Buttery Vanilla Cupcakes with Creamy Chocolate Buttercream and Awards!

I've been trying to come up with more and more of my own recipes.  I realized that it's probably not the best idea to post all of the recipes out of the cookbooks that I haven't actually written myself.  So I've been trying to get my brain thinking and I've been experimenting and trying to become a more creative artist in the kitchen.  Hopefully that all works out...it's coming slowly though.  So, I just found these cute muffin cups that I wanted to use, and I was trying to create a half pound cake half cupcake recipe.  I had the recipe all on paper hoping it would all work out. My daughter helped me get the batter made and as I'm scooping it into the muffin cups I realize that I only added half the butter as I intended.  They turned out beautifully despite the mistake. Extremely buttery and moist.  The perfect cupcake.  I must not have had my baking "mojo" properly connected because another mistake of filling the muffin cups too full ended up as huge mess in my oven.  But they were salvaged.  These cupcakes were perfect.  I topped them off with a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting.  Delicious!  

Buttery Vanilla Cupcakes with Creamy Chocolate Buttercream

recipe by Stephanie

makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla (or you could use almond or lemon)

For the frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half or milk)

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a mixer, beat butter until creamy.  Add milk.  Add eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated.  Slowly add the dry ingredients until well mixed.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Batter should be fluffy and creamy.

2. Line muffin tin with muffin cups.  Fill the cups only 1/2 full with batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely in muffin tin.  Transfer to wire rack to frost.

3. For the frosting, in a mixer cream the butter.  Add the cocoa and mix thoroughly.  Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cup at a time, alternating with the cream until consistency is fluffy and creamy.  Frost on cooled cupcakes.

I felt so honored when I received not 1 but 2 Yummy Blog Awards! One from my good friend Jenny at Picky Palate and the second one from the lovely Leslie at The Hungry Housewife. Thanks girls! It made my day and made me feel very special! I've met some of the nicest people here in Foodie Land. I love seeing the creativity that comes from the blogs I love and it inspires me to do better! So now I want to pass this great award on to 5 other great Food Blogs. I could choose so many, but here are the glorious blogs I chose:

Holly at Phemomenom: Holly bakes so many wonderful treats, I really wish I lived next door. I could easily make everything on her blog and die a happy girl.  She is not afraid of a little flour and sugar, and I love that about her blog!

Lindsey at Cafe Johnsonia: I would hope that someday she does open her own cafe, because I would be a loyal customer!  Everything that Lindsey makes seems so fresh, healthy and delicious!  I love pulling up her blog nearly everyday and finding a new and delicious post and my mouth waters every time!

Lori at Recipe Girl: Lori's blog is outstanding.  I love seeing her new posts and the bounty of recipes she has on hand!  She always has something new and delicious waiting for me when I turn on my computer!

Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen: Kalyn is all about healthy, and so when I look at her blog, it inspires me to be more healthy in my cooking.  It is easy to get so many wonderful ideas to lighten up your diet!  Something I need for sure...

Emiline at Sugarplum:  Emiline is truly original.  She creates all of her own recipes and it is truly an inspiration!  Her recipes are all mouthwatering.  I've made a few and they were all completely delicious!  

Make sure you check out these great blogs and be inspired!

Simple Chocolate Mousse!

