Tasty Tuesday

I love sweets! I am addicted to warm confections that chase all your troubles away! I especially love sweets that contain chocolate (which I consider to be an essential food group). Yesterday, I had an intense craving for something yummy. I asked Jim for his input on what to get or make. He requested "homemade cupcakes". I don't usually make cupcakes from scratch (Betty Crocker does it so much better!), but I decided to give it a try.

My can of cocoa just happens to contain a recipe for Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake. I had all the ingredients, but I did purchase frosting. My next goal is to learn how to make yummy buttercream and cream cheese frosting.

Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions:


Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a pan of your choice (9 inch round, 13x9, cupcakes, bundt).

1. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
2. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.
3. One Pan Cake: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
4. Three Layer Cake: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
5. Bundt Cake: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost
6. Cupcakes: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350 F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

This was a delicious chocolate cake. I choose cream cheese frosting to top them and it was great!

Tasty Tuesday

I know! I know! I did not post a "Tasty Tuesday" entry last week! Forgive me, I was fighting viral bronchitis and didn't work for two days! I am just now feeling better and its been over a week! So, to make it up to everyone, I am going to post TWO (not one, but TWO!) Tasty Tuesday entries this week.

I love mexican food, but I really love quick and easy mexican food! Therefore, the following recipe has become a staple at our house for a quick and easy dinner that is de-lish!  Thanks to my big sister, Michelle, for introducing this one to our family!

Taco Ring


Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground hamburger meat
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican Blend)
2 packages of crescent rolls

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook ground beef until brown, drain and rinse.
3. Add the taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water. (I add them to the packet to rinse out the residual seasoning).
4. Add cheese to seasoned taco meat and stir well to mix cheese as evenly as possible. Set aside.
5. Use a round pizza pan, spray with cooking spray, take the crescent rolls and place them on a pan with the points facing outward in a circular shape. It should look like a sun with the wide ends of the crescent rolls making the inner part of the sun and the tips making the outer part of the sun.
6. Spoon meat onto the inner part of the circle then wrap the tips inward to cover meat. You should get a crescent roll wreath stuffed with meat/cheese mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into sections before serving.

Serve with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, taco sauce, refried beans, and sour cream (or any combination of the above). Jim and I like to pile our Taco ring slices high with various toppings- the more the better! This dish reheats well so makes great leftovers.





I stole this picture from Pinterest but this is what the ring should look like when it is done baking!