Orange Creme Cupcakes

Real quick before I forget this. I did these for Alexa's birthday. She wanted an orange castle cake. I made these cupcakes and stacked them to look like a castle with frosted cones as the towers.

Orange Cupcakes

White cake mix using orange juice instead of water, also added some orange zest.

Filled with orange curd and whipped cream. The orange curd was gross plain, the cream made it okay. Probably won't bother filling them next time.

Frosting

Marshmallow Frosting

1 big jar (I think it was 13 oz) marshmallow creme

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 1/4 c powdered sugar

Orange zest

Food coloring

Orange juice and more powdered sugar to get desired consistancy

Cream marshmallow creme and butter together. Add powdered sugar and orange juice and zest.

Chocolate Mousse

Sorry it's half gone, I didn't think about a picture until it was too late.

Chocolate Mousse

I have been on the look out for a good chocolate mousse recipe that doesn't call for all sorts of ingredients I don't have. I just discovered the perfect one! I found it and wanted to try it, but only had chocolate chips and didn't think they were good enough quality. I was thinking and thinking if I had hidden one somewhere, and realized that on Sunday the cub master had given me a symphony bar as a thank you for doing pack meeting for him because he had to work. Oh my it is to die for.

Ingredients:

1 - 4.25 Ounce plain symphony bar (finely chopped)

1/4 c. water (this is what I did, the recipe called for more.

Yep, that's it.

This recipe takes lots of quickness. Have a bowl ready in an ice bath and a hand mixer ready to go (or you can whisk by hand, but mine was seriously cramping so I had to switch).

Over the stove on low heat melt the chocolate with the water. Whisk constantly. As soon as it is melted, pour into the bowl in the ice cubes and mix/whisk until it is the right consistency. That's it, super simple, super tasty!

Recipe adapted from http://cafefernando.com/the-best-chocolate-mousse-of-your-life-under-5-minutes/ (They used much more water.)

Chocolate Lava Cakes

My favorite recipe for these:

http://ghirardelli.com/bake/recipe.aspx?id=1085

Creamy Tomato Pasta

I had some leftover canned fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic and so I made up this recipe.

1 small can tomatoes ( I threw it away, but it was about the size of a regular soup can.), cook down

garlic, onions, italian seasoning

1 cup cream

Parmesan cheese

Cook together and pour over fetticini.

Grandma's Whole Wheat Pancakes

These are pretty healthy, much better than a mix. Way less sugar and sodium, and way more vitamins, etc.

2 c. wheat flour

4 T oil

2 eggs

1 c. milk

4 tsp. baking powder

I double this and then flash freeze some and then we have them for breakfast for a couple weeks.

Mac and Cheese!!

A long time ago Applebees had the best Macaroni and Cheese. They stopped doing it, so I made up a recipe that I think is like it.

1/2 lb pasta (my favorite is mini penne)

2 T. Butter

1/6 c. flour

1 1/2 c. warm milk

1/8 t. garlic powder

1/8 t. onion powder

1/8 t. black pepper

1/4 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 lb. shredded Monterrey jack cheese

1/2 tube ritz crackers, crushed

2T. melted butter

Grease 8x8 pan (Double recipe for 9x13). Cook pasta 2 minutes less than instructions. Drain, rinse in cold water. Melt butter in pan, whisk in flour, cook 2 min. Whisk in warm milk. Add seasonings. Cook and stir until thickened. Add in cheese (reserve some for topping later) and stir until melted. Stir in noodles. Put in pan and top with cheese. Stir ritz and melted butter, top with them. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Best Ice Cream EVER!!!

Pina Colada Ice Cream

2 cups cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 cam frozen Bacardi pina colada mixer (in the frozen juice concentrate section of the store)

Whisk all together, freeze in ice cream freezer.  This is good right after, but even better the next day after it hardens.  It stays scoopable and has great texture. 

I won't mention how much of it I ate tonight...