(Half) Year in Food

Happy New Years everyone! It's hard to believe that we've come to the end of a decade, its the first full one I've been through considering I'm 16 haha.  So much has happened in these past 10 years.  Just think about blogging, I mean who blogged in the 90s?  Food blogging really took off and it was something that helped me this past summer.  Click here to check out what happened in the news during the first decade of the new millennium: http://bit.ly/4ihykG My favorite is "Apple introduces the I Pod, white ear buds become the accessory of the 21st century"

It is also hard to believe that I have had a blog for almost 6 months now.  So much has changed, from photography to even the layout.  Oh yeah, I also added a recipe index link under my archives!  I have had some ups and downs in the kitchen, and its been a blast.  Here's some of my fav's so far:

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, my first post!

Peanut Butter Cake with Fudge Frosting

Tye-Dye Cupcakes

Hostess Cupcakes (They're creme filled!)

Oreo Pound Cake (makes great cake balls!)

Moon Pies

Red Velvet Cake Bytes

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Pumpkin Cupcakes

White Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Peanut Butter Buckeye Bars (new recipe! --see below)

Since I am only 16, obviously there were disasters:

Dorie Greenspan's Sweet Potato Biscuits --they never rose :( I think the baking powder went bad

Banana Cake --no one liked it, it was too dry but the cinnamon sugar crunch top was outrageous!

Muddy Buddy Cookie Mush --don't get me wrong, they  tasted amazing! They just happen to break into lots of pieces.

Rock Hard Brownies, delish ;)

The disaster Bulgar Wheat Pancakes --it took me a while to learn how to flip them

A special thanks to my mom for letting me use her very expensive camera, driving me to the supermarket countless times and for helping me do all the dishes.  To my dad for eating and trying everything I make. And to all of you, who have shown me such great support throughout the year. Keep the comments coming, I really look forward to them.  Wishing you all a happy, healthy and most of all sweet New Year.

With love and cupcakes,
CookTeen

Buckeye Bar Recipe: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

• 1  19.5-ounce package brownie mix
• 2  eggs
• 1/3  cup cooking oil
• 1  cup chopped peanuts
• 1  14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2  cup peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Stir in peanuts. Remove half of the brownie mixture and set aside. Spread the remaining brownie mixture evenly into prepared pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter until smooth. Spread evenly over brownie mixture in pan. Separate the remaining brownie mixture into pieces, flatten them with your fingers, and place them on top of the brownie mixture in pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 32 bars.
4. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes: If baking in a 13 x 9 pan double the recipe for both the filling and crust and increase baking time by 10 minutes; you will have extra brownie mixture so bake up a few cookies :)

If baking in a 9 x 9 pan, follow recipe directions