Surprise Cupcakes

Jeremy requested that I make these cupcakes - they were a staple of his youth, one of his mom's specialties.

Surprise Cupcakes

8 oz cream cheese - softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 T vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/8 tsp salt in a small bowl, may be lumpy. Stir in chocolate chips. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Fill 18 muffin tins 1/3 full with chocolate mixture. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into the middle of each cupcake. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe is a staple of my mom's.  She made it all of the time during strawberry season.

Strawberry Shortcake

2 1/4 cup bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
3 T butter - melted
1 egg
2 LB strawberries
sugar

Stir baking mix, sugar, milk, butter, and egg together by hand. Place in ungreased 9" round pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Mash berries and sweeten with sugar to taste.

Dirt Dessert

I got this recipe from my sister Lindsey at least two years ago, and am finally making it now for the girls' birthdays.  Neither of them particularly likes cake, so I went with something I am sure they will love.

Dirt Dessert


2 box chocolate pudding
4 cup milk
8 oz cream cheese – softened
1/2 stick butter – softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub cool whip
1 package oreos - crushed
gummy worms (optional)

Whisk together pudding and milk – let sit 5 minutes.  Beat together cream cheese and butter about 3 minutes until it is fluffy.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Whisk cream cheese mixture into pudding.  Fold in the cool whip.   Layer oreo crumbs and pudding mixture in a pretty glass bowl.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Top with gummy worms.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

I have had this a few times over the years, most recently a coworker of mine made it so I got Brenda's recipe. It is SO good!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 sm box vanilla instant pudding
3 cup milk
1 tub cool whip
1 box graham crackers

1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together pudding mixes and milk, fold in cool whip.  Place a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding mixture, then top with a final layer of graham crackers.  Bring cocoa, milk, and sugar to a full rolling boil, boil about 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool for 3 minutes.  Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.  Pour chocolate topping over the top layer of graham crackers and refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Alternative

While I waited for Brenda to email me the recipe, I looked online at all of the different variations.  This is one that I found and have made it both ways - both are wonderful!

1/2 stick butter - melted
2 T milk
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat together butter, milk, cocoa, and powdered sugar.  Stir in vanilla and spread over graham cracker layer.

Frostbite

This is my great aunt Duie's signature dessert.  She made it pretty much every time we got together when we were kids.  Between Duie, Lee, and our family of five, we usually finished the pan.  It is so good.  I called Duie while I was making it to get advice on how thick the first part needed to be, because I had screwed it up and overcooked it.  I thought it should get quite thick, but that never happened.  It only slightly thickens.  I now cook it for 15 minutes over medium heat start to finish (no preheating the water in the double boiler).  I tried multiple methods to grate the chocolate - fine grater, medium grater, and potato peeler.  I definitely recommend freezing the chocolate and using the potato peeler.  The chocolate gets static electricity so it is a pain and makes a mess - fair warning.

Frostbite

6 squares baker's german sweet chocolate (green foil)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup milk - 2%
1 envelope unflavored knox gelatin
1/4 cup water - cold
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

Beat yolks and 1/2 cup sugar, add milk. Cook in a double boiler until it lightly coats the spoon. Soften gelatin in water, add to mixture. Cool 1 hour. Add salt, vanilla. Beat egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar, add to mixture. Whip the cream, and beat all together. Spoon into 9x13" pan, sprinkle grated chocolate and refrigerate.

If you are wondering what you should do with the remaining cup of heavy whipping cream, use this recipe to make whipped cream, or you could make a double batch, you can't go wrong either way!

Double Batch Frostbite

12 squares baker's german sweet chocolate (green foil)
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 cup milk - 2%
2 envelope unflavored knox gelatin
1/2 cup water - cold
dash salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Apple Empanadas

I thought that I originally got this recipe from Allrecipes.com, but when I just went to search for it, it wasn't there.  Originally it was made with 6 tortillas and you were supposed to individually wrap the pie filling in them and pour the sauce over top.  When I made it that way, it was extremely difficult to cut into bite size pieces with a fork when you went to eat it, so instead I cut the tortillas into small pieces so you can just spoon it up.  Plus I was able to add more tortillas so it makes even more deliciousness.  My husband commented last night as he was eating some leftover apple empanadas with ice cream that this is his favorite non chocolate dessert.

Apple Empanadas

21 oz apple pie filling
10 tortillas
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
ice cream - vanilla

Cut tortillas into small squares.  Cut apples in filling into smaller pieces.  In a saucepan, bring butter, sugars, water, and cinnamon to a boil.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes, then pour into apple pie filling, mix well.  Stir in tortilla pieces and pour into a 9x13" baking dish.  Bake at 400° for 25 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream.