In Pursuit of the Giant Cupcake

While discussing mother's day gifts with my mother-in-law Barbara, she told me about this place called "Crumbs Bakery" which will ship their cupcakes wherever you want for mother's day (or any other occasion for that matter). Apparently these cupcakes are spectacular and not to mention HUGE (4-inches in height and width to be exact). So, I looked up these marvelous cupcakes online, and boy did they look deeeeelicious. They have every kind of flavor you can imagine, from blueberry swirl to cookie dough. They also have three different sizes of cupcakes: "taste" which is about 2 inches big, "classic" which is like supermarket-sized, and "signature" which is the big guy coming in at 4-inches.
We looked up locations of this mystical bakery and noticed that there is a store in Westfield, which is about 15 minutes from where we live (Insert girly squeal here). So we decided to go check it out the very next day.
We managed to find the place, no problem. Finding a parking spot was a little tougher. We finally found a spot and walked on over to Crumbs Bake Shop. It was a quaint little bakery with the glorious cupcakes, cookies, brownies and other tempting treats displayed beautifully in the glass case. We stood there practically drooling trying to decide which ones we would get. I ended up getting 4 cupcakes, 2 for me, 2 for Evan: From top left, clockwise, they are: Chocolate Sprinkle, Cookie Dough, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and Cappucino.

To give you an idea of the size of these babies, I have placed one next to a regular can of beans:
I cannot wait to sink my teeth into these marvelous, mouth-watering confections. The only question is...which one will I try first?

To take a look at the other cupcakes they have to offer, click here.

Jello Pudding Cream Puffs

1 pkg Jello vanilla or chocolate pudding - prepared as directed on the box
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
Pinch salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips, or chocolate melting disks (that you get at the craft store)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the milk, butter and salt over medium heat until hot, but do not let it come to a boil. Once the butter melts, add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to form a dough. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, or stand mixer with paddle attachment. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until they are well incorporated and the dough is thick.
To form the puffs, you can use either two spoons, a small ice cream scooper or a pastry bag. What you want is small mounds of the dough about 1-2 inches wide and 1 inch high. There should be about 18 puffs.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Poke a hole in the sides of the puffs to allow the steam to escape. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Once cool, cut the puffs in half horizontally and put a heaping teaspoon of the pudding inside. Put the tops back on.
Melt the chocolate with the heavy cream over a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until smooth and completely melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the cream puffs.

*This recipe seems very involved and complicated, but it's really not. There are really just three elements to it: the pudding, the puffs, and the chocolate sauce. The hardest thing to make is the puffs, and they are not hard at all. This is a wonderful treat to make your sweetie for Valentine's Day (or any day for that matter!). And, the best part about the puffs is that you can put anything you want inside them - pudding, whipped cream, ice cream, even savory ingredients like cheese (skip the chocolate sauce in that case). It may take you one or two tries to perfect this recipe, but it is soooo worth it once you do!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Apple Banana Muffins

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
4 overripe bananas, mashed
3 apples, peeled and diced small
Optional: 2 tbsp apple butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Pour over dry ingredients and add in mashed bananas and apples. If you are using apple butter, add it now. Mix until everything is incorporated and there is no dry flour left.
Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners and fill the cups about 3/4 of the way up until there is no batter left. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and muffins are golden brown.

*These are probably the best muffins I have ever made. They are so incredibly moist and delicious. I like being able to see the little chunks of apple along with the tangy bite of the bananas. These are great for breakfast, or anytime of day really! For an added crunch, you can sprinkle some raw sugar over the top (I forgot to this time!). Store these muffins in an airtight container for up to a week - if they last that long!

Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Proverbs 7:2

Pumpkin Muffins

1 stick butter, at room temp.
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners or cooking spray.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and molasses and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and pumpkin and stir until well blended.
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the sugar mixture. Fold just enough to blend, and do not over mix.
Fold in the raisins and nuts if using. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

*I get so excited when restaurants start having pumpkin-flavored items around the holidays. Pumpkin muffins are one of my favorite. They are so good when they are warm and you slather them with butter. Even better, you can make them a month ahead of time, pop them in the freezer, and pull them out just in time for Thanksgiving! Maybe serve these for breakfast on Turkey Day to get you and your guests in the mood for that warm pumpkin holiday flavor. Or, serve them after dinner in place of the pie with a scoop of ice cream!

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7

Apple Crumb Pie

1 9-inch pie crust
4-5 large, crisp apples (recommend Gala apples)
3/4 cup applesauce
2 tbsp flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the Crumb Topping
4 tbsp room temp. butter
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Peel the apples and slice into relatively thin, even slices. Place in a large bowl. Combine with the remaining ingredients and stir well. Place the pie crust in the bottom of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust and distribute evenly.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping and cut the butter into the flour & sugar with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the apples. If you feel you don't have enough, you can make more to sprinkle overtop.
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown, and apples are soft.

*You should see the look on Evan's face when I make this pie. He gets so excited, and will often eat 2 or 3 pieces in one sitting. I love the crumb topping. It's crunchy and sweet and oh-so-delicious. You also want to use a good hearty apple for this. I love using Gala apples or Fuji apples because they are so sweet on their own, that you could even cut back on the sugar. Gala apples can also stand up to the baking process and will not break down and turn into mush. You could use Granny Smith, or any other tart, crisp apple. I hope you enjoy this fantastic dessert!

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11

Mom's Pecan Pie

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole pecans
9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together eggs, syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pie shell. Bake 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted 1/2-way between center and edge comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

*Pecan pie is an impressive dessert that couldn't be easier. But don't be fooled! This pie is not any healthier for you than pumpkin pie just because it has heart-healthy pecans. Those pecans are floating over a bed of pure sugar...but it's so hard to resist!! This pie goes great with a hot cup of coffee and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. It's sure to impress your Thanksgiving guests!

Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:14

Aubrey's Peanut Butter Cups

About 1 bag chocolate melting pieces (or 2 cups) NOT chocolate chips!
1 cup peanut butter
About 1 cup powdered sugar
Mini muffin tray and paper liners

Pour about an inch of water into a medium-sized pot and place a bowl over the pot to make a double-boiler. Turn the heat on low and bring the water to a simmer. Melt the chocolate in the bowl until smooth and completely melted.
Place the paper liners in each cup of the mini muffin tray. Drop about 1 small spoonful into each cup (about halfway up the side). With your spoon, push the chocolate up the sides of the cups to make sort of a well in the cups. Place the tray in the fridge for 5 minutes or more to harden.
Meanwhile, make the peanut butter filling. Mix together the peanut butter with the powdered sugar, mixing in a little bit of the sugar at a time until the peanut butter is like soft dough. Take the hardened cups out of the fridge and drop in about a teaspoon of the peanut butter in each cup. Flatten it down with your spoon, and make sure it will not poke up out of the top.
Melt some more chocolate (if needed) in your double-boiler. Pour enough chocolate over the tops of the cups to cover the peanut butter and to "seal off" the cups. Place back in the fridge and let harden for about 10 minutes.
Keep in the fridge in a zip-top bag or plastic container.

*These peanut butter cups take a little bit of work, but are well worth the effort. Who doesn't like homemade candy? You could even use the bigger muffin tins if you wanted, but just spread the chocolate and peanut butter a little thinner - like a real peanut butter cup. This is a fun thing to do with kids on a lazy Saturday afternoon. They can help you stir the melted chocolate, stir the peanut butter mixture and help you drop in the chocolate and peanut butter in each of the cups. I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate, but you can use whatever you like. You can even use white chocolate! The chocolate I used can be found at most craft stores in the baking section. They are usually close to the chocolate molds that they have, and are available in lots of different colors. You could make them different colors for different holidays even! Try making these yummy peanut butter cups at home - it's guaranteed to make you smile!

