Or just eating cupcakes flavored like them…but more on that in a minute. ;)
Tonight was a pizza kinda night!
And when one can’t choose which kind to make, easy solution: make ‘em all!
We bought 2 whole wheat pizza doughs, one of which we split into two; those puppies went on the grill tonight. *If you want to see my process for cooking pizza on the grill, you can check it out here or here.
Veggie pizza with diced tomatoes & part skim mozzarella on whole wheat dough
Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions, garlic, & part skim mozzarella
And then, since we ran out of grill space, we utilized the good ‘ol oven too:
Half cheese / Half Chicken Sausage pizza with red sauce, “pizza blend” cheese, & whole wheat dough
Jay’s parents actually stopped in for dinner tonight, hence the reason for the abundance of pizza, and kindly brought a nice big tossed salad to have with dinner.
You can add “seconds” to dinner for this gal tonight. ;) I ended up going back for a small corner slice of the barbecue chicken pizza, along with another big helping of salad. Surprisingly enough, out of the all the pizzas tonight, the chicken sausage pizza from the oven was actually my favorite. We hardly ever use pizza sauce when we cook our own pizzas, so maybe that was it? Or maybe it was the little piece of heaven that came in “nugget” form…
Oh good lord. This sample of Garlic Gold nuggets that I got from Gina in Chicago was absolutely fantastic sprinkled on top of the pizza. Unfortunately for me, I don’t think my one remaining sample pack is gonna cut it…ohhhhh Garlic Gold, get ready for an order coming your way soon! ;)
A little while after dinner, it was time to satisfy my sweet tooth…of course. ;) Earlier today, I did a little BAKING in the kitchen. I kept things relatively simple, starting out with these ingredients:
I made a simple yellow soda cake recipe (in cupcake form, of course) and let them cool for a bit. Once the cupcakes were cooled, I poked each of them gently with a fork.
Next, you mix 2 boxes of the Jell-O of your choice (I usually like black cherry or raspberry, but saw I had the Pina Colada and started feeling tropical on this hot September day) with 2 cups of boiling water. Once the Jell-O is dissolved, pour the liquid on top of each of the cupcakes. You’ll probably want to go back to each one a second of third time to make sure they are fully absorbed with the Jell-O.
Then, simply toss ‘em in the refrigerator for a few hours to cool completely. I had intentions of making a homemade rum buttercream frosting, but I just couldn’t take the heat in the kitchen anymore…literally! So for tonight’s dessert, they were topped with some fat-free whipped topping…and a few blueberries, cuz I wanted to. ;)
Pina Colada Jell-O Cupcakes
Ok, can I just take a moment to say OH MY GOSH THESE WERE INSANELY DELICIOUS!!!!!
I could not get over how moist and flavorful they were. The flavor of the Pina Colada Jell-O definitely shined through, but wasn’t too overpowering. I’m glad that I finished them off with the whipped topping; it kept everything nice and light…
…light enough to go back for seconds. ;)
If you’ve never tried a Jell-O cake before, I’d highly recommend you give it a try. Super easy, and can be matched to pretty much any flavor you’re craving.
And finally, in case you needed a little Cody fix…
How do they always manage to find the comfiest looking places??? I think I need to gain that sense… ;)
Question for the Night:
Frostings: Fluffy whipped cream frosting, or heavy, sugary buttercream frosting?
For me, give me the sugar. Buttercream all the way (with the exception of tonight) :)
christina says
now THAT is a cool cupcake.
mmmm pizza.
lisaou11 says
Sean has been BEGGING me to make him a soda cake! Im saving this :)
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says
not a frosting girl at all, but if i must — cream cheese frosting on carrot cake : )
Courtney (Pancakes & Postcards) says
Your cupcakes look sinfully delicious my dear!
Good news… I GOT YOUR BOX!!! I had to post about it right away. :) Thank you sooooooooooooo much!!! It made my MONTH!
Courtney says
YAY! You’re so very welcome – ENJOY! :-D
Judy says
I’m with u, give me buttercream or die!
Altho I make some seriously good vegan cupcakes, so no real butter.
briana says
U are a cupcake queen u need to sell those they always look amazing. I love cream cheese frosting its the best
Courtney says
Hahaha, thank you! :)
Shanna, like Banana says
Courtney you did it again! These look AWESOME and I love pina coladas so right up my alley :)
Can’t wait to make ’em!
Courtney says
“Ooops, I did it again….” ;)
Chicago Cuisine Critique says
The pizzas look delicious! :)
Jean@RoastedRootsandPumpkinSpice says
All those pizzas look SO great.
I never made cupcakes with jello before. Gotta try that one!
Maura says
Wow- those pizza’s are making my stomach growl! Must be lunch time!!!
Cupcakes w/ Jello?! Never heard of it before but they sound amazing!!! My roomie’s birthday is coming up and I was planning on making one of your cupcake recipes. I think I found the winner ;)
CK says
SUGAR!! I much prefer buttercream over “bettercream” anyday.
On another note, your cupcake recipe made me think of a “Milk Cake” my cousin makes. You make a yellow/white cake like normal in a 9×13 pan. Once it’s cooled poke it all over with a fork. Then mix up 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1 pint of heavy whipping cream. Pour over your freshly poked cake. Put in fridge to set overnight and then enjoy!
Teri [a foodie stays fit] says
I think this might be my dream cupcake. I’m going to request them from my mom for my birthday next week. :)
Courtney says
YAY!
Kassi says
Just wanted to let you know that I made these today and everyone raved about them! Instead of the cool whip I used your vanilla buttercream recipe and subbed coconut extract for the vanilla. My dad told me they were the best cupcakes he had ever had! Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
Courtney says
oh my gosh, brilliant idea!! YUM! :)
Alex says
I just want you to know that I made these today for my boyfriend’s birthday except I used pineapple jell-o and used your cream cheese icing! They are sooo good, especially when I put them in the refrigerator so they’re nice and cold. My boyfriend doesn’t really like sweets and he actually took some home! So glad I tried your recipe! You know your cupcakes, girl.
Courtney says
Thanks, Alex! I’m glad they were a hit! :)