Cup Cakes... Again

I do believe cupcakes are my favorite treats to make. I was inspired last week when my sister in law and I went to Sprinkles, I had the most delicious coconut cupcake! So when my hubby asked me to make some cupcakes to take to the hospital I knew I was going to do a coconut cupcake! I also did a Mega-Brownie for the third time and I think I have figured out a recipe I feel comfortable posting, and since someone requested chocolate chocolate I did just that, a chocolate-chocolate-chocolate...
I am not to the point where I make the cake from scratch, I don't have the time and I don't think it makes that big of difference...

20 COCONUT CUPCAKES
Grocery List: 1 box white cake mix (+ ingredients to make the mix), Coconut Extract, 2 Sticks Butter, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1 pound bag Powdered Sugar, 1 Bag Coconut flakes

Make the cake as directed, add 2tsp coconut extract to the mix, fill 20 cupcakes about 2/3 full- I don't do the full 24 because I like them a little bigger and round on top... Bake as directed, meanwhile make the coconut butter cream

COCONUT BUTTER CREAM
2 Sticks Butter (softened)
1/2 Cup Crisco
1 pound Powdered Sugar
2-3+ tsp Coconut flavoring- this is the yummy part where you taste to desired coconutty-ness!
2tsp milk- if needed, frosting should be pretty thick and stiff...

Once cupcakes are baked and cooled pipe or spread a thick layer of frosting on cupcake and roll top of frosting in coconut flakes to cover. DELICIOUS!

20 Chocolate-ChoCoLaTe-CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Grocery List: 1 Box Triple Fudge Cake Mix (+ingredients to make cake), 1 bag Chocolate Chips, 1/4 cup Heavy Cream, 1 stick Butter, 1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese, Cocoa Powder, 1 bag powdered sugar
Make cake mix as directed and pour into 20 cupcakes 2/3 full, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of each cup cake- they will sink down as they bake- Bake as directed, meanwhile make the Frosting and ganache

GANACHE
1/2 bag chocolate chips in a glass bowl
1/4 cup Cream- Microwave for 1 minute and pour over chocolate chips, stir to melt. If the chips aren't totally melted boil a small pot of water and put bowl on top of water and stir till melted, remove from heat once chunks are melted.
Once the cupcakes are cooled dip the tops in the Ganache to get a nice cover over the top.
*if there is any ganache left over I use that to flavor the chocolate frosting instead of cocoa*

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 Stick softened butter
1 block softened Cream Cheese
1 bag powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa- again add this to taste to make is as chocolatey or mild as you wish
*Sometimes I add the melted chocolate ganache- so I don't end up wasting it*
Check the consistency of the frosting, it should be stiff enough to pipe and hold shape at room temperature, if it is too thick add a small dallop of sour cream or 2 tsp of cream.

Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, and ganached and cooled, pipe a swirl of chocolate frosting on.

24 MEGA BROWNIE CUPCAKES- These are like the Ultimate Brownie cupcakes from Cocoa Bean- I dream about them sometimes!

Grocery List: 1 box fudgy brownie mix (+ ingredients to make the brownies), 2 8oz pkg Cream Cheese, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, small marshmallows, 2 sticks butter, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1 bag powdered sugar, Cocoa

Mix brownie mix and fill GREASED cupcake cups about 1/4 full. Mix 2 pkgs cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 2 eggs, cream till smooth. Spoon or pipe cream cheese on top of brownie until about 1/2 full. Bake 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cheesecake will be golden and cracked and knife will come out clean. Be sure to do the knife or toothpick test to make sure brownie is cooked all the way. Remove from oven and sprinkle tops with marshmallow. Return to oven and broil until marshmallows are golden, this only takes a minute!!! Remove from oven and cool. Make chocolate frosting, you can make the same frosting from the above recipe or make a simple chocolate butter cream.
SIMPLE CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM
1 stick butter
1/4 cup crisco
8 oz powdered sugar
2-3 TBSP cocoa
1 TBSP sour cream
Cream together, frosting should be thick and delicious, add cocoa to taste and more powdered sugar if it is runny or more sour cream if it is too thick.
Pipe a dallop of frosting and enjoy, man these are good!!!
*These are so good and I admit that I have strong feelings for them, like I want to be more than friends with them :)*

Baked Blackberry Brie

I love cheese! Almost any kind, but some of my favorites are Gouda, Boursin, Winsleydale with Cranberries, Javarti with dill, Gruyere and Brie. My favorite way to eat Brie is Baked with a jelly served on apples, we had this at my wedding I love it so much.
Grocery List:
Puff Pastry found in the frozen section
1 small Brie wheel
Any jelly you like

Use a knife or cheese cutter to cut the rind off the brie, I put my brie in the freezer for about an hour or two so that it wasn't so squishy as I tried to cut it off

Thaw out a sheet of puff pastry and lay it out. Put about 1/2 cup of jam in the middle and put the Brie on top of the jam

Fold the edges up and around, grease a cookie sheet, places the folded side down on the baking sheet, brush the crust with egg white or cream and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown


Delicious, enjoy on apples, crackers, or just plain!

