Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Although these are a fun Easter treat made with malted Robin Eggs, they could also be yummy at any time of the year with a Whopper candy topping each one!  This recipe makes about 3 dozen cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup very hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  With mixer, add in eggs, milk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla.  Beat for a minute until well-combined.  Mix in hot water until combined.  Batter will be runny.  Pour batter into cupcake liners--only half full.  Bake 18-21 min.

Chocolate Malt Frosting:
3/4 cup malted milk powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup (2 cubes) real butter, softened a bit but still cold
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
3-1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar

In a small bowl, stir together malt powder and heavy cream to make a paste.  Set aside.  In a heavy mixer, beat butter for a minute until smooth.  Add cocoa powder and blend well.  Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, beating well.  Add the malt powder/cream mixture and blend well.  Add vanilla. Continue to beat in powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth, thick, and fluffy.
Decorate cupcakes, using sprinkles and malted candies as desired!

Caramel Popcorn

Make 2-1/2 batches popcorn (1-1/4 cups kernals).  Pop into a large bowl.  After each batch, lift and shake bowl (causing un-popped seeds to fall to bottom).  Lift out popcorn and put in another large greased bowl.  (This is so you don't get a mouth full of seeds!)

In large saucepan over medium-heat, combine:
1 cube margarine
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt

Once it begins to boil, add
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Continue to cook and stir over medium heat, adding a candy thermometer.
Cook to less than 210 degrees.  (Or just time about 2-1/2 minutes after it returns to a boil.)

Remove from heat and pour over popped corn.  Stir to coat.  Let sit a minute or so to set up and cool.  Wet hands and put into plastic bags to stay soft.

Reese's Muddy Buddies

These classic peanut butter and chocolate muddy buddies are always a hit!

Melt together in microwave on 50% power, stirring frequently:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup (1/2 cube) real butter

Stir until smooth and pour over 6 cups Rice Chex. Stir until coated.

Dump in 1-1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar and toss until coated. Spread onto wax paper or cookie sheet to set and cool.  
Cut desired amount of peanut butter cups in half and toss with muddy buddies before serving. 

Popcorn Balls

1 cube margarine
1 cup sugar
1 Tbl. water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vinegar
1/2 cup corn syrup

Melt all together in medium-size saucepan over medium-heat the whole time.  If using candy thermometer, cook to barely-above 100 degrees C.  (Don't let it reach 220 degrees F.) If using digital thermometer, cook to 226 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in desired food coloring.
Pour over 5 level quarts of popped corn. Stir to coat completely.  
Wait a minute or so before forming into balls, as hot candy will not set up as well.  Use wet hands to form into balls and put in plastic bags.

Orange Rolls

Using the same dough as used for Cinnamon Rolls, use half the dough for making one pan of these yummy orange rolls.  These are great for Easter breakfast and even better when allowed to cool for a while so glaze can set up.

Roll out dough into large rectangle.  
Spread almost-melted butter over entire surface.

Combine in small bowl and sprinkle generously over surface of dough:
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl. orange zest

Roll up and slice with dental floss into 1"- 1-1/2" thick slices.
Put on greased stoneware pan.  Let rise.  Bake at 375 degrees until golden.

Meanwhile, make glaze in small saucepan:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbl. fresh orange juice (from the oranges you used for zest above!)
1/2 cube (1/4 cup) butter or margarine

Combine ingredients and boil over medium-heat for 3 min., stirring constantly.  Pour over rolls after they've been removed from oven.  These taste best when allowed to cool for a while so glaze can set up.

Caramel-Pecan Rolls

After cutting Cinnamon Rolls with dental floss, you can make a round-size cake pan full of yummy caramel-pecan rolls (or heart-shaped pan)!

For each cake-pan size:
2 Tbl. butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl. corn syrup

Melt together in small saucepan.  Don't boil.  Pour this mixture in the bottom of a cake pan sprayed with non-stick spray.  
Sprinkle with 1/3 cup chopped pecans.
Put cut rolls on top of nuts--not too close to each other, as they will rise.
Let rolls rise until pan is filled.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min. until golden.  
Immediately invert onto serving plate--Let pan sit on top of inverted rolls for a minute so caramel and nuts can settle into rolls.
Can be served as-is, or drizzled with cream-cheese frosting used for cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls

With this recipe, I make a combination of a few types of rolls:

Cinnamon Rolls

Caramel-Pecan Rolls

Orange Rolls

(Great for Easter morning too!)

