Mexican Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1 1/25 cup All-purpose flour; (1 cup+2 teaspoons), divided
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Light brown sugar; packed
1/4 cup Unsalted butter; softened
3 large Egg whites
1 cup Fat-free plain yogurt
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 large Egg
1 tablespoon Fat-free milk
1 ounce Mexican chocolate; coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon Powdered sugar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set aside.

3. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift 1 cup flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) into a bowl. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yogurt, vanilla and egg, beating until blended. Gradually add flour, beating until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan; sharply tap dish once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in a pan. Place a plate upside down on top of cake; invert cake onto plate. Carefully peel off wax paper.

4. Combine milk and chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until smooth. Cool slightly; drizzle over cake. Let glaze set; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

I made this the other night and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was! A great way to have lasagna on a week night!

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage
1 26 oz jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
12 no boil lasagna noodles
1 15 oz carton ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheeses
(I added 1 bag of chopped fresh spinach to this recipe... see below)

Prep:
Lightly coat the inside of a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray; set aside. In a large skillet cook sausage until brown. Drain off fat. At this point I added 1 bag of chopped fresh spinach and wilted it just before adding the pasta sauce. Stir in pasta sauce and water.

Place 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the bottom of the prepared cooker. Layer 4 of the noodles on top of the meat mixture (break noodles to fit). Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, 1/3 of the remaining meat mixture, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, starting with noodles and ending with meat mixture. Cover and chill the remaining cheese until ready to serve.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Turn off cooker. Sprinkle lasagna with remaining cheese. Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

Debbie's Shower Cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(makes 24 cupcakes)

For the Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two lemons
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake tins by using liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray

To Make The Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extracts, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Place the batter into the cupcake tins.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.
Cool on wire rack.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 (8) ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice of one lemon

Using a mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together until well combined. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Finally mix in vanilla and lemon juice.

I used 1/2 of the frosting recipe mixed with one container of store-bought cream cheese frosting. To frost I used a plastic baggie with the corner cut, then topped each cupcake with a raspberry or blueberry. Yum!

Sugared Cranberries

This is my favorite recipe for the holiday season. They are beautiful, and always a hit with the adults and kids. Enjoy!

Yield: 9 servings
Ingredients
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 2 cups water
* 2 cups fresh cranberries
* 3/4 cup superfine (bakers) sugar

Preparation
Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring mixture until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. (Do not boil or the cranberries may pop when added.) Stir in cranberries; pour mixture into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving steeping liquid, if desired. Place superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Add the cranberries, rolling to coat with sugar. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.

Note: The steeping liquid clings to the berries and helps the sugar adhere. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.

Traditional Spanish Paella

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Herb Blend:
* 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 large garlic cloves, minced
Paella:
* 1 cup water
* 1 teaspoon saffron threads
* 3 (16-ounce) cans chicken broth
* 8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half
* 2 links Spanish chorizo sausage or turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch slices
* 2 cups finely chopped onion
* 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
* 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
* 3 large garlic cloves, minced
* 3 cups uncooked Arborio rice
* 1 cup frozen green peas
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation
To prepare the herb blend, combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.

To prepare paella, combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add sausage; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp, and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper; saute 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas. Bring to a low boil; cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Ham and Swiss Braid

Ingredients
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 (.25 ounce) packages quick-rise yeast
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 1 pound thinly sliced deli ham
* 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
* 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat water, mustard and butter to 120*-130*. Add to flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be stiff). Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

2. Roll dough into a 14-in. x 12-in. rectangle on a greased baking sheet. Arrange half of the ham over dough. Top with cheese, pickles and remaining ham. On each long side, cut 3/4-in.-wide strips about 2-1/2 in. into center. starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.

3. Brush with egg. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
* 2 Cucumbers
* 1 small red onion
* 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh

Directions
Slice the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice thinly. Thinly slice the onion.
In a colander, toss the cucumber and onion with the salt and let it sit and drain for 20 minutes. Press the liquid out of the vegetables and rinse well with cold water.
In a medium bowl combine the vinegar and sugar and stir well. Add the cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Stir in the dill.