Bloody Shattered Glass Cupcakes

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

You know that one person that gets way too excited about Halloween? I'M THAT PERSON. Give me all the candy corn, costumes, and jack-o-lanterns! I've always made cute holiday-themed desserts, but this time I wanted to try something a little creepy.

This edible glass is one of the easiest cupcake decorations I've ever made. As you'll see below, I just mixed two ingredients together and heated it in the microwave. I also had this Wilton red food gel on hand and it made for the perfect blood!



Shattered Glass Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes

• 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (42 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup light brown sugar (200 grams)
• 1/3 cup unsalted Challenge butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk

For the vanilla frosting

• 1 cup unsalted Challenge butter softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar (630 grams)
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the shattered glass

• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
• 1/2 cup corn syrup

Directions
For the chocolate cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a  cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; set aside.
3. Mix eggs, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl; slowly add to dry ingredients. Add milk and stir until just combined.
4. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full; bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool before frosting.

For the vanilla frosting

1. Cream softened butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat with mixer until combined.
2. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, and beat for about 3 minutes. Frost cupcakes.

For the shattered glass

1. Lay sheet of wax paper on baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray; set aside
2. Combine sugar and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl
3. Seal bowl with plastic wrap and heat in microwave for 2 minutes
4. Remove from microwave, discard plastic wrap, and stir.
5. Seal bowl with plastic wrap again and heat in microwave for two minutes
6. Remove plastic wrap from bowl and pour boiling mixture onto wax paper. Careful, it will be hot.
7. Let harden for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Shatter edible glass with knife into 1-inch size pieces. Stick shattered glass in frosting as decorations. Use red decorating gel or food coloring to create a blood-looking effect on the frosting.

Chocolate cupcake recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Here are a few other examples of cute Halloween cupcakes!

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Bloody Shrunken Head Punch

A couple of people have asked me for drink recipes recently, and I realized that I don't actually have any on my blog! To be honest, I never really though about creating drink recipes because I'm mostly just a Diet Coke girl. But really, there are a lot of fun and festive drinks you can make for the holidays that add an extra special element to parties and gatherings. 

I wanted to make something spooky with Halloween coming up. I saw this idea to make shrunken heads out of apples, and I thought they would be perfect to add to a bloody-colored punch. 

This recipe does not include alcohol, but if you want, you can certainly add a little booze for an adult version.

Bloody Shrunken Head Punch

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 apples
• 3 cups cherry cola
• 3 cups cherry juice
• 2 cups strawberry daiquiri mix
• 2 cups fruit punch
• 1 cup ginger ale

Directions

1. Peel apples and carve them into faces using a melon baller and a knife.
2. Bake apples on baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 90 minutes.      
3. Remove from oven and cool.
4. Combine cherry cola, cherry juice, strawberry daiquiri mix, fruit punch and ginger ale in punch bowl.
5. Place shrunken heads on top of punch and serve.

Punch recipe adapted from Ree Drummond

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Pumpkin Macarons

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Sometimes I feel silly posting about things like cookies after leaving work where I just spent the day reporting on terrorism and gun violence and all the innocent people who have lost their lives because of these things.

I try to remind myself that there is still plenty of good and plenty of love in this world. And amongst the stories of devastation, there are stories of compassion and heroism. It's important to continue to find joy in the little things even if that joy is something as simple as sharing a recipe with your friends and family.

So that is why I'm sharing my recipe for Pumpkin Macarons.

I feel like I reached a big milestone in my baking career over the weekend when I made macarons for the first time. They became the new "it" cookie a few years ago, and I always wanted to try making them. But I never did because everyone told me how difficult they are to make. I don't know why I listened to everyone else. Baking, in my opinion, is 90% just following directions, and like with anything, if you follow all of the directions you'll achieve the desired results.

That being said, here are a few tips I learned to focus on while making macarons.

1. Make sure your ingredients are all room temperature. I've talked about this in other recipes, but it's very important when you're trying to make the meringue base for the macaron shells. Room-temperature ingredients mix a lot better together.

2. You absolutely must sift the almond flour and powdered sugar. I don't normally sift anything, but macaron shells are so delicate and any chunks of ingredients will weigh them down and prevent them from rising.

3. Don't forget to tap your baking pan hard on the kitchen counter before piping your shells. This will release air bubbles and prevent the tops from cracking.

4. If the tops of your shells crack, there's a good chance you undermixed the batter. Bake just a few macarons first if you're not sure, and if the shells crack, mix the rest of the batter a little more before piping more shells.

5. You must let your macarons sit out on the counter top for around 30 minutes to an hour before baking; this will prevent them from spreading once they get in the oven and will help them rise

I thought macarons would be the perfect cookie to decorate for fall because they have a solid-colored flat top on which you can add designs. I made the pumpkin macarons into jack-o-lanterns using a gel icing pen, but it would also be fun to write spooky messages or draw a cobweb. 

