Easy Ganache

Hello and WELCOME to my new subscribers!  It is so good to see you all, it has been a little but but I know you all understand "life".  It is all going a million miles an hour and I love it, mostly!

I wanted to share my easy ganache recipe.  It really is a basic that I should have shared long, long ago.  It is the glorious ingredient in so many things and it is the crowning glory of so many more!

I will show you in the video, how to use my ganache 3 ways.  Glazed topping, whipped frosting, and truffles!

You can double or triple this recipe depending on what you are doing and how much you need.   I ALWAYS use semi sweet chocolate chips.  Here we go!

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, place your chips.  Then, either on your stove top or in the microwave, scald your heavy cream.  That means you need it to be bubbling around the outside but not boiling.  Pour it carefully over the chips, make sure they are all submerged and wait 2 minutes.  Let the heat of the cream work and then take a whisk and start mixing slowly.  You aren't looking to incorporate air, just mix the chocolate and cream together.  When it is smooth, add your vanilla.  Now.....

You can immediate dip cupcakes, or donuts, eclairs, cream puffs, etc in the ganache after letting it set about 5 to 10 more minutes.  

You can let it cool in the fridge, like over night.  Take a hand mixer to it and whip it.  You can see it changing color to a lighter brown as air incorporates and it basically transforms to the most decadent silky chocolate whipped cream you have ever been blessed enough to indulge in!  Pipe it on or spread it between cake layers, frost cakes, cupcakes, eat it with a spoon.  I would NEVER do that, but...I mean I have done it and highly recommend it!

Last of my choices is truffles.  Let it get really solid, use a small cookie scoop or spoon, roll into balls and then roll in anything...crushed chocolate candies, nuts, coconut, cocoa, powdered sugar, maybe stick a surprise in the center!

Here is a link to my video.  Make sure to subscribe, I would LOVE to have you!  

ENJOY!

Chocolate Monster Cookies

Snack time, again!  Because the holidays didn't bring us enough sugar right?  Oh well, life goes on and so does dessert!

These cookies are a staple of my child/teen hood.  My oldest sister, who we will refer to as "number 1" (for birth order sake ONLY) is the queen of these cookies.  She always used to have these cookies at her house, AND red Kool-Aid.  She was the Kool-Aid queen actually.  I don't know what she put in that stuff, but I always drank the Kool-Aid! HA!

Anyway I took her recipe and used up some leftover Christmas baking goods.  I didn't get much done with my husbands health issues, but, I had some leftover things I wanted to use.  You can use peanut butter in place of the Nutella, that is the original way, but I had tons of Nutella that needed used so I turned them into chocolate cookies and man oh man are they good!

I hope you give them a go, and enjoy their chewy, (no flour) goodness!!

6 eggs
1 cup softened butter
3 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
20 oz. Nutella
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pancake syrup
4 tsp baking soda
9 cups quick oats
1 cup butterscotch chips
2 cups M & Ms
1 cup Heath toffee bits

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in the order they are listed.  Feel free to change your add ins to whatever you have on hand that you want to use up, this is just what I chose and it was fantastic.  

Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.  I used my 1/4 cup cookie scoop because I wanted real MONSTER cookies.  Feel free to use a smaller scoop.  I only could fit 4 on a pan.  Can you say, "takes forever"?  So do what you want, get a real MONSTER size cookie or make smaller cookies.  They are chewy and delicious.  Bake for 10 minutes and make sure to let cool COMPLETELY on the cookie sheet before removing! 

ENJOY my friends!

Brownie Chews

OK, let's be honest with each other.  Some recipes are made from the best mistakes ever.  Some mistakes, turn into beautiful, chewy, decadent, better than s...well a lot of things, brownie chews.  Some recipes just do that.  Here is my story....

