Strawberry Explosion Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 Box White Cake Mix
1/3 c oil
3 eggs
1 small box Strawberry Jello, dry
2/3 c + 1/4  c frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed & divided
1/3 c toasted pecans, chopped

12 oz. jar seedless Strawberry Jam

1 c butter, softened
4-5 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 c strawberries

Marshmallow Peeps & Easter Sprinkles, optional

Preheat oven to 350*.  Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set aside.

Add cake mix, oil, eggs, jello & strawberries to large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth.  Stir in pecans.
Fill each cupcake cup 2/3 fill with batter.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when gently touched.  Cool completely on wire racks.

Empty jar of jam into a small microwave safe bowl.  Heat 30 seconds and stir until smooth.  Fit pastry bag with a #230 metal tip or use a small round tip.  Fill bag with jam and inject into the center of each cupcake.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Add confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time and beat after each addition.  Add strawberries and syrup. Beat until incorporated.  Add milk 1 T at a time until the frosting is the desired consistency.

Fit a pastry bag with a coupler and fill with frosting. Pipe onto each cupcake.  Decorate as desired.  Since I was making these for Easter, I sprinkled on nonpariels in Easter colors and sat a Peep in the center of each one.

Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes w Marshmallow Creme Filling

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs

1/3 C. oil

3/4 C. milk or buttermilk

1/2 C. sour cream

2 tsp. almond extract

1 C. Maraschino cherries, roughly chopped

Marshmallow Creme

Almond Buttercream:

1 C. butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

3-4 C. powdered sugar

milk, if needed

20-24 Maraschino cherries with stems for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pan with cupcakes liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl to remove any lumps and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine eggs, oil, milk, sour cream and almond extract until smooth.

4. Stir in cake mix.

5. Fold in chopped maraschino cherries.

6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes.

7. Almond Buttercream: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add almond extract and slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. If it becomes too thick, add a little milk.

8. When cupcakes are completely cool, remove some cake from the center of each with a paring knife or cupcake corer.  Fill a pastry bag with the marshmallow creme and fill each cupcake to the top.

9. Pipe frosting onto filled cupcakes and top with sprinkles and more Maraschino cherries, if desired. 

Recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake.

Enjoy!

Turkey Cupcakes with Sour Cream & Chive Whipped Potatoes Frosting

This makes an awesome single serving turkey meatloaf and potatoe entree in one.  Makes you think of a Shepherd's Pie.  They are easy to make, and lend a unique look to your dinner party or Pot Luck.

Ingredients

2 pkgs. lean ground turkey
2 pkgs. Knorr's Spring Vegetable Soup, divided
2/3 c Buttermilk (you can use regular milk or evaporated milk)
1-1/2 c shredded Parmigiana/Reggiano cheese

6 Gold Potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks
6 T butter
1/2 c sour cream
Chives (fresh or dried) for garnish

Preheat oven to 350*.  Spray 10 jumbo cupcake cups with Pam.  Set aside.

In a large bowl combine ground turkey, 1 entire soup package and only the dried vegetables from the second package (otherwise it will be too salty and overpowering), buttermilk and cheese.  Mix with hands until incorporated.  Divide among 10 cupcake cups.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake 20-25 minutes until done.

In the meantime, add potatoes to a large pot, cover w/salted water and boil until tender, approximately 12 minutes.  Remove from heat & drain.  In a large bowl, add the potatoes, butter & sour cream.  Beat with hand mixer until smooth.  Keep warm.

When turkey cupcakes are removed from the oven, transfer potatoes to a piping bad with a star tip and pipe onto each cupcake.  Sprinkle with chives.

Yield: 10

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Recipe adapted from Clinton Kelly's recipe on The Chew.

Clinton made his own enchilada sauce here, but I took the easy way out and bought El Paso's in the can.  It was delish!

Ingredients

2 10 oz. cans El Paso Enchilada Sauce, warmed

24 Corn Tortillas
1-2 Rotisserie Chickens (shredded) **I wanted more chicken, so used 2
1 cups Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
1 pound Jack Cheese (shredded; 1 cup reserved for topping)
2 cups Salsa Fresca
1 cup Cilantro (chopped)

Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet to 350º F. Using tongs, dip the Tortillas into the oil one at a time for 10 seconds. Set aside and keep warm. Then dip each tortilla into the warm Enchilada Sauce. In a 13x9 baking dish, lay 6 of the smothered Tortillas in an even layer. Then spread half of the shredded Chicken on top of the Tortillas. Continue to build even layers with one-third of the following ingredients: Mexican Crema, Jack cheese, Salsa Fresca and Cilantro. Repeat the layers starting with the Tortillas. Top the casserole with another layer of Tortillas and sprinkle the reserved Jack Cheese over.

Bake casserole for 20 minutes, or until the Cheese has melted.

