White Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

White Cupcakes

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).

In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes about 36 cupcakes.

Buttercream Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 Tablespoons whipping cream

In a large bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for desired spreading/piping consistency.

Scoop into a piping bag and pipe decoratively onto cupcakes, or spread onto cupcakes as desired.

Recipes from recipegirl.com 

Pizza Dough

1 T yeast

1 cup warm water

2 T sugar

1 t salt

2 T oil

2-3 cups flour

Italian Seasoning

Preheat pizza stone at 425 degrees.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, adding enough flour to make a soft dough. Rest 5-10 minutes. Roll out and place on baking sheet or pizza peel if using a pizza stone. Rise 10-15 minutes, then add sauce and toppings.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Really Great Granola

I got this recipe from Jennifer Merkley – so good!

8 ½ cups regular old fashioned oats

1 ½ cups brown sugar
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Cashews
Pecans
Raisins
Large flake coconut

½ cup oil

½ cup water
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup honey
1 t. vanilla

Mix oats, brown sugar and any combination of nuts, raisins, and coconut.  Generally, start with about 1 cup of each.  Mix in a large bowl. 

Mix oil, water, peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until melted and well mixed.  Pour over oat mixture.  Stir evenly to coat.  Turn onto two baking sheets and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 250º.  Stir every half hour while baking.  Store in an airtight container.

Chelsea asked for this recipe today so I thought I would put it on the blog.  I generally use 1 cup of brown sugar.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Pomegranate Syrup

One of my top fruit salads, looks beautiful and tastes amazing!!   Found from a magazine over 5 years ago and love it still.

Makes 8 cups
Prep time: 20 min.
Cook 5 min.

1/3 cup pomegranate juice (often I find and sometimes I buy a frozen pomegrante/cranberry blend of
juice to make up)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
2 large navel oranges, sectioned
2 kiwis, peeled, halved and sliced
1 large banana, sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 Red Delicious apple, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 large pear, cored and cute into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)


1) Combine pomegranate juice and sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 min. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest.  Let cool to room temperature.

2) Combine oranges, kiwis, banana, apples, pear, pineapple, and pomegranate seeds in a bowl; pour syrup over fruit and toss to coat.

Per serving: 184 calorites, 0 fat, 1 g protein, 47 g carbs; 3 g fiber, 5 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Cherry Chocolate Torte

I'm not even a huge cherry chocolate fan but I was after making this cake!

Delicious whipcream/cream cheese mixture, and it is delicious!

from THE Essential Mormon Cookbook pg. 126

1 chocolate or German chocolate cake mix
1.5 pints whipping cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tsp. vanilla
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 (6 ounce) package sliced almonds, toasted
slivered almonds

 Bake cake in 2 greased round cake pans, following instructions on the box.  Cool completely. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper.  Freeze for easier frosting.  Whip cream and set aside in refrigerator.  Cream the cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla.  Carefully fold the cream cheese mixture and the whipped cream together.  Remove cakes from freezer.  Thaw slightly.  Slice cake rounds in half to make 4 layers.  Layer as follow:
1st layer: cream cheese mixture and half of the sliced almonds
2nd layer: cream cheese mixture and half of the cherry pie filling
3rd layer: cream cheese mixture and the remaining sliced almonds
for the top: use a large cake decorating tip to make a fancy ridge around top layer or make a one-inch border by spreading frosting.  Spoon remaining cherries on top.  Frost sides with rest of cream cheese mixture.  Decorate sides of cake with slivered almonds.

Makes 12 servings.
Need to eat up with in 24 hours due to the layering, fruit, and whipcream mixture!

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

12 slices french bread cut into 1" cubes

16 oz cream cheese cut into cubes

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

12 eggs

1/3 c. maple syrup

2 c. milk

Grease 9x13 pan, put half of the bread cubes in pan.  Scatter cream cheese cubes on bread, then sprinkle blueberries on top.  Scatter remaining bread cubes on top of berries.  In a large bowl whisk together eggs, syrup and milk. Pour over bread mixture.  Cover and chill overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 and bake covered for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake 30 more minutes.