Okay, so this recipe was supposed to be very "easy".  And for the most part it was....  So, I have a little something to confess.  I have not an ounce of patience in my body.  None.  Whatsoever. Just ask my 2 kids.  They know firsthand that their Mother is the most impatient person on the planet.  Thank goodness they love me anyway!  But, this mousse did not love me.  I loved it, don't get me wrong.  Loved it.  I loved the richness and the chocolaty flavor just satisfied my sweet tooth.  In fact so much, I probably don't need to eat chocolate for the next month.  Okay lets be honest.  I'll probably pig out on chocolate tomorrow.  But it was good.  You're wondering when I'm going to get to the point, right?  So, I have such a problem when a recipe says..."Cool until room temperature".  Butter, egg whites, you name it.  I just sit there watching it.  For example, in this recipe you melt the chocolate over a double boiler, or in my case a glass bowl sitting on top a sauce pan filled with water..same thing.  Anyways, I melt the chocolate and set it aside hoping that it would cool to room temperature by the time I was done whipping the egg whites.  I was wrong.  I knew I was wrong.  But I added the egg whites to the warm melted chocolate anyways, knowing I was probably going to screw something up.  I did it anyways, remember...no patience?  So, if you decide to try this recipe, which I totally think that you should, just please, please remember to cool the melted chocolate all the way to room temperature.  Don't make my mistake.  You will have a smooth, mouth watering mousse that you will want again and again.  You will want to make it for all of your friends so that they will call you a chocolate genius!  If you do as the recipe says, you will most likely have a much richer, darker mousse than I.  It was still delicious, we just had some bits of semi-sweet chocolate throughout the mousse that you are not supposed to have.  I just pretended like I put mini chocolate chips in the mousse, and so I still enjoyed the experience.  So, a pretty drawn out post...sorry.  I was just really mad at myself and my impatience!  Learn from me.  :)

Simple Chocolate Mousse

adapted from Sweet Melissa Baking Book

5 1/2 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 large egg whites at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 2/3 cups cold heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1. In a top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the double boiler and set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer set over a pot of simmering, not boiling water, whisk the egg whites with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved (feel with your fingers for sugar grains at the bottom of your bowl).  Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, and whip until the peaks are stiff but not dry.  

3. Add one-quarter of this meringue to the cooled chocolate and whisk to blend.  Gently fold in the remainder of the meringue until mostly incorporated (it can be slightly streaky at this point).

4. In the clean bowl of the electric mixer, whip the cream, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar to medium-soft peaks.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate meringue mixture until just incorporated.  

5. Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl, or pipe it into individual bowls.  Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until set.

Serve chilled, garnished with fresh berries, if desired.  The mousse may be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 weeks.

Cinnamon Chocolate Apples and a Meme!

I have been using these bags for quite a while now, and I must say that I buy a lot more fresh vegetable since using them. They take no time at all in the microwave and add some butter and salt before cooking and they turn out perfect and flavorful! And the very best part is NO CLEAN UP! Yes, that is pure heaven to me. After I bought them last, I turned through the recipes that were inside the package and found a recipe for these Cinnamon Chocolate Apples and I had to have them right then and there. These are soooooo good! I can't even explain. Cut up some apples, add some chocolate and spices and in 3 minutes you have soft, tasty apples. How can that not be the best thing ever? You must try them! Make sure you drizzle some melted milk chocolate after they have cooked, and it just puts the cherry on top! This recipe easily serves 4 people, so make sure you half the recipe if you are not wanting to eat 4 whole apples!  Kids will eat this up like it's candy!  My daughter fell in love and asks for these apples all of the time now!


Chocolate Cinnamon Apples

Combine in Medium or Large bag:
3 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins
4 teaspoons slivered almonds
1 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 medium Granny Smith Apples (I used Gala and Granny Smith) cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges (peel if you prefer)

1. Seal Ziploc Zip 'n Steam bag and shake to mix ingredients Place bag in microwave.
2. Cook on full power 2-3 minutes or until apples have softened. (I did 3 1/2 minutes, I like them really soft)
3. Allow bag to stand 1 minute before handling. Gently shake and squeeze bag to combine the melted chocolate and warm cream to smooth sauce.
4. Open bag and allow to cool slightly before serving.
5. Drizzle with additionally melted chocolate, if desired.

And now for a Meme!

I have been tagged twice now for a meme, once from Megan from Megan's Cookin and Bunny from Bunny's Warm Oven. And though I don't usually do these, I think it's quite fun to learn more about the person behind the blog, so I decided to go for it!

The Rules:

Each participant answers questions about her/himself.  At the end of the post the participant tags 5 people.  Their names are posted letting them know they've been tagged.  They then have to read the participant's blog.  The tagged let's the tagger know when he/she's posted his answers.  Here we go!

What was I doing 10 years ago?

Wow, I was a year out of high school and just finishing my first year of college.  I had just met my future husband.  I was pretty much just working, playing, and trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up....

