Now that I am a full fledged adult, I don’t eat candy bars all that often, but you can bet when I do indulge, those babies get frozen first. This recipe is a little homage to my frozen candy bar loving dad, Bill; although I like to call him Billiam for kicks.

These cupcakes consist of a moist doctored up cake mix recipe with a little surprise in the center, topped with creamy caramel buttercream and a finished with a little sprinkling of chopped Snickers and a caramel drizzle. Are you drooling yet? This recipe is rich, sweet, decadent and every candy bar lover’s dream!

This is definitely a semi-homemade type of dessert; if you’re opposed to doctored up box mixes, no worries, just sub in your favorite chocolate cake recipe. Personally, I think the cake recipe below is pretty rocking and I use it when I am in a hurry or need an incredibly moist cake. I hope you give this recipe a try because it’s definitely a crowd pleaser! Brian used the word incredible to describe these cupcakes and that is not an adjective he tosses around very often.

In other news, you will find my first vlog posted below. Yep, I busted out the video camera, put on my best campy voice and recorded a video detailing my favorite piping tips, and the super technical {note sarcasm} techniques that I use to frost the cupcakes you see on MBA. I promise when I venture into vlog land again, I will lose a little of the cheesiness, but hey, I was nervous! Enjoy watching; I hope my newly acquired Muppet voice gives you a little chuckle! Does anyone like the sound of their voice…mine sure makes me cringe!

Cupcake Piping How-To from My Baking Addiction on Vimeo.

Although we will pretty much nosh on any cheesecake that we come upon, we are extremely partial to the creamy and fluffy variety. You know, the kind that just sort of melts in your mouth and brings a big smile to your face. If you’re a fan of cheesecake, definitely keep reading because this is hands down the best cheesecake I have ever made. Period.

My whole family loves cheesecake (except my dad), so when I decided to go home for a visit last Sunday, I decided to bring along a cheesecake. The question was, what kind of cheesecake? I pondered on this question for a couple of hours and finally decided to keep it simple. I had an ample supply of ripe, juicy blueberries and raspberries in the fridge, so I knew they would play a role, just not sure in what capacity. I ended up establishing my game plan at the last minute; lemon scented cheesecake with a glossy berry topping. Simple, delicious and perfect for summer.

This cheesecake was a big hit; it was extremely creamy with a fresh, crisp flavor from the lemon zest and fresh berries.  Brian ate himself sick after consuming two large pieces. My mom’s boyfriend, Johnny-O, loved this cake so much she caught him scarfing it from the storage container while standing over the kitchen sink and refused to give her a bite. Personally, I’m all for sharing and spreading the love EXCEPT when it comes to cheesecake, so I totally get the selfish mentality over this dessert!

If you have read any of my previous cheesecake posts, you may remember that I am pretty vocal about my disdain for cracks. Even though you can cover them up, they still irritate me beyond words. I will tell you this cheesecake recipe has never ever cracked using my extremely scientifically proven techniques. Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating about the scientific part, but here is what works for me:

1. Make sure you use a good quality springform pan.
2. Use a water bath!
3. Wrap the bottom half of the pan tightly in heavy duty foil before baking (this helps prevent the water from leaking into the pan).
4. If you are slightly OCD like me, place the foiled pan into an oven bag for extra security.
5. Allow the baked cheesecake to cool in the oven and then on the counter before placing in the refrigerator (directions will explain this).
6. Have a back-up plan if your cake cracks…fruit acts as an excellent crack concealor or you can just embrace the cracks!

His latest show, Kid in a Candy Store, debuted this past Monday and is centered around all things sweet {perfect for MBA}. Adam also has another gig called After Party on Food Network’s sister network, Cooking Channel. After Party will be hosted by Adam, Sunny Anderson and Kelsey Nixon and will feature interviews from the eliminated contestant and the show’s judges. After Party starts on July 18th at 11:00 pm on the Cooking Channel.

I had a great time on the conference call, Adam was super laid back and eager to answer all of our questions, plus he is pretty adorable! Here is my Q & A with Adam directly from the Food Network transcripts.

MBA: What’s the most unusual sweet you came across in your travels?

Adam: It’s kind of hard to top the vanilla wasabi milkshake at Big Top in Austin, Texas, that was pretty unusual. Big Top is like an old school candy shop and soda fountain, where they’ve got all different syrups and they make everything from scratch, old-fashioned sodas. One of the more modern twists was a wasabi milkshake, and that was just…confusing to me. It wasn’t terrible, but it was just the two flavors that I was like, ‘Am I eating sushi or am I having a milkshake?’ I couldn’t wrap my head around it. That was very unusual, I think.

