Lemon Cupcakes

These cupcakes were made for my daughters Girl Scout troop, for the Girl Scouts 100th Birthday, yesterday. They were made with the new lemon Girl Scout cookie on top. They were delicious.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 24 cupcake tin, with cupcake wrappers

Lemon Cake mix, prepare with the box directions. (3 eggs, oil and water)

orange zest

and the juice of 1/2 an orange

yellow food coloring.

Bake for 15-20 min, or until fork comes out clean. cool and frost, with the Lucious Lemon frosting, and top with a Savannah Smiles Lemon Girl Scout cookie.

Lucious Lemon frosting: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/luscious-lemon-frosting-54666

1 teaspoon
fresh orange
rind , grated
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups
confectioners' sugar ,
sifted
2 tablespoons lemon juice and a a squeeze of an orange
1 tablespoon water
1 dash
salt

yellow food coloring

I added the orange to give it a little something different, since I didnt have a fresh lemon for the rind, and it turned out fantastic.

French Dip

Here is a recipe I got from Rachael Ray. I changed it a bit.

Ingredients

6 hoagie buns

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus some for drizzling

1 small onion, chopped

2 large clove garlic, divided, 1 chopped, 1 crushed

2 cups beef stock

Salt and pepper

1/4 pound sliced roast beef

f6 slices provolone cheese

Preparation Slice hoagie buns open lengthwise.Transfer the bread to a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, 8-10 minutes, or toast under the broiler but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn! Once the bread is toasted, rub cut side with the crushed clove of garlic then drizzle it with a little Olive Oil and cover it with grated cheese.While the bread is toasting, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat with Olive Oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add onion, chopped garlic, with a little salt and pepper, and cook until the onions start to get soft about 2-3 minutes. Add beef stock, bring up to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes to let the flavors come together.Using tongs swish a few slices of roast beef at a time through the hot broth then transfer to the cheesy garlic bread. Once all the roast beef has been mounded on the bread, top each half with slices of provolone cheese and transfer to the broiler or oven to melt the cheese.

Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut buter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts
Mini Chocolate chips and crushed mini Nutter Butter cookies, for decoration.

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; Add the mini Chocolate chips and crushed Nutter butter cookies. cover, and freeze until firm.

recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Peanut-Butter-Pie

Tagalong cupcakes

Just in time for Girl Scout cookies.
cupcakes:
1 chocolate cake mix (with all ingredients that it suggests on the back of the box)
2 boxes of Tagalongs, or if it;s not GSC season you can use the Keebler knockoff brand)
24 cupcake liners

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup cream

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners (makes 24). add a tagalong to the bottom of each liner.
Make chocolate cake according to the package directions. and pour on top of Tagalongs, in the liners. and bake according to directions.

For frosting:
In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup of the cream. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar. If necessary, add a little more cream or milk until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency.

Frosting recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/peanut-butter-frosting/detail.aspx

Peanut Butter Heart Cookies

How cute are these?
48 Dove or Reese's Heart shaped Candy
1/2 cupshortening
3/4 cupREESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cupgranulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoonsmilk
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
1-1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
1 teaspoonbaking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions
1 Heat oven to 375°F.
2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Valentine Pretzel Buttons

Theses Pretty little bites were so easy and yummy. The recipe is from http://griffithsrated.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-prezel-buttons.html

What you'll need:

• square pretzels
• Hershey's Hugs (you can use Kisses, too, but I think the Hugs taste better and they definitely soften up better!)
• plain M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200°. (If your oven runs hot you may want to turn the temp down to 170°.)

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Place the pretzels on and top them with the hugs.

Bake for 4-5 minutes until the chocolate is shiny and soft (but NOT melting - they should still hold their shape).

Carefully place an M&M in the center of each hug and press it down to spread the chocolate.

Allow to cool completely (a few minutes in the fridge works perfectly) and enjoy!

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my favorite cookies to make. I make them whenever I have to bake for a bake sale. I always double because they go quick.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
1 cup Reese's Pieces, if desired.
Directions

1 Heat oven to 350°F.

2 Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter in medium bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Stir in milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3 Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack; cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies.