Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

 Ingredients 

You’ll Need

The secret to these cupcakes lies in their simple yet indulgent combination of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup whole milk (room temperature)

For the Pastry Cream Filling:

2 cups whole milk

½ cup granulated sugar

3 large egg yolks

¼ cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache Topping:

½ cup heavy cream

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Ready to whip up these creamy, dreamy cupcakes? Follow these easy steps:

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) . Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease it lightly.

Step 2: Make the Vanilla Cupcakes

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes , or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3: Prepare the Pastry Cream Filling

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth.

Gradually whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper it, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5–7 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until smooth.

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Step 4: Make the Chocolate Ganache Topping

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan or microwave until just simmering.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2–3 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy.

Let the ganache cool slightly to thicken before using.

Step 5: Assemble the Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a small knife or cupcake corer to cut a hole in the center of each cupcake, leaving a small border around the edges.

Fill a piping bag with the chilled pastry cream and pipe it into the hollowed-out centers of the cupcakes.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the chocolate ganache or spoon the ganache over the tops, spreading it gently to cover.

Allow the ganache to set before serving.

PINA COLADA RUM CAKE

 

Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Classic Golden Butter Cake mix (preferred mix) or Classic Yellow

1/4 C (4 oz.-1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

8-oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, drained (reserve juice to make 1/4 cup)

1/4 C reserved juice of crushed pineapple

1/4 C Malibu Rum (or any light rum)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray Pam for baking into a bundt pan. Using an electric mixer, combine cake mix, butter, eggs,

1/4 C reserved juice and 1/4 C Rum, beat at low speed to combine. Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Fold in drained crushed pineapple. Pour batter in prepared pan Bake 33-36 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. While cake is

baking, prepare glaze.

How to make it

Glaze:

1/2 C cream of coconut (Coco Lopez)

1/2 C Malibu rum

1/4 C confectioner’s sugar

Shake cream of coconut can well before measuring. Add cream of coconut to small saucepan and heat just until bubbles form.

Remove from heat and stir in rum. Set aside. When cake is done baking, set on rack. Use a thin bamboo skewer to poke holes in cake.

Pour half of glaze over warm cake, letting it soak in.

When cake is cool, turn onto serving plate. Whisk together remaining glaze with confectioner’s sugar until smooth and drizzle over top of cake.

Apple Cake

 

Ingredients

3 apples, sliced into wedges

For the batter:

150g (3/4 cup) sugar

220g butter

340g (1 cup) honey

180ml (3/4 cup) buttermilk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g (2 1/2 cups) flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

10g baking powder

For the caramel:

100g (1/2 cup) sugar

3 tbsp water

Directions

In the pan add sugar and water, cook on medium heat until turns into caramel, and top apples with prepared caramel.

In another pan cook butter for 6 minutes on medium heat, mix with honey, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract, sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and add in salt.

Pour onto the apples and caramel.

Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 1 hour. Let it cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

 Ingredients

1 (8.5 ounce) package corn muffin mix

2 ounces VELVEETA(R), cut into 24 small cubes

4 OSCAR MAYER Beef Franks, each cut into 6 pieces

1/2 cup GREY POUPON Savory Honey Mustard

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare muffin batter as directed on package; spoon into 24 mini muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray.

Press 1 each VELVEETA cube and hot dog slice into batter in center of each muffin cup

Bake 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown. Cool 5 min. before removing from pans. Serve warm with mustard.

Crab Rangoon

 

Ingredients

1 package of square wonton wrappers

8-ounce package imitation crab

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

5 green onions sliced thin

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Preheat Oil:

Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 350°F (180°C).

Prepare Filling:

In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, imitation crab, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Fill Wonton Wrappers:

Place a spoonful of the crab mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper.

Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and fold in half to form a triangle. Press to seal.

Fry the Crab Rangoon:

Carefully place the filled wontons in the hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove the fried Crab Rangoon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve:

Serve the crispy Crab Rangoon hot with sweet and sour sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy the delicious blend of creamy crab filling in a crispy wonton wrapper!

Pumpkin Pie Egg Rolls

 

Ingredients

1 package egg roll wrappers

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 (16 oz) can pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Oil, for frying

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well incorporated then set aside.

Take each egg roll wrapped and face the corner towards you, and place 2 tablespoons of the filling in each wrapper

brush the edges of the wrappers with water

Fold the corner nearest to you over the filling.

Gently press the wrapper around the filling, because you do NOT want air in them

Fold the right and left corners of the wrapped toward the middle of the filling , one by one.

Brush the rest of the wrapper with water, then roll up the rest of the egg roll

Make sure all edges are sealed completely, (you do not want filling coming out while frying)

You dont want the rolls TOO damp , just wet enough to keep them sealed before frying

Repeat process until they are all filled and ready to fry!

For Frying:

In a Medium , (semi deep) sauce pan, fill with about one inch of oil

heat until 325F

One at a time, slowly put each filled roll into the HOT oil carefully.

Fry until golden brown, (about one minute)

using tongs, remove from the oil, and place onto a cooling wrack lined with a paper towel

Repeat with remaining egg rolls.

ENJOY!

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

 

Ingredients

For the Filling:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz mushrooms, sliced (cremini, white button, or portobello)

10 oz fresh spinach, chopped

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

For the Bechamel (White Sauce):

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk (whole or 2%)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the Lasagna Layers:

12 lasagna noodles (regular or oven-ready)

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Step 1: Cook the Vegetables

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add diced onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

3. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Saute for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms are soft and release their juices.

5. Stir in chopped spinach and cook for another 2 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 2: Make the Bechamel Sauce

1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

2. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.

3. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.

4. Add salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes).

5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Step 3: Assemble the Lasagna

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce on the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

3. Layer 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce.

4. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta cheese over the noodles, followed by ⅓ of the spinach-mushroom mixture, and a drizzle of bechamel sauce.

5. Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese.

6. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with noodles, bechamel sauce, and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.

Step 4: Bake the Lasagna

1. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

2. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

3. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.