Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Not sure where I got this recipe from (if it was any of you, let me know so credit can be given where credit is due!)! I found it in my recipe box today and decided to make it since I'm trying to use up ingredients before we move. Very yummy!

Makes 12 cupcakes (when I made it, it made 18)
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes

SIFT IN LARGE BOWL
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

STIR TOGETHER IN SEPARATE BOWL
1 TBSP. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla/ almond (didn't have vanilla on hand so used almond ext. instead)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. water


Stir (don't beat) the wet mixture into the dry mixture, set aside.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING: Beat the following together
1 sm. 3 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 c. sugar
2 unbeaten eggs
1/8 tsp salt

After you beat together, add 1 small bag of chocolate chips to the cream cheese mixture. (I had half a bag so I also used mini baking M&Ms).

Now, the fun begins! Fill each papered cupcake 1/2 full with batter, put 1 large tablespoon of the cream cheese stuff on top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

They need no frosting! They are not the most beautiful, but they taste great, freeze well, etc.

CHILI RELLENO SOUFFLE

From Donna McCoy

CHILI RELLENO SOUFFLE

1 7 oz. can whole green chili's [I used chopped]
1 lb. cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. jack cheese
4 eggs
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 13 oz. can evaporated milk

Sauce:
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 package taco seasoning mix

Wash seeds from chili in cold water. [I did not do this] Put chili's in bottom of buttered baking dish.
Grate cheese- sprinkle on top of chili's. Mix flour, salt, milk, egg and pour over cheese and chili's.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean. Mix taco sauce and tomato sauce and pour on top and bake for 5 more minutes. "It's Oh so good!"

Spunky Spinach Dip

Great for holiday parties as an appetizer! Whether served with colorful tortilla chips, fresh veggies or bread cubes, it's irresistible.

2 c. salsa
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened and cubed
10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. pitted black olives, chopped

Mix all ingredients together; stir well. Place in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on medium setting until heated through. Serves about 10.

Rocky Road Fudge Brownies

Delicious Warm! You can follow this recipe as is or if you are in a hurry, buy a box of brownies (and even buy the hot fudge sauce instead of making it homemade), bake, and add topping as listed. Although, I must say that making all of this homemade makes it taste EVEN better. These are absolutely scrumptious!

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. baking cocoa
1/4 c. oil
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
_____________________
Topping:
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. butterscotch chips
2 c. mini marshmallows
Combine & mix well

(Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe below)

Combine first 3 ingredients in small saucepan; heat til melted and smooth, sturring often. Remove from heat; set aside. Blend eggs in large mixing bowl 'til light and fluffy; mix in cocoa mixture and next 3 ingredients. Spread in a greased 13" x 9" baking pan (or pour in 2 8"x8" pans and share one with a neighbor); bake at 350 degrees 'til brownies pull away from sides of pan~ about 25 minutes. Sprinkle topping evenly on top and drizzle with hot fudge sauce. Continue baking 5 minutes; cool. Cut into bars to serve. Makes about 15 bars.

Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (can even split recipe in half since it's so rich, if you want to):
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 TBSP. flour
2 TBSP. butter
3/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Vanilla (added later)

In a saucepan- mix dry ingredients. Add butter and water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 7-10 minutes, or slightly longer. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Drizzle sauce over topping on brownies. (This recipe can also be served over ice cream)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

From Donna McCoy

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

THESE MUFFINS ARE SO MOIST AND FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND CRUNCHY ALMONDS. THEY ARE JUST AS GOOD WITHOUT THE NUTS.

½ cup sliced unbalanced almonds

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbl. Pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1 cup plain pumpkin

½ cup butter, melted (1 stick)

1 cup semi- sweet chocolate chips


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put almonds on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Cool.


Grease muffin pans or use paper baking cups. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.


Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter and whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in until dry ingredients are moistened.


Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and springy to the touch in the center. Turn out onto a rack to cool. Wrap in a plastic bag and keep for up to two days. Reheat before serving. Can be frozen.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

This recipe was on the Oprah show when Jessica Seinfeld, Jerry's wife, introduced her new cookbook with recipes that had vegetable purees created at home in the recipes. I made these bars today and they are absolutely fantastic. You would never know there was spinach in them. And Hunter ate them up too! What a great way to get your vegetables in for the day. I think I'm going to get the cookbook now too!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
(with Spinach)
Created by Jessica Seinfeld
From the book Deceptively Delicious
Makes 12 bars


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Crunchy and sweet, but full of spinach! Let the bars cool completely before serving so that the taste of the spinach has a chance to disappear completely.


INGREDIENTS
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Balance trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread, chilled
1 cup low-sugar blueberry preserves
1/2 cup spinach puree

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla and stir to mix well.

Add the margarine and cut it quickly into dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not overmix—bits of margarine will still be visible.

Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not fully baked), 13 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl.

Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake until topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

Raspberry Icing

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth.