Macaroni and Cheese Experiment

This is my second attempt at making macaroni and cheese. But, I think this time it turned out ok. I didn't cook the macaroni long. I just cooked them for 4 min. I think this helped so it did not have a mushy texture. You can use any cheese, but I think this combination made for a creamy sauce. It didn't clump up like my first one did. This is my mom modeling my new cupcake apron. She made fun of me when I was taking pictures of the macaroni and cheese, but then she tasted it. She's so cute.

4 Tbls melted butter
4 Tbls all-purpose flour
3 12-oz cans evaporated milk
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground mustard seed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp hot sauce
8 oz fontina cheese
8 oz extra sharp chedder cheese
8 oz american cheese
1/2 cup reserve pasta water

16 oz cooked elbow macaroni (i cooked the noodles for only 4 min)

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese
1 Tbls tyme

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a whisk, constantly, for about a minute. You want the mixture to be smooth, and you want it to have time to reach a golden-brown color.

3. Begin adding the evaporated milk slowly, continuing to whisk constantly, until all the milk is incorporated.

4. In about 10 minutes, the milk should be just below a simmer, steaming but not really bubbling, and the mixture should be thickening. Now is the time to add the grated cheeses. Stir in the cheese till it has all melted and has incorporated into the sauce. Add the nutmeg, ground mustard seed, salt and pepper.

5. In a large stockpot, combine cheese sauce, cooked noodles and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water.

6. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with breadcrumbs, parmesean cheese and tyme.

7. Bake for 30 min or until bubbly.

Cream Cheese Brownies

I got this cake dome for my birthday. It is my new favorite cooking gadget. I also got two fabulous cookbooks. I think I have made something everyday for a week. I used my new pink and brown polka-dot apron to make these brownies. These brownies are pretty easy to make. Enjoy! Thank you everyone for my amazing birthday!

Cream Cheese Brownies:

4 square unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Cream Cheese Swirl
1 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbls flour

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Spread into prepared pan. Beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 2 Tbsp flour until well blended. Drop by spoonfuls evenly over brownie batter. Swirl with knife several times to marbleize. Bake brownies for 35- 40 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I made chocolate mint cookies and had my nephews try them. Jackson had the chocolate all over his face. You can't see it very good because he didn't want his picture taken. I also got a new apron on Friday. Courtney and I went to Dear Lizzies and they were having a sale on their aprons. I was so excited to bake after I got my new apron. I'm such a geek!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 Tbls water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg andes wrapped mints

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the chocolate mixture, Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 min in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softeted, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. Let cool.

Power Ranger and Mr. Incredible Baking Extravaganza

My nephews Austin (power ranger), Carson (Mr. Incredible) and Jackson baked some Halloween chocolate chip cookies on Friday. We just used a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, but put Halloween m&m's on after the cookies came out from the oven. They had to practice their ninja kicks to prepare for trick or treating, so they pretty much just ate all the m&m's. I tried though. We did manage to make a cookie that looked just like a pumpkin without even trying. Amazed?

Ginger Cookies

I made these cookies with my nephew Parker when I went to visit him in Minnesota. My mom would always make these in fall and we would come home to the amazing smell of these cookies in the house.

Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 Tbls ground ginger

1 egg

cinnamon/sugar mixed together

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add egg and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Roll into balls and dip balls in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for exactly 9 min.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Birthday Cake

This was Nate's birthday cake. Happy Birthday!

Chocolate Ecstasy Cake:

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 16oz container sour cream
1 box instant chocolate pudding
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup godiva liqueur

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour whatever size pan needed.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and liqueur. Beat until ingredients are well blended. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 min.

Truffle Frosting:
24 oz desired chocolate
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup godiva liqueur

In a medium saucepan bring whipping cream just to boiling over medum-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate, let stand 5 min. Stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Raspberry Cream filling :
8oz raspberry cream cheese
8oz cool whip
small jar marshmellow cream
fresh raspberries

Whip together cream cheese and marshmellow cream. Fold in cool whip. Fold in raspberries to taste.

Double Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup real butter - divided

1 1/4 cup Coca-Cola® - divided

1 oz. square semi-sweet baking chocolate
3/4 cup miniature marshmallows

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - divided

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tsp. vanilla extract - divided

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

-In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup cola, and chocolate to a boil.

-Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows until dissolved.

-Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

-In a bowl, Combine flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

-With an electric mixer, beat together sugar, shortening, oil, and 2 tsp. vanilla until fluffy; beat in eggs and buttermilk.

-Beat in 1/2 of the dry mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl often.

-Beat in cooled cola mixture.

-Add remaining dry mixture and beat for 4 minutes; batter will be thick.

-Pour batter into a greased and floured 13" X 9" X 2" baking pan.

-Bake on top rack of a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

-Cream butter with an electric mixer.

-Beat in 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup cola, chocolate syrup, and 1 tsp. vanilla.

-Slowly add powdered sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl often, while beating with the mixer.

-If frosting seems dry, add small amounts of cola until you reach desired consistency.
-Frost cake while warm.