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?

1. Mail my many Father's Day cards. (I'm a procrastinator)

2. Play with my kids.

3. Work on my blog.

4. Figure out what in the world to make for dinner?

5. Sweep my floor for the 10th time today.  (My daughter decided to empty out my spice cupboard this morning on to my kitchen floor!)  

Five Snacks I Enjoy:

Chocolate

Chocolate

Chocolate

Oranges

Strawberries

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Pay off my house and travel the world with my family!

Places I have lived:

Illinois

California

Oregon

Utah

Jobs I have had:

Arby's (my first job)

ZCMI (a department store)

America First Credit Union

Goldenwest Credit Union

Mom/Waitress/Cook/Maid/Wife

I tag:

All of Y'all!  Do it, it's fun!

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

I'll make this a short post, because I've been behind lately and I need to catch up.  But that means some time in the kitchen!  I love Angel Food Cake.  I love the soft texture and the sweet flavor.  I love to cover it in Strawberries and Cream and enjoy the decedent flavor combination.  Growing up, my Mom would make Angel Food Cake and make a chocolate pudding filling, and cover it in a mixture of chocolate pudding and whipped cream.  She'd top it all off with chopped Hershey's milk chocolate bars.  Yum!  I will show that soon, but for now, I made it into a strawberry shortcake.  This recipe does take a dozen eggs, but if that does not intimidate you, try this because it is heavenly!

Angel Food Cake

adapted from an vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

12 egg whites (1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (or almond extract)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together flour and confectioners' sugar; set aside.

2. In a large mixer bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and slat until foamy.  Add the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until meringue holds stiff peaks.  Gently fold in flavorings.  Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture, 1/4 cup at a time over meringue, folding in gently just until flour-sugar mixture disappears.  

4. Push batter into ungreased tube pan, 10 x 4 inches.  Gently cut through batter.

5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger.  Invert tube pan on funnel, or bottle; let hang upside down until cake is completely cool.

Slice and cover with sweetened strawberries and cream, or cover with anything you like.  It is also delicious plain!

A Birthday, Red Velvet Cupcakes and A Love Hate Relationship

First of all, a very Happy Birthday to my dear sweet Mother!  Happy Birthday Mom.  Thanks for teaching me all that I know in the kitchen and in life.  Thanks for being my best friend.  

I decided that for my families Birthdays, I will be making there favorite cupcakes for them, as a special treat just for them!  My mom's favorite is Red Velvet Cake.  So, I searched my cookbooks for the perfect recipe.  I had to go with my Sweet Melissa Baking Book again.  I knew I just couldn't go wrong. So far, I have made:

Sweet Muffins

Blueberry Almond Granola

Cinnamon Buns

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (post to come)

And now, I've tried her Red Velvet Cake, which I made into cupcakes.  (If you notice in the picture that my cake is not so red, it's because I ran out of red food coloring!)  Anyways, I was a little hesitant making cupcakes out of a cake recipe, I haven't had much luck in the past.  They always seem a little too dense and they seem to cave in the middle.  But today, while going through my cookbooks, I read in my Cake Doctor Cookbook how to accomplish this task successfully! I'll quote from the cookbook: 

"How to turn your favorite cake recipe into muffins or cupcakes? It's possible with almost any recipe, but you'll have the best results if the cake is sturdy in structure, containing 3 to 4 eggs, possibly a package of pudding mix, not too much liquid, and just a few add-ins like chocolate chips and nuts.  Yet, the only way to know for sure is to just give the recipe a go.  I prefer to line muffin pans with paper liners, but you can spray them with a misting of vegetable oil spray. Fill the cups from two-thirds to three-quarters full, bake at 350 degrees."  

