Easter Egg Nest Cupcakes

Did you know Easter is my favorite holiday?  I love it for all it stands for but I also love, Easter bunnies, flowers, and spring time!  Easter has always been the holiday closest to my heart religiously....... and because of CADBURY EGGS!  OH, OH, OHHHH I love Cadbury Eggs!  I mean, let's be real, I have been through a bag of these already.  I stalk the Easter aisle at every store.  I hoard these babies.

These cupcakes are SO fun.  They take one batch of a recipe I have already posted on Chefwannabe and some cupcakes.   Now as I always say, if you have a cupcake recipe you LOVE, use it.  I used a box.  You know why?  Because I did.  That is why.  I was at my parents and doing this project with my ma, so I wanted it to be quick, she has little to no attention span and her OCD about each cupcake having different colored eggs almost drove me nuts.  I love ya ma, but Lord help me.  HAHA!

Just get some cupcakes.  Chocolate, vanilla, whatever you like.   You should have plenty of topping for all of your cupcakes.

You will need:

1 recipe of Haystacks
1 large bag of Cadbury Eggs
24 cupcakes

Make sure your cupcakes are cooled.  Use about 1 heaping teaspoon of haystack mixture for each cupcake.  Use your spoon to make a dent in the middle and place your eggs snugly in.  This would be awesome for kids to do!!  I did them with my mom, that turned out not so awesome because after she ate 6 eggs, did 4 cupcakes she did this to me, with God as my witness she pushes it away from her and says, "ok this isn't fun anymore because I don't have enough blue eggs".  GAH!

When you are all done, let them sit, or refrigerate until set.  Little festive cupcakes for Easter!

Enjoy! And by an extra bag of Cadbury Eggs!!

Apple Crumble Bread *WINNER ANNOUNCED BELOW*

Definitely one of my best recipes to date.  This bread is addictive, you are lucky it makes 2 loaves because one would be a complete joke! 

Seriously I took my moms zucchini bread recipe and I made a considerable amount of changes.  I am not good with bread recipes, so I tend to change up a handful of my basic recipes.  That is what I did with this one anyway and it is MAH-velous! 

As you will read in the recipe I chopped one apple and I grated the other.  In the photo you can see chunks of apple and that my friends, is like a lucky surprise!  The grated apple adds sweetness throughout and the chunks are just beautiful things!  The crumble on top makes this bread one step closer to heaven and you won't even need butter or anything on it.  I just was hungry for bread, like banana bread but not.  So I did apple and then wanted a crumble top and oh no, I drooled again.  Let's get this in your ovens!

You will need:

3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large apples, peeled, 1 grated, and one chopped small
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 2 standard loaf pans with non stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine eggs and sugar and let rip until it is completely combined.  Add in vanilla, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix until it is nice and smooth.  Now add in flour AND apples.  Mix again until combined.   Divide into 2 loaf pans.  Then make your crumble.

Crumble (lets be real, I doubled this)
3/4 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine using a fork, until it is all mixed.  Divide between your two loaves of bread and then bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.  When a knife or toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean of wet batter, you are done!  Remove from the oven and let cook 20 minutes on a cooling rack.  Remove from loaf pan and dive in, both feet AND your head.  It is DELISH!

ENJOY!

 

GIVEAWAY!

CoyotieDesigns-WINNER

 

You have until 6pm CST on April 7th, 2014 to JOIN THIS SITE, and leave a comment for a chance to win 3 products from the "Foodthoughtsofachefwannabe: Recipe Inspired Candle Collection" by Old Glory Candle Company.  I have handpicked 3 items for one of you!  I will use random.org to choose a winner, after your membership and comment is verified! 

Chicken Enchiladas

So, here is the thing about family.  Sometimes they completely blow.  I mean, usually they rock but once in awhile there is one rotten egg and her name is Maegon.  She is very close to my age, she is my niece, we are more like sisters but none the less, she blows.  She won't share her chicken enchilada recipe with me.  I mean she just straight up said, "NO".  Well, nobody puts baby in a corner people, NOBODY. 

