Impossibly Easy Taco Pie - Recipe

This super easy taco bake pie doesn't involve any tortilla. This was an old post on my old website. I'm transferring some of them in here little by little until all is transferred. So there will be no step by step pictures.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 envelope (1.25 ounces) taco seasoning mix
• 3/4 Cup Bisquick
• 1 1/4 Cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream, if desired
• Salsa, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (dry). Spoon into pie plate.
2. Stir milk, eggs and Bisquick mix until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa or sour cream (or both).

❤ clairebakescakes ❤

Butterfly, fly, fly to my cupcake butterfly

If you've seen my Rainbow cupcake post then you must have seen the butterfly. It's actually a monarch butterfly but I didn't have the orange color wafer so I used the red and white.

Here's how you can make your own. Just click on the picture below to make the picture bigger and so you can see the instruction.

Here's mine :-) It's my first time and I thought I did pretty good.

Some sprinkles and all it needs now is a Rainbow cupcake with Buttercream frosting.
Click here on how to make the Rainbow cupcake.

❤ clairebakescakes ❤

Rainbow Cupcake - Recipe

I've seen this a while ago but I wasn't that ambitious to actually make it. Then yesterday I saw it again and my friend One Eyed Blond girl sent me a post about this cupcake, so here I am.

I'm sorry, that I don't have a step by step photo on this one. In the middle of taking pictures my camera decided to run out of juice, so I continued on with all the baking and no pictures. I will post the recipe and a step by step instruction.


This is the only pictures I got, the divided batter before the battery died and the after when the battery got charged.So here's the instruction on how to and the recipe for the cupcake.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, large
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 lemon, just the zest (optional)

Instruction:

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest (optional).
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. At this time preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
   
4. Separate in 5 different bowls, or it depends on how many color you chooses to have in your cupcake. Color the batter to the color consistency you like. I wanted my batter to look brighter so I used about a teaspoon of wilton color.
5. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter (I place about a teaspoon full and layer) and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with any icing you like. I used Wilton buttercream frosting.

Do you like the butterfly in the background? Click here to see how to make them.

❤ clairebakescakes ❤

Mini Blackberry cheesecake - Recipe

I've been meaning to make this mini cheesecake for a while now but I really haven't had any chance, but last night I was just itching to do something so I figured I would make it. I like this cheesecake coz it's simple, super easy and it's NOT too sweet. Remember, I don't have a sweet tooth so this is perfect for me. NOT TOO Sweet :-) and it doesn't have a lot of ingredients.

Yup! That's all you need and of course the topping you will for the top, which is your pick. I picked Blackberry filling, not in picture.
I block of cream cheese, already in the bowl, then the 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract and mix well.
Add 1 egg and mix well again till there's no more lump.
I used the mini Reynold's baking cups so I don't have to use the muffin pan.
You take a Nilla wafer or any vanilla wafers, they fit perfectly on the bottom. Flat side on the bottom part. If you use the regular mini cupcake cups, it won't work. They're too small.
Fill just a little halfway up and then we bake.

I forgot to turn the timer on good thing I had a good sense of smell. LOL! Yes, I browned the top part a bit much. It still tasted good.

All ready to be eaten, YUMMM!!!

The blackberry is really dark, LOL!

Sorry, I couldn't wait and took a bit hehehe! It was sooo good, I might have another.

Here's what you need:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1 egg

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the egg and mix well.
2. Place vanilla wafer flat side down the baking cup (I used about 15 mini baking foils for this, so if you want to make more just double the ingredients) Fill the cup a little bit halfway up.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes till the middle is set (not brown like mine, LOL) Cool completely and place in the fridge for an hour or 2 then place filling.

❤ clairebakescakes ❤

One of those days.... A clearance sale is always good

Today I was going to the Mall with my Mom-in-law (MIL) but to our surprise hubby went with us. Which was good 'coz he ended up paying for all the stuff I bought *smirk*.
We went to the little plaza mall in our area and they have JcPenney, that's it. LOL!

We could have drove the extra 20 minutes and went to the city but we just wanted to go for a ride and I wanted to spend the $20 free coupon for that store. I usually go to the clearance rack right away and I don't even bother looking at the other regular priced stuff, yes I'm that cheap. I didn't really find anything that was in my budget, meaning nothing less than $3 bucks, hahahah!!! I do buy it if I really, really love it or if it is needed. Let me tell you this, if it's something you want and something you need, big difference there. So I usually ask myself every time I go out and buy something. Most of the time I end up putting the item back in the shelf and not buying it. Now, if you want to talk about shoes and purses, that would be a different story, LOL!

Anyway, I got boots for Lex and Gus for next year, I got 2 scarves, a shirt for Gus and Lex.

This one is for Gus, I thought it was for girls but hubby insisted it's for boys.
Boots for Gus :-)
Original $50
Sale Price $14.99
Discount price $$11.03
Coupon $10.00
Total $1.03 Cha-ching, I will take it. LOL!
This one for Lexi, she gets one too. I just couldn't pass this up.

