I must admit I'm a minor snob when it comes to baking, because I almost always pass on any recipe that calls for a mix, let alone make something that is straight from a box. The most I've used cake or brownie mixes has been in an Easy Bake Oven. Don't get me wrong, if somebody else makes something from a mix, that's fine and I'll gladly partake. I guess I just like the baking process and have an appreciation for home-baked goodness. However, a little while back I came across this recipe that I thought sounded interesting so I finally gave it a try yesterday.
These are Cookie Dough Cupcakes and amongst the ingredients are cake mix, pudding mix, and prepared cookie dough. That's a whole bunch of pre-prep. Surprisingly, it did not call for ready made icing. I will admit, that it was an easy bake and considering I got them made while crankypants (the baby who decided that a day of half-hour naps was a good idea) sat in his highchair, I appreciated the simplicity. The result is pretty typical yellow cake mix cupcakes, with cookie in the center. Yummy, but not earth shattering. More exciting is the fact that, despite eating three cupcakes in the last...12 hours..., this morning my scale finally registered my pre-pregnancy weight. Just shy of the six month mark. At long last.
For the non-snobby, here's the recipe which was a blog find but comes from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.
Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
makes 24 cupcakes
1 package plain yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package frozen cookie dough ( I used dough from the dairy section then threw them in the freezer)
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the cupcake tins with paper liners. Dump the cake mix, pudding mix, whole milk, veggie oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat a few minutes until well blended. Scoop batter into cupcake tins ( I used an ice cream scoop) to about 2/3 full. Cut the frozen cookie dough to make 24 pieces. Place a piece on top of each cupcake. Place pans in oven.
Bake 23-27 minutes, or unti lthe cupcakes spring back when lightly prodded. Cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes then remove from the pans and continue to cool for about 15 minutes before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 stick butter, room temp
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (or not)
3-5 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low. When the mixture is combined, add the powdered sugar, about 3 tablespooons milk, and the vanilla. Blend on low for about a minute then increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy.
It's not that he is a terrible sleeper, but he was continuing to wake up multiple times a night to eat and he just doesn't need that any longer. I realize this is as much my fault as it is his 'cause, let's be honest here...if he woke up and my choices were to be up with a crying baby or feed him and go back to sleep, I was going with the latter option. Hopefully this training will also help him stick to more of a schedule, at least for night time. Sooooo last night... to bed at 7:30, 11:00 dream feeding, woke at 2:00am to eat. I didn't feed him and instead just comforted him... for an hour and 45 minutes until he went back to sleep. Then he woke at 6:45, nursed, back to sleep without much fuss and woke at 8. Despite the nearly two hour awake time in there, I think it went really well. He wasn't crying that whole time, and I wasn't holding him, so I wouldn't call it difficult. We're following the Sleep Lady's methods which require that I stay in the same position (in a chair by his crib for the first three nights) until he is asleep. What I learned that wasn't in her book is that I need to have a glass of water and some tissues nearby. I was looking for something to throw at R, asleep in the next room, so that he could get me what I needed. The reward came in the morning when I fed Finn and he looked up at me with the most wonderful look on his face...like I am the absolute love of his life, which I guess I pretty much am at this point. He wasn't even all that interested in eating, but was just completely obsessed with me. I guess that shows that he didn't really need to eat at night but just liked to use me as his security blanket. His new security item is that little stuffed elephant from his cousin, Laura (one of many elephant lovers I know). Yes, I am a jerk who busted in on his nap today to take that photo and, No, I did not pose the elephant - either he got up on his own, or Finn stood him up like that. Seriously. He was lying down when I put him in there.
In the kitchen this week, I baked up some delicious Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake. It had been on my to bake list for a while, just a simple recipe from the back of the Domino sugar bag. I made two large loaves instead of using a single tube pan, used dark rather than semi-sweet chocolate, and omitted the nuts. It reminds me a bit of Funny Cake (I'd be surprised if any of my readers knows what that is). 
Again, we were lucky to find it early and it has already been sprayed and will likely be removed tonight.
