Peachy Keen Cupcakes

Day 3:

PEACE

That seems like a pretty easy command. I mean, everyone is always talking about peace and saying they want peace, but what are we doing to pursue it? There are so many times when I find myself doing the opposite of pursuing peace. We start drama with friends, do things that we know we shouldn't, and often times refuse to forgive people. We need to SEEK peace. Not just prefer it if it's the easy option. By seeking God, we will find peace. So seek God today. 

Now if you're seeking some wonderfully delicious peach cupcakes, then look no further!

Peachy Keen Cupcakes

What you'll need for the cupcakes:

• 2 sticks of softened, unsalted butter                 
• 2 2/3 cups of flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk (We used 3/4 cup of reduced fat milk and 3/4 a tablespoon of white vinegar.)
• 1/2 cup of pureed peach (We used baby food. Yup, you read that right.)
• Chopped peaches (we used from canned)
• Syrup from the can (about 4 or 5 teaspoons)
• I teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

For the streusel:

• 1/3 cup of packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter

For the best cream cheese icing you'll ever create: 

• 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 1 stick of softened butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Splash of peach syrup from the can (we used about 4 teaspoons, but you could probably use more if desired)
• 2 cups of confectioner's sugar

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your pan with cupcake liners. 

Mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg) in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together peach puree, buttermilk (or milk and white vinegar mixture), vanilla extract, and peach syrup.

Using a mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Mix in the dry ingredients and peach puree mixture alternately. Be sure to not over mix. Set aside.

To make the streusel, mix all the needed ingredients in a small bowl. Then, using two knives, cut the mixture into crumbles until it looks like this:

 

 Scoop a small amount of the batter into each tin- just enough to cover the bottom. 

Then scoop a small amount of the streusel. 

Dice up some of the canned peaches and add a few pieces on top of the streusel. Then add another scoop of the batter. Cook for 20-25 minutes. When they're done, go ahead and transfer them to a cooling rack. 

  

To make the icing, using a mixer, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla extract, and peach syrup. Mix until smooth, then add the confectioner's sugar until the icing is fluffy. Top your cooled cupcakes with this peachy, creamy yummy-ness and enjoy! 

*If you plan on serving these cupcakes, it might be better to store the cupcakes at room temperature in a cupcake storage tin and keep the icing in the fridge. Then before you serve them, ice them. If you keep the cupcakes in the fridge, they'll harden a little bit and won't be as moist.

Molli Says:

Philippians 4:6-7

Peace is the perfect topic of discussion in light of the horrible events that occurred at the Boston Marathon on April 15th and the fertilizer plant explosion north of Waco, Texas that happened just two days after. Something like that always disturbs me. It makes me feel uneasy and just plain sad. Honestly, my first thought it always, "How?" or "Why?". When my thoughts should always go straight to prayer. Paul tells us to turn our worries and stresses into prayers. He not only tells us to pray about our recent struggles, but to thank God for all the beautiful things that He has done and is doing. 

I shouldn't question things, from petty to tragic, because God is in control. When you turn it over to God, He gives you a peace "which transcends all understanding". We don't understand what's going on or why things happen, so we become bitter or angry. When we could turn to God, His peace will guard our hearts from anxiety. Yoga, positive thinking, or even our lives being devoid of any sort of inconvenience will not bring the kind of peace God brings. Human solutions never last because temporary things will create temporary solutions. We have to search for a deeper spiritual solution that will last. Obviously it needs to be a daily habit, but that habit is worth it. It will give you hope and joy in the most adverse times. This blog is more of a reminder to myself, considering I've been stressing more than usual lately. However, I really hope it helps whoever reads this remember we serve an almighty God who loves us and gives us hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Mallory Says:

I've seen/heard this quote at least half a thousand times. But I've only recently understood it.
-->God is peace<--
It's so simple, yet so powerful. God is the only true source of peace in a world plagued by chaos.
I've struggled with peace more than almost anyone I know. My life has been one panic attack right after the other; until I closed my eyes, ready to just give up. And do you want to know a secret? That's exactly what I did. I gave up. But that's when God stepped in. He saw my grief and my feelings of hopelessness. He saw me let myself fall; and He caught me. He held me in His everlasting arms so tightly that I could no longer see anything but peace. He shielded me from my worries. He ransomed me from my panic. And He delivered me into peace.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Let us turn to Him when we feel overwhelmed by chaos. Let us choose to rest in the assurance that He will never let us go.
We will never feel despair when we accept these truths, and our hearts will forever rest peacefully.