My niece claims to make the best, "Oh EVERRRYOONNE loves them" kind of crap.  She goes on and on and I said to her I wanted to make them and maybe share them, she replied as I said before, "Nope, it is my secret recipe".  Oh seriously?!?  She obviously isn't into the joy of sharing like a REAL foodie is and frankly I think MY recipe, might give HER recipe a run for its money.  You won't give me yours, excellent, I will make my own.  GAH! 

Been a long time since I started a blog with a rant, and about family of all things.  See Maegon, see what you DO to me?

Make this, and if you are really amazing, you could do a cheese sauce instead of just cheese over the top.  I didn't want to risk sliminess so I went with regular cheese over my sour cream!

I hope you enjoy this, easy and fun recipe.  As for my niece, we will talk about what to do with HER...........later.   (for anyone who doesn't know, my niece and I are very close and this is a complete joke, she knows I love her more than my pink bow bag xoxo)

3 cups of chicken, shredded
8 ounce brick of cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sour cream (divided)
2-3 tbsps. of your favorite taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded cheddar jack (or cheese of your choice)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tap salt (optional)
10-12 soft flour tortillas

Combine all ingredients except flour tortillas in a large bowl and combine ingredients until all mixed.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Start filling your tortillas with filling.  Fill in a line across the middle and roll up and place in a 9x13 pan. Continue until all are in the pan.  Spread over 3/4 cup more of sour cream and top with 1 cup cheddar jack cheese or cheese of your choice.  Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and the cheese on top is melted.

This is a nice mild flavor, nothing to spicy or kicked up, although you could add hot sauce or red pepper flakes to any part of the mix!

Also feel free to top this with any sort of "sauce" you like, I just wanted plain ol' cheese!

Enjoy!

 

Cranberry Almond Muffins

These poor muffins, have been waiting and waiting for my attention.  I made these weeks ago, the next day I was due to spend a few day at my parents.  I took my written recipe, because I was going to get this post written while I was there.  Yeah, RIGHT.  Didn't happen.  I returned home, only to find, the recipe didn't make it home with me.  I frantically called my mom who had the recipe and for 2 weeks, DID NOT send it to me. GAH!  Well, I am back at my parents, I have my recipe safely in hand and now I can finally share it!

These muffins are so good.  Not to sweet, but sweet enough and perfect served slightly warmed with a little, or a lot, of butter!  Don't forget the coffee!!

As usual, change out my cranberries and almonds if you choose.  Maybe you like other things better, so go ahead, make them exactly how YOU would love them!

These freeze like a dream, I had some here at my parents and just took them out of the freezer, warmed one up and ate with my coffee.  I mean, it was a job related snack as far as I am concerned, I forgot how good they were, I needed reminded.

 Heeeeeeeeere we go!

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup PACKED brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup slivered almonds (divided)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease your muffin pan, or line it with liners.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer, combine, flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until combined.  Add in eggs, applesauce, cranberries and 1/2 cup of slivered almonds.  Mix until JUST combined. 

Fill muffin pans with batter.  This should make 12-15 muffins.  It all depends on how full you fill them. Using the remaining 1/4 cup almonds, sprinkle them over the tops.   Bake for 15-18 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean of wet batter, they are ready to nosh on!

Enjoy these, for brunch, breakfast, a snack, or the meal after dinner!

Pizza Pot Pie!

Just as the photo implies, it is a pizza lovers dream! 

I had contemplated the filling for this beauty for a few days.  I love meatball pizza, hubby loves cheese only, and the rest was just random.  Oh how beautiful random can be!  I had some leftover dough as you might notice.  Feel free to cut fun shapes out for the top, I just used the seasoning on those so they would stand out more.  In the recipe I just call for sprinkling the entire top with pizza seasoning, but you roll down the road that makes you happy.  Feel free to add mushrooms, olives, ancho...no I can't even type the word, but you know what I mean.  Whatever you like on pizza, add 1 cup of it, or divide it, so it equals a cup, if you do much more, you pan will runneth over.  I am all for things running over, but, not when it involves the possibility of having to clean the oven.  BUT I did put it on a cookie sheet to bake just in case.  I suggest you do the same!