Well this recipe, my friends, worked perfectly.  I have to say this is one of the tastiest cupcakes that I've ever made.  Not only were the flavors out of this world, but the texture was absolutely perfect.  Not too dense, not to heavy.  I haven't experienced many red velvet cakes in the past, so it was hard to compare, but the mixture of a small addition of cocoa powder and cinnamon made this sweet and satisfying!  I've decided that I now have a love/hate relationship with my dear friend Sweet Melissa.  Her cookbook alone has made me gain 5 pounds!  Everything I've made has been so decedent and there is no possible way to eat just one bite, or just one serving.  If you can do it, I'd like to know your trick!  I might have to hide this book away, because I might be in trouble.  But it is nice to know that if I ever need a recipe I can count on, this is the one to go to!  I did use a different recipe of frosting for these cupcakes. I decided try a White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting to top them off.  It was a perfect combination!  I hope you like them Mommy!

Red Velvet Cake or Cupcakes

makes 1- 9 inch cake or 24 cupcakes

For the cake:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons best-quality unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons natural red food coloring

For the frosting:

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, or line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

To Make The Cake:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until combined.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, cream the sugar and oil. 

Add the eggs and beat well.  Add the vinegar and food coloring and mix to combine.

4. Add the flour mixture to the batter in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Mix well after each addition.  Scape down the sides of the bowl.  Beat well for 10 more seconds.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, or cupcake pans.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes for cakes, or 20-22 minutes for cupcakes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before turning the layers or cupcakes out onto the rack.  Cool completely before filling or frosting.

To make the frosting:

1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute.  Remove the bowl and stir until smooth.  Set the chocolate aside to cool.

2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds.  Stop the machine.  Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined.  Add the vanilla and 2 1/2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more.  Add more sugar as needed to make the frosting spreadable.  Increase the mixer speed medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more.

3. Frost the layers, top and sides of your cakes, or top your cupcakes. 

Snickers Snack Cake

My friends and family all think that I'm loosing my mind.  Why bake so much, they ask? Well, if I knew the answer to this, I might be able to get to the root of the problem and find a new hobby. But guess what, I don't want to.  I thoroughly enjoy baking.  Even if I don't eat but one taste, and take a photo, I'm totally satisfied.  I just picked up Paula Deen's Chocolate Celebration magazine that just came out.  I saw it and immediately knew that I had to have it. There are many recipes bookmarked, but this one jumped out at a me.  It reminded me of Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, which is one of my favorite desserts ever.  Hot cake and hot frosting oozing on top is nothing but purely delicious!  I don't use Paula's recipes very often, too much butter and mayonnaise for me.  Not that they are bad things, and I do use them a lot myself, but if I did eat like that all of the time, I would gain 10 pounds a month, and then I wouldn't be able to stand on my bloated feet long enough to pour a glass of milk let alone bake the cookies to go with it!  This particular cake I actually made for my friend and neighbor who just had a baby.  I don't think she was too happy with me when she saw the plate full of chocolate and snickers.  Can you say temptation? Yes, you cannot resist this cake.  I am a bad friend, and next time a friend has a baby I will bring over fresh fruit, but honestly you just had a baby.. you deserve to splurge!  Anyways....if I ever made this cake again, the snickers are totally not necessary.  They do add a bit of a different texture with the caramel and the peanuts, but it was sweet enough on it's own.  You can make your own choice, but either way this cake was delicious!

Snickers Snack Cake

Makes 10-12 servings

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Lightly grease foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla. 

3. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Spread chocolate frosting over hot cake.  Let cool completely.  Cut into squares to serve.

Chocolate Frosting

Makes about 1 cup

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons buttermilk

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 (2.07 ounce) Snickers candy bars cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add cocoa and buttermilk, whisking until cocoa dissolves.  Gradually whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth.  Stir in Snickers bars.  Immediately spread over hot cake.

Classic Italian Lasagna and Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie!

My husband offered to make me dinner for Mother's Day. I told him that it was so sweet to offer, but I had already planned my favorite meal out. I know, I'm crazy. A man offers to cook and you should always accept, but I had my heart set on Lasagna. I love Lasagna! I've never enjoyed making it much, so complex, so many different components to make. But because I love it so very much and I haven't had it in a while, I decided to try Giada's recipe, because the rest of her recipes have been so excellent. This was the BEST lasagna I have ever had. My favorite part is that she uses a marinara and bechemel sauce combined, instead of just a marinara sauce. It gives it such a creamy texture and it has the perfect flavor! The spinach adds a nice touch and of course the best part is the bubbling cheese on top! Yum! It tastes even better the second day because all of the flavors combine and it is just perfect! Give it a try, it is to die for!



