Friday Recipe: Maple Peanut Butter Balls

I love peanut butter balls. Especially rolled in sugar and with a Hershey's Kiss melted in the center. Yum. But with a teaspoon of maple extract? Heavenly. OK, so I used maple syrup because I had no extract and couldn't see buying it for one recipe. It worked out pretty well, I had no complaints!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups peanut butter 4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon maple flavored extract 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.	Combine the butter, peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and maple flavoring. Cream well and knead well.
2.	Melt the chocolate chips over low heat. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Dip into melted chocolate chips.
3.	Refrigerate overnight (or at least for about 15 minutes) on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Friday Recipe:Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

This may be the easiest recipe I've ever seen for cookies. A couple steps, one of which is to pre-heat the oven, another is to let the cookies bake. Can't beat it! I don't use white sugar, I use unbleached, but that's just a preference.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes

Ready In: 52 Minutes Servings: 15

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs, beaten

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheet.
2.	Combine peanut butter, eggs, and sugar and mix until smooth. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Spoon dough by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.
3.	Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before removing.

Friday Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

I know! Sounds delicious, right?! I mean two great ideas merged into one!  I found the recipe on a few different sites but copied the one that was easiest to post. Pinch of Yum's looked tasty and with pictures! These are cupcakes from Very Best Baking that looked interesting.

I decided to use Kitchen Simple's Layered Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies. And oh my they were so delicious!

Layered Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Cookie Dough

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the cookie dough: Cream together butter and sugars, in a large bowl. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Set aside.

For the brownie: Place butter and chocolate in small saucepan set over medium-low heat, stir constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, egg and vanilla. Whisk in cocoa and salt. Stir in flour until evenly combined.

To assemble: Scrape brownie batter into an 8×8 inch baking pan that has been lightly greased and lined with parchment paper; smooth top. Top with chunks of cookie dough, as evenly as possible. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until cookie layer is set and lightly browned.

Let cool completely before removing from pan to slice. (I don't know why, sure they'll be hot but oh so chewy and delicious!)

Makes: 9-12 servings

Friday Recipe: Monkey Bread

My grandmom is a big Monkey Bread maker. We all get some around Easter, and sometimes during other holidays/special events just cause. I have to admit, once upon a time I was the skeptic. But you have to try it once you do, there's no turning back! And while I've never tried actually making this bread, I can highly recommend the outcome.

Total Time: 55 min
Prep:10 min
Inactive: 10 min
Cook: 35 min
Yield: 10 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients:

1 stick butter melted, plus 1/4 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2 packages biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cheese and Italian seasoning.

Roll each individual biscuit into a ball. Dip each piece in the 1 stick of melted butter, then coat with the cheese mixture. Place dough into prepared pan; overlapping will occur. Bake bread, 30 to 35 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning, if needed.

Let cool in pan, 10 minutes; invert bread onto a serving plate. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup melted butter on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

Friday Recipe: Yellow Clooney Cake

I didn't come up with the name. The recipe says it's named Yellow Clooney Cake because of the moistness. I am not going there. Nope. Not. But I did have requests to post pictures of the finished product, and since I just made this for Easter, I thought I'd post the finished cake. Yes, it's a bunny just not iced. (That'll happen Easter Sunday.) Right now Mr. Bunny is freezing his tail off and waiting until next week.

Please excuse my bunny, he had an accident. His ears are...er...flattened (and oh so delicious!) in this picture because of strong headwinds. Hurricane-like! Yes, windy Easter Bunny here and the poor Easter bunny is erm...fighting gale-force winds to hide those eggs.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

Ingredients:

4 cups cake flour, plus (Didn't have but a good substitution is 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour=1 cup cake flour) 2 tablespoons cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt (I don't add)

1 cup butter (I use salt free) 2 cups white sugar 4 large eggs, at room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

Directions:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
2.	Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a paring knife between the cake and the edge of the pan. Hold the cake pan on its side and gently tap the sides of the pan against the counter to loosen it. Cover the cake pan with a plate or cooling rack, and invert it to tip the cake out of the pan and onto the plate.

