Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries Call me easily amused, but these little torch-topped cupcakes delight me. Besides being a cute novelty item for a party, I think they would add a little drama to the end of a romantic meal. I've been looking for something different to serve for Valentine's dessert, and this is definitely different. The strawberries are hollowed out and filled with a bit of liquor, then ignited with a match. For the cake portion, I chose a One Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe because 1. it's quick 2. it is easy, and 3. it fits my prerequisite for a light ending on date night. I should say, a light ending provided you don't eat too many. The cakes are just sweet enough, and have a light, fluffy crumb - the perfect vehicle for rich chocolate buttercream. Notes for flaming strawberries:Any alcohol below 80 proof will not ignite well. Shaina made a margarita version of this on Babble Food. Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries Yield: About 20 cupcakes [click to print]Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Red, White And Blue Flag Cake Studio 5 Party, Holiday and Ideas Contributor Alisa Bangerter has step by step instructions to make this red, white and blue flag cake. Baking Directions: To make this cake you will need three full layers of white cake, all the same height (make two recipes of cake or two cake mixes - you will end up with four layers so use one for another purpose). One layer will need to be white, one layer will need to be red and one layer will need to be blue. Use food coloring to get desired shade. Assembly: Split the white layer and the red layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. Place the remaining red split layer and the remaining white split layer on top of the full blue layer. Place the outer blue cake ring piece on the iced white and red cake layers. To serve, cut into slices and be amazed at the cool flag each piece becomes! Tips: • I used paste food coloring to get the deep shades needed - however you can use liquid or a combination of both.
7 Romantic Meals For $10 Or Less Creating a romantic meal at home is a somewhat bigger challenge than your standard Monday-night fare. Especially if you haven’t yet cooked for this significant other — or, if you’re in a long-term relationship, haven’t cooked for them often. And especially when the occasion in question is Valentine’s Day. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to up to romance factor, either overtly (like aphrodisiac ingredients and candles on the table) or covertly (that valentine’s favorite dish). Frugal Foodie recommends sticking to what you know, and what you know your sweetheart will like. We talked to chefs, home cooks and other relationship experts about their go-to date meals. There are appetizers, main courses, desserts and even a next-day breakfast, all for under $10 to prepare. Oyster with Spicy Vinaigrette and Apples Cost: $8.37 for half a dozen oysters, or $1.40 apiece. Strawberry-Tangerine Salad Cost: $5.36, or $2.68 per serving. No need to load up on aphrodisiacs. Chicken Madeira Intimidating?
Easy As 1, 2, 3 | Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce » toasty biscuit The other day my friend sent me a text and asked, “I want to try making doughnuts and want to make churros but they look difficult. Are they tricky to get right?!” I replied, “Nope! In fact, churros are the easiest doughnuts of all to make. There are only basic three steps!” She was so surprised that it only took me about twenty minutes to prepare a fresh batch of these delicious crispy doughnuts. For the doughnuts, I have a recipe that I’ve been using for years, and it never fails me. It really is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce 2 cups plain flour 1 tablespoon baking powder pinch of salt 500ml of boiling water 2 tablespoons of olive oil vegetable oil, to fry cinnamon sugar, to dust (just combine caster sugar with ground cinnamon) Chocolate Dipping Sauce 150g milk chocolate, chopped 100g dark chocolate, chopped 300ml of cream For the sauce: 1. For the doughnuts, it’s easy as 1, 2, 3: 1. 2. 3. Serve warm with the sauce. [Print recipe]
Buffalo Wild Wings Recipes I’m more of a classic buffalo sauce(Frank’s, butter, and vinegar) man myself, but I had these recipes for my favorite wings at Buffalo Wings Wings, so I thought I would share. Some of these may seem a little labor intensive, but they definitely taste a lot better with fresh ingredients. Enjoy. updated: November 21st, 2009 Parmesan Garlic 1/2 cup butter, melted1 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon onion salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated Spicy Garlic 1 Cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce1/3 Cup vegetable oil1 Teaspoon granulated sugar1 Teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon course ground black pepper½ teaspoon cayenne pepper½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Medium Wing Sauce 1 cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce1/3 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon granulated sugar1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper Hot Wing Sauce Blazin’ Mango Habanero Asian Zing Carribean Jerk Cooking Instructions:
