Tie-Dye Cupcakes

I've been absent from the blog for about two weeks, and although it wasn't planned, it was a nice break.  Summer is ending and my junior year of college is starting in just 8 days! Someone please remind me when I turned old? I'm going camping with Kristopher's family for Labor Day weekend, and wanted to get a post up before I leave for 3 days. I am super excited about some upcoming posts this Fall and Winter- I've got a ton planned :)

These cupcakes are super easy and don't require much more than making regular boxed cupcakes- Just a box of food coloring!

Using your choice of vanilla cake mix, make as usual and evenly divide it into as many cups as colors you want in your cupcakes. I did the standard ROY G BIV. Add food coloring to each cup until it is the desired color you want. 

I ended up using more food coloring than what I had originally put in. 

Fill a cupcake tin with liners and drop by the spoonful into each liner. Don't mix the colors in the liners, just drop it in. You can use as much or as little as an colors you want. I tried to put at least a spoonful of each color into every cupcake. Bake according to the directions on the box of cupcakes, and you're finished! These are super easy and fun, and often overlooked or deemed as impossible. Ice them with your choice of icing. My aunt suggested making these for her daughter's birthday snack at school (probably because she doesn't feel like making them herself. lol) but I'm sure those 2nd graders will be surprised when they bite into them!

Banana Pudding Pie with Nilla Wafers

I feel like it's been weeks since I posted. Between training for a new job, being sick this past week, a concert, and tubing the Delaware River, I've been pretty busy. I've had, surprisingly, the chance to bake  somewhere in between. This was a last minute bake based off a sudden urge for banana. and pie.

This recipe is so super simple. With homemade Nilla Wafer crust, fresh vanilla pudding, chopped up bananas and fluffy meringue, it can't get any better. 

Crush up the wafers and add butter for crust. bake for 12 minutes. 

Layer with bananas and pour in the vanilla pudding filling. Add more bananas and a few left over wafers, and another layer of pudding. 

 Top with meringue and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

Layers upon layers of goodness! 

*BE SURE TO SAVE BOTH PARTS OF THE EGG!!*

Banana Pudding Pie

Thanks to www.myrecipies.com

• 1 (12-oz.) box vanilla wafers, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 large bananas, sliced
• 
  
• Vanilla Pudding Instructions: 
• • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • (Combine first 5 ingredients over low heat. Whisk until thick (Like chilled pudding). Turn off the heat and add vanilla. Use immediately.)
• Meringue Ingredients:
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar

1. 1. Set aside 30 vanilla wafers; pulse remaining vanilla wafers in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until coarsely crushed. (Yield should be about 2 1/2 cups.) Stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a 9-inch pieplate.
2. 2. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.
3. 3. Arrange banana slices evenly over bottom of crust. Prepare Vanilla Cream Filling, and spread half of hot filling over bananas; top with 20 vanilla wafers. Spread remaining hot filling over vanilla wafers. (Filling will be about 1/4 inch higher than top edge of crust.)
4. 4. Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing the edges.
5. 5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let cool 1 hour on a wire rack or until completely cool. Coarsely crush remaining 10 vanilla wafers, and sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Chill 4 hours.