Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow

Today was the After Christmas Blizzard, and we decided it was a good day to just stay in our pajamas and do just about nothing -- nothing except baking a little treat. Catherine said she wanted to make cupcakes. My question was "what kind?", but more to the point, what kind where we had all of the ingredients, since we weren't going to dig ourselves out of 15" of snow just to go to the grocery store. She did a little searching on the internet and she found this recipe on the Martha Stewart website (she got it from a cupcake baker in Seattle). It was a little more involved, but they turned out pretty good. And, even better, Jimmy got to use his little blow torch to toast the marshmallow frosting... fun for all!

Makes 2 Dozen Cupcakes

• 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1¾ cups flour
• ¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp. cocoa (not dutch-processed)
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup boiling water
  
  
  
• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 squares)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 9 oz. chocolate, finely chopped
  (the recipe calls for bittersweet; I used semi-sweet and milk chocolate, since that's all we had. It tasted like a good substitution.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix ingredients on low speed.
3. In a large bowl, mix together, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water, stirring by hand to combine. Batter will be very liquidy.
4. Place graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl, and stir until well combined.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Spray the bottom of a small glass with cooking spray, and use to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liners. Reserve remaining cracker mixture for topping.
6. Place 2 teaspoons of chopped chocolate in each muffin cup.
7. Transfer muffins tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter.
   (I used a large, 3 tablespoon, scoop)
9. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture.
10. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and cake tester insert in the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
11. Transfer muffins tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer.
   (In the online video, Martha used her Kitchen Aid mixer bowl, so I did the same)
2. Set over a saucepan with simmering water.
3. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, approximately 3-4 minutes.
4. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, approximately 5-7 minutes.
5. Add vanilla, and mix until combined.
6. Immediately transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip.
7. Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake.
8. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet.
9. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I bought the Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking 2010 edition, at the Wegman's in Syracuse, as we were visiting Caroline and Joey for Thanksgiving. How could I not buy it when there is a big slice of red velvet cake on the cover? It's had me drooling ever since. But, of course, I didn't really think I would want to make a whole cake. CUPCAKES, on the other hand, was definitely something I really wanted to make. The perfect opportunity would come for the Lentini Family Christmas party (scheduled to take place tomorrow at Joe and Judy's, as a blizzard threatens the northeast, no less!). I made them tonight, and will frost them in the morning. If we get stuck in the car while driving, we will at least having something to keep us going... lol

The 21st cupcake was the taste tester, and I got the approving thumbs up from my guinea pig.

Serves about 18-22 cupcakes

Cake

• 2¼ cups flour
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. natural cocoa powder
  (The recipe says: This recipe must be prepared with natural cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa will not rise or yield the proper color. I used Hershey's cocoa, and it seemed to rise perfectly and yield a vibrant red color, so in my opinion, that was ok to use)
• 2 Tbsp. (1-1oz. bottle) red food coloring
• 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  (I only had salted butter, so I omitted the pinch of salt from above)
• 1½ cups sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 18-22 muffin tins in cupcake pans.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs.
4. In a third, small bowl, mix cocoa with food coloring, until a smooth paste forms.
5. With a stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2-5 minutes (keep beating until it looks "floamy"), scraping down bowl as necessary. Add one-third of the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, add cocoa mixture, and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, give batter final stir.
6. Using a large (3-tablespoon) scoop, fill muffin tins.
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center of each cupcakes comes out clean, approximately 15-17 minutes.
8. Cool cakes in cupcake pans for 10 minutes, then cool an additional 30 minutes on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  (again, I used salted butter, and omitted the salt from below)
• 4 cups (16 oz.) confectioners' sugar
• 16 oz. cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces, softened
• 1½ tsp. vanilla
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated.
3. Beat in vanilla and salt.
4. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Cover and refrigerate cupcakes until ready to serve, up to 3 days.

Caramel Walnut Pie

I was trying to come up with my meal plan for "Thanksgiving Part 2" last year (2009), and started by looking through the latest food magazines. I got the Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine in the mail, and came up with a bunch of recipes I wanted to try. I don't particularly like pecans, but I LOVE walnuts. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Not only did I love it, but so did everyone else.

• 1 frozen pie crust, thawed
• 4 large eggs
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 ¾ cups walnuts, halved
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 Tbsp. honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
2. Fit the piecrust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" glass pie dish. Crimp the edges to form a ¼-inch high border and refrigerate.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until smooth.
4. Whisk in the corn syrup, butter, vanilla and salt.
5. Gently stir in the walnuts.
6. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake until the filling is set in the center, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
7. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream and honey until stiff peaks form.
8. Serve the pie with the honey whipped cream.

