Nachos

Ingredients

• Tortilla chips - extra thick - 1 14-oz bag
• Refried beans - 2-3 cups
• Cheddar Cheese - 1/2 lb, grated, about 3 cups
• Pickled jalapeno peppers - 4 peppers, sliced

• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Cilantro, chopped

Steps

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange a layer of tortilla chips along the bottom of a wide, shallow baking pan. It will make things easier if this baking pan also can be used as a serving pan, such as the ceramic platter shown in the photo above. The layer of tortilla chips can be a couple chips thick. Spread the refried beans over the chips (this is why you need extra thick chips, so they don't break when encountering the beans). Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of chips and beans. Sprinkle slices of jalapeño peppers over the cheese. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 5 minutes in a convection oven.
2 Serve with dollops of salsa, sour cream and guacamole, with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.
Serves 8.

French Crêpes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

 Steps

1. Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as   thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.   An EXCELLENT recipe for dinner, dessert, and breakfast!!! easey, and delicious!

French Macarons

Ingredients

• For the Macarons

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • Pinch of cream of tartar
  • 1/4 cup superfine sugar

•  Fillings for Macarons

  • Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
  • Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
  • Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
  • Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
  • Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  • Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Steps

1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
4. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
5. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Delicious Recipe, and EXCELLENT for DESSERT!!!

Betty Crocker's, Red Velvet Cupcakes, with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Filling!

Ingredientes, Ingredients, Ingrédients

Cupcakes

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® German chocolate cake mix

1

cup water

1/2

cup vegetable oil

3

eggs

2

tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

1

bottle (1 oz) red food color (about 2 tablespoons)

Filling and Frosting

12

oz cream cheese (from two 8-oz packages), softened

1/3

cup butter or margarine, softened

1

tablespoon vanilla

9

cups powdered sugar

1

to 3 tablespoons milk

Betty Crocker® colored sugar, if desired

•Step 1
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

Step 2

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, cocoa and food color on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full). Bake and cool completely as directed on box for cupcakes.

Step 3

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting is piping consistency.

Step 4

Fit round tip (opening about 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter) in decorating bag. Spoon about 1 1/4 cups frosting into bag. Insert tip in center of 1 cupcake, about halfway down. Gently squeeze decorating bag, pulling upwards until cupcake swells slightly and filling comes to the top. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

Step 5

Fit round tip (opening about 1/2 inch in diameter) into decorating bag. Spoon remaining frosting into bag; generously pipe frosting in circular motion on top of each cupcake, leaving 1/4-inch border around edge. Top with colored sugar. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

It's great if you want to make a special dessert, or if you want to sell caupcakes, or make it for a birthday, or just if you want to cook, you can even give them as a gift!

Baking is a science, and Cooking is an Art...

Baking is how you start kids at cooking in the kitchen. It's fun whether it's baking bread or cookies. With baking, you have to be exact when it comes to ingredients.

-Sandra Lee