Coffee Cake Cupcakes!

What actually differentiates a cupcake from a muffin?  My answer to that question, is that a cupcake has frosting.  Right?  A muffin can be topped with a crumble, or something of that nature, but, is there icing on a muffin?  There shouldn't be, should there?  I am so confused, I have so many questions and nobody to answer them!  But, what do I always say?  The world is your sandwich my friends, make it how you like it.  And I am doing just that.

Cupcakes for breakfast.  That is how I want MY day to start out.  Coffee cake is one of my favorite things, and for the record, if you eat it without drinking coffee at the same time, weird stuff happens in your lower GI.  Total truth.  Or is it your upper GI?  Is there a middle GI?  If so, it happens there too.  Tea or coffee, don't risk it guys. 

Since this is my birthday MONTH.  I decided I have the right to make as many kinds of cupcakes as I can think of or you request.  I will make hot wing cupcakes if I need to and frankly, I have my own challenge facing me in regards to cupcakes. Spaghetti and Meatballs Cupcakes.  It will happen my friends, oh yes, it WILL happen.  I mean I managed to make a cupcake that is completely meant to be eaten in the morning.  Psshh, I am basically a cupcake goddess now. (in my own mind of course) 

Here is one little, teeny, weeny, minor issue I have with this recipe.  I was heating up some soup for breakfast.  What?  Don't judge.  Anyway I hit the clear button on the micro 2 times and it cleared out the time remaining on my cupcakes! OMG I have no idea how long they took to bake!  Well after whittling it down by use of the radio and how many songs had played, googled said songs for the song length and adding it up, I came up with a pretty close range I think.  I never claimed to be on top of things, I am just resourceful in fixing things.  Probably because I mess up so much!

Heeeeeeeere we go!
1 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
2 eggs
4 T. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
granulated sugar for topping

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners, this will make 15-18 regular sized cupcakes.  Toss all of your ingredients into a bowl and mix until just combined. 

Easy or what?  Fill up those cupcake papers, sprinkle the tops with a little sugar and bake for (as we discussed) 15-20 minutes.  Check with a toothpick.  Insert into the middle, if it comes out clean, with no wet batter, it is done!  Let cool completely. 

Next you need the part that makes it a CUPCAKE, in my humble opinion!  The frosting!
5 oz. softened cream cheese
2 T room temperature butter
1/3 cup vanilla coffee creamer (powdered)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 T milk
pecan halves, or pieces for topping. 

Mix all ingredients by hand or with a hand mixer.  Place into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag and snip off the top and drizzle that way or just frost them.  Place the pecan in the center on the top or sprinkle with pieces.  Or don't do either! 

Enjoy these!!!

3 Minute, 3 Ingredient Strawberry Mousse

You guys, I just love Valentine's Day.  I know YOU know, but in case someone new is reading I want them to know, that I love it too!  I am blessed with a marriage where I am married to my best friend!  He is such a teddy bear, AND my hottie!!  Love is a blessing, marriage is a gift, and truly have been blessed and gifted with both.   Anyhoodle, this recipe is easy, and can be made by even the most inexperienced cook.  3 minutes, no joke.  We will also be cooking IN on Valentine's day, because to me, nothing says I love you like filling the tummy of the one or ones you love most with his/her favorite things.  Food is love, we all know that!

This is kind of just a simple fake out mousse.  It is actually almost the same filling I make for my Mile High Banana Cream Pie recipe.  I just adjusted it a bit to be a bit more of the consistency and flavor I was looking for.  Obviously for my holiday dessert I wanted it pink.  I could not find instant strawberry or cherry pudding.  I wanted to keep it at 3 ingredients though so I I didn't want to use vanilla and have to color it and flavor it.  So, what I DID find was by Royal, and it is Greek Yogurt Pudding Mix.

I have never seen it before, but I found it, and I don't like yogurt for the record.  I mean, I won't TOUCH yogurt, but this tastes amazing and really just tastes like pudding flavor to me.  I did end up adding a couple of drops of food coloring, since it isn't really pink, but that is completely optional.  So is the course sugar sprinkled on top but, that crunch with the creaminess of the mousse, make perfection.  Just sayin...

So if you want vanilla or chocolate, or any other pudding flavor you can find, go for it.  That will be perfect too.  So technically 3 ingredients and shouldn't take more than 3 minutes, and you in fact, can eat it directly after preparing, no need to chill. 

