I’m celebrating BUTTER this summer season with a pinterest party with delicious Challenge Butter, Good Cook™ and a few of my favorite blogger friends Cookies & Cups, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.
We’d love for you to join us on Pinterest at 6 p.m. PT on this Wednesday, August 7th to discover and be inspired by new recipes AND to win prizes!
Challenge Butter is giving away two $250 Visa gift cards, three $100 Visa gift cards and two $50 Visa gift cards as well as 30 BBQ prize packs from Good Cook that include all the tools you’ll need for your next BBQ.
Challenge Butter has partnered up with Good Cook™, Langers® Juice, and Mrs. Cubbison’s® to create a “Real Summer. Real Flavor” Pinterest Board that evokes all the flavors that summer has to offer for any occasion from brunches and BBQs to the dinner table. You’ll be sure to find lots of delicious ideas!
Of course if you’ve spent much time around here at all, you know I go through lots of butter! I appreciate Challenge’s pure butter, made from 100% real cream from California cows. Challenge has been making butter for over 100 years – is the largest butter brand in the West – and is now sharing its yuminess with the rest of the country. Keep an eye out for it in your local grocery (it’s the package with the elk on it) and give it a try!
One of my favorite ways to use quality butter is in delicious frosting recipes, such as this American Buttercream Frosting (pictured below), where butter is really the star.
Now be sure to join me on Pinterest on Wednesday at 6pm PT where you’ll find all the details on how to win the gift cards and prizes listed above. Be sure you are following all of my Pinterest boards, so you’ll see all my fun pins when I add new boards.
Fans of Challenge and these other brands can also enter to win cash and prizes including $100,000 cash, summer themed cookware from Good Cook™, free juice coupons from Langers® Juice and free salad topping coupons from Mrs. Cubbison’s® in their “Real Summer. Real Flavor.” online instant win game.
Bananas Foster Frosting… aren’t those beautiful words together? =) Add those beautiful words with the gorgeous image above and you have one of my favorites from Courtney Whitmore’s new book, Frostings.
Yes, that’s right, a whole book dedicated to frosting! It really is the “icing on the cake”!
Certainly it’s no secret I love homemade frosting, and my friend Courtney, from the beautiful entertaining blog Pizzazzerie does too! She’s just released a gorgeous new book full of delicious and creative frosting recipes.
I recently got my hands on this beautiful book, and Courtney is allowing me to share one of her delicious recipes!
Bananas Foster Frosting
Bananas blend with cinnamon and brown sugar in this rich and delicious frosting.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup banana, mashed (about 1 large banana)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup Challenge unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons dark rum (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Mash banana in a small bowl with the lemon juice.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth (1-2 minutes).
Add mashed banana and beat until well incorporated and smooth.
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time (while slowly mixing).
Add brown sugar, cinnamon, rum and vanilla.
Beat until all ingredients are well incorporated, and frosting is light and fluffy.
This frosting pairs well with all kinds of cake, whoopee pies, or even cookies.
Now, this Bananas Foster Frosting is just the beginning…
Frostings is full of recipes for frostings, fillings and glazes from simple Lemon Glaze (pictured below) to Toffee Sundae Frosting (also pictured below).
I bet you’d like to try some more of these yummy recipes! Well, you’re in luck!
Courtney has a copy of her Frostings book just waiting for one lucky Glorious Treats reader!
To win…
Simply leave a comment below (must be on this blog post) with your favorite frosting flavor.
Details- Once entry per person. Giveaway ends Wednesday, August 7th, 9pm Pacific. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Book provided by Courtney Whitmore/Pizzazzerie.
All images courtesy of Courtney Whitmore of Pizzazzerie.
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Winner #63 Cookie D-oh
Delicious and refreshing, this Sparkling Party Punch made with lemonade, pomegranate juice and sparkling water is perfect for most any occasion.
I created this pretty cocktail (or mocktail) for the Linens and Lingerie wedding shower I helped host two years ago, and I’ve made it for several parties since.
This refreshing drink can be made with or without rum, depending on your preference. Add a garnish of fresh raspberries and lemon, along with a pretty straw, and you have a drink perfect for a party, or just to enjoy at home.
Sparkling Party Punch
This pretty punch is festive and delicious (with or without alcohol)
Ingredients:
Lemonade (or raspberry lemonade)
Pomegranate juice (100% juice)
sparkling water
(and/or) light rum
ice
fresh raspberries (for garnish)
lemon slices (for garnish)
Directions:
Use the proportions below to make a large pitcher, or just a glass of this refreshing drink.
3 parts lemonade (or raspberry lemonade)
1 part pure pomegranate juice
3 parts sparkling water (or 2 parts sparkling water PLUS one part light rum)
add a few cubes of ice and garnish with a couple fresh raspberries and a slice of lemon
Recipe source - Glorious Treats
Feel free to adjust the proportions to your preferences.
Cheers!
If I were to make a list of some of my favorite things about summer… ice cream would be close to the top! Certainly, ice cream is delicious all year round, but there is something extra special about enjoying ice cream in the summer. And of course when you add lots of yummy toppings to this summer treat, it’s almost an instant party!
