thin mint cupcakes.

It's been quite awhile since I've done a recipe or DIY post so I figured it was long overdue. So, I may have ordered an entire case of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies earlier this spring...and every time I open the pantry there they are. Staring at me. I figured I should try and use them and get them out of the house...so here you go, Thin Mint Cupcakes! I found tons of recipes on Pinterest, but this one from Your Cup of Cake is my favorite...I made just a few slight modifications...

Thin Mint Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Thin Mint Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature (NOT melted)
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 10 Thin Mint cookies, crushed
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Extra Thin Mints for decoration (cut in half)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners (I used green to scream 'MINT!')
2. Pour cake mix into a small bowl and set aside
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth
4. Stir in cake mix
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for approximately 18 minutes, or until an toothpick or knife comes out clean
6. Let cool completely 
7. On to the frosting! 
8. Using an electric mixer, beat butter for 2 minutes
9. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and sour cream and beat again
10. Add crushed cookies, and add in powdered sugar (one cup at a time) until frosting is stiff enough to make peaks
11. Using a frosting bag or gun, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes 
12. Top with sprinkles and extra cookies!

And voila, my favorite cookies are now my new favorite cupcakes! Enjoy!

xoxo,

healthy banana oat peanut butter cookies.

Don't worry...long name, short recipe :)

Despite the recipes I've featured (to date) on Andrea Everyday, I normally eat a fairly clean, healthy diet. I try to stick with fresh, unprocessed foods when I can, and I wanted to feature a recipe of the same sort. So now I bring you my recipe for "Healthy Cookies." These are really simple to make, and only contain five ingredients!

Healthy Banana Oat Peanut Butter Cookies

• 3-4 very ripe bananas
• 1 3/4 cups dry oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl...make sure you mash the bananas very well!

Next, spoon onto a baking sheet about three inches apart and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Using a spatula, carefully remove each cookie from the baking sheet immediately after removing from the oven, and place onto cooling racks or a large plate. Don't wait until the cookies have cooled, or they'll be stuck!

That's it..short and sweet! Just about the easiest recipe there is! Enjoy!

xoxo,

chocolate raspberry cupcakes.

For years, cupcakes have been my dessert of choice...not only to eat but also to bake! I know that in today's world of Pinterest and DIYing I really should be making these entirely from scratch, but I have to admit that while I make the frosting from scratch, I always make cupcakes from a box. Yes, I know Martha would be disappointed. However, I've yet to receive a complaint, so if you're looking for an easy, yet amazingly delicious dessert...here it is!

First of all, select your favorite brand of boxed chocolate cake mix, along with the additional required ingredients the box calls for (eggs, water, and vegetable oil in this case). Go ahead and bake in your cupcake pans according the box instructions. Once you remove them from the oven, let them cool completely.

Hint: I usually place my fresh-out-of-the-oven cupcakes on a serving tray and stick in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to speed the cooling process!

While the cupcakes are cooling, you can prepare the frosting...

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese (half a package), room temperature
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries (plus additional for decoration) 

Using either a hand or a stand mixer, cream together the room temperature (must be soft or you're going to have a really difficult time mixing!) butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add the fresh raspberries to the mixture...the mixing blades will chop the raspberries for you, creating a beautiful pink color! Slowly add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on low with a hand mixer. Continue adding 1/2 a cup of powdered sugar at a time, until the frosting is stiff enough to form 'peaks.' If it's too soft, the frosting will not stay put on the cupcakes.

Next, frost each cupcake generously, either using a knife the old fashioned way, or using an icing bag/frosting gun like I did. Each tip will create a different "look," but I didn't use a tip for this batch and simply used the frosting gun without one for a smooth look.

Once each cupcake is frosted, add a fresh raspberry to the top of each one, and voila, you're done!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

s'mores brownies.

I first discovered the "s'mores brownies" on Pinterest, "liked" the pin, then by the time I got around to making them, I couldn't find the recipe! As a result, I improvised and put together my own recipe. However, I'll admit I'm sort of cheating here...the brownies are from a box. But hey, when crunched for time these are the perfect dessert to whip up in less than 45 minutes!

First off, you'll need a box of your favorite brownie mix, along with the required additional items the recipe calls for (vegetable oil, water, and two eggs in this case). For the "s'mores" portion you'll need about half a bag of mini marshmallows, one packet of graham crackers, and a large milk chocolate bar.

