Carolyn Braden says "Yummy Black Bottom Muffin/Cupcake Recipe"

Here's a great dessert/muffin recipe I just tried. It's from Woman's Day magazine. If I made these again, I may try using a brownie base under the cheesecake layer. The cake part was really good, but I love brownies and by adding a brownie base, it would make these more of a dessert.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat Philly)
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil (I only had vegetable oil and it worked just fine as a substitute)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners. (I also sprayed the liners with Baker's cooking spray).
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup of the sugar and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a large bowl until creamy; stir in the chocolate chips.

In a second large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, remaining cup of sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and 1 cup water, and mix until fully incorporated.

Spoon enough of the chocolate batter into each cup so that they are filled halfway (about 2 tsp each). Top each with a rounded tsp of the cream cheese mixture, gently spreading it over the chocolate layer.

Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and barely golden, 15-20 minutes.










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Carolyn Braden is trying an Arnold Palmer

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/arnold-palmer-recipe/index.html

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Carolyn Braden Says "The Yummiest Apple Cake!"

Here's a recipe from Southern Living magazine this month that rocks!  It is Fresh Apple Cake.  After a visit to Huber's Orchard in Starlight IN over the weekend, I decided to try making it tonight.  Of course I tweaked the recipe a little, but it is yummy!


Here is it:
1/2 cup butter, melted (use real butter!)
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 lb. Granny Smith apples (that's about 4 large apples), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges (then cut the wedges in halves)
If you like nuts, you can add either 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  If you are adding the nuts, bake them in a single layer in a shallow pan for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
Stir together butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl until blended.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Add to butter mixture and stir until blended.  Stir in the apples and 1 cup of the nuts (if you wanted the nuts).  
Note!  The batter will be really thick!  Almost cookie-dough thick!
Spread batter into a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  
Cool completely.
Spread the Browned Butter Frosting over the cake when cool and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts (if you want). 




Browned Butter Frosting
1 cup butter (use real butter!)
1 (16oz.) package powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cook 6-8 minutes or until butter begins to turn a golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl.  Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar.  
Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.

Carolyn Braden says "Cheeburger Cheeburger"!

In a recent visit to Sanibel Island in Florida, I dined at a yummy little place called "Cheeburger Cheeburger."  I am now hooked on this place but the only problem is, I don't have any close to my city!  What a shame!  We actually didn't dine at the restaurant the first time.  They have awesome on-line ordering, so we ordered everything, then my husband went to pick it up so we could eat it in our beach cottage.  How great is that!  I love that they had a red-meatless option, the yummy grilled cheese.  You could get up to 3 types of cheeses on it and any toppings you wish.  I had them put tomato on mine.  My husband got a burger with bleu cheese on it (it's his favorite!).  We fell in love with their milkshake menu!  They had about 50 (maybe more) different mix in's to create any kind of shake you want.  You could mix up to 5 things together.  My favorite was chocolate peanut butter banana.  My husband loved the strawberry.  
We loved this place so much, we ate there twice while on vacation!  Hopefully someone can afford to franchise one near my city soon!  


Cheeburger Cheeburger.(New Businesses: A Listing of Businesses Start-Ups in Arkansas)(Company overview): An article from: Arkansas Business


http://cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp

Carolyn Braden says "The Easiest Chicken and Dumplins!"

Here's what I made for dinner tonight:  Chicken and Dumplins!
Easy, easy, easy!  I always wanted to figure out how to make it more simpler for me to make, and I succeeded!  
See me make it on YouTube here:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX3htxfjVW0

1 can (10 oz.) cream of chicken soup  (I used Cambell's Healthy Request)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth (I used Swanson's Low Sodium)
2 med. size carrots, peeled and chopped
6 stalks of asparagus, chopped (cut ends off)  If you don't like asparagus, try using celery instead
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (I used Pillsbury)
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded 
1 stalk of fresh thyme (I like the taste of thyme.  You do not have to add this if you don't want to though).
salt and pepper to taste


Combine the cream of chicken soup, the chicken broth, thyme, and the chicken.  Bring it to a boil on high.  (about 5 minutes and stir consistently).  While this is cooking, flatten the biscuits on a lightly floured surface.  Then cut them into 1 inch strips.  When mixture on stove is boiling, add the carrots, asparagus, and then add the strips of biscuits one at a time.  (I used almost the whole package of biscuits because we love dumplins.  I left about 3 in the package, unused). Put the mixture on low, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!  Use salt and pepper to taste. This will serve 4 people.  Serve a salad on the side if you wish.   Photo by Carolyn Braden