Classic Italian Lasagna
adapted from Giada's Everyday Italian

salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 dry lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups Bechamel Sauce (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
1 1/2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10 ounce) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the vegetable oil (prevents sticking). Cook the lasagna until almost al dente, about 6 minutes (the center of the pasta should remain somewhat hard so that it won't overcook and become soggy when baked.) Drain, then rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and help remove any excess starch. Cover lightly with a damp towel to prevent the pasta from drying out. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the ground beef and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is brown, breaking up any large clumps, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any excess fat. Let cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the bechamel and marinara sauces to blend. Season the sauce with more salt an pepper to taste.
5. In another medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to blend. Set aside. Spread the butter over a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spoon 1/3 of the bechamel-marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 5 lasagna noodles atop the sauce, overlapping slightly and covering the bottom of the dish completely. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the spinach. Arrange 5 more lasagna noodles atop the spinach, then top with the ground beef. Spoon one third of the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining 5 sheets of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining bechamel-marinara sauce over the lasagna noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. (The lasagna can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Uncover before baking).
6. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with foil. Place the baking dish on the baking sheet. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the top is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Bechamel Sauce
makes 4 cups

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups warm whole milk (I use 2 percent)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
pinch of white pepper (I use black pepper)
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I use dried)

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and ream, about 10 minutes. Do not allow bechamel sauce to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.)

Now onto Dessert!!!!



A friend of mine brought this over to me after I had my last baby. I fell in love with it, it's simplicity and wonderful flavor combinations! I make it all the time now and it is so good, it doesn't take long to finish the whole pie! Trust me, it is worth EVERY last calorie!!!




Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

1 store bought oreo pie shell (or make one at home)
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream
cool whip
caramel
hot fudge sauce
coursely crushed oreo cookies

There are no measurements, because you can put as much of everything as you desire. Make it your own!

On the bottom of the pie shell, drizzle carmel and hot fudge sauce. Soften ice cream, and scoop into the pie shell until 3/4 of the way full. Top with cool whip and top that with the oreo cookies. Drizzle more caramel and hot fudge sauce and put back in the freezer to firm up. Yum!!!!!

Taking A Break...and Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats!

I feel like I've been away forever!  This last week was crazy busy, with a funeral, kids, and whatever else I was busy doing.  It's funny that I can't actually remember what I was so busy with, but I swear I was...oh well.  I'm back and I've got a no-brainer recipe here, but it's sooo yummy and if you haven't tried this version of rice krispy treats, than you have to!  It's delicious and I can eat the entire pan by myself.  I try not to, but I could.  Easily.  A friend of mine made them for a church function and I fell in love.  I don't think I could ever go back to regular rice krispies, okay I could, because they are so yummy as well, but these are a step up!  What could be better than marshmallows, rice krispies, butter, and chocolate, right?  Right!

Ooey Gooey Chocolatey Rice Krispy Treats

1 large bag (10.5 oz.) of marshmallows

1/4 cup butter

6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1 bag (10 oz.) milk chocolate chips

Melt marshmallow's and butter in a microwavable safe bowl for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir until smooth.  Add rice krispies and chocolate chips and mix until blended together.  Place in 9 x 13 inch pan and pat down lightly with a buttered spatula.  Easy!

The best part of these goodies are the chunks of chocolate that don't melt all the way, and you bite into the treat and it is perfectly chewy and delicious!

A Day In The Kitchen!

It started off innocent enough. I had bought some poppy seeds the other day and I just felt like making some muffins. It was snowing today. Cold, dreary, snowy, rainy, sunny for a minute, then snowy again. Days like these I just feel like baking something warm and cozy and delicious. My 3 year old daughter gets really excited to bake with me in the kitchen, so I do it often. My husband says I have an addiction. So what, he reaps the benefits so what does it matter anyway? Anyways, I finally got my own copy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours in the mail the other day, and I've been dying to break it in. I found the recipe for her Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and decided to give them a try. Mmmmm...so good. They are moist, delicate, light and tasty. Yes, I do make many lemon recipes here on this blog, only because it is one of my favorite flavors. It just makes everything so fresh and vibrant.