Copycat Candy Recipes To make all of these Instructables, download this collection of How To’s as an ebook. Download » "Copycat Candy Recipes" is your backstage pass to famous brand-name candies! You've grown up eating these classic brand name candies, now you can recreate them at home. These Copycat Candy Recipes are sure to be just as good as the originals - if not better!! Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on the Internet. Sarah James Editor, Food & LivingInstructables.com Banana Split Bites Banana Split Bites ~ A classic ice cream dessert gets mini for some bite size fun. And yes, there is actually a tiny scoop of ice cream tucked inside and underneath the whip cream of those little darlings. Banana Split Mini Bites For once I made something mini for portion control and not just for the cute factor. My little guy had some friends over the other day and of course with a mom who is a baker, the expectation is dessert will not only be good but it will be fun. And I was asked, by friend Caroline, not to let her boys eat too much dessert. Keeping all things in mind what I served is what you see here. Here’s what wasn’t a hit and what I learned. Impromptu play dates with four kid’s ages 3-5 year olds after a full work day –not a good idea.Know in advance what other kids will and won’t eat. Luckily, dessert made all things right. No recipe just a few notes: Use firm bananas and cut into 1 inch sections. Leave a Comment
Red Velvet Crêpes I rolled my eyes at the red velvet cake trend, but now I can’t get enough. I’ll make any excuse to have ‘cake’ for breakfast– here’s my take on a classic. Red Velvet Crepes (Makes about 24, 8″ crepes) Ingredients: – 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 3 tablespoons sugar - 2 cups butter milk - 1 1/4 cup whole or lowfat milk - 1 large egg - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted - 1 tablespoon red food color gel - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + 2 tablespoons cooking oil (for pan) *Update: Because the buttermilk lends to the acidity of this batter, do not substitute the baking soda for extra baking powder. If you add more baking powder, and omit the baking soda, you’ll end up with a heavy and dense crepe. Chocolate Ganache Topping- 75 gr bittersweet chocolate - 75 mL heavy cream - 1 tablespoon sugar Directions: For the Mascarpone Filling:1. For Chocolate Ganche Sauce1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
SugarBlog - Homemade Hostess Cupcake Cake Balls This is not a lie... this is the truth... There are times when I will have lots of yummy, homemade baked goods in my house and I will drive to the gas station to get a Hostess Cupcake. They are my favorite. And they are adorable.... They are served in that really cute little tray. Now... you all know I love cake balls. Anyways... This whole thing is easy just a bit time consuming... several steps... but worth it! Now you know for the cake balls you will need to bake the cake and let it cool completely. Then add 1/2 container of cream cheese cake frosting and mix with hands. I used my trusty cookie scoop to make the balls. Then just hollowed them out with my finger :). Once this is done place them in the freezer while you are making the cream filling. Also... The hardest part to this recipe was finding an easy and tasteful cream filling recipe.. but I found one! Cream Filling You will need: 2 tsp very hot water, not boiling 1/4 tsp salt 1 jar marshmallow creme 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 tsp vanilla
Cheesecake-stuffed strawberries I put a slightly different version of these on my Easter Menu, but I’ve changed them up a bit. With the help of my strawberry huller – I’m not a gadget gal, but this one is worth having — these are a cinch to prepare. I took these up to school for Teacher Appreciation week and was blushing at the compliments. Do you think they knew how ridiculously easy these are? Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries 24 large strawberries, hulls removed 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (add gradually, to taste) 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs Place cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or until soft. Use a sharp knife to make a hole in the center of each strawberry (going as deep as you can without hitting bottom). Spoon or pipe the filling into each hole.
28 Muffin Recipes You’ll Want to Try I love muffins. I love them even more than cupcakes. Probably because they are so quick to make. It’s almost instant gratification from the time the muffin idea pops in your head until you’re pulling them from the oven. Of course, not all muffins are the sweet variety. Here’s a list of muffin recipes gathered from this site and all around the web too. Snickerdoodle Muffins – Just like the cookie, only in muffin form. Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins Cranberry Muffins with Orange Marmalade Glaze – The glaze would be really good on other kinds of muffins too. Chocolate Chip Muffins Blueberry Muffins with Orange Glaze Apple Brown Betty Muffins Poppy Seed Muffins Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins Graham Muffins Pumpkin Muffins Argan Banana Muffins from Maroc Mama Sweet Potato Spice Muffins from The Jammie Girl Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping from Hoosier Homemade Banana Muffins with Tart Lemon Icing from Addicted to Recipes Apple Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins from Barbara Bakes Cheddar Muffins
GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND BAKE!: PASTRY Last night, I decided to make one of my favorite cookies. These little pastry swirls are so delish! I usually use my favorite pie crust recipe, which I have previously posted, but I decided to try a pastry recipe by the Barefoot Contessa. This recipe calls for lots of butter! Pastry: 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 pound (2 sticks) COLD unsalted butter, diced Directions: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Divide your dough into two equal parts. Keep one half covered in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator. About 1/8" thick I still have some rolling to do! You can use any jam or preserves that you like. I used Strawberry Huckleberry jam. Don't use too much, or it will be difficult to roll, but don't be stingy either! Roll up jelly roll style. Don't roll too tightly, or all the jelly will roll right on out! Be generous!