Welcome to Happylifeblogspot! A food blog with drool worthy recipes
Elevate any dinner by adding Brandy Glazed Carrots to the menu. You’ll be amazed at the way brandy can transform the same old carrot dish into something quite special. Fresh baby carrots are cooked until tender, simmered in a mixture of honey and butter with […]
If you’re in need of a little comfort right now, grab a whisk and whip up a batch of Lemon Raspberry Streusel Muffins. Now you can enjoy light and fluffy, bakery-style muffins at home. These delicious muffins are lightly flavored with lemon, chock-full of sweet […]
Looking for a fun way to use up some overripe bananas? Well friends, let me introduce you to White Chocolate Banana Cream Truffles! Truffles are an easy dessert to make because they’re no bake. This delicious version is a combination of Golden Oreos and ripe bananas all rolled up together in a crispy white chocolate candy coating. One bite into the creamy center and you’ll be hooked. The cream cheese gives the middle a velvety smooth texture while the banana extract punches up the flavor. Whip up a batch! There’s plenty to share.
Here’s all you’ll need: Golden Oreos, cream cheese, banana extract, ripe bananas, white chocolate chips, and dried banana chips.
Let’s get rollin’! Add the cookies to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. The fewer chunks the better. 36 cookies will get the job done which coincidentally is just about the size of a family pack of Golden Oreos, with a few extras to taste test of course. Can’t find Golden Oreos? A fun swap would be Nilla Wafers or any other golden cookie.
Combine the softened cream cheese and banana extract in a large bowl. Whip together with an extract mixer on medium speed. If you’re not familiar with banana extract you can find it in the baking aisle with the vanilla, almond, and all your other favorite extracts. It’s relatively inexpensive.
Next add in the mashed banana and mix until smooth and creamy. Lastly add in the cookie crumbs and mix very well. Cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.
Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper or wax paper. Remove the banana cream truffles mixture from the freezer. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Return to the freezer for 30 minutes or until firm. The heat from your hands will soften the mixture so it’s important to refreeze the candy so it’s easier to handle in the next step. This will act as our creamy delicious candy center. 
Add the white chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring the white chocolate chips between each interval. White chocolate can be a little bit more finicky than milk or dark chocolate so heating in short bursts is key. Stirring is also important because it distributes the heat and prevents the chocolate from scorching. Once the chocolate is smooth and creamy we’re ready to dip!
Using a toothpick, a lollipop stick, or even a bbq skewer, dip the truffle balls into the melted candy. Lightly tap the stick to remove any excess candy coating. If you feel like you’re about to lose your truffle from the stick I find it helps to rotate while you tap.
Gently remove the truffle from the skewer and onto the parchment paper. Immediately place a banana chip over the skewer hole. Voila! Picture perfect. No one will even know it’s there. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set.
Store Banana Cream Truffles in the refrigerator. They’re SO good when they’re cold!! Wanna mix it up a bit? Try using milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips too. Mmmm!!!! Still got some ripe bananas on hand? Then you absolutely must try our Best Ever Banana Bread Bars too.
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I’ve got pretty high standards especially when it comes to desserts. So when I tell you this is The BEST Rhubarb Meringue Pie out there you better believe it’s the truth! Rhubarb Meringue Pie is a Springtime favorite in these parts. The base is a […]
If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain…..then you’ll LOVE this cake!!! Pina Colada Cake is moist, delicious, and loaded with the same tropical goodness as the popular summer drink. Now you can sip your favorite drink and eat it too. This […]
Happy Spring my friends! Nothing says Springtime quite like these gorgeous little Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, don’t ya think? Add a little sunshine to your life with this cute lemony treat. These show stopping cupcakes are a fun spinoff on the classic and very delicious lemon meringue pie. The melt-in-your-mouth homemade meringue topping is piled high on this subtley sweet lemon flavored cupcake. But wait! There’s even a surprise lemon pie filling hidden inside. I know what you’re thinking, that sounds like a lot of steps. But our easy to follow recipe, and a few shortcuts, help to make this one a piece of cake! Or should I say cupcake?
Here’s all you’ll need: lemon cake mix, canola oil, eggs, lemon zest, lemon pie filling, egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar.
Let’s just jump right in with a shortcut right out of the gate…a boxed cake mix! Now I’m all about baking from scratch in most situations, but hey, life gets hectic and we can all use a little shortcut every once in awhile, right? Plus we’re going to dress this up a little bit, so I promise no one will know.
Combine the lemon cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and lemon zest in a large bowl. It’s simple to create lemon zest. Just run the peel of a lemon against a grater. Lemon zest helps to pump up that bright citrusy flavor. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Then kick it up to medium speed and continue to mix for another two minutes.
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes are most definitely that special occasion that you’ve been saving those pretty paper lined muffin cups for. So line a muffin pan with the cutest paper lined muffin cups you can find, then fill each cup two thirds of the way full with batter.
When baking muffins or cupcakes in paper cups, I always line the bottom of the each cavity in the pan with a little bit of rice. This prevents any residual oil that’s left in the baking pan from seeping up and ruining those beautiful, decorative paper lined muffin cups without interfering with the baking. Just enough rice to cover the bottom of the pan will do the trick! (but this step is not necessary to bake this recipe if you don’t have rice on hand, skip it).
Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 18-22 minutes. When you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, no clumps or stickiness, then you know they’re done!