Pumpkin Macarons

Yield: Makes about 24 macarons

Ingredients

For the shells

• 1 cup almond flour (100 grams)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (227 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 egg whites (105 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• Orange food coloring

For the buttercream

• 1/2 cup Challenge butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar (227 grams)
• 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the shells

1. Prepare baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone mat; set aside
2. Sift together almond flour, powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice; discard larger lumps that won’t go through sifter and set aside
3. Beat egg whites at medium speed until foamy; add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating. Slowly add sugar and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Add orange food coloring.
5. Slowly fold flour mixture into egg white mixture; the consistency should be like lava — fluid but also thick enough to form mound. For some people this is between 50 to 70 turns with the spatula.
6. Transfer batter to piping bag and pipe 1-inch circles; bang baking sheet hard against counter about 3 times too release air bubbles
7. Let macarons sit out for about 30 minutes to an hour before baking to ensure they don’t spread in oven
8. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
9. Bake macarons for 18 minutes; let cool on baking sheet before carefully peeling off

For the buttercream

1. Beat butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until light and creamy
2. Add powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt
3. Beat at medium speed until incorporated, then increase to high speed and bear until buttercream is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
4. Match up macaron shells by size and shape; add buttercream mixture to piping bag and pipe a quarter-size amount of frosting on one shelf before sandwiching it with the other shell
5. Store macarons in refrigerator for up to 1 week 

Recipe adapted from Entertaining with Beth

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Caramel Apple Dutch Baby Pancake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Don't want to be that person stuck next to the griddle flipping pancakes all morning long while everyone else eats and asks for more? BINGO, here's your answer!

Dutch baby pancakes are essentially giant pancakes in a skillet. There's no standing around the griddle waiting to flip them because they're baked in the oven. They look like a pillow when they're first removed from the oven -- a testament to how light and fluffy they are -- and then they slowly sink.

This particular recipe is for a Caramel Apple Dutch Baby Pancake. The apples are first baked right in the bottom of the skillet with butter and a little sugar before adding the pancake batter on top. So easy and so delicious!

In order to make sure the pancake puffs up, it's important to start with all room temperature ingredients. Also, there should be zero lumps in the batter. I noticed a lot of other Dutch baby pancake recipes called for using a blender to mix the batter. That's a great idea! I tried it, and it worked really well. However, it's not necessary. If you whisk it, whisk it real good, then that's totally fine.

Because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, it's important to make sure each one is of very good quality. That's why I used Challenge butter. I choose Challenge over every other brand because I know there are no hormones, additives, or fillers in their products. The taste is also superior to other brands because they use real cream.

To finish it all off, I made the most simple caramel syrup ever to go on top! And of course, dusting with powder sugar is a must. Depending on your appetite, these pancakes can either be shared with a friend, or there's no shame in eating it all by yourself!



Caramel Apple Dutch Baby Pancake
Ingredients
For the pancake

• 2 Tablespoons Challenge butter
• 1 apple, sliced with skin removed
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the caramel syrup

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
For the pancake

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenehit
2. Add butter to cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet and melt in oven, should take about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add brown sugar and apple to skillet and bake for 10 minutes
4. Meanwhile, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, and cinnamon until no lumps remain.
5. Once apples are done baking, remove skillet from oven, pour pancake batter on top, and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and serve immediately with caramel syrup.

For the caramel syrup

1. Combine heavy cream, light corn syrup, and brown sugar in sauce pan and bring to low boil. 
2. Let boil for about 1 to 2 minutes or until syrup starts to thicken. Do no let it boil too long or it will burn.

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

It’s officially the first day of fall, and I'm ready for cozy sweaters, crunchy leaves, and most importantly everything pumpkin! Today I'm sharing a recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake, and I think it’s the perfect way to kick off the season!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake
Yield: Serves between 6 – 8 people
Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tubes cinnamon rolls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla. Set aside
3. Combine butter, pecans, brown sugar, and flour. Set aside.
4. Open tubes of cinnamon rolls and cut each roll into quarters.
5. Prepare 9 x 9 square pan or 9-inch pie pan with nonstick spray. Spread cinnamon roll pieces so they cover the bottom of the pan. Dump pumpkin mixture over cinnamon rolls and spread so it’s even. Sprinkle pecan mixture on top
6. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until pumpkin mixture is set.
7. Cool for about 10-15 minutes and drizzle icing from cinnamon roll tubes on top before serving.

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Granola Fruit Pizza

I'm a big proponent of getting kids in the kitchen at an early age. I think it cuts down on picky eating, and also, it gives them a better appreciation of food. I was thinking about when the last time I even cooked for a child was, and I don't think it's been since when I was in high school when I used to babysit a family of five kids that lived down the street from me.

The extent of the cooking I did for them wasn't even close to "gourmet." All they wanted to eat was hot dogs and sauerkraut (yes, they were German). I started cutting their hot dogs to look like octopus, and they thought it was the coolest thing ever.

But I feel like today's era of children would roll their eyes at my octopus hot dogs. They grew up with Pinterest moms, and they expect their food to be exciting. That's why I wanted to come up with a dish that was not only easy to make, but also colorful and pretty too.



