Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

Posted by: Annie

These cookies really helped me become fully in the Christmas spirit. I initially made a peppermint frosting for these cookies, however I was not a fan, and could not bring myself to frost these delicious chocolate cookies with a frosting that I could not even stomach. So I instead made a vanilla frosting and topped each cookie with crushed candy canes. The festive cookies plus the fact that the Christmas episode of Glee playing in the background really helped me get in the spirit! (Original recipe found here)

What You Will Need:

1 stick softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 bag (11.5oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)

1 cup flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined and beat in egg and melted chocolate chips. Stir in flour until combined. Lastly, mix in chocolate chips.  Drop dough by teaspoons onto un-greased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass that has been coated with sugar. Bake for 8 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheets for approximately one minute and transfer to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting. 

Vanilla Frosting:

1/2 stick butter (softened)

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 Tbsp milk

Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in sugar, vanilla, and milk. Add more milk or more sugar based upon the frosting's consistency. I found that I had to add more sugar, because it was initially too thin when I poured it into my piping bag. Iced cooled chocolate cookies, and top with crushed candy canes or peppermints.

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with White Wine Sauce

Posted by: Annie

Can you tell I love chicken, especially when it is served over pasta? The other day I realized that since I moved to Philadelphia and started to always make my own meals, I have yet to buy/eat red meat! I have strictly been eating chicken and the occasional seafood dish! I really must start branching out my meat selections! Anyway, this dish was easy and quick but tasted like it took hours! (Original Recipe found here)

What You Will Need:

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized cubes, seasoned with salt and pepper

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cooked broccoli florets

1 package whole wheat angel hair pasta

White Wine Sauce:

4 cloves minced garlic

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp crushed red pepper

4 tbsp butter (divided)

1.5 tsp Kosher salt

In a large zip-lock bag combine chicken, breadcrumbs and cheese and shake to coat chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add chicken. Brown on all sides until thoroughly cooked and remove from heat. 

Cook angel hair according to package directions. Set aside.

Mix broccoli, chicken and pasta. Cover and set aside.

In a small saucepan mix garlic, wine and broth and bring to a boil. Heat until reduced by half and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add salt and red pepper. Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

Posted by: Annie

Let me start off by being completely honest- I did not like these cookies when they came out of the oven. In fact, I came close to throwing them out. The cookies were much smaller than I had anticipated, were falling apart and quite frankly I was not impressed with the taste. I was cursing Martha Stewart up and down for these crumbly monsters. However, something magical happened to these cookies upon cooling, and in the end they were rich and savory and were a major hit with the roomies, co-workers, and yes, after much aggravation even me. Original recipe can be found here. 

What you will need:

3/4 flour (plus extra for your fingertips)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I think next time I definitely want to try crunchy for even more texture)

1 large egg

1 cup heath milk chocolate toffee bits (found in the baking aisle with the chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium  bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate larger bowl use an electric mixer to blend butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in peanut butter and egg and mix until smooth. With the electric mixer on a low setting gradually add in the flour mixture until thoroughly blended. Stir in toffee pieces. 

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheets, and using floured fingertips press lightly on each cookie. Bake 16-18 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove cookies from the pan immediately and place on cooling rack.

Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Posted by: Annie

The first time I had goat cheese was with my friend Aimee. In Jersey there is this awesome salad place that Aimee and I often frequented, and she always would ask for goat cheese on her salad. On one of our many trips I finally mustered up the courage to try a piece and to my surprise it was delicious! I am not sure why I was so hesitant about eating goat cheese (I really love and eat all cheese), but ever since then I really wanted to make a recipe that incorporated its creamy goodness. I made this recipe for myself and my roommate and served it over whole wheat farfalle. The original recipe can be found here.

What you will need: 

 

2 chicken breasts pounded thin, cut into medium sized strips

1 T olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 T sun-dried tomatoes, julienne (don't forget to drain if they come in oil!)

2 oz goat cheese

salt and pepper

3 cups whole wheat farfalle

Cook farfalle according to package directions and drain.  Set aside. 