Many of you know we just went through a horrible life situation and while my son was in the hospital, I took a walk and found myself in the hospital gift shop.  Do hospital gift shops have the CUTEST stuff or is it just me?  I find myself actually excited to visit someone so I can go to the gift shop.  Sad.  But true.  Anyway, I needed some chocolate and FINALLY was able to pick up a bag of Sheila G's Brownie Brittle.  As it turned out I got 2 pieces while my son finished off the bag.  Undeniably, they are awesome,  really.  And while I am not a "crunchy edges" kind of girl, they were just the bomb.  (I am the chewy stuff inside girl)  So I set out to make my own version.  I didn't want to use a box brownie mix, (pats self on the back).  I found a recipe for it at www.babble.com.  I tried this recipe, and it burned.  So the second time I tried it, I decided to experiment.  Lord help us all, because it worked.  I decided instead of double baking them, I was going to bake them one time.  Their recipe calls for putting them in the oven a second time and I just didn't feel like I wanted to do that.  So I didn't.  Just thank me now if you want.  If you are the chewy stuff in the middle kind of person, just THANK ME NOW!

So while these ingredients are the same as the recipe, the method is very different and outcome is even better, I think, that you can imagine.  Let me share with you my happy experiment, wait, or was it an accident?

You will need:

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg white
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
 3/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
mini chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a standard size cookie sheet, by spraying with nonstick cooking spray, laying a piece of parchment over it and then spraying again with nonstick cooking spray.  OR, use a silicone mat.   (SILPAT people feel free to send me a nice one)

I melted my butter right in my mixing bowl in the micro, then add sugar and vanilla, mix until combined.  Add in your egg white, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and pinch of salt, whisk until smooth and whisk lickable.

Now pour on to your prepared pan.  Spread it out a LITTLE bit, maybe 8x11 maybe 10x12, no bigger, remember it will spread in the hot oven.

Bake for 14 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, any amount you deem acceptable and let cool completely.  You can cut with a knife or use kitchen shears like I did.  They will be chewy, and perfect.  I have no more to say, just make them, please.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.  And zucchini?!?!  I know, it makes no sense.  I mean it REALLY makes no sense.  A veggie such as this, married with more chocolate than you even knew you could consume?  Fantastic.  And what is better?  MADDIE will eat it!  Maddie wanted to make a cake, and a co-worker of my husbands (thanks Emily!) brought him a zucchini.  I am NOT about letting food go to waste, even if it is a veggie that isn't necessarily my favorite, it is getting consumed, period, end of story.

In my mind, I decided it was ok to convince Maddie this was a "chocolate vegetable".  Because yea, she was going to fall for that.  In fact, I thought she had.  Then when I took video of her saying that, she blurts out that it is a zucchini.  Little rascal knew all along, almost as if she was just appeasing me.  Well, the joke is on her, because it DOES taste like chocolate.......in this cake!  Another way to get your kids to eat a veggie!  Throw in some extra zucchini, they won't be any the wiser.

 
Now with mine, I shredded it using my food processor and then I took half of that, and just used the blade in my processor and zapped it into little bits.  Sometimes kids have a texture more than taste issue and I wanted that to be a non issue.

I also went a slightly different route than the sometimes more "earthy" flavor of a chocolate zucchini cake.  The expresso powder is just enough to make the chocolate even chocolate-ier, and the milk chocolate chips along with the zucchini makes it so moist, it ALMOST doesn't need frosting.........almost.

Enjoy making this cake, it seems like a lot of ingredients but it isn't, and your kids will have fun helping!  

You will need:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp expresso powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2-3 cups zucchini (half shredded and half zapped in the food processor until it is in small pieces)
10-12 ozs. milk chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  In a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer cream together butter and sugar.  Next add in oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.  Mix until a smooth batter is formed.  Set aside.

In another large bowl add in flour, cocoa, expresso powder, baking soda and baking powder.  Mix together until combined.  Pour into liquid ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.

Pour into your greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  This takes a bit, but at 50 minutes start checking, mine took longer.  When the cake is set and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean of wet batter remove from the oven.  Start making your frosting immediately!

Frosting:
In a medium saucepan combine:
1/2 cup butter
2 T. unsweetened cocoa
3 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and add in vanilla and 3-4 cups of powdered sugar.  Whisk until all combined and the frosting is the consistency of elmers glue.  (good one eh?) Pour over warm cake and let sit until the icing is set on top, about an hour.

Enjoy this delicious dessert, nobody will even KNOW has anything good for them in it!  It is so moist and delicious, get a piece right away or you are going to be waiting for that next zucchini to be ready in your garden to make it again!

Triple Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake

Mmm-hmmmm.  I know.  To good to be true?  I would agree if I hadn't eaten 2 slices myself.  But, as per usual, there is a story here.  This didn't turn out to be what I planned for it to be. 