Cranberry Sauce

Martha gave me this recipe in 2009 in preparation for our big after-Thanksgiving dinner that we hosted for the Lindow and Lentini families. I'm personally not a huge fan of cranberry sauce, but this is definitely a must-have for any Thanksgiving meal and turned me into a homemade cranberry sauce convert. Now that Thanksgiving is coming up again, my friends and I decided to have a pre-celebration that we called Mini Thanksgiving. Martha was going to make cranberry sauce to bring, but unfortunately got sick at the last minute, so I volunteered to make it in her place. I'm hoping I did her proud.

To read Martha's original entry, visit her blog at:http://www.throwingspoons.com/2007/11/t-minus-three-weeks-and-counting.html

• 1 bag cranberries, rinsed and picked over
• 1 cup sugar
• Juice of 1 orange, plus grated rind (I used only about half of an orange for the gratings)
• ¼ cup water
• Ground ginger, to taste (optional)
• Ground cloves, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Grate the rind of the orange and set aside
2. Combine the berries, sugar, orange juice, and water in a saucepan and cook, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the berries have all popped open.
3. Stir in the orange zest.
4. Cool and then transfer to refrigerator containers until using.
   
   May be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Another fast seller for Timmy's 5th Grade Bake Sale was the Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Shockingly, it's another recipe from my friend, Martha, however, credit should be traced back to her best friend, Andrea. It was a really easy recipe that produced amazingly moist cupcakes. The frosting was courtesy of my friend, LaDawna, who spent the night before the bake sale making and frosting baked goods with me.

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• Ingredients called for on the box of cake mix, MINUS the water
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp. pumpkin spice (I didn't have pumpkin spice, so I used ¼ tsp. allspice)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
2. Line 2 muffin tins.
3. Mix yellow cake mix with all of the ingredients, EXCEPT the water. Add the can of pumpkin, plus the pumpkin spice.
4. Bake at 350 Degrees for approximately 18-22 minutes.
5. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
• 8 oz. (1 package) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pumpkin Bread

Getting ready for Timmy's 5th Grade Bake Sale, I asked my friends what would be good items to have for sale. Being that it is now Fall, there were some shout outs for anything pumpkin. Guess who volunteered their Pumpkin Bread recipe? You guessed it -- Martha! My friend LaDawna amped up the WOW factor, by suggesting that we slice it horizontally at the center and at the top, and then add Cream Cheese Frosting. GENIUS! Huge seller at the bake sale, not to mention extremely scrumptious!

For more information on Martha's recipe, you can visit the post in her blog at:http://www.throwingspoons.com/2007/10/great-pumpkin-bread.html

• 3 ½ cups flour
• 2 ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 can (15-16 oz.) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour TWO 9x5x3" loaf pans.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together pumpkin and oil (it will look curdled -- it's ok!)
5. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each.
6. Make a well in the flour, adding pumpkin, and stirring to moisten.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
8. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
• 8 oz. (1 package) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cranberry Bread

My friend Martha seems to be my go-to person for recipes. For Thanksgiving 2009, she gave me her recipe for Cranberry Bread, that she calls "Fred's Cranberry Bread". I also pulled this recipe out for Timmy's 5th Grade Election Day Bake Sale, and they sold out almost immediately.

To read more about Martha's recipe, visit her website:
http://www.throwingspoons.com/2007/11/cranberry-bread.html

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• Approximately ¾ cup orange juice
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, washed, picked over, and halved (not chopped)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
3. Combine vegetable oil with enough orange juice to make ¾ cup
4. Stir egg into juice mixture and pour into dry ingredients. Mix enough to dampen.
5. Gently fold in cranberries (and walnuts, if using).
6. Spoon into greased loaf pan, spreading sides slightly higher than center.
7. Bake at 350 Degrees for 50-60 minutes.
8. Turn out of pan to cool on rack.

Yields 1 Large Loaf, or 3 Mini-Loaves

Chicken Pot Pie

It was two days before Halloween, and Timmy and I had some time on our hands after school ended, but before the school Halloween party that evening. My friend Lora invited me to come over and hang out at her house. I ended up getting there before she did, so we hung out with her husband Mike. When we entered the house, a heavenly scent was coming from the kitchen -- Mike was making Chicken Pot Pie! In all honesty, he got the recipe off of allrecipes.com, but I will definitely give him the credit for making one of the best Chicken Pot Pies we've ever had!

• 1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves, cubed (I probably used about 3-4 chicken breast halves)
• 1 cup sliced carrots (I think I used about 10-15 mini carrots)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ cup sliced celery
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ½ butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 1 ¾ cups chicken broth (1 14oz. can)
• 2/3 cup milk
• Puff pastry

DIRECTIONS

1. Take puff pastry out of freezer to thaw.
2. Boil chicken until cooked through, cool, and cube.
3. In a separate saucepan, add water to cover carrots, peas, potatoes, and celery, and boil for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
4. Combine with cubed chicken, and set aside.
5. In a saute pan, over medium heat, melt butter and add diced onions, cooking until soft and translucent.
6. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.
7. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.
8. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.
9. Remove from heat and set aside.
10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
11. In an oven safe dish, scoop the chicken and vegetable mixture at the bottom, pouring hot liquid mixture over the top.
12. Roll out puff pastry, and place over top of chicken/vegetable dish, sealing edges, and cutting away the excess dough.
13. Brush top of pastry with an egg wash, and cut slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape.
14. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
15. Cool for 10 minutes until serving.
    

