Cinnamon-Chocolate Fudge

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chips or 2 cups bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons butter

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper large enough to extend up the sides of the pan.

In a stainless steel bowl, combine all the ingredients. Put the bowl in a saucepan of barely simmering water and mix until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Peel off parchment, cut the fudge into small pieces.

Pear Bread

From Cooks.com

I used one can of pears. I added a half-teaspoon of cardamom.

 

2 eggs
1/4 c. oil
1 c. brown sugar
2-3 pears, finely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

 

Beat eggs with oil until thick and lemon colored. Mix in sugar, pears, vanilla, and milk. Combine dry ingredients and stir into mixture. Use 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. (Bake at 375 degrees for 9 x 5 x 3 pan for 50 to 60 minutes.) Wrap well and store. Freeze 1 loaf. Freezes well.

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes

I did not have cake flour; I used all-purpose flour. I used 1 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. I put the extracts in when I mixed in the eggs. I used larger-than-standard cups. The yield was 21 cupcakes.

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes, recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
Needed: 3 cups cake flour, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 cup and 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 1/4 cups sugar, 5 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 2 cups buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
In a bowl combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. In another bowl cream together the sugar and softened butter. Stir in the eggs, until just combined. Then stir in the egg yolks too, until just combined.
Combine the flour mixture, butter mixture, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir until almost no lumps are left in the batter. But do not over mix. Fill a lined cupcake pan, fill each cup 2/3 full of batter. Bake at 350 F for 18-20 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.