Time to get back to it with FF5 Cupcakes!

I know I haven't been on in a while but I figured it was time to get back into the swing of things and what better way then a cupcake recipe that can help you ring in the new year with your family, and friends!

These Cupcakes were inspired while I was Listening to Family Force 5 who are an amazing band!

I call them FF5 Flavored cupcakes (Fabulous Fun 5 Flavored Cupcakes)

there an amazing blend of vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, butter cream, and Peppermint!

*this recipe can contain alcohol*

I started by making a vanilla cake batter and adding chocolate and Cinnamon to it.
for the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

In a mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients. In a saucepan, combine water, oil, butter and cocoa; bring to a boil over medium heat. pour over dry ingredients; mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda; mix well. Pour into cupcake cups or a greased and floured 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 

*you can make this into a 2 layer cake if you would rather not make cupcakes*

while they are baking you'll be making a butter cream icing!

What you'll need

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons peppermint schnapps or 1 teaspoon of peppermint Extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoon milk

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 1 Tbsp. milk, adding 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.

once the cupcakes have cooled ice as you like,

This is what mine looked like

I added crushed up candy canes just for a bit of color.

Pumpkin Bread bunt cake!

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
• 3 cups biscuit/baking mix
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup milk
• GLAZE:
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons water

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin; mix well. Combine the biscuit mix, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk. Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.
3. For glaze, in a saucepan, cook and stir butter over medium heat for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown. Pour into a mixing bowl; beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled bread.

GO VOTE ON MY CANDY CORN CUPCAKES!!!!

http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/10/24/my-familys-favorite-food-contest-vote-for-the-best-homemade-halloween-treat/




ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COMMENT ON THE POST SAYING YOU VOTE FOR THE CANDY CORN CUPCAKES!!!!

melted witches

spent yesterday baking. wanted to get my mind off things so I baked these are the Creations that came out of my head! Enjoy!

Chocolate homemade Oreo cookies! I make these bigger then normal Oreo's because come on who can eat just one Oreo cookie?

butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt


preheat the oven to 350.
Beat the cool butter until creamy using an electric mixer.
Beat in sugar, and vanilla.
When creamy, beat in the egg.
When egg is mixed in, beat in salt, baking powder, cocoa, and baking soda, but don’t go crazy beating the batter.
Add flour and mix until it is blended in.
drop by the spoon full on to foiled cookie sheet and bake for 13 mins

FOR THE CREME:
5 Tablespoons of Veg Shortening
1 cup powder sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Beat together in mixer till smooth

I used a buttercream Icing tho! :) after icing place in the fridge for about 2 hours(this makes them a little crispy) and enjoy.

then I made Double Chocolate Brownies! but I never give my Brownie recipe away! hahaha sorry

and I made Chocolate Cupcake(you can make any you want for the base of the other project) and Melted witches! using the rest of the buttercream icing that I didn't earlier only adding purple food coloring to it!
this is the fun part!

what you need
mini oreos
food coloring (black and neon green)
dark chocolate chips
2 bags of Wilson melting wafers(white and chocolate)

I bought wilson melting wafers in white and chocolate and using food coloring as they melted I turned them green(about 6 drops of neon green) and the chocolate black(about 5 drops of black)***IMPORTANT TIP!!!*** when you add food coloring or flavoring to a melt-able chocolate add 2 Tablespoons of Veg shortening to keep it smooth!

once they were at the colors I wanted I took a Teaspoon and dropped a Teaspoon at a time on a foiled cookie sheet making it a little off circle shape. then taking a different teaspoon I took VERY LITTLE black and topped it. once I got the amount that I wanted I took toothpicks and made the 2 colors swirl a little NOT A LOT!!!

place a half a oreo name down with out creme dip the very bottom of the chocolate chip in the black chocolate and place on the oreo. wait for them to dry and there you have it Melted Witches!

I was thinking I could make these into cookies too! just like my snowmen cookies only change the color of the melted topping to green and see what happens! :) give it a try

Night Eyes Cupcakes

 

for Halloween week I decided to make these... this is not a picture of mine those will come tomorrow or the next day today's 2 were not this pretty! haha

heres the recipe! :)

Your favorite chocolate cupcakes. Use a mix, make homemade which ever you prefer


Whipped Cream Frosting:
4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of food coloring of your choice(make sure you add the coloring BEFORE you whip the cream with your mixer!)