So, I confessed on my Facebook page that I love those little chocolate bundt cakes from Kentucky Fried Chicken.  So sue me.  It has been my personal mission to recreate those little rings of love from the beginning.  I have tried a few things but, this time....THIS time, was going to be, THE time.  Well I am not to proud to admit it wasn't THE time, but this time, it came out so delish, I had to share it anyway.  I have figured a few things out about those little rings of love.  They are frozen, that alone keeps them super moist, so if you want to make this cake ahead, and freeze it for a few days or a week before you ice and serve it, you might get a closer result.  I was not going to give you a cake that you had to freeze for a week, but if you DID do that, uh-huh, might be your ticket to greatness. 

When I originally made this with just a regular from scratch chocolate cake recipe, it didn't do so well.  A bit like falling apart brownies, no bueno.  So I knew this time I wanted to use a pound cake base.  Well, it turned out lovely, and seriously, if the "triple" doesn't reel you in on the chocolate factor, maybe the sour cream will. 

Here we go!  You want ALL of your ingredients at room temperature, even the sour cream.  Do this by leaving everything on the counter for at least 30 minutes prior to baking!  There are a few ingredients near the end, I will make all ingredients RED!

You will need

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3 cups all purpose flour
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1, 3.9 oz. box of instant chocolate pudding
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F, and spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

In the bowl of your mixer, or any large bowl if mixing with an electric mixer, add in your butter  Beat until creamy and smooth, and it has lightened a bit in color.  Add in sugar and continue to beat until sugar and butter are light and fluffy.  Add in your eggs, one at a time, beat it in before adding the next.  Next you will add in your vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

In another bowl combine, your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and instant chocolate pudding mix together.  Just give it a quick mix to combine it. 

Now alternately add in some of the flour mixture to your butter and egg mixture, and then add some sour cream.  Alternate until all ingredients are combined and your batter is smooth and creamy. 

Fold in chocolate chips and pour into your bundt pan.  This will fill it nearly to the top.  No worries, it won't rise a ton, and even at that, it won't overflow.  It might make you nervous, but no worries, I got your back on this.  Trust me.

 

Now bake for 90 minutes.  Yes, I said it, 90 minutes.  Start checking at the 70 minute point, and when a toothpick comes out clean it is done.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

Next you will need

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup regular milk of your choice

Mix these together and set aside.  Poke holes in your cake, while still in the pan.  Make them go all the way through just don't go quite all the way through.  Make these wholes all over.  I used a chopstick.  Now SLOWLY pour the milk mixture over the cake.  Go slow or don't call me to clean up the sticky mess!  When you are done, let sit until completely cooled and the milk is completely absorbed.  Run a knife around the inside hole and the outside, and flip out on to a plate.  If I were going to freeze it, this would be the point where I would wrap it tightly in saran wrap, and then foil and place in the freezer, otherwise, move on!

THEN you will need:

1 cup powdered/confectioners/icing sugar
1 1/2 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients.  Make sure it is a loose enough mixture to drip down the sides of the cake and go for it.  Drizzle it, spoon it, do whatever you feel is necessary to get that icing on that cake!  Garnish with some mini chocolate chips if you like!

Enjoy this rich chocolate goodness!  I have to admit, I still put some whipped cream on top because, well, everything is just better with it. 

ENJOY!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bark

Uh huh.  That's what it says in the title.  This recipe is a chocolate/peanut butter lovers dream.  I qualify, and apparently, after eating nearly this entire batch over the course of 3 days, my son qualifies as well!  HA!   It never gets old, no matter how old your kids get, seeing them enjoy something you make.  Am I right?  Or am I right?

I have seen this recipe so many places, I can name a few here, but a lot on Pinterest and then two YouTube channels I subscribe to most recently, they are Tammy over at Yoyomax12 and Lynn at Lynn's Recipes.  When I saw it, I thought how easy it looked, how fancy Nancy it looked and how flipping GOOD it looked!  I had to try it. 

