The First Step

I am powerless over baking, and the amount of food in my kitchen at this time is unmanageable. So I decided to start a blog that is dedicated to baking. I know, not very original. Most of the recipes I find are on other food blogs, and I just make what appeals to me. If you are looking for something low fat or low carb, I am sorry to tell you this IS NOT the place for you. I just really started getting into this whole baking thing and since I started these are some examples of things I have made: Corn Dog Muffins, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies, Oreo-stuffed Chocolate chip cookies, Pizza Muffins, Flourless Chocolate Cookies, 6-layer Rainbow Cake, Ham Egg and Cheese Muffins, Holiday Cornbread Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Country Fried Steak and plenty of other dishes. So, ya'll can see where this blog is headed, Soul Food and Sweets. What can I say, I was born and raised in the South!

First Recipe I will post will be the Corn Dog Muffins. Really really simple, and WAYYYYY delicious, especially for tailgating. I made these before going over to my mom's house to watch an Auburn football game. (Next season, just holding on for next season.) Well my step father wouldn't let anybody else hold the plate and he promptly ate about 3/4 of them.

So Its not a great picture, this is way back when before I perfected the art of taking pictures of food I make with my phone. But OH MAN are they good.

You'll Need:

• 2 (8.5 ounce) packages corn bread mix (I prefer Jiffy, I like the sweetness of it)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar (If you do use Jiffy, or a sweet cornbread, do not add this)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 9 whole hot dogs, diced
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• ketchup, mustard, sour cream, honey mustard (for dipping)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease mini muffin tins.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cornbread mix and brown sugar. In a small bowl whisk together eggs and milk, and then stir into dry mixture until moistened. Mix in hot dogs and cheese.
3. Spoon a good Tablespoonful into muffin tins, making sure you get some hot dog in each spoonful.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pan before removing. For easy removal, cut around outsides of the muffins, then tip upside down onto a large cutting board & urge the muffins out using a knife to tap the bottoms of the muffin tins. They should slide right out.
5. Serve warm with desired dipping sauces.

I got this recipe from www.recipegirl.com  where, as you will see, I get most of my recipes.

Just so I don't get behind and cook more than I write, I'm also going to include the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies, also from www.recipegirl.com. These were amazing. Like Crack. I'm in recovery, so I hang out with a bunch of addicts, and they told me I should sell these on the streets they are so good. Now that's saying something.

You will Need:

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional (I, obviously, did not drizzle. I couldn't keep myself from just digging in.)
  
  1. Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
  2. Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  3. Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.
  4. If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

It was really, I mean REALLY, hard to let these sit in the refrigerator overnight. I definitely went the freezer route on this one. Oh, and I remember when I read this the first time I saw the brown sugar and I was like "yeah right! brown sugar in brownies?" LEAVE IT. You will be glad you did.