Place the bowl and whisk attachment to your mixer in the freezer at least 15 minutes prior to beating the cream. Once the bowl and whisk are chilled, whip the cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and whip thoroughly until combined.

Make sure you beat this just until it’s the consistency of thick whipped cream. It won’t take very long, and you really don’t want to over whip it.

Frost the cupcakes very generously with the whipped cream. Be sure to level the tops off, to give the glaze a place to sit. Place the cupcakes in the refrigerator for at least an hour before glazing.

Chocolate Glaze:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup (my grocery store does not carry this, so I substituted 1/8 cup honey and 1/8 cup light corn syrup)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons of black food coloring


Once the frosted cupcakes are chilled, place the chopped up chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is very hot and just beginning to steam. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until it melts completely. Stir in the syrup (or honey and corn syrup), food coloring, and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Do not let the glaze sit longer, or it will become too stiff to spread easily. 

Spoon the glaze on the tops of the cupcakes and spread to the edges to allow it to drip down the sides. You don’t want to spoon on too much glaze, or it will drip all the way down the the bottom and make a huge mess. You just want it to drip a little bit.

Place 3 or 4 sets of eyes(I got mine at wal-mart in the wedding section were they normally have seasonal stuff too) on top of the glaze and enjoy!!!

Todays Creations!

Todays Challange!

4 dozen Cupcakes!
8 Dozen Cookies!

And very little time! I will post photos when I'm done! Wish me luck!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

 With Cream Cheese Icing to look like Candy corn!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
Beat 1/2 cup of butter, the white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract; beat until fluffy. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.

Pumpkin...

It seems to be pumpkin month! So over the next few weeks to a month be on the look out for my Pumpkin updates! There sure to be delicious! Here are a few recipes I'm going to try!

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin spice Bread
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Pumpkin Bars

AND......

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES!!!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Muffins!!!

So My mom being the Baker she use to be Asked me yesterday to make her C-C-C Muffins!

and of course I jumped at the chance to bake! they came out well PERFECT!

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, water, milk, oil and vanilla. 

Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. 

Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 

I thought about making a Melted Chocolate Chip sauce to drizzle the tops with. if you would like you can

1/2 cup chocolate chips melted in the microwave in 30 second intervals! Then just drizzle the tops with a fork or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped a ver little bit. if you do the ziplock bag it would be best to either use a towel to handle the melted chocolate or an over mitt the chocolate will be VERY hot!

its that time of year!

We all that or moments around the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas time of year, and don't get me started on our new year resolutions to "lose that 30 pounds we put on over the last 3 months". It never seems to work. Then it starts all over again, we get mad at ourselves for not losing that weight, and holidays come round again and we are right back were we started!

Believe me I've been there! I am there! so I figured why not make little changes to my recipes that can make them just a little healthier? I know your looking at your computer screen and going "Stacy what on earth are you talking about?" but here's the thing if you are a loyal reader, well then you know I love shearing Sweets with you guys! I love seeing what you make and knowing that it works out for you! But who wouldn't want the Same DELICIOUS taste that I have always brought you... but with a healthier kick?

I recently found a Bag of all wheat flour... 25 lbs. for 10 bucks! If you have ever looked into Wheat flour...or wheat ANYTHING you know that it can be pricy! so I snatched up the deal!(you have to love bulk store discount sections!) now do know that you can use regular flour on my Recipes or even half All purpose and half wheat. You can also make things a little Creamier and HEALTHIER by substituting Milk of any kind with Fat Free Greek Yogurt! I will tell you I am not a fan or Greek Plain Yogurt! So I found another way around that. I still use the milk that my recipes call for but if it calls for Whole I use 2% or skim.it works the same... and the same with buttermilk... which can be VERY fattening!

Another fat dodge I use is if something calls for Oil. I use Apple Sauce and you can use Sugar Free! no added sugar!

so keep those changes in mind the next time you want to bake! ;)

Pineapple upside down cupcakes!

This is a delicious separate dessert recipe for a family get together!

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CUPCAKES

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 can of pineapple rings

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pineapple juice

24 stemless maraschino cherries 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
 

In a small bowl stir together the melted butter and the brown sugar; spread the mixture evenly in a well sprayed cupcake pan. 

