Peanut Butter Jelly Time Cupcakes

Today I made Peanut Butter Jelly Time Cupcakes

One of the most popular flavour combinations in... life has to be Peanut Butter and "Jelly". Made famous by America and soon adopted by sandwich makers everywhere. Also with thanks to the"Peanut Butter Jelly Time" song popularised by "Family Guy" and numerous Youtube videos. A 2002 survey showed the average American will have eaten 2,500 Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches before graduating from high school. Peanut Butter is a great source of protein and also gives these Cupcakes an amazing texture along with a depth of flavour. I have tried this recipe with smooth and chunky Peanut Butter and different types of Jams and I find using chunky Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam gives the best results.

Ingredients:

(Makes 12) 

For the Cupcakes:

• 150g Self-Raising Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 85g Chunky Peanut Butter
• 150g Unsalted Butter, softened 
• 100g Golden Caster Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 12 Teaspoons of Strawberry Jam 
• 2-3 Tablespoons Oil

For the Frosting:

• 250g Icing Sugar 
• 180g Softened Butter 
• 50g Strawberry Jam

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Using a pastry brush, brush the cupcake tin with a little Oil to ensure the Cupcakes don't stick.

2. Mix together the sieved flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Cream together the peanut butter, sugar and butter until light and fluffy- you can do this with a handheld mixer or stand mixer but I normally just do it by hand with a whisk or wooden spoon. 

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix thoroughly after each addition. When the eggs are fully incorporated you can add in the vanilla extract and mix. I normally beat in the eggs with a wooden spoon as I feel a whisk can agitate the eggs a little too much and may lead to heavy cupcakes

4. Slowly Beat in the Flour mixture alternatively with the milk mixing till just combined, ensure not to over-mix as this will lead to heavy dry cupcakes. Adding a little flour then milk ensure that the mixture doesn't get too thick or thin during the mixing process. The mixture should be light in colour.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12. I normally use an ice-cream scooper to divide out the mixture. That way you get the exact same amount in each case so your cupcakes will all be the same size which is handy as they will all be cooked at the same time. 

6. Using the back of a small spoon make a small hole in the mixture of each Cupcake and place a teaspoon of Jam in each hole. 

7.  Bake for 23-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. I have been known to place the cupcakes into the fridge to assist the chill process if I'm too excited and can't wait to frost them.

8. For the frosting, sift together the Icing Sugar so that there are no lumps, set aside. Beat the butter by itself for a minute until it is soft and fluffy then slowly add in the Icing Sugar. Then beat in the jam.

9. Ice the Cupcakes using a piping bag, piping gun or using a spatula. I like to cut the Cupcakes in half if I'm serving them as you can see the jam ooze out of them. 

"Peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat"

Rolo Stuffed Cookies

Today I made Rolo Stuffed Cookies

I always loved the idea of stuffing Cookies. A Cookie in itself is pretty amazing but then to have something secret inside just blows my mind. I've experimented with a number of different things but I found that the Rolo works the best. I love the idea of Chocolate and Caramel together and wanted to bake a Cookie with these two components, I tried adding Chocolate and Caramel separately but I found the Cookie to be very messy. I found stuffing the Cookie with a Rolo gave the perfect desired effect I was looking for. The Cookie soft and chewy with a gooey Chocolate and Caramel center when they are still warm from the oven. Then as they cool they center turns chewy. Just perfect! 

Ingredients:

(Makes 12 Large) 

• 170g Unsalted Butter
• 150g Golden Sugar
• 50g Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg - At room temperature
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence 
• 250g All purpose Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 12 Rolos 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment or silicone baking mats.

2. In a large bowl cream the butter and Golden and Granulated Sugar together, you can do this by hand with a spatula or whisk or with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla and mix again until fully incorporated.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed. When the egg and vanilla are incorporated you can start to add in the Flour, Baking Soda and Cornstarch . I like to put all the dry goods into a sieve together so everything gets incorporated evenly.

4. Mix thoroughly with a spatula until it forms a ball of dough. Place Cookie Dough into a small bowl and chill for half an hour.

5.  When the Cookie Dough has chilled you're ready to assemble the cookies. Take a small amount into your hand and roll it into a ball.

 

6.Place one chilled Rolo into the center of the ball of Cookie Dough and press it down slightly. Mold the Cookie Dough around the Rolo.

7. Roll another smaller ball of Cookie Dough. This will cover the top of the Rolo and ensure the chocolate doesn't escape during baking.

8.Make sure you press down the Cookie Dough to ensure the Chocolate doesn't escape. Use the palms of your hands to even out the sides of Cookies.

9. Place the Cookies onto a baking tray and place into the fridge to firm up - They will be quite soft after handling them during assembly.

10. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to go golden brown around the edges. I really recommend not cooking any longer than 9 minutes. The cookies may seem slightly underdone but they will continue to bake on the baking sheet for a few minutes.

11. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire wrack.

"They see me Rolo'n, they hatin'"