Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting

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For an adorable treat that’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet, bake up these rich and decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

For an adorable treat that's the perfect combination of salty and sweet, bake up these rich and decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

We had a birthday party a few weeks ago for my oldest, G, who turned seven. This is the part where I do that trite, “They grow up so fast! Where did my baby go?! I can’t handle this!” thing. But really, y’all, every word of that is true. Like, it seems that only a few weeks ago he was sneaking into the kitchen to eat from the dog food bowl and referring to himself in the third person as “shwee -shwee.” No, we don’t know how he got that from “Griffin.”

But, alas, he’s another year older, which means another year of dinosaur obsession, another year of being the best big brother ever. I didn’t ask G what kind of cupcakes he wanted because I knew that, with the dinosaur cupcake toppers I bought, he wouldn’t care about the aesthetics of the cupcakes. Plus, I know the kid loves chocolate and salty/sweet as much as his mom does. With that in mind, I couldn’t go wrong with Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

For an adorable treat that's the perfect combination of salty and sweet, bake up these rich and decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

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Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

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Made with flaky pie crust and chunks of caramel, Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies are an adorable, mouthwatering version of the favorite holiday dessert.

Made with flaky pie crust and chunks of caramel, Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies are an adorable, mouthwatering version of the favorite holiday dessert.

Probably my favorite thing about hand pies is that they’re supposed to be rustic. You don’t get that pressure to make sure the rim of the crust is perfectly pinched, or make a fancy design with the top crust. Instead, you get the freedom to mold the pies by hand, to make imperfect seams and homemade shapes. It’s the perfect scenario for those who love to bake, but don’t care to get fancy with it.

Made with flaky pie crust and chunks of caramel, Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies are an adorable, mouthwatering version of the favorite holiday dessert.

Know what else is perfect? The filling in these Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies. The tart apples are finely diced to allow them to soften appropriately during the abbreviated cooking time. They’re tossed with traditional apple pie seasonings, and then they just sit for a while as the flavors develop. The crust itself doesn’t need to be anything special — I just use a prepackaged kind — because, in addition to the apples, the little pies are stuffed with chunks of caramel and flakes of salt. That right there would be enough, but to take them really over the top, the pies are drizzled with a rich caramel sauce that offers the perfect finished touch.

Made with flaky pie crust and chunks of caramel, Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies are an adorable, mouthwatering version of the favorite holiday dessert.

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Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes

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With a tender, flavor-packed cupcake and real cookie chunks in the frosting, Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes are the perfect decadent treat.

With a tender, flavor-packed cupcake and real cookie chunks in the frosting, Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes are the perfect decadent treat.

I got a text a few Fridays ago. It was around noon, and the text was from a friend asking if I’d make cupcakes for her son to celebrate his birthday with his baseball team the next day. It was a no-pressure type thing, and she offered to pick some up from the Walmart bakery if I didn’t have time to bake anything.

With a tender, flavor-packed cupcake and real cookie chunks in the frosting, Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes are the perfect decadent treat.

But y’all, friends don’t let friends buy Walmart cupcakes. Plus, I never turn down an opportunity to make them, especially when the friend gives me free reign over the flavors. I wanted to try flavors that would be a little bit unexpected while also pleasing the palates of a bunch of preteen boys. I made homemade oatmeal cream pies several years ago, and I remembered my friend’s husband mentioning hiding his Little Debbie snack cakes from their boys, and so the idea for Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes was born.

With a tender, flavor-packed cupcake and real cookie chunks in the frosting, Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes are the perfect decadent treat.

The actual cake part starts out standard enough; I use a box mix, as I usually do, but I added some extra goodies to take it into homemade territory. Because I’ve never made a cupcakes that wasn’t begging to be stuffed or filled with something, I cut miniature cream pie circles and tucked those down inside the batter. I used the extra cookie pieces in the frosting, because why wouldn’t I? The end result is these Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes: rich, moist, and deliciously homemade.

With a tender, flavor-packed cupcake and real cookie chunks in the frosting, Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes are the perfect decadent treat.