Now, you can opt for any chocolate on the bottom.  I opted for semi sweet, I used chocolate chips which some don't recommend but let me tell you it turned out perfectly for me.  With the chocolate chips there is just ONE little trick.  Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stir well, you ideally do not want to overheat the chocolate so mix it well every 30 seconds, so the heat of the bowl and the already melted chips will melt what is in there more.  If you overheat the chips you are done.  Ok?  Btw, the semi sweet, balanced all of the milk chocolate perfectly, not disgustingly sweet, but, still fairly sweet.

I made a "larger" batch, I would say double what most of the recipes call for.  I definitely see, taking this as an edible gift in the future, because it is that good.  In a decorative little box, oh yea, this will be a fun gift! 

Here is what you will need:

parchment paper
1 8oz. bag of Reese's minis
12 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate chips (or whatever kind you choose)
6 ounces of peanut butter chips (about half of any bag)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Melt semisweet chocolate, slowly, take your time or you will ruin it!  When it is melted spread as thick or thin as you would like it.  Mine turned out to cover the better part of my cookie sheet. 

 

Next, working fairly quickly, melt your peanut butter chips.  Using the same method as the chocolate.  Drop spoonful's all over the chocolate you have melted and using a skewer, toothpick or butter knife, swirl the peanut butter around.  Be careful to make sure it maintains the swirled look and not so mixed up it looks like mud!!

 

 

Now take your mini peanut butter cups and cover the top, just drop them on, sort of evenly, you can always move them round.  Then, take your hand and press them down to so adhere into the chocolate and peanut butter!

And here is what you will end up with!  Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to make sure it is good and set.  Then break into pieces and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  You can leave it out while serving as well, it will stay hard.  (unless it is super hot).  No worries, to be honest, it won't last that long!

Enjoy this simple, sinful treat!

PS.  Don't worry about the peanut butter and chocolate on my fingers.  When I was done I went ahead and licked it off!

Butterscotch Brownies

Hello friends!  I am finally back on my game!  WOOHOO!  I hope you are all doing well.  I have been busy in the kitchen, just doing a lot of testing, tweaking and tasting!   I just have been keeping it from you, I guess.  Life got hectic, good and bad.  I am back and ready to roll out some more great food!

Brownies or blondies?  Which do you prefer?  What if there is a chocolate in a blondie or blondie in a brownie?  The struggle is real people, the struggle is real.  I love both and I will admit, I am still on a bit of a "use up".  I way over bought at Christmas and then there was clearance from Valentine's Day and well, the cupboards are jam packed. 

This recipe is a little of this and a little of that.  I started it based on another recipe I have and then 2 tries later, I got it.  I did it, thank the good Lord above because someone has to eat these misadventures and it can no longer be me!

These have something for everyone, chocolate, butterscotch, marshmallows, and toffee!  They are chewy and the perfect brownie/blondie consistency in my opinion.  I don't like hard and crunchy, I don't like raw, these, are chewy and soft, and oh so yummy!  Give them a try!

You will need:
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 egg
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup toffee bits
1 cup milk chocolate chips (use semi sweet if you choose)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt together butterscotch chips and butter stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and let cool until it is just warm.  Add in flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla and your egg.  Mix well!  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Stir in marshmallows, toffee bits, and chocolate chips.  Fold just until combined.  Place into a well greased 9x9 baking dish. 

Spread evenly and back 20-23 minutes, the center should still be a WEE BIT jiggly.  It will set as it cools. Don't over bake or you will get dry and hard brownies!

Enjoy these!  I like putting them in the fridge, because I like them cold.  I like all brownies refrigerated.  Freaky fact I guess.

Cinnamon S'more Krispies

Who doesn't love the darn things?  S'mores that is, melty chocolate, sticky marshmallow, and cinnamon cereal?  Hold up.  HOLD up.  Right? 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is without a doubt my favorite cold cereal.  I don't treat myself often but when I do, don't plan on getting a single solitary crunchy, cinnamon-ee, square of goodness, because they are mine, ALL mine.  We clear?  I have been on this cinnamon and chocolate combo kick lately.  You know, the same way some people think lemon makes everything amazing? Blech.  Or the way some people think nutmeg in white sauce makes it amazing? Double blech.  That is the way I like it.  In your head you are likely thinking, "screw her, cinnamon and chocolate SUCKS".  We are all entitled to our own opinions. As my dad used to say...  Well I am sure you know how the saying goes!

