Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Maple Marshmallow Frosting

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sweet potato cupcakes with maple marshmallow frosting on OvertimeCook

You know how people argue over whether the traditional thanksgiving sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows is too sweet for a side dish? Or maybe topping a casserole with candies isn't considered sophisticated enough cuisine for today's average consumer, aka food snob. Personally, I don't see the problem. Too sweet for a side dish? Uh, hello. Dessert. Duh. So simple, right? Enter these phenomenal cupcakes. Sweet potato, topping with marshmallow. Unmistakably thanksgiving. Unmistakably dessert. Unmistakably delicious. PS: did you think sweet potatoes and baking don't work together? Think again! They are delicious and go perfectly with the spices generally associated with fall … [Read more...]

Peach Crumb Muffins

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Peach Crumb Muffins on overtimecook

Hold on to summer with these delicious muffins - loaded with peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon, then topped with delicious crumbs! Where, might I ask, has the summer gone? Am I the only one who gets all panicky when the summer starts winding down? Did I do enough? Did I enjoy it enough? Did I eat all the right produce, have all the right barbecues, bask in the right sun? WIll I hang on to this warmth in a couple of months from now, when I'm struggling to stay warm through the cold New York winter? I don't know. I guess there's never enough of such good things. Like summer peaches. How delicious are they? And you have to admit that nothing in January will compare to the juiciness of them. So … [Read more...]

Blueberry Muffin Cookies

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Blueberry Muffin Cookies on Overtime Cook

If you've been reading my blog and/or magazine column for a while, you might have noticed that I like to do things a little differently. Here's an example. People love blueberry muffins. I have to say, I do too. And people even like a healthy version of blueberry muffins. I have to say, I find them to be a fabulous treat for my dieting self. But sometimes, I like to turn things on their heads. Make a completely different version of a classic. (Remember my S'mores Surprise Cookies, Rice Krispy Treat Bark, and other fun treats?) These cookies are a good example of this. Sure, I would have just made blueberry muffins, but where's the fun in that? So instead, I created blueberry muffin cookies. … [Read more...]

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

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secret ingredient chocolate cupcakes on overtime cook

A hundred years is a long time. I mean, I wouldn't really know. I haven't been alive long enough. Neither has my father. Or my grandfather. But Hellmann's is about to celebrate 100 years of business, and when they asked me to help them celebrate, I couldn't say no. Firstly, like I said, 100 years is super cool. Also, I use one brand of mayonnaise and one brand only. Obviously, that's Hellmann's. And lastly, they are partnering up with Mario Batali, who I am a teensy bit obsessed with, (like, if one chef would cook me a kosher meal, I would probably pick him) to celebrate this milestone. In honor of their big 100, Mario Batali recreated a number of Hellmann's classic recipes. They asked me … [Read more...]

Cheesecake Recipe Roundup!

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over 65 of the best cheesecake recipes on the web on Overtimecook.com

I don't know about you, but I love cheesecake. All flavors, all shapes, all varieties. If it's creamy and cheesey, I. Am. In. Well the holiday of Shavuot is coming (for those of you who aren't familiar with it, click here). If there's ever a time to go crazy making cheesecake, it's for a holiday where it's traditional to eat cheesecake (among other dairy treats!). So whether you are celebrating this holiday, or just love a good slice of cheesecake, I have gathered up over 65 of the best cheesecake recipes from all over the internet. I've divided the recipes up into catergories, so scroll down, click over, and enjoy! (Links to the recipes in the photos are directly below the picture.) And … [Read more...]

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

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healthy blueberry muffins 2

Can we talk about names for a minute? I have a pet peeve. I know, my name is somewhat unusual. Okay, in the Orthodox Jewish world, Miriam is about as common of a name as you get, but in the general world, Miriam isn't very common. It's okay, I run with it. But here's the thing. Nobody can seem to get my name right. People call me at work, and I introduce myself as Miriam. "Did you say Maya?" I used to correct them, but I learned better. Just go with it. "That's right. Mary Anne." "Yes, I did say Maria." I don't bother, people don't get it either way. So the first part of my pet peeve is people who get my name wrong, then proceed to use it way too many times in the course of our … [Read more...]

Healthy Muffin Recipes

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Hey friends! Sorry, but I don't have a new recipe for you today. Partly because I totally didn't plan as well as I should have, partly because I spent too much time in the kitchen preparing for my family coming for for Chanukah, and partly because I spent a ton of time working on magazine and article deadlines. In short, I'm burnt out. (What, it happens!) I do, however, want to share something with you folks. I've been getting a ton of requests and questions on my healthy muffin recipes. Honestly, these are delicious. They're moist, flavorful and have a fabulous texture. Honestly. And because these recipes have been posted long before most of you found my blog, I figured a lot of you might … [Read more...]

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting

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snickerdoodle cupcakes 3

It's funny how certain things work out at times. Take writing for example. Honestly, it's always come very easily to me. My 12th grade English teacher once commented that I'm lucky she enjoys reading my essays so much, or she would probably fail me for turning them all in two weeks late. When I started this blog, I put a lot of thought into the food and recipes (obviously!) and of course, as you know, I thought a lot about the photography. But the writing? It was always an afterthought, just something I did in the last few minutes of my posting. And I guess it worked. Because suddenly in the last few weeks I've gotten a ton of comments from readers, both of my magazine column and my blog, … [Read more...]

Honey Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Honey Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I think this post was supposed to have an introduction about how Rosh Hashanah is coming, and how you might want to make these delicious cupcakes instead of the traditional honey cake. But I got home from work at 9 pm tonight, then spent the last couple of hours filling an order for cake pops. (Didn't know I sell stuff? Well I do. Email me.) It's after 1 am, and I shouldn't be posting anything. But I want to share this recipe with you folks so anyone planning their Rosh Hashanah desserts can include these gorgeous little treats in their menu. So excuse me if I am being brief. Oh, also, if you aren't Jewish, don't let that stop you from making these. Honey is a lovely flavor and should … [Read more...]

Chocolate Cupcakes and a First Blogiversary Giveaway

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Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Cupcakes

        Giveaway Closed!  See here for the winner   I've been thinking about today a lot, but I can't believe it actually came. It was one year ago that I published my first ever recipe. I know that most bloggers follow up on that statement with "I am so embarrassed of that post" or "I can't believe how far I have come since then!" or "it was totally on a whim that I started my blog!" But I am not going to say any of that. Sure, I think I have come pretty far since I wrote and photographed that recipe, but I am proud of that post, just as I am proud of every post I have up on this blog. This blog wasn't started on a whim, it was the result of weeks of planning … [Read more...]