FIF Valentines day

Valentines day is one of my favorite Holidays. Mostly because Everything is Chocolate, hearts and pink. Today I'm posting two recipes. One is for Brownie cupcakes. The other is for Miss Millmans Chocolate frosting. The frosting is excellent....It tastes like fudge. It takes a lot of work to make the frosting, but the end result is worth it. Enjoy!!

Brownie Cupcakes

Makes 12

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 ounces best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I use Bakers chocolate squares)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts(optional)
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a twelve-count muffin tin with cupcake liners, and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and 8 ounces of chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Add flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined. Stir in remaining 3 ounces of chocolate and nuts if desired.

4. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake until a firm crust forms on the cupcakes, about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and continue to cool on a wire rack.

5. Ice cupcakes with a generous amount of chocolate frosting.



Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting

Makes 6 cups
While this frosting is cooling, you'll need to stir it as instructed; otherwise, the frosting around the edge of the bowl will harden and the frosting at the center will remain liquid. The finished frosting should have a consistent texture. Lois Milman, the creator of the frosting, always uses Nestlé morsels and makes only one batch at a time. Spread the icing on Moist Devil's Food Cake as soon as it is sufficiently chilled; it holds its shape well on the cake.

24 ounces Nestlé semisweet chocolate morsels

4 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon light corn syrup


1. Place chocolate morsels and cream in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until combined and thickened, between 20 and 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium low; cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

2. Stir in corn syrup. Transfer frosting to a large metal bowl. Chill until cool enough to spread, about 2 hours, checking and stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Use immediately.


For more Chocolate recipes go visist Overwhelmed

Favorite Ingredients Friday

I'm not a big sports fan, and I'll probably be watching Extreme Home makeover on Super bowl Sunday. But i have a good recipe for any occasion.


Apple Pie Dip

1 (8 oz.) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)

1 Tbsp. seltzer water

2 Tbsp. Light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 crisp apple (I use pink lady or Ida red) Chopped

Mix cream cheese and seltzer water at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold in apples and pecans. Refregerate until serving. Garnish with apple slices. Serve the dip with buttery crackers and graham crackers.

For more super bowl themed recipes go to Overwhelmed

Favorite ingredient Friday

Chunky Marinara Sauce

I love this Marinara sauce. It's easy to make and it's pretty healthy. I've been trying to do Weight watchers and this marinara sauce is very low in points.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 2 to 4 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring frequently

For more Favorite ingredient friday recipes go to Overwhelmed

Favorite Ingredient Friday

Candy Apple Salad

This salad tastes just like a candy apple. It's so easy to make and It's yummy!!

Ingredients
1. 1 tsp. vinegar
2. 1 Tbsp. flour
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1 egg beaten
5. 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
6. 8 oz. tub cool whip thawed
7. 4-6 cups apples chopped
8. small bag (or 1/2 cup) of crushed peanuts

Instructions

Drain and save pineapple juice. Cook vinegar, egg, flour, sugar and pineapple juice on medium heat for 5 mins. Let cool.

Mix apples & pineapple, add custard mix and fold in cool whip. Add nuts before serving.

For more favorite ingredient Friday recipes go to Overwhelmed

Slow Cooker Thursday

INGREDIENTS

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
4 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom. Layer chicken breasts over the sauce. Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese. Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers. Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.

For more Slow cooker recipes go to Diary of a SAHM

Whole lot of crafting going on!

I have been busy in my craft room! I'm making most of my christmas gifts. I have a bunch of my primitive stockings and a few vintage style santa bags at a local primitive craft store, I'm hoping they sell. I've been busy painting santas, making baskets, and dolls. I love making dolls.....They start taking on a life of their own when you start to stich their faces up. So, here are so pictures of what i've been up to!


This santa was painted on an old piece of wood, I think it was once used for shipping, because it is addressed like an envelope



Primitive annie, she still needs a mouth!



This angel is being worked on right now, she is going to have some stick legs and a rusty tin halo.



I took a Basket class a few weeks a go, that was fun!! It still needs stained though.

Favorite Ingredient Friday

French vanilla Tiramisu

Prep time: 15 mins.

1. 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2. 1 1/2 cups cold milk

3. 1 Pkg. (4 serving size) Instant vanilla pudding

4. 2 (3 oz.) pkgs. ladyfingers split

5. 1/3 cup brewed coffee chilled

6. 2 cups thawed french vanilla cool whip

7. 1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, grated

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the milk, beating well after each addition. Add dry pudding mix; beat on low speed for 1 minute.

Sprinkle cut sides of ladyfingers with coffee; place half of the ladyfingers on the bottom and up side of a 1-1/2 quart serving bowl. Topw with half eachof the pudding mixture, whipped topping and grated chocolate; cover remaining ladyfingers. Repeat layers of pudding mixture, whipped topping and choclate.

Refrigerate for 3 hours or until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

For more Favorite ingredient Friday recipes go to Overwhelmed

Favorite Ingredient Friday

Quick saucy cranberry cake

This recipe is soo simple and easy, the quick bread mix does all the work :) This is soo good, espiccialy for brunch or a snack.

1. 1 (15.6 oz.) box cranberry-orange quick bread mix.
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 cup fresh cranberries
6. 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
7. 1 1/4 cips boiling water

Heat oven to 350. Spray 8 in. square baking dish with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine bread mix, water, oil and eggs; stir until mix is moistened.
Sprinkle cranberries in baking dish. spoon and spread batter evenly over cranberries. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour boiling water evenly over batter.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 mins or until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool at least 30 mins.
To serve, cut cake into squares; invert squares onto cake plate, and top with whipped cream if desired. Store in refrigerator.

For More Favorite ingredient friday recipes go to Overwhelmed