MBA: What was your favorite childhood memory involving an indulgent sweet treat?

Adam: My mom is a great baker and she always baked, and still does bake. When we were at the Next Food Network Star finale, she brought brownies for the whole crew, which is pretty unusual. My favorite thing that she would make for me was a really classic chocolate pudding pie, with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream on top. That was probably my favorite thing, mixing whipped cream with chocolate pudding and crust – slightly salty, sweet graham cracker crust. Thinking about that now is awesome.

MBA: Do you think that you’ll stick with this kind of show? Or will you eventually transition into a cooking show?

Adam: I would never say no to something like that, to see if I could do it. I definitely feel more comfortable in this kind of show. I love talking to people and I’m kind of curious in general, I just always want to know why. As a child I was very annoying to my parents and brothers, it was always like, Why? Why? Why? I just wanted to know, and ‘Because’ was never a good enough answer. So that curiosity works in this kind of format. A cooking show would be a big challenge, but it would also be a lot fun to do. When I’m cooking, people are like, ‘You know there’s no camera here’. I’m always talking and explaining what I’m doing and I’m very into it. So I’d love to do something like that. I certainly wouldn’t say no to it, but it would be more challenging for me.

Adam’s favorite childhood treat is very similar to mine. It’s funny how sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones we remember most. When I was growing up, my mom was a great cook, but never baked much. However, if you were to ask my brother and I what are favorite dessert was as kids, we would both say my mom’s pistachio pudding pie.

Really, it couldn’t be easier with a store bought graham cracker crust, pistachio pudding and Cool Whip. Although this dessert would take minutes to whip up, it was our favorite and we would easily scarf down the entire pie in one day. I always keep pistachio pudding in my pantry because occasionally I will get a huge craving for this simple dessert.

In honor of Adam’s new show and both of our favorite childhood desserts I decided to replicate the pie Adam mentioned. I ended up making an easy and delicious Chocolate Pudding Pie. I added some Vanilla Fleur De Sel to the graham cracker crust which gave it the perfect sweet and salty balance that I am so fond of. Although I used boxed instant chocolate pudding, you can totally make homemade and use that instead. I then topped each piece with a huge dollop of freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings. This is truly an old school pie that may just bring back some amazing memories.

So, now I want to know, what’s your favorite childhood dessert?

Remember, you can catch Adam on Kid in a Candy Store which airs Mondays at 8pm/7c and on After Party which premieres July 18th at 11:00 pm on Cooking Channel.

Okay, back to the peaches, I bought a huge bag last week and after making this cobbler I still quite a few left. Since I am a popsicle making fool with my new Zoku Quick Pop Maker, I decided to whip up some Peaches and Cream Popsicles. How delish does this combo sound?

These are easy, delicious, super healthy and they only require 4 ingredients…which is always a plus in my book! The beauty of whipping together your own popsicles is that you have complete control over the ingredients. With the abundance of seasonal fruit available right now, I have a feeling I’ll be creating many more delectable flavor combinations in the coming months!

If you are looking for a way to beat the heat by making popsicles in 7-9 minutes, then definitely check out my giveaway for a Zoku Quick Pop Maker.

I am sure many of you have absolutely no desire to turn on your oven to prepare dinner, so I thought I would put up a post that utilizes the grill. Now you all you have to do is get everything prepped and push your significant other towards the grill while you stay inside cool as a cucumber.

I remember seeing the combination of fig preserves and balsamic vinegar somewhere and thought it sounded quite interesting. Of course I cannot remember where I originally spotted this marinade combo, but it’s summer and I tend to turn my brain off at this time of year.

You can totally take a short cut with this recipe and simply pick up the pre-skewered beef kabobs from your meat counter. I have done this on many occasions…it saves time and clean-up, plus you can snag these on sale quite often during the summer months. I served this up with roasted baby Yukon gold potatoes and brocollini for a fab summer dinner. I smeared a little goat cheese on my kabobs for a little extra kick! Thanks so much for stopping by MBA; stay cool!

Random Notes:
If you plan on making this recipe and need a gorgeous new knife to slice your beef and veggies, check out my giveaway for a New West KnifeWorks Santoku Knife.

Also, My Baking Addiction has been nominated for a BlogLuxe award in the area of “Best Eye Candy” blog. I would love if you took a minute to check it out and vote.

However, I have never tried a cobbler and this peach cobbler recipe has changed my mind and made me a true believer of all things warm, sweet and fruity. My local market had gorgeous peaches on sale last week, so of course I picked up a huge bag with no plan in mind. I’m a sucker for a sale on fresh fruit…it’s the using it before it goes bad that I struggle with!

