spiced cranberry pomegranate sparkler

we're in the thick of it, y'all - the most wonderful time of the year. and i really, truly mean that. people get excited about spring and summer, but i'll never truly understand how these seasons compare to fall and winter. the clothes, the events, the holidays, the food.

to celebrate thanksgiving (which deserves a lot more holiday focus than it gets), susannah of feast & west and meghan of cake 'n knife hold an annual blogsgiving dinner. it's a lot like a virtual potluck; we blogger folk whip up something tasty and share it for blogsgiving.

if you know me, you know i'm all about the cocktails. forget beer. make me something magical with a liqueur i can't pronounce, and you have me. this particular cocktail doesn't have a fancy liqueur, but it does have some delicious flavor medleys going on, plus a little champs for sparkle and festivity.

spiced cranberry pomegranate sparkler

1 cup pomegranate juice
1 stick cinnamon
cranberry juice
champagne or prosecco

first, make your pomegranate-cinnamon syrup. bring pomegranate juice to a boil, add cinnamon stick, and simmer for 10 minutes. remove from heat and let cool completely.

to assemble cocktail, add 1 part pomegranate cinnamon syrup and 2 parts cranberry juice to your cocktail shaker with ice. shake well. pour into champagne saucer glass, then top with champagne. cheers!

thanksgiving is all about friends, family and delicious food. to celebrate the holiday, susannah of feast & west and meghan of cake 'n knife are hosting blogsgiving dinner. over 60 bloggers are sharing recipes this week!

stop by each blog to gather ideas for your own thanksgiving meal. we'll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner, but you can see the entire menu in part 1 and part 2 of the recipe round-up.

pumpkin spice pecan waffles

i'm a big bath & body works candle fiend. well, correction: i'm a fall and winter bath & body works candle fiend. when september rolls around, i make my annual pilgrimage to bath & body works to pick up pumpkin, spice and autumn themed candles, and i enjoy the hell out of them well into the holiday season. nope, this post is not sponsored, i'm just super pumped about candles. anyway!

one of my favorite scents is pumpkin pecan waffles. i honestly didn't set out to make these waffles after the candle scent. it truly wasn't until i was mixing up the batter that i realized it! so light a fall themed candle and get to work on these waffles; they're delicious, oh so perfect for fall and quite a wonderful way to wake up on a saturday morning.

oh, and can i please mention that these are the first waffles i made in my new waffle maker? they're not perfect, but they're waffles. yes, the pinnacle of being 25 is having a waffle iron. go adulthood go.

pumpkin spice pecan waffles

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (or a little less, your preference)
4 egg yolks (save egg whites)
1 cup pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 + 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup melted butter
pecans (optional)

in a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. add yolks, pumpkin, vanilla, milk and melted butter. beat 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the batter. cook in a waffle iron according to your waffle iron's directions. top with butter, syrup, pecans and a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. enjoy!

[blogger bowl] tomato tart with goat cheese & bacon

well hey, y'all. kinda disappeared for a minute there. i've got a post coming up with more details, but i'll be sorta brief: my computer died.

apparently, 2011 macbooks have a known defect (read more here) and are fixed for free, by apple. however, when it's a sunday night, your e-book is set to debut the next day, and you just sat down to write some blog posts, and your screen goes black... you immediately start looking for a quick fix. and can't find one. and spend all night booting your machine up into different modes. and end up wiping it. and losing everything.

needless to say, my e-book did not debut, and i haven't blogged in 2 weeks. whoops. life happens. more on that in another post soon. i'm getting my shit together, i promise.

really though, this tomato tart is pretty damn important right now. forget technology. let's talk goat cheese and football. ready? ok.

this. is. amazing. and as the last humid summer nights still linger and football season gears up, it's the perfect time to make it for gameday. on a saturday, before a ballgame, wander down to your farmers market, pick up some local tomatoes and maybe local goat cheese, grab some fresh herbs and get busy. this tart comes together really quickly and is super easy.

maybe i'm reaching, but i thought the tomatoes were a simple, fresh homage to my team, the alabama crimson tide. i'm all for your typical gameday party fare, but a tomato tart is a festive, fresh way to spice it up, and the buttery, flaky puff pastry crust makes it taste just as savory as a bowl of fritos and some french onion dip (but a bazillion times better).