Serve with any or all of the following toppings:

Remaining Enchilada Sauce

Queso Fresco
Mexican Crema
Chopped Avocados
Pickled Jalapenos
Lime Wedges to serve; optional

Upcycled Table Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I bought this table for $10 from Goodwill and decided to give it an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint makeover.  The colors I chose are Scandinavian Pink and Chateau Grey (which looks green).  I love those 2 colors together.  As I was dappling on the color on the legs it reminded me of sponging and I liked the way it looked.  So I took a natural sponge and proceeded to sponge the CG on the legs instead.  Once all the paint was dry, I rubbed in a coat of clear wax, followed by dark wax to age it.

My next project is the free-standing fireplace to the right.  I think I'm going to use Old White and Coco for that project.  We'll see.

The Sugar Faerie Spring Garden Cupcake Cake (Hummingbird Cake)

I made one of my favorite cakes into a Cupcake Birthday Cake for a friend's birthday celebration.  I drew inspiration from a photo I saw on Facebook.  I made all the flowers from gum paste and let them cure for 36 hours.  I folded parchment paper in accordian style to mimic a cupcake liner, held it in place with a ribbon and then placed a sparkly Faerie on top.  Once the topper was in place I began to transfer all the flowers around it, added some sprinkles and a frosted edible "pearl" here and there, and finally the banner, giving the cake personalization.

I am not teaching gum paste flowers here as I'm an amateur myself.  You can buy the kits at JoAnns or Michaels as I did and teach yourself.  It isn't that difficult.  I'm sharing with you my recipe for Hummingbird Cake.  I love this moist, luscious cake so much, I even had it as my wedding cake.

Ingredients:

3 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c chopped toasted pecans
2 c mashed bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add eggs and salad oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not eat. Stir in vanilla, pineapple,  pecans, and bananas.

Spoon batter into 3 well-greased and floured 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove and cool competely.

Spread frosting between layers and on top of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 c butter or margarine, softened
2 16-oz. pkgs. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Note:  If you are going to do a cupcake cake, do not frost the sides.  Add extra frosting to the layers and mound or use a piping bag to make a dome of frosting on the top to simulate a cupcake.

Happy Birthday JJ!

Frozen Chocolate Mousse Bon-Bons w Peanut Butter Shortbread

These frozen, pop-in-your-mouth, wonders are 'da bomb'!  This recipe was created by Carla Hall of The Chew and are absolutely delicious!  They are a bit involved to make, but I was up to the task and am a better person for it!  Well, maybe not, but they sure do make me happy.  Carla placed the mousse topped peanut butter shortbread on a rack and spooned over the chocolate.  I preferred to dip mine in the chocolate, like you would dip a soft serve ice cream cone.  The cookie bottom showing add another level of intrigue to them.

The recipe below is taken from The Chew website.

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Shortbread

8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (softened)

1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (whisked; plus more for dusting)

Chocolate Mousse

2 tablespoons Espresso (hot) (I mixed espresso powder w/Kahlua)

2 tablespoons Almond Liquor (I used Frangelico)

1 teaspoon Powdered Gelatin

4 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate (chopped)

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

2 large Eggs (separated)

1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

6 tablespoons Granulated Sugar (divided)

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Glaze

12 ounces Dark Chocolate (melted)

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

6 ounces White Chocolate (melted)

For Peanut Butter Shortbread:

In a large bowl, beat together the Butter, Peanut Butter and Sugar until fluffy. Add the Vanilla Extract and Salt and stir to combine. Stir in the Flour, making sure not to overwork the dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and work dough together and shape into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut into 2" disks (or a size slightly smaller than the mold you are using.

Place the dough circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 4-5 minutes or until cooked but not hard.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

For Chocolate Mousse:

Combine the Espresso and Almond Liquor in a small bowl and sprinkle Gelatin over top. Allow to bloom for 5-7 minutes.

In a double boiler, melt the Chocolate and the Butter. Mix in the 2 Egg Yolks and Gelatin mixture. Cover, and set aside.

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whip the Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar until foamy, then gradually add two tablespoons of Sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. The Whites should be glossy and not dry. Set aside.

In another bowl, whip the Heavy Cream, remaining Sugar and Vanilla Extract until soft peaks form.

Mix a few spoonfuls of the Egg White mixture into the Chocolate Mixture, and then gently fold the Egg Whites into the Chocolate Mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in Whipped Cream. Transfer to a piping bag.

For Chocolate Glaze: Melt the Dark Chocolate in a microwave and stir in Vegetable Oil.

Coconut Oil

To assemble bombes: Lightly grease a mini half sphere silicon mold or mini muffin tin with Coconut Oil.

Pipe the mousse into mini half sphere silicon molds so they are 2/3 way full. Place a Shortbread cookie on top of each mold and freeze for 2 hours.

Place a baking rack on a parchment or wax paper covered sheet pan. Put frozen bombes on rack.  Pour Chocolate evenly over bombes. Reuse Chocolate dripped on sheet pan if need be. Place in the freezer to set Chocolate, about 5 minutes.

Remove from fridge and drizzle White Chocolate to decorate.

Place in freeze until ready to serve.

Enjoy!