S'mores Cupcakes

This week's recipe is dedicated to the most amazing group of girls I know, the Vanderbilt University Women's Cross Country team. The season began with a trip to Natchez Trace State Park where running, bonding, canoeing, and s'more-making abounded. Following three months of training, racing, and unprecedented success, the season will officially conclude with our annual team cupcake banquet. This week's recipe draws inspiration from the beginning (s'mores) and the end (cupcakes) of the season and the result is something in the middle, s'mores cupcakes. The ingredients needed for this recipe may be purchased in either Varsity Morgan or Varsity Towers. Based upon the calculated cost per serving of each ingredient, this fun take on the campfire classic will cost you $8.99 or $0.56 per cupcake. This does not include the cost of salt.

S'mores Cupcakes
Yield: 18 cupcakes
Total Cost: $8.99 (does not include cost of salt)

• cooking spray (optional)
• 13 1/2 graham cracker sheets (one sleeve, crushed, plus additional 4 1/2 sheets for garnish)
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 18  HERSHEY'S KISSES Milk Chocolates
• 18 Jet-Puffed marshmallows
• 1 1/2 HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and and spray muffin pan with cooking spray or line with baking cups. Crush a sleeve of graham crackers, either in the packaging or using a food processor, and set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat the butter for about 30 seconds or until well creamed. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating about 30 seconds for each egg.

Sift together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add about 1/4 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add some of the milk. Repeat, alternating additions of dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture, ending with the dry. Continue to mix until just combined. 

 

Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full. Unwrap chocolate pieces and press into the center of each cupcake until batter completely covers candy. Bake for 13 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven but leave the oven on.

Balance a marshmallow on top of each cupcake and carefully slide back into oven. Bake an additional 2-5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the marshmallows are soft. Remove from oven. Flatten marshmallows by pressing down with the back of a clean spoon. Allow to cool completely.

Garnish by inserting a small square of HERSHEY'S bar and a small square of graham cracker at an angle into the top of the cupcake.



Reviews
"I am so satisfied right now."
"The best s'more I've ever had."
"Oh my God. Can I have s'more?"

Vandy Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving is arguably the holiday with the most traditional food: turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, yams, bread rolls, and pies abound. My goal for this week's recipe was to make one of these dishes with ingredients from Vanderbilt University Markets. However, many of the ingredients necessary for such dishes are not available in the markets and thus I had to settle for a recipe using green beans. Without fail, every Thanksgiving dinner that I have been to has included a green bean casserole of sorts but I have never found myself to be particularly fond of this dish. Nevertheless, it simply wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it and I decided to give it one more try with this recipe. Vandy green bean casserole is slightly different than most green bean casseroles, with homemade white sauce replacing cream of mushroom soup and Wheat Thins crackers replacing the fried onion topping. It also includes bacon which may be purchased in either Varsity Morgan or Varsity towers, along with all other ingredients. Based upon the calculated cost per serving of each ingredient, my version of green bean casserole will cost you $10.07 or $1.12 per serving. Happy Thanksgiving!

Vandy Green Bean Casserole
Yield: 9 servings
Total Cost: $10.07 (does not include the cost of salt and pepper)

• 3 slices bacon (crisply cooked, crumbled)
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons parmesan cheese
• 3 (14.5 oz) cans Del Monte Fresh Cut green beans
• 48 Wheat Thins Original crackers (crushed) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon until crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Drain bacon slices on a paper towel and allow to cool. Cut into small pieces once cool.

Meanwhile, prepare white sauce by melting 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt, pepper and bacon grease. Add milk and bacon grease in and stir constantly. Increase heat to medium and cook until sauce begins to thicken and bubble. When the sauce bubbles, remove it from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese until smooth. 

Drain green beans and place in 9 x 9 glass baking dish. Pour sauce over beans. Add bacon and stir until well combined.

Crush crackers into small pieces. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and combine with crushed crackers. Spread mixture evenly over the top of the beans. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Reviews

"If I was stuck here over Thanksgiving it would probably suffice."

"Tastes like bacon."

Instant Oatmeal Packet Cookies

There is nothing better than signing in to Gmail and being greeted by an email with the subject line, "Package Arrival Notification". Yes, they haven't forgotten about me! Getting a package is great, especially when it comes complete with some sort of homemade, delectable baked good. Parents take note, including a homemade baked good, especially cookies, is sure to turn a "good" package into an "awesome" one. Packages are sometimes far and few between though and this recipe is inspired with this in mind. Next time you find yourself craving some homemade treats, don't call up Mom and put yourself through the torture of a 3-day waiting period. Instead, visit either Varsity Morgan or Varsity Towers where all of the ingredients required can be found. Based upon the calculated cost per serving of each ingredient, these cookies will cost you $6.16 or $0.41 per cookie. This does not include the cost of cooking spray or salt.

 

Instant Oatmeal Packet Cookies

Yield: 15 cookies

Total Cost: $6.16 (does not include cost of cooking spray or salt)

• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 packets Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Maple & Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and oatmeal. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add egg and maple syrup and mix thoroughly.

Beat in flour mixture until well blended. Fold in raisins and chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 15 balls, flattening each slightly before placing on cookie sheet. 

Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Reviews
"It's like, if the movie "The Incredibles" were cookies."
"I don't even know what to say. They are just so good."

Mini Apple Chai Short Stacks

One of my favorite things about fall is that there is definitely not a shortage of pumpkin spice flavored things. Pumpkin coffee? Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have it covered, hot or iced. Pumpkin frozen yogurt, why not? Not much of a frozen yogurt fan? Perhaps pumpkin cheesecake ice cream from Ben and Jerry's is more your taste. As much as I love all of these things, I do feel that there is another great fall flavor that is often overlooked in the midst of the pumpkin spice craze. The spices used in chai make it similar in taste to pumpkin and in my opinion, equally as yummy. The inspiration for this recipe is derived from chai tea latte concentrate, purchased in Nectar. With the exception of eggs, all other ingredients may be purchased at either Varsity Marketplace, Varsity Morgan, or Varsity Towers. Based upon the calculated cost per serving of each ingredient, this alternative-to-pumpkin breakfast appetizer will cost you $4.09 or per $0.41 serving. This does not include the cost of cooking spray or salt.

Mini Apple Chai Short Stacks
Yield: 10 short stacks of 3 mini pancakes, apple wedge, and 2 tablespoons apple chai syrup
Total Cost: $4.09 (does not include the cost of cooking spray or salt)
For the pancakes:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Oregon Chai chai tea latte concentrate
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 apple

For the syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup chai

Prepare the syrup by combining the sugar, apple juice, and chai in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. When the syrup begins to boil, reduce the heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes without stirring. Meanwhile, cut apple in half. Dice one half into small pieces and set aside. Cut other half into wedges. Cut wedges in half and set aside for topping. Remove syrup from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.In a separate bowl, mix together the chai, milk, vegetable oil, and egg.

Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir until mixed. Fold in the apples.

Pour batter by the tablespoonful onto a frying pan that has been heated over medium heat and sprayed with cooking spray. Cook for 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.

Stack together 3 pancakes and secure with a toothpick. Top each short stack with an apple wedge and garnish with apple chai syrup. 

Reviews
 "So appley."