After tossing around a couple of ideas, I decided to make a peach cobbler for my favorite neighbor, Rose. She lets our pups out during the school year and is all around a fabulous person with a love for fruit desserts. I took her over the cobbler with a pint of vanilla ice cream and received a phone call an hour with rave reviews!

After I made this recipe for Rose, Brian was a little jealous, so I ended up whipping together another one over the weekend. This recipe is so easy, you’ll want to make it all summer long.

Random Notes:
If you plan on making this recipe and need a gorgeous new knife to slice your peaches, check out my giveaway for a New West KnifeWorks Santoku Knife.

Also, My Baking Addiction has been nominated for a BlogLuxe award in the area of “Best Eye Candy” blog. I would love if you took a minute to check it out and vote.

The 4th of July weekend is upon us, so I thought I would post some of my favorite dessert recipes that have a red, white or blue component.  Since most of us from the U.S. have  a long weekend ahead of us, I am guessing the majority of you are either having a party or attending one to celebrate Independence Day. So, if you’re looking for something aside from the typical flag cake, I have just the perfect recipes for you.

At the last minute, I decided that  I would also throw some appetizer and pot-luck type dishes into the mix to help you with your last minute party planning. All of these recipes are easy to prepare and are sure to please a crowd.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of family, friends, fireworks and food. Be safe and be sure to check out MBA late in the weekend for a fantastically awesome giveaway. If I’ve piqued your interest, you can find a hint on my Facebook wall.

Desserts:
Stawberry Cream Cake
Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars (toss in some raspberries to make these super festive)
Mini Lemon Bundt Cakes with fresh summer berries
Fresh Strawberry Bread
Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes
Strawberry Lemon Granita

Drinks:
Raspberry Lemonade

Pot Luck Favorites:
Bite Size Tacos
Spicy Sausage Dip
Spicy Salsa
BBQ Beef Sliders
Greek Chicken Kabobs

When I came across this recipe on King Arthur Flour, I knew they would be a perfect grab and go breakfast for Brian to take to work. So, I whipped them together, but kicked them up a notch by drenching them in a sweet doughnut glaze. How can it get any better than that?

This recipe was super easy and yielded one of the best muffin tops I have ever baked. The texture is cakey with a slightly dense crumb and the sugary vanilla infused glaze makes this one pretty amazing muffin. I double dipped my muffins, because I am a sucker for that glazey goodness. I don’t mind the rustic drippiness of glaze, but you could always remove the muffins for the liners if it bothers you. If you give these a try, definitely stop back to MBA and let me know how you liked them!

Random Note 1: My Baking Addiction is nominated for a BlogLuxe award in the area of Eye Candy…you can check it out by clicking the link. It would be pretty rad if you voted for me too!
Random Note 2: If you are in need of a new kitchen knife, definitely check MBA late this weekend for a pretty awesome giveaway.

I find the berries from local farms to so much more juicy, fragrant and sweet compared to the shipped in variety.

Due to this strawberry buying obsession, I am constantly testing out recipes that will utilize my ample supply of berries. This recipe is not only a perfect way to make the most of seasonal berries, but it also a great way to beat the summer heat.

If you have never heard of granita before, it is a semi frozen dessert that originated in Sicily. It’s a simple combination of water, sugar and various flavorings and is somewhat similar to Italian Ice. The beauty of making granita is that you do not need an ice cream maker to enjoy this frozen treat. Essentially you make the base and toss it into the freezer, pulling it out to agitate every once in a while. Once it’s pretty frozen, scrape it with a fork to separate the ice crystals and as easy as that, you have yourself an amazing summer dessert.

The lemon juice in this granita recipe adds just a little punch of brightness and acidity while still maintaining the sweet essence of the fresh strawberries. In my opinion, this strawberry and lemon combination is a match made in granita heaven! Have you ever made granita before? If so, leave a comment letting me know your favorite flavors, I can’t wait to make more of this icy dessert in the coming summer months. Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by MBA.

Looking for more strawberry recipes?
Fresh Strawberry Bread from My Baking Addiction
Strawberry Cream Cake from My Baking Addicion
Creme Filled Strawberries from Bakers Royale
Strawberry Crumble Bars from Technicolor Kitchen

I tasted Nutella for the first time last year and I have not been without a jar since. This chocolate hazelnut spread is loved by many bakers and adds a delicious complexity to baked goods that chocolate alone cannot accomplish. Whether you smear it on toast, dip fresh fruit it, or drizzle it on ice cream…Nutella is a pretty fabulous accompaniment to many different foods.