Original $50
Sale Price $14.99
Discount price $$12.65
Coupon $10.00
Total $2.65 Dang!!! I will take it as well. Should have bought more and sell on EBAY, LOL!
My popcorn scarf by ANA, they were $25 original price and they were only $2 bucks each on sale.
This John Deere kids shirt was on sale too and I just had to get it.

So, I had a great time shopping today and we even had time to go to lunch. Now, I'm here sharing you my good find. What do you think about my good find?
❤ clairebakescakes ❤

Brownie and chocolate chip drop - Recipe

This might be the most easiest thing ever to make. I would say an average home would already have this 2 boxes in their cupboards. A box of family size brownie mix and a package of chocolate chip cookie mix. I know what you're thinking, WHATTTTTT??? She makes things from the BOX? LOL! I don't do it all the time, but this time I did since I promised One eyed Blonde girl about this so I'm making it for her, Dang it! Why didn't I make it from scratch? I was a bit busy and the time was just not on my side.

It didn't matter though, it was still good and made from the heart, I meant BOX. LOL!

Just do this, I mean follow the directions below, when all the mixture are mixed hehe and so you can bake it already and taste it.

After mixing the brownie mix, spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil (PAM or whatever) and spread the mix evenly.
Then you take a spoonful of cookies dough mix

Drop them on top of the brownie mix, you seriously don't have to do yours like this. You can crumble them up on top to make sure everyone gets a piece of the cookie mix or you can do it just like mine. I did it for pictures. LOL!

Bake for 350F degrees for 30-35 minutes, I like my brownies chewy.
Let it cool for 10 - 15 minutes and pour the ganache on top (recipe below). What? Did you think I was going to give you the recipe now? I couldn't do that, I wanted you to see how good this thing is, so you will go make one. LOL!

First slice for the picture, you get a little of both, hmmmm! I liked it this way and still warm or

you can have it with ice cream :-) Mullet man said the ice cream was way too small so I made him one and used my big ice cream scooper.

See the Brownies and Chocolate chip just married? LOL! This was so yummy and just perfect.

Here's the ganache for the top:

• 8 oz. semi sweet chocolate, cut into small pieces ( I use Baker's)
  
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  

What to do:

1. Place cut up chocolate pieces on a large glass bowl (don't use plastic) and set aside.
2. Place the heavy cream on a medium cooking pot. Heat on medium high until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the cut up chocolate and stir until completely melted and have a glossy look.
3. Allow ganache to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before pouring.
   
4. When cooled pour and spread to cover the entire top of the cake.
5. If you want the ganache to set quick you can stick it in the fridge for 10 minutes or so then serve. With or without ice cream :-)

❤ clairebakescakes ❤

PW's Cinnamon Bun Pancake - Recipe

I've loved pancake ever since I was a little girl. It was one of the yummy Merienda our Yaya (Nanny) used to serve us. We would eat it brushed or slathered with Star Margarine and dip or sprinkled in sugar or just as is. I don't even think we had syrup back then or maybe our mom just didn't buy it. LOL! Brings back memories.... I have other food memories while I was growing up but I will talk about that some other time.

Anyway, I was looking at PW's site the other day, just browsing and I saw this pancake post. I wasn't really craving for pancake but I'm sick of making the same old boring pancake. I've made the plain one and the blueberry but I can only eat so much blueberry and this was something different. Just like Andrew Zimmern would say, "If it looks good, eat it". This looked good so I will eat it, well after I make it. LOL!

We're gonna need some flour
Sugar, normally I would add more than what it called for but this time I didn't. I was feeling sweet enough this morning, haha!
Salt
Baking powder, I always use Calumet. It's what I was introduced to since I was little.
Cimanamon, cinamanamon, CINNAMON, LOL! McCormick is the best :-) I bought this huge jar since it's only a few bucks difference. I got this at BJ's for less than $6.00 and the small one at the grocery store is almost $3 bucks.
Sift all the dry ingredients, set aside while we deal with the wet ingredients.
Oh, I forgot you have to mix them all so they will be happy, then set aside. LOL!
Milk
Eggs
Corn syrupVanilla
Melted butter
Whisk them all and be merry
Add the dry ingredients to the wet one and mix them all together until they look likeThis :-) Doesn't it look like those Grey Poupon mustard? LOL!
This is when the good part and when you start to taste the goodness of this yumminess. I have no idea if those words are even in the dictionary.
Serve and drizzle with any syrup you prefer and enjoy. This pancake melts in your mouth, it's sooooo fluffy and sooooooo soft. Just try it and you'll see.

So here's what you really need with measurements this time.

Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons White Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Instruction:

1. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.
2. In separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syurp, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium/low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.
4. Serve warm with icing drizzled over the top.

Have a go at it and make it. I know you have all those ingredients in your cupboard so no excuses.
❤ clairebakescakes ❤