Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

These are a little lighter than normal cupcakes, more like muffins really. Not too sweet, and the frosting is just sweet enough to make it a dessert!

The Batter

• 1.5 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1.5 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tablespoon coffee (optional, I love the flavor though. DON'T add coffee grains! Only add brewed liquid coffee)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/4 Cup Melted butter
• 1/4 Cup White Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Milk

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine dry ingredients into a bowl 
3. Combine coffee with wet ingredients and sugar and use a mixer until everything is mixed well. 
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to met while mixing until evenly mixed. 
5. Bake in muffin or mini muffin tins, make sure if you use paper liners you spray them with cooking spray because the cupcakes are lighter (not too much oil) and they tend to stick to the paper cups

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 container pre-made vanilla frosting (trust me, it turns out okay the way I used it!) if you feel strongly about making your own, a simple vanilla butter-cream will be fine
• 2 Tablespoons melted peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar (might not use all of it!)

1. Using a mixer, beat the peanut butter and the pre-made frosting until well mixed. Since the peanut butter is melted and wet, it might deflate the frosting so add a little bit of powdered sugar as needed and keep whipping the frosting until it easily holds peaks. This will make it easier to frost later!
2. Use a piping bag or just frost the cupcakes by hand when they're completely cooled

Delicious Chocolate Chip Scones

So, what is a scone?

Dessert? Snack? Breakfast? I can't decide. But whatever it is, it's delicious. I've tried pumpkin, banana, all different types! However, in my opinion, chocolate chip is the best scone by far.

Scones

• 1/2 Cup COLD butter, unsalted (I used light butter!)
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt 
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (You can use white sugar instead, but I love the flavor of brown)
• 1/4 Cup Milk (use whatever fat content you want, less fat is healthier but more is more flavor!)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 (350 on dark or nonstick pan, or if your oven runs a little hot)
2. Whisk dry ingredients together (NOT the sugar!)
3. Cut the cold butter into cubes. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal. You could use a food processor and pulse it about ten times or even a Ninja Blender (that's what I do!) and pulse it a few times. There should be visible bits of butter throughout, but none bigger than pea size.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, milk, sugar, and cinnamon and whisk until combined well together. Slowly add this mixture to the dry and work it JUST until the batter is combined enough to stick together
5. Note, depending on your flour, your mix might be a little too wet or dry. When you are combining the wet and dry, adjust accordingly. 
6. Pat the mix out on to a floured surface (it should stick a little but not too much) and cut into shapes you like. I made large, round cookie shapes and they came out perfect! 
7. Bake about 10-12 minutes depending on your oven and your scone shape. While they're cooking, you can brush an egg white with a pastry brush on top and sprinkle white sugar. It gives it a lovely caramel color. They're done when they spring back a little when pushed.