teacher by day - chef by night
I tasted these a day later and they were good enough to eat, but resisted temptation and let them sit another week or so and they were worth the wait! These are nice and crunchy still with all the taste you would expect from something pickled. So get your harvest of peas (or go ahead and make this with the green beans that are currently in abundance) and make up a jar of these to enjoy in a few days – YUM!
These S’mores Bar Cookies are a mix between a Blondie & a Chocolate Chip Bar Cookie. The flavors are right on, the cinnamon in the batter is perfect & they are nice any chewy (even a week later – I stored them in the fridge and then just let them come to room temperature).
This post is a few weeks later than I wanted it to be – SORRY
I started making some Jello Jiggler Shots early this year with ‘Beer Jigglers’ for New Years and then some Margarita Jigglers around Memorial Day (never photographed – Ill re-make and re-do those). Every time I make Jigglers they are a big hit & so much fun. Rich “hates” Jello & Jigglers but gets excited every time that I make these because as they say “there is always room for Jello”!
I have been enjoying my new Jiggler experiments and wanted to bring something fun & festive to our neighbor’s July 4th party and thought these Red, White & Blue Jigglers were just perfect 
(I also made Mudslide Jigglers – but those all went to my family, although I do need to make them again for the next time we get together with friends since they were so good)
All recipe direction are about the same, but I’ll write them out since they vary slightly. They should all be made in either a 9 x 9 pan or a loaf pan (the short square ones are easier to cut). You can also use silicone molds with a little cooking spray before to allow for easy release. Recipes in this post are from (or adapted along the same lines of) the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen Cookbook.
Place the wine in a small saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin on top – let set for a minute or two. Turn the heat on very low and slowly dissolve the gelatin until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved and mixed through. Pour into a small (9×9) square container or a loaf pan. Lets set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (it needs at least 4 hours).
Place the milk in a small saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin on top – let set for a minute or two. Turn the heat on very low and slowly dissolve the gelatin until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved and mixed through. Pour into a small (9×9) square container or a loaf pan. Lets set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (it needs at least 4 hours).
* I used 99 bananas liqueur and this was WAY too strong for my taste – please cut it down to 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup more milk if you try this OR use a different liqueur!
Place the pineapple juice, vodka, & lemon juice in a small saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin on top – let set for a minute or two. Turn the heat on very low and slowly dissolve the gelatin until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved and mixed through. Pour into a small (9×9) square container or a loaf pan. Lets set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (it needs at least 4 hours).
And I leave you with this question… What classic color OR drink combinations would be fun to make for your next gathering!?
I recently bought the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen’s book (which I lent out before I even made my first recipe from it – that is how excited we [me & my friends] were to have it). I could have went through this entire book and …
We recently got a bumper crop of Snap Peas from our Co-Op (at least it was a lot for me who does not did not like Peas). I needed to do something with them to “mask” the flavor (but ended up snacking on lots of …
These cupcakes go out to all the Harry Potter Fans out there!
More than a decade is coming to a close. In June of 1997 the first Harry Potter book [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone] was released and a Nation (world) was hooked.. we read the books, we hurt and laughed with the characters, we bought/devoured/shared the books, we loved hearing the ‘rags to riches’ story of the author, & were thrilled movies when the first movie was released in 2001 (and compared every detail of the movie with the book). This month – an era draws to a close (or at least becomes a complete package for future generations. The final installment of the last Harry Potter Movie [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] comes out next week!
For my birthday a few months back – I went to NYC with my Mom, 2nd Mom, & two youngest “siblings”. We headed into the FREE Teacher Preview Day of Discovery Times Square: Harry Potter (as well as visiting Toys R Us, the Disney Store, and getting great pizza @ John’s – but I digress). It was an awesome day and the Harry Potter exhibit was pretty cool, I enjoyed checking out all the details that went into every prop and costume on display (kinda like a Potter Museum!).
Well, after visiting the exhibit and being totally stoked for the final installment in the series, I noticed that Erica (over at Erica’s Sweet Tooth) had posted these Butterbeer Cupcakes, which I immediately knew I had to make for my dear friend, co-worker, and self-proclaimed Harry Potter addict: Jolene. Happy Harry Potter celebration to Jolene & everyone else out there!
Enjoy these cupcakes as you curl up with a good book, or head out to watch the last movie, or make a batch and have a Harry Potter Movie Marathon with your friends.
While you are enjoying these cupcakes, don’t be afraid to try this Warm Butterbeer OR a (alcohol included) Butterbeer Cocktail: 1/2 can cream soda, 1 shot butterscotch schnapps, and a 1/4 t of that butter flavored powder – ENJOY!!
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffly, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each. Add in vanilla and butter flavoring.
Combine buttermilk and cream soda in a small bowl and alternate adding that combination with the flour mixture with the mixer on low, starting and ending with the flour.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
Butterscotch Ganache
Melt butterscotch chips and heavy cream together using a double boiler until completely smooth. Cool to room temperature to allow the ganache to slightly thicken. Fill a plastic squeeze bottle with the ganache, and insert tip into each cupcake, filling until the ganache starts to slightly overflow.
Buttercream Frosting
For the frosting, cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar and allow it to come together for about 2 minutes. Add cream a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes with a large tip and drizzle leftover butterscotch ganache over each.
Recipe yields 18 cupcakes.
And I leave you with this question… what Movies or Books are a Pop-Culture Phenomenon in your life!?