Pictures of the Smore's Cupcakes

The kids loved these so much!!!

Homemade Ice Cream in a Baggie

Single serving Ice Cream in a Baggie

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Half n Half

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar 

6 Tablespoons of salt (or more)

Gallon Size Baggie filled half to 3/4 full of ice

1 quart size Baggie 

Directions:

Put the milk, vanilla and sugar in a quart Baggie and close it. Shake so all ingredients are mixed well. 

Pour salt (the more the better) over the ice in the gallon size Baggie.

Put the smaller bag inside the largest bag and close it. Shake, shake, shake for about 10 minutes or until the liquid starts to thicken. 

Add some sprinkles and eat it up! 

S'mores Cupcakes Week #8

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tbsp butter, melted

5 tbsp sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 + 1/8 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

Marshmallow Frosting

4 eggs whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

chocolate sauce 

graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix well.

3. Press about 1 1/2 tbsp of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner.

4. Bake crusts for 7 minutes then remove and set aside.

5. To make the cupcakes, add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.

6. Add egg, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.

7. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well.

8. Pour batter into cupcake pan, filling a little more than half way, and bake at 300 degrees for about 19-21 minutes.

9. When done, remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Then remove from cupcake tin and allow to cool.

10. While cupcakes cool, make the icing. Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a metal, heatproof mixer bowl.

11. Place over a saucepan with simmering water.

12. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.

13. Using the whisk attachment, beat on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes.

14. Ice cupcakes and top with chocolate sauce and graham cracker crumbs, if desired.

Banana Blondies Recipe Week #7

Banana Blondies

Ingredients

Blondies

• ½ cup butter, melted and if desired browned
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup mashed banana (1 medium banana)

Brown Sugar Frosting

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Blondies

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside
2. In bowl of stand mixer combine melted (or browned) butter and sugar. Mix until combined. Add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir in salt, flour and banana until batter is smooth and even. Spread in prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is set.
4. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool.
5. Frost the blondies when they are mostly cooled.

Brown Sugar Frosting

1. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add brown sugar and milk and stir until mixture comes to just a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk.
3. Spread on top of blondies and allow frosting to set and blondies to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

If you choose to brown the butter, melt butter in saucepan and continue cooking, once it's melted by swirling the butter in the pan until butter reaches a deep golden brown color. 

Crepes with Homemade Lemon Curd Week 6

Never Fail Lemon Curd

• 6 tablespoons soft butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cream together butter and sugar in stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time while mixing on low speed, then add yolks.  Continue to beat on low for another minute or two. mixture should be smooth and creamy light yellow. Next, add the lemon juice and continue to beat on low speed until incorporated.  Things turn pretty ugly at this point, the mixture will be lumpy and look curdled, fear not, forge ahead.

Transfer the lemon curd to a medium sized saucepan and place over low heat.  Stir until the mixture is heated through and no longer has a curdled appearance.  Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly for the next 12 minutes until thickened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool with cling wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the curd.  This will prevent it forming a skin on top. Once cool decant to storage container of your choice.  This keeps about a week in the fridge, it also freezes well.

How to Make Sweet Crepes

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 and ½ cups milk

1 cup water (add additional 1/2 cup water if needed)

Cooking spray for greasing the frying pan