The MOST delicious cupcakes in the universe!

Yeah, really they are! Are you ready for this? I don't know if you are honestly...these are SO good but sort of a lot of effort. It's worth it though. My advice would be to double the batch though because they only make about 10, 11 cupcakes if you're lucky!

Alright here it is:

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baing soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Directions:

Preheat ovent to 350 degrees. Mix butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add sugar and mix for two minutes. Scrape sides of bowl and add one egg. Mix until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl. Add egg yolk and mix until incorporated.

Add vanilla and mix just until blended. Scrape bowl and add buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Add cooled chocolate and stir with spatula just until blended. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated. Scrape bowl and add remaining dry mixture, mixing for an additional minute.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound plus 8 ounces powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Melt and cool chocolate, until just slightly warm. Beat butter until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar. Add sal, vanilla and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add chocolate and mix until just incorporated.

**Don't overwhip and add too much air to the frosting. Frosting should be rich and dense like ice cream**

ENJOY!

Honey-Jalepeno Chicken with Udon Noodles

Holy deliciousness, Batman.

I sort of went out on a limb with this recipe

because this is not something I would usually care

to try and make on my own but it was under the "Quick and Easy"

section on foodnetwork.com and the reviews were ALL positive

so I thought, "what the hey!"

So glad I did! I made a few changes because my

local grocery store didn't carry soba noodles like the recipe

calls for. I substitued Udo Noodles and I honestly can't imagine

doing it any differently.

I will be making this again, and next time I will most likely double the sauce

because I like it SAUCEY!

Honey Jalepeno Chicken with Soba Noodles

courtesy Robin Miller

Ingredients

12 ounces soba noodles
1 jalapeno, seeds removed
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded or sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped scallions, green part only
2 tablespoons pickled ginger, minced

Directions

Cook soba noodles according to package directions.

Drain and set aside (or refrigerate until later in the week).
In a blender or food processor, combine jalapenos, honey, cilantro,

and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and puree until smooth.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the mixture until desired consistency

is achieved. Pour the 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a preheated skillet.

Add the shredded chicken and the blended sauce and cook until

heated through. In a medium bowl, combine cooked soba noodles,

soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and pickled ginger.

Toss and then transfer to serving bowl.

Pour heated chicken and sauce over noodles.

Enjoy!

cookie recipes 2008

Angel Wings

Ingredients:

- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sour cream
- 10 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided
- colored sugar (optional)

Directions:

In a bowl, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sour cream. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 6-8 times or until mixture holds together. Shape into four balls; flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Unwrap one ball. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on waxed paper; coat all sides of ball with sugar. Roll into a 12-in. x 5-in. rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle dough with 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Lightly mark a line down the center of the dough, making two 6-in. x 5-in. rectangles.
Starting with a short side, roll up jelly-roll style to the center mark; peel waxed paper away while rolling. Repeat with other short side. Wrap in plastic wrap; freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat three times. Place remaining sugar or place colored sugar if desired on waxed paper. Unwrap one roll. Cut into 1/2-in. slices; dip each side into sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Turn cookies; bake 5-8 minutes longer. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Yield: about 3 dozen.


Christmas Crack

Ingredients:

4 ounces saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.


Sour Cream Cookies

Ingredients:

- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Cream together first four ingredients. Add baking soda and sour cream. Sift in the remaining ingredients. Bake at 375* for 8-12 minutes.
Butter Frosting:
Melt two sticks of butter in pan. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar until you can’t stir it anymore- it will get crumbly. Add small amount of milk until you can stir it like frosting. Add one teaspoon of vanilla.
Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 cup cold butter, cubed
Vanilla Sugar (use 1/4 cup for the recipe)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. In a food processor combine flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt. cover and process until combined. Scrape the pulp from the vanilla bean and add to the flour mixture. Add the butter and pulse several times until mixture begins to cling together, stop and scrape bowl. Gather mixture into a ball. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. bake for 12 minutes or just until edges start to brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. While warm roll in the vanilla sugar to coat. Cool completely before packing.
To make the vanilla sugar, add the vanilla bean to the sugar, cover and allow to stand at room temperature for one week. (we did not do this)

Okay, I have been searching for twenty minutes for the macaroon recipe online since the recipe I have is in a BH&G magazine and I CANNOT find it so...

