Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Ingredients
****Cake****
1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix
6 oz container of Chobani 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 egg
1 cup water

****Cheesecake****
1 block of 8 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (Philly)  I used that Neufchatel stuff)
1/4 cup Chobani 0% Vanilla (2 oz) Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Light Sour Cream
2 Large Egg Whites
2 Tbls Sugar
2 Tbls Stevia or Equal
1 Tbsp Flour
1 tsp Vanilla


Instructions
Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare muffin/cupcake tins with foil liners (24); set aside
In a large mixing bowl: beat all the Cake Ingredients on medium speed until all well combined; set aside
In a medium mixing bowl: beat all the Cheesecake Ingredients on med/low until all well combined
Add Red Velvet Cake Mix to the all the cupcake liners, approx 1/2 full
Add a small  scoop (about 1 T-you can always go back and add more) of the cheesecake mixture on top of the cake mix
Swirl with a toothpick to combine slightly and get a swirled design
Bake for 25 minutes until the cheesecake is set.
Cool and then refrigerate in a covered container for minimum of 1 hour.


I cut the recipe in half and only make 12.  I use 1/2 of cake mix (2 cups)

Makes 24 cupcakes  Nutrition per cupcake:  Calories 132~Fat 4.7 g~Carbs 18.8g~Protein 2.9g~Sodium 182 mg~Sugars  11.5g

Pineapple Apple Pie

Ingredients

• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, undrained*
• 3 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Directions

• Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. In a large bowl, combine the apples and pineapple. Combine the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to pastry.
• In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter; sprinkle over filling.
• Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until topping is browned. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 10 servings.

*does not have to be heavy syrup

Very Chocolate Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped*
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chill a bowl. I like to use a metal one. Chop chocolate bar in food processor.  (I tried
 grating it, but it kept melting in my hand.)

2.  Combine sugar, milk, salt, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat,
 stirring constantly.  Bring to a simmer. Place the egg yolks into a small bowl.
 Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid.   Return  egg mixture to the saucepan.
Heat until thickened, but do not boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the
chopped chocolate until chocolate is melted.

3. Pour into the chilled bowl,  and refrigerate for about two hours until cold,
stirring occasionally.

4.  When chocolate mixture has completely cooled, stir in the cream, and vanilla. Pour into an
ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

*I used 1/2 of a 3.5 oz bar of Lindt Excellence Smooth Dark 70% Cocoa bar.

DELICIOUS!

Milky Way Caramel Crispy Bars

http://www.food.com/recipe/milky-way-caramel-crispy-bars-113061

Cinnamon Monkey Bread

4 tubes (7 1/2 ounces each) refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
1/2 C. Sugar
2 Tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 C. Butter or Margarine, melted
1/2 C. packed Brown Sugar

Cut each biscuit into four pieces.  In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Roll dough pieces in cinnamon-sugar.  Arrange evenly in a greased 10-inch tube pan.  Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. Combine  melted butter and brown sugar (a wire whisk works well).  Pour over the top.  You can gently stir to coat the pieces.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes before inverting bread onto a serving platter.

Turtle Shells

1 pkg Azteca Salad Shells (in the refrigerator section)
1 pkg (12 oz) Caramels
1/2 Cup canned  Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (not semi-sweet)
1 Cup (6 0z) Pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut each shell into 8 pie-shaped wedges.  (I use a pizza cutter)  Bake on parchment paper for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove shells and place on waxed paper.  Place caramels and Sweetened Condensed Milk in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on medium for 3 minutes: stir and repeat for 3 minutes, stirring often.  Spread caramel onto cooled shells; top with pecans.  Microwave chocolate  on medium for 30 seconds; stir and repeat until melted.  Drizzle chocolate over caramel and pecans.  Makes 32

Make sure when you melt your chocolate chips that the microwave, bowl and stirring instrument are completely dry and void of moisture.

I personally prefer to use a hunk of milk chocolate. (not from a candy bar).  I would imagine that you could use those Wilton chocolate wafer disks for melting also.

These are one of the yummiest treats I've ever made.