I decided to use my mini muffin pan, just because little muffins are so much cuter. Drizzled with a bit of lemon icing and these were the perfect little treat.



Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

For the muffins:
2/3 cup sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick melted butter, cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter or spray 12 regular-size muffin tins or 24 mini-muffin tins. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with you fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough-a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Cool the muffins completely on the rack before icing them. Mix the icing and lemon juice and drizzle over muffins. Enjoy!

Still Cooking...

So, I thought that since it was a stormy blizzard outside that I definitely needed to make soup for dinner. I don't care what they say, I make soup all year round. Not necessarily on a hot day, but days like this require soup. I've been craving soup, salad and breadsticks from Olive Garden lately, but actually making it to the restaurant after a long day with 2 kids is impossible. So I made my favorite soup, Zuppa Tascana. It is basically thinly sliced potatoes, onions, italian sausage and chicken broth with a little cream and some kale added in just before serving. This soup is delicious! I made some breadsticks and added a yummy salad on the side, and that was dinner.



Zuppa Tascana Soup

1 lb Italian Sausage
2 large russet potatoes, sliced in half and than sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2- 32 ounce cartons chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bunches kale, chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. Add kale right before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Nope, still in the kitchen...



Nope, not done yet...I still had more baking to do. I had a birthday in the family and had decided to bake cupcakes for the special day. I knew I wanted to make Carrot Cake Cupcakes, but couldn't decided whether to make Dorie Greenspan's recipe or The Sweet Melissa Baking Book recipe. Everything I have made so far out of Sweet Melissa's has been gourmet. I decided to give her cake a try. Of course this recipe was made for a layer cake, but I thought it would work fine as cupcakes. They were delicious, but definitely would have been better as a cake. They just lacked the firmer texture of a cupcake. They were a little too soft and delicate to. But since they tasted so delicious, I decided to make the frosting and hoped that they would be enjoyed. I found these adorable cupcake holders (picture below) at Target and I loved the finishing touch. Now, I am exhausted so I'm going to curl up on the couch and watch "The Office".



Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound carrots, grated medium fine
3/4 cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped

For the Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Zest of 1 orange
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8x2 inch round cake pans. Line each pan with an 8 inch round of parchment paper.
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs at high speed until light and frothy, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to medium and add the oil, sugar, and salt, and mix until just combined. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
3. Remove the bowl from themixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and walnuts.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Spin the pans to level the batter. bake for 45 mintues, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool for 20 minutes before turning the layers out onto the rack. Cool completely before filling or frosting.

Frosting:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and zest. Start on low speed and then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until just fluffy and smooth. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

Frost between the layers and around the cake until smooth. The cake keeps in a cake aver in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It tastes great eaten at room temperature or chilled!

A Blogging Award And Peanut Butter Cups

I was stunned when I pulled up one of my favorite blogs, My Kitchen Cafe, and noticed that Melanie had given me a blogging award, Blogging With A Purpose!  It made me feel so good that someone actually likes this silly blog!  I put so much time and energy into this blog and it makes me feel so good to have positive feedback, so thanks Melanie.  I too, love Melanie's blog, it is just my style of cooking and everything always looks and sounds so tasty!  I actually made her Peanut Butter Cups last week and they were exquisite!  So creamy and delicious!  It's my turn to 5 more fabulous blogs that I love for the same award, Blogging With A Purpose:

Kevin at Closet Cooking: It seems as though Kevin lives in his kitchen, almost a new tasty post every day or close to it.  He tries things that I haven't even dreamt of, but it inspires me to expand my horizons and try new things.  His pictures are perfect and every recipe looks beautiful!

Patsyk at Family, Friends, and Food:  I love this blog because it is right up my alley.  I love her recipes and I relate to her food, if that makes sense.  She is always so nice with her comments and I just adore her blog!

