First Kiss Cupcakes

 

Ingredients

• Chocolate Cake:
• 1 cup Dutch process cocoa
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chocolate extract
• Paper baking cups
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 24 milk chocolate kisses

• Cherry Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons cherry jam or maraschino cherry juice
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• Toppings:
• 24 red maraschino cherries (with stems)
• Chocolate Ganache:
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cocoa and 2 cups boiling water in a large heatproof bowl, stirring until blended and smooth; cool completely. Beat butter with a mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in chocolate extract.
2. Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not cool.
3. While cupcakes are still warm, press 1 chocolate kiss into the center of each. Let cool completely.
4. To prepare cherry frosting, beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Makes 3 cups.
5. Frost each cupcake with Cherry Frosting using metal tip no. 2D.
6. To prepare ganache, cook cream in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until it begins to steam (do not boil); remove from heat. Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Slowly add hot cream to chocolate, beating with a whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is well blended. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Makes about 2 cups.
7. Dip cherries in Chocolate Ganache, and place 1 on top of each cupcake.

Source:http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/first-kiss-cupcakes-00420000006362/

 

Chocolate chip cookie

 

 

• Makes: 20
• Prep time: 20 mins
• Cooking time: 12 mins
• Total time: 32 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy
  
  

  Ingredients

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g light brown sugar
  • 2tbsp golden syrup
  • 1tsp vanilla essence
  • 160g self-raising flour
  • 150g chocolate, milk, dark or white broken into 0.5cm chunks

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat the golden syrup into the butter and sugar with the vanilla essence. Mix in flour and chocolate chunks until just combined.
3. Take a teaspoonful of the mixture, roll it into a ball, then place onto a greased baking tray, flattening it slightly with the palm of your hand. Repeat with the remaining dough, allowing plenty of room for the cookies to spread while baking.
4. Bake for 12 mins until golden brown.
5. Allow chocolate chip cookies to cool on the tray for few mins before transferring them to a wire rack.

Source:http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/138328/Chocolate-chip-cookies

Chicken Lasagna

 

Ingredients

• 2 (10.5oz) cans condensed reduced-fat cream of chicken
• 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (10oz) thawed, drained and squeezed
• 1 (9oz) package frozen diced cooked chicken
• 1 (8oz) carton reduced fat sour cream
• 1 cup 1% milk
• ½ cup (2oz) Parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup chopped onion
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• Cooking Spray
• 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

Instructions

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in large bowl and stir well.
2. Coat crock pot with spray and place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles in bottom of cooker. Break noodles in half as necessary to fit.
3. Spread ⅓ spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with ⅓ cup mozzarella. Layer 3 more noodles, half of the remaining spinach mixture, and ⅓ cup mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles and spinach. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Cover with lid; cook on high 1 hour and reduce to low 5 hours or until done.

Source:http://crockpotrecipesnow.com/chicken-lasagna-florentine

 

Tomato and chorizo pasta bake

 

 

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 18 mins
• Total time: 28 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy

 

Ingredients

• 1 750g jar Bolognese sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 350g chorizo sausage, sliced or diced
• 12 pitted black olives
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 6 tbsp dry white wine
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped oregano
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 400g rigatoni or penne pasta
• 1 x 150g packet mozzarella cheese, drained and diced finely
• 40g fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan adding the chorizo and fry for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat or until cooked through and lightly crispy.
2. Stir in the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, white wine and Bolognese sauce - season to taste. Cook the sauce for about 15 mins or until thick.
3. In the meantime, cook the pasta as directed on the packet until al dente. Drain the pasta well and stir into the tomato sauce.
4. Preheat your grill. Spoon the mixture into a heat-proof dish. Sprinkle over the cheese and grill until golden brown and piping hot. Garnish with freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.

Source:http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/525396/tomato-and-chorizo-pasta-bake

 

Pepperoni Rolls

 

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed and risen according to directions
• Spaghetti or pizza sauce
• Pepperoni, chopped in to small pieces (I used at least 6 ounces per loaf)
• Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Once dough has risen according to package directions, on a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangular shape.
Spread thin layer of pizza or spaghetti sauce all over the top, just as if you were making pizza.
Spread layer of pepperoni and then cheese all over the top of the sauce.  It should be looking like you have made a pizza.
Starting from a long side, firmly roll up dough, but not too tightly. Pinch the edge of the dough to the rolled dough to seal.
Cut into 1 inch slices.  Lay in a 9×13 inch pan to bake.   Bake at 375 °F for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.   If the top is browning too quickly and the middle is still doughy, lightly cover with foil.  During the last 10 minutes, sprinkle on a little more cheese if desired.

Source:http://www.relativetaste.net/pepperoni-rolls/