this easy appetizer or side dish will impress your tailgating friends and make for a delicious gameday snack. enjoy!

tomato tart with goat cheese and bacon

1 14 oz puff pastry, thawed
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg
fresh thyme & basil, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

preheat your oven to 400 degrees. thaw your puff pastry in the fridge according to package directions. when thawed, unwrap pastry on a well-floured surface and form into a rectangle, slightly curling the edges. crumble goat cheese on to pastry. fry your bacon, then crumble on to pastry on top of cheese.

thinly slice tomatoes and arrange on pastry, then top with spices. whisk together egg and a splash of water in a small bowl, then brush along edges of pastry to help it brown. bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

it’s finally college football season, and i’ve teamed up with a few other bloggers for the blogger bowl! we’ll be sharing everything from a great tailgate recipe to the perfect game day style throughout the fall. keep up with our posts on social media using the hashtag #thebloggerbowl and check out our blogs, too!

Liz from Pretty Sweet Life // Molly from Hey There Sunshine // Aubry from Finding Beautiful Truth // Beth from Bethcakes // Meredith from Meredith Noelle // Rachel from Stupid Good Rachel  

[ice cream week] no churn mississippi mud ice cream + a giveaway

what says summer better than ice cream? unfortunately, ice cream can be tricky and time consuming to make. the thought of whipping some up pretty much never crossed my mind.

i discovered no churn ice cream thanks to beth a few weeks ago, and i gotta say, there is no better way to make some ice cream quickly. it's rich, creamy, tastes amazing and is the easiest thing ever! you can customize it any way you want, from simple vanilla, to fruit, to richer flavors like chocolate, peanut butter or caramel. it's a total blank slate. keep the base - whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk - the same, and add any flavor combination you please.

i've got some great memories of having mississippi mud cake at mary ann's in fairhope, sans pecans. it's a super rich, moist chocolate cake with marshmallows galore, and i knew it would transfer to ice cream seamlessly. needless to say, my friends and roommate devoured this stuff.

 

no churn mississippi mud ice cream

1 14 ounce can condensed sweetened milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons hershey's special dark cocoa
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

in a large bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. fold in condensed sweetened milk, cocoa, marshmallows and chopped pecans. once combined, put into freezer safe container. top with additional marshmallows and pecans. freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

i teamed up with 18 other bloggers to share innovative ice cream recipes with you and to bring you a delectable ice cream making giveaway. we're using the hashtag #weekofsundaes on social media this week. check out our blogs to see all of our innovative ice cream recipes throughout the week: ashley at spoonful of flavor // ashley at cookie monster cooking // madison at wetherills say i do // erin at the speckled palate // julia at tag & tibby // leandra at love & flour // molly at hey there sunshine // nick at macheesmo // meredith at meredith noelle // heather at sugar dish me // linda at brunch with joy // katie at twin stripe // erica at crumby cupcake // beth at bethcakes // meghan at cake ‘n knife // dan at the food in my beard // bethany at bethany grow // cate at chez cateylou // susannah at feast + west

one lucky winner will get this big ice cream making prize pack that's worth more than $265! see the rafflecopter below to enter to win this amazing set. the prize pack includes:

• a cuisinart pure indulgence 2-quart automatic frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream maker with double-insulated 2-quart freezer bowl // $165 value
• a chef's choice waffle cone express ice cream cone maker // $70 value
• set of four 6-ounce tovolo mini sweet treats tubs // $13 value
• a zeroll original ice cream scoop // $19.95 value

giveaway rules:

1. enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter widget below. everyone gets a free entry! you can enter multiple times, up to 20 additional entries by following the ice cream week contributors on social media. (if you’ve followed in the past, that counts! just enter the info as prompted.) all entries will be verified. no purchase is necessary to win.
2. the giveaway is open until monday, sept. 7, 2015 at 10 a.m. est. one winner will be chosen at random and emailed within 48 hours. winners must claim prize within 48 hours of initial contact. the retail value of the prize is $265. prizes shown in the graphic are the only ones available.
3. open to u.s. residents with a valid shipping address only. must be 18 years of age as of aug. 17, 2015.

