RED VELVET BARS

I saw these red velvet bars on a recent episode of Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee.  I gave them a try and I thought they ended up tasting really good.  The cake part has the same texture as a brownie and they tasted exactly like a  cheesecake brownie.  They were so easy to make.  I cut the recipe in half and baked them for 42 minutes.

Red Velvet Bars

adapted from: Sandra Lee

Bars:

1 stick (8 Tbl.) butter, softened
1 german chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1 oz. bottle red food coloring


Cream Cheese Layer:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the bars: combine butter, cake mix, egg and red food coloring.  Batter will be stiff.  Spread into a greased 9X13 inch cake pan.  For the cream cheese layer:  Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Spread over batter.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bars barely start to pull away from sides of pan.  Cool completely before cutting.  

TACO SALAD

I love taco salad!  I had it for the first time about 3 years ago.  We were having a lunch party at my work and they were serving taco salad.  I wasn't going to have any, because that just did not sound good to me.  So, I decided to go down to the lunchroom to check out what was for dessert.  Well, I walked in and I saw the "buffet style" table and something caught my eye. . . . . Fritos!  I absolutely love Fritos and I hope some day they will come up with a "Baked" version, so I won't feel so bad about eating them.  I have been a fan of all the "Baked" chips so far.  In fact, I prefer some of them over the regular kind.  

Anyway, back to taco salad, so the idea of putting Fritos on a taco salad convinced me to sit down and try some lunch.  Well, I loved it and I have been eating it ever since.  I have tried several different versions and adjust my recipe slightly each time, but this is my favorite version so far.  Make sure to serve with Ranch Dressing  - YUMMY.

TACO SALAD

From: Jenn - eatcakefordinner

(Printable Recipe)

1/2 lb. ground beef

salt & pepper

taco seasoning, to taste

onion powder, opt.

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 can chili w/out beans

1/2-1 can pinto beans, drained

1/4 c. salsa

1 pkg. spanish rice, cooked

lettuce

cilantro, chopped

sour cream, opt.

ranch dressing

Cheddar cheese, grated

Fritos

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; add onions and cook a few minutes. Season with salt, pepper, taco seasoning and onion powder, to taste.  Add chili, beans and salsa.  Cook until heated through.  Layer lettuce, rice, and ground beef mixture.  Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream, Cheddar cheese and Fritos. Drizzle with ranch dressing.  Serves 3-4 people.

My First Chili Attempt

Today was the perfect day for chili.  I woke up, looked outside, and there was snow everywhere.  I didn't even know it was supposed to snow.  So, of course, I needed something warm and cozy for dinner.  I didn't have a specific recipe for this chili.  I just kind of threw in stuff until it tasted good.  It turned out very yummy. It had the perfect amount of spiciness for my taste.  If you do not like things spicy, you should probably leave out the chipotle chili in adobo sauce.  Also, I added 1/2 a green pepper and 1/2 a red pepper, because that is what I had in my fridge, but you could just use one whole green pepper and not have to buy both. 

Chili

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

(Printable Recipe)

1/2 Lb. ground beef

1/2 Lb. ground pork

1/2 Tbl. oil

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can chili beans

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1/2 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, 

    seeds removed, finely chopped, opt.

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder, opt.

2 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. oregano

salt & pepper

sour cream, for garnish

green onions, sliced, for garnish

Cheddar cheese, shredded, for garnish

In a large pot, brown ground beef and ground pork.  Remove and set aside.  Heat oil in same pot; add green pepper, red pepper and onion and saute until tender.  Add meat back to pot.  Add remaining ingredients.  Season with spices, to taste.  Place lid on pot and simmer for a few hours.  If it is too thick, add a little water.  Garnish with Cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.  Serve with Fritos or with toasted baguette, if desired.  

Pumpkin Mousse Cupcakes

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

It's blog makeover time!  I found this cute design that matched the title of my blog and so I am going to try it out for awhile and see if it is going to be a keeper or not.  Let me know if you like it!  

