Cherry Chip Cupcakes

Today I am making Cherry Chip cupcakes for my hubby and his friend for their birthday dinner tonight. I am not making the cupcakes by scratch, but I am going to do something a little different on the cooking techniques.

I read on the CakeCentral.com forums, that I should use about 1/4 cup for the filling, and instead of baking the full time at 325 (or 350, depending on the instructions) that you should back the first five (5) minutes at 400 to allow the outside to cook faster, which forces the middle part to push up and create a dome. So I will see how this is going to work.

It worked! I made the first six cupcakes trying this technique.. and it worked! The cupcakes have a perfect dome on the top, just got to finish the last dozen and let them cool and frost.

Lasagna

My first post is for a recipe that I know by heart. My mom inherited this recipe from a friend, and I inherited it from her. I think we both have changed it up a bit from time to time.

Ingredients -
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 Can of Stewed Tomatos (I used the kind with Italian Seasoning)
1 Regular sized can of Tomato Sauce & 1 small can of Tomato Sauce
1 small can of Tomato Paste
Onion
Italian Seasoning
Garlic
Lasagna Noodles (I have tried this recipe with both the "no cook" noodles and the noodles you have to boil in advance.. both work great).
8oz-16oz bag of Mozerella Cheese (Depends on how cheesey you want it)
1 tub of Parmesean cheese
1 tub of Romano cheese
*The original recipe also calls for:
Ricotta Cheese
Olives
Mushrooms
*I am not a fan of ricotta cheese so I leave it out. My husband is not a fan of Olives or Mushrooms.. so I leave those out as well.

1. Brown Italian Sausage and ground beef in large ( I mean LARGE) skillet with garlic (to taste). Drain. Add onions, tomatos & sauce, and italian seasoning(to taste)*You would add mushrooms at this step as well if you were to use them. Let simmer for 1-2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350-375. Layer: Light layer of sauce, Noodles, sauce, cheese (add ricotta cheese here), noodles, sauce cheese (add olives here). Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is cooked on top.

Enjoy!

It is a pretty easy recipe, but it is time consuming, because you have to let the sauce simmer.