Girlfriends Christmas Party

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Prep Time: 10mn

Cook Time: 18mn

Total Time: 38mn

*Mandy made a cake with this recipe, used the PB frosting as a filling and then frosted it with stabilized whip cream.  See Mexican Fiesta post from Nov 2013 for the whip cream recipe.  

BANANA BREAD CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 ripe bananas, cut into small pieces
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 10 ounces cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup - room temp)
• 5 cups powdered sugar/confectioners sugar
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with paper liners. With your mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time, and vanilla and mix to combine. 
2. Add in sour cream and bananas and mix again, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is getting mixed well.
3. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth.
4. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full. You should get about 15 cupcakes from one batch. 
5. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. With your mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. When all of the powdered sugar has been added and the frosting is light and fluffy, add in 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter and mix to combine.
7. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Store in an air-tight container.

Sweet & Hot Rumaki  Bacon wrapped water chestnuts in a sweet hot sauce.

 by Corinne

It's so good, I always double it so we have plenty!

one package of bacon, thawed

2 cans of sliced water chestnuts

box of tooth picks

Sauce:  1/4 cup mayonnaise

             1/2 cup brown sugar

             1/4cup (or less, is recommended! more like 1/8 cup) of "Sriracha HOT chili sauce" this comes in a clear bottle and the sauce is red. 

      

Cut the bacon into thirds.  Then wrap each piece of bacon around two slices of water chestnuts and secure with a toothpick.  Set them all in a casserole dish close together.  Then mix up the three ingredients for the sauce and spoon mixture evenly over all of them. Try to not get the sauce on the toothpicks.  This makes them easier to eat.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.


Raspberry Jam Filled Cookies
by Corinne

Cream –

                2 cup shortening

                1 cup white sugar                 1 cup brown sugar

Mix in –

                4 egg yolks            6 T milk                  4 t vanilla

Sift in –

                5 1/3 cup flour                       4 t cream of tartar                

                2 t baking soda                     1 t salt

Form into a somewhat flattened ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.  (this is a good one to make the night before, or if it’s summer time make dough during day and cook at night)

Roll out on a floured surface.  Cut into circles about 2-2 ½ inches. (you can use the mouth of a glass as a cookie cutter)  

Put a small spoonful of Jam onto center of ½ of the circles.  Using a knife mark an X into the centers of the other half and lay the X halves on top.  Using a fork press around edges to seal and make pretty.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets or Silpats.

Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Peanut Butter Balls
by Corinne

Melt together over low heat -

2 sticks of butter or margarine

16 oz. of crunchy peanut butter

In a 2 qt. bowl stir together -

3 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies

1 lb. of powdered sugar

Pour the melted peanut butter mix over the Rice Krispies mix and gently mix it with a large wooden spoon. 

This is the part that the kids love to help with.  They will happily wash their hands if they know they get to help with this fun job!  Using your hands, form the Peanut Butter mix into 1 inch balls.  (I like them to be small enough to eat in one bite if so desired.  Also, you get a better peanut butter/chocolate ratio that way.) 

Melt, carefully stirring over low heat - 

1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 bar of **parafin wax  

 **Parafin wax is found by the home canning supplies.  It is perfectly edible, and in this recipe is used to give the chocolate a shiny, glossy appearance.  It could be left out, if you prefer.  I have always used it.

Using a slotted, metal spoon, dip and roll the balls in the chocolate.  Place and cool on wax paper or a Silpat.

Store in a tightly covered container.  I would think that they would keep for a week or two, but they never last more than a few days around here, so I couldn't tell you for sure.