You have got to try these cupcakes.  They are sooooooo yummy!  My friend, Shelley, told me her husband had tried one of these cupcakes at a bake sale some of her neighbors were having for a fundraiser and that I had to try them, because her hubby said they were incredible.  So, I waited for Jamie to post them on her blog and when I saw them, I immediately started baking.  

The cupcake is so light and fluffy and has the perfect spice flavor.  The pumpkin filling is made from a boxed pudding mix and while on its own, I thought it tasted a little strange and debated about even putting it inside the cupcakes, but I am so glad I ended up trying it in the cupcake, because the combination of the cake, filling and the cream cheese frosting is perfect.  I adjusted her cream cheese frosting recipe a little, but use your favorite recipe.  I am planning on taking these to Thanksgiving dinner and I am sure everyone will love them.  I only filled a couple of the cupcakes tonight to give them a try, but I plan on filling and frosting the rest in the morning, since they will have to be refrigerated because of the cream and cream cheese and I didn't want to refrigerate the cake overnight.  

Pumpkin Mousse Cupcakes

adapted from: Jamie Cooks It Up

(Printable Recipe)

Cupcakes:

1 spice cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) box pumpkin spice instant pudding

1/3 c. flour

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. sour cream

1 1/2 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

Filling: 

1 (3.4 oz) box pumpkin spice instant pudding

1 3/4 c. half and half

Cream Cheese Frosting:

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

1 stick butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

dash of salt

4 c. powdered sugar

2-3 Tbl. milk

For the cupcakes: In a large bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix and flour; stir together to combine.  Add the oil, sour cream, water, vanilla and eggs.  Mix on low speed for 1 minute.  Then, mix on medium speed until smooth and silky, about 3 minutes.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes (mine took 19-20 minutes).  Cool completely.  Yield: 24 cupcakes (I got 27).

For the mousse filling:  Whip together ingredients until thick, about 3 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, cut a small circle out of the top of each cupcake.  Spoon filling in each hole.

For the cream cheese frosting:  Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add vanilla and salt.  Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until light and fluffy.  Add enough milk to reach desired piping consistency.  Pipe onto each cupcake.      

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

I found this recipe on one of those free recipe handouts that you can sometimes find by the spices at the grocery store.  This handout was a really good one, it came with 13 recipes all from McCormick® . 


 I don't know about you, but I am always looking for new ways to eat my veggies! One of my favorite vegetables is broccoli.   I prefer fresh over frozen, but this recipe called for frozen, so I figured I would give it a try.  Overall, I really liked this side dish.  It was creamy, cheesy and yummy. 

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

adapted from: McCormick® 

(Printable Recipe)

1/2 c. fine plain bread crumbs

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 Tbl. butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided

1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen cauliflower florets, thawed

2 Tbl. butter

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 Tbl. flour

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 1/4 c. milk

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

Mix bread crumbs, 2 Tbl. of the Parmesan cheese, 2 Tbl. melted butter and 1/2 tsp. of the Italian seasoning in a small bowl.  Cut up any large broccoli or cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces.  Melt 2 Tbl. butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, remaining 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper.  Add milk; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Add cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted.  Add vegetables; toss gently to coat.  Spoon into 2-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle top evenly with crumb mixture.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.  Makes around 8 servings.   

Orange-Cream Cheese Rolls

I had been eyeing this recipe for a few months now.  It is out of Paula Deen's Holiday Baking 2010 Special Issue magazine.  If you can still find that magazine in stores, you should really pick yourself up a copy.  There are so many yummy looking recipes in there.  I admit, I am a sucker for food magazines, even though they are seriously pricey.  I think I paid around $9 for this one, but it was worth it!    


