Monday, June 23, 2008

Cream Filled Cupcakes


Last week 2 of my cousins got to come and stay with us for the week. We had a ton of fun! One of them, Indie, loves to cook (Just like me!). So we had a marvelous time in the kitchen together. We made these cupcakes Mom found and wanted to try. They ended up really well and tasted delicious, even though in the process of inserted the cream in the middle of the cupcakes sometimes if would start coming out the top, so we made a big mess! But it awesome anyway! Come and cook with me again Indie!

Cream Filled Cupcakes

Combine: 3 cups flour, 2 cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of baking cocoa, 2 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp. salt.

Add: 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup of water, and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Beat until smooth (about 2 minutes.)

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins half-full of batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and cool completely on wire racks.

For Filling: Combine 1/4 cup butter or oleo softened, 1/4 cup shortening, 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Place a very small tip into a pastry pr plastic bag. Fill with the cream filling. Push the tip through the bottom of the cupcake and fill each one.

Frost each cupcake with your favorite frosting. We used Nana's butter cream frosting recipe and added cocoa powder.
Nana's Butter Cream Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine, slightly softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 or 2 Tbsp. milk or cream
If chocolate add 1-2 Tbsp. cocoa powder.

Place butter in small bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat several minutes until creamy. Add sugar about 1/2 cups at a time and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla, then milk or cream, a little at at time and beat well. Store in an air-tight container in refrigerator and whip up again before using.


Friday, June 13, 2008

Chocolate Chip Cookies


These are killer cookies! I got the recipe from my lovely fabulous Aunt Becky. They are super sweet and chocolaty. Really good cookies! Thank you Aunt Becky!

Mix together:
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. brown sugar
2 c. shortening (Aunt Becky and I use: 1 c. butter flavored Crisco and 1 c. margarine or 100% veg. oil)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water

Beat in:
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
4 c. flour
12 oz. chocolate chips

Roll into balls and place on greased baking sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Or as bars 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cook for 7-8 minutes, take out of oven before they look completely done. Let cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet before you remove them to cooling racks. Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Cinnamon Swirl Bread


For my younger sister's birthday she specially requested this for her breakfast. Cinnamon Swirl bread. The bread is a simple recipe but the surprise is inside. You roll cinnamon and sugar inside the bread before you bake it. So you see the perfect swirls when you cut into it. We like to toast ours on a cookie sheet in the oven and spread butter over it while it's still hot. Yum!

1 package (or 1 tbsp.) active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water

2 c. milk, warm
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 tsp. salt
7-1/2 to 8 c. flour
2 slightly-beaten eggs

Mix yeast and water together and let set. Combine next four ingredients; cool to lukewarm. Add 3 c. of the flour; mix well. Stir in yeast and eggs; mix well. Add enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface. Knead till smooth (8 to 10 minutes), or if you have a mixer with a dough hook, let that do the kneading for you for 8 to 10 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and it rise in warm place till double (1-1/2 to 2 hours). Punch down and divide dough in thirds. Cover and let rest 1o minutes. Roll each half in 15x7-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Spread softened butter over the dough and spread some cinnamon and sugar thickly on top. Carefully roll each rectangle up beginning on the narrow side. Seal long edge. Place sealed edge down in 3 greased 91/2x5x3-inch loaf pan. Let rise till almost double. (45 to 60 minutes). Bake at moderate over (375 degrees) 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Turn out of pans and let cool on rack. Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Rhubarb, Cherry Crisp


A perfect blend of sour and sweet, crunchy and soft, yummy and yummy. Rhubarb, Cherry crisp. I made one the other day for dessert with our fresh rhubarb. It was really good! Here's the recipe. The ingredient measurements are never exact. Just more or less.

6 c. of chopped rhubarb
1 c. of sugar
1 large box of Jello (I used Cherry, but you could use another flavor, like strawberry)
3 tbsp. flour

1 c. butter, melted
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. oatmeal
2 c. flour

Put the rhubarb in a greased 9x13 pan. Mix the 1 c. sugar, Jello and 3 tbsp. flour. Sprinkle over rhubarb. Melt the butter and mix with the remaining ingredients. Spread the topping you just made over the rhubarb. Bake at 350 degrees for about a half an hour. Let it cool a little before you eat. Enjoy!