Chicken Sandwiches

Summer is the perfect time for sandwiches. I mean, can anyone really have too many sandwiches during the summer? Plus, there are so many sandwiches to choose from--deli, burgers, veggie, pressed sandwiches, toasted, panini, shredded barbecue sandwiches, etc. Then, of course, there is our favorite cost-efficient and versatile protein of choice--chicken.

I'm not going to include a specific recipe for chicken salad sandwiches. I think the best chicken salad sandwiches come from being creative. But, if you need some ideas...start with a base of chopped or shredded cooked chicken and mayonnaise, plain yogurt, or sour cream. Add something to give it a little kick such as yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, etc. Then add a combination of some of your favorite add-in ingredients. Here are some of my favorite add-ins: dried fruit (such as dried cranberries), fresh fruit (such as sliced grapes), toasted nuts, chopped celery, chopped dill pickles (or relish), chopped onions, sliced green onions, and your favorite spices (just a dash). Be creative! Don't forget to taste as you go so that the balance is right. I've made some super tasty chicken salad sandwiches (and tuna salad sandwiches, for that matter--just follow the same guidelines) simply by throwing in a combination of ingredients that sounded good to me and that I already had on hand.

The first sandwich recipe is a sliced spicy barbecue chicken recipe topped with melted cheese (pictured above). The second recipe is a pulled chicken sandwich that is a nice change of pace from pulled pork or beef. The third recipe is a pulled buffalo chicken sandwich. The second and third recipes both use a slow cooker which is nice because then you won't heat up your kitchen too much during the heat of the summer. The fourth recipe is a cool chicken sandwich with an Asian flair. The final sandwich is a cool, summer friendly pita sandwich.

Also, if you keep frozen chicken and buns in your freezer, any of the first three sandwich recipes are great pantry recipes. You can throw them together quickly and easily if you keep your pantry and freezer stocked!

I hope you like them (come on, you've got to at least like ONE of them!)!

Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches (pictured above)

This recipe yields slow-cooked barbecue flavor in less than an hour. The sandwiches need to be broiled at the last minute, but the rest of the menu can be made ahead of time.

Yield: 4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup canned tomato puree
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1 1/2-ounce) sandwich rolls
2 ounces Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, thinly sliced (see note below)
4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion

Directions:

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm. (See my notes below)

Remove 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 chopped chipotle chiles, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler.

Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with onion and top roll halves. Serve immediately.

CALORIES 424 (25% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.9g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 211mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.1g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 34.5g; FIBER 2.6g

Cooking Light, MAY 2005

Notes: The first time I made this, I was making it for a crowd and as a result, the pan that I was cooking the chicken in was too crowded. Because of that, the chicken took forever to cook and the water quickly evaporated before the chicken was done. The second time I made this, I simply poached the chicken by putting the chicken in a pot and covering it with water (with the cumin and garlic). This solved the problem perfectly. The chicken cooked faster and more evenly and the cumin and garlic was still infused into the chicken. I didn't think that adding more water diluted the flavor at all. It just simplified things! Also, my sweet husband went grocery shopping for me and got Pepper Jack cheese (which is the kind of cheese on the sandwich in the picture above) instead of Monterey Jack cheese. Both kinds of cheeses work well for this sandwich, so go with your preference!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

The chicken and sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat the mixture in a saucepan before serving.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (for the slow cooker version, chicken breasts, or a mix of chicken thighs and breasts can also be used)
Cooking spray

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining ingredients:

8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
16 hamburger dill chips

Directions:

Regular Version:

Prepare grill.

To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally.

Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.

Slow Cooker Version:

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Remove chicken from the slow cooker (or, if you prefer, drain the juices from the chicken and leave the chicken in the slow cooker). Stir half of the barbecue sauce into the chicken and reserve the other half of the sauce to serve with the sandwiches.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half. Top with extra barbecue sauce, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 365 (23% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 2.6g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 78mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.8g; SODIUM 877mg; PROTEIN 28.2g; FIBER 2g

Source: Cooking Light recipe found on Myrecipes.com

Notes: When I made this, I doubled the barbecue sauce so one batch was stirred into the drained chicken in the slow cooker and the other batch was used on top of the chicken when it was served on the sandwich rolls. I created the slow cooker version of this recipe because I thought it sounded great, but I simply didn't have time to do the version of the recipe as printed.