a rafflecopter giveaway

icebox coffee cold brew coffee cake

birmingham bloggers has been working with birmingham favorite icebox coffee to put on a fantastic recipe contest that challenges members to develop a creative recipe using icebox coffee - and man, am i glad, because i am the biggest icebox fan ever, and any excuse to buy more... i'm in.

i wrote about icebox last year, and the love affair never ended. i'm sippin' the stuff all the time. i actually drink the concentrate straight, which is horrific for my heartrate, but y'know, gives me quite the rush on a monday morning. not to mention, it tastes divine. guess i need to move up to full blown espresso drinking, huh?

so coffee cake, right? doesn't normally taste like coffee. this one does. because why not. it was super simple to make, and the flavors are present, but just subtle enough. this sweet cake can be enjoyed for breakfast if you're the "cake for breakfast" type, or an afternoon snack. yum!

icebox coffee cold brew coffee cake

for the cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup icebox coffee cold brew concentrate
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

for the crumb topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl and whisk together. in another bowl, mix together icebox coffee, greek yogurt and vanilla extract until smooth.

in another bowl, beat butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes, or until light fluffy. add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. next, add flour mixture and icebox coffee mixture in 3 additions, alternating each until just combined. pour batter into a loaf pan (or two!).

for the crumb topping, combine melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix together. pour over cake batter just before baking. bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick insert comes out clean.

popcorn week: caramel corn pistachio ice cream sandwiches + a giveaway

i'll be totally real with y'all: these were ridiculous. despite drippy pistachio ice cream getting all over the floor and more chunky, sugar rush goodness than you can imagine, i really believe these popcorn pistachio ice cream sandwiches have a place in this world.

if you want to whip up this tasty, summertime treat, you've got a few options that lend for some creativity. you could pop up a bag of salty, buttery popcorn, melt down the marshmallows and then combine the two to form your "cookie" mixture. or, you could do what i did, and buy some crunch n' munch caramel corn with peanuts mixed in. keep in mind, this option is a lot sweeter.

these were so messy - as you can see from the photos - but delicious!

popcorn pistachio ice cream sandwiches

1/2 bag of caramel corn crunch n' much (or, substitute with a bag of buttered popcorn)
4 cups marshmallows
5 tablespoons butter
2-4 scoops talenti pistachio ice cream
peanuts (optional)

in a large saucepan over low-medium heat, add butter to pan and melt. stir in marshmallows. stirring constantly, wait for marshmallows to melt into a creamy liquid. put your popcorn (either pre-made caramel corn or buttered popcorn) in a large bowl, and pour marshmallow topping on top. stir to combine, then quickly spoon mixture on to a large baking sheet covered in parchement paper. flatten the mixture in an even layer.

pop the baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow it to harden. take a large glass, cookie cutter or any item that can be used to form a circular shape, and press into the layer of popcorn and marshmallow to form your "cookie" halves". plop a scoop of ice cream in between two halves, and enjoy, and have some napkins on hand!

  I teamed up with 14 other bloggers to share innovative popcorn recipes with you and to bring you an eye-popping popcorn giveaway. We're using the hashtag #popcornisforbloggers on social media this week. check out everyone's blogs to see their popcorn recipes throughout the week: Tabasco Honey Butter Popcorn — The Speckled Palate Cookie Butter Popcorn Cupcakes — The Crumby Cupcake Mexican Chocolate Popcorn — Macheesmo Unicorn Popcorn Rocky Road — The Sugar Hit Snickers Popcorn — Cake 'n Knife Birthday Cake Oreo Popcorn — Club Narwhal White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Popcorn — Feast + West Loaded Candy Bar Popcorn — Sugar Dish Me Matcha Popcorn Milkshakes — Brunch with Joy Vegan Caramel Corn Cacao Nib Popcorn — Twin Stripe S'Mores Popcorn Treats — Hey There Sunshine Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake with Caramel Corn Crumb Topping — bethcakes Caramel Corn Pistachio Ice Cream Sandwiches — Meredith Noelle Caramel-Masala Popcorn with Pistachios — Love & Flour Vegan Almond Joy Popcorn — The Frosted Vegan   also, a big thanks to cabot creamery and bob's red mill for generously sponsoring our project and giveaway.        we're giving away a big movie night prize pack that's worth more than $115! see the fafflecopter below to enter to win this amazing set. The prize pack includes:

