EAT MY CUPCAKE.

chocolate and peppermint cupcakes

2011-12-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

I lost a bet in the beginning of the NFL 2011 season. Now I owe Marco cupcakes. I used whatever ingredients I had on hand. What's this: Junior Mints and chocolate. Done.

Side note: I also concocted a great tasting frosting recipe by combining chocolate buttercream and cream cheese frostings and it made a very silky and delicious topping. You should try it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. oil

1 c. water

1 tsp. peppermint extract

(yeah no eggs, isn't that awesome)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients together until moist and well blended.

2. Put in cupcake cups and add 2 Junior Mints in the middle and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

3. Frost with your favorite icing.

apple pie cupcakes

2011-12-01T20:01:00.001-08:00

After a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and friends, I was inspired to bake Apple Pie cupcakes to fit the Fall mood.

The cupcakes were apple flavored with apple sauce and cinnamon. I chose a basic cream cheese frosting and topped them with apple pie filling.

I baked 48 of these for an event and everyone enjoyed them.

Here is the basic recipe:

APPLE PIE CUPCAKES

(Yield: regular dozen)

Ingredients

2 c. of flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp table salt

3 oz (6 tbsp) butter

1 1/4 granulated sugar

2 eggs

3/4 c. of apple sauce

1 c. sour cream

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add applesauce, butter, and sour cream; beat until blended. Stir into flour mixture; mix well.

2. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Pour into cupcake pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.

3. Frost cupcakes with desired frosting and top with apple pie filling.

chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

2011-10-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have been craving peanut butter everything lately. I decided to incorporate peanut butter into a cupcake form. And what better way to do that than to combine two of the greatest flavors: chocolate and peanut butter? It's absolutely magical and delicious.

Bake your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe and then make this frosting:

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

fudge brownies with peanut butter oreos

2011-10-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, once in awhile, something comes over me and I have to bake something creative from an original recipe. In this case, it's the original fudge brownie recipe. And I decided to crush Peanut Butter Oreo cookies on top.

Simple and delicious.

FUDGE BROWNIES WITH PB OREO COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup butter
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups crushed Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
In 3-quart saucepan over very low heat, melt butter or margarine and chocolate, stirring the mixture constantly. Remove from heat, and stir the sugar into the chocolate. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Top the brownies with crushed cookies.
Bake in oven 25 to 30 minutes. Brownies are done when toothpick inserted into center come out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

marshmallow treats: the perfect recipe

2011-07-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

I simply love a good marshmallow treat. I was a marshmallow treat virgin until college. How sad was that? I've been missing out tremendously, but decided to make up for it by making them as often as I can.

I've sifted through some recipes for basic marshmallow treats. It shouldn't be that difficult, right? But one recipe called for 1/3 tablespoons of butter and another called for 1/4 (half a stick). Different recipes also called for different cups of rice cereal, too.

So I decided to experiment with the food measurements and went by this one:

Betty's Tried and True Marshmallow Treats Recipe:

Ingredients

8 cups of rice cereal (preferably Rice Krispies)
1/4 unsalted butter (half stick)
1 bag of marshmallows (I like the large ones and I like the Kraft brand)

Directions

1. Melt butter and marshmallows on low/medium heat. You don't want to burn the marshmallows nor the butter.

2. Add the cereal slowly and mix in completely.

3. With a buttered or oiled spatula, remove to 13x9 greased pan.

4. Cool and enjoy.

Took 10 minutes to make and they are awesome.

pms goodness: cheesecake brownies

2011-06-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

I have been baking. Just not a lot. Cupcakes and cookies here and there. But I haven't baked for myself until now.

I was in the mood for brownies (my go-to PMS dessert) and well, I wanted to give it an extra ooomph by adding a cheesecake element. Using Dorie's recipe, I modified it by not adding espresso (since I do not drink coffee) but used coffee extract instead.

It did take 3 hours to make the dessert. 1 hour to prepare the layers of sinful goodness (brownie batter, cheesecake batter, and sour cream frosting) and 2 hours to completely chill. But the end result was the perfect PMS dessert.

If you are in the mood for both brownies and cheesecake, make this. You won't regret it.

happy easter: bake sale lemon bars

2011-04-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Connie donated some beautiful lemons from her tree. They looked like grapefruits. I was inspired to make lemon bars from them. I've made lemon bars before, but decided to use a different recipe.

I modified the recipe slightly and used 1 cup of lemon juice and another tablespoon of flour for the filling.

After cooling, I decided that I liked the ones I made before better. It was more tangy and tart. This recipe was a bit more bland.

Either way, these were a great addition to the Easter brunch. Happy Easter, everyone!

what's new, cupcake?

2011-04-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

Pam and I signed up for What's New, Cupcake with Chef Mimi Pass last Saturday. I've taken several classes at Sur La Table and this one has been my favorite thus far.

We learned how to decorate All Cracked Up, Mum's the Word, Rubbery Ducky, and Pie cupcakes. The hands-on, interactive class was very helpful with the provided decorations and techniques.

The authors of Hello, Cupcake are back, this time with a simpler recipe cupcake book called What's New, Cupcake? I've purchased the book after taking the class. The decorating techniques were simple and fun. Even though labor intensive, it was worthwhile to see the results.

The mum cupcakes were my favorite. My neighbor's daughter, Daniella, celebrated her birthday and the mum cupcakes made her smile. Like I said, worthwhile.

cinnamon crumb coffee cake

2011-04-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

I wish you were here to smell my kitchen right now. The cinnamon aroma is intoxicating. I was inspired to bake this morning since I did absolutely NOTHING all day yesterday except watch five episodes of Tosh.0 and two movies (Book of Eli and Robin Hood) while nursing a vodka hangover.

Lovely, I know.

Here is the recipe, enjoy:

Ingredients:

    * 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
    * 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
    * 3/4 c. of sugar
    * 1/2 c. butter melted
    * 1/2 c. sour cream
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1/2 c. of almond milk
    * 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
    * 1/2 c. brown sugar
    * 2 tablespoons of butter
    * 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1. Batter: Sift 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat egg until frothy. Beat in sugar and butter until combined. Add milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture a little at a time and mix on low until combined. Do not over mix. If the batter is too stiff add a little more milk.

2. Crumb topping: Combine last 4 ingredients (make sure your butter for the topping is chilled) in a small bowl and mix together, then set aside.

3. Put 1/2 the batter in a 8x8 - inch greased pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 crumb topping over batter. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon into the batter for better flavor and extra butter for the crumb topping. Some people add nuts to the topping as well.

My favorite part about this cake: the crumb topping goodness. Mmmmm.

wizard of oz: peanut butter cupcakes

2011-03-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Lily requested peanut butter cupcakes for Ruby's birthday. At first, I suggested chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. But after further thought, I decided to go with peanut butter cupcakes and peanut butter frosting.

This was the first time I've made peanut butter cupcakes and they were delicious. I loved the simplicity of peanut butter. It wasn't too sweet or over bearing.

Lily provided the Wizard of Oz decorations which kept it colorful and thematic.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter (Skippy's Creamy - the real deal)
1/4 c. shortening
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lg. eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans or use cupcake papers. Into a large bowl measure all ingredients. Using mixer, beat ingredients at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into pans and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool before frosting. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

For the frosting (enough for 24 minis), I mixed a stick of softened butter, 3/4 c. of peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of almond milk, and 2 c. of powdered sugar.

caramel turtle brownies

2011-02-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

I enjoy making anything with caramel. Since I was in the mood to make brownies this past Presidents' Day weekend, I added caramel which brought out a different dimension to the chocolate.

These were super easy to make, especially if you have a a jar of pre-made Ghirardelli caramel. However, if you don't, caramel chews would work as well.

Caramel Turtle Brownies

Caramel layer:

4 spoonfuls or Ghirardelli

2 packages (14 ounce size) caramels - unwrapped
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

Batter:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces semi sweet chocolate - coarsely chopped
2 cups light brown sugar - packed
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of pecans

For caramel layer, use pre-made caramel OR melt caramels and evaporated milk together over low heat, stirring often (5 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat, but keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For batter, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate to melt and whisk until smooth. Cool mixture then whisk in brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, pecans, and salt.

Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Spread the caramel filling over the baked brownie layer. Spread remaining brownie layer on top. Add 4 lines of caramel on top of the batter and create swirls with a toothpick. Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes (until top is set).

Chill well (30 minutes) before cutting.

red velvet valentine cupcakes

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah I know Valentine's Day is so commercialized and often referred to as "lame". But I thoroughly enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day with Ryan. We like to have a romantic dinner followed by an amazing dessert. What follows after that is none of your business (ahem).

To keep with the Cupid spirit, I baked red velvet cupcakes for my co-workers (they constantly nag). People have often asked me for my red velvet cupcake recipe. I have made many versions of red velvet, but I particularly like the flavors of sour cream and peppermint in my mine. It gives it a kick which is pleasant and *different* from the traditional red velvet recipes.

Add it to your next batter (1 cup of sour cream for 24 cupcakes) and a 1/2 tablespoon of peppermint extract for a non-boring treat.

Happy Valentine's Day!

star wars galactic empire cupcakes

2011-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

I am a big Star Wars fan. Like HUGE. I have a Femme Trooper costume for goodness sake. I know, extremely nerdy, but oh so bad-ass.

Williams-Sonoma launched some Star Wars baking goods (cupcake set, apron, lunch box, spatula, etc.) and I thought I died and gone to Nerd Heaven. I hosted my birthday party and baked Star Wars Galactic Empire cupcakes (banana and chocolate mint flavors) because I can't imagine serving anyone else's cupcakes but my own.

Everyone loved the Star War cupcakes, especially ME, because who doesn't love seeing a Stormtrooper on a cupcake?

To get some of the Star Wars baking goodies, visit your local Williams-Sonoma.

happy holidays: eggnog cupcakes

2010-12-20T22:52:00.000-08:00

Yay! My baking mojo is finally back! I decided to host an office holiday party with eggnog and red velvet cupcakes. Since everyone was over 21, I added rum to the eggnog cupcakes and frosting to ensure a little kick.

It didn't take me that long to make these. These were fun, simple, and tasty. Everyone loved them and commented that they tasted EXACTLY like eggnog.

Here is the recipe for your baking pleasure:

Eggnog Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ cup spiced rum
1 cup eggnog
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until well blended.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full.
Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, use your basic cream cheese recipe but add a dash of rum and 3 tbsp of eggnog. Optionally, you can also sprinkle some nutmeg for an extra kick.

happy thanksgiving: bourbon chocolate pecan pie bars

2010-11-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

My BFF and I co-hosted a pre-Thanksgiving party before our trip to Southeast Asia. We wanted to eat turkey, stuffing, and mash and enjoy the holiday spirit with our friends. But don't forget the pecan pies.

Originally I wanted to make a classic pecan pie but with 20 people expected, a 9 inch round pie ain't going to cut it. So I decided to make pecan pie bars instead.

I've modified the recipe by adding 1/4 cup of this quality bourbon and Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. The combination of the bourbon and chocolate *modernized* the traditional pecan pie taste. For those who enjoy a more traditional Southern taste, I would suggest losing the chocolate chips, but please keep the bourbon! ;)

A great alternative to pecan pies and a crowd pleaser indeed.

where the heck have i been and so-so cake pictures

2010-11-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I haven't been baking as much as I should. *Should* meaning my co-workers have been complaining and I have been turning down cupcake orders from established businesses such as Apple and Google. My baking mojo was not the same.

