Orange Creamsicle cake

2 3/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package orange flavored Jell-O®
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup manadarin Oranges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat sugar, gelatin and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla,  orange extract and mandarin Oranges

Mix flour and baking powder, and beat alternately with the milk into the sugar mixture.
Divide equally into three 9 inch round cake pans.
Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from pans and cool completely.


Vanilla Butter cream

1 1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

cream butter until white and fluffy
add powder sugar a little at a time until its all used up
add the vanilla

Chill in fridge for 10 min before spreading.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I believe in experimenting when cooking.  I try to do things in a different way just to see what happens.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.  Luckily, I have a patient wife who for teh most part is will to try what I bake.  Luckily I have had more hits than misses.
This recipe is a hybrid of other recipes I have seen.  Apple Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavor profiles, and I occasionally enjoy a muffin or two.
This  recipe has been tried 2 times, and both times we OK, so I am posting it with the option to revise it at anytime.  And, if anyone has any suggestions or modification, please feel free.  I love collaborative cooking.
Like I said, these came out pretty good.  Personally, I like a dense muffin and my wife likes a lighter muffin.  Since I was baking them, I went dense.  Next time I make them, I think I may add a little baking soda.  They were also very moist.  I use a grater for half the apple to get a good background flavor of apple with the cinnamon, rather than just getting it on the chunks of apple.
Oh, and one last thing.  I like to weigh my ingredients.  To me, its far more accurate.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

10 oz. flour (appx 2 cups)

2 tsp. baking powder

4 oz. sugar (appx 1/2 cup)

2 oz. brown sugar (appx 1/4 cup)

1 Tb Cinnamon (I used Penzey’s Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia)

1 6oz tub Apple Cinnamon yogurt (I used Publix brand.  You can use vanilla, I just like the extra flavor)

3 oz. melted butter

2 eggs (room temperature)

2 tsp. Pure Vanilla (Yup, Penzey's)

4-5 apples (I use whatever is on sale, but I prefer honeygolds or golden delicious)

•           Preheat the oven to 400
•      Peel the apples.  Cube half the apples and shred the rest on a grater.
•           Mix the dry ingredients (including the sugars) in a large mixing bowl.  
•           Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl.  (except the eggs)
•           Add the liquid to the dry and turn the mixer on medium for 2-3 minutes
•           Add the eggs one at a time, not adding the 2^nd until the first is no longer visible.
•           Add the apples and mix until incorporated.
•           Scoop the batter into your muffin tins (I uses papers in mine, but you don’t have to)
•           Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.  Test with a toothpick to see if they are cooked through.
•           Turn muffins out onto a towel to cool down. 

Nutella Cookies

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THEM
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 jar Nutella
1/2 tsp. vanilla (I use Penzey's)
2 eggs - room temperature
2  cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Penzey's Dutch Processes)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bag chocolate chips (I used Nestlé’s Dark Chocolate)

HOW TO MAKE THEM

Preheat oven to 350

1- Mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl
2- Cream the butter in your mixer until it turns light yellow and "fluffy".  About 2-3 minutes
Depending on how soft the butter is when you start.
3- add the Sugars and Nutella, mix for about 3 minutes
4 - Add one egg at a time (NOTE: to make the egg room temperature put them in warm water when you start making the cookies, but the time you get to them they will be the right temperature.)
5- Add the vanilla
6- Add the flour mixture to the batter, mix on low until fully combined.
7- Add the chips

On your baking sheets (I use silicone mats, they are awesome and if you bake, you must own them) coop about 2 TBS of dough (I used the "small" cookie scoop, looks like an ice cream scoop)

Bake @ 350 for 10-15 min.  Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 min and then move to Coling rack.