One final note: shredded meat is very freezer friendly. If you have extra shredded meat, put it in a freezer zip top bag, label it (what it is and the date you froze it) and pop it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the microwave. So easy!


Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided (Winger’s or Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce works well)
2 (1 ounce) packages dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions:

Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in ¾ of the wing sauce and 1 package of ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Mix the other ranch dressing mix with the sour cream. The ranch/sour cream mixture can be spread onto the hoagie rolls and used as a dip for carrot/celery sticks or chips. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Divinesoalce21

Notes: I made a few changes from the original recipe. Sometimes this sandwich can be pretty spicy (depending on what wing sauce you use). I have found that spreading the sandwich with a ranch spread (the sour cream/ranch dressing mixture) or blue cheese salad dressing adds just the right balance to the spiciness of the chicken. You can also add blue cheese crumbles and additional wing sauce, if you desire. This recipe is also freezer friendly (just like the pulled chicken recipe above).

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle teriyaki marinade
6 hamburger buns

Suggested Toppings (all or a combination of):

Sliced cucumbers
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Pineapple rings
Favorite cheese slices
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki marinade at least one hour or up to overnight in the fridge.

You can grill or broil the chicken breasts. If grilling, grill on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (or until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle). If broiling, broil on high heat for about 6 minutes per side (again, until juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle).

Place chicken breasts on hamburger buns and top with toppings of your choice.

Source: My mom has been making this for years. I'm not sure if she just came up with the idea or if she saw it in a recipe book.

Notes: You might want to either consider pounding the chicken breasts to flatten them prior to cooking, cutting them into chicken cutlets (slicing the breast in half prior to cooking), or thinly slicing the chicken once it has been cooked because once you add all of your toppings to the sandwich, it is one tall sandwich (and pretty difficult to eat without everything slipping out of the bun!).

Another way to keep your toppings on would be to mash the avocado (like guacamole) and spread it on the bun.

This is a great sandwich, but it is a messy one to eat! But it's too hard to exclude some fantastic toppings. And even though it's messy, it's super tasty!

Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
Bagged Caesar salad kit
Pita bread

Directions:

Cook chicken according to your own preference (you can poach it, saute it in a pan, grill it, etc.). Once the chicken is cooked, slice or cube it. You can also often find pre-cooked and sliced chicken in the refrigerated/deli section of the grocery store, if you would prefer to use that.

Prepare Caesar salad kit according to package directions. Mix in chicken.

Slice pita bread in half and open the pockets. Fill the pockets with the Caesar salad mixture and enjoy!

Source: Again, this is a recipe my mom made for us years ago. I'm not sure of its origins. The bagged salad kit is a time-saving idea, but you can also make your own Caesar salad from scratch, if you prefer.

I love Bread & Butter!

I love to make bread! It is probably my favorite thing to make. And my husband loves it too! When we were dating, I baked him a loaf of bread and he said, "Homemade bread is a very good way to say I love you!" So there you go!


Rich Dinner Rolls
These are a family holiday recipe. They were always my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, so we make them quite often for Sunday meals. We had the missionaries over for dinner once and one of the missionaries ate like six rolls! Sad for me because there were no leftovers!

1 pkg. yeast
1/4 c. warm (not hot) water
1 c. milk, scalded
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. margarine (not butter)
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
1 egg

Soften yeast in warm water. Combine milk, sugar, margarine and salt. heat to melt margarine, then cool to lukeward. Add 1/2 the flour, beat well. Beat in yeast and egg. Gradually add remaining flour. Let rise until doubled (1 1/2 - 2 hours). turn out and shape as desired. (For crescents, divide dough in half. Roll each into a circle. Spread a think layer of softened butter over. Use pizza cutter to cut into 8 equal pie shapes. Roll up into cresents. Place on ungreased pan.) Cover w/waxed paper and towel. Rise until doubled (30 - 45 min). Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.
Quick Yeast Rolls
I think these are my husbands very favorite rolls. I love to make them when I don't have time to make other rolls. They are really easy and fast! You don't even have to knead or shape or punch down the dough, so for beginners this recipe is a must try!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease 8 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix the shortening, sugar, and hot water. Allow to cool until lukewarm, and mix in the yeast until dissolved. Mix in the egg, salt, and flour. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size.
3. Divide the dough into the prepared muffin cups, and allow to rise again until doubled in size.
4. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Source: allrecipes.com

