Champagne Cupcakes

Happy New Year!

I personally cannot wait for 2010 to begin.  Good riddance, 2009!  We are lucky enough to spend a low key evening with a few close friends who are very special to us.  Since champagne will be my drink of choice for the evening, I thought I'd give champagne cupckes a whirl.  YUM!  I think they taste great, and I'm hoping my friends will, too. The cupcake itself is a sort of white cake mixed with champagne, and the icing is a basic buttercream recipe with some more champagne added.  Once the cupcakes cooled, I also brushed some champagne on top of them to soak into the cake. 

I found this idea out of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Book, but adapted it with chocolate numbers and clock hands instead of icing and photocopies. 

I didn't get as creative with the leftovers...just wrote 2010, which I am hoping turns out to be a great year for everyone. 

Snowman Cupcakes

SNOW DAY!!

My brother, Jimmy, and I always had a deal growing up.  He shoveled...I stayed inside and baked cookies.  Once, I even felt bad and tried to help shovel, and he said, "What are you doing?  You need to be baking cookies!"  Well, we're both grown up and married now, but I still bake cookies every time it snows out, and today was no different.  I was so excited to get the phone call last night that work was cancelled for today...mostly because I haven't had time to make Christmas cookies!  I've baked all day, but I still have more to make. 

In addition to cookies, my friend, Denise, asked me to make some cupcakes for her school Christmas Party.  Considering that two feet of snow is currently laying on the ground, I thought snowman cupcakes would suffice.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies...my Uncle Sean loved them two years ago when I made them, and since he and his family are coming for Christmas Eve, I thought I'd make them again.

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oreo Cake

Happy 21st Birthday, Ben!

Ok, so maybe his birthday was on Tuesday, but we are planning on celebrating today...if my in-laws can get here through the 2 feet of snow!  They say they are still coming, so we will see.  Either way, pulled pork is in the crockpot and the cake is made. 

My lovely friends, Maureen & Andy, bought me these awesome cake pans.  So adorable.  I thought Ben might like it.  Chocolate Cake with Creme Filling.  Yum.  The cake pans are fantastic...a little hard to butter and flour, though, but totally worth it in the end.  Do you think we could eat dessert first?

Red Velvet Cupcakes

All cupcaked up and nowhere to go...

There is no doubt about it...I have a love affair with snow.  It makes me smile, and there is something so cozy about baking while the snow is falling outside.  However, snow has crossed me today.  We had a lovely plan: Bake all day, help my lovely friends, Jen and Mandy, decorate their tree (my new favorite yearly tradition), and lastly, head to my Aunt and Uncle's house for their yearly "Firetruck" Christmas party, where we would be able to see all of my favorite people who have been away at college.  The baking was accomplished, and we made it to our friend's house to decorate the tree.  However, seeing as it took 20 minutes to get to our friends' home when it normally takes 2 minutes, we thought it best not to tempt fate and head to my Aunt and Uncle's.  Turns out, we weren't the only ones who bailed.  My brother, Johnny, was the only one who made it there, and it looks as though he'll be bunking there as well.  And now, at the end of the night, we are left with 12 inches (and counting) of snow, and 24 red velvet cupcakes.  What am I going to do with 24 cupcakes?!  I already took some to neighbors and to Jen and Mandy's.  If you are reading this, and you have access to a snow plow, head on over.  Free cupcakes for all.

Anyway, the cupcakes of the day were red velvet cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese icing.  I decorated them with white chocolate mint leaves and a peanut M&M.  They sort of look cute; although, I was going for more of a "wreath" look.  Didn't quite turn out that way, but ok none-the-less.

Bailey's Mint Chocolate Creme Icing Cupcakes

Zubaz Cupcakes?

We received a text last night from one of our favorite Irishman, Sean Kelly, who is home for the holidays from San Fransisco.  He invited us over to another friend's house to get together; although, I'm still not sure if our other friend, Jeff, is aware we are about to party at his house.  Sean specifically requested cupcakes as our admission fee, and I thought some alcohol themed cupcakes were appropriate.  Therefore, I made chocolate cupcakes with Bailey's Mint Irish Creme Icing. 

I chopped up some Andes Candies and mixed it in with the icing, then I melted Hershey's Mint Truffle Kisses and piped it on top. 

Matt's first response when he saw them was, "They look like Zubaz pants." I started laughing right away because they kind of do! Anyway, I think they taste pretty delicious, so hopefully Sean will approve.

All Things Cupcake!

Thank goodness for family & friends...

This week has reminded me of how awesome my friends and family are.   Between phone calls, flowers, cards, dinners, cleaning services, and overall concern, I can never doubt the love my familiy and friends have for me.  Among the gifts of get well, were lots of cake/cupcake themed gifts!  I think the cat is out of the bag that I love to bake. 

My awesome mother (who is credited for making my house look presentable and Christmassy this week) gave me cupcake notecards and the "Cupcake Queen" ornament.  She also gave me an adorable cupcake barrett, but as of this posting, it is MIA.  I'm thinking it fell under my bed.  I will have to look for it.  My Aunt Arlene gave me the Vanilla Cupcake Yankee Candle.  I know, I know...I usually hate the smell of Vanilla, but this candle smells like yummy cake batter, and I LOVE IT!  The Philosophy Sweet Creamy Frosting Body Wash is from my Secret Santa at work.  It was the first gift from him/her, and I think it bodes well!  Finally, The Sandwhich Cookie Cake Pans and Cake Mix is from my college roommate, Maureen, and her husband, Andy.  Its so cute, and I cannot wait to bake an "Oreo" Cake!

Nativity Cupcakes

Kate's Christmas Play

The Fabulous Kate makes her acting debut today in her church Christmas play.  She's playing a sheep...she's nervous but has had lots of practice.  She teased me last week saying that she keeps messing up her lines and saying, "Baaa--cock-a-doodle-doo!"  To keep with the theme of the Christmas play, I  made nativity cupcakes, but I also wanted to pay homage to Kate's sheepish role, so I made a few sheep as well. 

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes with white fondant toppers.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing and Marshmallow "fur."  These were inspired by the ones in Martha Stewart's Cupcake Cookbook, but didn't turn out exactly as well as she did it. 

1st Attempt at Rose Cupcakes

Book Club Meeting #2

For our second book club meeting, we decided to read Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald.  To try to stick with the theme, I decided it was the perfect time to attempt to make Rose Cupcakes.  I had a helper today...my amazing mom!  She's been here all week as I've been recovering from minor surgery, and she's the best.  She did the baking, and I did the decorating.  Not too shabby for my first attempt.

Pound Cake Cupcakes with Rose Flavored Icing