Dylan & Erica’s Place…

I have been a HORRIBLE, yes HORRIBLE blogger.  I haven’t updated this thing in forever.  And for that I am sorry.  I hope you can forgive me.  For forgiveness I will give you one of these.

Chocolate Cupcakes, from Bakerella

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 c milk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Prepare cupcake pans with 36 baking cups.
* With a wire whisk, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
* In a mixer, cream sugar and butter.
* Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides with each addition. Add vanilla.
* Add flour mixture to the creamed butter in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions. (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour)
* Bake for about 15 minutes or until done.
* Cool and frost.

I frosted with my favorite icing recipe:

Whipped Cream, adapted from Cherie Brown (Dylan’s awesome Aunt who can bake up a freaking storm)

12 oz HEAVY whipping cream (this is better to use because it holds its form and peaks better)
3-4 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Before making your cream place your large steel bowl you use with that mixer you have.  You know the one that has the initials of K.A. You know what I am talking about!  Place that bowl along with the whisk inside the freezer for about an hour until they are chilled. Beat cream and confectioners’ sugar in a large chilled  bowl until stiff peaks form.

Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip and pipe patterns onto your cupcakes. 
Now just decorate! Use anything you would like Sour Punch Straws, Jelly Beans, Chocolate Milk Balls.. Anything you can think of!

My wonderful husband got me a cookbook for Christmas and it has nothing but cookies in it.  Its really neat.  Well on Sunday I asked Dylan what he wanted me to make out of this cookbook.  His choice.  I was certain it was going to have mint or peanut butter in it.  YUCK! I hate mint.. I hate peanut butter so I was thinking its not going to be a cookie I want.

Well I was wrong.  He decided to pick this cookie called, chocolate chip cookes in a cookie.  The recipe says this cookie is a cookie for all cookie lovers.  The lovers that love crisp chocolate chip cookies and the lovers who love soft chewy chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe is simple.  You make a batch of cookie dough.  Some of the cookie dough is baked into crisp cookies.  Then these cookies are cooled and mixed into the remaining unbaked dough and then baked together.

The result, a soft and chewy cookie with crisp pieces of cookie throughout the whole cookie.  My favorite cookie of all time. They were so good that less than 24 hours after they were baked, my cookie jar looked like this..

Twice Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies, Adapted from Elinor Klivans, 2005

2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups chocolate chips, semi sweet

Preheat oven to 350. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line 2 sheets of baking sheets with parchment paper. One will be used later.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended, about one minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing until it is incorporated, Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop 10 heaping tablespoons (about 3 level tablespoons of each) of dough 3 inches apart onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Set the remaining dough aside. bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers are golden, about 13-15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Line the baking sheet with a clean piece of parchment paper.

Break the cooled cookies into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.  Add the pieces to the reserved dough and mix on low speed just to distribute them evenly, about 10 seconds.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until they feel firm on the top but are still soft in the center and the edges are beginning to brown slightly, about 15 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the  baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

I love cookies.  Nothing is better than a glass of milk and a hot warm soft cookie.  Whats my favorite?  Good question. Chocolate chip? Well that is good, however its a little too plain jane for me.  Chocolate chip oatmeal? Oh well those are delicious, but I wanted something different. I had some cranberries in the pantry that I needed to get rid of  therefore, chocolate chip oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies evolved in my kitchen.  They were delicious.  So soft.  So yummy.  They were so great Dylan ate AT LEAST a dozen.  I kid you not.  At least a dozen!  When I asked him where they all went, he smiled, and pointed at his belly and then he went upstairs to the treadmill.  And to make this even better is the fact that Dylan doesn’t even like cranberries! He claims you can’t taste them.  I think he just realized he likes cranberries.  One day everyone should ask him about his cream cheese adventure and if he likes cream cheese.

Enjoy these cookies with a nice cold glass of milk.  Oh and if you are trying to stay on your New Year Resolution.. Try making the cookies smaller and just eating one with skim milk.

Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Adapted from here

1 ½ cups  All purpose flour
1 tsp Baking soda
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups Old fashioned oats
2 sticks Unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup Packed light brown sugar
½ cup Granulated sugar
2  Large eggs, beaten lightly
1 T Honey
2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
6 oz Dried Cranberries
5 oz Chopped pecans about 1 cup 3 oz Mini chocolate chip morsels about ½ cuo

Directions:

• Oven to 350 degrees F.  Line sheet pans with parchment.
• Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in the oats. Set aside.
• Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, then scrape down the bowl; add the honey and vanilla and beat until blended.
• Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating each until well combined.
• Stir in the cranberries and pecans and chips.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined sheet pans.
• Bake until the centers of the cookies are soft and no longer look wet; about 11-13 minutes.

Oreo balls that is.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  My husband LOVES making these things.  Ever since my nephews 1st birthday party (over a year ago) he decided this is his favorite thing to make.  There is no baking involved.

Dylan has an annual cookie exchange and he makes these for the wonderful women he works with.  They love him more and more every year whenever he brings them in.  I have to say, I’m proud of him.

I decided this year to make some for our first cookie exchange at the office.  I really enjoyed piping the chocolate on them and decorating them.  What I didnt like? I don’t like coating them.  But I do have some wonderful hints on doing it.

• To change it up, also try the “cool” mint-flavored Oreos.
• Either let the cream cheese warm up to room temperature or just cut it into pieces with a butter knife. If it’s soft or cut up, the mixing will go faster.
• If using white colored bark, you may not want to attempt to color it with food coloring… the color seems to screw-up the consistency, turning the bark into a paste akin to play dough… However, if you add a little canola oil to it and keep stirring, you may be able to correct it.
• If using two flavors/colors of bark, try alternating the colors of the balls and then “sprinkling” the other color over them. It looks neat.
• It seems using double stuffed Oreos helps.  I know some people don’t like using the double stuffed, however I do prefer them.

Oreo Balls

Ingredients:
•    One package of Oreos
•    One 8oz. package of cream cheese
•    Almond bark (for dipping)
•    Cookie sheet with parchment paper
•    Hand soap (it’s messy)

1.    Dump all of the Oreos into a large freezer bag and bash them to bits. A rolling pin helps a lot. Or hitting your husband with the bag =) Just kidding
2.    Once Oreos are nothing but a sack of crumbs, dump the contents of the freezer bag into a mixing bowl (some of the filling may adhere to the side of the bag; so you may need to scrape it off).
3.    Add cream cheese to the Oreo crumbs and start mixing it. The desired result will resemble a paste and be kinda sticky and messy (see??).
4.    Using your hands, form the mixture into balls and place them each on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Each package of Oreos and cream cheese should make about 20 balls.
5.    Put the cookie sheet into the fridge to chill for 1.5 to 2 hours.
6.    Melt the bark in a double boiler on your stove (the double boiler method, though a tad time-consuming, is the one method that is least likely to result in burned chocolate.)
7.    When melted, dip the balls in the chocolate. Spin them around a bit to get them coated nicely. When done, put them back on the parchment paper for cooling.
8.    Eat (once cooled and dry).

Time to try to make  all baked goods out of PUMPKIN!! I love pumpkin.  Its so yummy.  And you know what goes great with pumpkin.. cream cheese.  A friend of mine gave me this recipe.. actually I don’t know where she got it from so I really don’t k now who to give credit to.  I am very sorry. Whoever came up with this.. let me know.  I’ll give you credit where credit is deserved.  This recipe is wonderful.  It really is.  The cake is very moist and the cream cheese.. well cream cheese is just good no matter what.  Make it for yourself and you shall see.  This is definitely going on my Thanksgiving Menu!

Cake:

3 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 cup granulated sugar

1 t baking soda

3/4 cup flour

Filling:

2 T cake batter

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 t vanilla extract

1 c powdered sugar (plus extra for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix cake batter.  Place wax paper on a small greased jelly roll pan. I used a small one.  If you are making large rolls you can use
a large pan like the size of a regular cookie sheet.  In this case do not half the recipe.  Pour 1/2 of the batter into the pan and bake for 15 minutes.  Dust a dish towel (I use the kind that does not have lint) with powdered sugar to prevent it from sticking.  Flip the cake on to the towel and let it cool slightly.  Peel off the wax paper and roll the cake up inside of the towel.  Let it cool completely, unroll the cake and spread half of the filling inside, then roll the cake again.  Slice and serve.

