Desserts | Tags: chocolate, chocolate icing, chocolate sauce, red velvet cupcakes
Good Monday friends! What did everyone think of the big game yesterday? I don’t know about you, but I am not the world’s biggest football fan so I really look forward to the halftime show. No offense to the Who, but give me some Black Eyed Peas or Justin Timberlake for crying out loud! Something more modern would have been much more fun! Ok, I’m done. I did however enjoy some of the commercials, they were fun 
So, Valentine’s Day is trickling upon us so let the baking begin!! I am in love with these little heartcakes. This is a no fuss recipe that is cute as a button. Give yourself about an hour and you’ll have these perfectly soft, decadent and festive little treats, Enjoy.
I jazz up my cake box mixes with this special recipe every time, see recipe below I also love my little silicone heart bakers. I picked them up at William Sonoma years ago on clearance and get so much use out of them. Here are some similar ones I found online for you…HERE
Tada…they are cute just like this. But let’s drench them in chocolate!!
Take your can of sweetened condensed milk and heat it in a saucepan.
Add your chocolate chips and stir stir stir until creamy and dreamy!
Now time to drench these little stinkers. Pour icing over then use a plastic knife to spread all the way around hearts.
Chocolate heaven, I’m telling you!
Red Velvet Chocolate Drenched Heartcakes
1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup water
8 oz sour cream
1 small box chocolate pudding mix (the 4 serving box)
4 eggs
______________
1 small can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Cup chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the cake mix, oil, water, sour cream, pudding mix, and eggs until thick and well combined. Usually for about 60 seconds. With a cookie scoop or spoon, place cake batter into well greased little heart molds or paper lined cupcake tins, just over 1/2 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Remove and let cool. With the help of a plastic knife, carefully remove hearts from molds. If you are using regular cupcakes, remove wrappers. Place little cakes onto a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet.
2. To prepare chocolate sauce, pour sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, pour in chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Pour chocolate sauce over cupcakes and use a little plastic knife to frost the sides of hearts. Let chocolate set slightly or eat immediately if you like it gooey!
about 24 heartcakes
_________________________________
See you soon with more Valentine’s Day Baking
So, what were you favorite Superbowl commercials yesterday? There were some cute ones for sure!
Appetizers/Sides | Tags: cheese, game day, marinara, mozzarella, Superbowl
Happy Friday everyone! It’s a soggy Friday here in CA, hope it let’s up, we want to go back to Disney tonight!
I couldn’t resist sharing this perfect game day recipe that I posted last year. These Smokin’ Mozzarella Balls are seriously so incredible, I could quite possibly eat all of these in one serving!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend
Reminders on Picky Palate Giveaways:
Win $100 Visa Giftcard with Eggland’s Best HERE
Win $100 Visa Giftcard with V8 V-Fusion HERE
Win $50 Giftcard from Safeway and it’s family stores for free groceries HERE
Smokin’ Mozzarella Balls
Vegetable oil for frying
8 oz container Fresh Mozzarella “Ciliegine” (cherry tomato size)
1/2 Cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers (add more if you like it spicy)
½ Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
¼ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
¼ Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 Cup of your favorite marinara or pasta sauce, warmed
1. Pour a couple inches of oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to 350 degrees F. with an appropriate thermometer.
2. Drain liquid from mozzarella balls and pat dry with paper towels. Place flour, salt and pepper into medium size bowl. Place egg and adobo sauce into a second bowl; whisk to combine. Place bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into a 3rd bowl; mix to combine. Roll mozzarella into flour, then into eggs, then press into bread crumb mixture.
3. Carefully place 4-5 coated balls at a time into hot oil. Use a “spider” to constantly move them around in oil. Cook for 30-60 seconds or until golden. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all have been fried.
4. Place all balls onto a serving plate along with a bowl of marinara sauce. Serve warm.
4 servings
_______________________________________
Oh baby I could go for some of these today! Happy Football Watching, see you soon for Valentine’s Day Baking!! Woo Hoo!