Now, with the New Year approaching, I have switched it up. Instead of cupcakes, I baked cakes. For my BFF's birthday, I made her this pineapple coconut cake (taken with my point and shoot camera) which received rave reviews. The frosting was made with cream cheese, pudding, and whipped cream. I like the *bake in the pan* concept. It reminded me of the 1960's era, where the aproned-moms would come out into the Eichler living rooms with these cakes. One of the best cakes I've made ever.

Then for another birthday, I've made a delicious carrot cake which had rum-soaked raisins, lot of shredded carrots, and some coconut flakes.

I haven't given up on cupcakes either. Here is Lori (chocolate fanatic) enjoying her birthday triple Godiva chocolate (frosting, topping, and cupcake - all chocolate) cupcake.

So I have been baking, but not as often and not taking beautiful DSLR photos. But it was a start. I will get back on track.

liz's bday cupcakes: b52

2010-08-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Liz, my friend of 12 years, and I have reconnected through Facebook recently. Her best friends and daughter coordinated a surprise birthday party for her and amazingly enough, it worked. She was totally surprised.

For her birthday cupcake, I decided to go with the B-52 (no, not the music band or the bomber . . . it's a cocktail drink).

The cupcake itself consisted of dark chocolate, coffee liqueur, ground coffee, and a triple shot espresso vodka. I used cream cheese frosting and Bailey's as the topping. With some dark chocolate sprinkles and cheetah print liners, they were the perfect *cocktail cupcakes* for Liz.

These were consumed hastily and gone within two minutes.

A definite keeper on the cupcake menu.

msc: triple citrus cupcakes

2010-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Marthe from Culinairy Delights chose Triple Citrus Cupcakes on page 64 which was fitting for a delightful summer dessert.

Combining lime, lemon, and orange zest into the mixing bowl was intense . . . the strong citrus smells were both wonderful and overpowering. I also added lemon, lime, and orange extracts into the batter as well to infuse the citrus flavors into the cupcake.

Instead of the recommended citrus glaze, I opted for an orange zest cream cheese frosting which I felt was more appropriate for the cupcake, softening the citrus flavors. Take your basic cream cheese frosting recipe and add orange extract and top with zest.

Verdict?

The cupcake was light and nicely flavored with all three citrus fruits. Topped with an orange frosting was a good pairing, in my opinion. I definitely would recommend this recipe; especially for those who like a little *zest* in their dessert.

Thanks, Marthe for choosing a lovely summer cupcake recipe for us all!

pina colada cupcakes

2010-08-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

Every summer I throw a BBQ party for close friends. This year, the theme was tiki. We played limbo, wore colorful leis, drank mai tais, and ate pina colada cupcakes.

The cupcakes were a hit.

I added some pina colada mixer, fresh pineapples (from a blender), and three types of rum (coconut, spiced, and dark). It turned out super moist and tasted light with hints of tropical flavors.

I opted for a coconut rum cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream. It paired well with the cupcake. You basically add 1 tbsp. of the pina colada mixer into your go-to-favorite cream cheese frosting recipe for 12 standard cuppies.

Cupcake (yields 12):

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup loosely packed sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1 tbsp. of pina colada mixer
1/2 tsp each of spiced, coconut, and dark rums (taste as you add)
1/3 c. buttermilk

Then:
Preheat your oven to 350 and line one cupcake pan with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix together flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together sugar, oil and egg until smooth. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, beating until smooth. Stir in pineapple, mixer, and rums. Scoop batter into pan and bake 18-20 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.

msc: no flourless chocolate cupcakes. vanilla cupcakes instead.

2010-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't stay in the spirit of making the *assigned* flourless chocolate cupcakes chosen by Miss Fab Bella Baker because I was too occupied with baking red velvet and vanilla cupcakes for a baby shower.

Shame on me, I know.

But . . . before totally blowing off the flourless chocolate cupcakes, I glanced at Martha's recipe and I wondered how it would taste without salt. I am a fan of dense chocolate cakes so I wasn't too keen in making these. But that is the beauty of being a member of Martha Stewart Cupcake Club, you can choose to bake the assigned monthly recipe or not . . . :)

I wondered how others fared with Martha's flourless chocolate cupcake recipe. Was it good? Did it go well with ice cream like in the suggested picture on page 109? I might change my mind and make these, who knows.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my vanilla cupcakes.

happy july 4th and USA world cup cupcakes

2010-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I hosted a last-minute World Cup soccer party last weekend with a handful of friends for the USA v. Ghana game. This game was a big deal to us because the USA team finally advanced to top 16. Unfortunately, we lost to Ghana and our moods changed from happiness to pure sorrow. Hopefully, we will do better in 2014.

I baked vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting in red, white, and blue. Cute flag and star sugar decorations can be found at a cake supply store.

I had some leftovers and Ryan consumed them, claiming these were one of his favorites (remember, he doesn't like chocolate).

Coincidentally, July 4th weekend is here, so the timing cannot have been better for these cupcakes.

Go Stars and Stripes! Enjoy!

msc: strawberry cupcakes

2010-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

What better way to *almost* welcome summer than bake strawberry cupcakes? Thanks to Sherry from Sherry Starts Cooking for selecting this month's delightful recipe.

Living in California definitely has its own advantages; especially when it comes to fresh produce. When the strawberries are in season, beautiful and bountiful ripe strawberries are displayed in cardboard boxes and clear containers on our street. A few weeks ago, the farmers began to proudly showcase their wonderful strawberries and I was fortunate enough to buy a few containers.

To make my own version of the strawberry cupcakes, I modified Martha's recipe. I replaced the butter with oil, decreased the sugar by 1/4 cup, and pinkified the batter with two drops of red food coloring. For the frosting, I used cream cheese and white chocolate. I topped each cupcake with a fat half strawberry slice.

I made a dozen cupcakes and passed them out the following day to co-workers. Everyone loved the way they looked and said it was one of my best creations. Nice, right?

These were crowd pleasers and summer teasers. Love them.

msc: jumbo-filled chocolate cupcakes

2010-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jess from Cookbook Habit chose Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes on page 133 and it was all good. I've modeled these after the nostalgic Hostess cupcakes. Remember those? Oooh, so gluttonously delicious! Who could resist?

I noticed Martha's chocolate batter recipe used butter instead of oil. Most of my cupcake recipes are oil-based and I have had many dry experiences using butter, so I decided to swap out the butter for oil.

I didn't use jumbo, just standard. For the filling, I did not have marshmallow creme handy, so I melted some mini marshmallows and butter on a stove. To make it authentic, I used ganache before piping the infamous marshmallow swirl.

One bite of this . . . it was all good, but it could not compare to the original. Oh well, but they do look pretty.

twd resignation as of March 16, 2010

2010-03-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Effective as of March 16, 2010, I have officially resigned from the Tuesdays with Dorie ("TWD") baking group. I had a wonderful tenure of over a year, experimenting with different recipes and enjoying my progressive baking experiences. Alas, 2010 will be a very busy year for me. My blog will now focus primarily on cupcakes with a sprinkle of brownies, and cookies, my other favorite homemade treats.

I will always be a fan of TWD and will support the baking efforts of my TWD friends (you know who you are).

Thanks TWD for everything . . . I am a better baker because of you! xoxo

msc: lemon meringue cupcakes

2010-03-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Megan from My Baking Adventures chose Lemon Meringue Cupcakes on page 142 for the month of March. I have never added lemon curd to a a lemon cupcake recipe before. What a great idea. I used Trader Joe's lemon curd. I scaled back the cupcake and frosting recipes to make 9 cupcakes.

The Seven-Minute-Frosting was quick and easy. Instead of using the torch, I used the broiler which worked just fine in toasting the frosting.

The cupcakes had a good tang and the frosting was light and fluffy. I liked the combo. However, these are not ideal for transportation. Probably good for at-home treats.

I wouldn't mind making these again as a spring dessert.

twd: my best chocolate chip cookies

2010-02-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

Umm, don't let the title fool you. This is Dorie's best chocolate chip cookies and not mine. Kait of Kait’s Plate selected My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies on page 68 and of course I was all over that since I am a cookie fiend. Mind you, February 13-15 weekend was Lunar New Year, President's Day, and Valentine's Day all wrapped up in one burrito of family craziness, so somehow I managed to bake these on Tuesday night, hoping I can post them a day late and I did.

I wanted Dorie's recipe to beat out my favorite go-to CCC recipe. It had the basics: white and brown sugars, butter, vanilla, flour, chocolate chips, a sprinkle of salt and baking soda. But for whatever reason, Dorie's cookies did not rise that much, it was rather flat and thinned out during the baking process. I baked them for 10 minutes per tray and I was not impressed by the overall appearance. Ryan commented that the cookies looked pregnant (sheesh, I know). I mean, all the chocolate chips and nuts decided to migrate towards the center of the cookie. You decide.

Verdict?

Taste-wise, they were delicious, but I would add more chocolate chips (like 1/2 cup more). I do like my favorite go-to CCC recipe better, but again, it is a matter of personal preference.

happy fat tuesday: king cakes

2010-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was in New Orleans to watch Super Bowl XLIV and it was the best celebration on Bourbon Street to date. While I was there, I had my first taste of authentic New Orleans King Cakes at a King Cake Tasting Party, hosted by Leslie, a famous NOLA blogger. I made my own version, but it did not compare to the real deal. I loved the doughnut texture and the icing. My favorite King Cake was made by Sucre, a boutique bakery in New Orleans. It's a ring of buttery dough flavored with cinnamon and filled with cream cheese. It was so pretty with the gold and purple glittery topping. Delicious!

After meeting fabulous people and eating fabulous King Cakes, I entered a raffle and of course, won a gigantic King Cake while sporting my New Orleans Saints football jersery. Who Dat!

Thanks to Leslie for organizing a wonderful event and hoping to return to NOLA soon for another sweet treat or two.

msc tweaked: s'mores cupcakes

2010-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

This month, Mary Ann from Meet Me in the Kitchen, chose S'mores Cupcakes for the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club members to bake.

I have never made S'mores cupcakes before, but I have envisioned it to be a graham cracker cupcake with billowy torched marshmallow frosting and a mini Hershey's chocolate bar on top. Martha's recipe was different. Hers required graham flour which I did not have at home. As many of you know, I am the queen of cupcake improvisions, so I decided to add graham cracker crumbs instead.

As for the marshmallow frosting, it is the stickiest frosting in the world. My kitchen was a very sticky mess after making these. I didn't know how Martha's frosting stayed up so perky and torched in the picture. Mine deflated once I piped them so I torched them flat.

A S'mores cupcake cannot be completed without a mini Hershey's bar on top. I mean, this is supposed to be classic, right? So I skipped the ganache.

Verdict?

I liked the cinnamon and honey touch of the cupcake. The Hershey's bar and the marshmallow frosting was also the perfect combination to the overall taste of this S'mores cupcake. I would definitely make these again for a future camping trip.

twd delayed and overhauled: mardi gras king mini bundt cakes

2010-02-05T23:41:00.000-08:00

What a crazy and entertaining football 2009 season it has been for me. I have been a loyal die-hard New Orleans Saints fan for over 20 years and finally, yes finally, they made it to the Super Bowl. I am emotionally drained. There is no feeling to describe how happy and excited I am right now.