Bourbon Slush

This delicious concoction comes from Nick's Uncle Bob. It brings back memories of summer vacations in Wells, Maine. Although Halloween is not a summery time of year for a nice slush, I ended up pulling out this recipe for our contribution to the Sherborne Circle Halloween of 2010 Trick or Drinking exchange. I got many compliments, mostly from the dads of the neighborhood. I'll have to remember to make this again next summer, when it's not so chilly out.

• 2 cups boiling water
• 4 tea bags
• 1 12-oz. can of frozen lemonade
• 1 6-oz. can of frozen orange juice
• 7 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ cups bourbon (12 oz.)

Directions
Steep 4 tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water until cool, and then remove the tea bags.
In a sealable tupperware container, mix together remaining ingredients with the tea water.
Freeze covered, stirring occasionally, as you remember.

Pulled Pork

At the end of the Summer of 2010, my parents came out from Arizona and I hosted a family cookout for the Lindows and Cronins, with a sprinkle of a few Lentinis. My friend Lora suggested that I make her Pulled Pork recipe since it is super easy (turns out, I think she got it from our other friend, Keryn). It was indeed super easy, and a big hit!

• 10 lbs. pork roast
  (Key Words: Rump Roast, Pork Butt, Pork Loin Roast Center Cut)
• 1 can Barq's root beer
• 1 bottle Jack Daniels Original BBQ Sauce
• 1 bottle Jack Daniels Spicy BBQ Sauce
  (I couldn't find the spicy so I just used another brand that was spicy)

DIRECTIONSPlace pork roast in crockpot and add the can of root beer.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
(I had it cook overnight. Lora told me to cook for 10 hours; Keryn's original recipe said 8.5 hours. It's a crockpot... you can't go wrong)
When done cooking, shred the pork and put back into juices remaining in the crockpot.
Add the bottles of BBQ sauce and cook on low for 1-2 hours.

(I actually made this on a Friday night/Saturday morning for a Sunday party. When I added the BBQ sauce, I turned off the crockpot and let it cool down, and then put it in the refrigerator. Sunday morning, I took the crockpot out of the fridge about two hours before party time. I let it come down to room temperature for about an hour before turning on and then cooking on low for about an hour or two. I brought it down to the "keep warm" setting during the party, and served with rolls from Framingham Baking Company. Some people ate the pulled pork on its own, some with the rolls)

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Thyme

It was Christmas 2004 and I was getting ready to host my very first Christmas dinner (well, ok, it was Christmas Eve, but it was Christmas for me). Not only was I cooking my first big holiday meal, but I had over 25 people coming. My friend Kerry recommended her pork tenderloin. Over the years, I have added a couple tweaks of my own, and I have always gotten raves. And for the record -- yes, we grilled outside on Christmas Eve!

• 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin
• Sprinkle of Kosher salt
• Splash of Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. McCormick Garlic-Pepper Blend
• ½ tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
• ½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
• Splash of soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
Rub the pork tenderloin with a splash of olive oil.(I say a splash because I keep my olive oil in a plastic squeeze bottle. I use enough to give a moist, oil sheen over the pork tenderloin -- maybe 2 tsp.)
Sprinkle Kosher salt over both sides of pork.
Mince garlic clove over the pork tenderloin, about half of the clove on each side.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a small dish and sprinkle over both sides of the pork.
Splash the pork tenderloin with a little soy sauce
(Like the olive oil, I keep it in a squeeze bottle -- just a quick splash, maybe 1-2 tsp.)
Grill for approximately 20-30 minutes, turning every 8-10 minutes, until 160 degree internal temperature.
(You can also bake in a 425 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes)Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Oreo Cupcakes

My friend Lora wanted to make Oreo Cupcakes for her husband's 40th birthday party. She had our friend Martha come over for a trial run, but they didn't like the end-result. Martha wouldn't be satisfied until she got it right, so she went home and with a pinch of this and scoop of that, she accomplished her mission. Lora, Catherine and I made these for Mike's birthday, and there was not a single one left by the end of the party. They were so good that I knew my own Oreo Cookie Monster (Timmy) would love them for his 10th birthday... so I went about making them myself. My take came out ok, but I think in my enthusiasm to get them made, while doubling the recipe, I think I lost count and added an extra half-cup of flour, so they didn't come out as moist as the original ones. But never fear, I will make them again, and be in Oreo heaven!