I hope you enjoy this, and make it for your Valentine's day IN! xoxo

1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
1 3.4 ounce box of Greek Yogurt Pudding (or you can use any flavor, I just wanted strawberry)
food coloring IF needed

In a medium mixing bowl, add in heavy whipping cream. (or your stand mixer bowl) Whip until soft peaks form.  Add in pudding mix and continue to beat for 1 minutes.  Add in milk, and beat until combined.  Now you may find you want slightly more milk, but this is the perfect consistency to me of what mousse should be!  This makes about 4, 3/4 cup servings.  So heck, maybe we should just call this a "just for 2"!! No, put it in 4 ramekins or bowls (or one big bowl), our self esteem won't suffer so much if we eat 2 small helpings, perhaps, an hour apart or so.  Right?

Homemade Gumdrops!

Who would have imagined I would one day be making gumdrops, from SCRATCH.  No way!   Let me tell you, these were so fun, so easy, and taste so good, I think this will become a new "go to" for little edible gifts in a cool little box or bag. 

In my quest to find a good recipe, because let's face it, some recipes, I just need some help with.  I found numerous recipes, with all the same ingredients.  I am convinced one took it from another who doubled it from another who tripled it from the first and so on.  I didn't care that all the recipes were basically the same, this was my maiden sailing and I just wanted to see what the outcome of this recipe was before I tried to "play" with it.  They turned out fantastic but there are a few little tips that make it MUCH easier if you take the time to do them.

I used an 8x8 square pan.  You could use a 9x9 or a 7x11 or, well, don't get bigger than that.  Either spray the CRAP outta that baby with nonstick cooking spray or line every last inch of it with parchment.  Or BOTH!  Before I poured the hot mixture in my prepared dish, I added about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the bottom  so it would perhaps come out easier. 

If you do those things and follow my other directions you will find how easy, and delicious these little treats are.  I also cut mine into heart shapes for Valentine's Day.  I got 21 hearts.  If you just cut them into cubes, you will obviously get many more.  Just an FYI.

You will need
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup applesauce, use sweetened or unsweetened (I used sweetened)
1 3.4 oz. pkg strawberry jello (use cherry or anything red or pink for V-Day)
1 .25 oz. pkg unflavored gelatin
1 cup granulated sugar for dusting at the end

Prepare pan as described above and set aside.  It must be prepared first. 

In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, lemon juice, applesauce, jello and gelatin.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and one it boils, let it boil for 1 minute. 

WARNING this is a hot sugar mixture be VERY CAREFUL!!!  Pour carefully into your prepared pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours, I left mine overnight which I think is best. 

When it is chilled, run a knife around the edges and turn out unto a cookie sheet that is covered in granulated sugar.  Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut your gumdrops into your desired shapes, dust in the sugar and lay in a flat layer to let dry.

 Let them sit overnight!!

 

ENJOY some sweets, for your sweet!

Strawberries, Moscato, and Cream Cake

WARNING: I have been playing with cake mixes again.  I know this will displease some of you and others will be ecstatic.  Either way, don't let this recipe out of your sight or mind until you make it!

Love is in the air!  I love Valentine's Day.  Not because I need a special day to express my love for my husband or anyone I love, but because I like having a special day to do it up even more than ever!  I know many who loathe Valentine's Day.  But who needs to be IN love, can't you celebrate the love of kids, family, friends, etc?  I love to spread the mushy love stuff around!!

That being said, this cake, besides being DE-lish, is perfect for celebrating Valentine's Day with your kids or families.  It will definitely feed more than 2, and it is perfect for the occasion!  I do everything heart shaped on Valentine's Day, you would think I would outgrow that stuff, but nope, never, EVER going to outgrow it! 

This cake looks beautiful, maybe even slightly complicated but it isn't at all, that is the great part.  You are really going to make someone think you worked like crazy, when you barely did much work at all!  I would not make this cake ahead.  I would make it the day of serving.  You want it all as fresh as possible.  I also did not sweeten my strawberries, with the condensed milk and sweetened whipped cream, it is sweet enough that teeny bit of tartness is delightful.

Give it a try, and be careful, I might keep playing with cake mixes!

Here is what you will need:
Strawberry Cake Mix
2 tbsp. red sprinkles
Pink Moscato Wine (I like Barefoot)
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

Preheat your oven to temperature recommended according the pan size you are using.  I used 2 heart shaped pans to make this layered effect, but you are more than welcome to use a plain 9x13, it will work out just as beautifully.  I promise!  Make sure whatever pans you use, spray with nonstick cooking spray well, and if using 2 shaped pans, line the bottom with parchment paper. 

