Cup-Cake-Crazy

For my whole post on my blog you can go here. Otherwise, just sharing cute cupcake ideas: themes, recipes, decorating ideas: BettyCrocker.com Cupcakes. I just love this one!

Homemade Oreos

For the previously mentioned RS meeting I baked and shared the recipe for Homemade Oreos. I'm sure many ofyou may have done these before, but if not- you don't know what your missing. So here's the recipe I use:

Homemade Oreos

Ingredients
1 box Devils Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
½ cup Shortening (butter flavored is best)

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
¼ cup Butter
2 tsp Vanilla
2-4 cups Powdered Sugar

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350.

2. Blend cake mix, eggs and shortening in large bowl or mixer until well blended. Roll into 1” balls and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until tops just begin to break. They will be soft. Set aside to cool.
ALEXIE’S NOTE: I put mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes so they don’t fall apart when I frost.

3. Beat together Cream Cheese, Butter and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you reach your desired frosting taste a texture: 2 cups will be more cream cheesy, 4 will be more sugary.
*ALEXIE’S NOTE: Sometimes I add a little mint extract and green food coloring.

4. Frost cookie generously, top with another cookie, and enjoy!

Kini Cake (coined by Paige)

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

Mix oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl; add to first mixture. Add milk and mix well. Blend melted chocolate and vanilla into batter. Stir in zucchini. Blake in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (mine took longer). Cool and frost.

Chocolate Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup milk

2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, bring butter and milk to a boil. Remove from heat. Add melted chocolate, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Chicken Strips and Apple Tart

So these are two recipes I got from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Most of her things are more complicated/gourmet (which means in my world that she uses ingredients and time I usually don't have but look incredible), but these where two EASY recipes so I thought I'd give them a try for dinner last night and they were SOOOO good! Curtis said he'd take these chicken strip over ones from a restaurant any day (and they were so tender after soaking that we didn't even use a sauce) and the tart was super simple and tasted so good.

A couple notes:

1. I used the buttermilk (just a small carton for 39 c) and it make all the difference so give it a try.
2. I didn't have Laurys so I just used the seasoned salt I had on hand.
3. Make sure to remove the tarts from the baking sheet RIGHT out of the oven, otherwise the runoff from the brown sugar acts like a candy and will cool and set to the pan making them a bit more difficult to remove. (yes, I waited, grr)

I don't have pictures of my food 'cause we ate it too fast, but here's some pics from the original blog. There are a LOT more on her blog so look it up if you're interested.

Quickie: Homemade Chicken Strips May. 25, 2009

• I stopped at the store and grabbed a couple of packages of chicken strips, which are boneless, skinless chicken breasts (often just the tender portion) that the butcher has cut into strips. Sometimes the package reads “Chicken for Fajitas” or “Chicken Tenders.” Basically, you’re looking for raw chicken that’s been cut into strips.
• Then I rinsed the chicken and submerged it in buttermilk for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can soak it longer if you’d like.
• Next, I threw about a cup and a half of flour in a separate bowl, and dumped in some Lawry’s—probably about 2 to 3 teaspoons. You can do lots of different spices here: cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, lots of black pepper. But I was in a hurry, and Lawry’s is hard to beat. After I stirred the flour mixture together, I drizzled in 1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk, stirring lightly with a fork as I drizzled.
• Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. You want it hot enough to sizzle and turn the chicken strips a nice golden brown, but not so hot that they’ll burn easily.
• Then remove a few of the buttermilk-soaked strips from their bowl and place into the flour mixture. Turn them over to thoroughly coat and place them on a plate. See how lovely they are! The flour, with the tiny drizzle of buttermilk (you can also use regular milk or beaten egg), formed little balls and clusters, which adhered to the buttermilk-soaked chicken. This’ll result in nice and textural—and crunchy—chicken strips. Yum! Continue coating chicken until all is ready to cook.
• When the oil is sufficiently heated (flour should bubble when sprinkled in), begin cooking the strips a few at a time. Cook for about a minute or a minute and a half on the first side—until you can tell it’s getting crispy and golden. Then turn them over and finish cooking the other side—another minute and a half or so. They don’t take very long to cook!
• When they’re done, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate and allow to drain while you cook the others. Serve!
  

Quick & Easy Apple Tart
1 sheet puffed pastry, cut into half OR thirds
3 to 4 apples, cored, halved, and sliced (but not peeled)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 415 degrees.
• Place puffed pastry rectangles onto a baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray.
• Add sugar and salt to apples. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
• Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
• Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter.
• Serve plain, with caramel topping, whipped cream, or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
• Feel like a pastry chef. Repeat as needed.

Fried Ice Cream Dessert

ok, so this is not a health food!

3 c crushed cornflakes
1/2 c toasted coconut
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
mix together and add:
1 cube melted butter
press 2/3 of the mix into bottom of a 9x13 pan
spread 1/2 gallon softened vanilla ice cream
pour on top:
1 jar butterscotch/caramel topping and remaining cornflakes mixture
freeze until ready to serve

Lexy's Carmel

This is a favorite of ours to give out at Christmas with red and green apples!

Carmel
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and; bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Stir in Sweetened condensed milk. Stirring continuously, Bring to a rolling boil.
3. Remove from heat immediately.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Serve warm with tart apples.

Note: This recipe is for dipping apples. If you want to do carmeled apples, at step 2 bring mixture to a softball temperature on a candy thermometer- then add vanilla.

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies

I got this from my friend, Robin, and though I haven't had a chance to make them, she says they are wonderful!

Here's the recipe. Make sure you follow it completely. You really do need to use cake flour. And you don't want to over cook them. If your oven is really at 375 it shouldn't take more than ten minutes, even though they won't look done. Pull the cookies out and let them sit on the cookie sheet for another ten minutes to finish setting. -Robin McLelland

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups shortening

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg, beaten

4 1/3 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

sugar, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and shortening using an electric mixer.

3. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.

5. Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.

6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not overmix.

7. Scoop with an ice-cream scoop and roll in sugar.

8. Place directly on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

9. Bake at 375° for 9-10 minutes. Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, the edges do not brown.