Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs

Directions

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Garde Manger - Sandwiches

Pictures of some sandwiches our Garde Manger class made today... Forgot to take pictures of the entire spread. Oh well!

Falafel ^

Reuben with Russian Dressing ^

Blackened Steak Sandwiches ^

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches ^

Hot Kentucky Brown ^

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms ^

Tony and I's battle wounds for the day.

Mine was a little cut but he filleted a hearty piece off his thumb. (See my amazing bandaging skills ^? )

Garde Manger - Fruits

I realized I forgot to put up pictures from Garde Manger when we did fruits. GRAVE ERROR that will be remedied immediately.

The layout!

******************************************************

Now pics of my favorites....

Berries with sugary goodness and orange liqueur whipped cream ^

Pears poached in red wine ^

Roasted apples, puff pastries, vanilla icecream, sugared pecans and caramel syrup ^

Apple Smile Snacks

Yield: 4 Apple Smiles

Ingredients

• Smooth peanut butter
• 1 red apple, cored and sliced into eighths
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Spread peanut butter on one side of each apple slice (squeeze a little lemon juice over the apple if not serving immediately).
2. Place four miniature marshmallows on one apple slice and then lay another apple slice, peanut butter side down, on top.

Party Taco Cups

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 5 minute
Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 bag Tostitos® Scoops!®
• 1 can refried beans
• 1/2 lb cooked taco seasoned meat
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives

Directions

1. Set chips on a large platter and layer with beans, meat, cheddar, salsa, sour cream and black olives.

Rainbow Cupcakes Cont.

Wanted to add some more pictures of what the rainbow cupcakes look from the inside. They really are phenomenal.

And they may have gotten me a job "catering" a friend's daughter's birthday! Sweet!

And once more of them all together...

Recipe is on: http://meowruffcrashbangding.blogspot.com/2010/09/rainbow-tie-dye-cake.html

Triple Mint Sundaes

Ingredients

• Pink peppermint ice cream
• Mint chocolate chip ice cream
• Spearmint ice cream
• Hot Fudge Sauce
• Garnishes: fresh mint sprig, rolled wafer cookies

Preparation

Scoop pink peppermint, mint chocolate chip, and spearmint ice creams into julep cups or dessert glasses. Drizzle with Hot Fudge Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Note: We tested with Pepperidge Farm Mint Chocolate Pirouette Rolled Wafers.

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2009

Jackie's Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken
• 1 Small Bag Pepperidge Farms Stuffing Mix
• 1 Can Cream of Chicken
• 1 stick Melted Butter
• Reserve Chicken Both

Directions:

Boil a chicken, skin and debone. Cut chicken into cubes or shred it.

Preheat oven to 350.

Layer the deboned chicken meat in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix small bag of Pepperidge Farms Stuffing Mix with can of Cream of Chicken and 1 stick of melted butter. Add chicken broth to get the correct consistency and mix well.

Pour this mixture over the chicken, making sure it gets to the bottom of the baking dish (poke around with a fork to let it saturate into the bottom layer)

Bake for aprox. 1 hour.

(I like to cook it on the soft side because it isn't as good if it drys out.)

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided
• 1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup evaporated skim milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Preparation

Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

369 (28% from fat)

Fat:

11.4g (sat 5g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.4g)

Protein:

35.6g

Carbohydrate:

31.3g

Fiber:

3g

Cholesterol:

79mg

Iron:

2.4mg

Sodium:

479mg

Calcium:

360mg

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1998

Goat Cheese-Pesto Crostini

Yield: Makes about 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8.5-oz.) French bread baguette
• 1/2 cup refrigerated pesto
• 1/2 (10.5-oz.) package fresh goat cheese
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thin strips
• 7 pitted whole green olives, sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cut baguette into 28 (1/2-inch-thick) slices, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.

2. Spread 1 side of each bread slice with a layer of pesto and goat cheese. Top half of bread slices with sun-dried tomato strips and remaining half with sliced olives.

3. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes.

Pork Loin Roast With Carolina Apple Compote

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
Other: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients (Pork):

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (3-lb.) boneless pork loin roast
• Kitchen string
• 2 teaspoons canola oil

Compote:

• 2 pounds Gala apples, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup apple cider
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients. Rub mixture on all sides of pork roast. Tie pork with kitchen string, securing at 1-inch intervals. Cover and chill 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. Brown roast in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 4 minutes on all sides. Place pork on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan.

3. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150°. Cover roast with foil, and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

4. Meanwhile, cut apples into bite-size pieces; sprinkle with lemon juice.

5. Add cider and next 4 ingredients to skillet. Cook, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add apples, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or just until apples are tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in butter until melted, and remove skillet from heat. Stir any accumulated pan juices from roast into compote. Serve compote immediately with pork.

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2008

Spicy Thai Coconut Shrimp

Southern Living, Cooking Light May 1999

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups shrimp sauce and 1 cup rice)

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste (such as Maesri) or chile paste with garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Cooking spray
• 2 1/2 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

Preparation

Cook the rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While the rice is cooking, combine the water and curry paste in a medium bowl; add shrimp, tossing to coat.

Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add the shrimp mixture, and sauté for 4 minutes. Add sliced asparagus and green onions; cover and cook for 3 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender.