As a blogger, I get e-mails from time to time from companies offering to send me samples of this or that. Today one such e-mail was for cat food. Yep, cat food.
I say “no thanks” to many more offers than I accept because I only want to highlight products on my site that I can really get excited about, and that I believe you will too.
Needless to say, when Breyers wanted me to try their new line of ice cream toppings it was a pretty easy ”yes”! I have been a fan of Breyers Ice Cream for quite a while, and when I learned that their new line of toppings were made with quality ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup, I was all in!
Sometimes, when your job requires you to eat ice cream, hot fudge and sprinkles… you just have to bite the bullet! =)
I’m happy to report that my family and I found each of Breyers new Ice Cream Toppings completely delicious!
Of course I’m not going to keep all this goodness to myself!
Breyers has a box of deliciousness ready to send to one lucky Glorious Treats reader!
The prize includes…
Strawberry Topping
Mixed Berry Topping
Cherry Topping
Chocolate Sauce
Hot Fudge Sauce
Caramel Sauce
Chocolate Sprinkles
Rainbow Sprinkles
and a coupon for a carton of Breyers Ice Cream!
Needless to say, this delivery makes for a GREAT mail day!
To enter to win…
Simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite flavor of ice cream.
For an additional entry, “Like” Glorious Treats on Facebook and/or follow Glorious Treats on Twitter
Two total entries per person. Leave a separate comment for each entry.
*If you are viewing this post as an e-mail, you need to click HERE to view this post on-line and comment using the form below.
Details- Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 10pm Pacific. Winner will be chosen using random.org. Giveaway open to U.S. residents. This giveaway is in no way affiliated or endorsed by Facebook or Twitter.
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Winning comment #412 Mike
What could be better on a warm summer day than a cold glass of lemonade? Well, maybe glass of lemonade and a Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake!
These delicious Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes in a jar are a perfect sweet, tart treat! This recipe could certainly be made as traditional cupcakes, but layering the cake and frosting in a jar makes it extra easy to bring along for a picnic or BBQ. And of course, I have a special love for desserts in jars =)
Certainly, feel free to adjust the flavor combo to your desires… I’m sure these would be equally delicious as Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes (by simply replacing the strawberries listed with raspberries), or you could keep them just lemon, by omitting the strawberries and adding a bit of lemon juice to the frosting (as detailed in the recipe below).
Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Sweet, tart and perfect for summer!
Yield: 12-14 cupcakes (or 8-9 cupcakes in a jar)
Ingredients:
Lemon Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)
1/2 cup sour cream (any fat content)
Strawberry Frosting
1/2 cup Challenge butter
4oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese (cold)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons strawberry jam
2-3 fresh strawberries, pureed (or very finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon heavy cream, or milk, as needed
Directions:
Lemon Cupcakes
* Preheat oven to 350*F.
* In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with whisk, and set aside.
* In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds. Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds. Add vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, zest and oil, beat. Add sour cream and blend until combined.
* Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
* Pour (or scoop) batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners. Fill liners about 2/3 full (no more).
* Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes
Strawberry Frosting
* In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until fully smooth.
* Add cream cheese, and again beat until fully incorporated and very smooth.
* While mixing on low speed, add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
* Add vanilla extract, then strawberry jam and beat until well combined.
* If the frosting is very thick, add heavy cream or milk, then beat until light and fluffy.
* Frost on cooled cupcakes.
Recipe Source - Glorious Treats
Frosting notes - If the jam you are using has large chunks in it, you may need to blend in a food processor or press through a fine strainer before adding to the frosting. Feel free to replace strawberry jam and strawberries with raspberry jam. Depending on the ripeness of your berries, you may want to add 1 drop of pink food coloring to the icing. To make lemon frosting, omit the jam, berries and cream, and add 1-2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
Cupcake in a jar assembly- Remove cupcake liners, and slice cooled cupcakes in half (horizontally). Add one cupcake half to a jar, then a layer of icing (using a piping bag or ziplock type bag with the end snipped off), then repeat with two more layers of cake and icing. Garnish with fresh fruit, as desired.
The jars pictured are 1/2 pint, standard mouth caning jars.
Recipe notes – The lemon cupcake is adapted from my Perfect Vanilla Cupcake recipe, and the frosting is a version of my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting.
For extra special presentation, I like to add a cupcake liner as a lid topper (as I did with these Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes, or even a mini jar of cookies). The fun yellow chevron cupcake liners shown are from Sweets and Treats Boutique.
To top the jars with cupcake liners, start with standard sized cupcake liners (and standard mouth jars, as shown), and use your fingers to press out some of the creases (closest to the center) of the liner. You can either add the liner on top of both the flat lid and the jar ring (as show below), or add the liner on top of the flat jar lid, then use the ring to hold on the liner (as with these Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes).
Shopping notes-
The jars shown are 1/2 pint, standard mouth caning jars. I usually buy them at Wal-Mart, but they are also often available at Target, the grocery store, or Orchard Supply Hardware.
Yellow chevron cupcake liners, from Sweets and Treats Boutique.
Bakers twine, from Bakers Stock.
Happy baking!