Syrup:

1 c. sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 c. water

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 T butter

In small saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and water on medium high.  Cook stirring for 5 minutes.  Stir in berries and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add butter and stir until melter.  Serve with french toast.

French Bread

1 T. yeast
1 t. sugar
2 cups hot water
1 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
4-5 cups flour

Soften the yeast and sugar in the hot water.  Add olive oil and salt.  Add flour, one cup at a time, until the dough is smooth and not sticky.  Let rise for 10 minutes and punch down.  Repeat the rising until it has been punched down every 10 minutes for an hour.  This is easy in a Bosch because you just turn it on for a few seconds and it is ready to rise again.  Shape into 2 loaves.  Place on baking tray that has been sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkled with corn meal.  Brush with an egg wash - 1 egg and 1 T. water whisked with a fork.  Slash 3 diagonal cuts, not too deep, in the bread.  Let rise about 30 minutes more.  Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes.

Almond Pound Cake

A rich cake that is especially nice in the spring.

1 cup butter

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

6 eggs

3 cups flour

1 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

2 cups sugar

1 t. almond extract 

Allow butter, cream cheese and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 325°.  In large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until softened and blended.  Gradually add sugar, 2 T. at a time.  Beat about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add almond extract.  Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating on low.  Gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Spoon into prepared pan. 

Bake about 65 minutes or until cooked through.  Cool 15 minutes and then invert onto a plate.  Cool completely for at least 2 hours.  Glaze.  This could also be baked in loaf pans and served with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Glaze: 

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

3 oz. cream cheese

½ t. almond extract

1 – 2 T. milk 

Mix to make of glazing consistency.

Lemon Bundt Cake

An easy and yummy cake.

1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1 (3 ½ oz.) pkg. instant lemon pudding
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
3 eggs

          Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease and flour bundt pan.  Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Beat at medium speed for two minutes.  Pour into bundt pan.  Bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes until cake is just baked through.  Make frosting out of lemon juice and powdered sugar colored with yellow food color.  Drizzle on cake.

This also works well for mini bundts.

Death by Chocolate Cake

And what a way to go! 

¾ cup sour cream
4 eggs
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sour cream, eggs, water, and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake and pudding mixes. Stir in chocolate chips. Place patter in a greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until a fork inserted into cake comes out clean.

Let cool 15-30 minutes, then invert cake onto a serving platter. When cool, sift powdered sugar over top of cake.  A great recipe from Stacie.

This makes great mini bundts.  Frost with a swirl of butter cream frosting and you are set with a great gift for friends or teachers.   They also look beautiful on a buffet table.

Caramel Chocolate Bars "Crack Cookies"

These are fantastic and we had them warm out of the oven once Robert was born and these were our new favorite treat. We couldn't decide if they were a brownie or a cookie, and needless to say decided to call them "crack cookies." Recipe from JoDell Hervey

a BYU MBA spouse :)

 

1.5 cups oatmeal

1.5 cups of flour

1 cup butter, melted

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

 

48 caramels (1 lb. bag) mixed with

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (liquid)

 

1 cup chocolate chips

 

Combine first 5 ingredients, and press HALF of the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Meanwhile, melt the following over low heat, stirring: 48 caramels mixed with 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream. [I microwave caramels in a glass safe bowl rinsed in hot water for a few 30 sec. intervals to soften prior to melting on stove top to soften.]

Sprinkle baked mixture with 1 cup chocolate chips

Pour caramel mixture evenly over chocolate chips. Sprinkle remaining half of cookie mixture on top of the caramel. Bake at 350 for 15 min. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Chicken Tacos by Brittney Allenback MBASA cookbook

4-5 Chicken Breasts
1 pkg. taco seasonings (I use less)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup salsa
Cumin or tabasco sauce (optional for extra flavor)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can black beans
3/4 cup corn (I use frozen)

sides:
tortillas
tomatoes
cilantro
cheese

Combine chicken breasts, taco seasonings, cumin, soup, and salsa in crockpot. Set on low for about 5-6 hours. The last 30-60 min. before serving shred chicken; add sour cream, black beans, and corn. Serve with fresh tortillas, tomatoes, cilantro and cheese.