One of my other favorite worldly things is rice crispy treats.  Dear Lord in heaven, what I won't do to get one if I get the urge.  I fear for my own safety.  I definitely fear for the safety of anyone trying to slow my efforts.

So,  I just thought, heck, lets combine it.  Rice crispy treats made out of cinnamon toast crunch AND add chocolate.  Forgetaboutit.

This is very likely not the last rice crispy type of treat you will see here.  I am on a mission to make as many different kinds as possible.  I literally just had another idea.  Be right back need to get it written down.  I almost died when I took a bite of these.  Yes, I took a lot of bites ok, but we aren't TALKING about that. 

Please stop looking at me like that. 

These are easy and just a little change from the beautiful classic we know as rice crispy treats.  Get ready folks, I am about to bring you Cinnamon S'more Krispies!

You will need an 9x9 or 8x8 square pan or the equivalent, of some sort. (statements like this is why I will never be a cookbook writer or real chef)  It's ok, I like "Wannabe" status.  It makes sure people don't expect duck confit, with a raspberry reduction, topped with lightly steamed leaves from the rainforest and garnished with monkey toenails and stuff. 

1/2 cup butter
10 oz. bag of jumbo marshmallows
5-6 cups cinnamon toast crunch cereal or the generic version works perfect as well
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. package of milk chocolate chips

In a large pot get that butter melted, and toss in those marshmallows.  Stir constantly because let's be real, the ish burns in like 2 seconds if you don't.  And don't even try that whole "OMG I am going to stick my finger in and taste it".  See what happens. 

Anyway when it is all melted, add the vanilla, and then mix in the squares of cinnamon gold.  I go light, closer to the 5 cup side, but I don't dig dry treats, if you want to add closer to 6 you will still be fine.  Press down with a buttered rubber spatula or, butter hands.  As you can see in my photo, I still never get them even side to side, always a thicker spot.  Now, melt your chocolate, 15 seconds at a time in the microwave, until melted and spread on the top.  You can also just sprinkle your chips on top, pop in the micro for 20-30 seconds and they will be melted enough to spread.  Let sit at room temp until the chocolate is set.  You can speed this up by putting them in the fridge for an hour and then take them out and let them sit at room temp or you will need to see a dentist.  Fair warning.

Hope you love them, as much as I do!  In fact comment below and tell me how you feel about cinnamon and chocolate together!

ENJOY!

Candy Corn Peanut Butter Candy

Think Butterfinger friends.  Think Butterfinger. 

As I ranted last week, I had to buy like a 4.5 or 3.5 lb bag of candy corn last week for a recipe.  They claimed to have no smaller bags.  Psshhht, whatever.  So after I used 1/2 cup out of it, what in the HECK was I going to do with the rest of it?  I had no ideas, except that I wondered what I could do with them if I melted those babies down.   Why didn't I just take a few and do it myself?  I have no idea.  But I went searching around in the world of Google and found this recipe at aboutfood,com. Normally I don't make other peoples recipes but this was to intriguing, and way to easy to not share with you all.

This calls for only 3 ingredients.  Candy corn, peanut butter and chocolate.  Oh and sprinkles if you are cool like me.  This was so easy, I don't even have much else to say about it.  ALTHOUGH.....make sure you do score the candy corn mixture like you are supposed to, because those babies will challenge your sharpest knife.  You can cut them however you like really, fat bars, skinny bars, "bites", the choice is yours.  I did a few skinny and few fat and a few bites. 

You will need:
3 cups of candy corn (traditional flavor)
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
12 oz. chocolate chips for dipping
sprinkles (optional)

Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment (or foil) and then spray it with non stick cooking spray.  I leave the ends long so I can lift my goods right out as you all know.  Set aside and in a large bowl microwave your candy corn, 30 seconds at a time.  The first few times it will seem it will never melt.  DO NOT over heat it, or it will get hard on you, thus 30 seconds and stir.  When it is melted, add the peanut butter and combine completely.  If you find the candy corn stiffens up on you, you can microwave it another 10-20 seconds to loosen it up so it can be combined easier.  When that is done press it into the bottom of your baking dish and make sure it is even and as level as you can get it.  NOW......  take a knife and score the bars however you will want them.  The world is your sandwich, make it how you want.  When these chill they will become very hard yet crispy.  (again, think Butterfinger).  Now, into the fridge and let chill about 1 hour. 