These rolls were really easy to put together.  I cut the dough recipe in 1/4, but I only cut the filling recipe in 1/2, because I wanted them to be super gooey.  The original recipe says it yields 24 rolls, but I cut the recipe in 1/4 and I got 10 rolls, which would mean the full recipe yields 40 rolls?  The final result was only pretty good.  The cream cheese filling must have absorbed into the bread while they were baking, because they weren't ooey gooey at all?  I was a little bummed.  At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the crunchy pecans, but after a few bites, I started to like them a little more, but if I had to choose with pecans or without, I would choose without.  So, they were pretty good, but I have had way better.  I would like to try them with a regular butter, sugar and orange zest filling and then frost them with the cream cheese, orange marmalade and pecan filling.  I bet that would be yummy!  

Make sure the yeast bubbles or start over, because you must have killed the yeast

After mixing, place in a greased bowl 

Let rise until doubled

Roll out dough and spread evenly with filling

Roll up tightly

Cut as evenly as possible

Let rise again until doubled

Bake until golden brown

Orange-Cream Cheese Rolls

adapted from: Paula Deen

(Printable Recipe)

2 (1/4 oz.) pkgs. active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. warm whole milk (I used 2%)

1 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter, melted

1 Tbl. orange zest

1/2 c. orange juice

3 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

8-9 c. bread flour

orange-cream cheese filling

orange glaze

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk; let stand for 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, beat sugar, melted butter, orange zest, orange juice, eggs and salt at medium-low speed with a mixer until combined.  Add yeast mixture, beating until combined.  Gradually add 7 cups bread flour, beating until smooth.  Add enough remaining bread flour to make a soft dough.  On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough.  Knead dough for 6-8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 1 hour or until dough is doubled in size.  Spray 2 (10-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray (I used 9x13 pan).  On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 24x12 inch rectangle.  Spread orange-cream cheese filling evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border.  Roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side.  Using a serrated knife, cut dough crosswise into 1 inch slices.  Place rolls, cut side down, in prepared pans.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 1 hour or until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Spoon orange glaze over warm rolls.  

Orange-Cream Cheese Filling

makes about 1 1/2 cups

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

1/4 c. orange marmalade

2 Tbl. sugar

1/2 c. chopped pecans

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, marmalade and sugar, stirring until combined.  Stir in pecans.

Orange Glaze

makes about 1/2 cup

1 c. powdered sugar

2 Tbl. orange juice

In a small bowl, whisk sugar and juice until smooth.  Pour immediately over rolls.  

Vanilla Cupcakes

I found this cupcake recipe over at Lick-My-Spoon. She described them as moist and light. I love light cupcakes, so I decided to give them a try.  I thought these cupcakes were pretty good, they baked up nice and pretty, however, I think I prefer this Cook's Illustrated recipe a little more.  I wished this new recipe had just a little better flavor.  Also, I had been wanting to try a frosting recipe I found in an America's Test Kitchen cookbook.  I gave it a try, but something didn't work right?  It never sat up, so I had to add some powdered sugar to make it piping consistency.  I frosted half with chocolate frosting and half with vanilla frosting.  Even though my frosting didn't turn out how it was supposed to, it still tasted good.  

Vanilla Cupcakes

adapted from: Lick-My-Spoon

(Printable Recipe)

3 c. all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 c. butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, room temperature 

1 c. whole milk (I used 2%)

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Add dry mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-23 minutes.  Remove from tray and wrap each cupcake individually with saran wrap to seal in moisture.  Cool completely and frost. 

Creamy Vanilla and Chocolate Frosting:

adapted from: America's Test Kitchen

1/2 c. sugar

2 large egg whites

pinch of salt

12 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened and cut into 12 pieces

1 tsp. vanilla

1-2 Tbl. cocoa powder, to taste

1.  Combine the sugar, egg whites and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer, then place the bowl over a pan of simmering water.   Heat the mixture, whisking gently but constantly, until slightly thickened and foamy and it registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 2-3 minutes.  

2.  Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on medium speed in a standing mixer until reaches the consistency of shaving cream and is slightly cooled, 1-2 minutes.  Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy.  (The frosting may look curdled after half of the butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter).  Once all the butter is added, add the vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds (this is when I had to add powdered sugar).  If you want chocolate, add 1 or 2 Tbl. cocoa powder until reaches desired taste.