Oreo Surprise Cupcakes

Ok, I’ll admit it. I’ve been on quite a cupcake…roll…for the last few weeks and I can’t seem to quit it. Humor me, I beg you.

If you are a serious Oreo fan–like my sweet Jillian– how will you ever resist a chocolate cupcake with a dab of cream cheese and a teeny tiny Oreo in the center?  I just bet you’ll be running out after ingredients for this yummy cupcake within the hour. But wait–if you’re a truly serious Oreo fan, then you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry. That’ll save time.

Oh, and something else that will save you time is right down at the bottom of this page. You’ll be pleased to find our new printable recipes now located conveniently below the regular food posts. I know, it’s taken a while–but finally, finally we got it figured out so that you can quickly print what you’re after without the photos and without–in most cases–my witty banter. Yeah…you’ll miss that.

:} Hope you love it!

Oreo Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix

8 oz. cream cheese

1 egg

2 Tbsp. sugar

48 mini Oreos

1-1/2 cups Cool Whip Whipped

Preheat oven to 350 degree.  Prepare cake mix according to package directions–and set batter aside. In a separate small bowl, whip together cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth.

Fill paper lined cupcake pan with 1/4 cup of batter.  Drop 2 tsp. cream cheese mixture on top of batter in each cup.

Top with 1 cookie  and then cover evenly with remaining batter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Top with Cool Whip and another cookie just before serving.

All the recipes on the site should be updated within the next few weeks. Patience my dears–I’m revamping as fast as I can. So…what do you think?

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Oreo Surprise Cupcakes
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 48 mini Oreos
  • 1-1/2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
  2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions--and set batter aside.
  3. In a separate small bowl, whip together cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth.
  4. Fill paper lined cupcake pan with ¼ cup of batter.
  5. Drop 2 tsp. cream cheese mixture on top of batter in each cup.
  6. Top with 1 cookie and then cover evenly with remaining batter.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
  8. Remove from pans and cool completely.
  9. Top with Cool Whip just before serving.

Luscious Lemon Drop Cupcakes

How long has it been since you’ve had an old fashioned lemon drop? Oooooh, too long I bet. So maybe–just maybe you’ll need to make some of these sweet and tangy little lemon drop cupcakes. If summer is dragging her feet where you live, like it is where I live–then let’s not be afraid to bring the sunshine right indoors!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

With mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add peel and vanilla-and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill  paper-lined cupcake pan with 1/4 cup of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes or the middle springs back to a light touch. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:

3 Tbsp butter
2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1Tbsp milk

Cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, peel and milk together and beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes and decorate with candy lemon drops.

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Luscious Lemon Drop Cupcakes
 
:
Ingredients
  • INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups sour cream
Instructions
  1. With mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.
  3. Add peel and vanilla-and mix well.
  4. Mix dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fill paper-lined cupcake pan with ¼ cup of batter.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes or the middle springs back to a light touch.
  6. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
FROSTING: 3 Tbsp butter 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar 2 Tbsp lemon juice ¾ tsp vanilla ¼ tsp finely grated lemon peel 1Tbsp milk Cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, peel and milk together and beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes and decorate with candy lemon drops.

 


Divine Halfway Bars

Honestly, I’d never even heard of Halfway Bars in my livin’ life…that is, until about a month ago. I bumped into the recipe online somewhere and since all the sources acted like it was an ancient, beloved recipe–I decided to do some snooping.  At first, I would have been content to find out where the name csme from. I mean, really–halfway to where? Never did get the story on that though.

Turns out, however, that there are a busload of recipes in the universe, each with their own little twist that are still called “Halfway Bars.” They all looked good, but after messing with it for a while, we came up with this version–with a chewy brown sugar meringue–that’s simply…

divine.

Oh, and friends…I don’t use the word divine very darn often.

Almost never to be accurate, but I couldn’t stop myself.

Taste them…and see if you don’t start talking all snooty-like too.

Real Live Halfway Bars

Ingredients

2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon water
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9×13 baking pan with two pieces of foil–one piece lengthwise and the other piece crosswise with the ends hanging over the sides.

Stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, the granulated sugar and just 1/2 cup of the brown sugar together until it’s smooth.

