Chicken Marsala - Sweet Tea Cosmo - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Summer is winding down, kids will be getting on school buses and more dinners will be made in the kitchen instead of on the grill. Cyndy has made a quick, delicious Chicken Marsala for those busy days ahead. She's even supplied us with a cocktail to relax with after running the kids to and from all those football and soccer practices, a Sweet Tea Cosmo. I decided on a Chocolate Peanut Cupcake, no frosting needed for school parties, the kids are gonna love this one.! Two classic flavors in one cuppie. Sit back and enjoy the rest of the summer, it'll be a fond memory soon enough.




Cyndy made

Chicken Marsala




I had been wanting to try this kind of recipe for quite some time now but couldn't find Marsala wine. I finally found the wine when I wasn't looking for it, isn't that always the way it happens? I also read an article that Carol had sent me about the wine and it seems that there are a few different Marsala's. There is Dry and then there is Sweet. I found the sweet and was hoping my chicken wouldn't be too sweet as it's been hard enough to come up with Chicken recipes that Randall will eat. I followed the recipe but added only one thing, 1/2 tsp of Mrs Dash Garlic and Herbs and for us, that worked nicely. The flavor is rich and complex after the reduction due to the brandy in the Marsala. It had an earthy flavor. I didn't add extra salt, it was perfect as it. Made the chicken as directed, then crisped the prosciutto and removed it from the pan, sauteed the baby bella's and removed them from the pan and then made the Marsala reduction. By doing this the prosciutto stayed crisp and the bella's perfect. I love mixed textures. I placed the bella's and the prosciutto on top of the chicken and poured the reduction on top. Excellent meal and simple to prepare.



Wanna print just the recipe, click here!

Chicken Marsala
Adapted from Menshealth.com

Ingredients:


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to a uniform 1/4" thickness
1 cup flour
1 tbsp olive oil
2 oz prosciutto, sliced into thin strips
8 oz cremini mushrooms (stems trimmed), sliced (used baby Bella's)
3/4 cup marsala wine
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (used only a sprinkling)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Garlic & Herbs

Directions

Season each breast with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, add the chicken, and coat the pieces evenly, shaking off any excess flour. Heat the olive oil on medium in a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet. Add the chicken (don't overcrowd the pan; do two batches if necessary) and cook for 3 to 4 minutes a side until the breasts are golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through. Transfer them to a serving platter and keep them warm. Add more oil to the pan if needed, and saute the prosciutto for 1 to 2 minutes until it starts to crisp up. Add the mushrooms and continue sauteing until they're well browned.

Stir in the Marsala and broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Cyndy made:
Sweet Tea Cosmo




I love Sweet Tea and I treat myself to one every now and then. I was in BevMo buying wine and while wandering through the isles I spied this bottle of Sweet Tea Vodka. Okay, I don't drink much but love to play with flavors ( and taste). I do have a drink occasionally and like to serve my guests something different when I entertain. I googled sweet tea cosmo and a few suggestions were there.
One blogger said the vodka had the musky flavor of tea, I agree. I couldn't find something that appealed to me on the internet, so I followed the basic recipe for a Cosmo and switched out the triple sec for Cointreau. A splash of white cranberry juice and a splash of cointreau (instead of triple sec) and a squeeze of fresh lemon. It was so good. Only one problem, it goes down way too easy. You can even make an Arnold Palmer cocktail with this Sweet Tea Vodka by adding only lemonade to the vodka. Cool and refreshing over lots of ice on a hot day.

Caution, this is one very sweet drink! Enjoy wisely.




Wanna print just the recipe, click here!

Sweet Tea Cosmo
2 oz Sweet Tea Vodka (used Firefly)
Splash of Cointreau
generous splash of White Cranberry Juice(Ocean Spray)
squeeze of fresh lemon(about 1/2 - 1 tsp)

Fill a shaker with ice and pour in all ingredients. Shake vigorously for about a minute and then pour into Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel or lemon twist and enjoy.


Bunny made:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes



I wanted cupcakes but I didn't want to deal with frosting. I decided to check out the Hershey Site for recipes, lo and behold...there it was the cuppie of my dreams. Chocolate and peanut butter in one cupcake, delicious, moist and NO FROSTING!



The cupcakes started out with two batters, one chocolate and one peanut butter.



I took one level tablespoon of chocolate batter and put it into the cupcake liner. I put 1 level tablespoon of the peanut butter batter on top of the chocolate layer, spreading to the edges of the liner. I repeated the layers one more time, and topped with chocolate chips. I used all chocolate chips because I was out of peanut butter chips.



They baked in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes then cooled on a wire rack for 15 minutes. These are so moist and delicious!!! They're well worth the time it takes to make the layers, trust me your gonna love these!



Wanna print just the recipe, click here!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Hershey's Chocolate Site

Ingredients:

* 1-1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour
* 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil
* 1 cup water
* 1 tablespoon white vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 EGGLAND'S BEST egg
* 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
* 1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips


Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups.

2. In large bowl, mix flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add oil, water, vinegar and vanilla to flour mixture, stirring just until smooth (do not over mix).

3. In another large bowl, beat egg, cream cheese, peanut butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat until creamy.

4. Spoon 1 level tablespoon chocolate batter into each cup; evenly spread 1 level tablespoon peanut butter filling on top. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not over bake). Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or cool. 18 cupcakes.