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Frosted Heath Cookie Bars

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Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

Frosted cookie bars are one of my favorite easy desserts. I love that, instead of spending a ton of time in the kitchen rolling out and baby-sitting individual cookies, I can plop the dough in a pan, set the timer, and come back to a finished product. These Frosted Heath Cookie Bars are wonderful on their own; they’d be great even without the frosting. Everything is better frosted, though, and this homemade vanilla frosting takes the bars over the top.

Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

I made these a while back for J to take to a party. Over the next few days I got multiple requests to share the recipe and to make them again. It isn’t tough to see why; these Frosted Heath Cookie Bars are thick and chewy, with a moistness and a richness you won’t find in regular cookies. The homemade frosting is fluffy, light, and the perfect complement to the toffee-studded bars.

Skip the bore and the time suck of rolling individual cookies and make these chewy and decadent toffee-studded Frosted Heath Cookie Bars instead.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies

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Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they’re also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they're also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

My brother-in-law began his first year of college just a few weeks ago. He’s going to school in New York so, along with mailing Unc Noah her artwork, B began asking if we could send him cookies pretty much as soon as he left. Of course I loved the idea because I’m always looking for an excuse to bake and give away treats, and also because my mom used to mail me cookies when I was in college, too.

One thing or another seemed to come up nearly every day for a couple weeks, and then my mother-in-law decided to make a last-minute trip to visit Noah. Perfect timing! Instead of sending the cookies through USPS, we sent them via Delta right in her carry-on.

Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they're also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

I took the cookie-making opportunity to make these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies. In addition to the depth of flavor the brown butter provides, this recipe is unique because the whole thing comes together on the stove in a saucepan. Yup, after browning the butter, you add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, mix it all up, and then you’r ready to shape cookies.

B and I had a great time making these cookies together and, of course, we all enjoyed eating them, too. Browning the butter and then melting in brown sugar provides a wonderful toffee flavor that takes these a step beyond traditional chocolate chip cookies. They’re further elevated with three different flavors of chocolate chips, some of which melt in the warm dough to leave sweet swirls throughout. The end result is chewy, tender cookies with plenty of chocolate and toffee flavor in every bite.

Not only are these Brown Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies a unique and delectable twist on a classic dessert, they're also prepared on the stove in just one pan!

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Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Look, I’m just as eager as the next person for the arrival of fall. Probably more eager, actually, because a lot of people don’t live in the sweltering humidity of summer in Mississippi. But while I’m 100 percent ready to embrace sweatshirts, football, and all things pumpkin, there are at least a few parts of summer that I’m not quite ready to let go of.

Case in point: strawberries, particularly when they’re in these Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. These little beauties are a twist on a cake I’ve been making for years, which is a twist on a cake my mom has been making for years. I’ve yet to share that cake recipe because I can’t seem to keep it around long enough to get photos. Moist and delicate cake, fresh strawberries, and homemade cream cheese frosting? Yeah, you can see why the cake disappears to quickly.

What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

These cupcakes are simply the cute portable version of that family favorite. I do my usual jazzing up of a store-bought cake mix, which results in fluffy cupcakes. Instead of layering sliced berries between big cake rounds, I make a fresh homemade sauce that’s packed with berry flavor. The thickened sauce gets spooned into a little pocket in the center of each cooked cupcakes, but it seeps into the cake to create an incredibly satisfying flavor combination. Neither the cake or the filling are overly sweet because the whole shebang is topped with the lightest, most decadent cream cheese frosting.

While you’ll certainly find me baking my fair share of pumpkin cupcakes and scones, you’ll also see me clinging to the last days of strawberry season, mostly in honor of these must-make cupcakes.

What happens when you combine homemade strawberry filling, moist vanilla cupcakes, and decadent cream cheese frosting? You get Strawberry-Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

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Perfectly sweet cupcakes with a ribbon of creamy filling and a topping of decadent frosting. You’ve got to try Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting!

Perfectly sweet cupcakes with a ribbon of creamy filling and a topping of decadent frosting. You've got to try Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting!

A friend asked me recently to make cupcakes for a wedding shower she was hosting. Because I’m always up for spending time in the kitchen creating decadent treats, I immediately said yes. And then I spent the next couple weeks narrowing down my flavor choices.

