Mega-Chocolate Chip Muffins

by penji1

Courtney and I really love chocolate chip muffins which I usually make from a box mix (yes, it’s true, sometimes I cheat!) but this morning I decided to try some from scratch so I found this recipe on www.bettycrocker.com.  They are yummy, quick and easy.

The recipe said it would make a dozen but I ended up with a dozen and a half.  (Do you like my Pillsbury Doughboy plate?)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 cups flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips (Yeah right!  Mega chocolate chip muffins with a 1/2 cup chocolate chips?  I don’t think so!  Make it a full cup!)

1  Heat oven to 400 (or 375 for dark pans).  Line muffin cups with paper liners.

2  Melt butter in microwave about 30 – 45 seconds then cool for about 5 minutes.

3  Crack eggs into mixing bowl.  Add cooled melted butter and milk and beat with fork until well mixed.

4  Combine flour, sugar, powder and salt in separate bowl and mix until combined.  Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until flour is wet (batter will still be lumpy).  Stir in chips.  Using large scoop (ice cream scoop works well too), place 1 scoop of batter into each liner.

5  Bake 18 – 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Berries ‘N Cream Wonton Cups

by penji1

I made the wonton cups last night and then filled them this morning for my friend Anne’s daughter’s bridal shower today.  These are so easy (don’t let the wonton wrappers scare you) and so yummy and also low fat, low cholesterol and low calorie (2 wonton cups = 110 calories, 3 grams of fat and 5 mg cholesterol).  They are from the Pampered Chef cookbook, “It’s Good For You”.

24 square wonton wrappers (you can find these in the produce section of the grocery store, they come in packs of around 50 so you can easily double this recipe if desired and if not, you can just throw the leftover wrappers in the freezer for future use)

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1 (8 0z) container low fat strawberry yogurt

1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, thawed and divided

1 cup raspberries

1/2 cup blueberries

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Using pastry brush, lightly brush one side of each wonton wrapper with melted butter and then sprinkle with sugar.  Press each wonton, sugared side up, into cups of Mini Muffin Pan (you can use your mini tart shaper if you have one, fingers work too).  Bake 6 – 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  Remove wontons from pan to cooling rack and cool completely.

2.  Place yogurt in small bowl and fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip.  Attach closed star tip to Easy Accent Decorator and fill with remaining Cool Whip.

3.  Using small scoop, scoop yogurt mixture into each cup.  Top each with 1 raspberry and 2 blueberries.  Garnish with Cool Whip and powdered sugar if desired.

TIPS:

You can also add 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon to sugar before sprinkling on cups prior to baking for another layer of taste.

Unfilled wonton cups can be prepared up to a week in advance of using/filling.  Just store tightly covered and keep at room temperature.

You can also change this recipe around by using any flavor of yogurt and any combination of fresh fruit.

Caramel Heath Brownie Bites

by penji1

Sometimes I just feel like experimenting!  The inspiration for this experiment came from my sis in law Mary who told me that she bought brownie bites at Costco and then topped them with peanut butter frosting and chopped up Snickers bars so I thought I’d try a homemade version of that with some flavors that I like.  I made them for the team meeting at work and they were a hit.

1 (19 – 21 oz) box brownie mix plus ingredients to make cake like brownies

1 recipe Vanilla Caramel Buttercream Frosting (see below)

2 regular size Heath or Skor bars

Preheat oven to 350 (or 325 if your mini muffin pans are dark in color).  Spray wells of mini muffin pan with Pam with flour (the one labeled for baking).  My mini muffin pan has 24 wells and this recipe will fill it up twice.  Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake like brownies.  Using a Small Scoop, place 1 level scoop of batter into each well of mini muffin pan.  Bake for about 14 – 15 minutes, until edges of brownie bites are bubbling slightly.  Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes or until brownie bites are set and can be removed easily from pan.

Meanwhile, prepare Vanilla Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 – 4 tablespoons milk or cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 – 1/2 jar caramel ice cream topping

Beat butter until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop beating before adding sugar to avoid a big mess.  Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk or cream and vanilla.  Beat frosting on low, increasing speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk or cream if frosting is too thick.  By hand stir in 1/4 to 1/2 jar of the caramel ice cream topping, depending on how much caramel flavor you want and how thick or thin you want the frosting to be.

Crunch up the toffee bars (I use my Pampered Chef Food Chopper)

When the brownie bites are completely cool, top with spoonful of caramel frosting then sprinkle with crunched up candy bars.

WIN! WIN! WIN!

by penji1

In celebration of posting over 50 recipes on my blog, I’ve decided to give some Pampered Chef products away for FREE!!!! 

Prize pack #1 aka the Green Prize Pack contains a brand new green Bar Board, a brand new green Quikut Paring Knife, a brand new green Microfiber Towel and Dishcloth Set and a gently used “Casual Cooking” cookbook, valued at over $30! 

Prize pack #2 aka the Maroon Prize Pack contains a brand new maroon Reusable Shopping Bag, a brand new maroon Oven Pad, a brand new set of maroon and white Quikut Paring Knives and a gently used “Main Dishes” cookbook, also valued at over $30!

Don’t worry if you don’t live near me, I will ship it to you if you win!

You can get up to 3 entries for the random drawing, here’s how:

1  Subscribe to my blog!  All you have to do is enter your email address on the home page in the box on the top left corner.  If you are already subscribed to my blog then you already have 1 automatic entry.

