02 February

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February 1, 2015

Rice Krispies Footballs

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Rice Krispies Footballs

February: Super Bowl

Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday and the end of football season with a simple sweet treat: Rice Krispies Footballs. Islander makes these and other game day desserts ahead of time so she can help Highlander prepare other foods when we host a Super Bowl Sunday supper and invite our neighbors, Glenn and Anna Maria B., to join us to watch the game on our big screen TV. Score a touchdown at the table with these Rice Krispies Footballs. They are fun and festive and are sure to be a favorite football food!

Recipe

(Adapted from Rice Krispies)

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
  • 1 package (10 ounces) or 5 cups chocolate-flavored regular marshmallows
    (or 4 cups miniature marshmallows)
  • ½ cup peanut butter (optional)
  • 6 cups chocolate-flavored rice cereal (Cocoa Krispies)
  • white fondant (optional)
  • white tube frosting

Directions

In a large pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows (and peanut butter, if using) and stir until completely melted. Mix in the cereal until combined well. Remove from heat.

Generously butter hands and form mixture into football shapes. Place on a tray lined with waxed paper. Set aside. Roll out a small ball of white fondant, if using, flatten into 1/8-inch thickness and slice into thin strips.

Position on the football shapes (brush a little water on the strips before positioning, if necessary). With a small round trip on the white tube frosting, squeeze out the stitching detail on the football shapes. Yield: 18 two-inch size Rice Krispies footballs.

Notes

 

February 22, 2014

Margarita Cupcakes

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Margarita Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcakes 
February 22: National Margarita Day 

When we go out to eat with our Tex-Mex neighbors, Glenn and Ana Maria B., who like to take advantage of happy hour prices at their favorite authentic Mexican restaurants in San Antonio, Texas, Highlander would order a cerveza (beer) while Islander tries a margarita. She personally finds the alcohol too strong for her tastes. But she likes margarita cupcakes over the cocktail and often bakes this boozy dessert for fiestas and get-togethers. Make margarita cupcakes for National Margarita Day. Son muy deliciosos.

Recipe

(Adapted from Diana’s Desserts)

For the margarita cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix (we used Duncan Hines brand)
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 (10 ounces) can of non-alcoholic lime margarita mix, thawed (we used Bacardi brand), divided use (3/4 cup for the cupcakes, remainder for the frosting)
  • 3 tablespoons orange liqueur (we used Triple Sec)
  • 1 tablespoon tequila
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 4-5 drops of green food coloring

Directions

Zest the lime and set aside. Separate the eggs, reserving the yolks for another recipe.

Margarita Cupcakes

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix and egg whites. Add the lime margarita mix, orange liqueur, tequila and vegetable oil. Mix in the lime zest.

Margarita Cupcakes

Tint the batter with green food coloring. Blend until smooth. Scoop batter into cupcakes papers lining a muffin pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until done. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yield: 2 dozen. 

Margarita Cupcakes

For the frosting

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Wilton brand clear vanilla)
  • 2-3 tablespoons non-alcoholic lime margarita mix, thawed (from the cupcake ingredients above)
  • lime wedges/half slices or curly peel (optional garnish)
  • green sugar sprinkles (optional decorations)

Directions

Cream the butter. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla. Thin with 2-3 tablespoons of lime margarita mix until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.

Margarita Cupcakes

Frost the cupcakes (or fill a pastry bag with frosting and decorate with a swirl on top; we used Wilton tip 1M). Garnish with a lime wedge/slice. Sprinkle green sugar on top. Refrigerate to set. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Margarita Cupcakes 

Notes

  • Also try our Texas Margarita Pie recipe for National Margarita Day. 
  • Search our blog for other Mexican-inspired recipes.
 

February 15, 2014

Gumdrop Cookies

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Gumdrop Cookies

Gumdrop Cookies

February 15: National Gumdrop Day

We used to play the board game, Candy Land, when we were kids. In the vintage version, our game pieces traveled through Gumdrop Mountains. In newer layouts of the game, the journey through Candy Land took players through Gumdrop Pass. We are not sure if gumdrop locations still exist in the newer and online editions. But gumdrops, in all its colorful, sugar-coated gummy goodness, are a classic candy! Whenever we bake them in cookies, kids and kids-at-heart enjoy the crisp confection with chewy-gooey gumdrops. These sweet snacks are a treat to eat while playing Candy Land and celebrating National Gumdrop Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar, divided use
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup gumdrop candies (spiced or fruit-flavored), chopped
  • 2 egg whites

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening with ¾ cup sugar. Stir in the almond extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones (the dough will be dry).

Gumdrop Cookies

Mix in the chopped gumdrops. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Then gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the dough until moistened.

Gumdrop Cookies

On foil-lined ungreased cookie sheets, drop by teaspoonsful about two inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool to a crisp. Yield: Approximately 2 ½ – 3 dozen gumdrop cookies.

Gumdrop Cookies

Notes

  • For bigger mounds of gumdrop cookies, scoop tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes. For flatter cookies, press down on the dough before baking.
  • For holiday baking, change the colors of the gumdrops to black and orange for Halloween and red and green for Christmas.
 

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