Chicken Pot Pie

2 tbsp Italian dressing
1 lb bonelss skinless chicken breast
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 lb Velveeta cheese, cut up
2 puff pastries (I used pie crust dough)
1 egg, lightly beaten

PREHEAT oven to 400. Heat dressing in large skillet. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until cooked through. Stin in veggies, soup and Velveeta. Put 1 crust on bottom on 9 inch pan and spoon mix in.

Put other crust on top and fold under edges; press onto top of baking dish to seal. Brush crust with egg. Cut several slips in top crust to permit steam to escape.

PLACE dish on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
dash salt
1 small bag milk chocolate chips

Cupcake Batter:
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups flower
2 cups sugar
2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup oil
2 tbsps vinegar
2 tsps vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream the sugar and cream cheese. Mix in the egg and salt. Now stir in chocolate chips. Set the filling aside.
Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Next add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Mix well.
Fill cupcake liners and little more that half full with chocolate batter. Drop a generous teaspoon of filling on the top of each in the middle.
Bake for 20 minutes. 10 minutes into baking, sprinkle some extra chocolate chis on top of each cupcake.

Makes 3 dozen.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375, then turn it down to 350 just prior to baking.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it is soft, then add sugar. Beat about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time beating until they are well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk them to incorporate them.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar and beach it just to combine. Add 1/2 of the liquids (milk and vanilla), scrape down bowl and beat to combine. Continue adding the dry and wet ingredients alternately making sure you END WITH THE DRY.

Fill muffin tins 1/2 of the way and bake for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool, then frost.

yields: 12-14 cupcakes

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk (plus a few tbsp to adjust consistency)
1 tsp vanilla

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix
2/3 cup water

1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each one. Add cake mix alternately with the water. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.


Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Assemble and frost with Peanut Butter Frosting once cool.


To Make Peanut Butter Frosting:

Combine 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough cream to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.