Cocoa Puffs Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes

How is chocolate not considered a drug?  I mean it's truly the only thing I crave constantly yet lack self- control to resist !

Seriously it literally screams, (not calls) mi nombre every single night.  I don't understand how or why it happens all I know is that it happens.

And when the chocoltay stuff calls, I have no choice but to answer.

Believe me I've tried to resist the temptation and quietly snuggle into my bed without fufilling my semi-sweet desires

but the result is me waking up in a night sweat 3 hours later  and endulging in 3 times the amount of chocolate I originally wanted just to make up for the time my body spent deprived of it while I was sleeping.

Now, please tell me how something with so much poder (power) and control can be left so hapharzadly on every store shelf?!

If your like me and find yourself being so strong in every other area of your life

but instantly weakend by the smell of a freshly unwrapped chocolate bar

than these chocolaty Cocoa Puffs Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes are your sweetest sin!

This is a super-easy chocolate cupcake recipe that comes out moist and delicious!





                                                               Ingredients

For the Chocolate Ganache

3 tablespoons corn syrup

6 ounces heavy cream

12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

You can also use semi-sweet chocolate baking squares like these, all you have to do is microwave them on 70% power mixing every 45 secs until completely melted.

                                                                         

                                           Directions

In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.

                                                                          
                                                                          Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of flour1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup brewed coffee 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 egg
1 bag of chunk chocolate chips
1 box of Cocoa Puffs cereal

                                                                           Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients well with a mixer or wooden spoon. Sprinkle chocolate chunks over the cupcake batter. It should be brown and smooth, free of lumps.
2. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
3. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, prepare your chocolate ganache and dip the top of each cupcake until completely covered with chocolate.
4. Take a handful of chocolate Cocoa Puffs cereal and sprinkle onto each cupcake, I love to make sure there is a heaping pile so that when a bite is taken you get a mouthful of cocoa goodness!

 

 

Strawberry & Lime Jello Milkshake

Jello!.....

The super good wiggly stuff is not just for pre packaged lunch cups anymore, actually I was never really one for eating my Jello from a package.

 I am very proud to say that Jello was officially the very first thing I was allowed to cook on my very own! 

I ate so much of this stuff, well I ate half as much as I drank.

For some reason I loved to spoon drink my pre-wobbly Jello right after I added in the boiling hot water, seriously the hot sweet stuff was like soup for my soul.

If you haven't tried it like this, I do highly recommend.

I think that memories of my childhood romance with Jello sparked the idea for an official drinkable version. 

And when I finally had a sip,

it was everything that the 8 year old hot Jello sipping aficionada ever dreamed it could be! And since Jello comes in so many assortments the flavor and the flavor combos are endless!

The super bonus to this recipe, is that it can be made in 3 little pasitos (steps)


Vamos a la cocina!

                                             Ingredients

1 cup milk

1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jello, any flavor

 

( I used Strawberry, Lime Jello & Vanilla Jello Pudding)

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

for the strawberry shake you can cut up a few strawberries and blend them right in, a splash of vanilla never hurt either for the vanilla pudding shake!

 

                                                            Directions

 

Place milk and ice cream in blender. Add Jello. Blend 30 seconds.

 

Garnish your yummy milkshake with add-ons like; cherries, strawberries, whip cream & sprinkles!

The Ultimate Cake Nachos

So one of my absolute FAVORITE holidays is literally right around the corner!

 I adore it because it's the day that many of the Gringos (like me)

love everything about Mexican Food, Mexican music & Mexican culture. 

Every store have an overstock of piñatas, super grande margarita glasses & hard taco shells.

It's the one day that it's perfectly normal to ride in your car wearing a colorful sombrero fist pumping to Mariachi music ( this is jersey after all)

and I love it!

El Ultimo ( The Ultimate) Cake Nachos are absolutamente perfecto for a Cinco de Mayo party or a super cute addition as a dessert for a summer party or BBQ.

                                                   Ingredients

1 box of Dark Chocolate cake mix ( I used Duncan Hines)
your favorite buttercream or frosting like this one ( I never use can frosting, but it can be substituted)
1 bag of yellow Wilton chocolate melts
1 bag of white Wilton chocolate melts
1 bag of Swedish Fish or any red gummy candy
1 package of green sour licorice string
orange food coloring
piping bags
colorful bowl

                                                Vamos a la cocina! ( Directions)

A day or two before you bake your cake, you may want to prepare your chocolate tortilla
 chips.

For the tortilla chips

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Take 1 Oreo cookies and crunch them until they are completely crushed in a plastic ziplock bag and set aside. Combine 1/2 bag of white chocolate with 1/2 bag of yellow chocolate in medium bowl.

2. Place bowl in microwave on 70% power heating for 35 second intervals, stiring well after each interval until completely melted.

3. Once chocolate is melted it's time to add in your crushed Oreos, you will only need about a couple of sprinkles of the cookie. ( the crushed cookies just serve as the black flecks seen in real tortilla chips)

4. Once you mix in your cookies, immediately place the chocolate in the piping bag and begin piping medium sized tortilla chips right onto your waxed paper.

5. Once all tortilla chips are piped, you can place them in the freezer and prepare cake, if your not baking cake that day the tortilla chips can easily be stored in the refrigerator or a cool place in your kitchen.

6. This is also a good time to chop your Swedish Fish and green licorice. I gave them a rough chop to resemble tomatoes and jalapeños and lettuce. Set them aside

For the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, follow directions on box or cake recipe, you can either pour the batter in an 8 inch round cake pan or a jelly roll pan. I used the jelly roll pan because it was a shorter cook time and I seemed to get more cake out of it. ( I wanted my nachos to look like that had a lot of meat)

2. Once the cake is cooled, take a colorful bowl and crumble all of your cake it crumbs to resemble taco meat.

3. Take your buttercream and add a few drops of orange and yellow food coloring. ( I used about 3 orange drops and 5 yellow drops to achieve more of nacho cheese color). 

4. Place buttercream in the microwave for approx. 20 seconds until pourable. Once buttercream is colored you can either mix it directly into the cake crumbs or pour it all around. ( It all depends if you want to have a moister cake or not, the buttercream definitely soaks into the crumbs) If you are making the nachos with cheese, you need to add your chocolate tortilla chips first and pour the cheese on top of them and add a few jalapeño sprinkles.

5.If  you are going more for " El Ultimo" nachos, than it's time to add on heaping scoop of  plain white vanilla buttercream (sour cream) and sprinkle on your Swedish Fish & green licorice. You also use black licorice for olives, I am not a fan of black licorice or the smell so I didn't use it. Add your chocolate tortilla chips around the sides and in the middle to resemble "real nachos".

6. That's it!......All done a dessert that's not even hard, super cute and all dressed up for a
Fiesta!