Stir in salt and coconut milk.

Cook for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

457 (16% from fat)

Fat:

8.1g (sat 4g,mono 1g,poly 1.4g)

Protein:

32.9g

Carbohydrate:

57.8g

Fiber:

3.9g

Cholesterol:

194mg

Iron:

6.9mg

Sodium:

646mg

Calcium:

135mg

Yam Nuea Yang (Spicy Beef Salad)

From Southern Living, Cooking Light October 2001

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup sliced shallots
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sliced Thai red chiles or serrano chiles
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges (about 3/4 pound)

Preparation

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place steak on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Cut the steak diagonally across grain into thin slices; cut each slice into 2-inch pieces.

Combine the steak, shallots, and remaining ingredients, and toss gently.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

214 (39% from fat)

Fat:

9.2g (sat 3.9g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

25g

Carbohydrate:

7.6g

Fiber:

1.1g

Cholesterol:

59mg

Iron:

2.8mg

Sodium:

407mg

Calcium:

17mg

Chai Tea Eggnog Cookies

Hands-on Time: 20 min.; Total Time: 46 min.

Yield: Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 chai tea bag
• 1 (17.5-oz.) package sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons eggnog, divided
• Parchment paper
• Cinnamon sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tea leaves from tea bag; discard bag.

2. Stir together tea leaves, cookie mix, butter, egg, and 2 Tbsp. eggnog until well blended.

3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten dough slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 10 minutes).

5. Whisk together powdered sugar, nutmeg, and remaining 2 Tbsp. eggnog until smooth. Spoon over cooled cookies.

Note: We tested with Tazo Chai Organic Black Tea.

Chicken Marsala Tetrazzini

Total: 45 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) package vermicelli
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3 ounces finely chopped prosciutto
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen baby English peas, thawed
• 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10-oz.) container refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Marsala
• 1 cup (4-oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and prosciutto, and sauté 5 minutes.

2. Stir together mushroom mixture, chicken, next 5 ingredients, and 1/2 cup cheese; stir in pasta. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

3. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Christmas Eggnog Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 12 egg yolks
• 5 cloves, whole
• 4 cups milk
• 4 cups cream
• 3 cups light rum
• 1+ ¾ cups sugar
• 2+ ½ teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• ¾ teaspoon nutmeg, ground

Directions:

In a saucepan over low heat, blend the milk, cinnamon, cloves and half a teaspoon of the vanilla essence.
Keep stirring while mixture heats, and remove from heat just before boiling point.
In a bowl, mix together the sugar with all those egg yolks.
Make sure you whisk them well so that they're light and fluffy.
Gently and a little at a time, pour in the milk mixture while continuing to whisk.
Transfer mixture back into your saucepan over a medium heat while continuing to stir.
Keep stirring until your eggnog mixture starts to resemble custard.
Never let the mixture to reach boiling point!!
Pour and strain the mixture into a jug, making sure to remove the cloves.
Stand jug in the fridge for an hour or two.
Gently stir in the cream, light rum, remaining vanilla and ground nutmeg.
Put back into the fridge overnight.
Serve in cups with a little extra ground nutmeg, cinnamon or baking cocoa sprinkled lightly on top.

Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Loaf Pan

I lost my Williams-Sonoma virginity today. I have never ventured in there for fear of shameless running around and petting their handcrafted copper cookware and Kitchen Aid mixers. They were having a 15% off sale so it wasn't QUITE as $$$$ as expected.

I purchased a Pumpkin Loaf Pan and a Giant Cupcake Pan. Considering doing the Giant Cupcake for my brother's 21'st birthday on the 19th but may save it for

other occasions. I have something extra special in mind for his surprise.

Christien and I made the pumpkin bread recipe in the new pan and it turned out very well. Forgot to mention - bought their brand of baking spray. I, like a moron, didn't know the difference in baking vs cooking spray. Probably why my first pumpkin bread in class stuck to the pan so much. The baking spray worked stupendously and the bread was delicious.

We also cooked tie-dye cupcakes with butter cream icing, rainbow sprinkles and a cherry. Don't know what came over me today but all I've wanted to do is bake bake bake!

We dropped the cupcakes and bread off at his work so he and his coworker's Saturday night will hopefully be brightened with a bit of baked goods.

The recipe for the pumpkin bread is further down on my blog and the tie-dye cupcakes are under "Rainbow Tie-Dye Cake." It can be used for 8''x 12'' cakes, or 2 8'' cakes stacked, or cupcakes. Very moist, very colorful and aesthetically pleasing.

Vanilla Poached Pears

Ingredients

• 1 (750-ml) bottle white wine, Riesling or Viognier
• 1 cup water
• 5 ounces vanilla sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
• 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 4 firm Bartlett, Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled leaving the stem intact

Directions

Place the white wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean and pulp into a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Core the pears from the bottom. Decrease the heat to medium low and place the pears into the liquid, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the pears are tender but not falling apart. Maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pears to a serving dish, standing them upright, and place in the refrigerator.

Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan, increase the heat to high and reduce the syrup to approximately 1 cup of liquid, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Do not allow the syrup to turn brown. Place the syrup in a heatproof container and place in the refrigerator until cool, approximately 1 hour.

Remove the pears from the refrigerator, spoon the sauce over the pears and serve.