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium high heat and add the chicken breasts. Cook approximately six- eight minutes per side depending on thickness. (I pounded my chicken very thin so mine were ready in about six minutes per side). Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. 

Using the same skillet add wine and cook over medium high heat until the wine is reduced by about half. Stir in chicken broth and heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Mix in sun-dried tomatoes and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese until it is melted and creamy. Stir in the chicken breasts and serve over pasta.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by: Annie

If you want to make new friends at work- MAKE THESE COOKIES! Or if you want someone to do something for you - MAKE THESE COOKIES. Or if you want a present- MAKE THESE COOKIES (they really really are THAT good), and totally worthy of the of caps lock usage. To quote my roommate Dana on her experience (eating the batter!), "It was so good I swear it like warmed up in my mouth."


And also, do I need to point out... they use one of A Bitchin' Kitchen's favorite ingredients- pumpkin! (original recipe found here- I played with the spices a bit because I did not have ginger, and I also used half chocolate chips and half butterscotch chips)

What you will need:

 

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl beat the butter until smooth. Add in the sugars, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then add in the vanilla, and pumpkin. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Add in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by tablespoons and bake for 15- 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks and then devour.

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

Posted by: Annie

Another perfect dish for fall! This recipe was a hit with my roommates and we plan to devour the leftovers throughout this week as an easy weeknight meal.

What you will need:

2 whole zucchini (cubed)

2 whole butternut squash (cubed)

8 oz white mushrooms, stems removed and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt

2 additional tablespoons olive oil

2 whole carrots, sliced

1 medium onion diced

3 stalks celery, sliced (leave the leaves on!- say that three times fast)

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh green beans (cut)

2 cups medium pasta shells (uncooked)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together zucchini, squash, mushrooms and olive oil and a dash of salt. Spread out the vegetables on two baking sheets and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes. (Remove when the veggies look brown and toasty!)

In a large pot heat the olive oil and add carrots, onions, celery and cook for three minutes. Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an additional ten minutes. Next, add in the cannelini and green beans. Cook on low for five minutes. Stir in the pasta and cook for another five minutes. Mix in the tomatoes and cook for another five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the roasted vegetables at the end. Stir and bring the soup to a simmer. Ladle into dishes, top with Parmesan cheese and serve!

Source

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Posted by: Annie

I pretty much love anything that you can top with guacamole. Sometimes when I am in restaurants I actually order dishes based on whether or not they are served with a side of "guac". I made this dish because I really wanted to eat the guacamole that was sitting in my fridge calling my name. In retrospect, I realized I could have just enjoyed the guacamole with a handful of chips, however my obsession with the avocado goodness led me to cook and discover a new favorite - Mexican Chicken Casserole. I served up this Mexican inspired dish with loads of guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. 

What you will need:

1 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles

1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup evaporated fat free milk

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/4 cup light cream cheese

1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce

12 (6 inch) tortillas

cooking spray

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 oz tortilla chips, crushed (about six chips)

Combine the chicken broth and one can of chiles in a large skillet. Bring to a boil. Add chicken, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. (flip the chicken once during this process) Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside the cooking liquid. Once the chicken cools, use two forks to shred the meat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Mix in the remaining can of chiles and the chopped onion. Saute until soft. Mix in the reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce, stir well. Add in the shredded chicken and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove the mixture from heat.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer four tortillas on the bottom of the dish and spoon 2 cups of the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Repeat this step two more times- the final layer will be the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake for thirty minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source

Pumpkin Apple Bread

Posted by: Annie

Can you tell we love pumpkin on this blog? Here is another delicious fall recipe to add to our rapidly growing pumpkin recipe collection.  I split this recipe in half because we only have one bread pan at my house, and I did not feel like waiting in between loaves to clean up.  The recipe posted below is the original, and yields two loaves.

