The Chronicles of Bake-O-Rama Part 1

Well after a long week it was of course time to bake. What else would I do on Friday? Well tomorrow I'm off to Chico for some fun an relaxation (code word for party). So I made us some goodies while starting on my office gifts. This year I'm baking up a storm for work. I figure that I would fatten everyone else up at work to make my self esteem improve. Plus those amazing student's deserved something good! This year I'm Baking cookies from the Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and let me tell you it took like 4 hours to dwindle down the competition to pick my favorite. I though I would 1. post the cookies I make and 2. give a little review. Today was frosted molasses cookies and cup cakes. So here they are. I have to say the Molasses Cookies are a little dry but that's my own damn fault I kinda left out a whole stick of butter!!! I know bad bad bad. But the Cup Cakes are to DIE for and are super easy so lets start with those

Home E Teacher's Daughter's Box o Cup Cake

Ingredients
1 Box Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Recipe Chocolate
1 Box instant Jello Vanilla
1 1/3 cups water
3 eggs
1 Stick of butter softened
1 tub of vanilla icing (I buy whatever is on sale)
1 1-gallon freezer bag
1 pair of scissors
cup cake shells (those paper things you put in the tin)



Directions
1. Turn that oven on to 325 degrees
2. Mix together Eggs Butter and Water in a mixing bowl.
3. Add Jello and Betty Crocker mix until smooth
4. Place cup cake shells in the cup cake tin
5. Place mixture into a 1-gallon freezer bag
6. Cut off the corner of the 1-gallon freezer bag

7. Pipe the mixture in to the tins (this assures that the same amount of mixture gets in to every tin its also way less messy)
8. place in oven and cook for about 25 minutes (check with a fork pierce the center of one of the cup cakes the fork should come out clean)

9. Let the Cup Cakes cool completely and while they cool prepare the icing.
10. Take the icing and put in mixing bowl and mix for about 5 minutes so it whips it and becomes lighter.
11. Ice your cup cakes and decorate! When I use sprinkles I actually dip the cupcakes into the sprinkles (which are in a bowl) to cover the cup cake (much easier and less mess)



Frosted Molasses Cookies adapted from Muriel Lerdel Humboldt Iowa

Cookies
1 cup butter softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon slat
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups confectioners sugar (or as I like to call Powdered Sugar)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 teaspoons milk (u can use buttermilk if you'd like too since you had to buy some for the cookies)

Cookies
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. In mixing bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar.
3. Beat in eggs molasses and vanilla
4. In a separate bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and allspice and mix together
5. add the dry mixture to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk
6. drop 1 tablespoon 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes
7. allow to cool before frosting

Frosting
1. cream shortening and butter together
2. Add Almond Extract
3. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar and ginger
4. add mild and beat until light and fluffy
5. Ice your cookies and decorate with sprinkles (you can use the same logic as I did with the cup cakes as well)



Well I think this is it for the weekend I'll let you know how Chico is were going to attempt a gingerbread house lets hope that the relaxation doesn't get in the way of that!