Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

I tried it...I baked from scratch. Besides breads and cookies, I like the semi-homemade approach to things but for some reason, I felt like trying it so I started slow with this easy recipe from Martha Stewart. It was easy to do and yielded a pretty moist cake!

Makes 18 to 24

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Basic Waffles (Heart-shape recommended but optional)

Alton Brown's recipe from Foodtv.com:

Ingredients

• 4 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup
• 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 whole eggs, beaten
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
• Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Baked French Toast Casserole

Photo courtesy of Food Network.

We ate too fast for me to take a picture. LOL

I wanted to make breakfast during our Mammoth trip without having to stand and flip pancakes or French toast the entire time. I decided on this Paula Deen recipe due to the high commenting and ratings on FoodTV.com. I changed it a big (substitute white sugar for corn syrup because I didn't have any). In an effect to streamline packing for our trip, I did the egg mixture and praline mixture (san butter of course) before hand. When we got to the cabin, I just sliced the bread, pour the egg mixture on top, then melted the butter, mixed it with the praline mixture and spread on top! (I didn't do it overnight in fear that it would be too soggy...maybe I'll try it next time, that would make it even easier!) So easy and so delicious. Very fluffy, almost like a bread pudding:

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Nana's Brownies

I got this recipe from a friend.  It's her nana's signature.  It's super easy and it freezes well, too.

In a saucepan (large enough to fit all the ingredients) on the stove, melt together:

• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
• 4 oz. (4 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate squares (the packet I usually get comes with 8 squares)

Once melted together, remove from heat (wait approximately 5 minutes or so).

Add 2 cups white sugar

Add 4 beaten eggs

Add 1.5 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. vanilla

I add chocolate bits and walnuts (but I don't measure them).  This is a preference.

Bake in a 13x9 baking pan at 300 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

(This is SUPER SIMPLE compared to all the other stuff you guys have on here.  Hehe...my 1st post :))

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

We had left over rotisserie chicken from Costco so Anh 2 Mike wanted me to cook something that would clear up some space in our fridge. I found two recipes on Allrecipe and took pieces of to make the ingredients I have word. Then I cooked it low and slow to get the flavors to meld together (a trick I got from brother Steve). It was good. Next time I will double the sauce. It came out a litte dry.

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced chicken breast meat (about half a Costco chicken)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn, rinsed and drained (I used frozen I had in the freezer and defrosted it)
• 1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste (2 cans next time)
• 2/3 cup water (1 1/3 cup next time)
• 2 tablespoon hot sauce (4 tablespoon next time)
• 1/4 bag of taco seasoning mix (1/2 next time)
• 1 package (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together chicken and sour cream.
3. In another bowl, mix cilantro, beans, green chile peppers, and corn. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix the tomato paste, water, hot sauce, taco seasoning.
5. Spoon a layer of the tomato mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
6. Layer tortillas on top of the tomato mixture.
7. Spread more sauce, then chicken mixture the bean/corn mixture then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat layers until desired amount (I usually do 3).
8. For the top, spread the tomato sauce then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
9. Cover with foil and put it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until melded together and bubbly.
10. Serve with more cilantro and a side of fresh avocado. Yum...

Footnotes
Make the meat layer thin to cut the richness.

Verdict
Served it to Bao and Anh 2 Mike. Anh 2 Mike had seconds. Both says it was good but could use more sauce.

3-Cheese Roasted Garlic Mac n Cheese

We had all this fancy leftover cheese from a wine and cheese party so Bao suggested I made mac n cheese with it. So I did! It was delicious!

Ingredients:

• Any short grain pasta
• Milk
• Roux (butter and flour)
• Cheeses, grated
• Roasted garlic, mashed
• Salt
• Pepper
• Panko bread crust
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta as package directed.
2. Bring milk to a boil over medium heat.
3. Add roux and cook to desire consistency.
4. Add cheese a handful at a time.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce.
7. Transfer mac n cheese to a baking dish.
8. In a small bowl, mix panko, parmesan cheese and olive oil.
9. Spread breadcrumb mixture over mac n cheese.
10. Bake at 375 until top is golden brown.

Baked Brie

This baked brie has roasted garlic and toasted pine nuts all wrapped in puff pastry. It was delicious! The only baked brie we ever made that was completely devoured!

Ingredients:

• Small Brie wheel
• Garlic, oven roasted
• Pine nuts, lightly toasted
• Store-bought puff pastry, defrosted to room temperature
• Egg, beaten
  

Directions:

1. Roll out the puff pastry so it doesn't puff too much when you bake it.
2. Cut around the puff pastry so you have enough to cover the entire Brie wheel but not too much excess that it will be lumpy on the bottom.
3. Put the pine nuts, and mushrooms on the puff pastry circle you just cut, now put the Brie back on top of it.
4. Wrap until all the ends meet and it's seal.
5. Put the seam side down.
6. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or when puff pastry is golden brown.