Blueberry Muffins

Don't use a powdered muffin mix ever again; it's so easy to make muffins from scratch!

Ingredients:


12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried completely


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans and set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Add the vanilla, sour cream and milk. Beat well.

4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add the sifted flour mixture to the batter slowly. Beat until batter is just mixed. Don't overmix or muffins will be too dense.

5. With a spatula, fold in the blueberries until evenly incorporated into batter.

6. Fill each muffin liner to the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until muffins are lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, but still moist. Remove from oven and let muffins cool for at least 5 minutes before enjoying!

Box of Chocolates

Don't spend a bunch of money and a little bit of time picking up a store-bought box of chocolates for your Valentine. Instead, make a bunch of homemade chocolate treats (maybe like my recipes for chocolate peanut butter cups, white chocolate bark or cookie dough truffles) and cut them into bite-sized pieces (or use cute Valentine-themed cookie cutters). Then place white mini cupcake liners in the bottom of a deep-sided container and fill liners with your bite-sized chocolates. Your Valentine will be so impressed that you made all the treats in the box, rather than you half-heartedly picking up a box at the convenience store.

Cookie Dough Truffles

Eating store-bought cookie dough can be dangerous, so you can have ease of mind while eating these homemade balls of chocolate covered dough. There are no eggs to be found in this recipe, so the only thing to worry about is running out of them.


Ingredients:


1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped in small pieces (or mini semisweet chocolate chips)
4 cups semisweet chocolate, for melting


1. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed in a large bowl. Add in vanilla and beat.

2. Beat in flour – 1/2 cup at a time – alternately with condensed milk. Once mixture becomes combined well, mix in the 1/2 cup of chocolate morsels.

3. With flour on your hands, shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.

4. After chilled, melt the 4 cups of chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute; stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds, or until chocolate is completely melted. Using 2 forks, dip chilled cookie dough balls into the melted chocolate to cover completely.

5. Place back on the waxed paper and continue coating balls in chocolate. Once all balls are coated, return to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Then, enjoy!

White Chocolate Bark

This is the simplest chocolate treat to make. It is only a matter of melting chocolate and covering it with whatever toppings you like.

Ingredients:

2 (14 oz.) bags white chocolate chips*

1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the chocolate chips for 1 minute. Stir and then microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Stir again. If not melted, continue microwaving in 15-second intervals until melted.

2. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread chocolate evenly. Immediately sprinkle the top of chocolate with coconut flakes and almonds.

3. Let sit at room temperature until completely hardened, about an hour. Once chocolate is hardened, break apart into all shapes and sizes. Enjoy!

*Some variations could be dark chocolate sprinkled with chopped dried cherries and almond slivers, milk chocolate sprinkled with chopped pecans or butterscotch sprinkled with chow mein noodles and peanuts.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

These taste like those wonderful peanut butter cups we all love, and these only have five ingredients. They're so simple to make, you'll have them in the fridge all the time so you can have your favorite candy whenever you want.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup peanut butter

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Line a 13x9-inch pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, combine the butter, peanut butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Process until the mixture forms into a ball. Press mixture into the pan into an even layer.

3. Melt the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir after the first minute and if chips are not melted, microwave for an additional 15 seconds then stir again.

4. Spread chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until chocolate is completely hardened.

5. Before serving, remove from the refrigerator to come slightly to room temperature. Then cut into square pieces and serve. Keep stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Crispy, Spicy Chicken Fingers

These chicken fingers have the same crunchy texture as a fried one, only these are baked and have a special kick of heat. For a nice appetizer, cut chicken breast into 1 1/2-inch nuggets instead of long strips.

Yield: 4 chicken fingers

Ingredients:


1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into four long strips
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain yellow corn meal
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt, for sprinkling
olive oil, for drizzling


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Prepare a dredging station for the chicken: combine the flour and salt in one shallow dish; put the beaten egg in a small dish in the middle; combine the corn meal, chili powder, cayenne pepper and garlic powder in another shallow dish; and place the greased baking sheet at the end of the station.

3. First, evenly dredge the chicken pieces with flour, shaking off any excess. Then coat with the beaten egg; shake off any excess. Lastly, evenly coat the chicken with the corn meal mixture. Place coated chicken on the baking sheet.

4. Lightly drizzle each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with a small pinch of kosher salt.

5. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the outside is crispy and golden and the chicken is just firm to the touch.

6. Serve with sweet and spicy honey mustard dipping sauce (2 tablespoons honey mixed with 4 tablespoons spicy brown mustard) or with a Ranch dipping sauce.
Enjoy!