In small bowl, combine:

2 Tbl. yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/8 tsp. sugar

In large mixer:

1 cube butter or margarine

2 cups warm milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. salt

6-1/2 cups flour (could use 2 cups whole wheat flour combined with more white flour)

Yeast mixture

Combine milk, butter, salt, and sugar.  Add eggs and yeast mixture.  Add flour a cup at a time, mixing thoroughly.  Continue to add flour until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl.  Turn onto floured counter and knead a bit.  Put in greased bowl and allow to rise.  Punch down.  Divide mixture in half.  Roll onto floured counter into large rectangle.  

For Cinnamon rolls:

Spread or brush on almost-melted butter to very edges.

Make desired amount of cinnamon-sugar mixture and sprinkle generously over buttered dough.

Roll up.  Cut with dental floss into 1" slices.

Put on greased stoneware pan to rise.  Can be covered with dishcloth while rising.

When risen, bake at 375 degrees until barely golden brown.

Frost with Cream Cheese frosting: (This is a softer cream cheese frosting, so it's more spreadable and melty on the cinnamon rolls)

1/2 cube cream cheese

1 cube margarine (I like Blue Bonnet)

4-5 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2-3 Tbl. milk, as needed.

Brownies

Line 9x13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2 cubes + 3 Tbl. real butter, melted
9 Tbl. cocoa powder (I prefer Kroger brand...even after trying the more expensive stuff!)
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
7 oz. (about 1-1/2 cups) flour, weighed and then sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Whisk cocoa powder into melted butter.  With mixer, mix in sugar and salt.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix with mixer until combined nicely...but don't overmix a long time. Then, BY HAND, fold sifted flour into mixture. Pour into pan and Bake for 33-34 min...not more or they'll be dry!  Once they've cooled completely, lift foil to lift brownies out of pan.  Set on cooling rack and peel back edges of foil.  Put a cutting board over the TOP of the brownies and flip them over.  Peel off the foil.  Frost them as desired. Cut into desired-size squares with a pizza cutter or cookie cutter shapes.  

You can also make this recipe into a jelly-roll / cookie-sheet-size pan for a larger crowd...just double the recipe! (Spray the pan, line with parchment, and spray the parchment.)

Mint Frosting
2 cubes real butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbl. heavy cream
2 tsp. mint extract (to taste)
Green Food Coloring

Link to Chocolate Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting
These are also yummy with frosting used on sugar cookies!

Hard Tack Candy or Suckers

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
Flavoring (see below)

Grease inside of molds with shortening.  Place molds on greased, flat surface.  Place clip over tabs of molds and insert sucker stick between tabs.

Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan.  Cook on medium heat to 310 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage).  Remove from heat and let cool to 275 degrees.  Add flavoring and food coloring.  Stir until blended.  Pour into molds.  Allow to cool until candy is set.  Remove clip from mold, then remove mold from sucker.  Set suckers on another flat surface to complete cooling.

Flavorings:  (In general, use 1/8 - 1/2 tsp. flavored oil, depending on concentration of flavoring)
2-1/2 tsp. orange extract (if using orange oil, not that much)
2/3 tsp. cherry oil

Oatmeal-Craisin Bars

This bar is a mixture between a cookie and a granola bar.  These can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap for a grab-&-go snack or treat.  This makes enough for the family to enjoy and have left-overs.  If making for more, can be doubled and put in 9x13 pan.

3/4 cup real butter, melted 
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup flour
2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 cup craisins (or 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup craisins)

Grease and line 8-9" square pan (or small rectangle pan) with parchment.  With mixer, combine butter with sugars.  Add egg.  Mix in salt, cinnamon, and flour.  Mix in oats and craisins/raisins.  Press into pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min or until center is done.  Allow to cool.  Lift out of pan with parchment and slice into thin bars or tiny squares.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe makes a lot of cookies...so get ready to share!  The dough does not keep well in the fridge--the real butter in it will harden.  So just bake them all while the dough is fresh, OR form leftover dough into balls and freeze the balls for quick-baking cookies later! These cookies are yummy eaten even 2 or 3 days after baking, if you don't overcook them!  

If you want to have mammoth chocolate chip cookies (a hit with teens!), this recipe will make about 25 giant cookies (4-oz dough balls).

While you're waiting for cookies to bake, cover remaining dough with a lid or plastic wrap so it won't dry out.

