So, DH's bithday was earlier this month. I'm a little behind in posting. Not to mention in our family we celebrate birthMONTHS, not days. He did get his cupcakes on time, along with a wonderful dinner with our good friends.

My husband isn't huge on sweets, he usually goes for yellow cake with chocolate frosting. But he also loves peanut butter. And bacon. The bacon got the boot, but I kept the chocolate & peanut butter. The end result? Banana cupcakes with swirled chocolate and peanut butter buttercream frostings they have been named the Naughty Monkey.
A disclaimer on the recipes - I never follow them to the T. I usually add more or less as I like them. Below are the recipes I started with, but I know I added more banana to the cakes & more peanut butter to the frosting. Make them yours!

Naughty Monkey Cupcakes

Banana Cupcakes:
1/3 cup butter flavored shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in the bananas, eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture until combined.

2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Chocolate Frosting:
6 tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 c. Hershey's cocoa
2 2/3 c. unsifted confectioners' sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Salt, to taste

Cream butter in small mixer bowl. Add cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional tablespoon milk may be needed. Blend in vanilla. A pinch of salt to taste. About 2 cups frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup cream

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup of the cream. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar. If necessary, add a little more cream or milk until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency. Makes enough to frost one 2 layer 9 inch cake or one 9x13 inch cake.

A little different swirl - just as delicious

Now for the fun part. To get the frosting to "swirl" you'll need a piping bag & attachments (whatever tip you like), a large ziptop plastic bag & a large cup for balancing. First, fill the baggie with chocolate frosting, twist the top & snip one of the bottom corners; set the bag in the large cup to balance. Fit attachments to the piping bag. Carefully spoon the peanut butter frosting so it is only on one side of the bag. Once that is full, use the baggie to easily get the chocolate frosting into the other half of the piping bag. Now, frost away!

We had a wonderful Christmas, though we certainly missed DH's family. This was really the first Christmas for DH & I that felt like Christmas. Last year we were living apart due to work & didn't decorate & the years prior to being married we spent with our families. This year was the real deal - Christmas tree, lights, decorations & orange cinnamon rolls while we opened our stockings. I'm not ready to take any of the decorations down yet!

The pups checking out the "fire."

Christmas dinner was held at our new house; on the menu - sausage stuffed mushrooms, gorgonzola cheese stuffed black olives, deviled eggs (Jodi), prime rib with horseradish cream, roasted brussel sprouts with pecans, roasted green beans with mushrooms, medley of roasted potatoes, oyster casserole (Mom), corn pudding (Mom) & homemade dinner rolls (Grandma). For dessert, I had out some Christmas cookies & by special request, Mom's chocolate pecan pie. Everything was delicious & we had a wonderful time.