Ducks 'n a Row

Baking

Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

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Confessions of a Chocoholic: Yes, when I saw a picture of this decadent dessert,  it was calling my name. The moment I saw it I just had to track it down. Hey chocolate-lovers, doesn’t it look AMAZING? Well, here’s the recipe just for you (and me, too.)

Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Lava Cake recipes

This blog contains  Amazon  affiliate links. ♥

Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted
8 ounces semisweet chocolate or 8 ounces dark chocolate grated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ghiradelli dark chocolate

Premium Baking Chocolate

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Grease butter into 8 ramekin* dishes. Grease liberally so it does not stick when you have to remove it.
  • In the top of a double boiler, or your favorite melting method, melt the chocolate, and stir in the butter.
  • Pour this into a large mixing bowl.
  • Sift in the flour and sugar and whisk together with melted chocolate.
  • Add eggs and keep whisking.
  • Pour mixture into prepared ramekins.
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Do not over-baked or you will not get the special melted center.
  • Serve warm with your choice of toppings. Ice cream is my favorite, but you could also add chopped nuts, melted chocolate or frosting.

 

Chocolate lava cake

Question: What’s a “ramekin” ?  
Answer:    It is a cute little souffle dish. 

Enjoy!

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Original Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe  –  Grandmothers Kitchen Recipes.

Reprinted with permission.

Cookie Cutter Cookies – Easy Recipe

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Rolled cookie cutter cookies have to be my all-time favorite holiday treat. We see them most often served as holiday cookies in the wintertime but there are so many cookie cutter shapes and styles on the market that you can easily make them at any time of year.

Easiest most delicious cookie cutter sugar cookie recipe ever! #recipes

As a veteran sugar cookie maker, I can say that this recipe, by far,  is the simplest to make and tastiest, too. If you need to make a big supply to send with your kiddos to school for a classroom treat or serve at a party, you will really appreciate just how easy this recipe is to make. You can turn them out, dozens at a time, all day long!
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This blog contains Amazon affiliate links.❤️
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So let’s get baking:

Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter [softened]

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Best sugar cookie recipe #recipes

Gold and white sprinkles for baking #ad

Gold & White edible sprinkles for baking.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Cream together sugar and butter, in a large bowl.

Beat in eggs and vanilla extract.

Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour or more [even overnight.]

Flour your work surface.
Cut the dough in half or thirds.

Roll out a piece of dough using a rolling pin, making the dough ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Tip: Keep counters clean – easy cleanup – with silicon baking mats.

Cut shapes out of the dough using cookie cutters.

Bake them on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart, for 6 – 8 minutes until lightly golden brown on the edges. Do not over-bake.
Tip: I tend to burn cookies so I use Air-Bake Natural Cookie Sheets.
Perfect every time!

Cool.

Make all the delicious cookie cutter sugar cookies this holiday season with this EASY recipe! #cookies #holidays #recipes Share on X

Recipe adapted from The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies on All-Recipes.

Enjoy!

 

 

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Amazing Cream Cheese Pound Cake – Now My Favorite Cake Recipe Ever!

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pound cake recipe, creamcheese pound cake, poundcake, vanilla pound cake
Our son has finicky tastes. His birthday was coming up and he had no interest in regular birthday cake or even an ice cream cake. When I asked him what he wanted, he said “pound cake.” Well, I had never made one but I sure was willing to give it a try.
This blog contains Amazon affiliate links ♥
It was the perfect time of year for pound cake because all kinds of berries were in season. This cake tastes oh so good served with fresh berries and whipped cream. So, I bought some fresh, juicy ruby-red strawberries and all the makings for this pound cake. It was a hit! The secret to this amazing pound cake is the cream cheese. It adds a richness that takes it from average to perfection!
pound cake recipe

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups salted butter – room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese – room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
6 large eggs
3 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt

Nordic ware bundt pan

Nordic Ware Bundt Pan for baking  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°
Grease and flour a 10″ bundt pan.