1 pound (4 cubes) REAL butter, room temperature... no margarine or shortening!
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbl. real vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups flour
3 cups chocolate chips (almost 2 pkgs.) --I use 1/2 semi-sweet and 1/2 milk chocolate

I use my big Bosch mixer for this big recipe.  Mix butter with both kinds of sugars.  Add eggs and  vanilla.  Add salt, baking soda, and flour.  Mix well.  Add chocolate chips.  Roll dough into desired size balls and put on metal cookie sheet.  Press balls slightly to flatten a little.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-13 min.(for giant cookies).  Take them out of the oven when the edges are barely golden and they have cracks on the top.  After you take them out of the oven, hold the pan above the counter top (about 6") and drop the pan, causing the cookies to flatten.  Allow them to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to cooling rack.

Peanut Butter Fingers

For 9x13 size, spray pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment.
For sheetcake/jellyroll-size pan, double the recipe and line sheet cake pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray

1/2 cup (1 cube) margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cups peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup rolled oats
(Or just use 1 cup of either kind oats)
More peanut butter to spread on after baking

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Spread into prepared pan (see note above), using fingers dipped in flour.  Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 min. until done.  Remove from oven.  Let sit for about 5 min.  While still hot, spread additional peanut butter over hot bars.  Put in refrigerator to cool completely, so peanut butter firms up.  When cold, lift parchment out of pan, spread with frosting, and cut into bars or squares.

Frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Makes 9 mini loaves

3 cubes butter (I use Blue Bonnet Margarine for this one)
2-1/2 cups sugar
7 large eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. orange zest
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3-3/4 cups flour
2 Tbl. poppy seeds

In large mixing bowl, combine margarine and sugar.  Add eggs, extracts, sour cream, milk, and zest.  Mix in dry ingredients and poppy seeds.  Pour in greased mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min.  Remove from oven.  Let stand about 10 min.  Remove from pans and transfer to cooling rack.  Place cooling rack over sheets of wax paper.  While still hot, drizzle with glaze.

Lemon Glaze:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice (use lemon you used for zest in bread)
2-4 Tbl. milk (to thin)

Banana Bread

This recipe makes 5 mini loaves of dark, crusty banana bread...or 2 larger loaves.

½ cup real butter (1 cube)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2-1/4 cups flour

½ tsp. salt
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 cup mashed, over-ripe bananas

½ cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup sour cream mixed with ¼ cup milk)

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Additional sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or, if using larger pans, bake at 325 degrees).  Cream butter and sugar well together.  Add eggs.  Mix well.  Mix in bananas. Mix in buttermilk (or sour cream & milk). In separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour and salt. By hand, fold flour mixture into wet mixture, but don’t over-mix at this point. Add nuts, if desired.  Pour into greased loaf pans (mini or large).  Sprinkle tops generously with granulated sugar, if you want a crispy sugar top on your loaves. Bake until done…this will be longer than you think!  The edges need to be dark and pulled away from sides of pans.  Large pans will take an hour or longer.  Small pans will take 35 min. or so.  (Test if you need to…so you don’t get a loaf with a gooey middle!)  This is a yummy, dark, crusty-type of banana bread.

Zucchini Bread

2½ cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups finely grated zucchini (don’t squeeze out liquid)
3¼ cups flour

1½ tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Chocolate chips (optional)

This recipe makes 8 mini loaves.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and zucchini together.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix in nuts or chocolate chips if desired.  Bake in greased pans…mini or large.  Mini pans take at least 35 min. Make sure to bake it long enough…edges are darker and pulled away from sides of pans.  Allow to cool in pans for a bit before removing to wire cooling racks.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

15 oz. (about 1-1/4 cups) canned pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup sour cream/milk mixture

4 eggs

3½ cups flour

1 Tbl. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I like to use 2/3 cup mini-chips, so they don't sink to the bottom)

This recipe will make 9 mini loaves.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray loaf pans (mini or large) with non-stick spray.  Combine sugar, pumpkin,  oil, sour cream/milk, and eggs.  Beat until smooth.  In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet, but don't overmix.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.  Pour batter into greased pans (2/3 full).  Bake until done…when edges are browning and pulled away from sides of pans.  Mini pans will take about 38-42 min. Let cool in pans for 15 min. before moving to wire cooling racks.  (Tastes even better the next day!)