PENNY'S PASTRIES

1 cup butter

2 1/2 cups whole wheat PASTRY flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon (or more like i added)

2 cups oats (old fashioned or quick cooking)

2/3 cup+1/4 cup buttermilk (plus more for brushing on top)

raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Cut (i used a kitchen aid, but I usually use my hands) in butter until mixture becomes uniformly crumbly. Stir in oats. Add buttermilk and mix gently until a soft dough begins to cling together. Once mixed, put onto a baking sheet in balls. Make your own size! It's fun! Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle on raw sugar. Bake until golden brown and firm when pressed lightly in the center.

I still have buttermilk left, and after this recipe I'll prolly still have more left! I don't know why I bought such a big container! But it's fun cause I'm learning what buttermilk goes with. I love making scones, so that will probably be next!

Anyway, this recipe is close to a basic brownie recipe, but it has some buttermilk in it. Also, it's more cake like than a brownie that is chewy or fudgy!

1 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (i used extra dark)

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 lb powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Begin by bringing butter, cocoa powder, and water to a boil. While that is going, butter and flour a 15x10 in pan. I used Pam with flour, but the way you butter and flour a pan is this. Using melted butter that has been cooled or softened butter is easiest. Butter the pan as you normally would (I use my fingers). Put some flour in the pan and roll is around to cover it all. The tap into the garbage can or sink ALL of the flour. The flour layer should be VERY thin! Excess flour is not good. Once boiled, bring that mixture to cool. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and soda. Mix eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour cocoa mixture over dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour liquid over that and mix well. I used a whisk for all of this. No need to bring out the fancy machines for this one! Then pour into prepared pan and do not over bake. Start at 20 minutes and then watch carefully.

For the frosting, if the butter is at room temperature just whisk all of the ingredients together and spread on brownies. If not, melt the butter with the cocoa powder and buttermilk. Add the sugar and vanilla. Then pour over brownies.

Since I used dark cocoa mine have a strange color. However, the taste must be delicious because the people I gave them to have raved about it!

4 cups cake flour- NOT self rising. (can substitute all purpose four:1 cup minus 2 tbsp= 1 cup cake flour)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter (1 cup) softened

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 cups well shaken buttermilk

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a mixer . Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add buttermilk until just incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches slowly until just mixed.

Pour into muffin tins with liners. Fill almost to the top. I made about 36 but the original recipe was called for 24. Mine also overflowed, but they were large and in charge! Bake for 20 minutes or until just turning golden on top/knife comes out clean.

For the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the rest of ingredients until mixed.

Pipe (i used a professional piping bag, but you can make one with a baggy and cut the end off!) the frosting on the cupcakes only if they are cool! If the frosting isn't stiff enough, put it in the fridge until the consistency is pipe-able! You can also spread it on. You will see the pictures and the difference.

Now, I gave one to my dad- he said there was too much frosting on it and it over powered the buttermilk in the cupcake. So maybe this was a bad choice of frosting or maybe I just actually did put too much on it!

Anyway, here are the pictures. Play around with different frostings like chocolate or lemon.