Prepared bundt cake pan for making cream cheese pound cake #recipes

Combine the butter and cream cheese, beating on medium until well blended.

Making cream cheese pound cake #desserts

Add the sugar gradually, beating well.
Add each egg*, one at a time, and beat into the butter mixture.
Mix in vanilla.

*Tip: crack each egg into a bowl, first, just in case you break the shell. It is easier to fish a piece of shell out that way rather than having it already in the batter.
Homemade cream cheese pound cake in process

Combine salt and flour.
Add them gradually to the mixing bowl and blend well.

 

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Smooth the top using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake on 300° for 1 hour 40 minutes.

 

Cream cheese pound cake

Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
When it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Cool for 10-15 minutes then remove from pan.

 

Homemade Cream Cheese Pound Cake #recipes


And there you have it.
Delicious Cream Cheese Pound Cake!

 

Hamilton Beach electric mixer

 

This cream cheese pound cake is so rich and delicious! #foodie #recipes Share on X

 

Homemade cream cheese pound cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream #recipes

 

Enjoy!

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How To Make The Best Homemade Blueberry Muffins

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Simple tip that will make your blueberry muffins the best every time!Fresh homemade blueberry muffins are a tasty delight but how do you keep the berries from spreading their color throughout the batter when you make them? The simple solution is to use frozen blueberries.

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Frozen blueberries and not fresh? Yes. Adding frozen blueberries keeps their color from bleeding into the batter as you mix them in. Really! Whether you use fresh blueberries and then freeze them or buy them already frozen, KEEP them frozen.
parchment paper cupcake liners

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The Process …

  1. Make your batter.
  2. Take the frozen blueberries and lightly toss them in granulated sugar or a tablespoon of flour.
  3. Now, gently blend them into the batter.
  4. Spoon the batter into those muffin tins and pop them in your preheated oven right away. Each muffin will be picture perfect!

 

Baking tip for making the best blueberry muffins
Now, are you ready for the BEST blueberry muffin recipes?
This first recipe for Blueberry Buttermilk Corn Muffin by Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis is out of this world and see that she uses frozen blueberries!

Recipe=> Blueberry Buttermilk Corn Muffins
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Simple tip to make perfect blueberry muffins every time! #householdhints #tips #baking Share on X

 

Low Carb? Try this yummy Low Carb Keto Paleo Blue Berry Muffin recipe from Wholesome Yum. Remember to freeze your blueberries before you make them!

Love crumbles on top of your muffins?  30Seconds blog has an amazingBlueberry Muffin Recipe with Crumb Toppingyou are going to want to check out!

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Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Genius Brownie Holders

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Love baking brownies? They are a big favorite with any crowd. I adore classic brownies, frosted brownies and especially cheesecake brownies. But, I never sent them to school with my kids. Why? 

 

baking, tips, momlife, household hacks

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Because brownies are sticky and get little hands really messy. I was trying to be thoughtful. So, this week when one of my preschool moms sent brownies for her daughter’s birthday celebration, I was thrilled to see her genius idea.


You are going to love the simplicity of it.  She made holders by placing each individual brownie in a cupcake liner. They looked even more special and, above all, no mess! Great idea, huh? I will never hesitate to send brownies as a treat anywhere again!

 

mom tips, ideas, household hints, baking
Got any nifty little ideas? We’d love to hear about them … share them with us in the comments!

Enjoy!


Cupcakes on Parade #2

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By Sinea Pies


The Cupcakes are coming! The Cupcakes are coming!

This week’s parade features nine amazing cupcake recipes with original designs from some of the best food bloggers ever.

