Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

I'm still on a chocolate high since yesterday's Truffle making, so thought I'd bake some Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes, which have a great chocolate flavor and a yummy surprise inside! Cheesecake! These luscious little snacking cakes have have a moist cheesecake filling in the center and they are so rich they don't need the traditional frosting. Just give them a light dusting of powdered sugar and you're good to go. Frosting would be way to rich. There is a trick, though, to getting a smooth top on which to put that powdered sugar. If you use too much cake batter on the bottom of the cupcake, then add a dollop of cream cheese batter, and then you maybe don't have enough chocolate batter to cover very well, you might get crevices in the cupcakes!

Yea, I got some crevices. Oh well, these are snacking cakes and they don't have to be perfect, right? They are still really good. Try them, your family will love them, if they love cheesecake filling, that is.

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

FILLING:

1 package(8 oz.) softened cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup chocolate chips

CUPCAKES

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/3 cup oil

1& 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 egg until smooth. Add chocolate chips and set aside.

Beat the cupcake ingredients together with a wire whisk until smooth. Spoon 1/2 of the batter into 18 paper lined muffin cups. Top each with 1 Tbsp. filling. Spoon the remaining chocolate batter over each one. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I prick 1 cupcake from each pan just to make sure the filling is done.

Cool completely and then lightly dust with powdered sugar. This recipe came out of a Brand Name Bake Sale Cookbook that I purchased for my daughter a few years back. I hope all of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day tomorrow! Comments are always welcome and enjoyed!

Truffles!

I have wanted to make Truffles for along time, so when I opened the Parade Magazine out of Sunday's paper and saw this recipe , I knew I needed to make them now! Or at least this week since it is almost Valentines Day. This recipe is from Dorie Greenspan and was so simple to do and it didn't make a huge amount. Since I am a chocoholic, I didn't want tons of chocolate hanging around my house because I get tempted; and then I give in! I did add vanilla to the recipe and then I decided that I ought to make some with almond flavoring too, and I'm glad I did as they are wonderful! So to begin with, I toasted about 4 Tbsp. of sliced almonds. Actually, I burned them to a crisp, so I started over. When toasting nuts, don't leave their side; watch them closely as they toast really quick! So, I toasted 4 more Tbsp. of sliced almonds. Let them cool and then chop them finely and put in a small bowl. Next, I needed unsweetened cocoa

powder, so, I sifted some in another small bowl. After that is done you may start the Truffles.

Truffles

1/3 cup heavy cream

6oz. dark chocolate ( semi-sweet or bittersweet), finely chopped

2 Tbsp. butter, very soft

1/2 tsp. vanilla ( or 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring if making almond truffles)

unsweetened cocoa powder ( or toasted, chopped almonds if making almond flavored truffles)

In a small sauce pan bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chopped chocolate; let set for a min., then whisk until mixture is smooth. Whisk in the butter and the vanilla completely; cover and refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until firm.

Scoop out teaspoonfuls of chocolate, then squeeze and roll them between your hands to form cherry sized balls. This is rather messy, and mine were not perfectly round because the chocolate begins to melt, so work fast! If the chocolate is too hard to roll, leave it on the counter for 20 min. or so, then roll. Roll balls in cocoa powder, shake off excess powder,and place on plate or in container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat! To make the almond truffles, add 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring to the chocolate mixture. Roll the chocolate balls into the chopped almonds

and place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. I made the Almond Truffles as I knew my husband would prefer them to the others. Both flavors are so creamy, they just melt in your mouth! I'm not sure which flavor is my favorite. I'm leaning toward the almond, but both are delicious! Give them a try! Just don't burn the nuts!

Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Lime

When the weather is cold, my favorite food is soup, especially a hearty soup that can stand alone as a meal. A steaming bowl of soup and some crusty bread is all it takes to make me happy when those cold winds blow! I found this particular recipe at Epicurious, but it seemed lacking in substance, so I have adapted it to our preferences. The base recipe had a really great flavor, but just wasn't hearty enough for me, so of course I added some extra veggies and some black beans. If you like it spicier than I do just add some sliced peppers to heat it up a notch. This Tortilla Soup also needs the baked tortilla strips, so don't leave them out, as they are so easy to make. Also, you may choose to saute the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil , or you can just throw it all in the pot to cook. It's tasty either way!

Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Lime

For the tortilla strips you need 4-5 corn tortillas. Brush 1 side of tortillas lightly with olive oil and cut in half. Stack halves and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch wide strips. Spread strips on greased baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

You also need;

2 14& 1/2 cans of low- salt chicken broth

3 cups water

1 can of Rotel Tomatoes ( chopped with chilies; I use Mild)

1 bay leaf ( I forgot it)

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, if desired

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 in. wide strips

1 med. onion, finely diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 small zucchini or yellow squash, quartered and sliced

1 &1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can of drained and rinsed black beans

1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

If desired, saute onion and garlic in 1 t. olive oil. Add all ingredients to pot, EXCEPT the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Simmer about 20- 30 min. Add the beans, cilantro and lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with tortilla chips.

CORRECTION! I wrote down 4 cups of water when it should have been 3. Sorry!

Snickerdoodles

I love Snickerdoodles, those sugar cookies dusted with cinnamon, that are one of my family's favorite cookie. I 've been making them for a long time, following a recipe I found years ago in an old church cookbook. They are melt in your mouth deliciousness, (is there such a word?), especially when baked just enough to be soft and chewy. However, those times that I have over baked them a tad, I found that they are really good when they are crunchy too! I'll take them either way. After the cookies are stirred together, the dough must be refrigerated for about 2 hours, or overnight. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and roll

into balls. To make the balls uniform in size, I use my tablespoon to scoop the dough, just filling it. Then I roll the dough into small balls between my hands and then roll them into a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and place them on a baking sheet, not crowding them. You must give them room to spread, because as they bake they spread out and puff up and you don't want them to be deformed because of crowding. The Snickerdoodles will appear to be "crinkled" on top and if you want them to be soft and chewy, they will still look a little wet when removed from the oven.