This seems difficult but it isn't at all.  As long as you make sure you have sealed the edges and heaven knows you must have plenty of cheese, all will work out fine!  It even got my husbands, "wow, I wouldn't change a thing" approval.   The longer you let it cool, the more of a "piece"  you can get, but really, just dive in! 

So if you are THAT person who eats all the topping and leaves the crust, (don't look at me like that, I KNOW you have done it) this is for you!  I hope you try it, and I hope you don't get heartburn.  Just sayin......

1 lb. Italian sausage browned (you pick sweet or hot)
1 cup pepperoni (I used 1 5oz package of Pepperoni Minis)
10 meatballs, cooked and halved
2 cups pizza blend cheese (if you can't find this use 1 cup mozz, 1/2 cup parm and 1/2 cup cheddar, all shredded)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
4 cups pizza sauce or pasta sauce of your choice (I used a garlic flavored one)
2, 9 inch pie crusts (here is my amazing pie crust recipe)
1 egg for egg wash
1 tbsp. pizza seasoning (here is my recipe)

Preheat your oven to 350.   Remember you will need a DEEP dish for this!  In a large bowl combine your prepared sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, all cheeses, and sauce.  Mix until completely combined.  Set aside.

Take your pie crust and roll them out just a smidgen, so they are SLIGHTLY bigger.  Not to thin just give them a good roll in each direction and call it good.  Spray your pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.  Place bottom crust into your deep dish pie pan.  Make sure not to stretch it, just ease it into the bottom.  Place ALL of your filling mixture into the dish.  It will be over full, that is perfect!  Smooth it as much as you can and place the top crust on.  Pinch the edges together, as you prefer.  Crimp, scalloped, no matter just make sure they are sealed up.  In a small bowl whisk your egg with 1 tbsp. of water and then brush the entire crust and sprinkle with pizza seasoning.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Let stand 10-15 minutes before slicing. 

This is incredible!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

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!

Plain Ol' Custard Pie

You should all thank my husband.  He is always requesting that I make things and then I do and then they turn out amazing and then I post them and then, and then, and then!

This is just what it says, a "plain ol' custard pie".  Simple and comforting.  At my husbands request I made it with a cookie crust the first time.  Can you say, "HURL"?  Soggy, nastiness overload!  So when I told him I would remake it the normal way, he was thrilled and asking daily when I am making it!  I had planned on making several recipes today so I threw pie crust and custard pie into the mix!

The filling will fill your pie plate to the brim.  Please use a deeper than normal one.  Also when you pour in the filling, please put the shell in the oven first and then pour because transferring that full of a pie is nothing more than a recipe for disaster!  Make sure to let this cool to room temp and chill for at least 2 hours as suggested, but longer would be even better. 

I also did not blind bake my crust.  It came out perfect, so if you want to do that you can, but I did not.  Here is the link for my amazing, pie crust.  You can use your own or buy one but they are so easy, and the flavor and wonder of it all just can't be bought!

4 eggs
2 1/2 cups warmed milk
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 pie crust for a deep 9 inch pie pan

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Place all ingredients except pie crust (hardy har har) into a blender or food processor.  Whirl that baby until completely combined and frothy.  Set aside.  Yes, you can do this with an electric mixer or stand mixer, a blender is just so easy!

Place pie crust into a deep dish and finish the edge however you like.  Place unto a baking sheet and place into the oven.  Once it is in the oven then pour the filling in.  The filling will come to darn near the top and we don't need any accidents, do we? Pour it in and bake for 60-75  minutes.  The middle should have a WEE bit of jiggle to it.  OMG, that cracked me up, I wish I only had a WEE big of jiggle to my middle.  Regardless, when it does, remove it and let come to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours minimum before cutting. 

ENJOY!!