Brown Soda BreadI made this bread for St. Patty's day, and now it has become a staple. It is super easy. No yeast required! But really hearty and also very healthy too. It has a very nice rich flavor to it. Try it!
Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 11.25 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup steel-cut oats (such as McCann's)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Coat a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir just until combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert bread onto a wire rack; cool completely. Remove parchment; slice bread into 12 slices.
Source: Cooking Light Magazine March 2010

 

Above: I finally made my sister's Quick Yeast Rolls...so, I thought I would share my picture. I ended up with 12 good-sized rolls. They were soooo good. Might I suggest cutting them in half and spreading a little butter and jam on them? Or, just eat them as is. These were really yummy...and very, very easy!

Cupcakes!

On June 30, 2009, my sister got married and we did cupcakes for her reception. It was a hit. My mom went completely overboard and made something like 45 dozen cupcakes (at least 30 different kinds of cupcakes).

I didn't go quite that crazy. I only did 6 kinds of cupcakes for a grand total of 12 dozen.

How did we make so many cupcakes without them spoiling, you ask? Most baked goods are extremely freezer friendly. We baked the cupcakes, labeled them, and froze them in plastic containers. Then, we defrosted them and topped them with the appropriate frostings/toppings the night before.
I meant to post the recipes on June 30th this year...but the date got away from me!
I would like to share 5 of the 6 cupcake recipes that I made (the sixth was a snickerdoodle cupcake that was quite tasty, but nowhere near the same tasty ballpark as the other five cupcakes).

Beware though, unless you have a lot of people to share these with, you are going to eat way more than you should. We had plenty of cupcakes to feed everyone at the wedding...and to spare. We were having cupcakes for Sunday desserts for weeks afterward!

The winning cupcakes were German Chocolate Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Key Lime Pie Cupcakes, White on White Cupcakes, and Chocolate Cupcakes with Penuche Frosting.



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German Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 inch size)

1 bar (4 ounces) German's sweet chocolate (I used a bar of Dove chocolate)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

Coconut Pecan Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

To grate the chocolate, break the bar into pieces and drop them, one at a time, through the feed tube of a food processor while it is running (I simply chopped them up or you could use a blender). Or, carefully rub the chocolate bar with a hand-held coarse cheese grater, such as a Microplane (I tried that, and it took forever, hence the chopping). Set the grated chocolate aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, and the grated chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scrapin down the sides again, if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 19-22 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife and allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack for 15 minutes before frosting.

Prepare the Coconut Pecan Frosting (recipe below).

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Note: Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, unwrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver; for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Ingredients:

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 package (7 ounces, 2 1/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

Place the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened and golden brown in color, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool the frosting to room temperature before spreading, 20 minutes.

Notes: I didn't get to personally try these because they got gobbled up at the reception, but I overheard someone say that they were the best German chocolate cupcakes they had ever had.

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain Germain chocolate cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring

3 large eggs

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again, if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely (I piped mine on with a frosting bag and a large frosting tip). Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake server, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped (or white chocolate chips)

4 ounces (half an 8 ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla or peppermint extract

2-2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.

Notes: For the frosting, make it the consistency that you would like. If it is too stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk (or more, if needed). If it is too runny, add more powdered sugar (as much as you feel is needed to make it the right consistency). Also, I opted to use vanilla instead of peppermint flavoring for these cupcakes and they were fantastic.

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 large lime, scrubbed (for 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)

4 large eggs

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

Filling:

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Key Lime Juice

Marshmallow Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcacke cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Prepare the cupcake batter. With a citrus zester or fine grater, zest the lime and reserve 1 teaspoon. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over a strainer into a small bowl; you should have 2 tabspoons. Set aside. Separate 3 of the eggs, place the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks in another mixing bowl.

Add the remaining egg, cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring and lime zest and juice to the yolks. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-22 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Increase the oven heat to 450 degrees.

Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before filling.

Meanwhile, prepare filling; Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to release about 1 tablespoon filling into the cupcake. Scrape off any excess filling with a rubber spatula. Place the cooled cupcakes nearly side by side on a baking sheet.