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Punkin' Pie

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 15oz can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 12oz can evaporated milk
9" unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine filling ingredients in the order given. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes at 425, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40-50 more minutes, or until pie is set and knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool completely and serve with whipped cream.

*To me, nothing says holidays like pumpkin pie. I think pumpkin pie has got to be my favorite pie. For one, because it is so easy to make, and two, it is so smooth and custardy. I just love it. Why is this recipe called "Punkin' Pie?" That's what I always called it growing up, and even to this day. Stay tuned because I am going to be experimenting with new ways to use pumpkin here on NJ Fresh. Pie is great, but there are lots of other great recipes that use pumpkin that I am dying to try. With Thanksgiving nipping at my heels, I've got to start testing recipes now!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Cranberry Brown Sugar Chewies

2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease cookie sheets and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and sour cream and beat until creamy. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until well mixed. Stir in cranberries and raisins.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

*Never underestimate those recipes on the back of your food labels! I found this one on the back of a package of brown sugar. Of course, I made a mess while attempting to make the cookies, but they came out great! And just the way I like them too - nice and soft and chewy. I love the tartness of the cranberries and the chewy texture they give to the cookies. These go great with a tall glass of milk. And the smell reminds me of the holidays. These would make great Christmas cookies! So, next time you see a recipe on the back of a food package, you might be surprised at how good it is! Give them a try!

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1

Jersey Lime Pie

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crackers (about 6 whole crackers worth)
5 tbsp melted butter

For the filling:
3 large egg yolks
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes worth)
2 drops green food coloring
Whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, break up the graham crackers until they are like sand. With the machine on, pour in the melted butter and blend until all the crumbs are coated in butter. Turn out into a 9-inch pie plate that has been liberally coated with non-stick spray. Press the crumbs evenly on the bottom and sides and bake for 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat the yolks until they are thick. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, zest, lime juice and food coloring. Mix until well combined.
Pour into the pie shell and put in the fridge until the pie is set - 4 hours or more. Top with whipped cream and enjoy.

*Oh. My. Gosh. Can I just tell you how much I love this pie? I am a HUGE fan of Key Lime Pie, but since I am Jersey Girl, I am using Jersey limes instead of Key Limes, which can be hard to find. Unless of course, you live in Key West. I love the color of this pie, I love the sweet and sour flavor of it, and I love that you can see the little flecks of zest in the pie. It's just great. Of course, if you're not a lime fan, you could always use lemons, which makes kind of a lemony cheesecake-like pie. And of course, use yellow food coloring instead. Making the graham cracker crust yourself is so easy - there's no reason to buy a pre-made one at the store. I don't know one mom that doesn't have graham crackers on hand, so there you go! Try this out, it's so simple and so flavorful. You will love it. (And you want to know a secret? I made this pie entirely for myself!)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups AP flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips, tossed with 1 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl, or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and bananas. Mix to combine. Drop in the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated into the batter. Pour in the milk and mix to combine. Lastly, add the peanut butter and the chocolate chips and mix just until combined.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.

*I always buy bananas to eat with breakfast or lunch, but I never make it through a whole bunch without them getting overripe on me. Banana bread is a great way to use overripe bananas. That great banana flavor comes through, and the bread is great for breakfast, or dessert! I often make two loaves, and freeze the other one to be eaten later, or give away as a gift. Properly stored in the fridge, this bread will last up to two weeks. The peanut butter in this recipe gives the bread an unexpected flavor that brings me back to the days of eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches for a snack! If you have a peanut allergy, you can just leave the peanut butter out - it will be just as good.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Blueberry Peach Crostada

1 9-inch pie crust (homemade is best)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 peach peeled and sliced very thin
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water)
1 tbsp sugar for sprinkling over top

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together the fruit, the 3 tbsp sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice until well combined. Set aside.
On a well floured board, roll out the dough to about a 15-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (it's OK if the crust hangs over the edge a little).
On the baking sheet, pour the fruit mixture in the center of the dough. Spread into an even layer, leaving about 2 inches to spare all around. Fold over the dough towards the center all the way around. There should be a little bit of the filling showing.
Brush the whole top of the dough with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar over the whole thing (cane sugar is great if you have it). Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately remove from the baking sheet with the parchment paper still underneath. Allow to cool before slicing.