Friday Recipe: White Chocolate Valentine's Cookies

This week, in honor of Valentine's Day, I think cookies are in order! And besides, who doesn't like a cookie? Exactly. These are easy, trust me, because who wants a difficult cookie recipe? Now you can use the pre-made ones in the store, but I always have problems rolling them out to get a shape that isn't lopsided-slightly-round.Your choice. This is from Food Network.

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Level: Easy
Serves: About 3 dozen

Ingredients
Ingredients for 1 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature
1 teaspoon red gel paste food coloring
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
Pink gel paste food coloring

Directions
Start with Alton's Sugar Cookie dough recipe.

Equipment: 2 1/2-by-3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat until light in color. Add the red food coloring, egg and milk and beat to combine. Proceed with recipe and chill for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioner's sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed. With a 2 1/2-by-3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 36 hearts, re-rolling dough as needed. Place at least 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake until cookies are set but not brown, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool on the pan slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• To make striped Valentine hearts, transfer half of the melted chocolate to a disposable pastry bag, twist the end closed, and using scissors, snip a very small opening in the tip. Starting at the bottom of the cookie, apply gentle pressure to the pastry bag and drizzle lines of chocolate back and forth over the cookie, moving up as the chocolate flows. Allow chocolate to set before eating or packaging.
• To make polka-dot Valentine hearts, color the remaining chocolate with pink food coloring to the desired shade of pink. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag, twist the end closed, and using scissors, snip a very small opening in the tip. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the cookie and apply gentle pressure to pipe a dot of chocolate. Release the pressure on the bag until the flow stops, and continue over the surface of the cookie, piping different sized dots, if desired. Gently tap the cookie to settle the chocolate and allow to set before eating or packaging.

Cook's Note: If gel paste food colorings are not available, add liquid food coloring until you achieve desired color. For pink, simply use a little red.

Friday Recipe: Candy Cane Butter Cookies

The recipe ingredients I'm using are from a butter recipe since these are butter cookies. I'm changing it slightly because I'm not using a cookie press or cutter but forming candy canes. Sounds complicated, yes? It's really not. It's simply a matter of having red food coloring. Trust me, it really is simple!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the sugar mixture.
2. Cover dough, and chill for at least one hour. Chill cookie sheets.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Press dough out onto ungreased, chilled cookie sheets.
5. Separate dough into roughly 2 equal parts: add red food coloring to one half of dough and mix until at the desired red-ish color.
6. Roll both halves of the dough into 2 separate long logs. Cut to the desired candy cane length, about 3” or so.
7. Take one length from each color (red and uncolored) and twist together to make the candycane.
8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden at the edges. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

I don’t think there’s anything in food coloring but take that into account, also.

Nutrition Information Servings Per Recipe: 36 Calories: 103

Amount Per Serving ·         Total Fat: 5.3g ·         Cholesterol: 19mg ·         Sodium: 55mg

Amount Per Serving ·         Total Carbs: 12.7g ·             Dietary Fiber: 0.3g ·         Protein: 1.2g

Friday Recipe: Cookie Icing

At work someone brought in beautiful cookies in the bakery box and other than not wanting to eat them because they looked so gorgeous, I wanted to know how to make them. I'd never iced a cookie, but these were festive, colorful, and non-fondant. Which I hate and refuse to use. Ever. No taste=no need for it in my baking. This is the recipe I used for the cookie icing.

Sugar Cookie Icing

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar 2 teaspoons milk 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I use vanilla; don't like almond extract!) assorted food coloring (mix more than you'll need because you'll never get that exact color again otherwise! Or is that just me?)