 

Pat the pineapple very dry between several sheets of paper towel, cut out 1/4 of the pineapple and place one in each cup, reserving the juice, place a cherry in the center of each pineapple!

 
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Stir in the vanilla. 

Add the flour mixture in three parts alternately with the juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. 

Beat well after each addition. 

fill each well about 3/4 the way full 
Place on the middle rack of the oven. 

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each cup, then turn out onto cookie sheet and let cool completely!

for the start of the season!

ok since My kitchen is going to be busy this coming month and a half, I am making lots of things for friends and family to make a few extra bucks for a concert I want to go to Nov 25th(I will be posting updates)!  I figured that I would start it off with a quick easy recipe!

Bark!

You can make this any kind but my dad LOVES Peppermint Bark so when Christmas comes and goes I always hit the day after Christmas sales for chocolates and candy canes!

this is a very EASY recipe.

using one box of candy canes unwrap them and stick them in a ziplock bag. taking something heavy crush them by pressing it down over them. I use a rolling pin of a cutting board DO NOT beat up the bag the pieces will be sharp till you get them almost peppermint dust and can cut through the bag.

once you are done with that you will need to melt 1 pound of chocolate and 3/4s a pound of white chocolate in seprate bowls

line a baking sheet with foil

once both are melted smooth pour the chocolate into the bottom of the baking sheet and spread out with a plastic or rubber spatula.

after 5 mins pour the white chocolate over the milk chocolate and swirl with a spoon.

sprinkle on the candy canes and let sit for 3 hours till set

remove it from foil and break into pieces!

serve in a candy dish.

made moms cake

ok guys this is the recipe

DRY mix first

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4-1 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

To make cake

1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

 

Combine flour, sugar,cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now stir to combine. Add shortening, using electric mixer on medium speed to blend the shortening into the dry ingredients. Completely mix shortening until you can't see any chunks. This is the mix which may be kept in a sealed container for several months.

To make the cake:.

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease sides and bottoms of two 9" baking pans, or one 9x13" pan. Lightly flour the greased pans. Blend the dry cake mix(above) with water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with the mixer at low speed until just moistened. Kick up the speed to medium and mix about 2 more minutes.

Pour batter into pans and bake 30-33 minutes for the 9" pans and 35-38 minutes for the 9x13" pan.If you wish to make cupcakes, bake for 19-22 minutes

apple dumplings

ok this is one of the easiest Apply Pie recipes that you can get

I don't have a specific pie shell recipe so use one that you love or you can even use store baught

What you do

Ingrediant
5 even sided apples
1 cup butter
4 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350

peel and core all 5 apples

mix together some butter, sugar, and cinnamon

using your hands rub butter all over the outside of the apples and pack the hole where the core was with the butter, sugar, cinnamon mixture.

then sprinkle the outside of the apples with cinnamon and sugar

wrap in pie shell in any design you would like.

sprinkle the top with sugar and cinnamon and bake for 35 mins

serve with vanilla or your favorite icecream!

this week

Moms birthday is this week and I plan to make a Cake Nightmare before Christmas style! wish me luck!

Lemon Bars

this is a easy and simple recipe for Lemon bars

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 lemons, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  

In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.  

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

Cherry Crisps

OK today is the last day of cherry week and I made a Cherry Crisp tonight

its an easy recipe!

heres what you need

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 cup of quick oats
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

heat oven to 350
with fork mix or cut together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup butter, this will be a very dry and crumbly dough
in a 9x9 or 8x8 pan press the dough into the bottom till packed
bake for 8 to 10 mins or till golden brown and firm

in a medium bowl mix oats, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon till crumbly

removing the cooked dough from the oven added the cherry pie fill to the top of the crust and top with oat mixture move back to oven for 10 minutes.

serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

you can use any pie filling for this recipe I used apple and cherry

A Recipe for Christmas or Halloween.

OK so a Friend(Charmed) of mine needed a Good Gingerbread House recipe!

this is a recipe that works amazingly well! I would suggest that if you are planing to make this for Christmas that you try it first as a haunted house for Halloween!

Gingerbread House

3/4 cup butter

7/8 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 candy cane crunched up
    
ICING
    2 egg whites
    5 to 6 cups confectioner/powder sugar, sifted

First cut out in thin cardboard: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2x5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2x9 inches. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.
   
