spoon late into the night. My friend, Peanut Butter, also comes in a variety of delicious flavors: white chocolate, cinnamon raisin swirl, dark chocolate, and even maple. (Thanks to the ever so creative Peanut Butter & Co).

So in honor of National Peanut Butter Day, I have come up with the perfect, guilt-free treat!It really kills three birds with one stone for me. First, I get to continue my relationship with Peanut Butter without feeling guilty the next day. Second, my dieting friends will love me because I brought in a treat that they can actually eat. And third, I finally have cookies to put into my new talking TARDIS cookie jar. It’s a win-win…win!

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When you first combine the ingredients, the dough may seem a bit greasy.

Don’t worry. It is just the peanut butter and the lack of flour.

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I used a small cookie scoop to form the cookie dough balls and then I used the Picture Perfect Cookie technique that my blogger friend, Jennifer over at Not Your Momma’s Cookie, brilliantly came up with. (By the way, it totally works!)

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I also made a batch of my peanut butter cookies loaded with chocolate chips!

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Let them cool completely before serving…Oh who am I kidding…I ate 3 or 4 right out of the oven. :)

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Flourless, Sugarless, Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe by Carrie

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup Splenda or other sugar substitute
  • 1 cup reduced fat peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
  • Optional: 1/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped peanuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place parchment paper or silapat on a baking sheet and set sheet aside.
  3. Using your stand mixer, blend all ingredients together until just combined.
  4. Using a small cookie scoop, form your dough ball about 1 inch in diameter.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cookies cool completely.
  6. Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies.
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