**This post is sponsored by Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own**

One of my favorite childhood memories around the holiday is being in the house and the ladies of my family cooking in the kitchen…it wasn’t about the “ladies” cooking but it was more about sharing love during the holiday.  During the holiday season I always start thinking about my grandmother, she was known for her cooking and we knew when the holidays were approaching because it was food EVERYWHERE! It was like she never stopped cooking! My grandmother passed away when I was in 2nd grade, and I remember it like it was yesterday even though it was 24 years ago.  A big part of the legacy that she left was her love for cooking and baking, there are people that would come from all over saying how much they loved her cooking! It was like her kitchen had an “OPEN” sign in it. For her it was much more than cooking it was her way of showing you how much she loved you.

When we used to visit my grandmother, I remember her house having a full-sized freezer, in that she kept an abundance of food in. The food in the freezer was for anyone that may have stopped by and needed something to eat or for her to prepare a large meal. She could prepare ANYTHING from scratch! And if you said you had a “taste” it was usually prepared for you within a couple of days…this was just how she was. 

This legacy still lives on through the women in my family, we all love cooking. And having my own daughter, I love being able to cook with her as another way of showing love…and she loves learning as well.

On Sunday, I needed to calm my nerves from my son having an accident on Saturday night (he tripped as he was running to the door and hit his nose and mouth…it was pretty traumatic. We had to call the ambulance and everything; he is doing well but it was pretty bad in the beginning) and decided baking with my daughter would help me to calm down.

Having a couple of boxes of Tagalongs, I decided a little chocolate and peanut butter could help EVERYONE! We decided to make Tagalong Cupcakes…I was inspired by Baking A Moment found through Pinterest with my own tweaks!

Tagalong Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1/4 cup Greek yogurt (sour cream can be substituted)

1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

16-18 Peanut Butter Tagalongs/Patties

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with papers.

Place the first 6 (dry) ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix on low speed to combine.

Add the butter, stirring on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (about a minute).

Add the eggs, one at a time

Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste. Stir until fully combined.

Place a Peanut Butter Tagalong/Patty in each cupcake paper.  Fill the papers half full with batter, and bake for 15 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Cool completely before frosting.

Frost with Chocolate Icing and top with Tagalong Half

Finished Tagalong Cupcake

Emma wanted to add the sprinkles for the finishing touch!

As part of my family culture, kitchen is usually the place that all the family migrates to, its the place that you can go to, to talk, get advice, laugh, cry…and get a meal! It usually the place my mom is in when my sister or I need to talk…sometimes we join in with helping her cook or many times coming over to talk and taste her food as she’s cooking. She may fuss but we know that she wouldn’t have it any other way!

And for my daughter and I, what better way to bond than cooking together in the kitchen…with Girl Scout cookies!

Girl Scouts began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts’ founder Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we’ve made her vision a reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents.

Girl Scouts connects girls to a world of possibilities in a positive and inclusive, girl-led environment. Girls are inspired to discover their passions and empowered to reach their full potential through a proven leadership development program.

Today, as yesterday, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. They’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. With Girl Scouts, girls can find they can do something amazing.

Find Girl Scouts of North East Ohio on Twitter and Facebook

It’s never too late to join! Go to gsneo.org/mom to find a Troop!!!