What you will need:

3 cups flour
2 t ground cinnamon (I doubled this)
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 c apple juice or water (I used water and the apple flavor was still strong)
1 large baking apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans (I used Pam cooking spray meant for baking and it worked out perfectly)

Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water/juice. Beat the ingredients until well blended. Mix the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until moistened.  Stir in the apples, and pour into prepared bread pans.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pans, and continue to cool on wire racks.

Source

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted by: Annie

Finally the temperatures have started to drop and I can annoy people around me by loving the cold. I can also make soup. This soup was a major hit in my house. We are notorious for never eating our leftovers, but every drop of this soup was finished. Also, besides being delicious this soup is healthy!

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic

1 tablespoon bottled grated ginger (I could not find this in a bottle, so I finely grated a fresh piece of ginger)

2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled (I also could not find this ingredient. I was at the mercy of Fresh Grocer by my work so I omitted this ingredient)

2 cups water

2 (14 oz) cans fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta (I probably added a little more than 4 oz, but just remember to add more broth if you want a nice broth to noodle ratio)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 red chile pepper, finely chopped (I used half of a chile pepper)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute garlic, ginger, and lemongrass (or not, in my case) for three minutes.  Stir in water and broth, and bring to a boil.  Once the water/broth combination has reached a boil, add in chicken and pasta.  Cook for an additional five minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.  Remove from heat (at this point I dumped the contents of my skillet into a big soup pot for easier stirring) and stir in the remaining ingredients.  Let stand 5 minutes and discard lemongrass (if used).

Source

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted by: Annie

Every Monday at my job is "Marvelous Monday", meaning that every Monday morning a different person brings in a treat to kick the week off on a great start. This week it is my turn for Marvelous Monday and my initial idea was to just go with a staple, and in my kitchen that would be my chocolate chip cookies. However, the more I thought about it I realized that I would be less inclined to eat a chocolate chip cookie at 7:30 am, because it lacks that certain breakfast-y feel. After much deliberation I settled on chocolate chip muffins - enough chocolate to make a Monday happy, but with enough muffin to make the guilt of eating chocolate for breakfast disappear.

 

What you'll need: (recipe below yields 1 dozen, I doubled it)

Batter:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

Crumb topping:

3 tbs sugar

2 tbs brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl mix the milk, eggs, oil, vanilla extract and chocolate chips. Slowly add the dry mixture to the milk/egg mixture until the mixture is moistened. Fill cups 2/3 way. Sprinkle the crumb topping on each of the muffins and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick entered in the center comes out clean. 

Sangria

Posted by: Annie

Summer may be officially over, but the beautiful weather Friday night inspired my roommates and I to mix up a pitcher of white sangria. Because truly, after a day of work what is better than sipping on a glass of homemade sangria. After a quick trip to Trader Joes, our Mango Raspberry Pineapple Sangria was in the works.

What you will need to make this refreshing, slightly intoxicating beverage:

1 bottle white wine (we chose Yellowtail Chardonnay)

3 T sugar 

1 pint raspberries

2 cups mango/pineapple (we purchased a pre-sliced version of this from Trader Joes- really any fruit choice of your liking will work)

sparkling soda (we chose Raspberry flavored)

Mix sugar, raspberries, mango/pineapple and chardonnay together in a large pitcher or bowl. Let chill for 2-3 hours. Pour into glasses and top off with sparkling soda.

Pretzel M&M Bars

Posted by: Annie

Pretzels and chocolate have always been one of my favorite combinations. That being said, the new Pretzel M &M’s are constantly finding their way into my shopping cart. I was in a baking mood after work yesterday and really wanted to bake something involving pretzel M&M’s, so I was thrilled to find a recipe that called for not only M&M’s, but peanut butter. From there on Peanut Butter Pretzel Crumbly Bars were born. I adapted the recipe from here.  Enjoy!

What You Will Need:

1 stick butter

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

¾ cup sugar

2/3 cup  packed dark brown sugar

2 cups flour

¾ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 “Medium” Bag Pretzel M&M’s (9.9 oz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the butter, eggs, peanut butter, dark brown sugar and sugar. Gradually mix in  the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until smooth. Remove 1 ½ cups of the dough mixture and set aside. Press the remaining dough into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 pan. Add the M&M candies to the reserved dough and crumble into the pan pressing down lightly. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cut into bars.