• a west bend professional on-demand hot-air popcorn popper // $80 value
• two 27-ounce bags bob's red mill white popcorn kernels // $7.38 value
• two 27-ounce bags bob's red mill yellow popcorn kernels // $7.78 value
• one 8-ounce jar cabot cheddar cheese shake // $6.95 value
• and a $15 gift card to amazon.com!

giveaway rules:

1. enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter widget below. everyone gets a free entry! you can enter multiple times, up to 18 additional entries by following the giveaway sponsors on social media. (if you’ve followed in the past, that counts! just enter the info as prompted.) all entries will be verified. No purchase is necessary to win.
2. the giveaway is open until friday, july 17, 2015 at 10 a.m. EST. one winner will be chosen at random and emailed within 48 hours. winners must claim prize within 48 hours of initial contact. the retail value of the prize is $117. prizes shown in the graphic are the only ones available.
3. open to U.S. residents with a valid shipping address only. must be 18 years of age as of july 6, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway    

watermelon moscow mule

if you're in the u.s., i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! after taking a short blogging break last week in light of my trip to charleston, south carolina for southern blog society's SBS con, i'm back! i'm going to have a long, photo-filled recap post of my trip soon, but first, i figured we all needed a summer cocktail.

i love moscow mules. one of my favorites bars here in birmingham, 41st st. pub, makes my favorite mules ever. i'm partial to the fever tree ginger beer they use at 41st st., but i know there are many, many varieties you can pick up at the grocery store. for this cocktail, i used barrit's.

moscow mules are refreshing, easy to make, and highly customizable. watermelon juice seemed like a totally natural addition. let me tell y'all, these were freakin' delicious. i was so pleasantly surprised by how well the watermelon juice complemented the ginger.

you can make some fresh watermelon juice by following this tutorial and then straining it to get rid of pulp, or, if you have a local juicery, have them make you some to pick up. i promise that using fresh watermelon juice is worth it. you could simply puree some watermelon if you don't mind a pulpy texture, but i preferred mine smooth.

watermelon moscow mule

1 part (shot glass full) fresh watermelon juice

2 parts vodka

1 part fresh lime juice

1.5 - 2 oz. ginger beer

combine watermelon juice, vodka and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until combined. pour into a copper mug, and top with ginger beer. be sure not to shake your ginger beer, or you'll have a fizzy mess on your hands! garnish with lime, mint or watermelon and enjoy.  

my favorite super smoothie

smoothies are a dime a dozen, but this is a special smoothie, because it's mine! i've refined it to be tasty, fruity, smooth and packed full of nutrients, which is exactly how i like to start my morning. this smoothie keeps me full all morning.

i'm not one of those hardcore folks who is gonna drink a smoothie that tastes like grass. nope. sorry. this smoothie is slightly vanilla-y and totally fruity, no spinach or veggie taste at all. and pumpkin seeds? wonderful source of fiber and protein, with no taste, i promise! it ain't the prettiest smoothie - depending on how much fruit you add, you'll get a nice purple color - but hey, that's not the point! this thing is packed with nutrition!

meredith's super smoothie

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of your choice - i use eas lean protein in vanilla creme
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup frozen berries - add as much as you like to balance out the flavor! i use blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, but all fruits work well here
• 2 tablespoons unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1-3 handfuls of spinach
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional if you're a vanilla fan!)

combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. for thickness, add ice. to thin the smoothie, add more almond milk.

easy summer raspberry pie

ah, an alabama summer pie this was - just as i went outside to photograph it, the thunderstorms rolled in. i like to think that it makes the pie look moody.

on world baking day a week or so ago, i was craving to make something pretty. you bakers/cooks/food people know how that feels - sometimes it isn't the taste, but the visual experience, you crave. i wanted something sugary, bubbly and bright in my kitchen, so a pie with fresh raspberries is the first thing i thought of.

i kind of threw this pie together with what i had. it's definitely on the tart side, so if you like a sweeter pie, add more sugar to taste or cut back on the orange juice. this pie is ooey, gooey, sweet and delicious! perfect for an (already messy) bbq or a weekend baking project.

easy summer raspberry pie

makes 1 9-inch pie.