Here's a typical macaroon recipe...just had a dollop of chocolate in the center and top it with a macadamia nut and VOILA!

Macadamia Macaroons

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups coconut, shredded
1 cup macadamia nuts, unsalted,chopped
1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk, sweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted

Directions:

In 350 degree oven toast coconut and macadamia nuts for 10 minutes.
Stir often and allow to cool.
Combine milk and vanilla in large bowl.
Add in coconut mixture and crushed crackers, Blend together well.
Beat egg whites till stiff then gently fold into coconut mixture.
Lightly grease baking sheet and drop tablespoon of cookie mixture onto sheet.
Bake 350 degree oven for 12- 14 minutes.
Cool completely.
When cooled dip in melted chocolate.
Refigerate until set enjoy enjoy enjoy.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Directions:

GREASE 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MELT remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Christmas Mice

Ingredients:

24 double-stuffed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening
24 red maraschino cherries with stems, well drained
24 milk chocolate kisses
48 sliced almonds
1 small tube green decorative icing gel
1 small tube red decorative icing gel

Directions:

Carefully twist cookies apart; set aside the halves with cream filling. Save plain halves for another use. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Holding each cherry by the stem, dip in melted chocolate, then press onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss. Place on the cream filling of cookie, with cherry stem extending beyond cookie edge. For ears, place slivered almonds between the cherry and kiss. Refrigerate until set. With green gel, pipe holly leaves on the cream. With red gel, pipe holly berries between leaves and pipe eyes on each chocolate kiss. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and 1-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. In a shallow bowl, combine the nutmeg and remaining sugar. Roll dough into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 6-1/2 dozen.

Red Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Phew! Enjoy!

Spicy Mac n' cheese

If anyone in this world is a connoisseur of Macaroni and Cheese, it would be me. Earlier today I had my TV set on foodnetwork and Sunny Anderson was making this spicy mac n' cheese and it looked SO good to me so I decided it needed to be made for dinner tonight :)

It did not dissapoint. Nguyen loved it because it had some kick, and the homemade croutons on top were the perfect touch! This is definitely a keeper!


Ingredients

2 cups elbow pasta, cooked until almost al dente
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 shredded
8 ounces Monterey pepper jack cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons sour cream (fyi, I didn't have any and it didn't matter...still good without!)
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter
Special equipment: 2-quart baking dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss together pasta with the cheese cubes and pour into the baking dish. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg and sour cream, egg, heavy cream and half-and-half. Pour over the pasta and cover with shredded Cheddar. Bake uncovered until top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-sized squares. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add cubes and toast until golden. Sprinkle the bread cubes on top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This was really yummy!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

1 can ; (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

(I use Garlic and Basil seasoned)

2 cloves garlic ; minced

1 pkg. ; (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1/2 cup water

1 -1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts ; cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:

PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
Place tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl.
Add garlic, stuffing mix and water; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese.
Top with stuffing mixture.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through

CHEX MUDDY BUDDIES

Ingredients:

9 c. Chex cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)

1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. peanut butter1/4 c. butter

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 1 quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth (stir after 1 minute). Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.
Pour cereal mixture into large container (with seal) with powdered sugar. Seal securely. Shake until all pieces are well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 9 cups

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was really good. I made a few minor changes. I didn't bake the corn tortillas. I just bought a bag of tostitos. I will also be adding green onion, sour cream, and cheese when serving. I also doubled the chicken and added a little bit more of everything since we like leftovers!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicen broth. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortilla with oil. Cut tortilla into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10-15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Nutritional Info:
Caloies 267, Total Fat 11g, Cholesterol 44mg, Sodium 924mg, Carbs 25g, Fiber 4g