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Cinnamon Banana Globes with Honey Peanut Butter Frosting

Day 3:

Kindness

So we went a little out of order with the fruits of the spirit and skipped to kindness because it's Earth Day! And what better day to discuss kindness when we are also reminded to be kind to the beautiful planet God blessed us with! Now we didn't just make some plain-jane cupcakes...this is a fresh, scrumptious take on banana bread. So if you've got some super ripe bananas and a desire to mix it up in the kitchen, you've come to the right blog! These are sure to please a banana-lovin' crowd even without the fancy food dye.

Cinnamon Banana Globes

 

What you'll need for the cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of softened, unsalted butter
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs

What you'll need for the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting:

• 8 ounce package of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• A splash of milk (for consistency)
• 1 1/2 tbsp of honey

What to do:

First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Separate the egg yolks from the four eggs, putting them in a small bowl. Then put the egg whites in a medium mixing bowl and beat them with the mixer (using the whisk handle) until STIFF peaks form. This will take a bit of time, but they should turn out fluffy and white. When you pull the whisk out of the bowl, the egg whites should stick straight up.

In a separate medium bowl, cream the softened butter. Then add the mashed bananas, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix really well. Now, add 1/3 of the egg whites. (Be sure not to over mix them)

Combine all your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) in a large bowl. Gently fold in the wet ingredients into the dry. Once that's fairly well combined, add the remainder of the egg whites. Stir until just combined. 

Then, if you're making the earthy effect on your cupcakes, divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls. Use blue food coloring in one and green in the other. (The richer and darker the color, the better, in our opinion!)

Then line the cupcake tins and fill them 2/3 the way full. If you're using the food coloring, just layer the green and blue into pretty patterns so it looks like this:

Now bake them for about 12-16 minutes.

Icing:

Using the mixer again, combined your softened cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. 

Add the cups of powdered sugar one at a time.

Now add the vanilla, honey, and splash of milk.

We cut the cupcakes in half and put the icing in the center so you could see the earth part of the cupcake. But if you didn't do the food coloring, go ahead and just swirl or spread it on top any way you'd like! I suggest piping the icing because these cupcakes are difficult to put icing on, but only because they're so darn moist!

It may not look SUPER delicious because of the food coloring, but trust us, it's good!

*

Molli says:

We are called to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). That means being different, being the opposite of what your circumstances may encourage you to be, and being the loving light in the darkness. The point is for us to draw people to Jesus (Matthew 5:16). We aren't supposed to appear perfect, because we're not. But we are supposed to show others that no matter how things are going, we're joyful, at peace, and kind because we have Christ. Being kind isn't for personal gain, it's for a gain in Christ's kingdom. Although, it does make for a lot less regret when you're kind too everyone. 

An unkind Christian is just an oxymoron. Be kind to people, even to those who aren't. Don't expect non Jesus followers to act like Jesus followers. I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but treating others as you want to be treated starts with YOU. So inject kindness into yours and other's lives and feel the peace and smiles that comes with it.

Mallory says:

Working in customer service, sometimes it's really hard to show God's kindness to the people around me. I'll find myself getting irritated at a customer's ridiculous question or impatient when someone just can't seem to decide which movie they want to keep.

But we have to push past our barriers. Even when it seems impossible. We're called to set a good example and be kind to others always.

Jesus said "By this they will know you are my disciples, if you love one another."(John 13:35)

This applies to kindness just as much as it applies to love.

You never know what someone is going through, or what kind of day they might be having. 

Your kindness could be what brings all of the joy and light back into their dimly lit day. It could be just the reflection of Christ that their heart has been searching for.

What do people say about you when you're not around?

Do they think of how kind and gentle-hearted you are?

Or is it possible that they may have some less-than-nice things to say about your less-than-nice attitude? You may not always take care to make sure you are only acting out of kindness, but I can assure you that others (especially non-Christians) will notice. And, sadly, the bad always seems to outweigh the good in our minds.

So next time, before you block up your river of kindness and go into full irritable snake mode (yes, that's the best analogy I can come up with right now :P), think about how one little bitter word can change someone's day, and how the same amount of kindness can change it that much more.