One of our new favorites - and a winner.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

I have had a recipe similar to this with dates but this seems to be more popular and I also like that it is made with olive oil instead of shortening.

2 cups water, boiling
2 cups Kellogg’s All Bran Bran Buds
¾ cup olive oil
2 ¼ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour – part wheat might be good
5 t. soda
1 t. salt
4 cups All Bran

Combine bran buds and boiling water and let sit until softened.  Mix olive oil and sugar together with a mixer.  Add eggs and buttermilk.  Add softened bran mixture.  Stir in flour, soda, salt and all bran.  Place in container in refrigerator for up to a month.  To bake, place mix in muffin cups that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.  They also taste delicious if you stir in extra ingredients just before you bake them, such as: diced apple, craisins, raisins, chopped nuts. 

Spinach Cheese Salad

This is a crowd pleaser and is popular with the men.

1 (10 oz.) bag washed and trimmed baby spinach
1 small head iceberg lettuce, washed and drained
¾  pound grated Swiss or mozzarella cheese (Heather uses mozzarella)
1 (16 oz.) carton cottage cheese
½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces

Put spinach into a large bowl.  Break lettuce into pieces and add to spinach.  Just before serving, add cheese, cottage cheese, and bacon.  Toss with poppy seed dressing:

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 T. poppy seeds (optional)
¾ cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
1½ T. grated onion
1½ t. salt
¾ t. dry mustard
1 ¼ cup oil

Mix dressing ingredients in the blender.  Toss with salad.  Refrigerate unused dressing for future use.  Keeps up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

From Heather.

Homemade Flour Tortillas (large 24+)

How awesome to make homemade Flour Tortillas.

8 cups flour

4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup oil

3 cups boiling water

STIR TOGETHER FLOUR, SALT AND BAKING POWDER. THEN MIX IN OIL, THERE WILL BE SOME SMALL LUMPS IN DOUGH, THAT'S OK.

STIR IN BOILING WATER AND MIX WITH A WOODEN SPOON UNTIL WELL INCORPORATED. THEN ADD MORE FLOUR TO KNEAD BY HAND UNTIL SOFT BUT NOT STICKY.

CUT OFF GOLF BALL SIZE AND ROLL OUT ON A FLOURED SURFACE WITH A FLOURED ROLLING PIN. DON'T WORRY IF NOT PERFECTLY ROUND.

BAKE THE TORTILLA OVER MEDIUM HEAT ON A DRY PAN-DO NOT USE OIL.

WHEN TORTILLA BUBBLES UP, (ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS) FLIP OVER AND BAKE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

Makes over 24 tortillas

USE FOR FAJITAS, BURRITOS, WRAPS, SOFT TACOS, QUESIDLLAS...yUm!

Asparagus Parmesan Tart

This is fast and easy.  Grandma couldn't stop eating them - she had 6!

2 T. olive oil

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 pound asparagus, washed, ends trimmed, cut in 1          inch pieces

1 (9 oz.) sheet puff pastry, thawed (there are two in a Pepperidge Farm box)

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta

1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 t. sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450°.  Heat 1 T. olive oil in sauté pan.  Add sliced shallot and sauté until tender and a little crispy.  Remove from pan.  Add 1 T. olive oil and asparagus and cook over medium-high heat until asparagus is crisp tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Roll out thawed pastry on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, 10x16-inches.  Pick up the paper and place it in a baking tray.  Prick the pastry all over so that it doesn't puff up in an odd place.

Spread ricotta evenly over the pastry.  Place the sautéed shallot evenly over the ricotta.  Slice the asparagus in 1-inch pieces.  Place on the tart.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over it.  You might want more than 1/2 cup of that!  I have also tried a Romano, Asiago, Parmesan mix and like it even better.

Bake the pastry for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.  Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.  Makes 24.

Creamed Eggs on Toast

Grandma always made creamed eggs on toast and I still enjoy them.  It is an easy breakfast and uses what you already have at home.