*Problem: I've got leftover pie crust in the freezer, a box of fresh blueberries, and peaches that are about to go bad. Solution: Make this crostada! I let the pie crust thaw in the fridge until it was soft enough to roll out. Then I just threw together this great dessert. It's rustic, but it looks (and tastes) impressive. It's so much easier than a pie because you don't have to wrestle with the pie plate and blind-baking or any of that. You just roll out the pie crust, pour on the fruit and bake away! I impressed myself with this one. Blueberries and peaches out of season? No problem! Use apples, or plums, or pears, whatever combination of fruit you love, use it. Frozen fruit could also work here, although it tends to be a bit more "drippy", and we don't want that. We want a nice crispy but tender crust, and sweet fresh beautiful fruit. I don't call this NJ Fresh for nothing!

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Psalm 25:1

Blueberry Muffins

*This is actually TV Chef/Host Alton Brown's recipe, but it's so darn good, I wanted to share it with you all!

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
Heavy pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Vegetable spray, for the muffin tins

Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients reserving 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss with the blueberries. Stir mixture for a count of 10. Add 1 cup blueberries to mixture and stir 3 more times. Reserve the 1/2 cup of blueberries.
Using a #20 ice cream scoop, add the mixture to greased muffin pans. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of berries on top of muffins and press down lightly. Place into the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and turn out, upside down on tea towel to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

*There is a short window of time in Jersey when the blueberries are cheap. When that time period rolls around, I stock up. Evan LOVES blueberry anything - pie, muffins, streudel, even blueberry wine! I buy lots, and then freeze them. I like to surprise Evan with a blueberry pie in the winter.
Jersey blueberries are great - plump, juicy and oh-so-tasty. The yogurt in this recipe make the muffins moist and tender. I ramped up the blueberry flavor by using blueberry yogurt (the fruit on the bottom kind). The batter will look lumpy when you stir it, but trust me, it works. I also added can sugar to the top of the muffins to add a little crunch and sweetness, and to make them look pretty :)

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

Aubrey's "Rhappleberry" Pie

1 recipe for a 9 inch double pie crust (or store bought pie crust, if you're lazy like me)
About 3 medium-sized apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh rhubarb
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup AP flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for crust
2 tbsp butter
Egg wash for the crust

In a large bowl, toss the fruit with the lemon juice, and vanilla. Sift together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add to the fruit mixture and toss to coat.
Pour the mixture into the crust, dot with butter.
Make a lattice crust for the top of the pie, being sure to seal edges. Brush egg wash over the crust and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 50-60 minutes until crust is golden brown, and fruit is bubbly and soft.
If crust gets too brown, cover with foil. Let cool, and enjoy!

*This pie is one of my most proud accomplishments to date. I do not claim to be a baker by any stretch of the imagination. I am WAY better at cooking than at baking. But on a recent trip from NJ to Chicago, IL, Evan, our friends Karl & Steve, and I stopped at this stumble-in restaurant called "Clay's" somewhere in Indiana. They had this stuff called "Rhappleberry Pie." Evan had told me about it from last year's trip, which I wasn't on. He said it was the best pie ever. He was right. It was gooood. After tasting this best pie ever, I was determined to duplicate the recipe at home - knowing that I'm not a good baker. So, I asked the waitress to tell me the ingredients, and I would figure out the rest at home. She kindly did, and I was officially on a mission. I found a similar recipe online and tried it out, substituting the ingredients to match the Rhappleberry pie. It came out good. Not what I wanted, but good enough. I tried it again, this time switching out some more ingredients. Success! It was so good - Evan ate nearly the whole thing. The second time I made it, I made it with a crumb topping instead, and that was much better than the pie crust topping. But, you can try it as many times as you wish and hope you have as much success as I did!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22