Faux Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup water

2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
3 tsp baking powder
chocolate chips

Combine butter and sugar and cream until light.
Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and water.
In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
Add to butter mixture and mix well.


Line muffin tin with cupcake cups.
Fill cupcakes 1/4 of the way with batter.
Make a well in the center and add 10-15 chocolate chips.
Cover with batter 3/4 of the way up the cup.

Bake at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes.
Cool slightly and serve warm.
These do not have a liquid center, but do have a rich gooey center.
If they cool, just pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds to reheat the chocolate.

Makes 15-18 cupcakes.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

From the recipe book: Sweet Eats by Rose Dunnington

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1-2 tsp peppermint extract (depending on how minty you prefer it)*
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips*

Cream butter and brown sugar in until fluffy.
Add egg and peppermint and beat until combined.
Sift together dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture.
Mix well.
Scape sides of bowl and then add chocolate chips.
Place spoonfuls of dough on greased cookies sheets a couple of inches apart.
Bake on 375 for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake, as cookies will become too crispy.
Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 24 small cookies.

*For a faux Thin Mint taste, use 2 tsp extract and 1 cup chocolate chips.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

From BlogChef

Ingredients:
2 1/2lbs boneless-skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” cubes)

Marinade-
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Batter-
2 large eggs
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch white pepper
oil (for frying)

Sauce-
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
3 slices of lemon (peeled)
2 tablespoons oil
yellow food coloring (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place cut chicken breast pieces into a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 2: To make the batter – beat 2 large eggs with ¼ cup of cornstarch, a pinch of white pepper and baking powder. Coat the chicken with the batter.

Step 3: Heat deep fryer to 350 degrees and deep-fry in batches until chicken is fully cooked. Drain on paper towels and set aside. You can also cook the chicken using a wok if you don’t have a deep fryer.

Step 4: Now, to make the lemon sauce – combine 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and ¾ teaspoon salt (if using food coloring you can add it now). Mix until well combined and add 3 slices of lemon to the sauce mixture.

Step 5: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your wok and stir in the lemon sauce mixture and heat until well mixed and sauce becomes clear. Remove lemon slices and pour the sauce over the chicken and mix. Best served with rice and broccoli.

Five Pounds of Fabulous Fudge

From Shelly Hattan (courtesy of Gail Stamler, Shelly's mom)
1/2 c butter
1 can evaporated milk
4 1/2 c sugar (granulated)
10 oz. bag of marshmallows
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz sweet baking chocolate
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 c chopped nuts

Combine butter, milk, and sugar in pan. Stir till sugar dissolves.

Cook to boil, cover. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add marshmallows, stir till melted.

Add all the chocolate, one at a time stirring until melted. Add vanilla and nuts. Pour into buttered pan. Cut when firm.

Pina Colada Muffins

1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum extract, optional
1/2 to 3/4 cup crushed pineapple, well drained (I used 1/2 cup dehydrated pineapple and added it at the end)

mix together well


2 & 2/3 cup flour (whole wheat and/or oat work nicely)
1/3 cup milk powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

combine and add slowly to wet ingredients

1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 cup angel shred coconut

Spoon into greased or lined muffin tins. Bake 18 minutes on 375 degrees.

Yogurt Muffins

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups plain low-fat yogurt or non-fat Norwegian skyr
• 4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. (Food & Wine suggests spraying the cups with vegetable oil. I skipped this step, and once the muffins cooled, I didn’t have a problem removing the muffins from the liners.)

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, clove, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk all of the ingredients together. Break up any large clumps of brown sugar with a fork.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, butter, applesauce, and vanilla. Gradually add the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Fill each cup halfway, as the contents will rise a bit during baking. Sprinkle the granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg over the muffins. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pear Pecan Wheat Muffins

2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (or 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey)
1/4 cup milk powder (no water)
2 cups pureed pears (or 1 cup pureed and 1 cup cubed)
2 Tbsp canola oil

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix gently

Slowly add dry ingredients:
1 & 1/4 cup white flour
2 cups wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 cups oats
1 cup pecans
1 cup choc chips

Mix until combined.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin tins.
Bake 18-20 min.
Cool slightly before serving.
Makes 24 regular size muffins.