Chocolate Pudding Brownies

Prepare one package of Chocolate Pudding set aside.

Brownie

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 TBS cocoa
3/4 cup Flour

Preheat 325
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and cocoa
Add eggs and beat lightly
Mix dry together
Add to creamed mixture
Pour into greased muffin tins
Bake 20-25 minutes
Remove Immediately

While they are baking they'll puff up really big. Once the heat is gone, they'll fall and become a brownie "cup" or a "muffin shell". Fill that with Chocolate Pudding. Then top with a squirt of whipped cream to make it beautiful.

I'm still trying to master this myself. Mine wouldn't come out of the tin. We just scooped the shell out and ate it all mushed and ruined in a separate bowl. Or we ate it out of the tin. It's mighty tastey and a crowd pleaser if you can make it properly and have it look decent. Plus it's super easy!!!

Cream cheese Filled cake

1 Chocolate cake mix
1 c sour cream
1 sm pkg instant Choc. pudding
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1 egg
2 Tbsp sugar
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 c cold milk
2 c whipping cream

Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Add choc pudding and sour cream to cake mix as well.
Pour into prepared bundt pan.
Beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended. Spoon into cake mix going around the pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min or till it passes the toothpick test. Cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Beat cream and sugar together until stiff. In a separate bowl mix milk and pudding together with a whisk for 2 minutes. Fold pudding mixture into cream. Frost cake with pudding mixture.
It also tastes pretty yummy to cover frosting with toasted coconut.

Eclairs

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs

Preheat 450 degree!!
Boil butter and water.
Add in flour and salt. Turn off heat.
Stir until ball forms and dough comes away from sides of pan.
Put dough into your mixer. Mix dough for a few minutes to cool it down.
Once the steam has lessened start adding ONE egg at a time. Leave the mixer going so the egg has time to incorporate and they don't scramble.
Put the sticky, wet dough in a large ziplock bag.
Cut a hole and pipe onto parchment paper or greased sheet.
Bake for 15 min at 450. Keep oven closed.
Turn down the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 20 min more.
After the final 35 minutes open the oven and tap a shell lightly to check that it is light and sounds hollow.
Place on Cooling Rack.

Fill with a vanilla and whipped cream pudding mousse.
Top with Chocolate ganache.

tips: I drew the size of eclair I wanted on my parchment and then flipped it over and followed the pattern so they were all the same size. You can do whatever size you want. Remember they do puff so don't put them too too close together.
To fill; just cut the tops off and fill that way. Or pipe the filling in from both ends to make sure you fill the entire thing. I think cutting the tops off is easier.

candied nuts

1 lb. your choice of nut

1 c. sugar

2 tsp cinnamon (i reduced to 1 1/2 tsp)

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

preheat oven to 350. Spread nuts in a single layer on pan and toast for 8-10 minutes or until they start to brown. In a medium saucepan stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk. Cook over med-high heat for 8 mintues or until 236 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla immediately. Add nuts and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto wax paper and immediately separate with fork. Cool and store in airtight containers. 

*chef's note:  i think i cooked mine in a pot that is too small. my almonds didnt get coated very evenly.  also, i didnt have a candy thermometer and i think i over cooked it. having said that- this was my first time making it. and i still got a pretty good batch and they were yummy!

White Chicken Chili

Fast, flavorful and filled with fiber! Traditional chili takes a twist with ground chicken, white beans and green chilies. From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:35 min
Start to Finish:35 min
makes:6 servings (1 1/3 cups each)

1 lb chicken, ground or chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 medium zucchini, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans or 2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1. In 4- or 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook ground chicken, onion and garlic over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.
3. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 1, cook chicken 6 to 8 minutes. In step 2, cover and simmer 12 minutes.

Most people added some sour cream and carrots.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Whisk together:

1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp each cinnamon, ground ginger and salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

In a separate bowl, stir together:

1 c. milk

6 TBSP canned pumpkin puree

2 TBSP melted butter

1 egg

Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients.

Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour ¼ cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 min per side; serve with butter and syrup, makes 8-10.

(first published: Oct 2006, Martha Stewart)

Buttermilk Variation:

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

(mix in to make very thick pancakes! Let batter “sit” for a few minutes after mixing, before cooking.)

Vanilla Syrup

1 c. whipping cream

1 c. sugar

½ c. butter (1 cube)

2 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Cook on low heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. DO NOT BOIL!!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Taken from Just Cook Already check their blog for more good looking pumpkin recipes!

COOKIES:

2 sticks butter (1 cup), at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

ROLLING SUGAR:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

1. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into liquid mixture a little at a time until incorporated.

3. Cover dough with plastic and chill at least an hour, or until dough becomes slightly firm.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). Mix rolling sugar in a small bowl.

5. Remove cookie dough from refrigerator. Use a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 Tbsp.) or a large spoon to scoop out dough and roll into balls. Use your hands to roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and make sure they’re coated really well. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a glass with a nice, flat bottom to dip in sugar and flatten the balls.

6. Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they are slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes or so, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

{tip: immediately transfer your cookies to a cooling rack. most people don't know that they'll continue to bake on that hot pan and often burn the bottom of the cookie!}

Yield: About 3 doze