Directions:

1.	In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2.	Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Friday Recipe: Raspberry Strippers

I liked the name of these! Plus they sound exactly like one of my favorite Entenmann's, the Raspberry Danish Twist. I don't buy them for a reason--I'll eat the entire thing in one sitting! And Cooking Light insists they're healthy, so they'd make the perfect holiday dessert. Now they were kind enough to tell me the nutritional information, which I posted at the bottom.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup raspberry or apricot preserves
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended (about 5 minutes). 
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and egg white; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. 
4. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring until well-blended. (Dough will be stiff.)
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. 
6. Place logs 3 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. 
7. Form a 1/2-inch-deep indentation down the length of each log using an index finger or end of a wooden spoon. 
8. Spoon preserves into the center. 
9. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. 
10. Remove logs to a cutting board.
11. Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract; stir well with a whisk. 
12. Drizzle sugar mixture over warm logs. 
13. Immediately cut each log diagonally into 12 slices. (Do not separate slices.) Cool 10 minutes; separate slices. 
14. Transfer slices to wire racks. 
15. Cool completely.

Nutritional Information-Amount per serving

• Calories: 75
• Calories from fat: 30%
• Fat: 2.5g
• Saturated fat: 1.5g
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.7g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g
• Protein: 0.7g
• Carbohydrate: 12.4g
• Fiber: 0.2g
• Cholesterol: 6mg
• Iron: 0.3mg
• Sodium: 56mg
• Calcium:  4mg

#WickedRomanceGIVEAWAY Low-Fat Lemon Blueberry Scones

I spent considerable time pursuing the web for a low-fat, low-calorie cookie/cake/dessert I could make for next week's Halloween party at work. It's not the lowest recipe, but it sure sounds delicious! Will let you all know next week when I make the scones.

(Low Fat!) Lemon Blueberry Scones

Adapted from Cookie and Kate

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• zest of one lemon
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup non fat milk
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine flours, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and whisk together.
3. Slice butter and drop into dry ingredients.
4. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, fork, or use a food processor.
5. Toss blueberries in one tablespoon flour. Stir to coat.
6. Add blueberries and lemon zest and gently stir.
7. Gently mix in milk and yogurt. Use your hands to work the dough into a ball, working quickly to avoid melting the butter.
8. Form dough into a disc about 7" across. Cut into 6-10 triangles.
9. Separate slices and place on a prepared baking sheet.
10. Whisk egg. Brush tops of scones with egg wash.
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light brown.

Ok, yes, the scones aren't very wicked, so how about a glimpse from Wickedly Wanton?

Wickedly Wanton: A Regency Menage Tale

5 Hearts from Sizzling Heart Books

5 Cups from Coffee Time Romance

Buy Links:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

Ravenous Romance

Her shift lay on the floor, torn beyond repair. With a shrug, Sabine walked back to the bed, oddly comfortable with her nudeness, and found Faith’s shift.

Her friend was still asleep—arms thrown wide, naked legs open slightly, the remnants of chocolate, heavy cream, and strawberries on her skin. Licking her lips at the memory of Faith’s juices and strawberry, Sabine slipped the shift over her head. Taking a moment, she studied Faith.

Until that day by the stream, she had never thought of her friend as anything other than that. Certainly not a lover. And certainly not a woman who wanted her. Though she was sore, Sabine felt herself growing wet at the memories of Faith’s lips on her, tasting her most intimate secrets.

Lord Severn had ordered Faith to do things—kneel before Sabine, kiss her—but had not touched her. No, even as he watched Sabine kiss Faith’s chocolate-and-cream-covered breasts, he had reserved that solely for her.

Leaving Faith to her sleep, Sabine silently exited the room. She wanted to know where Lord Severn was, when he had slipped from the bed, and why.

What you can win here: A PDF copy of any of my Hellfire Club Erotique books

Number of winners: 1

Open to (INT, US or US/CAN): If you can receive an e-book, you can enter to win!

How to enter: Leave a comment on your favorite Halloween tradition WITH email address. Comments with no email or with no holiday recipe won't count.

Hop and enter the other giveaways!

To sign up, please add your link bellow:

#WickedRomanceGIVEAWAY Seduction of my Proper Wife and ghouly cupcakes

Ghouly Cupcakes from the Food Network Kitchens. Neither the recipe nor the picture are mine.

I will say, that after reading the level (easy) and then the directions for the meringue, I'm thinking Food Network and I have different ideas of easy! Meringue, in my view, is far from easy! I bet regular icing would work also...ok, not as fancy but far, far easier. For me at least.