Melt chocolate chips, and add about 1 tsp. vegetable oil.  I find it makes dipping easier, by thinning the chocolate just a WEEEEEE bit.  Remove the bars from the pan, and using a large knife, cut along your score lines.  Now start dipping.  As these come to room temp they will soften, and become chewy.  Dip them, and place them on a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet and immediately sprinkle if you are sprinkling, so they will stick.  When you are done, refrigerate again for 30 minutes to an hour and dig in.  If you serve these chilled they will be almost the consistency of a Butterfinger, if you serve them at room temp, they will have more of a chewy consistency, but delish, either way!

ENJOY!

Mini Cannoli Bites

It may or may not shock you to know I am not the biggest fan of the cannoli.  Not the traditional way anyway.  I am not a huge ricotta fan and sweetening it, doesn't feel any better to my taste buds!  HOWEVER, my husband IS and I wanted to make a little cheater version, simply because making homemade shells just wasn't in my days plan.  I think these turned out really good AND furthermore, I think they would be perfect for a party!  You have the sweet cream right inside an edible bowl.  Perfection.  No dirty dishes for this girl!

Now don't ask why because I can't explain but I would NOT use a mixer, hand held or a stand mixer to mix the ricotta cheese.  I don't know why, but when you just use a spoon, it doesn't become as thin.  We don't want cannoli sauce here.  When you use a mixer it changes things.  So please, just use a spoon or else, I can't guarantee you will be happy with the outcome.  Although even if it is a bit thin you ARE putting it into a pie crust bowl!  Right?

Enjoy these and make sure to only fill as many as you will need, and don't fill until just before serving! 

15 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
mini chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients until smooth, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pie Crust (I used premade or you can find my fab pie crust recipe here.
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon

Combine sugar and cinnamon until mixed and set aside.  Remove your pie crust and roll out.  Using a small glass or cookie cutter, cut out circles that are big enough to set down into mini muffin cups!  I would say a 2-3 inch in diameter cutter or glass will work.  One pie crust yielded 24 mini cups for me, so you will need 2 pie crusts to make an entire batch.  If you only want 24, half the ricotta mixture recipe. 

Preheat your oven to 425 F.  Spray your mini muffin tins with nonstick spray.  Taking your cinnamon sugar mixture, sprinkle your pie crust circles liberally and then take your circle push it down into one of your mini muffin cups careful not to stretch it a lot.  Just put it in and push it down, so you form a cup. Repeat with all of your circles.  Bake for 10 minutes and then let sit until cooled.  Remove cups carefully and fill with your ricotta cream using a spoon or pastry bag and sprinkle the top with mini chocolate chips.

These should not be filled until just before they are ready to be served!  If you fill your pastry bag it will make much quicker work of it and you can keep it cool before filling.  Just my 2 cents!

If you love cannoli, you will love these little bites of pure bliss!!

Mixed Up Sugar Cookie Bars

I brought you a sweet treat!  I actually brought you a freezer clean out recipe!  I have made these 2 times since for different friends. 

I have always been a bigger fan of sugar cookie dough, than chocolate chip dough.  My best friend used to make me sugar cookies with white chocolate chips in them all the time.  I LOVE them still!  I had run on a sale on this cookie dough and so I grabbed a couple and hadn't used one of them.  I needed to clean out the freezer and so I took what needed used up and came up with these beautiful, yummy babies.  I tend to have little patience for scooping out cookies.  I took the easy way and baked them as bars.  They take a bit of time to bake but don't worry, they are worth it.

Make sure to take the bars out maybe even before you think they are perfectly done, they will carry over cook and you don't want hard bars!  I added sprinkles to mine, because I have this thing about brown cookies.  They needed a pop of color!  These are perfect for bake sales by the way!!

30 ounces sugar cookie dough (I bought my dough)
1, 10-12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (you decide the kind!)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 350.  Combine cookie dough and chocolate and butterscotch chips.  Spread into a 9x13 cake pan and even it out as best you can.  Sprinkle the top with sprinkles and bake for 35-45 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before cutting!

Easy, huh?  I know!  And yummy too!