I got inspiration for Mocha Shortbread while sipping a Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks. Although I am not a huge chocolate lover or a regular coffee drinker, there is something about this pairing that makes me a very happy girl. The combination of chocolate and coffee combined very well in these shortbread cookies. The coffee flavor was quite subtle, so feel free to amp up the amount of espresso powder to kick up the flavor a notch. These cookies are buttery and crumbly just how how I like my shortbread. If you are not a Nutella fan (are there any out there) the cookies are simply delish on their own. If you are a Nutella fan, I highly suggest you spread this chocolatey goodness on these cookies, I promise you won’t be sorry. I hope you have a fantastic weekend and thanks so much for stopping by MBA.

This recipe came about last week when I had a container of raspberries starting to get a little on the mushy side. I also had a huge bag of lemons, so it seemed natural to combine them to create a sweet, tart, ice cold drink. The results were delish!

I make fresh lemonade a lot during the summer months; it’s so easy and in my opinion tastes much better than the powdered variety. When I was a kid, there was a family owned lemonade stand that would make appearances at the local festivals. Their lemonade was amazing because it had that perfect balance of sweet and tart. I tried to replicate that balance in this recipe and hope you get that smooth sweet flavor with a little pucker.

Variations:
-Having a get together at your house? You can most definitely throw in a little tequila or vodka to make one heck of a summery adult beverage.
-Have a plethora of strawberries or blueberries right now? Perfect, use the same method, just sub in different fruit for the raspberries.
-Is your mint plant growing like crazy? Infuse your simple syrup with some mint leaves (strain out when infused) and garnish your glasses with it as well. Gorgeous and tasty.

Notes: I am betting you are as smitten with the pink and white striped straws as I am. If so, you can pick yourself up a box from Bake It Pretty. Seriously how adorable are they?

I’m going to warn you, these Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars are heavy on the butter…you may feel your thighs expanding as you read the ingredient list. On the plus side, a little square is plenty to get your sweet fix!

Have you heard of Millionaire’s Shortbread? Well apparently it is another name for this type of recipe which consists of a shortbread crust, a caramel center and a top layer of chocolate. After doing a little research, I discovered you can take a little help from your grocery store and use premade Dulce de Leche. If you plan on checking your local market for the premade stuff, here is a little tip…I know Nestle makes it and I have found it in the ethnic food aisle, so start there first. Truly making my own was no big deal either, just be warned…this is not the time to multi-task; focus all your attention on the microwave or very bad things could happen. I may or may not have tried sending out tweets while mine was bubbling away and it may have left a huge puddle of oozing caramel lava all over my microwave. Just. Be. Careful.

These bars were a huge hit; I adore a salty/sweet combo, so the sprinkling of vanilla fluer de sel that was recommended by a Facebook fan really made the flavors stand out. Thanks for the idea, Jessie! I purchased my Vanilla Fleur De Sel from Beanilla, but I am sure plain fine sea salt would work just as well. These Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars reminded Brian and I of Twix Bars. In my family, the only way to eat any type of candy bar is to eat it cold. So, we stored the cut bars in the fridge and were in cold candy bar bliss! If you make these bars, definitely come back and let us know how you liked them! Have a fantastic and delicious week!

I was actually pleasantly surprised to see blueberries on sale today at Whole Foods and picked up two pints. I have no idea what I am going to do with them yet, but I am thinking scones because scones equal bliss in my book or maybe blueberry ice cream, such a tough decision. Whatever I choose to make, I will definitely post here on MBA.

I came across these Blueberry Crumble Bars on allrecipes and knew they would be amazing. I kicked the flavor up a bit by using butter instead of shortening, adding in a bunch of lemon zest and a splash my homemade vanilla extract. The lemon-blueberry flavor is great for summer and the texture of the topping is absolute perfection. Honestly they are delish for breakfast with a cup of coffee, as dessert witha nice scoop of vanilla ice cream or as a snack…it’s truly an anytime of the day baked good. These also travel pretty well, so if they strike your fancy, be sure to bookmark them for a future summer barbeque.  If you decide to make these, definitely come back and leave a comment letting us know you liked them. Have a fantastic and delicious weekend!
Looking for more blueberry deliciousness? Check out these posts:
Blueberry-Lemon Bundt Cake from My Baking Addiction
Blueberry Zucchini Bread from My Baking Addiction
Blueberry Cornmeal Cake from Vino Luci Style
Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins from Two Peas and Their Pod
Low Sugar Double Blueberry Parfaits from Kalyn’s Kitchen