Chicken and Spinach Tortellini

Posted by: Annie

This pasta dish was created based on what I had in my fridge that was near its expiration/leftover. That being said, the measurements were not exact but the results were still delicious!

What you'll need:
Extra virgin olive oil
Minced garlic, to taste
2 cups baby spinach
1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and diced
Grilled chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 package cheese and spinach tortellini (I used Barilla)

Cook tortellini according to package directions, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in skillet and add in garlic, spinach, and tomato. Saute until spinach is tender. Add grilled chicken, and cook until heated through.


Mix spinach mixture with tortellini, and enjoy!

Steak Marinade

Posted by: Annie


Prior to dating my boyfriend, I never made a steak and I had little interest in ever making one. However, over the past years in an effort to make his favorite food I have tried many different recipes- and this one is ultimately the best (and the easiest!). I used Wegmans Perfect Portion Strip Steaks. They are perfect because they are easy to thoroughly cook and because they are thin do not get dried out if you prefer your steak well done. I adapted a steak marinade recipe from easysteakmarinades.net and my boyfriend hailed it as the best steak he has ever eaten, and I even thought it was pretty tasty and I am not a steak lover.

In a large Tupperware container mix:

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tbs Red Wine Vinegar

3 garlic cloves smashed

2 heaping tbs steak seasoning (I used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Place steaks in the marinade and let marinate for at least four hours. Then grill to perfection!
(The recipe is meant for four steaks, however I only marinated two and they were incredibly delicious (not over-seasoned at all!) )

Chewy Chocolate Bar Cookies

Posted by: Annie

The other afternoon I really wanted to make cookies but was being incredibly lazy and did not feel like scooping out each cookie one by one from a big bowl of dough. So based on the ingredients I had - which was literally a bag of Reese's peanut butter chips and some flour, I discovered this wonderful recipe on hersheys.com. They are very quick and easy to make, but taste like you worked all day! Enjoy!

What you will need:

2-1/2 sticks butter (softened)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 10 oz package of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jellyroll pan.

Mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl blend together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips and spread the batter in prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes.

Cool on wire rack and then cut into bars.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Posted by: Annie

I found this recipe on Paula Deen's website, and it is definitely a keeper!

Not only are these truffles incredibly easy to make, but they are equally delicious! I brought these to work, and they were gone in minutes!

What you'll need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 pounds chocolate bark candy coating, melted

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla, and gradually mix in flour and milk. Add the chocolate chips and pecans, mixing well. Using your fingers, (I rolled my fingers in flour, because the dough was so sticky) shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, and chill for two hours.

After the dough has chilled, melt the chocolate bark candy in a double boiler and dip the cookie balls into the melted chocolate to cover. Return to waxed paper and chill for an additional hour.

Coffee & Pumpkin Lovers Unite!

Posted by: Annie

I am desperately in need of a Keurig Home Brewing System; I have been jonesing for one for about six months now. Over the weekend I was introduced to the Limited Edition Green Mountain Coffee Pumpkin Spice K-cup, and can officially say now that I NEED a Keurig machine ASAP. As a fan of pumpkin everything, and a lover of coffee, this Pumpkin Spice java is delicious! So if you are lucky enough to have a Keurig system, run out and buy this limited edition coffee before the season is over! And if you are in need of a Keurig like me- run out and buy a machine AND the coffee- and send one my way! ;)

P.S. Keurig has no clue who I am, and in no way sponsored this post. I am just a true, unpaid fan!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Posted by: Annie

Source Smitten Kitchen via Craving Chronicles

This dessert probably belongs at a St. Patrick's Day celebration - rather than the days following Thanksgiving, however I made them for my best friend's birthday, because as a lover of Bailey's I could not deny her the deliciousness of these cupcakes. Everything about these cupcakes are amazing - from the rich chocolate batter to the Bailey's flavored icing; and for that reason can be made year round!