They will flatten out during cooling. Also, they do better if when you take the pan out of the oven, let the cookies rest on the pan a few seconds and then remove them to a wax paper lined pan to cool. Snickerdoodles tend to fall apart when placed on wire cooling racks. So, let's get busy!

Snickerdoodles

In a large bowl, cream together:

1 cup soft butter (or you may use shortening)

1 &1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

In another bowl sift together:

2 &3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons Cream of Tarter ( found on the spice isle at the market)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, use only 1/4 tea. salt

Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours. When ready to bake preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into balls the size of small walnuts. I use my tablespoon measure to make sure the cookies are similar in size. Roll each ball of dough into cinnamon sugar mixture made with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes for soft cookies. The Snickerdoodles will still look wet. Remove from oven, let rest on pan for just a few seconds, then remove cookies to waxed paper to cool. Or, you can just eat them warm from the oven. They are so good! What are your favorite cookies to make?

Polish Sausage and Peppers

My husband is home everyday for lunch and not for dinner, because of the hours he works. In the evening, I usually have 1 or 2 of our children here to eat. They are in the college age and working stage of their lives, so sometimes one, or both may give me a call saying they won't be here for dinner. At least they call! What I'm trying to say is that it won't be too long until I will be cooking for two most of the time, unless it's Sunday dinner after church when all three kids are almost always here! Today for lunch I made Polish Sausage and Peppers, and served it over rice. I've made this before and it's quite versatile, as you can substitute sausage made with turkey or chicken, or even Italian sausage. I've served it over either white or brown rice, or pasta, and it's good both ways. Today, I made just enough for 2 servings, so you may have to increase the amounts if you are feeding more people.

Polish Sausage and Peppers

You will need 1/2 pound of rope Polish Sausage, sliced in about 1/2 inch slices; 1/2 of a green bell pepper, cut into strips; 1/2 of a yellow bell pepper cut into strips; 1/2 of a red onion, sliced, and 1 Roma tomato, coarsely chopped.

I used 1/2 cup of rice to 1 cup of water or broth and combined in a sauce pan. Add 1 teaspoon oil and simmer, covered for 15 min. Remove from heat. It will continue to steam while your finishing the sausage and peppers. In a skillet in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lightly brown the sausage for 2 or 3 minutes and then add the peppers and the onion and stir. Add a couple of tablespoons of water or broth and cover skillet with lid. Let simmer for about 5 minutes and then check to see if the peppers are as tender as you want them and make sure the skillet is not dry. You want a little bit of liquid to use on the rice. Add the chopped tomato and give it a stir and cook until tomato is heated through. I did not use salt or pepper because the meat was salty and plenty spicy. Serve over rice or pasta. This takes only about 20 minutes to prepare!
This can also be served on toasted hoagie rolls with melted cheese for a great sandwich!

My First Awards!

I want to thank Judy, from Judy's Kitchen for my first awards! Judy has a fantastic food blog with just about any type of food you could want! She is the food editor of her local newspaper and she has such a positive attitude and great recipes.When accepting these awards, we must pass them on according to these rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and /or gratitude
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award!

I'm passing these awards on to the following blogs;
1. My Kitchen Cafe
2. The Friday Friends
3. Real Mom Kitchen
4. For the Love of Cooking
5.It's all Gouda
6. The Wives with Knives
7. One Perfect Bite
8. Erin Cooks
9. 50's Housewife
10. Jayhawk Girls Kitchen

If you can, check out these blogs because they're really great! thanks again Judy!

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Last year I began experimenting with roasting veggies in the oven and found that I loved them prepared that way! I've already posted Sweet Potato Oven Fries, so today I'm ready to talk broccoli. I love broccoli steamed; it's been my favorite for years, but when you roast it in the oven it gives it a new depth of flavor! Depending on how long you roast the broccoli, it can have a slightly nutty, sweet, caramelized flavor and the little buds get a little crisp and OH SO YUMMY!

Normally, when I fix Oven Roasted Broccoli, I just cut the broccoli and lay it on a pan, drizzle a little olive oil over it, sprinkle with kosher salt and bake it at 425 degrees for 10 -15 min. This time I decided to saute some garlic in the olive oil before hand and My husband and I loved the extra kick of flavor! I also added some Parmesan Cheese at the end, which was OK, but didn't affect the dish that much. I don't know if I'll add it next time.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Wash 1 head of broccoli and drain thoroughly. Cut through stalks of broccoli and pull apart into the size of broccoli spears you want and place in a bowl. In a small skillet, in 2 T. olive oil saute 1 or 2 minced cloves of garlic (I used 1 large clove), until it just begins to get soft and you can smell the garlic. Pour the oil over the broccoli, stir, and dump the broccoli on a baking sheet. Arrange broccoli spears in a single layer and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 10- 15 min. until stalks are tender crisp when stuck with a fork. The flower buds should be beginning to brown. The aroma coming from your oven should be heavenly! Remove from oven and eat immediately! Or, you can add a little Parmesan cheese, give it a toss, then eat! Do you like roasting vegetables in the oven?

And a big THANK YOU to all of you who have commented on my blog so far! I appreciate you all so much!