Quarantine Desserts for Your Sweet Tooth

Whether you pride yourself in your baking skills, or you’d like to try a new hobby, dessert is a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth! These recipes will be a great end to the day and give you something to look forward to. These ingredients are very common in households, and would even be a sweet gesture to drop some off for your neighbors (keeping social distance via contactless delivery, of course!). All you need to do to brighten up your families’ day is look below and get to baking!

Sugar Cookie Bars  

Ingredients:

1 stick (½ cup) salted butter softened 

1 cup sugar 

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

Food coloring*

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2 cups powdered sugar

1 stick (½ cup) salted butter 

3 tbsp cream cheese 

1 tsp vanilla 

2 tbsp milk

sprinkles*

Supplies: 

9×9 inch baking pan * 

2 medium bowls 

mixer*

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl beat together butter and sugar until it is fluffy and creamed, then beat in the eggs and vanilla, finally mix in the flour and baking powder. Batter should be thick ( if crumbly add in a little bit of milk)
2. If desired, split up the sugar cookie dough and dye. Then spread the batter into a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown ( if the sides are cooking but not the middle cover with tinfoil) 
3. Once cooled lift the sides of the parchment and place onto a plate. Blend together the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and milk. Spread the frosting onto the cookie bar, there should be enough for a generous amount. Top with sprinkles and serve in cubes. If you want to store then cover with tinfoil and keep it in the fridge then when ready to eat let sit out of the fridge for around 15 minutes. 

Tips/Suggestions: 

• Food coloring will make it fun and bright, but is definitely not required, when I made this I made three different colors and then marbled them. 
• Sprinkles are also not needed, other toppings could be used such as chocolate chips or marshmallows
• Different sizes of baking pans could also work as long as it equals up to around the same area total 
• If you don’t have a blender vigorous whisking or even stirring with a fork or spoon will work 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

¾ cup all purpose flour 

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder*

¾ teaspoon baking powder 

½ teaspoon baking soda 

¼ teaspoon salt 

2 large eggs at room temperature 

½ cup sugar 

½ cup light brown sugar, packed* 

⅓ cup vegetable, canola or melted coconut oil 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature* 

18-20 reese’s peanut butter cups 

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1 cup unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup creamy peanut butter 

3 cups powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

½ teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons milk

Supplies:

Large bowl 

2 Medium bowls

Mixer 

1-2 cupcake pans 

12 cupcake liners 

Whisk 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and line two tins with cupcake cups, should make about 14 cupcakes. In a large bowl whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until thoroughly combined. 
2. In a medium bowl whisk eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry in two portions, then the buttermilk in two portions, whisk until just combined (do not overmix). { don’t be worried the batter will be thin}
3. Pour the liners with a tiny bit of batter and then stick in your reese’s cup and pour more batter on top until the wrapper is filled halfway ( the cupcakes will rise a lot). Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. 
4. Allow to cool and meanwhile mix the peanut butter and butter in a medium bowl using the electric mixer until it turns creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, scrape the side of the bowl and blend. Add vanilla extract, and salt and with a mixer on low speed add the milk, and beat until it is all smooth. 
5. Generously frost the cupcakes, and cut the reeses peanut butter cups in half and place in the frosting. 

Tips/suggestions: 

• Any kind of cocoa powder, sweetened or dark chocolate will work instead 
• Instead of light brown sugar medium or dark sugar could be used 
• A substitute for buttermilk is ½ tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ cup of milk and to stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes 
• If you want to be sure your cupcakes don’t stick to the wrappers spray the wrappers with butter or gently cover in coconut oil