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cupcakes

• 18 oz. package of Oreos -- you'll need 2 of the 3 rows (I used Double Stuff... and of course, the 3rd row can be used for snacking while prepare... he he he)
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt (I omitted because I used salted butter)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (reduced fat may be used)
• 1 whole egg, plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Butter Cream Frosting
Makes 2 1/3 cups (about enough for 12 cupcakes)

• 16 oz. (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 4-6 Tbsp. milk or half and half
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• Pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)

DIRECTIONS

1. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Gently twist apart 12 Oreos. This will leave you with 12 wafers with cream filling, and 12 plain wafers. Place the halves with the cream filling, filling side up, in the cupcake liners.
3. The remaining 12 plain wafers will be used for garnish. Cut 6 of them in half -- these will be placed in the frosting, as shown in the picture. The remaining 6 wafers may be crumbled or crushed and sprinkled atop the frosting.
4. The remaining first row of Oreos, plus the entire second row should be chopped into chunks -- I cut them into quarters.
5. In a small bowl, toss the quarters with the 1 tablespoon of flour. This allows for more even distribution of Oreo pieces in the batter.
6. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the sour cream, butter, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Remove bowl and scrape down the sides, gently mixing any remaining pockets of flour.
7. Gently fold in the quartered Oreos.
8. With a 2 oz. cookie scoop, portion batter into cupcake liners.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes. Tops should be slightly browned, and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the cupcake.
10. Cool 10 minutes in muffin tin and then remove to rack.
11. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting -- In a large bowl, with mixer at medium-low speed, beat confectioners' sugar, softened butter, vanilla, salt and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth and blended. Beat in additional milk as necessary to make into spreadable consistency. Increase to medium-high speed, and beat until light and fluffy.
12. When cupcakes have sufficiently cooled, frost, garnish and ENJOY!

Kahlua Brownies

Here is another recipe that came from the Bridesmaid Test Kitchen while making the cookbook for my sister's bridal shower. This is from another family recipes submitted by one of my brother-in-law's relatives. It was delicious but REALLY sweet. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Kahlua may have been a touch overpowering. The next time I make them, I may cut down the amount used, maybe more specifically in the frosting. I also forgot to make the glaze. But I love brownies, especially ones with frosting, so I'm sure I will make this again!
 
Brownies

• Brownie mix (I used Hershey's that I buy at BJ's)
• 1/2 cup Kahlua*
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. Kahlua*
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk

Glaze

• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 oz. Nestle Toll House Choco Bake (pre-melted, unsweetened chocolate flazor), melted

* You may make Bailey's Irish Cream Brownies by substituting Bailey's instead of Kahlua.

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ingredients for the brownies.
2. Bake brownies per the directions of the brownie mix package.
3. Prepare the frosting
   If you like frosting, make 1 1/2 times the frosting recipe.
4. Prepare the glaze by mixing the melted butter and Choco Bake.
5. Once the brownies are frosted, put on the glaze, pouring on top and swirling it through.
   

Baked Oatmeal

Another recipe that came to the bridesmaids test kitchen for my sister Caroline's wedding cookbook. This recipe came from my brother-in-law's cousin (I think). It's a bit of a crunchier oatmeal, and although good served with milk, it's also a great topping for yogurt (kind of like a granola).

• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Directions
Combine all ingredients
Pour into a greased 11x17” casserole
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes

Serve with hot milk

Optional
Raisins, Nuts, Chopped Apples, Pear, Dates

Macaroni and Cheese

This is another recipe that I received when I was putting together my sister's wedding cookbook. This recipe came from one of my brother-in-law's cousin's girlfriends (got that?). Since it hadn't come with a picture and the cookbook was meant to be a photo cookbook, this seemed like a quick and easy recipe to try. Not only was it easy, but it was a delicious hit!

• 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
• 2 cups grated Cheddar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• Handful of plain bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°
Cook and drain macaroni
Place macaroni in a large bowl and while still hot, add the cheddar.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.
Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
Top with additional cheese if desired.
Edited to Add: Instead of additional cheese, I sprinkled a handful or two of plain bread crumbs, and then sprayed the top with some Pam cooking spray.

Cheez-It Meatloaf

Mum gave me this recipe as an entry when I made the family and friends cookbook for Caroline's bridal shower. She said it was one of Caroline's favorite, so I decided to make it. It was a big hit in our house too!

• 1½ lbs ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• ¼ cup green pepper, diced
• 2 to 3 large mushrooms, diced or sliced
• ¼ cup celery, chopped
• ½ to ¾ cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 5.5-oz can of tomato juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Crumbled up CHEEZ-ITs on top
Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes

I omitted the mushrooms, since I don’t like the little fungi.
Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.