How to make boxed cup cakes better

I love a good cupcake but I've always felt like the can frosting just doesn't cut it. Especially now, companies have cut down on the ounces of frosting in each can. So, what's a mom to do?

I found just a little confectionary sugar can go along way. I can't tell you how much confectionary sugar, that should be up to your taste. I love mine sugary but my husband doesn't. I make two batches so he doesn't have to eat my sugary sweet frosting.

Italian Anise Cookies

I love anise cookies, outside of the chocolate chip (I live in Whitman, the home of the chocolate chip cookie, of course chocolate chip will be my favorite.) anise has to be my second favorite cookie of all time. I never knew how easy it was to make these cookies. I readily have these ingredients in my cabinets at any given time. Once you buy the anise extract you could make these cookies on a whim. Anise extract is not hard to find. It is available at your local grocery store usually with the spices. If you live in my neck of the woods go to Ocean State Job Lot. The price difference between OSJL and Stop and Shop, like $4! I bought anise extract and almond extract for the price of one anise extract at Stop and Shop. Granted it was pure anise for around $7 but you really wont tell the difference.

Italian Anise Cookies

For the cookies:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons anise extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 -3 tablespoons milk

For the icing:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1/8 teaspoon anise extract

food coloring (optional)

decorative candy sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

For cookies: cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add anise extract. Blend flour and baking powder. Start by adding about 1/3 of these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar in your mixer, then add 1 T. milk. Add another third of the flour and another 1 T. milk. Finally, mix in enough of the remaining flour until your dough is like a brownie batter (it should be softer than a drop cookie dough). Use a 1 T. cookie scooper to make simple round drop cookies - use wet fingers to pat any rough edges OR for an Easter-Egg look, roll 1 T. dough into an elongated ball. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (they won't be brown but the insides will be soft and cake-like).

For icing: mix sugar, milk and extract to make a sugar glaze. Add food coloring if desired. Make sure the cookies are somewhat cool or the icing will just melt. Hold cookie in your hand and turn upside down so you can dip the top half in the glaze; turn over and immediately top with sprinkles so they will stick. Give the icing sometime to harden up before eating.

Small Peanut Butter Trifles

Ingredients:
Brownie mix
1/3 cup oil
1/3 water
1 egg
1 box vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tub Cool Whip
Mini Reeses

Instructions:
Make the brownies as directed on the box using the egg, oil, and water (change the measurements as according to the box). Let cool.
Mix pudding and milk. Then add peanut butter and mix well.
Crumble up the brownies and add to the cup about a 1/3 of the way. Then add peanut butter pudding. Top with Cool Whip.
Chop Reeses into fours and toss on top of the Cool Whip.
I put it in the fridge for about 5 mins.
It is that simple.

Personal Shepherd's Pie

Its easy enough and the kiddo loved them. It was actually fun for her to eat. My husband loved them too. He thought it was kind of like eating a pot pie with shepherd's pie inside. Plus, the idea that these can be picked up and eaten made them go fast.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen corn
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup canned beef gravy
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
2 boxes (4 rolls) pre-made pie crust
8 slices American cheese, quartered

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two (or three) baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cook the ground beef and onions in a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the meat is no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
While the beef is cooking, add the potatoes and carrots to a small saucepot. Cover the veggies with slightly salted water and boil until they’re cooked through, but not mushy, about 3–5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Add the beef, onions, carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, Worcestershire sauce, and gravy into a medium-size mixing bowl. Fold together and set aside.
Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl; set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, unroll one of the pie crusts. Using a 3-1/2″–4″ biscuit cutter, cut five rounds. Repeat with the remaining rolls of dough.
On half of the rounds, place a generous Tbsp of filling in the center, leaving a 1/2″ border. Stack two quarters of the American cheese on top of the filling. Then, using a pastry brush, apply the egg wash on the border of the crust. Place an empty round on top and seal the edges together with a fork.
Place the pies on the papered baking sheets and brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

This recipe went well. I think I will egg wash the whole top next time. Also I had no biscuit cutter so I used a large mug and cut around it.

Simple Orangle Dreamsicle cake

I have found many different ways to make this cake. This is probably the simplest.

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix (and what is needed to make the cake so 3 eggs And 1/3 cup oil)
2 pkg of Orange Jello
1 pkg of vanilla pudding
1 cup milk (for the pudding)
1 tub of Cool Whip

Instructions:
First make cake as directed in a 9x9 square pan. Let it cool completely.
Poke wholesale throughout the cake. I used the handle of my spoon since it round and about the size of my finger. An end of a small wooden spoon may work well.
Then prepare 1 box of the Orange jello. Then pour over the top of your cake. Make sure you pour evenly and in all the wholesale you made.
Then cover the cake and put it in the fridge for 4 hours.
Then make the pudding with the milk. Then add the last package of Jello straight into the pudding mixture. Stir together well.
Then fold in the Cool Whip. Once the topping is all mixed then spread on top of your cake.
I topped it with some orange zest and a few orange slices.

Tortellini, basil, and fire roasted tomatoes soup

Sorry I've been MIA for so long. Life got busy, tablet broke, and my daughter started school full time.
Anyway, I have a new easy dinner recipe for you.
Tortellini, basil, and fire roasted tomatoes soup.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
1-quart chicken broth
6 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini
14 oz. canned diced fire roasted tomatoes with their liquid
10 oz. spinach, washed and stemmed; coarsely chopped
8 – 10 leaves of basil, coarsely chopped
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add broth and bring to a boil.
Add the tortellini and cook halfway, about 5 minutes for frozen tortellini, and just a minute or two if using fresh.
Add the tomatoes and their liquid, reduce the heat to simmer and cook just until the pasta is tender.
Stir in the spinach and basil and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

New Kitchen Toy!

Early this month was my birthday, I turned the big 3-0. As a gift, my parents gave me a food processor. So today I made the Chicken Bruschetta Pasta from Pampered Chef. It really made this recipe a million times easier. No more fine chopping, I can add the tomatoes in the wedges the recipe suggests.

Husband is listing off all the things he wants me to make with the processor. He wants a pesto sauce and home made salsa. I guess you can watch for those recipes when I find out what works.