Breakfast Egg Bake

1 large pkg.hash browns

salt and pepper

1/3 cup butter

1 cup Canadian Bacon

1 cup Sausage or a roll

1/2 cup bacon (fried crisp)

1/4 cup of milk

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken, can do 1/2 of each too)

2 cups of cheese (any kind)

1 dozen eggs

Place hash browns and melted butter in 9X13 casserole and place in oven at 350 for 25 minutes. In the mean time begin browning meat (if using sausage). Combine eggs, salt and pepper, and milk to make scrambled eggs.

Once meat and eggs are made, remove Hash browns from oven and top with desired meat combinations. Next  spread 1 can of soup, then cover with scrambled egg mixture. Over all this, put 2 cups of cheese. Bake at 350 for additional 20 minutes.

Perfect Vanilla Cupcake

I have finally found it. Although I would consider it more of a yellow cake flavor than white vanilla, it was moist, delicious, perfect! I will be using this again, and again, and again...
I will admit, if you are looking for a perfectly smooth top, while the recipe showed a glorious dome, mine was not. but flavor and texture won out!

http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/07/perfect-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe.html

Perfect Vanilla Cupcake
Source: Glorious Treats

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice- let sit 5 minutes)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

 In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.  Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.  Add vanilla and oil, beat. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture.  Add half of the milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  The batter will be thin.   Pour batter into a muffin pan about 2/3 full.

Bake 12-14 minutes. Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling on a wire rack.

*The recipe above will work for a 6″ cake.  To make an 8" or 9" cake, double the recipe for an.

Serves: 14 cupcakes


Freezer:
Freeze in airtight container, unfrosted, 1-2 months.

Nutrition: 165, unfrosted

Mock Angel Food Cake

There is a baker in town who I've used for many occasions, graduation, wedding, first child's baptism, etc. She makes the BEST Mock Angel Food cake. I love it, but of course only get it for special occasions. I have been on the hunt for my own version, and finally found it!

Mock Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
dash of salt
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp almond flavoring
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Mix together with a wire whisk sifted flour, sugar, and salt. Add boiling water, let cool (this may take several hours). Add almond.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and baking powder. Beat until stiff.
Gently fold into other ingredients, stir until just mixed.

Bake in ungreased 9x13 pan for 30 min.

Tastes best topped with Vanilla Buttercream frosting.

Serves: 20-24

Freezer: Honestly, it tasted even better after being in the freezer!

Nutrition: 107 calories per piece, unfrosted.

Chicken Cordon Bleu {the easy way}

I had been going through a funk where I just didn't want to cook. We moved houses, everything was unorganized, and I just thought I had better things to do with my time! Last night I finally decided to cook a good supper, and found this recipe...FANTASTIC!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Source: slightly modified from Mel's Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the Cordon Bleu:
3 large, thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to make two thinner chicken breast cutlets; you will have 6 total thin chicken breasts)
12 slices good quality deli ham
1/2 cup bread crumbs (preferably fresh)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese (I used 6 slices)

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside.

Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with slices of Swiss cheese, layering across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.

When the chicken is almost done, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly. Cook the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk mixture constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.

Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in some more milk. If it's too thin, simmer longer.

Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce. Makes 6 servings.

 

Serves: 6

Freezer: You can easily make the chicken ahead and freeze. Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce should be made fresh. If you choose, you can skip this when serving (however I strongly recommend making it!)


Nutrition: 550 calories each

Chocolate cupcake

We have a WINNER! These were moist DAYS later :) Now, I'm a little strange, but I'm not normally a chocolate person. But these, with vanilla frosting, were pure heaven!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Source: Bakerella

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill cupcake tray with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together with a wire whisk. Add eggs, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until combined. Add hot water and mix, do not over mix.

Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes for mini's, 18-20 minutes for full-size cupcakes.

Decorate with Vanilla Buttercream

Serves: 24 cupcakes, or I made 48 mini's


Nutrition: on frosted cupcake is 118 calories, unfrosted mini's are 56 calories

Sunny Cupcake

Happy Spring! This cupcake makes me feel bright and cheery :)

My kids and I made this for a preschool treat, so fun, so easy!
We were in a rush, so we used box cupcakes (preschoolers don't know the difference anyway!!)
Candy Corn for the sunrays
Rope Licorice for the smile
and
Mini Chocolate Chips for the eyes

Idea found in the Taste of Home Cupcake Magazine :)

I was Featured on:

Georgetown Cupcake's Red Velvet Cupcakes

Anyone besides me love DC Cupcake?  I love to watch it when I catch it on TV, my husband thinks I'm insane and just walks away :) We made the Georgetown Red Velvet cupcakes, and they were fabulous! Texture and moisture was spot on. I would have liked a little more "chocolate" flavor, so next time I intend to add extra cocoa powder!

Georgetown Cupcake Red Velvet Cupcakes
Source: food folks and fun, adapted for 12 cupcakes - fabulous consistency, moistness, but next time I will try buttermilk and/or more cocoa

Ingredients:

1 5/8 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
6 T unsalted butter, at room temperature (preferably European style)
7/8 C sugar
1 large eggs, at room temperature
2 T red food coloring (no-taste liquid food color, such as McCormick)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey pure Madagascar Bourbon recommended)
1 1/4T cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 C whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard cupcake pan with baking liners.

Sift together the flour and salt, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Using a whisk, whisk together the red food coloring, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Slowly add this to the mixer bowl, mixing slowly until well incorporated.

Add one third of the flour, followed by one third of the milk and mix until combined. Repeat. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the last third of the flour, followed by the last third of the milk and mix until incorporated.

In a small bowl, add the baking soda to the apple cider vinegar. You’ll see the baking soda and vinegar fizz up. Mix thoroughly and add this reaction to the batter. Mix until just incorporated.

Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, about 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serves: 12

Nutrition: 186 calories, without frosting

For the Vanilla Cream-Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature (preferably European style)
4 C (or 1 pounds) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 t pure vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey pure Madagascar Bourbon recommended) 
6ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

Place the butter and cream cheese in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream for about 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and beat until well combined. Be sure to beat on high speed at the very end for about 2 minutes to ensure that the frosting is light and fluffy.

others to try: http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2012/02/red-velvet-cupcakes-with-roses-recipe.html

http://baking911.com/cakes/red-velvet/red-velvet-layer-cake-traditional-cream-cheese-frosting