I Can Make Anything with Candy...

Self-torture.

I made 52 cupcakes last night (they smelled soooo good).

This morning I took the Air heads, Reese's and Hershey's that I bought last night and made graduation caps for said cupcakes (now down to 50, as two were casualties named Jack).

I took the rainbow airheads and sliced them by color, also giving two little slices on the end to make a tassle.  They came out cute.

Then the mini Reese's and snack-size Hershey's(1/2) became the cap.
And voilà, a graduation cap.

Ok, to be fair, this was the guinea pig, so he looks a little rough. It kind of melted, so I put the chocolate in the freezer before doing any more and did them in batches of 20...then stuck them back in the fridge/freezer...But it's going to look really cute on top of the cupcakes!!

Flan

After a four-month hiatus, I figured it would be beneficial to rejoin to blogging community with a recipe...

Flan (Super easy!!)

2 cups evaporated milk*
2 cups sweetened condensed milk *
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven 325 degrees
Mix the first four ingredients in a blender. heat the sugar in a med. pan until syrup-like and brown in color, 8-10 min. (keep stirring it, it burns easy)then pour it into a 9x13 baking dish, trying to cover as much of the bottom and a little up the sides as you can(easier said than done). Give the egg mix one or two more pulses, then pour it over the sugar. Place entire baking dish in a larger dish filled halfway up the smaller baking dish with water...careful not to spill water into the flan mixture!
Bake in the oven for 1 hour-1hour 30min...start checking at an hour. it should have light brown color...if you find your oven cooks the top too quickly try covering it with foil next go 'round. When you can put a knife in the middle and it comes out clean, it's done! Let it cool for about 2 hours before trying to do anything else with it(you can take it out of the water dish though)

Now, the tricky part...take a knife around the edges to loosen them, place a larger plate(or a baking pan, but you want something that will pool the syrup to the middle or have a lip to keep it in) on top of the baking dish and flip it over quickly...like I said earlier, tricky...add a sprig of mint and voilà! You have yummy!

*as most cans come in the 14 oz variety, 14oz is approximately 1 1/2 cups...just so that you know and will have enough...I hate it when recipes are non-shopper friendly...I mean really, I'm not going to sit and measure a cup and a half in the store...just tell me to get 2 14 oz cans...

Sugar Cookies!!

We made sugar cookies on Monday at Maga's house...They turned out "beautiful" (in the eyes of the Beholder and all that...) Anyways, the girls had a blast and that is all that matters.

Here's the recipe, courtesy of Emeril...YUM!

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

16 tbs butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon zest

1 egg

Sift Flour and salt and set aside

Cream butter and sugar on med/high until light in color and fluffy

Add vanilla, lemon and egg

Beat 1-2 min. longer on low

gradually add flour mix

divide in 2, frigerate for at least 2 hours.

bake on 350 til light brown around edges

Corn Casserole ála Maga

This we've made EVERY year since I was little...LOVE IT!

Swiss cheese Casserole

3-4 canned or frozen corn (drained)
1lb swiss cheese grated
sm onion chopped
Lg can evaporated milk plus 2 eggs mixed in
(Half recipe for smaller group)

MIX all together reserving some cheese for top
Sprinkle some crushed ritz type cracker over top
Bake 350 for 40 mins...sprinkle with some cheese while still warm'

All I'm gonna say is OH MY...

Corn Casserole á la Paula Deen

We've made this the last two years for Thanksgiving and it's fast become a favorite!



Ingredients:
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.
YUMMY!

Citrus Rosemary Turkey

Ok, I made this Turkey the year Our Princess was born...it was my first time making a turkey...we were going to the church that evening and I was asked to make a turkey and I had no clue how to cook one...so I looked it up on Foodnetwork.com and Michael Chiarello gave me a hand ...and this is the recipe I have used every year since! I love it! It's too moist!