So, when Kristin of I'm Right About Everything picked Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes on pages 188 and 189, I thought I would pay tribute to New Orleans with my modern version of the New Orleans King Cake instead. What is a New Orleans King Cake? In the south, the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain. Typically, the most traditional king cake is a ring twisted bread (brioche) topped with a colorful sugar glaze. Well, I thought I would "modernize" the version by making an actual cake (not bread) but keeping the custom of hiding a small plastic baby inside one of the cakes.

I used a standard cake recipe and added festive Mardi Gras sprinkles into the batter; baked for 20 minutes using the mini bundt pan. Traditional sugar glaze soaked the tops with sliced almonds and cinnamon.

I hosted a karaoke party and served the king cakes. Of course, I was the one who had the cake with the plastic baby! Lucky me! That means I will have a good 2010 year! Which means I can bring some good luck to the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Right?!

Hope everyone enjoy the weekend and root for the Saints!

twd delayed and overhauled: cocoa-nana cupcakes

2010-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Steph of Obsessed With Baking chose Dorie’s Cocoa-Nana bread for this week’s Tuesdays With Dorie recipe. You might be wondering, it's Saturday, why did you not post on Tuesday?! I know, my excuse is too many social obligations. But hey, better late than never, my friends.

Dorie's Coca-Nana bread does sound appealing, but I was in a cupcake mood, so I modified the recipe a wee bit. OK, a lot, but trust me, it was worth the effort.

Basically, take your basic chocolate cupcake recipe, add mashed bananas (I used 2 for a dozen standard) and Pure Bourbon Vanilla extract. For frosting, I made a condensed milk chocolate glaze which was a good pairing to this cupcake. The cake itself should stand on its own.

Verdict?

Ryan and I agreed that this was a darn good chocolate cupcake with the banana addition. I may have to add this to my existing cupcake menu. Thanks, Steph, for the creative inspiration!

Now I am going to check out your cocoa-nana bread!

twd tweaked: chocolate oatmeal almost-candy bars

2010-01-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

Lillian of Confectiona’s Realm picked Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars on pages 114 and 115 for this Tuesday. The thought of oatmeal and chocolate together seemed like a great idea to me! After all, this week I am detoxing from the tequila shots, fish tacos, and endless margaritas of the Cabo birthday trip. Anything with oatmeal; my body can and will appreciate! ;)

I did modify the recipe to make it easier for me to whip up on a weeknight. I halved the recipe and I did not use raisins (ew) or peanuts for the chocolate layer, I simply used chopped walnuts. This recipe was easy to make and should be done in 25 minutes.

Verdict?

Quite tasty. It wasn't too sweet and it tasted "healthy" with the oatmeal. Ryan loved it with his follow-up comment of "it's f*cking awesome", which is the ultimate compliment to say the least. Thank you, Lillian, for this week's pick. Please check out her blog for the recipe. Perfect detox dessert after a weekend in Cabo.

Note: Tasted better the next day.

msc tweaked: coconut cupcakes

2010-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

As you are reading this, I am sipping on a margarita in Cabo, Mexico, celebrating my birthday with several girlfriends. But let us NOT forget about cupcakes! :)

Jennifer from Cinema Cupcakes chose Coconut Cupcakes on pages 28-29. I have made coconut cupcakes many, many times, using my own recipe which I think is better than Martha's.

For 24 cupcakes, I used approximately the following ingredients:

2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 c. of sugar
2 c. of flour
4 egg whites
1/2 c. oil
1 c. cream of coconut (not sure if there is a replacement for this)
1 c. coconut milk
shredded coconut

You bake for 18-22 minutes in a 350 pre heated oven and you are good to go.

Personally, I like my coconut cupcakes light and fluffy and hence I use oil and egg whites. If you like them buttery and somewhat dense, then I suggest Martha's recipe.

What do you think?!

twd revised: no cocoa-buttermilk birthday cake . . . amaretto cake with sugar amaretto glaze and slivered almonds instead

2010-01-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have been a slacker because of the busy holidays. That was my excuse. Now, I also have to deal with January birthdays. Ryan, my brothers, and my father's birthdays are all in January. And get this, so is mine! Go Capricorns!

Ryan and I celebrated his birthday this past weekend with a group of friends, going wine tasting and eating out excessively.

As some of you may recall, Ryan does not like chocolate, so as much as I would like to make the assigned Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake on pages 256 and 257, I have to appease the King of the Castle with Amaretto Cake instead.

Ingredients

1 c Butter
1 1/2 c Sugar
3 Eggs; separated
2 c Flour; (sifted)
1 ts Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
1 c Sour cream
1 ts Grated orange peel
1/2 c Chopped walnuts (optional)
2 tb Sugar
1/4 c Orange juice
1/3 c Amaretto

Instructions

Cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg yolks one at a time. Fold in beaten egg whites. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and add to batter a little at a time, alternating with sour cream. Stir until smooth. Mix in grated orange peel and walnuts (optional) and pour into buttered 9" tube pan. Bake 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix remaining sugar with orange juice and Amaretto and spoon over cake as soon as it comes out of oven. Cool before removing from pan.

The cake looked like a big fat glazed donut. I added slivered almonds on top. It was awesome!

We paired our sliced pieces with Haagen Daaz Honey Bee Vanilla Ice Cream which was the complete birthday cake combo.

Hope everyone had a good New Year start . . . stay tuned for the next birthday dessert!

twd revised: luscious cheesecake brownie

2009-12-29T23:45:00.000-08:00

I remembered when I first made my first ever cheesecake, using Dorie's Tall and Creamy Cheesecake recipe. It was so good, I made a second one on the same day. It is my top 5 all-time favorite Dorie recipes thus far.

Yay, the Tea Lady of Tea and Scones chose the Low and Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake on page 243 and funny thing was, I made the most amazing brownie cheesecake over the weekend and decided to broadcast them instead.

I adapted a Cream Cheese Brownie recipe from one of my favorite websites, Joy of Baking. I actually made chocolate cream cheese which tasted phenomenal with the brownie layer. I shared some with family and friends and everyone thought it was "rich, but oh so good". I couldn't stop eating it myself. I mean, with all the holiday goodies displayed gloriously before me, I kept going after this truly addictive cheesecake brownie.

I have been slacking around this month because I have a new guy in my life, Nigel. Isn't he a cutie?

Thanks, Tea Lady, for choosing a cheesecake recipe! Happy New Year to all!

twd revised: pecan pie cupcakes

2009-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Beth of Someone’s in the Kitchen with Brina chose My Favorite Pecan Pie on page 327 and if anyone knows, pecan pie is one of my favorite pie (third behind banana cream and second to pumpkin). I only had a few hours to spare (after 3 hellish hours of last-minute Christmas shopping), so I decided to be creative and make some pecan pie cupcakes.

Recipe as follows:

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp. of dark corn syrup

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients well and mix well.
Bake for 18 min.

Done.

I drizzled the tops of the pecan pie cupcakes with some caramel.

Verdict?

Taste was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a pecan pie in a cupcake form. I am sure your pecan pies are incredible and I cannot wait to visit your blogs!

gingerbread cupcakes part 2: redemption!

2009-12-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, after making Martha's gingerbread cupcakes, I was utterly disappointed. Another dense, muffin-like creation. Seriously people. If I wanted to make muffins, I would have purchased a muffin book, not a cupcake one.

I had to redeem myself. So after doing some research online and obtaining several recipes from friends, I was able to bake actual gingerbread cupcakes. You know, the ones that taste like heaven in your mouth: airy, moist, and full of flavor. Like a true cupcake.

Thanks to my friend, Carol, I modified this existing recipe:

Ingredients
• 4 ounces grated fresh ginger or 3 tablespoons of ground ginger
• 1 cup mild molasses
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 eggs, at room temperature

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, and cloves.
3. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then mix the hot water into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger.
4. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.
5. Spoon the batter into lined cupcake pans. Bake until toothpick comes out clean.

Notice that there is no butter in this one (compared to Martha's) and water is added.

I used simple cream cheese frosting. I found the tiniest gingermen sprinkles and topped one on each of the minis I baked for a co-worker. So cute, huh?

Verdict?

LOVED it. So happy! Redemption is a sweet thing. :)

twd overhauled and delayed: soft ginger cookies instead, please?

2009-12-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have been two weeks behind with TWD due to social obligations everywhere. Baby showers, birthday parties, and football. So I apologize for not making those yummy sables or visiting your lovely blogs lately. I will be back on track this week.

For the sables that were chosen last week, I will make them at my December 20's dessert exchange party and will post those results. As for this week, Macduff of The Lonely Sidecar chose Cafe Volcano Cookies on page 153 and as much as I wanted to make these, I glanced at the recipe and I was suddenly in the mood for soft ginger cookies instead of hard the Cafe Volcano ones. Is that bad?! Sorry! :( I was never an advocate for hard cookies. I like them chewy and soft.

The soft ginger cookies were a hit with Ryan, co-workers and myself. Not too sweet and a hint of delightful ginger.

Anyway, I am back! Will check your blogs soon . . .

msc: gingerbread cupcakes . . . really?!

2009-12-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you to one of my dearest blogging friends, Kayte from Grandma's Kitchen Table for choosing the Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cookie Cutouts on page 246. I was excited to make these since I was planning to bake gingerbread cupcakes for a coworker on Friday and I was open to new recipe ideas. I followed the instructions EXACTLY. Beat, mixed, and baked. I baked for 20 minutes.

After taking them out of the oven, I was impressed. They smelled lovely. They looked lovely. However, the tops hardened after 5 minutes and I already knew these cupcakes were doomed to FAIL upon tasting. Once again, a Martha Stewart cupcake recipe that tasted like a darn muffin. It wasn't moist at all. I knew the frosting wasn't going to save these. You can't polish a turd, right?

So I only frosted a few for pictures and I was very tempted to chuck them out of the window or throw them at at Ryan's head for turning off the Monday Night Football game. In any case, I was NOT a fan of this recipe. Not sure if others felt the same way. I am beginning to think that most of Martha Stewart's butter-based cupcake recipes (excluding the Pumpkin Patch) taste like friggin muffins. Oh well. We shall see as we bake along! :)

no twd: rosy poached pear and pistachio tart

2009-11-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

Awww, sorry Miss Lauren of I’ll Eat You, but I was hoping that this week's recipe challenge would be easy. Unfortunately, I don't have pears or pistachios lying around and the recipe does not look like it would take a commercial break to make.

Most importantly (to me), Monday Night Football is on, so this will be the first TWD challenge that I will have to skip in a very long time. Booo. :(

But I will be around to make the Sablés which Barbara of Bungalow Barbara selected for next week. I love me some butter cookies!

Happy Baking, divas!

msc bonus: applesauce spice cupcakes

2009-11-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Miss Sherry of Sherry Starts Cooking suggested a bonus round and picked Applesauce-Spice Cupcakes on page 55. I have not used applesauce in dessert recipes before, but I have heard great things about applesauce. For example, applesauce in brownies. I know, sounds weird, but it tastes fantastic!

I was looking forward to making these, especially with the recommended Brown-Sugar Cream-Cheese Frosting on page 310.

I halved the recipe and made 14 cupcakes, which was strange since the full recipe yielded 18. I replaced the butter with oil and did not change anything else. I baked it for 20 minutes and to my disappointment, the cupcakes did not turn out as moist as I would like. I added pecans and after the first bite, I thought it would have tasted better without.

Overall, not my favorite Martha Stewart cupcake recipe since it cannot beat the Pumpkin Patch taste. The applesauce was muddled and I wish the flavor was stronger. There was no balance; the spices won.

But never fear, there will be other recipes to experiment and enjoy . . .

twd: apple crisp

2009-11-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

Again, another great fall dessert, Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef selected Cran-Apple Crisps on page 422 but I am one of the few people who do not like cranberry unless it's in the form of a cosmopolitan, so I modified it to be just a plain apple crisp. Nothing fancy but oh so good.

I baked the crisp for 40 minutes until the topping turned golden and the apple juices were bubbling. The apple aroma caused me to salivate excessively as I waited for them to cool.

Verdict?

You can't beat a good apple crisp. This one was so good, even without the cranberries or raisins. I just love Fall, I think it's my favorite season so far this year. :)

Please check out Em's blog for the original recipe! Excuse me while I finish this crisp . . .

msc: candied sweet potato cupcakes

2009-11-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

The lovely Karen from Karen's Cookies, Cakes, & More chose Candied Sweet Potato Cupcakes on page 243 and I was thrilled. Since recently discovering the deliciousness of white sweet potatoes, I had another chance to make them again.

I halved the recipe and it was quite easy to make with my one-bowl-whisk-method. After mashing the sweet potatoes, I added them to the batter and baked for 20 minutes (instead of the recommended 28). They came out beautifully, especially for butter cupcakes.

For the frosting, I used marshmallow creme and toasted the pecans with maple syrup. Wow, what a winning combination. I took a bite and finished the cupcake within seconds. Very tasty, very good.

My friend, Mona and her adorable kids, Tasaria and Isiah, stopped by for Sunday brunch and they took the leftover cupcakes. They obviously liked them as well!

Please check out the other members' blogs for their take on this recipe!

twd: sugar-topped molasses spice cookies

2009-11-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pamela of Cookies with Boys for choosing the Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies on pages 76 and 77. What a great recipe for Fall and I was totally in the mood for cookies this week, too.

It was very easy to make; especially with my one-bowl whisking everything method. It worked and the results were fabulous . . . flavorful spiced beautiful cookies. I halved the recipe and decided to make 6 humongous cookies. Ryan ate two and I devoured one, so these were the remaining three.

I love the sugar-topped look, too. I think this maybe one of my favorite cookie recipes. A good break from my everyday chocolate chip cookies. Yay!

Please check out Pamela's blog for the recipe and I highly recommend you make these. Now I will check out your blogs and see what delicious treat you made for me! ;)

twd tweaked: chocolate rum cake with ganache

2009-11-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

How fitting, Ryan and I are both craving chocolate and my New Orleans Saints are playing on Monday Night. Perfect timing. Time to make some chocolate cake. I made so many cupcakes last Halloween weekend, I was ready to just have a simple chocolate cake with plain ganache frosting. OK, maybe ganache WITH rum. You have to like that!

I modified the chocolate cake recipe to include:

sour cream
rum
unsweetened cocoa powder

And I added rum to the ganache.

I did not have chestnuts lying around, so I did not add onto the cake.

Verdict?

Simple, no frills, and delicious. It was moist, flavorful, and packed with chocolate and rum wow power. I liked it a lot, but then again, I think I like rum a lot.

Yes my Saints are 7-0 and I had chocolate cake. Life is good.

Thanks, Katya of Second Dinner for choosing Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake on pages 269-272.

msc: happy halloween cupcakes

2009-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

My friend, Natasha and I hosted a Halloween party last night and I baked some cupcakes for the party. The cupcakes were easy to decorate with the help of candy i.e. gummy worms and candy corn.

Chocolate cupcake with ganache and strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting were the flavors of the night. Since we hosted the party at a lounge, the cupcakes paired well with vodka shots. Ha!

I am keeping this entry nice and short because of a massive hangover from the successful party. As some of you may know, hangovers and blogging isn't the best combo. ;)

I am looking forward to checking out everyone else's spook-tacular Halloween cupcakes . . . have a safe and great Halloween!

twd overhauled double feature: cherry-fudge brownies and cherry-fudge cupcakes

2009-10-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

I have not experimented with cherry and chocolate yet, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to do so when April of Short + Rose selected Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte on pages 284-285.

Instead of the cherry-fudge brownie torte with the mousse layer, I decided to use cherry glaze instead. The fudge brownie and cherry together was "ok". To be honest, I preferred chocolate layers filled with whipped cream and cherries instead of this brownie texture.

I then used the leftover cherry glaze for the cherry-fudge cupcakes. I added semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter with almond extract to enhance the cherry flavor. After 16 minutes in the oven, I cooled them off, and topped with extra glaze.

Verdict?

Simply delicious. Tasted like Black Forest cake in a simpler form. It tasted better the next day. The work guinea pigs will surely enjoy these.

twd overhauled: white sweet potato cupcakes

2009-10-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

I stopped by the Asian supermarket on the way home and instead of regular orange sweet potatoes (aka yams), I found white sweet potatoes. I did not know white sweet potatoes even existed. Since I planned to puree and not buy canned, I bought a few.

Biscuits or cupcakes? I decided on cupcakes so I can bring them into work with leftovers.

I steamed the white sweet potatoes for 45 minutes before mashing them up with brown sugar and buttermilk. I added a cup of the puree into a basic cupcake batter of flour, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, oil, buttermilk, light brown sugar and pumpkin spices. I also added some pecans for extra texture and flavor.

I baked them for 15 minutes and cooled for another 5 before topping them with sugar and maple syrup.

Verdict?

Wow, excellent. I mean the white sweet potatoes are sweet and wonderful. It served well as cupcakes and is a great Fall flavor. If you ever find white sweet potatoes at your market, I strongly suggest you buy some! Thank you Erin of Prudence Pennywise for choosing Sweet Potato Biscuits on page 26. If you're in the mood for some awesome biscuits instead of cupcakes, please check out her website for the recipe!

msc: pumpkin patch cupcakes

2009-10-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Eek. I am having major computer problems at home and I was unable to post this entry early today. In fact, I am posting these at work (sssshhhh!).

So, in summary, I liked these cupcakes. Very much. I made these right after my Vegas trip and they were perfect hangover cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. My friend actually inhaled 4 of these. Yes, 4.

I doubled on the cinnamon and nutmeg, added 1 teaspoon of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice, and perhaps an additional spoonful of the pumpkin puree. I like mine flavorful, especially when it comes to pumpkin.

These were delicious, light, moist, and a great Fall cupcake. Let's thank dear Kim from What the Whisk for choosing Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes on page 236. Excellent recipe! Applause!

twd tweaked: all-cinnamon crumb cupcakes

2009-10-14T00:12:00.000-07:00

I am a day late. I was recovering from a wild weekend trip in Las Vegas. I haven't had that much fun in a long time. However, the so-much-fun Vegas pictures landed me a spot in the doghouse. Oh well. Worth it though . .

My blogger good friend, Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table, chose Allspice Crumb Muffins on pages 16-17 and I had to show her my love and respect by making her selection.

As many of you know, I am a cupcake kind of gal, so I turned this recipe into cupcakes. I omitted the butter from the batter recipe and added oil instead. I checked my spice rack and unfortunately, there was no all-spice. I had to make do of cinnamon and nutmeg which smelled heavenly. In fact, Ryan commented, "Wow, honey, it smells really good in here" upon entering the kitchen (but I was still in the doghouse, boo).

I baked the cupcakes for 25 minutes (longer than my usual 20 minutes) and took them out to cool. I was very tempted to frost these, but decided the streusel was enough.

Verdict?

Glad I kept it as-is because it was very delicious. The buttery streusel topping was a keeper. The cupcakes were moist and cinnamon-fragrant. Ryan added whipped cream on his and he said they were the "bomb". Yoshi, my bulldog, was licking Ryan's half-eaten cupcake sitting on the low coffee table as he took a phone call. I didn't say a word. ;)

Thank you, Kayte for selecting this recipe. Please visit her blog for the muffins recipe!

revisited: cookies and cream cupcakes

2009-10-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan claims that my Cookies and Cream cupcakes is his all-time favorite. Unfortunately I didn't make any extras for his indulgence. Oh well. I made these once before for a birthday party but my decorating skills were a bit rusty back then (wow, almost a year ago). ;)

I made them again today for a friend with better confidence. I have to say that these guys were photogenic in black and white.

Instead of the regular vanilla buttercream frosting, I actually made vanilla cream cheese with crumbled cookies (3 cookies). It tasted awesome. I noticed most cookies and cream cupcakes were generally decorated with a whole cookie on top. I inserted them as halves and not wholes for a cleaner look.

Hopefully, Elizabeth and Kady will enjoy them on Saturday . . . as I celebrate Connie's birthday in Vegas!

twd: split-level pudding

2009-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre is truly amazing. I know everyone has their opinion about his on and off retirement, but homeboy still has an incredible arm and is a true warrior. While watching Monday Night Football, I decided to make the split-level pudding. Instead of a vanilla layer, I made a banana layer by adding banana extract. I love the fact that I was able to complete this recipe before halftime.

Verdict?

Hmm, the chocolate pudding did not need another layer. It was fine on its own. Same as the banana pudding. In fact, the banana pudding is better off with vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, and whipped cream. Mmmm, that sounds good, doesn't it?

Thank you, Garrett of Flavor of Vanilla for choosing Split Level Pudding on pages 384- 385. It was easy and fun, very Monday Night Football friendly.

msc september bonus round: banana-pecan cupcakes

2009-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

I knew this recipe would be bad-ass. I mean bananas and pecans. How can you go wrong with that combo? I halved the recipe to make 12 standard cupcakes. I did not use an electrical mixer, instead I used my reliable hands and whisked the ingredients before popping them into the oven for 20 minutes. The kitchen smelled great . . yes, like Fall.

I decided to experiment with a different type of frosting for these cupcakes: mascarpone. With some added caramel and powdered sugar, it complimented the banana-pecan cupcakes quite well. I also drizzled some pure maple syrup to sweeten the deal.

Verdict?

Wow, these were good. Ryan liked it and that is a good thing. He is now a certified cupcake tester. I ate one and I thought it was wonderfully moist, flavorful, and fragrant. So far, so good.

We have completed three recipes so far. Next up for our October 15th challenge, we have Kim from What the Whisk who chose Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes on page 236. Awesome. I can't wait to make these either! Good job, everyone and looking forward to checking out your blogs! xoxo

twd overhauled: chocolate-crunched caramel cupcakes

2009-09-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

I was cupcake inspired with this recipe. I baked chocolate cupcakes and added unsalted peanut butter in the middle. While cooling the cupcakes, I made the chocolate ganache frosting and added a tablespoon of Torani's Creme Caramel syrup.

I then dipped the chocolate cupcakes into the ganache for a beautiful frosting coat, topped with crunchy peanuts.

Verdict?

Ryan liked it and commented that it was not too overly sweet and I agreed after taking a bite. Goldilocks would have liked it this one: it was just right. Thanks to Carla of Chocolate Moosey who inspired me with her selection of the Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart on pages 355-357. For the tart recipe, please check out her blog.

twd overhauled: cottage cheese fillo-ettes

2009-09-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Cottage cheese reminds me of Greek yogurt. I often use Greek yogurt for my weekend morning parfaits. I combined fresh berries, honey, sugar, vanilla extract, and granola. It was fantastic. So, instead of the pufflets, I used fillo shells and filled them with a cottage cheese mixture of:

cottage cheese
vanilla extract
honey

With the light and flaky layers of the fillo shell and the smooth creamy cottage cheese filling, the combination was fab. I topped them with a blueberry for a good texture balance. It was not heavy and Ryan ate five before I took them away.

