Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

I had an order this weekend for my delicious Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes. These are one of my favorites....I really just can't get enough of them. They are  lemon zest cupcakes with a raspberry filling and topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Oh so good!!!!

I decided to give these little delights a new look as well. I wanted to give the appearance of hydrangea's so here is the final result!

Prep for St. Patty's Day

So I am really getting geared up for St. Patrick's day. I have two new cupcake recipes that I am going to do. I am also excited about taking my little bite size creations to the next level. I am coming up with decoration ideas and they are going to be even harder to resist! I am not a huge cupcake lover to be honest. I have always been a cookie lover, but the creations that have been coming out of the oven lately are just to hard to resist. It's even harder because I am kinda on my health kick at the moment and I don't think these fit into my diet plan. This is why the mini cupcakes work perfect, I don't feel guilty after I eat just one. :)

 The first Cupcake for this Lucky occasion is for all the Non-Alcoholic beverage drinkers:

The Irish Creamer- A chocolate cupcake filled with a Irish cream chocolate ganache topped with a Irish Cream frosting.

These cupcakes will be featured at the Monarch Night even that I do every now in then at Papillon Hair Salon.

For those who think their luck come from real deal I will be making:

Luck of the Irish: This is a Guinness cupcakes filled with a whiskey chocolate ganache topped with a bailey's cream frosting.

These cupcakes are going to go straight to my to my two neighbors houses. They are very much looking forward to the "beer cupcake" concept.
Stay tuned for the final results. I will be posting them soon.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

 So I was craving chocolate once again and I had a peanut butter frosting that I had been wanting to make. So I decided to put them together and I am so glad I did. The frosting was very light and had so much flavor bursting out of every bite. Plus my husband is a huge peanut butter lover and I knew he would be happy to come home to these delicious cupcakes. I wanted to top them with a cute chocolate mold and some peanut butter cup crumbles, but they were all gone before I was able to get to the store! There is always next time.

Pumpkin Braid

I found this recipe from pillsbury and I'm very impressed with how good it is. It is a nice dessert or if you want a little sweet treat for breakfast it works as a breakfast danish. It is super easy to make.

Braid:
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1 egg, separated 
1/2 cup chopped pecans 
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls 

Glaze:  
1/2 cup powdered sugar 
2 to 3 teaspoons milk 
1 tablespoon chopped pecans  

Lauren Chattman, Cookbook Author and Pastry Chef
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg yolk. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
Unroll dough onto cookie sheet; firmly press edges and perforations to seal. Press to form 13x7-inch rectangle. Spread filling in 3 1/2-inch-wide strip lengthwise down center of dough rectangle to within 1 inch of ends. 
With a paring knife, make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough rectangle just to edge of filling. Fold strips at an angle across filling, overlapping ends and alternating from side to side.
Beat egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over dough for glossy finish.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on serving platter. 
In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over pumpkin pecan braid.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of pecans. 

Easy Enchiladas

I tried this recipe for the first time last night and it was a huge hit! My dad said they are the best enchiladas he as ever had and I must agree. These were so flavorful and filling. The recipe says it makes five, but I was able to make six. They are big so one was enough for me. If you try this please let me know what you think.

Ingredients
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into chunks
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (1.25 ounce) package mild taco seasoning mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
1 cup water
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 (12 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
Directions
Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside. Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes...Order Today!!!

Valentine's day is just around the corner and what better way to show the one you love just how sweet you can be with cupcakes! I will be baking up a storm preparing for the special day. I am featuring none other than my delicious Red Velvet cupcakes topped with my sweet cream cheese frosting and adorned with a little red heart. If you would like to place an order please send me a message on Facebook, post a comment on my blog or email me at jenscakedesigns@gmail.com 

You don't want to pass up these little delights so Order Today!!

Cordon Bleu

This is one I love, but I never think to make. I just get in a rut sometimes and make the same things over and over. This is not one to overlook by any means! I love cordon bleu and this recipe brings me nothing, but satisfaction.


Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.
Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.