All Things Cupcakes!

I am a little delayed on informing everyone, but I was featured on the popular blog site All Things Cupcakes! Once again, it was for my fantastic Christmas cupcakes! This time, featuring the gifts I gave my co-workers! Check it out here! 

St. Patrick's Day cupcakes!

Guinness Stout cupcakes available for St. Patrick's Day! The cake is a heavenly mixture of cocoa and Guinness. Each cupcake is frosted with a Bailey's Irish Cream frosting.  Each can be decorated with green sugar sprinkles, green jimmies, clover sprinkles or a St. Patrick's Day cupcake topper.  Cupcakes are $35 a dozen.

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...

Just a few more days until Valentine's Day. I am taking my hubby and my pup up to Vermont for a nice 4 day weekend. I am most looking forward to snuggling by the fire, taking long walks in the snowy mountains, sleigh rides and certainly relaxation! 

I normally make everything from scratch, however when baking for my family or friends sometimes I am in a pinch and need to whip something up fast! Pressed for time this Valentine's Day? Want to add a little bubbly to your cupcakes, how about substituting some pink champagne instead of water to a quick box cake mix? Add a few drops of pink food coloring and you have yourself a lovely little treat! It's really simple and the cupcakes come out super light and fluffy. If you don't like a strong champagne taste, substitute half the champagne for water! It's that easy! Dress it up with some Valentine's Day sprinkles or conversation hearts and a quick buttercream. Mmmmm

Happy Valentine's Day!

Football and Puppies!

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I do love Superbowl Sunday! Gathering with friends and eating lots of yummy food! What I look forward to MOST is the Puppybowl on Animal Planet. The Kitty Half-time show is the cutest thing in the world!

This year I am attending a Puppybowl party and bringing these cute cupcakes for desert. Peanut butter cake topped with a peanut butter fudge frosting! Handmade fondant footballs for decorations!

Have a great day, everyone!

National Carrot Cake Day!

My love for carrots goes way back! As a child I loved them either cooked or raw. It wasn't until adulthood that I really appreciated them in baked goods!

Carrots have been used in sweet cakes since the medieval period, they were much easier to come by and were used to make sweet desserts. The popularity of carrot cake was likely revived in Britain because of rationing during the Second World War. Carrot cakes first became commonly available in restaurants in the United States in the early 1960s. They were at first a novelty item, but people liked them so much that carrot cake became standard dessert fare!!!

I didn't start to LOVE carrot cake until about 5 years ago. Now, it is up there as one of my all time favorite cakes! I prefer mine without pineapple and raisins. Walnuts are a must! I enjoy it with either cream cheese or buttercream frosting. How do you like it?

Happy National Carrot Cake Day! Now go out and get yourself a piece!

Lips Like Sugar

Another Valentine's Day themed cupcake. This time I made a classic vanilla cake but added my own little touch of pudding to the mix! Super soft and delicious! I frosted this baby with an easy but delicious butter cream made of softened unsalted butter, confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla extract. No piping this time, was going for more of a homemade, classic feel.


I don't know about you, but I find pink cupcakes are pretty hard to resist!!

You make me smile with my heart.

Valentine's Day is just a few weeks away and my test kitchen has been going crazy trying to develop something sweet for my hubby. Each year my husband delights me with his culinary skills, and I knock his socks off (literally) with my divine desserts! 

This little cutie is a chocolate chip cookie cupcake with a sweet and salty brown sugar butter cream. Petite in size, but not in flavor. I decorated it with a tiny sugar heart for the occasion. YUM! 

The Winter Chill

During the cold winter months, I love to fill my home with the aroma of fresh baked cookies. I like to snuggle up under a blanket with my hubby and enjoy a few sweet treats. I have decided to put down  my piping bag and cupcake liners for a few weeks and concentrate on cookies. 

I recently chose to make rum balls. I swiped from the liquor cabinet my husband's favorite spiced rum...giving them a mighty nice kick! 

Here is how you make them. You will need the following:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark rum
• sanding sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. 

Whisk together the five best ingredients in all the world (eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt). Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until top is shiny and a cake tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. At this point mine looked pretty odd, but it tasted really nice and light.

Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I found myself breaking off pieces and putting them in my mouth, rather than the mixing bowl. Show some restraint people! With machine on low speed, pour in rum, and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.

Shape into 1-inch balls (hehe), and roll in sanding sugar. I love sanding sugar...huge pieces of beautiful sugar! It's just perfect for decorating! Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.