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together; stir into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
   
Crunch up your candy cane and set aside in a small bowl. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each. Roll out remaining dough,*optional- cut two 2x2 inch squares and cut out the centers to look like a window with a 4 smaller squares in the center* and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. Transfer gingerbread onto FOILED baking trays spray the foil lightly with cooking spray. To your windows add your crunched up candy cane as the cookie bakes the candy cane will melt and end up looking like a stain glass window!
   
In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks, your windows might stick a little so once cool enough to handle gently turn over and gently remover the foil from the back SLOWLY. Leave out overnight to harden.
   
In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.

Cherry cake

Cherry Cake!

this is a delicious cake to make. its moist and fluffy


1/3 cup butter or shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 to 2/3 cup cherry juice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Halved Maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the juice. Stir in cherries.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool, then ice and decorate!


You can add Walnuts or Pecans to this cake just stir them in with the cherries!


this is what mine looked like

Chocolate Treasure Cookies

These Tasty Chocolate Treasures have a secret to hide!

Keeping with my Cherry week I made Chocolate Treasure Cookies with a sweet little Secret on the inside!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). 

Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center of each ball with thumb.

Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place a cherry in indentation of each cookie ball.
 

In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
 

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

 This is what the insides will look like!

 

 

Black Forest Cheesecake!

Black Forest anything is Delicious in any form. A tasty mix of Chocolate and cherries! but if you LOVE cheesecake...... I mean Can't live without it and you LOVE chocolate and Cherries too... then this is you recipe!


here's the recipe!

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
2 cups split maraschino cherries
5 packages (8 ounces each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 package (8 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 cup thawed prepared whipped topping
18 whole Honey Maid Honey Graham crackers, finely crushed(I used Chocolate Graham crackers)

 

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. you'll be using a 13 x 9-inch foil baking pan, Mix graham crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.

 

MEANWHILE, cut 2 cups of cherries in half and set aside. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add melted chocolate and sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour half of the cream cheese batter over crust; top with the cut cherries. Cover with remaining cream cheese batter.

 

BAKE 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Top with pie filling and the whipped topping just before serving. spreading the cool whip over the top first then top with the cherry pie filling

 

 

Serve and enjoy

Cherry Cream Puffs/Regular Cream Puffs

When People Think Dessert its normally out of a box from the store. But I have a recipe that you can make that will not only impress your family but any guest too and its so fast and EASY!!!

Cherry/Vanilla Cream Puffs!

Today I made some of both! and there were so easy I would definitely make them again!

Heres what you'll need!

For the Filling
A large instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup Cool Whip
1 1/2 cup milk

For the Cherry filling or Topping
2 Cup Cool Whip
1/4 cup Cherry Juice

********mix together with a whisk and place in the fridge******* 

For the Pastry
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 Tablespoon sugar



The only 2 parts of this that I didn't take photos of was the putting together the filling(its pretty self explanatory) and the filling the puffs

So here we go!

Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, and milk with a whisk, whisking out all the clumps till smooth. Once it starts to thicken, which it will pretty fast since your using half the milk it calls for, then add in the cup of cool whip this will make a heavy cream! Cover and refrigerate to set.

Now for the pastry's

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour, sugar, and salt until the mixture forms a ball. 

Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer

Add in the vanilla. You will mix the dough on a low speed to beat out all of the heat then you will beat in the eggs.

The Mixture should be sticky or chewy looking like taffy here's a photo

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes and then poke a small hole in them with a tooth pick to let out steam then bake for an additional 5 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.

When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells, its easiest to to find a weak part in the side of the pastry if your feeling them with a piping bag fill to almost bursting... the cream puff should be 2 times as heavy as when you started with the filling inside. But cutting them works too if you cut off the VERY tops and fill with your filling then recap them!

 For the topping there is several things you can do. Dust with Powder sugar, Drizzle in Chocolate syrup, or just do what I did!

WHO WOULDN'T WANT THIS DELICIOUSNESS?

  

Cherry Almond Fudge!

in keeping with the Cherry theme this week Todays Recipes is Cherry Almond Fudge!

What you'll need

3/4 cup whipping cream

2 cups sugar

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped slivered almonds

1 cup chopped dried cherries

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Mixture

1. In heavy saucepan, combine butter, cream and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil, stirring frequently, 8 to 10 minutes, or until mixture reaches 234°F (soft ball stage).
2. Remove from heat; add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until smooth.
3. Add, almonds, cherries and almond extract; mix until well blended.
4. Pour mixture into 9-inch square pan lined with buttered foil. Refrigerate until cool; cut into 1 1/2-inch squares. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

I love the way it taste and lets just sat that it Disappeared FAST!