These are best served immediately. Thanks to Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes who selected the Cottage Cheese Pufflets, on pages 148 and 149. Yay for cottage cheese (not the ones on my thighs) in a tasty dessert treat! :)

msc tweaked: zucchini-spice muffins cupcakes

2009-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wearing my tank top and shorts, I can't bear to think of Fall and yet it comes knocking on my door. Knock. Knock. Who's there. Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes. What? Already?! What better way to embrace Fall than to bake zucchini-spice ~~muffins~~ cupcakes. Thanks to our dearest Tracey from Tracey's Culinary Adventures for picking Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes on page 44.

I purchased some wonderful zucchini at a favorite stand in Boonville. Yes, there is an actual town called Boonville in Northern California and yes, it is one of my favorite desintation spots. Ha! I halved the recipe and there was already a problem. The batter was clumpy; so I had to add another egg (2 eggs altogether for half a recipe) and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to smooth it out. I also made other modifications to the recipe:

Used Mosswood Cafe (yes, in Boonville)'s granola mix of sweet almonds, raisins, etc.
Used Trader Joe's pumpkin pie spice (which has the cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamon)

Baked for 20 minutes and noticed they domed like muffins. I removed them from the pan to cool and they felt incredibly heavy and dense; also another muffin characteristic. After topping them with cream cheese frosting, I garnished them with some zucchini.

I took a bite. Hmmm, tastes like a muffin, too. It was good and hearty, but I honestly wouldn't call them cupcakes. Did anyone else have the same texture as mine?

Ryan took a bite and didn't like it enough to finish the ~~muffin~~ cupcake. We are both into the moist cake-light cupcakes and not so much into dense ones. So, hopefully the work guinea pigs like these because I won't be making these again. :(

twd tweaked: 15 minute apple turnovers

2009-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was 5PM and I was not going to make the pastry dough tonight. I was planning to watch True Blood's season finale and lust over Eric Northman, my favorite vampire instead. I had to be creative and think quickly since I did not want to disappoint my TWD fans.

I preheated the toaster oven at 350 degrees, buttered the foiled pan, flattened two slices of whole wheat bread, added the filling (with tons of cinnamon and butter), and turned on the timer. From start to finish, my apple turnovers took 15 minutes. And guess what? They tasted AWESOME. I was impressed. I should have made some vanilla ice cream for some a la mode action.

I am sure all of your by-the-book flaky apple turnovers were delicious . . . especially with that buttery pastry dough. You guys are truly super stars. But my priority was Eric Northman and I hope you all understand. :) If any of you wonder who Eric Northman is, here is a teaser pleaser picture:

Courtesy of Truebloodguide.com

Julie of Someone’s in the Kitchen (one of my dear blogger friends) selected this week's challenge, Flaky Apple Turnovers, pages 316 and 317. Thanks for picking a wonderful recipe! Now back to True Blood.

twd tweaked: mocha chocolate souffle

2009-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I really do like dessert recipes that contain both coffee and chocolate lately. Even though Susan of She’s Becoming DoughMessTic selected Chocolate Souffle, page 406 which DID NOT include coffee, I added it anyway for an extra flavor dimension.

I tweaked a few things:

Hand whisk instead of stand mixer
2 T instant espresso coffee powder or finely ground dark roast coffee

Mine did not rise like a true souffle, but I believe that it was due to my refusal to use the Kitchen Aid mixer (I was way too lazy to clean after a long weekend of camping) and I whipped everything by hand. Ironic, I know, since Dorie pointed out that today's technology SHOULD enable us to make perfect souffles. ;)

The only way to save them was to dust confectioners' sugar and call it a night.

Verdict?

It tasted like a souffle, but too bad it did not look like one. Next time, I will use the mixer and hopefully they will make the French proud.

martha stewart's cupcakes club . . . MOVED . . . new blog!

2009-09-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

When I first decided to organize the MSC club, I was praying for 10 members and I emailed my favorite bloggers, begging and pleading for them to bake with me. Well after a few weeks, there are now 50 bakers with 50 more on a waitlist. In which case, I concluded it was a smart idea to keep the MSC club separate from my personal baking blog.

If you are a member or would like to be a member or merely curious about what we're up to, please visit the new MSC club blog at http://mscclub.blogspot.com.

Updates, additional baking challenges, pictures, etc. will be posted.

Fun stuff. Sweet stuff. Great stuff. :)

Many thanks for everyone's love and support through this group! Couldn't have done it without you! xoxo

twd: espresso cheesecake brownies

2009-09-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Oooh, brownies and cheesecake. That combo sounds deadly delicious and I was definitely looking forward to making Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell 's pick of Espresso Cheesecake Brownies, on pages 104 and 105.

It was a Monday night and my friend John was over for dinner. When the clock struck 9:30PM, I politely asked him to leave so I can bake the brownies. I know, I know. What a gracious host! ;)

The brownies and cheesecake layers were easy to make. I loved how the cheesecake layer baked; fluffy and slightly browned edges. The heavenly espresso aroma was too much to bear!

Of course, the recipe called for refrigeration for a few hours and it was close to midnight, so I left it in there overnight. This morning I made the sour cream topping and put it back into the fridge before applying make up. An hour later, I took it out and boy, it looked great!

Verdict?

I tasted the topping and strangely enough, it was yummy. I didn't expect it to work, but it did! I didn't have time to eat an entire brownie this morning but they will be consumed by friends tonight!

*UPDATE* - I tried one and it was really good. I liked the tanginess of the sour cream topping, the rich cheesecake middle and the moist brownie bottom. It does taste better the next day.

snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches

2009-08-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Carol, hosted dinner tonight and she made us delicious Vietnamese crepes and spring rolls. For dessert, I presented freshly-baked snickerdoodle cookies and my beloved cinnamon ice cream which I made on Sunday from the Perfect Scoop book. I have never made snickerdoodle cookies before and these were fantastic. Pairing them with David Lebovitz's ice cream was even better.

On another note, I recently purchased a SLR camera and these are the first pictures from my new toy. I absolutely love it! I certainly cannot wait to utilize it for future posts.

For those who would like to make these snickerdoodle cookies, here is the recipe:

snickerdoodle cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, 1 cup of sugar, and the powdered sugar until very smooth. Beat in eggs until well blended.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well-blended.

3. In a small bowl, mix remaining sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls (I used a melon scooper), then roll each in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 375 degree oven until edges of the cookies are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes.

I actually used cinnamon sugar and did not have to mix the sugar and cinnamon. It was very convenient . . . since I shall make these again. During the first few minutes of the baking, I sprinkled additional cinnamon sugar on the tops of the cookies. Love, love, love cinnamon!

twd overhauled: lime meringue cupcakes

2009-08-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

We returned late from Orange County on Sunday evening and I only had one lime in the fridge . That means no lime pie since I was too exhausted to hit the grocery store, so I present to you . . . lime meringue cupcakes!

I made the graham cracker crust and used lime zest and juice for the cupcakes. I whipped up the meringue and broiled them for 1 minute to brown them.

Verdict?

Ryan liked them. I think the cupcake itself could have used more lime flavor, so next time I will add some lime concentrate or lime gelatin. Overall, I was pleased with the results and looking forward to experimenting more with graham cracker.

For the lime pie recipe, please visit Linda of Tender Crumb, who is a friend blogger of mine. She takes beautiful pictures and can bake a mean dessert. I cannot wait to check out her lime pie. I am sure it is amazing (as always). Thanks, Linda, for choosing this week's recipe.

martha stewart cupcakes club membership - WAITLIST

2009-08-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

WOW, thanks to Cupcakes Takes the Cake, the Martha Stewart Cupcakes Club has been quite popular!

Mad props and much cupcake love goes out to the 34 bakers who have baked our first challenge this month, Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes. Please check out their cupcakes on the blog roll (right side bar).

Currently we have 50 AWESOME members. There is now a waitlist.

TO QUALIFY FOR MEMBERSHIP:

You must already own the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book or have possession of the book before September 15 (in time for the next challenge).

then . . .

EMAIL me at betty@eatmycupcake.com with the following:

(1) Your Email Address; and
(2) Your blog's URL.

Yes, simple as that. You'll be on the waitlist, but hopefully not for long.

There will be additional openings once I get things under control administratively. Please PLEASE bear with me. :)

Thank you again for your interest!

Lots of cupcake love,
Sugar B

twd overhauled: applesauce spice cupcakes w/ cinnamon frosting

2009-08-17T22:09:00.001-07:00

I didn't see applesauce spice bars as being too simple or too old-fashioned. They just needed a modern twist so I converted them into cupcakes. :) I couldn't resist!

For the cake, I used the following:

1/2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. of butter
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
apple pie filling instead of apple sauce

I decided not to use raisins and nuts.

For the frosting, I made cinnamon cream cheese frosting which I thought would pair well with the applesauce and spice flavors.

Verdict?

WOW, it was so good. Ryan loved it. It tasted like apple pie inside a cupcake! For the recipe, please check out Something Sweet by Karen.

MSC: Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cupcakes

2009-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

How exciting, people! Our first recipe bake-along for Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club! As the coordinator of the club, I had the liberty to choose the first recipe. . . Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cupcakes on page 148. Doesn't that sound good? Everything about it looked appealing, so it was an obvious choice for me.

The original recipe yielded 56 minis, but I cut it back to make 12 standard cupcakes (a half cup less here and there) and halved the Dark Frosting as well. The cupcakes baked perfectly at 15 minutes and I cooled it for 10.

Using a paring knife, I cut a cone-shaped piece from each cupcake and spooned 2 teaspoons of the caramel with a pinch of the sea salt. Because I made standard cupcakes, the caramel would disappear quickly, and never to reappear again as it soaked throughout the cupcake. Note to self, this would work better with minis and not standards. Ha!

I made the Dark Frosting and it was nice and shiny. I piped and garnished with the sea salt. You can't see it here since it "melted" into the frosting.

Verdict?

I liked it, it was different with the caramel and the salt. Ryan, on the other hand, commented that it was "too rich" and did not take another bite. He is chocolate fighter, not a chocolate lover. I will pass these along to the guinea pigs at work.

THANK YOU for baking along with me this month!

Please visit other MSC members' blogs and kindly provide feedback - the blog roll is on the right side of this page. Any questions, please e-mail.

SEPTEMBER'S CUPCAKE SELECTION: Tracey from Tracey's Culinary Adventures selected Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes on pages 44-45 for September 15th's posting.

twd tweaked: mint brownie bites

2009-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Perfect timing. Our Home Owner's Association was throwing the annual summer potluck at our community pool on Sunday. Aha, what about potluck brownie bites, thanks to Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen who selected this week's recipe. I also have a box of fresh Junior Mints on hand, let's make Mint Brownie Bites. The recipe was easy enough to follow, I added a Junior Mint into each cupcake liner and one teaspoon of peppermint extract in the batter. Voila, Mint Brownie Bites!

At the potluck, we were the youngest folk there. Our complex should be a retirement community, but who is complaining. It's quiet and serene here. The potluck dessert spread? Betty Crocker cupcakes and boxed brownies. I felt queasy, placing the treasured brownie bites next to them. After five minutes staring at cheese logs and crackers, Ryan tapped me on the shoulder. We were leaving. I didn't blame him. I grabbed the brownie bites and off we went.