I think I really nailed it with this granola fruit pizza.

The crust requires just a few ingredients, and you don't need to bake it. The ingredient measurements don't need to be extremely precise, so your kids can get practice measuring and patting the crust down into the cake pan.

As you can see, I made a rainbow design with fruit on the pizza, but you can use anything to decorate it. I suggest setting out a variety of ingredients in bowls (like chocolate chips, shredded coconut, sprinkles, nuts, fruit) and let the kids express their creativity by deciding what to put on top.

I served this Granola Fruit Pizza for my FOX59 segment on National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day. I also shared two other kid-friendly treats: Banana Sushi and Apple Slice Doughnuts.

The Banana Sushi is just a banana wrapped in a tortilla that's covered with peanut butter. Slice it up so it looks like sushi. I drizzled melted peanut butter and sprinkled Fruity Pebbles on top for decoration.

Apple Slice Doughnuts start with apples sliced about 1-inch thick on their side. Just cut right through the core. Then use a melon baller to scoop out the center so it looks like a doughnut. Cover each apple slice with either cream cheese, nut butter, or chocolate then decorate with sprinkles or chocolate chips so they look like doughnuts!



Granola Fruit Pizza
Yield: Makes about 8 servings
Ingredients

• 3 cups granola
• 2/3 cups peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup fruit, other toppings

Directions

1. Combine granola, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla
2. Line 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper
3. Dump granola mixture into pan and spread until top is even
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes
5. Remove granola pizza crust from cake pan and move to plate
6. Spread Greek yogurt evenly onto granola pizza
7. Top with fruit, chocolate, nuts, shredded coconut, or whatever you please

Recipe adapted from Tip Buzz

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Double-Duty Dinners, Featuring Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese and Pizza

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

As much as I love to cook, I don’t necessarily like to spend every night in the kitchen preparing dinner. When I’m hungry, I want to eat now. If you feel the same way, one of the best ways to make sure you have food available is by meal prepping. There are different forms of meal-prepping, but one of my favorite ways is making “double-duty dinners.”

The idea behind double-duty dinners is to prepare one big meal with plenty of food so you can transform the leftovers into an entirely new meal the following night. This is great for picky eaters who don’t like to eat the same thing for dinner every single night.

The Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese featured on this blog post is a great recipe to transform into a double-duty meal. Normally, if I was preparing this meal for just one night, I would only use about one pound of chicken. But since I plan to use the leftovers for another day, I should double the protein and add about two pounds of chicken (or more) to the slow cooker. When the chicken is done, I remove all of it, shred it, and return just half of it to the slow cooker.

I store the other half in the refrigerator for my dinner the following day, which I can use to make salad, pasta, or pizza (as you’ll see below)!



I chose to make pizza as the other half of this double-duty meal because it used a lot of the same ingredients as the Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese. The only new additions were pizza dough, tomato sauce, and butter. So not only did I save time, but I also saved money. Now I don't need to go out and buy ingredients for an entirely new meal!

Some other ideas for double-duty dinners that I featured in the segment on FOX59 are:
Pulled pork used to make sandwiches the first night and pork quesadillas on the second night.
Fish, specifically tilapia, use to make a rice dinner on night one and fish tacos on night two.

One thing I need to point out — it’s important to always use the best ingredients available. That’s why I used Challenge cream cheese in the macaroni and cheese and Challenge butter in the pizza. I choose Challenge over every other brand because I know there are no hormones, additives, or fillers in their products.The taste is also superior to other brands because they use real cream.

NOTE: In the recipes below, I’m posting the regular version, not the double-duty version, in case some people saw the picture of the pasta and scrolled straight to the recipe. But if you want to make the double-duty version, just double the amount of chicken as discussed earlier.



Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
Yield: Makes about 8, 1-cup servings
Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound macaroni pasta, uncooked
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• Green onions and blue cheese for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Add chicken, chicken broth, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and salt to slow cooker. Stir until combined and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. (Could be more or less time depending on your slow cooker. My chicken was done right at 2 hours)
2. Remove cooked chicken from slow cooker, shred, and return to slow cooker.
3. Add pasta, cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, milk, and cream cheese to slow cooker.
4. Mix and cook on high for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until pasta is cooked
5. Garnish with blue cheese crumbles and green onions if desired and serve 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Yield: Makes 1 pizza
Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce (depending on whether you like a lot of sauce or not)
• 3 Tablespoons buffalo sauce
• 1 tablespoons Challenge butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 pound chicken, chopped
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• Green onions for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to the specified temperature for your pizza dough (I set my oven to 425)
2. Combine tomato sauce, buffalo sauce, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder and spread on uncooked pizza dough
3. Add half the cheddar cheese on top of the sauce and layer it with the chicken, the rest of the cheddar cheese, and the blue cheese crumbles.
4. Bake pizza for about 14 to 18 minutes — keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!
5. Remove from oven, garnish with green onions, and serve

Recipe adapted from the Food Network

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