Melody at My Sweet & Saucy: I just found Melody's blog not to long ago, but I am now addicted. She is perfectly talented in the art of baking, and she inspires me with her beautiful cakes and treats.  

Patricia at Technicolor Kitchen: Patricia has a very beautiful blog with great pictures and great recipes.  She bakes and cooks things that I wouldn't normally think of, but when I see her photo's, it opens my eyes to new things and makes me want to give all of her recipes a try!

Jenny at Picky Palate: What can I say, Jenny has true talent in the kitchen.  She creates beautiful recipes, all of which I would like to try, and it inspires me to create my own dishes. It's so fun to see what she'll create next!  

Award winners, here's what you can do if you would like to nominate any other blogs:

1. Nominate 5 blogs which haven't had this award before.

2. Each of the blogs must have a purpose

3. The nominated blogs should link back to this page.

4. The logo from the award can be put on their blog and link back to this blog!

Thanks again Melanie, and now onto the Peanut Butter Cups!

I saw this recipe on Melanie's blog I knew immediately that I had to make them and very soon.  So I did.  And they were so delicious!  I liked that the peanut butter was mixed in with the chocolate, it made it so creamy and absolutely divine!  

Solid Peanut Butter Cups

12 oz. melted chocolate (I used 9 ounces semi-sweet squares and 3 ounces white chocolate squares)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate according to package directions, taking care not to overheat.  To the melted chocolate, add the peanut butter, sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spoon or pipe chocolate mixture into small baking cups.  Refrigerate until set.  Enjoy!

Glazed Lemon Cakes

These are delicious little lemon cakes with a nice, lemony glaze that is just the right sweetness for a sweet tooth!  And that is exactly what I have...a sweet tooth.  I have really been into lemon lately, and I was craving lemon very much this weekend.  I decided to give this recipe a try, and they turned out perfectly!  The cakes are very moist and just sweet enough, but when you bite into that glaze and get the fresh lemon flavor, it jumps out at you and just blends so well with the cake.  I will definitely be making these again!  If you love lemon like I do, give these a try and you will be in love!

Glazed Lemon Cakes

adapted from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast

6 servings

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for muffin tin

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for muffin tin

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice for the glaze

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice.  Set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of the buttermilk mixture.

3. Divide evenly among the muffin cups.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Set the rack over parchment paper.  In a small bowl, stir confectioners' sugar with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth.  (I had to add some milk).  Pour over the cakes, spreading to the edges with a small knife.  Let set for 30 minutes before serving.

Buttering Muffin Tins

A pastry brush is great for coating muffin tins and other small baking pans with butter because it can reach into tight spots.

Low Fat Double Chocolate Cupcakes With Strawberries and Cream

If I had to choose two foods to live on for the rest of my life, I would definitely choose strawberries and chocolate. I love the two seperately and I love them together. When I stumbled upon this recipe for Low Fat Double chocolate cupcakes, I had to give them a try and see if they were any good. I was very doubtful, but when they came out of the oven and I tasted a warm, chocolate cupcake with little bits of melted chocolate inside, I was sold. Low fat can still be very delicious! Obviously I don't experiment a whole lot with the low fat foods, but it is my goal to inch my way in. I want to be healthier, but I just can't sacrifice cutting myself off from the delicious desserts that I so adore. So, in moderation I will enjoy them and be happy! I have seen many blogs lately with chocolate muffins or cupcakes, so I decided to put my own personal spin on this particular cupcake. I love strawberry shortcake, love it, love it, love it! This time, I decided to try it with chocolate. It turned out perfectly! Absolutely delicious! Each cupcake has only 139 calories and 2 grams of fat. So you can eat this dessert without guilt! Try it, you will love it!

Low Fat Double Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

2 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in the buttermilk, water, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to batter just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Fill muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
I dusted powdered sugar over the cupcakes for a finishing touch.

Yield: 14 cupcakes

Nutrition Facts:
1 cupcake equals 139 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 221 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 

3 g protein.