It doesn’t matter what I’m making, when I’m using two baking pans I ALWAYS use the top and middle racks of the oven. It also helps to switch the position of the pans halfway through baking. So the pan that’s on the middle rack gets moved to the top rack and vice versa. This helps to ensure that all the cupcakes bake evenly since the heat in most ovens isn’t consistent throughout. You’ll definitely see an improvement in your baking!
Meanwhile let’s whip up that lemon pie filling while the cupcakes are baking and cooling. Insert time saving shortcut here!! Store bought lemon pie filling helps to shave a little bit of time from this recipe and gives you more time to finish laundry, enjoy your coffee, and get outdoors and enjoy some of that sunshine. You’re welcome!
You can find lemon filling in the baking aisle. It may say lemon creme filling or just lemon filling on the label and it usually comes in a box or a can. Our box mix required a little bit of prep work, but I promise it was easy peasy (lemon squeezy).
Once the cupcakes are completely cool, we can add the lemon pie filling. I used a piping bag with a round piping tip, then inserted it into the middle of the cupcake and gently squeezed until the filling reached the top of the cupcake. You can also use a melon baller or a small pairing knife to scoop out the center of the cupcake and then spoon in the filling into the middle. Both methods work just fine, it’s all about what you have on hand.
Now it’s time for that soft and fluffy meringue topping! And this one’s all homemade, no shortcuts here. Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Soft peaks will barely hold their shape. When the beaters are lifted the peaks will flop.
Gradually beat in the sugar, a little bit at a time, at a high speed until the sugar is is dissolved. Continue to beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Stiff peaks will stand up straight when the beaters are lifted (see below picture).
Pipe the meringue topping over the tops of the cupcakes using the piping tip of your choice. You can get fancy with a star tip or keep it simple with a round tip. Whatever tip you use, make sure your topping is piled sky high!
No piping tips, no problem. Spoon the meringue topping over the cupcakes to cover. Be sure to create a heaping mound of meringue deliciousness! The more meringue the better!! It’s easiest if you leave the cupcakes in the pan to complete this step because the topping can be a little sticky at this point.
Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 5-8 minutes or until the meringue is toasty and golden brown. You’ll want to stay close to the oven and keep an eagle eye watch while they’re baking. Meringue can turn from perfectly golden to completely scorched quicker than you’d think! So pay close attention to those tops.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to wire racks and finish cooling. Store Lemon Meringue Cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready right NOW!!! If you’re all about timesaving recipes to impress, then you’ll wanna try our Chocolate Overload Cake next!
We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!
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Once you try our Make Ahead Crescent Rolls, that store bought, canned variety will just never be the same. Sorry not sorry! Crescent Rolls, sometimes called Butterhorns are a fairly simple yeast bread. This beautiful bread bakes up pillowy soft with a subtle sweetness in […]
If Spinach Artichoke Dip is involved then you can count me in people! It’s pretty much one of my main weaknesses. I just can’t say no to this luscious, creamy, absolutely delicious dip. I’ve tried all the recipes, the restaurant knock offs, the crockpot versions, […]
Watermelon Cucumber Salad is the salad I’ve been missing all my life! Our garden is overflowing with cucumbers right about now and my hubby is. In. His. Glory!! But I’m not the type to just sit there and munch on a plain cucumber all on its own. It’s just too boring for me. I’m all about flavor!! And this juicy, refreshing salad is just bursting with it. Watermelon Cucumber Salad is a unique combination that’s the perfect balance of both sweet and savory. This gorgeous salad is made with just a few fresh and simple ingredients. No garbage, just good stuff, so you won’t feel guilty about loading up on this one. And it makes eating all those cucumbers so much more enjoyable. Hurry and grab a watermelon before summer’s gone! Definitely my new favorite way to eat cucumbers!
Here’s all you’ll need: seedless watermelon, cucumber, green onions, fresh mint, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
First off….did you notice how my cucumber’s almost as big as the watermelon??? Well not quite…but we sure got some monsters this year! Start by cutting the cucumber in half lengthwise, then slice away. You’ll end up with a bunch of bitesize half circles. Or in this case, gigantic, mouthful sized half circles.
Next cube the watermelon, mince up that mint, and slice some green onions. Toss it all in a large bowl and mix to combine. Oooh…..It’s starting to look so pretty already!! This colorful salad is definitely a showstopper!! And that fresh mint makes it smell AHHH-mazing!!!
In a separate container, mix up the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s best to use a container with a resealable lid. Triple check that the lid is sealed, shake it up and you’ve got yourself a delicious dressing. You could also swap out with a flavored balsamic vinegar or olive oil to take it to the next level!
Drizzle your homemade dressing over the salad like the boss that you are and we’re done! Watermelon Cucumber Salad is best served fresh. Don’t worry! You’re gonna wanna eat it right away!! This salad is so easy to make and comes together in moments notice. It’s the perfect last minute addition. No excuses on why you can’t bring a dish to that Labor Day potluck this year!!
So fresh! So delicious!! Watermelon Cucumber Salad I think I’m in love with you!!! You will be too. If you love easy recipes and fresh flavors then you’ve gotta try our Colorful Caprese Salad Kebabs.
We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!
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April Fools Deviled Eggs makes the perfect Easter treat, especially this year since Easter actually falls on April Fools Day. But don’t let these cute little goodies fool ya! They’re actually made entirely of chocolate! This cute little homemade confection is the sweetest way to […]
Hi There! I’m Lisa. I’m a lover of all things crafty, creative, DIY, and delicious!!! Oh yeah and puppies too! I love cooking and baking for my friends and family but especially WITH my friends and family. I show my greatest affection through food. If I cook or bake for you, it means I really like you!