Oh! Or Cool Whip (or any whipped cream) Sure, it doesn't have that same slightly boasting quality of 'Why yes, I did whip up a small batch of meringue just for these cupcakes!' But think of the easiness and the time saving part. And I'm certain, though I've never tried it, you can dye whipped cream...probably.

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup root beer, flat
• 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 8 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1 teaspoon banana extract, or more to taste
• 1 to 2 drops pastel food coloring, optional
• Candied eyeballs
• Equipment: 12 cup standard muffin tin

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray footed cupcake holders with nonstick spray.
2. Put the butter, root beer, and cocoa in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. 
3. Whisk to combine.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla together in a small bowl.
5. Whisk the hot cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients. 
6. Stir in the sour cream mixture just to combine; take care not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full, about 1/4 cup per cupcake. 
7. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. 
8.  Cool the cupcakes completely in the tin on a rack. Remove from liners and return cakes to a rack.
9. For Frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a mixer's bowl above the water. 
10. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. 
11. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. 
12. Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until eggs beat up into a cool stiff meringue, about 5 minutes. 
13. Add a few drops of desired extract and/or food coloring and lightly beat into the meringue.
14. To decorate: Using a spoon, offset spatula or piping bag, dollop, spread or pipe about 1/2 cup meringue on top of each cupcake to make a ghost or monster of your choice. 
15. Decorate with candied eyeballs or other candies. 
16. These can be finished 2 to 3 hours in advance and held at room temperature.

Seduction of my Proper Wife: A Victorian Menage at the Parisian Exposition 

Where to buy:
All Romance
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble 

She didn’t recoil from his touch, but when she spoke her voice was very small. “I know.” Lillian cleared her throat and asked in a slightly louder voice, “Will you leave me because of that?”

Philip held her tighter. “I don’t want to.”

Pulling back just enough to kiss her, Philip prayed this would be the turning point. Lillian’s body stiffened in his arms, and she didn’t return his kiss. Sighing, Philip leaned his forehead against hers, and knew before it even happened that she’d relax in his arms. He knew her reactions far too well and hated that even the simplest touch had her flinching in distaste.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Philip whispered. “We’ve been friends for such a long time; I believed becoming lovers would simply be an extension of that. You’ve trusted me with so much in the past, Lillian. Why can’t you trust your body to me?”

“I don’t know,” she said again. But then she cleared her throat and said stronger, “I feel it’s wrong somehow. I feel like…” she hiccupped on a sob, and he knew she desperately tried not to cry again.

Philip allowed her time to control herself, though it didn’t take long.

“I feel as if there is something dark in this,” she admitted.

“It’s not,” he insisted. “We’ve taken our vows; both our bodies and our souls belong to each other now.”

Lillian looked at him with longing, the first time she’d done so, but shook her head, deflating every hope he’d had for them. “I can’t.”

Going rigid in her arms, Philip pulled back. She looked alarmed, confused, and frightened. He studied her for long, long minutes before grasping at the only option he had left. He didn’t know what else to do for her. For them.

“Are you willing to learn from another?”

  Sharing My Favorite Read Giveaway Hop was organized by Reading Romances!

What you can win here: Copy of any of my Regency Menage Tale stories

Number of winners: 2

Open to (INT, US or US/CAN): If you can receive an e-book, you can enter to win!

How to enter: Leave a comment on your favorite holiday recipe WITH email address. Comments with no email or with no holiday recipe won't count.

Hop and enter the other giveaways!

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Friday Recipe: Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes

Yes, there's still plenty of time until Halloween, but this post is about making the food--and you always need at least a little lead time for that! Unless you buy. Which is cool, too, but not as fun. For the next week, I'll be posting recipes from The Food Network with direct links to the site; the pictures are theirs as well. (Unless otherwise noted.)

Today's recipe is labeled as difficult. Yup. Looks that way! But I'm sure there are ways to get around that and make it much easier than it first looks. For instance, sure you can make those little ghosties yourself. Orrrr...you can buy little Halloween decorations (wash them thoroughly!) and stick them on top. And maybe tell your guests about their inedible-ness. Just to be polite!