Each has her own flare that makes it a little bit of 
“Cupcake Heaven”
for those of us who like to look…
and stare…
and dream…
and maybe even bake and EAT cupcakes!
If you missed our first installment of Cupcakes on Parade, please stop by: Cupcakes on Parade #1
cupcakes on parade 2

This parade includes 9 wonderful posts and a bonus…red wedding cupcakes (yes, red) made by my dear daughter, Shannon.
So, let’s get started…

 

Key Lime Cupcakes
by He Married Me For My Cooking

 

So Much Better With Age made these beautiful
Spring Cupcakes
l

 

Baseball Cupcakes
Created by Worth Pinning

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
from Sweet 2 Eat Baking

 

Sewing Barefoot created these imaginative cupcakes
CUPCAKE FUN

 

Lemon Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes
by Turnips 2 Tangerines

 

 

 Best Carrot Cake Cupcake 
from So Much Better With Age

Hungry Harps presents these delicious
Mint Oreo Cupcakes

Another cupcake masterpiece from Sweet 2 Eat Baking
Cupcake Bouquet 

 

  Bonus Cupcake Photo…

 

My granddaughter, Sara, had a destination wedding. She and her husband, Bob, were married at Red Canyon, near Las Vegas. Most of us live on the other side of the country which made it too far away to attend.

So, a few weeks later, we celebrated with them at a wedding reception locally, using a Casino theme for a Las Vegasie feel. Colors: red white and black. My daughter, Shannon -mother of the bride- made these beautiful red cupcakes for the occasion. It was her very first time making cupcakes for an event. I think she did a great job!

 

You’ll want to Pin many of these photos.
Only the ones that are mine have PIN IT buttons on this page.
To pin the other cupcakes, please click on the DIRECT LINK to their websites and Pin from there!
Thanks.
♥

      
 
 
 

Lemon Meringue Pie

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how to make a lemon meringue pie
Lemon meringue pie has always been a family favorite – a special dessert that we often had on holidays. We loved it, yet, I never had the courage to try making one myself. I’d heard that meringue was difficult to make. Convinced that was true, I never even made the attempt.
Last fall, I took a pie baking class from my neighbor. Lorane is an amazing baker. So good, in fact, that she is  affectionately called “The Pie Lady.” She taught us how to make a Dutch Apple Pie and a Lemon Meringue Pie. My expectations were that the apple pie I’d make would be great but the lemon pie, not so much.
Boy, was I wrong! The lemon pie turned out so perfect that it didn’t make it past the night. My husband and I ate the whole thing. No joke!
The only glitch I ran into with this pie was carting it home. We had to bring our own saucepans and mixing bowls with us to class. I had them in a laundry basket (yes, I really do use laundry baskets to cart just about everything.) 
The apple pie was well set but the lemon pie was not cooled yet so it slide around a bit. See the edges (above?) Looks a little sloppy? You’d think I’d baked it on a ship! But, oh, did it taste great.
Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Ingredients – Lemon Pie Filling
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 1/4 cup water
4 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T. grated lemon rind
4 T. butter
Ingredients – Meringue
4 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
8 T. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions 
Lemon Pie Filling
Cook sugar, water and cornstarch in a saucepan on medium heat.
Stir gradually until mixture thickens and boils.
Boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat and pour 1/2 of the mixture into the bowl of pre-beaten egg yolks.
Add that back into the saucepan with the rest of the mixture, blend and boil 1 more minute.
Add butter, lemon juice and lemon rind.
Pour mixture into your baked pie shell and cover with meringue.
Preheat oven to 400°

Meringue
Beat eggs and cream of tartar until frothy.
Gradually Beat in sugar, a little bit at a time, continue beating until stiff and glossy.
Pile meringue on filling, seal edges and swirl.
Bake until golden brown, don’t overbake.
Cool gradually, keeping your pie away from drafts.
Slice and serve!
Assorted Pie Plates Here
 View Assorted Pie Carriers Here
Two More Great Pie Recipes:

 

                                         
 
Many thanks to Lorane Fusare, “The Pie Lady”  
Best baker and teacher ever.
Note: This author is an Amazon affiliate. Anything purchased from Amazon through Ducks ‘n a Row will result in a small commission for me. In advance, “thank you!”    … Sinea
 
 
Photo credits: 
Whole lemon meringue pie and peach pie by Sinea Pies
Slice of lemon meringue pie: Wikimedia Commons