Filled Monster Brain Cupcakes

CAKE
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup seedless jam (any berry type)
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sucanat
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk

FILLING
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup seedless jam

FROSTING
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
food coloring

Preheat oven to 350º.  Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Microwave chocolate and jam on high for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave again for 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  You can also do this in a double boiler.  Allow to cool on counter.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  In an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Alternately add flour and milk in thirds.  Mix thoroughly.

When chocolate mixture is cool to the touch, slowly add it to the batter.  Mix well.

Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes.  Gently stir again by hand.  Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool on cooling rack.

Using an apple corer, press corer into center of cupcake about 3/4 of the way through.  Pull out "core" and eat it.  :)  Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

Whip cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form.  Add jam and gently mix in.  Fill pastry bag (or ziptop bag with corner cut off) with whipped cream mixture.  Fill cupcake holes with cream.

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and butter.  Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is a spreadable consistency.  Add desired food colorings to make "brain" color.

Fill pastry bag (or ziptop bag with corner cut off) with frosting.  Using swirly zigzags, frost the tops of the cupcakes to look like brains.

Apple Cinnamon Toast

slices of whole wheat toast
apple, sliced thin
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
butter

Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.  Place bread slices on a baking pan.  Place pan under oven broiler until lightly toasted.  Remove pan and flip slices over.  Butter each slice, top with apple slices and sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over apples.  Place back under broiler and toast until lightly toasted and sugar is lightly caramelized.

Homemade Turkey Sausage

This is fantastic!  It tastes just like pork or beef sausage, but without all the fat!  You can make it into patties or ground sausage.

2 lbs ground turkey
1 egg
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add more pepper or crushed red pepper if you like it spicy!)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours.  This is important!  It gives all the flavors time to meld and permeate the meat!

Brown sausage in a lightly greased pan and enjoy!