This week’s entry is based on one of my favorite Food Network shows- Semi Home Made Cooking with Sandra Lee. I referenced her in one of my previous posts, but I am a huge proponent of putting your own spin on the basic store bought cooking and baking shortcuts that are available to us these days and that make the college student’s life just that much simpler. It can transform your everyday pan of store mix brownies from something basic into something amazing, unique, and most importantly delicious. Right now, for example, she has ten recipes available on her website that relate to baking. I’m going to take this theme and run with it. Today I will be listing for you a few of my favorite unique but simple recipes. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!
The first recipe that I will share with you is for my cookie dough cupcakes. The first step is to purchase the chocolate or vanilla store bought cake mix of your choice and prepare it as directed. Distribute it evenly into paper lined cupcake pans, just as usual. Here’s where things get a little unusual- drop one spoonful of store bought cookie dough into the center of each filled cupcake paper. It should look just like this once this step is completed:
Now that you have inserted the cookie dough, pop the cupcakes in the oven and bake as the cake mix box directs. Once you’re a few minutes away from finish time, stick a toothpick into a few of the cupcakes and make sure the bottoms underneath the cookie dough are cooked through. These are supposed to be cookie dough cupcakes- not cake batter cupcakes. It is important that all of the cake parts are totally cooked. Once they are totally cooked, let them cool for a few minutes. As far as icing and decorating goes, I like to top them with a thin layer of basic vanilla icing- also store bought if you’d like- and then I usually top with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips or Oreo crumbs, whichever I can get my hands on. This is what your finished product should look like:
Now that we’ve conquered the feat of unique cupcakes, I have a tasty brownie recipe for next time you’re in the mood for some serious chocolate. My S’mores brownies are the perfect treat for a summertime bonfire, and they are just as easy as the cupcake recipe. Start off once again with your favorite store bought boxed brownies. After spraying your pan with nonstick spray, line the bottom with a layer of graham crackers. Pour the brownie mix over the crackers. Top with a layer of mini marshmallows, smashed graham crackers, and chocolate chips (I also like to add peanut butter chips for an extra surprise sometimes). Bake as directed and voila- easy and impressive s’mores brownies! This is what your delicious confection should look like:
Each of these recipes will be included in the Flash project I am currently working on for my Interactive Communication Design class- It will show 4 of 5 pictures of my favorite easy and unique confections and provide the recipes for each item when you hover your mouse over its picture. I will try to find some way to include this in my blog so you can see it and use the other recipes provided there as well. But until then,
Happy Baking!
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