Separate the eggs, and set the whites aside. Beat the yolks into the butter mixture one at a time until well blended. Add water and vanilla–mix well. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour slowly and beat until dough looks crumbly.

Press the cookie dough gently into the pan evenly.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and press them in just enough that they stay put a bit.

Using a mixer and whisk attachment, being beating the egg whites on medium. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high. When the egg whites turn white, start adding the remaining cup of brown sugar a spoonful at a time. It’s really important that you add the brown sugar slowly or your egg whites may break and stay liquid. Trust me, I know.

Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds a soft, sticky peak. It should be a glossy cream color.

Scoop the meringue down the middle of the pan with a spatula…

and gently spread it to the edges.

Cover the pan loosely with foil–shiny side up and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil.

Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the top looks toasted and pulls slightly away from the sides.

Allow this yummy thing to cool for about 20 minutes and then cut into squares.

If you’re alone–savor the moment. If not–grab the plate and book it to the car. If they can’t find you–because you’re halfway to Fargo–well then…

you don’t have to share.

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Divine Halfway Bars
 
:
Ingredients
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ c butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9×13 baking pan with two pieces of foil–one piece lengthwise and the other piece crosswise with the ends hanging over the sides.
  2. Stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, the granulated sugar and just ½ cup of the brown sugar together until it’s smooth.
  4. Separate the eggs, and set the whites aside.
  5. Beat the yolks into the butter mixture one at a time until well blended.
  6. Add water and vanilla–mix well.
  7. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour slowly and beat until dough looks crumbly.
  8. Press the cookie dough gently into the pan evenly.
  9. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and press them in just enough that they stay put a bit.
  10. Using a mixer and whisk attachment, being beating the egg whites on medium. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high.
  11. When the egg whites turn white, start adding the remaining cup of brown sugar a spoonful at a time.
  12. Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting.
  13. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds a soft, sticky peak.
  14. Scoop the meringue down the middle of the pan with a spatula and gently spread it to the edges.
  15. Cover the pan loosely with foil–shiny side up and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil.
  16. Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the top looks toasted and pulls slightly away from the sides.
  17. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes and then cut into squares.

 

Perfectly Perfect Snickerdoodles

No, no. I mean it. These guys are soft in the middle, chewy-crunchy on the edges and cinnamony all over the place. That, my friends–spells perfectly perfect. You may just find yourself stuffing a couple of these in your purse, and skipping down the road singing a few bars of, “Oh, happy day…”

And rightly so.

Perfectly Perfect Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2tsp. vanilla

—————————-

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, and set aside. Cream butter and brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on low just until mixed.

Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then in the cinnamon sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool slightly before moving to cooling rack.

Go get ’em.

Return with honor.

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Perfectly Perfect Snickerdoodles
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cream of tartar
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2tsp. vanilla
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, and set aside.
  3. Cream butter and brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
  5. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on low just until mixed.
  6. Mix ¼ cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl.
  7. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then in the cinnamon sugar.
  8. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool slightly before moving to cooling rack.

 

 

Breakfast Burritoes

Simply scrumptious ones, I mean.

We started with fresh cooked tortillas–you know, the kind that are rolled and pressed and stacked and just waiting for some deserving soul to toast them up. However, the precooked ones are fine too.

Make your favorite scrambled egg recipe and set it aside. We love diced ham, or crumbled bacon or sausage in our eggs. It works very well to add at least a handful of shredded cheese–that makes it all sticky and helps it hold together. Very important.

Everyone knows that the real secret to breakfast burrito perfection lies in the folding. So you’ll want to listen carefully.

Spoon about half a cup of the egg mixture to the middle left of the tortilla–spreading it into a rectangle.

Fold the two sides in over the rectangle ends.

This may look a bit tricky, but you can do it. While still holding the sides, fold up the bottom of the tortilla. Notice how the pinky fingers are even involved here keeping everything in place.

Now flip the whole darn thing over to the longer end of the tortilla. And there you have it…

a lovely, compact, hand-held, nearly complete meal. Add a slice of cantaloupe or grapefruit and you are ready for the day.

A simply scrumptious day!

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