We ate some at home.

Verdict?

Nice crusty top and ooey gooey in the middle. Ryan and I liked them. I always made brownies in a square pan, so this was something different for me. It was like a cupcake brownie. I like that concept. I might add this to the dessert menu.

The leftovers are going to the office guinea pigs on Monday . . . life is good.

coconut milk cupcakes with toasted coconut cream cheese frosting

2009-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

I hosted a party on Friday night and presented my coconut cupcake creations. I did plenty of research for a good coconut recipe. Many recipes called for coconut cream, but I wanted to balance the cream with my Thai coconut milk which is wonderful for making cakes, candies, ice cream, curries, etc. My mother often use coconut milk in her desserts and I wanted to reminisce the flavor by incorporating the milk into my cupcakes.

So, my recipe is basically this:

egg whites (I like it fluffy and white)
oil
cream of coconut
coconut milk
toasted sweetened coconut flakes (for the batter and topping)

I also used the milk for the cream cheese frosting which turned out fantastic. I decided to keep it simple and didn't dome them as coconut snowballs. Overall, a good coconut cupcake that my mom would be proud.

happy bday viktor: cars cupcakes!

2009-08-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

No one shows their appreciation for cupcakes more so than delightful 2 year olds and their parents at a birthday party. I volunteered to make chocolate and snickerdoodle cupcakes for Slavka's two year adorable son, Viktor. Viktok loves the Disney's movie, Cars, so we decided to decorate the cupcakes with bright red frosting topped with itty bity toy cars and blue sprinkles to match the theme.

The cupcakes were a big hit and Slavka gave me a bottle of Grey Goose (my alcoholic beverage of choice) with a picture of Viktor's appreciative smile, his mouth smeared with red frosting and his small hand holding the remainder of his chocolate cupcake. It made me laugh. It reassured me that my baking does make a difference and that in turn, makes it so enjoyable in the end.

twd overhauled: classic banana bundt cake

2009-08-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was ecstatic about this week's TWD banana cake recipe. I friggin love bananas. Banana cake, banana bread, banana pudding, banana ice cream, etc. You get the point. I have been trying to master the banana cake for over a year and I am darn confident that my banana cake is quite good. However, I am always open to other possibilities.

Don't laugh but I do not own a bundt cake. Sooooo . . . I tweaked the recipe to convert them into what else . . . cupcakes. I halved the recipe and added the following:

plain yogurt
cinnamon
banana extract
topped with cream cheese Amaretto frosting (doesn't the swirl remind you of a soft-serve cone)

Verdict?

Yes, dense, moist and I think improved with the cinnamon and extract. The frosting kept it super moist for 2 days before they were consumed hastily by Ryan and friends.

Thank you to one of my favorite bloggers, Mary of The Food Librarian. She takes the best food photos ever and she knows a thing or two about baking. Please check out her blog for the recipe.

twd: vanilla ice cream

2009-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

YAY! Lynne of Cafe Lynny Lu picked ice cream this week! Better yet, vanilla ice cream. How divine and summery is that?! I froze the ice cream bowl for 36 hours before taking it out and making this creamy treat. Instead of modifying the recipe (which as you know, I usually do), I decided to stick to the task and make it as-is.

It was so easy to make, especially with 5 main ingredients: heavy cream, milk, vanilla, egg yolks, and sugar. I allowed the vanilla to seep for half an hour in the milk and cream and used a thermometer for instant-reads.

I churned-baby-churned for 45 minutes before packing the ice cream into a container and freezing it for 2 hours. It was served for Sunday's dessert with the banana cake and WOOO-WEEEEE it was delicious!

I haven't made David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream from The Perfect Scoop yet to compare, but I think THIS ONE is a winner. It is a great base for other playing-around flavors. Cinnamon? Honey? Mint Choco? The possibilities are endless . . . thanks, Dorie for another delicious recipe!

very chocolate and banana cupcakes

2009-07-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

I was excited upon receiving Natasha and Steph's 10th year anniversary letter pressed invitation that of course I volunteered to bake cupcakes. Well instead of flavor requests, Natasha remarked that she would like them to match the party's theme: black, white, and yellow, similiar to the invitation.

Naturally, I thought of banana and chocolate. For the banana cuppies, I added cinnamon and used two large ripened bananas which kept them moist. As for the chocolate cuppies, I added sour cream and semisweet chocolate chips. I had to refridgerate them overnight because I made them the night before (Thursday) which caused the chocolate ones to be on the slightly dry side.

I always assume everyone loves chocolate, but the banana was the winner at the party. Not one left.

Happy Anniversary to my dear friends, Natasha and Steph! Many good years to come! xoxo

happy bday grace: snickerdoodle cupcakes

2009-07-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Grace hosted a folding chinese dumpling birthday party and I was so there. I volunteered to bake her cupcakes and she requested snickerdoodle. Amazingly enough, I have not made snickerdoodle. It was my first snickerdoodle experiment. The name makes me giggle. After some research, I realized they were simply cinnamon cupcakes.

snickerdoodle cupcakes (yields 12 cupcakes or 24 minis)

cupcake

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c. melted butter (1 stick)

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar (250 g)

2 eggs, room temp.

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 almond extract

3/4 c. whole milk (Drink Clover!)

cinnamon cream cheese frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven at 350.
Whisk first four dry ingredients, make sure there are no clumps.
Combine remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl before mixing in with dry ingredients.
Pour batter into liners and bake for 20-25 min.

For the frosting, I don't like it too sweet, so I only add 1 c. of powdered sugar. Feel free to add more sugar to your personal liking. Combine all ingredients in a mixer and pipe. Don't forget to enjoy.

twd major overhauled: raspberry blanc-manger is now strawberry gelatin

2009-07-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Blanc-manger? Say what? Dorie was right about being skeptical about that name because I am one of those people who did not make it BUT I did use the same elements of the recipe and made it into summer gelatin instead. Come on, everyone loves Jello, right?

Here are the conversions from blanc-manger to gelatin:

heavy cream = whipped cream for topping
unflavored gelatin = stawberry-flavored Jello
1 cup of raspberries = 1 cup of strawberries

So you see, I made it . . . just differently. :) And trust me, when it's 100 degrees outside, strawberry Jello is darn good. Plus, not too many calories. You can't go wrong.

Thanks to Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy for selecting this week's recipe on pages 398-399.

martha stewart's cupcakes book and what to really do with it

2009-07-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE* August 17, 2009 - Taking additional members. Up to 50. After that, there is a waitlist. Please email me your name and blog's URL. Will send out welcome email this week if you are confirmed.

*UPDATE* August 10, 2009 - Sorry, I cannot take anymore memberships.

*UPDATE* August 1, 2009 - Today I sent an email with rules and the first bake along recipe for August 15. If you did not receive this email, please let me know. I need your email address as well as your blog's URL in order to activate your membership.

*UPDATE* July 19, 2009 - So far, 20 or so bloggers are interested and that is more than I anticipated. AWESOME people! I am really really excited. Since most people requested monthly, it shall be monthly. The 15th of each month. Our first cupcake bake-along is scheduled for August 15. I will send out an email with details and general rules by August 1st, so you will some time to prepare accordingly. Again, if you are interested, please leave comment here or email me. I am collecting your info and adding you to the blog roll. Take care and looking foward to baking with you divas.

***********************************************************************

I received Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book when it was first released in early June and I figured I would bake every recipe . . . eventually SOME DAY. Well, 4 weeks passed and I have not baked one single recipe from her book. I need to make more of an effort, doncha think?!

With this in mind, I welcome and invite you cupcake lovers to join me in this cupcake baking venture and bake with me from Martha's book on a monthly basis, we shall post and share our cupcake results.

I know you have your SMS, TWD, and DB's out there, but hopefully you can squeeze in a cupcake project, too. :)

It will be fun. If you are interested, please contact me via comment or email and will add you to the blog roll.

If I get 10 or more bloggers, I will initiate and manage the Martha Stewart's Cupcake (aka MSC) monthly group.

Buy the book, check it out, and share your ideas and thoughts.

I will notify for those who are interested before August 1st.

Much Cupcake Love,

Sugar B

twd overhauled: brioche plum tart

2009-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, desirable brioche. How I would love to make thee. But due to time constraints (2 hours on a Monday night to be exact), I modified the recipe and turned it into a "rustic plum tart" instead.

For the crust, I used the following:

1 1/4 c. of flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. cold butter
3 tbsp of cold water

For the plum filling, I didn't have plum jam so I had to substitute. I didn't use walnuts either. I added the following:

9 plums
6 tbsp of sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 egg (to glaze crust)
1/4 c. apricot preserves

Instead of a tart pan, I made it "rustic" by folding the dough border toward the center. It looked like a dough nest filled with beautiful ripe plums.

Verdict?

It was very good and I will make again for a last-minute dessert with friends. If I had more time, I would have made the brioche instead . . . and there is always a next time, so never fear.

Thanks to Denise of Chez Us for picking the Brioche Plum Tart recipe on pages 54-55. A great summer dessert indeed.

twd: tribute-to-katharine-hepburn brownies

2009-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I wasn't expecting July 4th fireworks with a brownie recipe. But Katherine Hepburn proved me wrong when I made these over the July 4th weekend. Thanks to the lovely Lisa of Surviving Oz, our TWD logo contest winner, who picked this recipe on pages 96-97.

I don't like nuts in my brownies, so I omitted them from the recipe. The brownies were quite easy to make. With 2 teaspoons of ground instant coffee and 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (I topped them instead), they came out excellent.

Verdict?

Soft, gooey, and thin. Awesome brownie goodness. I think this is my go-to brownie recipe going forward. They were that good. The cinnamon added a great subtle overall flavor. What a wonderful secret!

Katharine Hepburn . . . is bad-ass for many reasons. This is one of them.

lemon sour cream pound cake

2009-07-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

I baked this in hopes of serving it to my July 5th Party guests (because I am patriotic like that), topped with ripe strawberries and whipped cream. Alas, I was too busy hosting that I only served one plate. The rest, well, went to the work guinea pigs the following day.

I was raised on Sara Lee's frozen pound cake and the look and smell of this pound cake reminded me of it. I added lemon juice and zest but you can simply make this as a simple pound cake. I strongly suggest baking it for 50 minutes instead of an hour to ensure moistness.

lemon sour cream pound cake

ingredients

1 1/2 c. of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sour cream

3 eggs

1 pinch of baking soda

juice of one lemon (optional)

lemon zest (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 8x4 loaf pan.
2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, and zest.
3. Add flour and baking soda. Mix well. Pour into loaf pan.
4. Bake for 50 min.

twd overhauled: perfect party CUPCAKE

2009-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help it. I mean, the recipe was just screaming out CUPCAKE! I am so glad my dearest blog friend, Carol from mix, mix, stir, stir chose this week's recipe named Perfect Party Cake on pages 250-252.

I actually didn't change the recipe except the following:

used guava preserves
halved the recipe for 12 standard cupcakes

The cake was not that difficult to make. It took three different steps: (1) Bake cake, (2) Make buttercream frosting, and (3) Prepare filling.

After 20 minutes in the oven, the cupcakes turned out well and fragrant with the added lemon. I stirred and warmed the guava spread before filling them with Wilton's #230 tip. Then I frosted them with the lemony buttercream and added sweetened shredded coconut. So, as you see, all the basic recipe components and ingredients were there . . . but how did it taste?

Verdict?