Sweet Nachos

Okay, so this picture does NOT give this sweet dessert justice.  Trust me when I say that there is nothing like this.  The flavor combinations are absolutely indescribable!  You have to taste it for yourself.  Once you have, you will crave it every second until you have it again.  I know this from personal experience.  My husband and I used to go to a little local Mexican restaurant that just happened to be next to a dog food factory.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It looked like a little run down place, no lights around outside,very dark, very creepy and you honestly didn't know if your car was going to be there after you had finished and left the restaurant.  But this is the very reason that we would risk anything just to get a taste of these nachos for dessert.  Then, we moved away, 65 miles away to be exact, and we wondered how we would get our fix...and than I thought about the actual ingredients involved.  Not very complicated!  So, one night I made them and it was just like being back in that little run down shack!  I even created the honey butter recipe from scratch.  It's really tasty and sweet! Priceless.  Make them.  You will thank me later.  :)

Sweet Nachos

serves 4 

(but my husband and I can have the plate licked clean easily--just the 2 of us)

Oil for frying

6 flour tortillas- cut into 8 triangles each (48 triangles total)

Your favorite Vanilla Ice Cream

Honey Butter (recipe below)

Cinnamon and sugar mixture (1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon)

dash of cinnamon

Heat oil in a shallow pan over medium-high heat.  You can tell when the oil is hot enough by placing the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and the oil bubbles around the spoon.  Place the tortillas into the oil in small batches until very lightly browned.  Place on paper towels and lightly sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place tortillas on serving plate.  Scoop vanilla ice cream over tortillas.  Pour honey butter over ice cream and tortillas.  Sprinkle top with a dash of cinnamon.  You can make as little or as much of this recipe as you desire, just adjust the ingredients accordingly.  Enjoy!

Honey Butter

(this recipe makes a ton)

1 cup honey

1 cup butter, softened

5 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

Warm honey in the microwave or in a double broiler.  Using a mixer, add softened butter and mix until all the butter is melted through and blended well.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix until smooth and creamy.  You can poor into a squeeze bottle for later use, or just keep in a bowl in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Cupcakes!!!!

Okay, so if you look at my past posts, it totally looks like I eat more sweets than real food...but trust me, it's true.  Just kidding, this was a special occasion!  My sweet baby girl is turning 3 years old tomorrow, and so I made her cupcakes for her special day.   Me and my husband of course sampled them when she was snug and sound asleep in her cozy little bed, and let me tell you they were absolutely the BEST chocolate cupcakes I have EVER had!!!! Until some time ago when I realized how much I love to bake, I would make cupcakes from the boxed cake mix.  I was always disappointed in how dense they were and a little too light and fluffy for my taste.  I searched and searched for a perfect cupcake recipe and I finally found it!  These are soooo delicious.  Nice and rich and the perfect texture for a lovely cupcake.  I topped them with buttercream icing, (of course..) and they were perfect! My little girl will love them too...hopefully there will still be some left for her birthday tomorrow.......  :)

Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup boiling water

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla and mix well.  Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add to creamed mixture.  Blend in flour.  Blend cocoa and boiling water, to make a thick paste.

Combine chocolate mixture with creamed ingredients.  Pour into cupcake papers that have been placed in muffin pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Makes approximately 18 cupcakes.

Adapted from Cooks.com

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

6-8 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy,about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.  You may not need to add all of the sugar.  If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly.  (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes enough frosting to frost 24 cupcakes or 2- 8 or 9 inch round cakes.

Adapted from cooks.com

Luscious Lemon Bundt Cake

Oh my goodness! I have been craving a bundt cake for the last year, and I have resisted the urge to add a couple of pounds to the rear end, but I couldn't stand it any longer! I had to take the plunge and vow to work it off for the next 2 weeks. Oh, it was so worth it. This cake is so moist and lemony (is that a word?) and it just melts in your mouth. So, if you want an excellent dessert that is worth EVERY calorie, make this!

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix
1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. Serve topped with Lemon Icing.

Lemon Icing:

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice (real lemon is best)
milk

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, add milk 1 tbsp at a time until thin enough to drizzle over cake.