• 1-2 pie crusts, pre-made or homemade (additional crust for topping optional)
• 1 egg, whisked
• 2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
• 4-5 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4ish (little less) cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. in a bowl, combine raspberries, corn syrup, sugar, oj and vanilla. mix together. assemble your pie crust in a 9-inch pan, and use a fork to make indentions in the bottom of the crust. scoop the mixture into the crust.

you can bake the pie this way, OR use another pie crust to slice thick, long shapes to make a lattice design. you can also use a cookie cutter to create different shapes to top the pie with. if you're using pie crust on top, whisk 1 egg and then brush on crust before baking to help crust brown. sprinkle top with sugar.

serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. enjoy!

honeysuckle lemonade with cathead vodka

disclaimer: cathead vodka sponsored our birmingham bloggers 1st anniversary bash & provided us with some fabulous vodka to sample and serve. all opinions are entirely mine.

at the birmingham bloggers 1st anniversary bash (recap post soon!), we served this delicious, simple and refreshing crowd pleaser. it's simple to make and perfect for spring and summertime!

i've been a fan of cathead for many years. i love supporting southern brands, so it doesn't get much better than sipping on a spirit distilled by our neighbors, mississippi. i was first introduced to cathead's honeysuckle vodka at watermark in nashville, after trying it in a lovely cocktail called the southern belle, featuring cathead honeysuckle vodka and fresh peach juice. it was divine.

since, this vodka has been to go-to at cocktail joints. at collins, i often just tell them to throw this in something and make whatever they want. i always love it. it's my favorite - which is why i wanted to serve it to my fellow birmingham bloggers at our party.

 

cathead honeysuckle lemonade

• 1 part (1 oz) cathead honeysuckle vodka
• 2 parts lemonade, freshly made or simply lemonade brand
• splash of club soda or prosecco, optional

combine all ingredients in a glass or cocktail shaker. serve over ice.

the splash of club soda or prosecco gives the cocktail just a little fizz, which i prefer. this drink is also incredibly easy to make in batches and can be served in a large drink dispenser at a party or outdoor bbq. simply follow the same ratios. enjoy, y'all!

this post is a part of a little mini linkup! check out the other posts below for more southern themed cocktails using cathead vodka.

 

the southern lady from bethcakes | honeysuckle vodka collins from hey there sunshine

review + recipe: lighten up y'all

i know a thing or two about southern cooking. growing up in alabama with ties to mississippi, i've seen my fair share of biscuits, sweet tea and fried okra. and i'll be damned if it's not all delicious - but man, it isn't exactly the best for you. living in the south, you're kind of conditioned to not bat an eyelash at things like "fried oreos" or "buttermilk sausage gravy".

virginia willis's lighten up, y'all is a cookbook full of lightened up renditions of classic, tried & true southern staples - baked okra, oven-fried chicken, sweet potato gratin, summer squash lasagna, light pimento cheese & so much more. the recipes span from appetizers to main courses, seafood, bread/biscuits and dessert, an ample variety for any southern cook. i thoroughly enjoyed the photography and presentation of the book, which, as the title suggests, is light, airy and delightfully reader friendly.

i set to the pages to find a recipe that caught my eye. so, so many did (basil peach chicken breasts, YUM!) but i settled on whipping up a salad that uses some of my absolute favorite flavors. i added my own spin on it, but you can find virginia's original recipe.

i had some help from the wonderfully talented rachel of stupid good rachel for the food styling in these photos. she's the best y'all. aren't these greens stunning?

 

greens with bacon, pecan-crusted goat cheese

makes two servings. adapted from lighten up, y'all by virginia willis.

you will need:

• 4 center cut bacon slices
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 apples, preferably granny smith, gala or honeycrisp, diced or thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
• 1 6 ounce log goat cheese
• 4-5 cups washed, tender greens (kale, spinach, your choice)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper

 

to assemble your salads...