Very Cherry Week!!!

I love Cherries! And if you can't tell so does my family and boyfriend! So this is VERY CHERRY WEEK Kurt's birthday started it off with his delicious Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake!

So I will post a cherry recipe a day! 

first one is a Cherry Limeade Cake

Its Delicious and Easy!!!

for the Cake

3 cups cake flour(I used all purpose flour, just add EXTRA 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 tsp baking powder)

1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. limeade concentrate(in the frozen food isle)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk

For the lime syrup:
3/4 cup limeade concentrate
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the frosting:
3 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 tbsp. (or more) maraschino cherry juice
red food coloring (optional)

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  spray and flour your pan.  In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter until smooth.  Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed.  Add in the limeade concentrate and mix to incorporate.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Add in the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix ingredients just long enough to incorporate but no longer.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack over wax paper to cool completely.

Once the cakes have cooled, whisk together the limeade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lime syrup.  Poke several holes in the top of the cakes with a skewer or end of a Wooden Spoon(which is what I used) and pour the syrup over the cakes, allowing it to soak in.


In the meantime make the frosting, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter and maraschino cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth.  Add more maraschino cherry juice as needed to achieve desired texture.  Add red food coloring if desired.

I served this with Cherries on top too. but its up to you some people wait till the end of the process and as they serve it add a slice of lime and a cherry for pretty garnish!

for a birthday gift!

Cookie dough truffles

and

The dipped pretzel sticks you see on the left hand side of movie basket

so here are the recipes for the truffles and the pretzels!

PRETZELS!
a package of pretzel rods
Kraft Caramels
Almond bark

melt Caramels as directed over stove or in microwave

dump the melted caramel in a tall glass and dip your pretzels till about half dipped placing them on a piece of foil for 30 minutes till cooled and set

melt almond bark over double broiler and dip your now set pretzels in the melted bark and place on foil lined cookies sheet sticking in the fridge till set.

COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES!

you favorite cookie dough minus the EGG! in place of eggs add a half can of sweetened condensed milk. mix till smooth and chill in fridge for an hour. using table spoon, spoon out dough rolling in your hands to make one inch balls and set back in fridge for 45 minutes

melt almond bark in flavor of your choice over double broiler and rolls cookie dough in chocolate using fork sit back on cookie sheet to set when done dipping.

AND NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT!!!!

THE CAKE!!!!

I made a Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake!

 It was a HIT!!!! 

this is what was left!

Its your Basic Chocolate Cake with white icing the secret is the Cherries!

I bought a jar of Maraschino Cherries WITH steams, the night before I took all the cherries out of the jar saving the juice in case I want to use it for something else and dried them on paper towels in the fridge(about 16 hours), then took dark chocolate(any kind) and melted it. Taking the 9 cherries I was going to use on the top of my cake I left the steams on and dipped them in the chocolate placing on foiled cookie sheet sitting upright. With the rest of the cherries I took off the steams and coated them in the chocolate all of these went on the foiled sheet as well and went back in the fridge till ready for use! There you have it a DELICIOUS Chocolate Covered Cherry Caked!

Mint Pillows!

here is todays recipe!

Mint Pillow Cookies!

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
49 andes créme de menthe thins

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms.

Divide dough in half.

On well-floured surface, roll half of the dough into a 14 x 9-inch rectangle. Arrange mints evenly on dough, forming 7 rows of 7.

Between 2 sheets of wax paper, roll remaining dough into a second 14 x 9-inch rectangle.

Remove top sheet of wax paper and discard.

Carefully turn second rectangle over mint-topped dough, matching edges.

Remove remaining wax paper. Using a pizza cutter or scalloped-edge pastry wheel, cut dough evenly between mints. Gently press edges of pillows to seal.

Place pillows 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 400° degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown. Sprinkle with powder sugar and cool completely before storing. 

*For these I just rolled out little bits of dough and wrapped them around the mints it worked better for me that way!*

Todays Recipe!

Today's Recipe was Chocolate cupcakes with Chocolate Icing still working on the recipe!