4 T. butter
4 T. flour
Milk
Salt
6 eggs, hard boiled

In saucepan, melt butter.  Add flour and stir until bubbly.  Add milk to make a medium thick white sauce. Season with salt.   Peel eggs; cut in quarters the long way and then slice and put into the white sauce.  Serve over toast.

Oranges

The best way to get kids to eat citrus.  Slice off the top and bottom of an orange, slice the peel off the sides and cut the orange in slices.  Dan and Stephen eat lots of oranges that way.  It is just a neat little trick.

Bacon Crescents

These disappear as fast as you can bring them out of the oven. A great appetizer.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

1 T. milk

2 cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 375°.  Mix cream cheese, crumbled bacon, Parmesan cheese, onion, parsley and milk until well blended.

Separate each can of dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal.  Spread each rectangle with 2 rounded tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture.  Cut each rectangle into 8 wedges.  Roll up starting at the short end.  Place on a baking sheet.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.  Makes 32.

The Best Sugar Cookies

These are just so yummy.

1 cup butter – real butter is the only way to go with

         these

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

3 t. vanilla

4 ½ cups flour

1 t. cream of tartar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

Cream shortening, butter and sugars.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before rolling out for cut out cookies.  Roll out on a floured tea towel to just under ¼-inch.  Place on baking tray and bake at 375° for 8 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.  They are better if they are not over cooked.  Makes about 4 dozen medium hearts.

Two times this recipe with just fit in a Bosch mixer if you want to make lots.       
                    

My favorite way to roll out cookies, rolls or pie dough is to put a flour sack towel down.  It catches all of the flour and sticky stuff and makes clean up a snap.

If you don’t want to do cut out cookies, roll these in a ball, dip in sprinkles and place on baking tray with the sprinkles on top.  They are great.

Mint Brownies

This recipe is SO good.  Besides being a great recipe, it has great instructions for making them.  They turn out perfectly every time.  This is from Make It Do, a wonderful blog with the best recipes.

Whisk together:
1 ½  c. melted butter
¾  c. cocoa powder

And then add:
3 c. sugar 
6 eggs beaten 
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt

Mix well and then add by hand:
2 ¼  c. sifted flour 

Do not over mix.
Pour into large baking tray, 10 x 15 inch, sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350° for 25-28 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes and then place in freezer for 20 minutes.

While brownies are in the freezer make first layer of topping.
Mint frosting:
¾  c. butter softened 
3 Tbsp. milk 
3 c. powdered sugar 
1 tsp. peppermint extract 
Green food coloring
Mix thoroughly.  Evenly frost brownies and put back in freezer for 20 minutes.

Make chocolate Ganache top layer.
Chocolate Ganache Topping:
¾  c. butter 
2 ¼ c. good semi sweet chocolate chips 
Melt and whisk together.  Melt them together in a Pyrex measuring bowl in the microwave for one minute.  Be careful not to overheat.  It won’t look melted but once whisked it is.  Drizzle warm chocolate over brownies and spread smooth with a spatula.  (This isn’t a true Ganache because a true one is made with chocolate and cream)  Put back in freezer for another 20 minutes.

To cut, slice in about ½ inch for the edges so that every brownie is exactly square and smooth.  The edges are the best part so set those out for your kids to try.  Makes 4 dozen, 2-inch brownies or 8 dozen triangle brownies (the squares cut in half on the diagonal.)   They are better if they are chilled until serving. 

These make a wonderful gift or treat for a bake sale when placed on a disposable plate and wrapped in cellophane.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens years ago after trying different peanut butter cookie recipes.  I haven't tried another since.  This one is just so good. The perfect melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookie.

1 cup shortening

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

Cream shortening, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs.  Mix in flour and soda.  Roll into balls, place on baking sheet, press lightly crosswise with a fork.  Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you’re craving chocolate, this cookie will satisfy!

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 cups flour

½ cup cocoa

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.  Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Shape into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.  Flatten slightly.  Bake at 350º for 10 minutes, until cookies puff and crack.  Makes 4 dozen.