Dinner | Tags: breadsticks, game day, party food, sausage, Superbowl
Well, we are really getting close to Superbowl Sunday now. Hope you’ve got your menu planned out. I wanted to leave you with one more almost too simple but totally adorable little game day recipe that is always a favorite. Mini pigs in a blanket aka “piglets in a blanket.” The kids go nuts for these and I guarantee you the adults will pop more than one or two as well
I picked up a great Party Pack of Aidels little sausages from Costco a week or so ago. It comes with 3 different varieties and oh man they are good! For this particular recipe I used the Cajun flavored ones, but for the kids I’d use a more mild one like the chicken/apple one. You won’t be sorry if you pick up a pack yourself!! If you don’t get to costco, you can also use the little smokies that you can find in any grocery store. Or, cut hot dogs into thirds!
I added some poppy seeds for a little color, kind of looks like a mini bagel dog doesn’t it? Whatever you want to call these, they take only minutes to make and are the perfect game day food for any party! Enjoy!
Here’s that Aidells party pack I was talking about, all three of those flavors are so good!
Unroll that can of breadsticks and plop them onto a baking sheet, try not to jump when it pops open, hate that thing!
Separate into strips, then cut each into thirds.
Wrap the little cuties…
Sprinkle with a little poppy seed if you like…
Time to bake!
Ahh, puffed and perfect!
Voila’ here you have your perfect little Piglets in a Blanket
Piglets in a Blanket
32 little sausages or lil’ smokies (I used aidels cajun flavor from a Costco Party Pack)
1 package Pillsbury Breadsticks, in can
Poppy Seeds
Ketchup and Mustard for dipping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place little sausages in a bowl, dry with paper towel if wet. Open breadsticks and separate into strips. Cut each strip into thirds. Take a little sausage and roll dough over, placing seam side down onto a silpat or lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with poppy seeds and bake for 15-18 minutes or until dough is cooked through, slightly golden. Let cool for 3 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Serve with ketchup and mustard!!
Approx 32 little piglets!
___________________________________
Enjoy your Superbowl Weekend, happy snacking!!
Uncategorized
Good Wednesday to you! Just posted a Giveaway for a chance to win free Grocery Money and free Yogurt. Do check it out on my giveaway page, Click HERE!
____________________________________________________
I leave you with my goof balls wishing you a wonderful Wednesday
Desserts | Tags: peanut butter, pie crust, strawberry jelly
Good Tuesday to you!
I had so much fun making these baby pies! For some reason party food seems more fun when it’s miniature right? I don’t know what it is, but I just love it.
So, these are totally doable, they look detailed, but seriously are really easy. I snapped photos while I was preparing them to show how easy they are. I’m talking only 3 main ingredients, love recipes like this!
Peanut Butter and Jelly is one of those combinations that I could do in almost any dessert. I knew this duo would be irresistible as little pies. The kids will love these as will the adults because they are so darn cute, make some PB & J baby pies for game day and wow your guests! Enjoy.
Time to create the lattice top…
My strips were a little long, but you get the idea. It’s the over under effect! Once you are done, use a knife to cut off the excess dough and it will look like the next picture
Brush lightly with egg wash
Here you have the lovely little PB&J pies. I am in love with these!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Lattice Pies
1 roll Pillsbury pie dough
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Cup Smucker’s Strawberry Preserves
1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
Sugar Crystals for sprinkling on top if desired
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out circles in dough (I used a random little cup that worked great). Lightly press dough rounds into greased mini muffin tin. Roll remaining scraps of dough to an even thickness then use a sharp knife to cut thin 1/8 inch strips to create the lattice topping. Set aside.
2. With a small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop a heaping teaspoon into each of the pie crusts. Do the same with the jam. Using the pie strips, form the lattice top. See pictures above for help. Cut excess dough from edges and brush tops lightly with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar crystals (optional) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
3. Remove and with the tip of a knife, loosen edges where jam has oozed out. Carefully remove from pan after 5 minutes with the help of the knife and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with milk!
12 mini pies…..let’s see what the judges think…
Think we’ve got some happy taste testers! Come back soon for more game day recipes!!