Ingredients
Citrus Rosemary Salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup coarse salt

Roasted Turkeys
2 (8 to 10-pound) whole turkeys (ok, so I use one big one)
2 small whole onions, peeled
2 carrots, cut in half
2 celery stalks, cut in half
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 lemons, halved
4 large carrots, halved lengthwise
8 celery stalks
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Turkey Gravy
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the Citrus Rosemary Salt: In food processor, process all the ingredients. Pulse until well blended. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
For the Roasted Turkeys: Remove necks and giblets and put into a large saucepan. Add 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat and let simmer until reduced to about 2 cups. Strain and reserve; this is the turkey stock that you will use for the gravy.
Wash the turkeys, inside and out, and dry well. Coat each turkey, inside and out, with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Season each turkey on the outside with a tablespoon or two of the Citrus Rosemary Salt, pressing it in to adhere. Place 4 rosemary sprigs and 2 lemon halves inside the cavity of each turkey.
Arrange 4 of the halved carrots and 4 celery stalks on each of 2 half-sheet pans (use baking sheets with a lip). It's better than a wire rack. Position each turkey on top of the carrots and celery so that the turkey does not rest directly on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle turkeys with remaining olive oil. Now, my mother has always told us to cook the turkey breast-down for the first couple of hours and then the last hour to turn it over so that it gets golden, but doesn't dry out...I do that and it's worked for me so far!
Roast until an instant-read thermometer (inserted deep into the thigh but away from the bone) reads 165 degrees F and juices in the thigh run clear when pierced with a fork, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours; begin checking at 2 hours. Remove from the pans and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Reserve pan juices for gravy.
While turkeys are resting, make the gravy. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until a smooth, blond-colored mixture is formed. Add the reserved turkey stock and pan juices and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and let simmer until thickened and ready to serve. Season, to taste.
Carve turkey and serve with gravy.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread

I love the internet sometimes! I was sitting staring at a can of pumpkin and thought, What am I going to do with pumpkin? So I went online and at Meals.com I found a recipe that looks yummy...so I am going to try it and see if it is as yummy as it looks!

Here it is:

Makes 2 loaves...



nonstick cooking spray

1 cup (6oz) semi-sweet morsels

3 cups AP flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 cup gran. sugar

1 can (15oz) 100% pure pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

4 large egg whites



preheat 350; coat 8 x 5 inch loaf pans with spray

Melt morsels in medium, micro-safe bowl on High for 1 min.; STIR...morsels may not be melted all the way, if necessary melt in 10-15 sec. intervals until completely melted. (this is what the recipe says, but I did this step after the flour one...)

Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder in large bowl; stir well

Whisk together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and egg whites in a large bowl. Gradually stir in flour mix. Add 1 1/2 cups pumpkin mix to melted chocolate, stir to combine. Spoon half of pumpkin mix into bottom of each prepared pan. Spoon pumpkin chocolate mix between the pans and top with remaining pumpkin mix. Smooth down top

Bake 1 hour or until toothepick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 min. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

You don't have to use the chocolate for this recipe (though who wouldn't??). You can leave it out and just bake for 55 min.

Well, it is really good, although a nice ganache drizzled on the top would not be remiss...and it looks just like the picture online!

**Also, I've recently (Christmas 2011) discovered it's really good with just chips throughout instead of melting them with the mix...
*** and I've also started making it with Cream Cheese filling... Oh My...

Banana Bread

Our Fairy has been doing a unit on Curious George these last three weeks...we brought Curious George and his Adventure bag home for a couple of days and inside was the book, and scrapbook of her class's "adventures"--bike day, museum, library, "camping" as well as Curious George's adventures with each of the children in their home or wherever they happen to be during those few days they have him. Our family's big adventure was to go the the big kid playground (reserved for 1-5th graders) while Our Princess was at soccer practice. It was a cute idea.

Also inside the book was a recipe for Curious George banana bread...so far it smells great, hopefully it tastes great as well...I love banana bread warm with butter...mmmmm....

Anyways, here is the recipe!

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 3/4 cup of AP flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp cinnamon (optional--I did one with and one without...we'll see which is better!)

Set oven to 350.

Mix all the ingredients well, so there are no lumps.

Put in greased loaf pan.

Bake for one hour, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. I'd let it sit for a bit and cool off so that it holds together when you cut it. You can always nuke it to make it warm later.

Now, the one on the left was the better of the two...it has the cinnamon in it...we really couldn't tast the difference...it was cooked in the more narrow ( narrower?) clear loaf pan while the one on the right was cooked in a wider dark glass loaf pan. Oliver said the texture on the left was better.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ok, we used to make these cookies in college for Reading Nights before exams. They are super simple and really good!