I knew right away I wanted to do some sort of spin on my to-die-for Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, and I knew I had to a berry version with cream cheese frosting. It was only at the last minute that I decided to whip up these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting, too.

Perfectly sweet cupcakes with a ribbon of creamy filling and a topping of decadent frosting. You've got to try Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting!

The pumpkin in these cupcakes is subtle, but not underwhelming; they’re perfect for those who haven’t yet seen the light when it comes to the magic of pumpkin desserts. Plus, nothing helps win over pumpkin skeptics quite like a ribbon of rich cheesecake filling. Top the whole thing with made-from-scratch salted caramel frosting, and who can resist?

Whether you’ve got a fall party coming up, or a tailgate to attend, or you just want to surprise your coworkers or family, these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting are the perfect treat.

Perfectly sweet cupcakes with a ribbon of creamy filling and a topping of decadent frosting. You've got to try Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting!

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Two Ingredient Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse

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With just two ingredients, this Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining all your hard work.

With just two ingredients, this Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining all your hard work.

Since my gluten-free experiment morphed into low-carb eating (it seemed to make the most sense), I haven’t had too much trouble curbing my sweet tooth. That’s not to say I haven’t craved sweets at all because, well, duh. Clearly I love chocolate. My solution to the need for chocolate? This stuff right here.

When we were in Oregon over the summer, my sister-in-law requested a low carb/ketogenic dessert to celebrate her birthday, so I made this Two Ingredient Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse. To make it a little more special, I turned the mousse into parfaits. I layered it with sliced strawberries and topped it off with homemade whipped cream that I made using the leftover cream and a little sweetener (I used a sugar alternative, but I can’t remember which one).

It was a huge hit, even with those of us who were still regularly indulging our sweet tooths (sweet teeth?). The mousse was so good that I made it again during that visit, and now I’m making it at home. This mousse is the perfect evening treat to keep in the fridge. A little goes a long way due to its richness, so a batch lasts me about a week.

With just two ingredients, this Low Carb Whipped Chocolate Mousse is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining all your hard work.

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Homemade Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

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Homemade Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is quicker and easier to make than you think, and it is oh so worth the effort. You’ll never go back!

Homemade Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is quicker and easier to make than you think, and it is oh so worth the effort. You'll never go back!

I’ve posted a lot of homemade frosting recipes because I’ve shared a lot of cake and cupcake recipes and I never use store bought frosting. I know, I know, that sounds snobby, but it’s true; homemade frosting is just too easy and too dessert-altering to settle for anything less.

It occurred to me a while back, though, that I never shared my recipe for Homemade Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a recipe I’ve made again and again to go with things like Double Chocolate Brownies and Loaded Candy Bar Cake, but I never got around to sharing just the frosting here.

Today I’m changing that. If you’ve never made homemade frosting because you always figured it was too difficult, or because you think the pre-made stuff in the jar is just as good, I’m begging you to make this recipe. It’s fluffy and rich, smooth and decadent, everything a homemade frosting needs to be.

And if you aren’t into cream cheese frosting (make this anyway; it just might change your mind), you need my Homemade Chocolate Buttercream recipe.

Homemade Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is quicker and easier to make than you think, and it is oh so worth the effort. You'll never go back!

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Chewy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

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You won’t miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

You won't miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

I first made these Chewy Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies about six years ago. We were living in Oregon and I baked frequently for my coworkers, one of whom had celiac disease. I often tried to bake something gluten-free (like Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Bars) along with something gluten-full. At the time, I didn’t know it was possible to make good tasting cookies without flour and I figured, if it was, they wouldn’t be as mind-blowing as these cookies are.

You won't miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

These cookies are the perfect example of gluten-free not being deprivative (confession: I had to google “what’s the adjective for deprive” for that one). Even those who regularly eat gluten will go crazy for them. The cookies bake into chewy, crinkly bites of paradise, with fudge-like centers. They’re awesome at room temperature, but they’re indescribable when warm. Either way, you’ll want to have a glass of milk handy.

You won't miss the flour in these delightfully chewy, perfectly fudgy, beautifully crinkly Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time.

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