It makes two cakes, and they freeze well.

** I am very sorry.  My camera is having some problems at the moment.  I have pictures to upload just no way to upload them.  I know I know.. photos make people want to cook my recipes but please I am begging you.. COOK THIS TONIGHT! Don’t wait another minute.  I promise pictures to come soon!!

Growing up my brothers were into sports and every Friday night (or Thursday) we would go to High School football games.  As I got older, I became a cheerleader and then it was my time to go to football games.  My favorite thing about Friday football games were the Frito Pies.  I know.  I should be excited about the game, winning, the sport.  But NO I get excited about eating Frito Pie. Mmmm There is NOTHING better than eating that Frito Pie out of the Frito bag… It was so SCRUMPTIOUS!

The other day we got a cool front here in Houston.  Yes, that means it got down to about 60 (Ha!).  I wanted chili.  Yum.  Chili by far is my favorite meal to cook.  I love it.  I can eat it every day for a week.  Maybe even two.  This is the only meal I can eat leftovers of.  I hate leftovers.  But, not chili leftovers.  Chili is so versatile.  You can make so many things with it.  So back to my story about football and Frito Pie.

One day at work I heat up my chili in the office and talk about how yummy it is.  I have some Friotos and tell the whole world how I am about to make myself some Frito Pie.  Long and behold a coworker says, “What is Frito Pie?” There is NO way.  NO way someone doesn’t know what Frito Pie is.  That is so un-American.  You have got to be kidding me.  NO way.  So I had to explain to her (She isn’t from Texas) what heaven is.  Frito Pie everyone.  Chili on top of Fritos on with shredded cheese on top.  Heaven on earth.  Awesome.

She has yet to try a Frito Pie but I promise she will! And I promise I will try her Louisville style Chili and we will both be in heaven.  And this is why chili is my favorite meal.  All time.  Nothing can beat this .. well maybe Gumbo.. Nah chili still wins!

It’s Chili, Adapted by All Recipes 

•     2 pounds lean ground beef
•     1 (46 fluid ounce) can v8
•     1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
•     1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
•     1 1/2 cups chopped onion
•     1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
•     1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
•     1/2 teaspoon white sugar
•     1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
•     1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•     1/4 cup chili powder
•     1 bag of Fritos
•      Shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef, tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and  chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)
3. Place some Fritos in bowl, top with chili, shredded cheese, (some prefer onions YUCK) and enjoy!!

So as most people know Houston got hit by Hurricane Ike.  We are slowly getting back to normal at our house.  Nothing extreme happened, THANK GOD! Everyone was safe and we actually only lost power for about an hour.  Most people I knew didn’t have power for days some weeks.  So we are very thankful!  However on my time with no cable (I know I shouldn’t complain) I had nothing to do so what did I decided to do? Bake.  Well stupid me forgot to take pictures but this weekend I decided guess whats coming up… HALLOWEEN! My favorite time of year!

I really have no idea why its my favorite.  Maybe because its starts out all the baking and cooking I do.  Who knows but during the LSU game I decided I would make some cupcakes.  No.. they weren’t purple and gold.  These cupcakes looked too cute to pass up.  So I decided what the heck, I can try.  So I gave it a try.  And here is my creation.

Question of the Day, Are they too pretty to eat?!?! I THINK NOT!

Spider Cupcakes, adapted from Cupcake Fun and Martha Stewart

Chocolate Cupcakes

•       3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•      3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•      1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•      1/4 teaspoon salt
•      3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
•      1 cup sugar
•      3 large eggs
•      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•      1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt in small mixing bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Beat in vanilla  With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Decorate as follows.

Buttercream Icing

•     1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
•     1/2 cup butter or margarine
•     1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
•     4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
•     2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer with whisk attachment.
2. Add vanilla.
3. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. The icing will look dry after all the sugar has been added.
4. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use or inside the refrigerator.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

•     1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
•     1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
•     3/4 cup cocoa
•     1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
•     4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approx 1 lb.)
•     3 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy with whisk attachment
2. Add cocoa and vanilla; mix well.
3. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. The icing will look dry after all the sugar has been added.
4. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use or inside the refrigerator.

Banana Bread!