What you'll need:

For the Cupcakes -
1 cup stout (Guinness) (coffee also works perfectly! I used a fresh cup from Wegmans!)
2 sticks butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Cupcake Ganache Filling:
(You do not have to fill your cupcakes, however I did and it added such a nice flavor to the cake)
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 T butter, room temperature
1-2 t Irish whiskey (optional - I left this step out)

*You will need either a 1-inch round cookie cutter, or an apple corer, and a piping bag to insert the ganache filling.

Bailey's Frosting:
3-4 cups confectioners sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2-3 T Bailey's (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination)

First, make the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with 24 liners. Mix 1 cup stout (or coffee) with 1 cup butter in a medium sized saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Next, add cocoa powder to beer mixture and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.

Next, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat eggs and sour cream with an electric mixer. Next, add the slightly cooled stout/coffee-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat to combine.

Slowly add in the flour mixture, and beat on a slow speed. Use a rubber spatula to fold batter until it is completely mixed. Fill the cupcake liners approximately 2/3-3/4 of the way. Bake 17 minutes, and cool cupcakes on a rack completely. I actually placed my cupcakes on a rack, and placed them in the refrigerator for approximately 15 minutes.

Now, make the ganache filling. Chop the chocolate into small pieces, and place in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to simmer and pour in the chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for one minute, and stir the mixture until it is smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted you can place the mixture in the microwave for 20 seconds.

After the mixture is smooth and melted, add butter and whiskey (if you are using it) and stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped into the cupcakes.

Now you get to fill the cupcakes!

This was probably my favorite part of making this recipe. I used an apple corer that was slightly bigger than an inch, but it will worked out perfectly. Using an apple corer or a cookie cutter, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. Push the apple corer approximately 2/3 of the way into the cupcake, but make sure to not cut through the bottom. Remove the centers from each cupcake and using a piping bag with a wide tip, fill the holes in each cupcake to the top:


Once the cupcakes are filled, it is time to make the frosting. Whip butter with an electric mixer until it is very light and fluffy; this takes approximately four minutes using a hand mixer. Next, add the powdered sugar very slowly - only a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting appears thick enough to spread, add in the Bailey's and blend until combined.

Frost each cupcake and top with chocolate shavings. Enjoy!

Cheesy Potato Soup

Posted by: Annie
At the request of my boyfriend, this weekend I made Cheesy Potato Soup. It is the perfect fall dish, and INCREDIBLY filling. This recipe is not very difficult, however I like a very flavorful potato soup, and for that reason used a LOT more salt and cheese (I love cheese) than the recipe called for. The recipe also suggested using prosciutto, however I used bacon instead (much yummier to munch on while cooking). Original recipe can be found at Craving Chronicles.

What you'll need:

6-8 slices bacon
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
1 lb. red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 qt chicken stock or broth
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 c whole milk
2 c grated cheddar cheese (I probably used 3 1/2 cups)
salt and pepper to taste

First, fry up your bacon! Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool, then break into crumbles.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil, and add the onion and diced carrots. (I used a bag of match-stick carrots, instead of dicing my own) Sauté ingredients to the point that the carrots become soft (approximately 8-10 minutes). Add the potatoes, and chicken stock. Make sure that the chicken stock covers the potatoes, onions and carrots. Bring everything to a boil and cook approximately 20 minutes, until the potatoes become tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, add flour. Next, slowly stir in the milk; add a little milk at a time whisking out any lumps that may form. Initially the mixture will appear paste-like, but once all of the milk is added the consistency will thin out. Continue to whisk the mixture as it heats, approximately five minutes. Remove the milk from heat, and add in the cheese.
Pour the milk mixture over the softened potatoes, and stir to combine. I did not want large chunks of potatoes in my soup, so I used a wire potato masher to mash up the potatoes into smaller pieces. Heat the soup to a simmer until it is thickened. Ladle into bowls and top with crumbled bacon.
Enjoy!