2  Comment on this post telling me the recipe you like most so far on the blog!

3  Invite a friend to subscribe to my blog.  Just let me know who you’ve referred and I will put in another entry for you when they sign up!

You have a week to get in your entries!  I will draw the winners on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:30 pm.  Good luck and happy cooking!

Summer Feta Pasta Salad

by penji1

I’m tired of waiting for the warm weather to come and stay and so I’ve moved on from soups and am starting on summer salads.  Everyone here loves pasta salads and so I usually double all pasta salad recipes like this one.  Not sure where I got this recipe from either.

1/2 large red bell pepper

1/2 large green bell pepper

10 – 12 cherry or grape tomatoes (I prefer grape to cherry)

1 (8 oz) bag rotini or curly pasta, cooked and drained

1 (10 – 13 oz) can chicken breast meat, drained

3/4 cup Caesar dressing

1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Cut bell peppers into bite small bite size pieces.  Put tomates and peppers in a large bowl.  (I like to cut the grape tomatoes in half as they are easier to eat that way.)  Add pasta, chicken and dressing to bowl and gently stir to combine.  Sprinkle Feta on top.

Bow-Tie Spinach Salad

by penji1

And one more salad recipe for Mary.  This one is also a Pampered Chef recipe.

salad:

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (can also use a can of Costco chicken)

8 oz bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained

1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped

3 oz Craisins

3 tablespoons roasted sunflower seed kernels

3 oz honey roasted peanuts or cashews

2 (8 0z each) cans Mandarin oranges, drained

1 bag baby leaf spinach

dressing:

1 cup oil

2/3 cup Teriyaki sauce

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients for dressing and mix well.  Combine pasta, chicken, chestnuts, green onions and parsley.  Add at least 1/2 of the dressing.  Marinate pasta mixture for a few hours in fridge.  Just before serving, add remaining ingredients and toss.  Add more dressing to salad as needed.

Asian Citrus Salad

by penji1

Another salad recipe requested by my sister in law Mary.   Don’t remember where is came from but it’s yummy!

salad:

1 head Romaine lettuce

3 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped (I’ve also used a can of Costco brand chicken in this salad with great results)

1 red onion, chopped (or half if it’s a huge one)

1/2 bunch radishes, sliced

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 cup Chow Mein noodles

1 can Mandarin oranges, drained (reserve the juice)

dressing:

7 oz vegetable oil (in order to make this a little more calorie friendly, I

use the reserved mandarin orange juice in place of some of the oil, like half or so, still tastes great but makes it a little less fatty)

3 oz rice vinegar

2 oz soy sauce

1 clove fresh garlic, pressed

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

Combine all salad ingredients in large bowl.  Prepare dressing.  Pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss.

Flourless Monster Cookies

by penji1

Zach is going on a road trip and needs sustenance!  And by sustenance I of course mean cookies!

These are flourless cookies for anyone looking for a recipe that falls within that category.  This is another recipe that I’ve had for awhile and so can’t remember where it came from.

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter (I use chunky peanut butter and then omit the nuts listed below)

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

4 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips (or butterscotch, peanut butter or white chocolate chips)

1 cup M & M’s (or Reeses Pieces)

1 cup chopped peanuts (or walnuts or pecans)

1/2 cup raisins (why ruin perfectly good cookies by adding fruit?)

Heat oven to 350.  Combine sugars, peanut butter and butter and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add oats and baking soda and mix well.  (I actually added an additional 1/2 cup oats here because my dough was too sticky.)  Stir in chips, candy, nuts and raisins.  (Our preferred combo is chocolate chips and Reeses Pieces.)  Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 1/2″ apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (using a cookie scoop works best).

Bake 11 – 14 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool two minutes then remove from sheets.

Vanilla Pudding Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

by penji1

More Cupcakes from “101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes”!  I haven’t tried these cupcakes before but have made the frosting and it is delicious!

Here’s my tip for the day – when you go out to eat or order take out or get ready made food from Costco, save the plastic containers that they come in and recycle them by using them to take food to people that way they won’t have to worry about returning a dish and they can pass it on to someone else if they wish.  These cupcakes are for my weekly team meeting and I’m taking them in a container from a restaurant (see picture) so won’t have to worry about keeping track of a container at work.

Cupcakes:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 (4 oz) package vanilla pudding mix

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, poppy seeds, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Pour into paper liners, filling 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 15 – 18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 – 4 tablespoons milk or cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place butter in large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop beating before adding sugar to avoid a big mess.  Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla.  Beat frosting starting on low, increasing speed until frosting is thick and creamy.  Add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk if frosting is too thick.

Bridal Party Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

by penji1

First time trying both cupcake and frosting recipes.  These are also from “101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes”.  Wanted to serve both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes together.

Cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix (I used Golden Vanilla as I wanted that vanilla taste as opposed to the white cake mix)

3 eggs

1 cup milk or sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla, lemon or almond extract

Mix together all ingredients.  Pour batter into paper liners, filling 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 15 – 18 minutes or until cakes are light golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Frost when cooled.

Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 – 4 tablespoons milk or cream (I used 4 of milk)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Place butter in mixing bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop beating before adding sugar to avoid a big mess.  Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk or cream and vanilla.  Beat frosting starting on low, increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

I topped these with Pampered Chef Sweet Honey Vanilla Sprinkles and Wilton White Sparkling Sugar Sprinkles.