Almond Wedding Cupcakes with Almond Butter Cream frosting

Delicious white cupcake that starts with a box mix, but becomes much more.  Butter cream icing can be tinted for color, mixed with raspberry preserves and piped inside the cupcake, or change the extracts and the flavor.  This is a versatile recipe that allows you to change it up as you like! I've doubled the recipe here to allow for piping the frosting with a pastry bag.  You'll need to half the recipe for a filling.

Ingredients:
1 Duncan Hines white cake mix
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup water
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners. Makes about 30 cupcakes.
• Combine cake mix, flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until combined, about 4 minutes.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Butter Cream Frosting:

6 cups of powdered sugar

2 cups of butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2-4 tablespoons cream

• Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl on medium for 3 minutes.
• Add extracts and cream.
• Beat for 1 minute more.
• Refrigerate for a few minutes if frosting is too soft

Mushroom and Chicken Casserole

Delicious chicken and rice casserole.  Chicken breasts can be substituted for thighs, but you'll lose that rich flavor.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream
1 cup raw white rice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

• Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and saute in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Brown 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove to bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil and saute onion for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.  Remove onions and garlic to 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Dry saute mushrooms in same pan over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms to baking dish.
• Deglaze pan with sherry.  Reduce sherry and add chicken stock.  Remove from heat.
• Add sour cream and cream to pan along with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.  
• Add rice to baking dish along with seasonings.  Pour sour cream mixture over rice and onions, mixing slightly.
• Lay chicken pieces on top working them down into sauce.  Sprinkle with paprika.
• Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove foil and let bake a few minutes more.
• Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Pantry Cookies (Oatmeal Chocolate Chip)

I found a recipe on a newspaper clipping in an old cookbook of my Grandma Kelly's. Then I found a similar recipe on-line.  The only difference was in which ingredients from the pantry that were added--raisins, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.  In both recipes, the secret is the rich flavor of the browned butter.  Worth the wait!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
3 cups rolled oats

Directions:

• Heat butter over medium heat; whisk while and melts and keep whisking until brown flecks start to appear in the bottom of the pan; resist the urge to remove from heat until you see the brown flecks.  Remove from heat and allow to cool
• Combine flour through nutmeg in a large bowl; whisk together.
• Pour browned butter into large mixing bowl and add sugars. Beat for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 2-3 minute more. 
• Stir flour (with spoon) into butter mixture adding water.
• Stir in chips, coconut and pecans. Mixture will be stiff.
• Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment.  Drop large teaspoonfuls 2" apart.  
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 minutes
• Allow to cool slightly on pan before transferring to wire rack to cool.
• Store in airtight container.