The tombstones are easy enough--1/2 an oval cookie covered with icing. And I know I've seen pumpkin candies inthe store about this size.

Pull Apart Graveyard Cupcakes

Total Time: 2 hr 35 min
Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients


Cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grape jelly
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk
Frosting:
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, spooned and leveled
3 tablespoons milk
10 chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed

Decorations:
15 large white marshmallows
1/4 cup finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 3 cookies)
1 tablespoon black or dark green decorating sugar
One 6.4-ounce tube black decorating icing, with tips
5 oval-shaped vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies
One 7-ounce tube marzipan
3 round lollipops, wrapped
1/4 cup orange decorating sugar
One 6.4-ounce tube green decorating icing, with tips
Seven 8-inch pieces black licorice

Directions
For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Warm the grape jelly in the microwave until loosened, 20 to 30 seconds, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Beat together the sugar and eggs in another medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients and then all of the milk. Follow with the rest of the dry ingredients, taking care not to over mix the batter.

Remove 2 cups of the batter and stir in the grape jelly. Evenly fill the liners about two-thirds full, alternating with yellow and grape batter.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly to the touch, 20 to 22 minutes. Place the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, and then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl until fluffy and combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting has a nice spreadable consistency. Add the crushed cookies and continue to beat until any large chunks are crushed to smaller bits and the frosting has a speckled, greyish look.

For the decorations: Arrange the cupcakes in 4 rows on a large serving plate or cutting board. Fit a marshmallow between each cupcake, 5 marshmallows per row, to fill in the gaps between the cupcakes. Spread the frosting over the whole rectangle so it looks like one cake. Sprinkle with the cookie crumbs and black decorating sugar.

To make the tombstones: Use the black decorating icing and a small round tip to write "RIP" or other one-word epitaphs on the top half of the oval sandwich cookies and stick into the cupcakes randomly around the graveyard.

To make the ghosts: Remove two-thirds of the tube of marzipan and place between 2 sheets of wax paper or parchment. Roll about 1/8-inch thick and cut into 3 rounds using a 4-inch biscuit cutter. You may need to gather and reroll the scraps for all 3 rounds. Drape over the wrapped lollipops and stick into the cupcakes around the tombstone. Using the black decorating icing and the same round tip, dot eyes and a mouth on the ghosts.

To make the pumpkins and leaves: Divide the remaining marzipan into 4 small pieces and roll each into a ball. Roll in the orange sugar until coated and place around the graveyard. Use the black icing to pipe a small stem. Fit the tube of green decorating icing with a leaf or ribbon tip to dot bits of green grass poking through the dirt around the graveyard and pumpkins.

To make a border: Use 6 pieces of the licorice, trimming to fit, to make a border around the cake, leaving the middle of the front side open. Bend the seventh piece into an upside down "U" and stick into 2 cupcakes in the front to make an arched gateway.

Friday Recipe: Healthy Chicken

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken I've made this before, well to be fair, I've marinated the chicken in honey mustard the stir-fried. This adds the element of actual honey, which I'm not really a fan of but it came out really delicious!

Be forewarned--I didn't grill it, it's still too cold for that! But I did bake it.

Prep Time:15 Min
Cook Time:20 Min
Ready In:35 Min (I think mine was closer to 50 minutes, but again, baking vs grilling)

Ingredients
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (skipped this, I deplore mayonnaise!)
1 teaspoon steak sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions
Preheat the grill for medium heat.
In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 266 Total Fat: 8.3g Cholesterol: 70mg

Bread baking

I plan on making the bread this weekend, and thought I'd post the recipe here.

This Gorilla Bread recipe is from Paula Deen's site on the Food Network, I have the recipe, which looked pretty much the same as this one, but not on my computer which is where I keep most of my recipes. Hence the copy/paste method, as opposed to the tedious typing it all in. Yes. It's also called laziness. I can accept that.

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan.

Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.