Chunky Monkey Cake

You know "chunky monkey" can only mean 2 things. CHOCOLATE and BANANA.  I know, there are a few other things in the famous ice cream, but for me, just the chocolate and just the banana please.  Combine it into a moist cake and I am goin' down kids.  DOWN!

I wanted this to be bars.  I turned out cake.  I mean, it COULD be classified as bars.  You just should eat it with a fork, BUT, you don't have to.   I think I like it this way.  I know I like it this way or I wouldn't have posted it for you.  (can you tell I am beyond tired?)

Anyway, if you follow me on Facebook or if Facebook actually shows my posts to you, you will see what I did with these last night.  HA!  I packed a container full to send to work with my hubby, only I planted a fake rubbery, looks like it was cut off finger into the container.  These are the things I do that just make me chuckle to myself.  They found it and I got an email back saying, "it's ON like donkey kong".  He will never shake me.  I will always be the better prankster.  Always. 

Here is the recipe, it is easy and quick and boy is it delectable!

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 very ripe bananas (if not ripened and mushy, microwave for a couple of minutes to soften)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine butter, and sugar until mixed completely.  Add eggs, one at a time until completely mixed in.  Now if your bananas are soft, through them right in and if you are using a stand mixer or hand mixer they will just break up on their own.  Even if you are hand mixing you should be fine.  Now toss in the rest of the ingredients, salt, baking soda, flour, vanilla, and then chocolate chips.  Don't over mix!  Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out clean, it is done!  Let cool completely and then drizzle with icing.  (recipe below)

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk

Mix together until combined and drizzle over cooled cake.

Your "chunky monkey lovin'" Chefwannabe

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

Hello to my favorite people!  It is so good to be back, in the kitchen, writing, creating, and sharing!  Wow, that sounded like a PBS television show.  I affectionately call it the coma channel, between the Victory Garden, Bob Ross, and the quilting lady, who needs sleeping pills?

I am BACK!  Done with sickness and back, better than ever!  Well, that might be a bit of an assumption but  I am hoping it will be true.  I think besides having double ear infection and a sinus infection, my MIND needed a break too.  I feel so refreshed.  Of course part of my excitement could be simply that I can breath again.  I can take 3 steps without hacking up a lung!  Oh, if I had a dollar for each time I said, "God, if you just make me feel better I swear I will never EVER say I am not feeling well to get out of anything again" I would be a rich woman.  By the way, the jury is still out on if this is a legit agreement. 

I have had this idea swimming in my head for awhile and decided it would be my "out of sickness" post.  I knew it wasn't going to be difficult because I used ALL box products.  Except the butter cream.  Yes, I did, and if you choose to be a better person than I, you can make your cake from scratch and the cookie dough as well.  This is a great recipe for little hands to help with.  It is fun, and when you bite in and you get cookie dough, well, come on now, that is the bomb diggity in, and of itself!

Please enjoy these!  I am on a cupcake kick, be expecting some cool stuff!!!  I will post the cupcake recipe first, and then beneath will be the chocolate butter cream recipe.  This amount of butter cream is the perfect, exact, on the dot, amount of frosting for 24 cupcakes! 

Cupcakes
1 devils food cake or just plain chocolate cake mix
1 roll of refrigerated cookie dough (or make your own)

Prepare cake mix as directed on the back of the box.  Set bowl aside.  Line cupcake tins with liners.  Add 1 tsp cake batter to the bottom of each. 

Take the cookie dough and divide into 28 slices.  OK, that was my original intention.  I wanted enough balls for the cupcakes and a few leftover to bake plain to crumble on top.  You will get about 3-4 balls from 2 slices.  I trust you will do fine with this.  If you don't care about crumbling any on top, then by all means, just divide into 24 balls. 

Now put a ball of dough in the center of each cupcake liner.  It makes no difference if they aren't EXACTLY the same size.  Don't fret.  Just go with the flow! 

Now divide the batter among all of the cupcakes.  Just get the dough balls covered.  Make sure to press them down a bit into the batter at the bottom too. 

Now, bake according to the direction on the box.  Mine was 350 F, for 18-23 minutes.  Mine took 20 exactly.  When they are done, let them sit and cool. 

Chocolate Butter cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter + 3 tbsp 
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Pipe or spread with a knife on top of cooled cupcakes.  YUMMO!

Your "Eat More Cupcakes" Chefwannabe