I had some leftover bananas oh wait, Dylan’s office had some left over bananas and the admin was giving them away.  Every week they get fresh bananas and cereal bars and all of these yummy goodies at the office.  Nice huh? Anyways he had some left over bananas and I had this Martha Stewart Recipe Book and BAM! We are in business.
Banana - Walnut Bread, Adapted from Martha Stewart

* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 3 cups mashed medium very ripe bananas (about 6)
* 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch (2-quart) loaf pan; set aside.  Also you can use mini loaf muffins.  I used mini bunt muffin pans.  I really enjoy baking things that don’t require cutting if you haven’t noticed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of banana; mix until just combined. Stir in walnuts, if desired, by hand.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. If you are using small or mini muffin pans decrease time to 40-50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out of pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

When wrapped well in plastic, the loaf will keep in the freezer for several months.

A friend of mine was looking for something to bake to bring to a cookout.  She doesn’t bake alot and was looking for something easy.  She sent me a link with this.  They look amazing.  They look easy! They look perfect to make for my coworkers.  I mean what can go wrong.  Seven layers of ingredients, ingredients I have in my pantry.  PERFECT!  Problem.

Problem # 1 - Brian, allergic to nuts.  Hmmm

Problem # 1 Solved - Yogurt Covered Pretzels

Problem # 2 - Marsh, hates coconut. Hmmm

Problem # 2 Solved - Add coconut to half the top of the bars.  Perfect

So here is my concotion of 6 1/2 Magic Layer Bars.  So yummy.  So easy and so delish! Enjoy.

6 1/2 Layer Magic Cookie Bars, Adapted from AllHomemadeCookies.Com

1/2 c. butter (melted)
8 graham crackers (crushed)
1/3 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 c. butterscotch flavored chips
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes (I only added half to the dish)
1 c. yogurt covered pretzels (crushed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in a 8 X 8 inch baking pan.

Crush graham crackers.  I like to get a ziploc bag, add the graham crackers, and roll / crush with a rolling pin. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter, then pour condensed milk over crumbs.

Top with remaining ingredients in order listed.  Press cookie mixture down firmly into pan.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool before cutting into small mini bars. I placed the bars into mini cupcake liners for easy cleanup and access.

Half Eaten, Finished Product

Cut into bite size pieces

I’m sure everyone wants to know where I have been right? I know I know.  I was put on a project at work and my commute has gone from 20-30 minutes to 1-1 1/2 hours.

The sad thing is, I do bake and cook, just I haven’t been able to update my blog.  I feel so bad for not keeping up but what can I say, when work calls I gotta work!

However, in order to keep my co-workers happy I bake alot.  I think the best cupcakes I have ever tasted would have to be my strawberry cupcakes or tres leches cupcakes. Yes, I said tres leches.  These things are AMAZING.  So moist so yummy and so easy.  In all honesty though, they aren’t tres.  They are dos leches.

Everyone should try making these at least once in their life.  I don’t have a picture with me however I do have one at home.  Simply amazing I tell you.  I will show you a picture later I promise.  AMAZING I SAY!!

Tres, I mean Dos Leches Cupcakes, adapted from Food Network

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4  cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy on medium speed; add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until all the yellow disappears. Add the vanilla.  

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in medium size mixing bowl. Add alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter.

Fill standard paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack that has been placed over a baking sheet to cool.

While cupcakes are still warm, mix together the evaporated milk and the sweetened condensed milk in small bowl.

Poke several holes in the top of each of the cupcakes with a 1/4-inch wooden skewer. And pour the milk mixture over each cupcake while they are still warm filling each hole.  About 1/2 to 3/4-ounce of the milk mixture.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight before icing with homemade whipped cream.

Whipped Cream, adapated from Cherie Brown (Dylan’s awesome Aunt who can bake up a freaking storm)

12 oz HEAVY whipping cream (this is better to use because it holds its form and peaks better)
3-4 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Before making your cream place your large steel bowl you use with that mixer you have.  You know the one that has the initials of K.A. You know what I am talking about!  Place that bowl along with the whisk inside the freezer for about an hour until they are chilled. Beat cream and confectioners’ sugar in a large chilled  bowl until stiff peaks form.

Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip and pipe patterns onto your cupcakes.  Sprinkle top with some cinnamon.