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Joy Glazed Lemon Cookies

Day 2:

JOY

“The men whom I have seen succeed best in life have always been cheerful and hopeful men, who went about their business with a smile on their faces, and took the changes and chances of this mortal life like men, facing rough and smooth alike as it came.”

 Charles Kingsley

We may be going a little over board with the joy on this post, but it's because it is that important.

 One of the biggest transformations you experience when you really walk with God is feeling joy at all times. It's not easy and you have to make a conscious decision to be joyful, but there is always an overflowing source at your fingertips. All you have to do is look to God.

So for JOY we chose to make some delicious lemon cookies! This recipe is sure to spread some joy. ;)

Joy Glazed Lemon Cookies

What you'll need for the cookies:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup of milk (we used almond!) and 1/2 tsp. vinegar

What you'll need for the glaze:

• 1/4 cup FRESH lemon juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

What to do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Then add melted butter. Mix until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Make sure to mix all the ingredients well!

In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (baking soda, baking powder, flour, and salt). Then add this to the batter. 

While mixing on low, slowly pour in milk and vinegar mixture.

Mix only until combined. Then scoop out onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. We suggest baking on the bottom rack of the oven. We baked two batches at the same time and the bottom rack turned out golden and perfect! 

While the cookies are baking, simply stir the fresh lemon juice and sugar together. Once the cookies come out of the oven, top them with the lemon glaze. Go crazy with the glaze! We were scared to over do it and we wish we had because it was wonderfully delicious! 

Just look at the yummy glaze! 

Smiling with our lemon-y goodness! :)

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Bars

If you're shorter on time and supplies, this dessert is perfect! This is all you need:

• 1 box of angel cake mix
• 1-2 cans of lemon pie filling 

If you're looking for a more cake-like consistency, go with one can. However, if you want a dessert that's more like a lemon bar, go for two! We used two cans and it was moist and gooey! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cake mix and the lemon pie filling in a bowl with a spoon. Once combined, pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 25 minutes! Dust with powdered sugar for perfection! 

Mallory says:

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-REJOICE!" Philippians 4:4

Life gets so hectic sometimes that we don't realize just how desperately we need to take a step away from it all and just rejoice in the Lord. Let His spirit fill our hearts with His unfathomable joy. We can't see through our plank filled eyes that the world around us will never bring us true joy. We can never fill our lives with enough "things" to satisfy the needs of our heart.

God is comfort in our darkest days. He is joy in our pain. His love makes our hearts new.

We need to learn to turn to God for joy; to fall at His feet in agony and walk away as new, unburdened creatures. Sometimes I feel like I don't spend enough time in prayer; and my heart can definitely tell the difference when I haven't. When I've neglected my relationship with God, it reflects on the condition of my heart. Likewise, when I've been keeping myself continually before Him, my heart shines like the sun and no one can mistake the joy in my life.

So if you're finding that your heart is missing something, talk to God about it. He has just the right joy "puzzle piece" to fit into your empty spaces.

Also, put your dancing pants on and listen to this "joyful" song ;)

"I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:11

Molli says:

“Always be joyful” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). I think sometimes we forget that command. We over think and over analyze everything and just throw ourselves into a pit of self pity. It’s easy to do and almost impossible to get out of on our own. Maybe you don’t completely throw yourself into the pit… Maybe you just teeter on the edge, redeeming yourself when something goes right. I may only have 19 years of learning this, but I’m realizing more and more that joy is something we need to carry with us at ALL times. When we have joy in our hearts, bitterness can’t fester, forgiveness is easier, struggles are more like lessons and less like punishments, and life is more enjoyable and exciting! So if you’re feeling down, cheer up! Bake these lemon cookies, take a walk in God’s glorious creation, listen to your favorite station on iHeartRadio (I recommend Chris August or NEEDTOBREATH), and PRAY. That’s right, “Never stop praying,” (1Thessalonians 5:17). When we approach God with our problems, it’s almost impossible to feel self-righteous (at least for me) and we’re instantly humbled. We’re reminded that God loves us and that He has our best interest in mind (Romans 8:28). We just need to focus on looking at life through a joy filled perspective and remember that we are blessed, forgiven, and loved. And THAT is certainly something to be joyful about.

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First Love Raspberry-Almond Cake

 Day 1:
LOVE

"We love because HE first loved us"

-1 John 4:19

We all know the verse "Love thy neighbor as thyself," right?
Well how often do we actually think about what that really means? Because believe it or not, that person that just cut you off in traffic or that rude customer at work...Yeah, you're supposed to love them too.
Sometimes we need a little reminder to love everyone around us.
So since we love raspberries, and we love baking...We decided to bake a raspberry-almond cake that is reminiscent of love.
If when you bake this delicious raspberry cake, be thinking about ways that you can better love others.
From two bakers to another...