Preheat oven 350

I box of cake mix (your choice)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Mix it all together. Please note: if you are using a hand mixer, this could take out your motor. The dough gets pretty thick. I use a countertop mixer and it works really well. Otherwise, I would use a wooden spoon or (like we did in college) use your hands!.

Spoon it out to desired size. They don't grow out like some cookies do, the actually tend to grow UP. Put in the oven for about 7 min. or until cooked (you don't want them cooked too dark)
I sprinkle mine with powdered sugar. Tonight I made Devil's chocolate, Lemon, and Carrot Cake for church tomorrow morning. YUM!

Karen's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these for the Feria de Países because I wanted something All-American...but not apple pie...what's more american than good old chocolate chip cookies!!! I got the recipe from a friend, Karen, and they are wonderful! Especially right out of the oven...they cry for milk! You see them here next to Aunt Laura's Baked Macaroni and Cheese (another All-American favorite)

1 1/3 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 package(11.5 oz) chocolate chips( or chunks)

Heat oven to 375
Mix Crisco, Sugars, eggs, and vanilla
Mix in dry ingredients
Drop rounded tsp. dough (or big spoonful depending on your taste) about 2" apart on baking sheet (ok, personal favorite here...I tried regular baking sheets and the airflow ones, with my Pampered Chef Rectangular stoneware 'cause I had a LOT to make and by far the PC made the best cookies...they didn't over or under cook...they were perfect!)
Cookies will be soft, but you want them light brown...about 8-10 min.
Leave them to sit on the pan for about 10 min. before removing to a cooling rack(which for some reason mine disappeared; grew legs and walked I guess...but the metal rack in the microwave does about the same job.)
The key is not to overbake the cookies!
Should make about four dozen...or three or four huge ones ;o)

Pastel Tres Leches

Cake:
10 eggs (large)-separated
1 cup AP flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1 cup gran. sugar
1 tbs. vanilla extract
powdered sugar
wax paper

--Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 2 9 x 12 pans and put wax paper (sprayed on both sides)
Sift flour and baking powder together.
Beat yolks until light-lemon color (20 min. or so)--very thick, like pudding...they should ribbon when you lift the beaters...
Add 1/2 cup sugar 2 tbs. at a time.
Add vanilla & beat 3 min. more.

Whip egg whites until soft peaks form.
Add 1/2 cup gran. sugar slowly.
Fold whites into yolks 1/3 at a time with rubber spatula.
Add flour all at once and fold in.
Spread batter evenly in two pans and bake 20-30 min. or until cake comes away from the sides of pan, not wax paper (learned that the hard way)

Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups strawberries (sliced with an egg slicer is best)

whip cream and vanilla until soft peaks form
Add sugar and fold in strawberries
put in fridge.

Take cake out of oven when ready, let rest 5 min. then tip out on two clean hand towels sprinkled with powdered sugar.

make soaking liquid: (Make 2x depending on your taste, whether you like it super moist or not)
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup halfnhalf
1 cup evaporated milk

mix together with whisk.

Take first cake right side up, top with filling and place 2nd cake top side down on top. Skewer the cake all over and then drizzle (slowly) the soaking liquid all over. Place in fridge over night.

Now Tía tells me that I should just use egg whites and sugar, but I love a buttercream frosting and most of the cakes I've seen just use a glorified cool whip which I do not like...the one cake I loved used buttercream...it was also the most beautifully decorated (for a baptism).
** Should you decide to use whipped cream, it is very yummy, especially with cinnamon sprinkled on top...but only if you make it from whipping cream...don't go getting the blue tub!!

Frosting:
1 cup butter(2 sticks)
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tbs. milk
(the recipe I found for this said half, but it wasn't enough to cover the cake well enough to decorate. I suppose you could do it in two halves and tint one...)

Beat soft butter in a mixer until soft and fluffy (about 10 min.)
Add vanilla and mix 2 min.
Slowly add powdered sugar until well incorporated.
Add milk.

Cover the cake with frosting, using whole or sliced strawberries to decorate.