Mix up you cake mix according to package directions EXCEPT when it calls for water, substitute that with the pink Moscato.  Add red sprinkles into your batter and mix.  

No this is NOT a sponsored post, I simply only will use Pillsbury for a strawberry cake mix!

Now pour into your pan(s) and bake for the recommended time.  Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes.  Using a large for, (I used a meat fork) poke holes all over the cake(s).  Now if you are doing one cake, pour the condensed milk over the top or divide, half over one cake and the other half over the other.  Let sit for 20 minutes. 

At this point place your cold heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer and whip until you achieve stiff peaks.  From here on out, it will depend on what kind of cake you are making as to what you will do next. 

For a 9x13, spread whipping cream on top of the cake, sprinkle around your sliced strawberries, cover and refrigerate until serving.

 

For a layered cake, place one cake on your cake plate of choice.  Top with 1/2 of whipped cream mixture.  Place second cake on top, cover the top with the rest of the whipped cream and top with strawberries. 
NOTE: You can use double the strawberries and add them to the first layer on top of the whipping cream as well. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy and feel the love in the air!

Slow Cooker Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

Ok so here is the scenario.............

You are invited to your kids house for dinner.  Your daughter in law and son are both good cooks.  But when you walk in the house  you just know THIS time is going to be different.  You sit down to dinner, and literally moan and groan over each bite of deliciousness.  This is what happened to me. 

My daughter in law and I have a great relationship.  Shocked? HA!  Oh we butt heads, we disagree, but, I just adore her strength, her mothering, her sense of humor, she is just a delight.  (sometimes a sick little delight) ROFL  Anyway, she was kind enough to tell me how she made these stuffed peppers and said that her mom-mom (eastie speak for grandma btw) has made these for years, ths way. 

I am not sure I recall my mom ever making stuffed peppers, I only had eaten them as an adult.  And I have a strange relationship with bell peppers.  If they are cooked, I want them to resemble mush.  If they are warm and crisp tender, I might hurl.  Cold and crispy or hot and soft.  Those are their only chance with me!  Kayla had said she left hers in to long, psshhh......not a chance, they were perfection!  My measurements and such may not be the same as hers but I got the whole idea and made them to share with you. 

I like the idea of the Italian style, I served mine with a little pasta and that heavenly sauce that took on the roasted pepper flavor, was nectar from the Gods.  It tasted VERY much like my Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Marinara.  It was like a meatball, in a smooshy pepper, on some pasta, topped with this sauce, and my goodness was it a delight.

Make these, in your SLOW COOKER!!  I swear it is what this kitchen appliance was MADE for!

This recipe makes 6 peppers.  I used a couple of different colors, for interest.  But next time, I am sticking with green on this one, not generally what I would choose but they hold up the best in my opinion!

You will need:

2lbs lean ground beef
3/4 cup regular rice (not minute)
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 bell peppers
4-6 cups of your favorite marinara/spaghetti sauce

In a large bowl combine ground beef, rice, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Get your hands in there, become one with your food!! Mix until completely combined.  Set aside.

To prepare your peppers, cut the tops off, just beneath the stems.  Use a spoon to scrape out the sides and membranes (the white stuff), rinse and repeat. 

Now start stuffing.  This will depend on size, but I had exactly the right amount of stuffing to exactly fill all 6 peppers.  You can take some, add some, whatever you need to do to fill your peppers. 

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, it just makes clean up easier.  Place the peppers in the crock pot, and pour over your spaghetti sauce.  Make sure each is topped with sauce and there is some standing in the bottom.  Put the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.  Now by all means, don't cook these quite as long if you want a more crisp pepper.

Serve with some crusty bread, or pasta, or both!  These are a delicious version of stuffed peppers and I do hope you give it a try!

Thanks Kay for your recipe!  Love you toots!

ENJOY!

3 Layer Chili Dip

Who is gearing up for the SUPER BOWL?  Not me, and as far as I can tell it will be a long time before my Eagles are in the running again.  Unhappy camper, can you tell? 

I know so many of you are planning big parties, lots of friends, family, food and drink, (please do NOT forget the drinks).  Do you ask everyone to bring something or do you do all the food prep yourself? This is a really easy dip that my son made a couple of months ago when we went over to watch an Eagles game.  He said someone he knew in Georgia  (where he was stationed) had made it and he loved it so he had made it ever since.  I am sure it isn't a new recipe, it is to easy and good for it to have not been around the block a few times!! 

It is delicious, it literally takes 5 minutes to put together and 25 minutes in the oven to to warm up.  I like to serve it with Frito Scoops, but tortillas are awesome as well.  Do what makes you happy!!

GOOD LUCK to your team!! 

You will need:
2, 8oz. blocks of cream cheese
2 cans of chili with no beans
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

In a square or round baking dish or pie dish, spread out the cream cheese in an even layer.  Easy enough, right

 

Next, pour in both cans of chili and spread evenly as well.  I somehow, did NOT photograph this step.  I am sure you can handle it though! HA!  Then add the grated cheddar on top and this is what you will pop in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until it is bubbly!

 

Serve up with your favorite chips.  Grab a cold one and enjoy the game!  I...will be shopping!

ENJOY!!

500th Post!!! Italian Ricotta Cheesecake

Good morning ladies and gents!  Another dessert!  WOOHOO!  Seriously, this is getting a BIT out of control.  I mean, these may not go live back to back but I have literally made 4 desserts in less than a week.  It just happened that way.  Good thing I have lots of family to share with! 

Before I get started, take a look at the piece I cut out and the place I cut it from.  Seriously?  I can't even cut a proper triangle?  Very sad.  BUT interesting, right? HA!

Oh and one more TINY thing.  This is officially my 500th post!  What does this mean to me?  It means 500 times I have sat down at my computer to share food, fun, love, and memories.  I have made loving fun of nearly everyone in my family, and I have been able to share it with you, my Chefwannabe family, the extension of my real family.  Thank you for every bit of support, every ounce of advice, every teaspoon of criticism, even ever single gulp of pride.  I love you all, I respect you all, and you are pure joy in my life.  How many people get to be so blessed?  I count myself as one of those who are!  Crazy love to you every single one of you!

This ricotta cheesecake has been so long coming.  I have eaten it several times, back in the land of my Italian family and friends!  HOLLA South Jersey!  I have just tried to make it myself.  You will see it is so easy to make.  I mean, I used to be all intimidated by cheesecake.  Shhyeeaaahh, not anymore.  I had no recipe for this cheesecake.  In fact, I picked a part a few recipes I found and ended up ditching half the ingredients I came across.  I decided to fly with it, go with my gut on this one and it worked.  I mean, come on food bloggers and home cooks alike, how many times do you "get it" on the first try?  Exactly!.  And  then I decided to take the "no water bath" part from the Cake Boss and see if it really worked.  I figured if it cracks, and tastes like crap I learned two lessons in one day! 

Now, for anyone has never had a ricotta cheesecake.  Do not expect the texture of a regular cheesecake.  It is the same slight sweet flavor, I omitted the lemon, (ugh with the lemons already) and probably left out the most vital Italian ingredients.  But this turned out awesome and I had to share it with you.  The consistency is a bit grainy, maybe not grainy, hmm...what is it.  It has texture, where regular cheesecake it just smooth.  This is much lighter than a New York cheesecake so if you don't like the dense cheesecake this might be for you.  If you don't like light cheesecakes this may STILL be for you! 

Give it a try, and if you feel so inclined, add the lemon zest, but you aren't going to find it in my recipe!

Now, go, make this!

32 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
4 eggs, separated whites and yolks
2 T. heavy cream
2 cups cup granulated sugar
1 T. vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.  In your stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat egg whites to a medium peak.  If they go a bit further, no biggie, just get them to at least medium peaks and set aside. 

This part I do in the food processor, but you can easily just do it with a bowl and a spoon.  In a large bowl or the food processor, add in ricotta cheese, egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla.  Mix until combined, or process until smooth and combined. 

 

Transfer to a large bowl if you need to.  Carefully, fold the egg whites into the ricotta cheese filling, in 3 editions.  You don't want to lose all of that beautiful fluff!  When it is completely combined, butter a 9 inch spring for pan WELL.  Bottom and sides.  Pour the cheesecake mixture into the spring form pan, and then give it a slight tap or two on the counter to get out any air bubbles.

 

 

Now place into the oven and IMMEDIATELY turn your oven down to 350.  Let back 55 minutes. and then shut the oven off.  DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT open the door and it shouldn't crack!  No need for the pain in the rear water bath!  When the 55 minutes is up, slightly crack the oven door, and shut off the oven, let the cheesecake sit in the oven until it comes to room temperature.  Chill for at least 2 hours.  I chilled mine overnight. 

Look Ma, no cracks!

Run a knife around the edges, and remove the sides of your spring form pan.  I heavy hand the powdered sugar on top, because, well, I like too!

Enjoy this delicious and unique dessert that will make you look like a rock star!