First Love Raspberry-Almond Cake

Cake

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream (you can substitute plain yogurt)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Melted Butter
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp. Almond Extract (We think it would be better to use 2 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla)
• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Raspberries (We used frozen, but if you can use fresh DO!)
• Granulated and Dark Brown Sugar for crunch top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 in (we used 9 1/2) Springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper.

Mix sour cream (or yogurt), eggs, sugar, vanilla+almond, melted butter, and oil together.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Mix the flour mixture into the sour cream mixture.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the raspberries. Spoon the rest of the batter over the raspberries and top with the rest of the raspberries.

FYI: Don't get crazy with the raspberries. Trust us. 12oz is enough. Unless you want your mouth to turn inside out.

We went a little crazy with the raspberries :\

Bake for approximately 45 minutes (We had to bake ours about 55 minutes, but we would recommend only adding 5 minutes at a time past 45 so that you don't burn your yummy cake!)

***Five minutes before your cake is done baking, sprinkle the dark brown sugar over the raspberries and top it all off with a dusting of granulated sugar. (This will make the top a little crunchy and a lot delicious!)

Let cake rest for 10 minutes on a cake rack. Turn cake out of pan, peel off parchment and turn cake upright.

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 Cup of Cream Cheese
• 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 Tsp. Almond Extract
• Splash of Milk for Desired Consistency

Beat together and drizzle over cake while it's still warm!

Go home, icing, you're drunk.

But for real, even though the icing doesn't *look* great, it *tastes* fantastic!

You have now successfully baked your very first First Love Raspberry-Almond Cake. Woot woot! Party over here! Party over there!

Keep reading for a few inspiring insights. Because who couldn't use a little inspiration?!

Mallory Says:

I'm sure you've heard of "looking for love in all the wrong places." We as humans do this far too often. And not just with love. We look for comfort and reassurance and strength in all the wrong places. We try to fulfill our needs (and the gaping holes in our hearts) with the comforts of other desperate souls. I'm just as guilty as (if not more so than) anyone. I find myself in a state of discomfort, so I turn to my mother or my friends for words of wisdom and encouragement. While there's nothing wrong with seeking some comfort in others, they shouldn't take the place as our main source of peace-of-heart.

If there is anything at all that I'm realizing over time in my relationship with (the ultimate comforter) God, it's that no one holds my heart like the Shepherd. No one cares and tends to my self-inflicted emotional wounds like my God does. He holds me in His arms and tells me that "I'm here, beloved. No one can hurt you now."

The abundance of His love makes me want to laugh and cry and dance all at the same time.

So when we know we have a love like this available to us anywhere at any time, why would we ever feel the need to replace it?

Romans 8:38-39

Molli Says: 

"We accept the love we think we deserve,". 

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower

In this book, Stephen Chbosky conveys incredibly interesting insight about people in a beautifully written story. That's why it's one of my favorites. But when I read that line, it was one of the saddest realizations about humans that I've ever heard. If we accept the love we think we deserve, we will NEVER experience God's love (and if you think you deserve God's love, then I should probably be whipping you up a humble pie). God's love is so sweet...Just a taste would blow your mind. Can you imagine a life filled with it!? You may be completely opposed to receiving God's love or you may just have a hard time remembering it on a daily basis. Regardless, God loves you. Nothing you do, say, or think could make Him love you any more or any less (Many people forget that far too often, me especially). His love is constant, boundless, and oh-so-sweet! So, you must first accept God's love for yourself, and then fervently pour it out to others in your life. Pour His love out so fervently that others notice something different about you. A good start might be making this cake for a grumpy neighbor or struggling friend. I'm sure they'll appreciate this delicious demonstration of love!

John 13:34-35

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Fruits Of The Spirit Sweets!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control"

-Galatians 5:22-23

Our plan for the next nine days (more like nine entries over a span of a couple of weeks!) is to feature a different fruit of the Spirit with a matching fruity treat.

Each post will include the fruit of the Spirit, a recipe that's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, and a little Biblical insight to satisfy the hunger of your heart.

So be sure to check back daily for yummy recipes and uplifting messages!

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