1. in a skillet over medium heat, fry your bacon until cooked. remove bacon from pan and pat dry. once your bacon is cool, crumble it or break it into smaller pieces. if you wish, saute your greens with bacon grease - this is optional.

2. thinly slice 1/2 red onion, and saute slices in remaining bacon renderings for 30 seconds. remove from pan.

3. thinly slice or dice your apples, set aside.

4. form goat cheese into small balls, then roll in chopped pecans. if necessary, put in fridge to firm.

5. to make your dressing, combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a container, whisk together.

6. top greens with sauteed onion, bacon crumbles, apples, goat cheese balls and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

 

disclosure: i received this book from blogging for books for this review. all opinions are my own.

go-to green smoothie

hey y'all! today's post features guest blogger molly of heytheresunshine.com. she's not only a great blogger and talented graphic designer, but my wonderful friend and co-founder of birmingham bloggers. today she's sharing a super simple, healthy smoothie recipe with y'all. go check her blog out! enjoy!

i don't know about you, but i'm always looking for a quick, healthy breakfast and this one has been a go-to for me for a couple of years now. i know a bright green smoothie looks really strange, but it tastes deliciously peanut buttery and is still healthy! i always add a little ice at the end to thicken it up, but the frozen banana gives it a good, creamy texture if you don't add the ice. and obviously, PB2 is a favorite ingredient of mine to help keep things lightened up, plus it's wonderful as a substitute for regular peanut butter, too.

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 container chobani simply 100 vanilla (or other vanilla greek yogurt)
1 frozen ripe banana
2 tablespoons PB2 powder
1-2 handfuls of baby spinach
flaxseed (optional)
ice (optional)

add all ingredients to blender (i usually start with almond milk, PB2, and yogurt, then add the remaining ingredients on top of them). blend until smooth, add ice to thicken after ingredients are well blended. enjoy!

you can customize your smoothie by removing the PB2, adding your favorite frozen fruits, and replacing the vanilla greek yogurt with a complimentary fruit flavor.

visit molly's blog, hey there sunshine!

cookie butter surprise cupcakes

if you haven't heard of cookie butter, i'm about to change up your life. if you're a fan of nutella or any similar sugary ridiculous spreads that totally are not a part of a balanced diet, cookie butter is for you. if you head over to amazon and read the reviews of the mystical cookie butter, you'd think it was made out of unicorn tears and baby's breath. people are absolutely nuts about the stuff. i heard the hype, but couldn't justify ordering it off amazon. for a jarred spread? really?

when i went to athens the other weekend with beth to visit molly, she informed us there was a trader joe's in town. i know a few things about this trader joe's place, one being that they have cookie butter. SOLD. and so, we went. and the more we chatted about it, the more it became apparent we needed to make some freakin' cookie butter cupcakes.

yeah, that's right. there are cookie butter cups too. i sampled the cookie butter and whaddaya know, it's amazing. i don't have the biggest sweet tooth in the world, but i completely get the appeal of this stuff. it's rich, it's unique, it's not "chocolate chip cookie"-ish but it's sugary, buttery and amazing. i brought my brother a jar and he just sits there and eats it straight, if that tells you anything.

anyway, we got to business. we adapted a basic cake recipe from a better homes & gardens cookbook and beth made up the cookie butter icing on the fly. they turned out amazing, so get ready.

for the cake, you will need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 24 cookie butter cups (optional, but so amazing!)

for the frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cookie butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar 

to make the cake:

1.  preheat your oven to 350 degrees. line a cupcake pan with liners of your choice.
2. in a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. add in vanilla. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. in a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. 
4. add half flour mixture to egg mixture, then add half buttermilk. alternate adding flour and buttermilk until combined.
5. add a dollop of batter to the bottom of your cupcake liner, then press a cookie butter cup into the dough. top with more batter until cupcake liner is 2/3 full.
6. bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick insert comes out clean. let cool before frosting.

 to make the frosting:

1. in a mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. 
2. add vanilla, cookie butter and milk. gradually add powdered sugar until just combined.
3. top cupcakes with cookie butter icing and a cookie butter cup.