Go ahead and prepare the brownie batter according to the back of the box and pour into a 9x13" baking dish. Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the box...but reduce the baking time by about 3-5 minutes.

Once you pull the brownies out of the oven, generously cover the entire surface with your mini marshmallows, milk chocolate pieces, and crumbled graham crackers.

Place the dish back into the oven, and set the broiler for about 3-5 minutes. Each oven is different, so pay careful attention that your brownies aren't getting burnt to a crisp...you just want the chocolate slightly melted and marshmallows lightly browned!

Once complete, remove the dish from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes...careful, the marshmallows will be HOT! Once cooled, cut into squares and enjoy!

xoxo,

red chili + chicken enchiladas.

Growing up in New Mexico, practically every meal was accompanied by either red or green chili. It's something that every New Mexican is accustomed to, yet isn't readily available in other parts of the country. After moving to Northern California I found it was nearly impossible to find traditional New Mexican chili. Chili from Anaheim yes (not the same!), but nothing labeled, "New Mexican." After a bit of research, I found I was able to order chili by the jar from one of my favorite hometown restaurants, El Pinto. Naturally, I ordered an entire case...no big deal.

This is a really simple recipe that I slightly modified to make a little healthier (traditional recipes usually call for ground beef and frying the tortillas before baking). This can be prepared with any red or green chili you find at the grocery store, but New Mexican red chili is my favorite. 

red chili + chicken enchiladas

• 16 oz. jar of red chili
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1  diced tomato
• finely chopped onion (optional)
• 1 cup shredded spinach

First, start by cooking the chicken breasts using your favorite method (I boiled mine), and dicing them up into small pieces. Next, layer four corn tortillas into a 9x9 glass baking dish. Spread on a generous layer of the red chili, topped with about half the diced chicken, followed by a couple of handfuls of the shredded cheese.

Continue with another layer of four corn tortillas, topped with red chili, the remaining chicken, and more shredded cheese. For the top layer, finish off with the last four tortillas, a generous layer of red chili (it should  be smothered), and the rest of the shredded cheese. You should see three layers in your baking dish by this point.

Place the baking dish into your oven, pre-heated to 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are beginning to brown.

Allow the enchiladas to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into four servings. Top with diced tomatoes, onions, and shredded spinach. Enjoy!

xoxo,

sugar cookie bars.

I hope everyone had a great long weekend...for those that had Monday off...otherwise, Happy Tuesday! 

The weather was mostly cold and cloudy so I spent most of my weekend at home catching up with my DVR, laundry, errands, and all that fun stuff. Sunday I felt like baking and decided to make sugar cookies...though I made them as bars so I wouldn't have to frost dozens of cookies. What can I say, I'm all about shortcuts!

Sugar Cookie Bars

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 3/4 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the softened butter with the vanilla extract and egg. Next add the salt and baking soda. Using a hand mixer (or stir by hand if you like), add the powdered sugar and flour...about 1/2 a cup at a time.

Once all the powdered sugar and flour have been added, keep mixing until you have a thick batter/ball of dough. Next, lightly spray a 9x13" glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

Transfer the dough into your dish and spread out with a rubber spatula.

Once your dough is smooth, bake at 375 for about 16 minutes (don't forget to pre-heat your oven), or until the edges are just slightly turning brown. Be careful not to over-bake or your cookies will be dryyy.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 stick of butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Cream together your softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on low with a hand mixer. Continue adding 1/2 a cup of powdered sugar at a time, until the frosting is the consistency you like. I used about 2 cups for this recipe, but I wanted a "softer" frosting than I'd make for cupcakes.

Once your frosting is mixed, spread over the cooled dish of cookies. They really do have to be nearly room temperature or your frosting will melt!

Using a rubber spatula, smooth your frosting over the entire dish.

To make things more fun, select a color from the 20+ you have in your sprinkles cabinets (what, you don't have a cabinet dedicated to sprinkles? Weird.) and add generously over the frosting.

At this point I like to let the frosting sit awhile to "set" and slightly harden...but I can understand if you're in a hurry and can't wait. Using a pizza cutter, carefully slice your creation into "cookies" and enjoy!

Thank you for reading!!!

xoxo,