Snickers Cake

This cake is addicting and I ate half the pan by myself!

1 box German Chocolate Cake + ingredients to make cake
1 stick Butter
7 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
14 oz Caramels
6 oz Chocolate Chips
Pecan Pieces

In double boiler melt butter, caramels and sc milk. While mixture melts make cake according to box. Pour half of cake mix in a well greased 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour caramel mix over cake as evenly as you can. Pour rest of cake mix over the caramel layer. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over top and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until knife blade comes out clean.

This cake is good any time but it's my favorite the next morning as breakfast cake when the cake has cooled completely and the caramel sets up.... mmmmm pass the milk!!!

Cherry Nut Chicken Salad

One thing I miss most about my job is the free lunch. The Deli had some amazing Chicken Salad! My favorite was to get the Cherry Nut Chicken Salad on wheat bread with a smidgen of the Spicy Chicken Salad (it was extra spicy) smeared on top of the Cherry. I don't know the exact recipe but this is how I made my own
Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts
Crushed pineapple
Dried Cherries, I actually used Craisins because I didn't want to go buy Cherries
Pecan pieces
Mayonnaise

The amounts you use depend on how many servings you want to make, I use 1 chicken breast per serving and add the rest of the ingredients to my liking. I think I will make this in batches to last me all week and use 5-6 chicken breasts...

Boil the Chicken breast and cool off. Put chicken in a mixer- sounds weird but it breaks the chicken down nicely and easily-


Add about 1/4 cup crushed pineapple per chicken breast. Mix in desired amount of cherries and pecans, the more the merrier. Mix in mayonnaise until moist. Its like tuna, some people like lots of mayo, some a little, mix it how you like it.

This is delicious on a sandwich, on lettuce and spinach, or straight up plain. Enjoy!!!
For the spicy Chicken version instead of pineapple cherry and pecans add bacon, Serrano peppers, and cilantro, chop the three in a food processor before stirring into chicken.

Pink Sugar Cookies

I love most cookies, and when it comes to sugar cookies as long as there is frosting I am not picky, but these are by far my favorite!

Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
Cream together, add
2 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup milk
Mix well
In seperate bowl mix:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
Add dry ingredients to mixture and mix completely
Mixture will be very sticky, it's okay it's just because the butter was melted
Refrigerate for 4 hours
Roll out on floured surface, you may need to add extra flour if dough is too sticky
Cut in shapes
Bake 350 10-12 minutes, until edges are light brown

Pink Frosting
1 package cream cheese (8oz)
1 stick butter
2-4 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tbsp milk
***just add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency and taste***
food coloring of choice, I prefer pink
Yummy Yummy, Enjoy!

Mug Cake

This cake is different but its a fun quick little dessert for two, maybe for your sweet Valentine! From nothing to belly in about five minutes...


4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
A dash of salt
1 egg
3 Tbsp Milk
3 Tbsp Oil
Dash of Vanilla
4 Tbsp Chocolate Chips


Mix dry ingredients in a mug. stir in egg, mix well. add wet ingredients, stir well. Stir in 3 Tbsp Chocolate Chips. Pour remainder of chips on top. Microwave for 3 minutes, Cake will rise up out of cup, but no worries. After its done pull it out, run a knife around the edge and dump on a plate. The texture of this cake is different. Spongy. But it tastes pretty good and its super fun and duper easy.
Yummy with ice cream!!!

Chicken Caprese Panini

I love a good Caprese Salad. Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, some basil or pesto and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I also love Sandwiches, in this case paninis. I have been craving a caprese panini, but since I was making this for dinner and Kevin likes meat for dinner I decided to add some chicken... These turned out AWESOME!

INGREDIENTS:
Choice of Bread. If I had the time I would make some soft Foccacia but without the time to bake my own bread I just used Walmarts flat sandwich rounds found in their bakery.

Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Fresh Mozzarella
Pesto Spread- you can make your own pesto with fresh basil, olive oil and pine nuts but I just got the spread at the store.
1 Chicken Breast
Balsamic Vinegar



Marinate the chicken in some Balsamic Vinegar. I just pan fried the chicken but you can throw it on a grill. If you cook it in a pan add a little balsamic and water so the vinegar doesn't just burn. I tried cutting the chicken in half and also in strips. I found that cutting it in half was best and actually for round two of the sandwiches I used one chicken breast for two sandwiches, it depends on the size of the chicken.

Spread the Pesto on one side of bread- or both if you're feeling wild.
place sliced mozzarella and tomatoes on top of pesto spread. I don't have a panini press so I just use my George Foreman and it is awesome for paninis. If you don't have a George Foreman or a press you can just use a frying pan and flatten it with a another pan or a spatula.
After the mozzarella is melty and the bread is crusty pull it off the grill and add the chicken. The first time I made these I put the chicken on before cooking the sandwich and the juices pressed out of the chicken and made the bread soggy so it is just better to add the meat at the end.

ENJOY YOUR SANDWICH, THESE WERE YUMMY YUMMY!!