Camp Susu Snacks—Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcakes

All this week I’ve been sharing my niece’s visit to my house (Camp Susu :) with you. You can read about it here and here. I promised to post the recipe for the cupcakes pictured in Monday’s post. And I’ve got a little tip to share with you too!

These are filled cupcakes, but they start out like any other cupcake.

Most recipes for filled cupcakes instruct you to squeeze the filling in with the tip on a pastry bag. I have had limited success with this method. It works; it just doesn’t provide room for that full gooey filling I’m looking for. I tried my apple corer and IT WORKS great! Just core the cool cupcake gently. Save the removed cake portion and proceed with the filling. Replace the removed portion when you are ready to frost the cupcake. You may need to cut a little off the edge to make it fit after adding the filling. I got lots more filling into the cupcake using this method.

See? Lots of gooey goodness inside. This is the perfect cupcake for those of us who like chocolate paired with peanut butter!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk first four ingredients in a medium bowl until well mixed. In another bowl, whisk milk and sour cream until blended. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in peanut butter until blended. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add alternately add flour and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, until just blended. Spoon 1/4 cup batter in liners. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3-4 tablespoons of milk

Beat peanut butter and butter with electric mixer until smooth. On low speed, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar and milk until blended and smooth. Beat on high one minute until fluffy.

Chocolate Frosting

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup sour cream

Melt chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave as the package directs. You can also do this in a double boiler. Add sour cream and beat with electric mixer until fluffy.

*Adapted from Woman’s Day Magazine

Now get a glass of milk and a good book :) I am joining my favorite foodie Michael Lee West at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. Click on her button on the sidebar to go straight to the party!

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to say hello! :)

Camp Susu Outdoors—Part II

If you read my previous post, you know that I recently hosted our four year old niece for a five day visit---a visit I planned to keep us both busy and entertained. I am blessed to live in a city with wonderful amenities and venues for both leisure and cultural entertainment. This year we have enjoyed the Botanic Gardens several times.

In April we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise Easter service in the garden. Of course, it is filled with beautiful flora of every description. These hydrangeas photos were taken on a visit in late May. Recently a new addition has opened especially for children. So when my niece came, we headed over to check out My Big Back Yard.

It’s a totally kid-friendly hands on experience with lots of opportunities for fun and learning.

She was pretty impressed with the “giant” ten foot sunflowers! So was I!

We made sure we sure we interspersed the learning with a little down and dirty fun!

Lots of beautiful statuary in the gardens. Some is for playing.

And some is just for looking.

There several kid-size houses with nooks, crannies, and holes to poke heads, elbows, and legs into…easy to get into; not so easy to get out of :)

I hear that it has become the hot new birthday party destination!

It is obvious that lots of planning and care went into this new project.

There are several water features. The best is a “storm” complete with thunder, lightening, and, of course, rain! It was a welcome relief on one of our hot days!

This is part of the “house” section of the garden tour. A place to rest….

And kick off your shoes….

or call it a day and head to the “flower bed” :) . And just in case, you think the Botanic Garden is just for kids….

On Friday night we attended the “Live at the Garden” series.

and saw Al Green…He’s still got it! And I’m glad we’ve got the garden. I think next year I’ll buy a family pass! :) So what’s in your hometown? A place to “staycation”?

I am joining our gracious hostess Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer for Outdoor Wednesday. Click here to join Susan and lots of other outdoor enthusiasts. You won’t be sorry!

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to say hello!

Camp Susu-part 1

I think I may have told you. I am once again at that awkward age. I don’t fit in with most of my friends….I’m in between. My children are grown and I have no grandchildren…yet. So every chance I get, I “borrow” children. Last month my four year old niece came for five days for what her mother lovingly calls Camp Susu.

We had outings planned and a full schedule for every day. We went to the spray park (is that a rainbow for me? :) and afterwards for cotton candy flavored ice cream (don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it :). We went to see Toy Story and we both loved it. We went to the Botanic Gardens.

We swam every day—such a good way to use up energy exercise :)! And to make sure that we would enjoy my favorite part of the day we made a trip to the library to stock up on books.

Robert Fulghum said “Think what a better world it would be if we all-the whole world-had cookies and milk every afternoon about three o’ clock and then lay down with our blankies for a nap”. His book Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten has sage advice for all of us.

Almost every afternoon we shared a snack, a book, and a special quiet time together. CJ, the Build a Bear, likes to snuggle too, so we invited her. We read classics that I love like The Giving Tree and books that are new to me like the adorable Fancy Nancy series. Amid whispers, giggles, tickles and secrets, slowly…..ever.. so.. s l o w l y….. exhaustion took over and white blonde curls that smelled of Johnson and Johnson spilled across the pillow. We both drifted off to dream of another day……..Her mother has already applied for the Christmas vacation session of Camp Susu :)

I am joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday. Marty is constantly rearranging and adding to her tabletop decor in such lovely and creative ways. You can join her here. Thanks for hosting, Marty! Come back on Wednesday for more of our excursions at Camp Susu. On Thursday for Foodie Friday I’ll have the recipe for these delicious peanut butter filled cupcakes!!

Thanks for stopping by—don’t forget to say hello!