Prepare the frosting. The original recipe called for meringue, but I stink at making meringue, so I improvised a marshmallow frosting. The recipe is below. If you're good at meringue follow these instructions. Prepare the meringue: Add the cream of tartar to the reserved egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy, 45 seconds. Add the coconut flavoring and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Continue beating on high, adding 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks (if you pull the beaters from the meringue, the meringue should extend from the beaters in straight stiff peaks). Spoon 2 tablespoons meringue onto the top of each cupcake and swirl to spread it just to the edges with a short metal spatula or spoon. Place the pan in the oven. Bake until the meringue is light nutty brown in color, 5-6 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingers. Serve at once, or allow the cupcakes to cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Note: Store these cupcakes in a cake saver at room temperature for up to 3 days (or longer if you use the marshmallow frosting. If you use the marshmallow frosting, they can be frozen as well).

Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

1 jar (7 oz) Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. (16 oz) powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. milk, divided

See note below (to make the frosting with a Key Lime Pie taste)

Directions:

Place butter, marshmallow creme and vanilla in a small bowl; beat on medium speed until well-blended. Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended.

Blend in 1 Tbsp. of the milk. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. if necessary for desired spreading consistency.

This recipe makes enough to fill and frost a 2 layer cake.

Notes: I had leftover cupcake filling (the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice mixture), so I added it to the frosting and added more powdered sugar to make sure it was the right consistency. It added just the perfect Key Lime Pie kick to the cupcakes. I wouldn't skip that step because it made the frosting sooooo yummy.

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

White on White Cupcakes

Ingredients:

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 inch size)

1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix

1 cup whole milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

3 large egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)

White chocolate curls

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the white chocolate chips in a medium-size glass mixing bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 50 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a small rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set it aside to cool slightly.

Place the cake mix, milk, oil, egg, egg whites, vanilla, and melted white chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22-24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 17-20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Garnish with a white chocolate curl. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Note: Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

White Chocolate Curls:

It's easy to make white chocolate curls if you have a 6-8 ounce bar of white chocolate and a sharp vegetable peeler. Place the white chocolate on a counter at room temperature for 1 hour to soften slightly and let it sit flat side up (the side that has no impressed designs or the name of the chocolate on it). Drag the vegetable peeler across the top of the chocolate bar (I find it easier to pull toward me). The softer the chocolate and the longer you drag the peeler, the bigger the curl. If you work with cool chocolate, you will make white chocolate shavings, which look beautiful mounded up in the center of this cupcake. Curls or shavings--it's a win-win situation.

Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3-4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if you want to make different flavors of buttercream, you can substitute 1 teaspoon almond extract or 1-2 teaspoons coconut flavoring)

Directions:

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of the milk and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add up to 1 tablespoon more milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

Notes: I didn't do the white chocolate curls since I didn't have time. Also, I like a LOT of frosting on my cupcakes and I felt like this recipe didn't make enough frosting for my tastes. I would definitely double the frosting recipe for these cupcakes. Just look at the picture and you will see that there wasn't enough frosting for these. I tried to get creative with having less frosting than desired, but I don't think my efforts were very successful!

Source: From the book entitled Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn, 2005

Chocolate Cupcakes with Penuche Filling

A layer of penuche creates frosted chocolate cupcakes reminiscent of a delicious mini layered cake.

Prep time: 40 minutes

Start to Finish: 2 hr. 10 min.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist chocolate fudge cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling and Garnish:

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 oz grated semisweet baking chocolate, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees for shiny metal pans (or 325 degrees for dark or nonstick pans). Spray bottoms only of 24 regular-size muffin cups with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Pour mixture into medium bowl; refrigerate 30 minutes or more until almost completely cool and the consistency of thick caramel ice cream topping.

Beat powdered sugar into cooled brown sugar mixture on low speed until smooth. If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in more milk (a tablespoon at a time).

Using serrated knife, cut each cupcake horizontally, being careful not to break either half. Place heaping tablespoon of filling onto each cupcake base. Replace rounded cupcake tops. Pipe or spoon remaining frosting onto cupcake tops. Garnish with grated chocolate, if desired. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes: I didn't cut the cupcakes in half. I just put all of the frosting on top. I figured it would just be an unnecessary and messy step. If the brown sugar mixture isn't set up enough before you beat in the powdered sugar, you will end up with more of a glaze...unless you add a whole lot more powdered sugar than the recipe calls for to stiffen it up.

Source: Betty Crocker website.