This is a very eazy adaptation of a cup cake that will taste as thought you made it from scratch from a Carrot Cake Box mix, that will taste home made, moist and picture perfect. Follow the directions on the box, but substitute 1/2 cup of brandy for the water you are asked to use. Add 3/4 cup of golden raisins, 1 cup of grated carrots, 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans and 1 apple grated. Follow instructions on box and mix ingredients together. I use tulip cup cake liners. They are tall and look professional. Fill liners with about 1/2 cup of batter. This recipe makes 12 beautiful cup cakes. Bake at 350 degrees using your convection oven  for 25 minutes. These cup cakes are so moist! To make the icing, just buy ready made  cream cheese icing and mix 8 oz of cream cheese into your icing, mix. Chill and pipe icing on to cup cake!!!  Yummy and very easy, plus you get your veggies in a very sweet way!

My Mom made this dish without the red wine! She was an amazing cook! I have taken her recipe and embellished it so that you can make this superb French Stew!! You can buy a 3 1/2 pound chuck roast. Either brown it whole or you can cut the meet up in 2 inch pieces. Dust meat with flour, salt and pepper. Use your heavy duty dutch oven. Brown meat in 1/8 of a cup of olive oil. Sear all sides. The main ingredients of this dish:  beef, 10 oz of sautéd  mushrooms, 3/4 pounds of pearl onions (either fresh or frozen), 3 cloves of  garlic, herbs (thyme, bay leaves & sage tied together with string),  2 cans of golden mushroom soup and 16 oz of burgundy or really any red table wine, 1 T-Salt- 2 T of pepper.  Add all ingredients to pot, cover and cook at 350 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours, maybe 3. Your senses will tell you when it’s ready. (You might add a little beef broth to the sauce if it needs to be thinned down). The aroma is unbelievable!!   I usually like to make mashed potatoes with this dish. The sauce is yummy! This is a great meal when you have company, and makes you look like a real gourmet!  Enjoy….Nancy  Oops..remove herb bundle prior to serving!

Essentials: 1 Cup Cake Pan that holds at least 6-8 Blossoms

1 Box of Phyllo Dough, 8 large fresh pealed sliced peaches or 2 cans of peach pie filling, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of toasted sliced almonds, 1/2 cup of golden raisins,  4 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of Saigon cinnamon,  1/4 cup of brandy or rum,  1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix all ingredients together, set aside.

Cut Phyllo dough into 9 inch squares that are buttered. Layer 4 squares for each Blossom. Place phyllo squares in cup cake tins one at a time. Fill phyllo squares with peach filling and pull edges together so dough covers peaches. Spray tops of Blossoms with canola or butter cooking spray!! Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of Blossom. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. This dish can be served with Vanilla Ice Cream! You can substitute peaches with cherries or apple pie filling. Regardless of what fruit you choose this dish is yummy and EAZY PEAZY!!

1 Box of Frozen pie dough (cut dough into 8 -3 1/2  inch rounds.  8 -4 inch ramekins. Bake  rounds on cookie sheet at 350 degrees until golden brown. 2 cans of apple pie filling, 1/4 cup of brandy or rum, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of golden raisins . 4 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/4 cup of pecan pieces, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of Saigon cinnamon. Mix together in large bowl.

Place rounds in bottom of ramekins, fill with 1 cup of apple filling. With left over dough cut out small hearts with 1/1/2 inch cookie cutter and place on top of mini pies. Brush with butter and sprinkle  with natural granulated sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until golden and bubbling! If you wish you can put the mini pies under the broiler to caramelize the sugar, but you must watch it very carefully so it does not burn! Serve with ice-cream !

Enjoy! They look so pretty and they are easy peazy!! Nancy

What a joy it was to visit the market in Nice! We were able to take in all of the aromas and visual beauty this market had to offer! Needless to say we bought many of the vegetables you see in this photo and made a super dinner!