Sport Party Cupcakes

Thanks to my mother in law, I have the Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book and I just love it and I am always looking for excuses to use ideas from it. When my friend mentioned that she needed help with her three year old sons birthday party and that she wanted it to be a sports party I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I made just a regular chocolate cupcakes but the excitement was in the decorating. We bought the right colored sprinkles (orange and white) and decorating jell (black and red) to make these adorable cupcakes that were a hit.

Oreo Truffles

This is a recipe that my sister has been making for years, she calls them Polar Balls(she uses the white bark chocolate). I have started calling them Oreo Truffles because I don't get such strange looks. I got the idea from Bakerella to make them look like footballs for a sports party. My sister also calls these yummy goodness and I have to agree.

1 package (8oz) cream cheese

1 package Oreo Cookies

Bark Chocolate (any color or flavor)

Crumble cookies

add cream cheese

Make into round balls

Dip into chocolate

Brownie Candy Cups

This is a recipe that I got from Bakerella. I love how simple it is to make and it looks like you put a lot more work into making them then it really took. These are always a hit at parties because they are small and easy to serve and of course taste great.

Brownie Candy Cups

1 package Duncan Hines Chocolate Lovers Double Fudge Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
30 mini Reeses cups unwrapped
1 Box Reynolds 2-inch aluminum foil mini cups for muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place 30 foil liners on baking sheet
3. Combine brownie mix, contents from fudge packet in mix, eggs, water and oil.
4. Stir with spoon until well blended. (about 50 strokes)
5. Fill each liner with 2 tablespoons of batter
6. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and remove from oven
7. Push 1 Reeses in center of each “brownie cupcake” until even with surface of the batter.
8. Bake 5-7 minutes longer.
9. Cool 5-10 minutes in pan and then move to cooling rack to cool completely.

Surprise Cookies

This is a great recipe from none other...Martha Stewart. We had a friend next door to us in NYC that worked for Martha Stewart and she would bake and then bring us these wonderful little cookies. They are always a hit when I make them.

Cookie

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Frosting

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Frosting

Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

My Mother-in-Law Katie made this bread for me about a month ago and it was amazing. I wanted to make something yesterday for a friend of mine that just had a baby and she suggested I make this...perfect idea. I had to double the recipe so that we could enjoy as well.

2 C flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C sugar

1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)

1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt

3 Tbs apple juice or milk*

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 C coconut

Topping: 2 Tbs additional coconut

Glaze: 1/2 C powdered sugar whisked with 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, sour cream or yogurt, apple juice (or milk), and vanilla. Beat until blended.

Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 C coconut.

Pour batter into a 9x5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle additional 2 Tbs coconut on top.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Note: Check bread after about 40 minutes. If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil. Continue baking until done.

When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Whisk powdered sugar and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top. Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.

Pineapple Jerk Chicken

My husband Doug and I were taking about this Jamaican Restaurant that we loved so much in NYC so it made me start to crave Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and Pineapples. I found this recipe on Becoming Betty and tried it out. I have to admit that it was just OK but super easy to make. I put it over brown rice and next time will add some more pineapple chunks.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

salt/pepper

1/2 of a pineapple, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup jerk marinade (I used Lawry's)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

*In a skillet, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until browned. Add the remaining olive oil and increase heat a little. Season chicken with salt/pepper and add to skillet. Cook until done. Add the pineapple and jerk marinade and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in black beans and cilantro. Cook until beans are heated through.

Creamed Turkey (for waffles)

Ingredients:	5 TB butter 4oz. jar sliced mushrooms 5 tsp flour 3/4 tsp. salt pepper 1 1/3 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup milk 2 cup bite sized turkey
Directions:	Cream butter and flour in double boiler. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper. Add liquids, stir until thickened. Add turkey. Pour over waffles, rice, etc.