Loved the cake and the guava filling, but believed the cupcakes would have tasted better with coconut cream frosting. The cake was moist, fragrant, and beautiful in color. I would so make the cake again. In fact, I bookmarked the page! Thanks, Dorie for this recipe!

twd overhauled: coconut-almond pineapple CUPCAKE

2009-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest . . . I had too many social obligations this weekend that I was unable to make the dacquoise. I skimmed through the recipe and realized that I had to bake the meringue for 3 hours, rotating the sheets, etc. It wasn't going to happen.

But I love baking with the TWDers, they are my friends, so I had to bake something rather than nothing . . . and hence, cupcakes here I come.

I wanted to make something that had the elements of coconut, almond, and pineapple . . . hmm . . I added shredded coconut, chopped silvered almonds into the cupcake batter and used oil, not butter. I baked it for 15 minutes (that saved me plenty of time) and made pineapple frosting.

ALL DONE in 30 minutes. I gave some to Dad for Father's Day and he enjoyed them.

Taste verdict?

Even though it will and cannot compare itself to a true fancy dacquoise, I thought it was a good attempt anyway. The combinations of the coconut and almond was very good. The pineapple touch gave it a good sweet tang. My family ate theirs with strawberry ice cream . . to each his own!

I commend those who spent the time and care to make these and I cannot wait to check them out!

Thank you, Andrea from Andrea in the Kitchen for picking this week's recipe. Please check out her blog for the recipe. Happy Baking!

berry creamy strawberry ice cream

2009-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I support my local farms and community by becoming a member of Two Small Farms. They provide farm fresh seasonal produce on a weekly basis. They save me a trip to the Farmer's Market and their organic goodies are unbeatable.

For the past several weeks, I have been blessed with beautiful sweet strawberries. For Father's Day, I decided to make strawberry ice cream with them. I used a simple recipe, adapted from Eating Out Loud's Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream (thank you ALLEN), and the results were AMAZING.

After 30 minutes of churning and a few hours in the freezer, the dessert came out wonderfully and exceeded my expectations. By using organic and fresh ingredients, you will experience a big difference in quality of taste. You can't go back to commercial ice cream! ;)

Hope you make this . . . and please enjoy!

happy bday cindy: strawberry-banana cupcakes

2009-06-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I baked cupcakes so I was excited to make them for Cindy's dirty thirty birthday party. She requested "fruit" and since strawberries are in season, I was planning to make strawberry cupcakes. Then I saw a ripe banana on the counter and changed my mind. Strawberry-banana!

I liked and adapted Vanilla Garlic's recipe. I am a fan of light and moist cupcakes, so I have been using oil instead of butter in most of my cupcake recipes. But recipes containing chocolate, I use butter for better flavor and density.

Aftering making these and topping them off with strawberry cream cheese frosting, I have to say, DELICIOUS. Top 10 cupcake flavors for sure and a great summer dessert!

twd tweaked: honey-aprium ice cream

2009-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to play around with this week's assignment, Honey-Peach Ice Cream on pages 436-437, chosen by Tommi from Brown Interior. I bought 4 ripe peaches but Ryan ate two secretly, so I had to resort to using leftover apriums (hybrid of plum and apricot) which did the trick just fine.

I love making ice cream . . egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, milk, and BAM . . . you have yourself ice cream, folks. I blanched the apriums to make them easier to peel. The apriums had more of a distinct orange color and the ice cream turned out beautifully. The vivid orange reminded me of my mango sorbet I made last year.

Verdict?

Not my favorite ice cream flavor. Remember the Blueberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream? That tasted better IMO.

However, it was a great starter for the approaching summer. I cannot wait to make more ice cream! Thanks, Tommi, for introducing us to an early summer!

twd: parisian apple tartlet

2009-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

I finally lost the weight I gained from vacation. I should now reward myself with an apple tartlet! Whoo hoo!

Since I can't bring these to work, I modified the recipe for 2 persons. I had some leftover puff pastry in the freezer and used my one Fuji apple.

Instead of cutting the apple into chunks, I cut them into small pieces and tossed them in a bowl with brown sugar and butter. I centered the apple pieces and wrapped the pastry around them and added a cinnamon crumble with oats on top. The tartlets baked nicely for 25 minutes.

I figured ice cream or whipped cream would taste great with these tartlets.

Verdict?

It reminded me of a lovely apple pie . . so instead of Parisian, I think I made it American with the cinnamon crumble and ice cream pairing! ;) Either way, it was delicious and I will make again.

Thank you, Jessica of My Baking Heart for choosing this recipe. If you want to check it out, please visit her blog.

tart class and baking divas: sweet and savory

2009-06-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Once again, Mara and I took a another baking class at Sur La Table, this time we wanted to conquer tarts! The sweet and savory kinds . . . and conquer we both did. I don't know, but for whatever reason, every time Mara and I are together, none of the other classmates want to join us. So we always end up with our own table, project, and instructor. It is actually quite satisfying. We were tasked of making the Roasted Red Pepper and Poblano Quiche adapted from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

We made the very easy cheddar cheese pie crust before adding the quiche ingredients. It was simply delicious. It was so good, I made it again the following day for my tapas party and it was consumed within minutes. Yay for quiche!

Mara and I also enjoyed the instructor's premade Honey and Pine Nut Tart which we swore we'll make for this year's Thanksgiving. It tastes better than pecan pie! Overall, it was a great class and we were thrilled by the baking results and experience.

twd tweaked: cinnamon squares

2009-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have finally readjusted from our Barcelona and Lisbon trip. No more jet lag and thoughts of relocation. We have accepted our fates as we slave away at our corporate jobs on Monday morning. SIGHS.

At least I have TWD to look forward to . . . and thanks to one of my favorite food bloggers in the whole wide world, Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures, I will bake cinnamon squares on page 210.

I tweaked the recipe a bit . . ok, maybe a lot, but I still stayed within the lines.

No espresso powder, dipped the cooled cake in Kahlua coffee syrup instead
No chocolate frosting, paired it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, Kahlua syrup, and Hershey's cinnamon chips instead
Used McCormick's cinnamon sugar into batter and skipped the layer of chocolate

I baked the cake for 40 minutes and then cooled it for 15. The top was slightly hard and if you did not use parchment paper for the pan, you'd be stuck with a sticky bottomed cake. Thankfully, mine came out fine.

Verdict?

It wasn't the moistest or best cinnamon cake I have ever had, but it was decent. Maybe it would have tasted better with the layered chocolate with chocolate frosting, but I personally preferred the creamy and refreshing ice cream accompaniment.

I am definitely curious how others fared with this one . . .

barcelona and lisbon: how sweet it was!

2009-05-29T20:45:00.001-07:00

We just returned from an amazing vacation in Barcelona and Lisbon . . . and due to my sweet tooth, we visited the chocolate shops, bakeries, and even a dessert restaurant! It was truly grand and no words can express the real delights of experiencing the sweetness of these two great cities.

Let's start with Barcelona's fresh churros and the best hot chocolate in the world. The churros are not as sweet as in the States and you can eat them with regular sugar or honey. The correct way to eat them was to dip them into your hot chocolate which tasted like thick pudding (so darn good).

We actually did our own churro and hot chocolate tour and witnessed the process of making these friendly fried doughy goodness.

We stopped by a chocolate store and had a chocolate tasting menu called "quatre sentits de xocolata". It was insanely fabulous. We tried four different chocolates from around the world. Check it out:

To conclude our sweet tour in Barcelona, we had a dessert dinner and wine pairings. . . yes, a dessert dinner at Espai Sucre. It was an incredible experience. The meals had dessert elements and the wines were fantastic.

As for Lisbon, I loved the pastries. The Portuguese like to keep their desserts simple and good. Their custard tarts and doughnuts are to-die-for. No joke. We frequented many bakeries (they were everywhere) and ordered various sweet treats. The breads were also killer. How do they do it? I don't know . . . but what I do know is that I will miss those egg-based sweet treats.

If you have not been to either of these cities, I strongly recommend that you do. They are both wonderful; rich in culture, history, and omg . . the food exceeded my expectations . . . especially the desserts! :)

twd overhauled: chipster-topped brownies

2009-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, easy brownies topped with a cookie layer . . . my kind of dessert at 2:18PM on a Sunday afternoon. :)

I am sure everyone has their own favorite brownie texture. I like my brownies somewhat chewy and fudgy. So when I saw 4 eggs in Dorie's recipe, I figured it might be too cakey for my personal taste. I used my own chewy and fudgy brownie recipe and added Torani's Creme Caramel syrup for extra sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor.

As for the cookie dough layer, I honestly couldn't handle it. Forgive me, Dorie. I am sure it would have tasted lovely and divine, but I need to look cute in my bikini. So . . . I made a variation by topping the brownie with Nestle's swirled milk chocolate and caramel morsels.

Once fully baked and topped, I served the brownie with French vanilla ice cream and drizzled it with chocolate sauce. I took a bite and wow, it was an amazing brownie in every way, minus the cookie dough layer.

Check out Beth of Supplicious for the brownie recipe.

Please note that I am in Portugal right now and upon my return, I will check my favorite TWD bloggers and leave comments!

Tchau (bye in Portguese)!

twd: fresh mango bread

2009-05-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Over Mother's Day weekend, we purchased fresh exotic fruits such as sweet yellow mangoes and lucious ripe papayas for my dear mum. I was pleasantly surprised that Kelly of Baking with the Boys chose this week's Fresh Mango Bread because I had several excellent mangoes to spare.

The bread was easy to make and I used what I had on-hand. Here were some slight mods:

No raisins (blah)
No lime zest
Used dark brown sugar

After baking for an hour and a half on two regular baking sheets, the mango bread came out of the oven piping hot. It was not overbaked and the top browned beautifully. I cut a big slice and took a bite . . .

Verdict?

Quite good. It was simple; not too sweet nor bland. If I ever make ths again, I will add chopped nuts and the lime zest for extra texture and zing.

I plan to pack the remaining loaf for our Spain trip and eat it on the plane since Dorie claims it will taste better the next day. Oh, on that note, as you are reading this, I have already landed in Spain with Ryan for our first year anniversary celebratory trip. Since I will be absent for 10 days, I am unable to check your lovely blogs and provide feedback . . . until I return. So please understand . . . love you all. xoxo

Thanks, Kelly, for choosing this recipe and broadening my "loaf cake" experience!

Adios!

twd: tartest lemon tart

2009-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to make this. First of all, I am a sweet girl, not a tart (HAHA). My sweet tooth does not like such candy as Sweet Tart, Lemon Sours, etc., so I was skeptical about this lemon tart recipe . . . until, of course, I made it. :)

I used what I had in the kitchen. As many of you know, I STILL do not own a tart pan (I know, I know), so I used a pie pan as its replacement. Instead of cream, I added buttermilk. Amazingly enough, everything worked out at the end.

Using a blender, I pulsed the lemon pieces, sugar, and remaining filling ingredients. I snuck a taste and WOW, it was actually GOOD. I chilled the pie overnight and shared a fat slice for breakfast with Ryan.

Verdict?

Darn good. And this is from a person who does not like tartness anything. So I have been somewhat converted by this delicious recipe! :)

Thank you, dear Babette of Babette Feasts for selecting this week's recipe. Please check out her blog for the direct recipe.

twd overhauled: chocolate tiramisu cupcakes

2009-05-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

The name of my blog is "Eat My Cupcake" and therefore, I wouldn't do it any justice by making just cake. So tiramisu cupcakes here I come. ;)

I made some revisions to Dorie's recipe since I like the cake to be a combination of chocolate and coffee, dipped in Kahlua syrup, and then frosted with mascarpone cheese frosting and a chocolate coffee bean.

Here are the mods:

I added espresso coffee instead of milk for the cake
I simply dipped the cupcakes into Kahlua syrup after they have cooled completely
For the frosting, I used 8 oz. of mascarpone, 2 tablespoons of coffee extract, 3/4 c. of heavy cream, and 1/2 c. of powdered sugar.

Verdict?

Ryan said it tasted like "chocolate tiramisu", which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. Yay!

Since Kathy requested brunch cupcakes for her party tomorrow, I will donate these to her and hope everyone enjoys them as much as Ryan.

Thanks, Megan of My Baking Adventures, for the choosing this week's recipe. You can check out her blog for the direct recipe.

croissant class: that is how we roll

2009-05-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Mara, my baking BFF, and I took a croissant class last Sunday because we have admired Pink Stripes' croissants for way too long now. Mara and I have enjoyed our fair share of authentic Parisian croissants and it was time to conquer this intimidating baker's challenge.

So here we are, learning the labor intensive steps of making, kneading, laminating, and cutting the dough. Mara and I love chocolate filling so we made the majority the croissants chocolate. We had so much fun with the croissants.

Two and a half hours later, we finished the class and the croissants were fully baked. Nothing tastes better than fresh croissants right out of the oven. We wish you were here to enjoy the croissants with us. :)

tagged: 8 on sugar b

2009-05-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

Awwww, my blogger bud, Lorelei of Mermaid Sweets, tagged me to do The Number 8. She is an attorney by day, and a bad-ass baker at night. She is so much fun. Her blog reflects her wonderful personality.

Well since Ms. Lorelei tagged me, I am obligated to reveal a few juicy details of some top 8 categories. Here it is . . .

8 Things I Look Forward To:

Our One Year Anniversary trip to Spain and Portugal in a few weeks.
Summer sunshine
BBQ and pool parties
Seeing family
Date nights with Ryan
Dinner parties with my friends
Cocktails with my girlfriends
Sleeping

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

Hosted a vegetarian, eco-friendly baby shower
Had 8 shots of pear vodka
Ate German meatballs and mashed potato for dinner
Banana pudding pie for dessert
Baked 48 cupcakes
Cooked 32 vegan burgers
Wore a casual dress to a casual dinner party
Sang Pink Floyd

8 Things I Wish I Can Do:

Volunteer and teach English to third-world countries
Find a cure for cancer
Coordinate an English Bulldog Beauty Contest in Northern California
Run for Mayor of San Jose, California
Adopt a baby (for free)
Make the best croissants in the world
Race motorcycles professionally
Be the best future mother I can be

kathy's bridal shower: louis vuitton cake purse and cupcakes.

2009-05-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Kathy and I love Louis Vuitton purses. So when her bridemaids threw her a bridal shower on Sunday and displayed her Louis Vuitton-looking fondant cake and cupcakes, I was quite envious. I was impressed by the selections of dainty cream puffs, brownies, yogurt pretzels, cupcakes, etc. at the dessert station.

Kathy served me a lychee martini and her lovely bridemaids hosted several tasteful games. I would have to say, it was the classiest and best bridal shower I have ever been to. Nicely done, ladies.

I can't help but share these lovely and fun photos. Thanks, Kathy.

twd overhauled: pecan pie tart

2009-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, but Ryan and I were not in the mood for chocolate this week. Ryan has a strange disease . . . he does not like chocolate. I know, I don't get it either. As for me, I looooooooooove chocolate, but have been chocolated out since Easter. So after looking at Dorie's recipe for the chocolate cream tart, I decided to compromise with Ryan and modify it into a pecan pie version. The things I do for love! Hmmph. ;)

Since I do not own a tart pan (hello, I know), I decided to make mini pecan pies with my mini cake pans and they turned out fine.

For the crust, I used flour, butter, sugar, and salt. For the filling, I used eggs, corn syrup, sugar, chopped pecans, butter, and vanilla. I baked the pies for 40 minutes at 325 degrees on a cookie sheet.

Verdict?

Good, good, good. I like eating them freshly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Good thing about tarts, you can be creative and play around with different fillings. I am going to take Dorie's suggestion and make chocolate coconut cream pie, using her Chocolate Shortbread Tart Dough next time.

For the chocolate cream tart recipe, please check out Kim's Scrumptious Photography blog. Her food pictures will make your mouth water. Thanks, Kim for choosing this week's TWD recipe.

spring baby shower cupcakes

2009-04-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

This morning was hectic for me. I baked 100 cupcakes for my best friend's baby shower in three different flavors: lemon, red velvet, and banana. Thankfully, Mara provided some fondant decorations to make my life easier. I also used assorted fruit jelly candy which were eye-catching. After 3.5 hours later, I was done. The cupcakes looked "spring" topped either with butterflies, pastel dragees, or bright colored candy.

I boxed the cupcakes, we picked up flowers and balloons, drove, spent 5 fun hours with friends, then returned home. I was exhausted, but thrilled that everyone enjoyed the goodies.

The shower was lovely, coordinated well by Yvonne, and the decorations were what the mother-to-be, Cammie, envisioned and received: spring-themed.

Congratulations to Cammie and Rodney . . . looking forward to seeing the baby in a few months! ;)

twd: four-star choco bread pudding

2009-04-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

I arrived home from South Beach, Miami late last night and therefore, my 100th blog post is a day late. I cannot believe it has been a year since I initiated this dessert blog either. Time does fly by when you're having fun! ;)

Back to bread pudding . . . it is one of the easiest desserts to make and I looked forward to the chocolate version. I made a few modifications:

Used cinnamon bread
Added a tablespoon of vanilla extract
Added a tablespoon of cocoa powder

I baked it for 45 minutes, until it was uniformly puffed and it came out perfectly. I topped it with powdered sugar and took a bite.

Verdict?

Very darn good. I would love to make this again, using the hot milk mixture and water bath techniques. Tres cool. Since tomorrow is Earth Day and Administrator Day, I will donate the leftovers to the guinea pigs at work.

For the recipe, please visit Lauren from Upper East Side Chronicle who chose this week's winner recipe!

twd: chocolate amaretti torte

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Shout out to my friend, Mara, who graciously purchased the Amaretti cookies for me. Without her kindness, I would have not made this yummy dessert . . .

Ah yes, the dessert itself . . .

I was thrilled upon seeing the words "fifteen-minute magic" after getting home from a tiresome day at work. Fifteen minutes? Wait . . . a food processor? Cleaning that sucker would take me more than fifteen minutes . . . I mean it would take Ryan more than fifteen minutes. ;)

So instead of pulsing the cookies and sliced almonds, I crushed them in my marble mortar pestle which did the job just fine. I beat vigorously the eggs, sugar, and butter in separate bowl and added the Amaretti mixture afterward.

After 35 minutes in the oven and some chocolate glaze, I handed it over to Ryan for his dessert and he smiled. Good sign. My turn. I took a bite.

The verdict?

Absolutely awesome. It tasted like a refined Italian brownie. It was light, flaky, and full of flavor. The Amaretti cookies were the heroes. I will be saving this recipe for future dinner parties. A definite must-have!

Thanks, Holly at Phe/Mom/enon for choosing the easy and wonderful dessert recipe which I will treasure. Another winner in my book!

happy easter cupcakes galore!

2009-04-11T23:24:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mara, and I were both determined to make Easter cupcakes this year. I decided to do a kiddie bunny theme.

For my white bunny cupcakes, I was inspired by Paris Pastry's Easter cupcakes. They were very easy and fun to make. As a recession bonus, the marshmallows were on sale for 89 cents! I had a blast, decorating the cooled cupcakes with marshmallow ears, pink confetti nose, and carefully drawing the whiskers and eyes with black icing.

For the marshmallow bunny cupcakes, I admittedly was too cheap to buy the tip #233 for the grass. Instead, I tinted some coconut flakes and with some red licorice, I made what appears to be a mini basket with a standing marshmallow bunny. Very cute, right? For additional inspiration, check out the link here. :)

Mara went all out with her Easter cupcakes. She made excellent carrot and hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, decorated with marshmallow yellow birds, chocolate eggs, and yes, she used the #233 tip for the green grass. They looked perfect.

Well since I do not have any kiddies of my own (YET), I donated these cupcakes to my friends, Natasha and Mona, who enthusiastically wanted them. Hope their kiddies will enjoy them just as much as I did making them!

oreo pudding

2009-04-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

I hosted a "recession dinner" for a group of friends last night and after some mac cheese and chicken pot pie, the Oreo Pudding Pie was the perfect finale. It didn't take much time to make since it is no-bake and very kid-friendly. The original recipe suggested that the pie be refrigerated overnight so the cookies will soften. After making these, I personally suggest that you should serve them within hours of refrigeration. I like crunchy Oreo cookie texture! The pie tasted like a light Oreo cheesecake mixed with crumbled cookies. Can we say YUM? I also served them in margarita glasses and as mini sandwiches. Alternatively, you can fill the pudding mixture into a graham cracker crust as well. Have fun displaying this dessert.

This dessert is dedicated to my friend, Mara, who absolutely loves Oreo cookies and is a kid at heart.

Oreo Pudding

Ingredients

2 boxes of Cookies and Cream Pudding mix

1 package of Oreo cookies

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 c. of whole milk

12 oz. Cool Whip

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and butter with an electric mixer.

2. Slowly add milk (set mixer on low) and add pudding mix.

3. After mixture thickens, turn off mixer, fold in Cool Whip.

4. Crumble cookies and decorate, depending on serving dish.

5. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve.

twd: banana cream pie

2009-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

OMG, banana cream pie . . . if it was ever my turn to choose a TWD recipe (maybe forty five years from now, ha!), I would have totally picked this one! The combination of custard, whipped cream, and bananas seems like a grand idea of a sweet time.

I made this pie using my favorite crust, graham cracker instead of the proposed pie dough on page 442. I layered the bottom with bananas first, then added the filing, before it was topped with another layer of bananas and fresh cream.

So here are my slight modifications:

Graham cracker crust
Rum instead of vanilla extract in cream

After three hours in the fridge, I cut a few slices and the verdict?

Overall, very good and tasty . . but next time I make this, I would use the suggested vanilla and not the rum. The rum and sour cream combined produced a very strange taste, almost like sour milk.

For the complete recipe, please visit Amy at Sing For Your Supper and thank you for beating me to the punch! Great, great pick.

No more Marie Calendar's for me. Come over to my place instead for a slice. ;)

twd overhauled: almond butter thins

2009-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I first read the recipe for this, I thought I would raise the white flag and surrender. Thins? I am clumsy when it comes to anything fragile and thin. But Dorie referred to it as a "shortbread" and I can make those. The challenge then, of course, is making the shortbread "thin".

I modified a few things:

Wheat Flour
Almond Extract
Sliced Almonds
Lemon Zest
No coconut
Cinnamon

Since I used sliced almonds, I was able to thin it out the dough a wee bit more. The fun part was cutting the dough and baking them.

Verdict?

Almondy, buttery, and crispy. Pretty darn good. These would be great with tea or coffee. Yes, they are addictive, too. If you are not careful, you may end up eating the entire batch. ;)

To see the recipe, please check out Jayne at The Barefoot Kitchen Witch. Thanks, Jayne!