Creme Brulee Cupcakes

What is better than Creme Brulee?

Not much, in my opinion.  It is absolutely my favorite dessert.  If it is on the menu when we go out to eat, I'm ordering it.  I've tried a couple of times to make it at home, and my attempts have been futile.  It is disappointing, but I will keep trying.  However, I recently found this recipe on my friend's fantastic baking blog...SUGAR SHOCK!  I knew I had to try it.  My cousin, Hilary, is home from college this week, and her parents graciously invited us over to dinner, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try the recipe.  Matt and I just sampled one, and I want to eat more of them.

Next time, I think I'll use more brown sugar on top for extra delicious crunchiness...

Peanut Butter Cherry Blossom Cake

Happy Birthday, Mother-in-Law!

My mother-in-law's birthday is on Tuesday, but we are celebrating this weekend.   She is a big chocolate & peanut butter fan, and I ususally make her a chocolate cake with chocolate peanut butter icing, but this year, I thought I'd try to mix it up.  I decided to make a peanut butter cake with chocolate icing.  After googling lots of recipes, I decided to go with Paula Deen's...you can't go wrong with her recipes.  I'm not sure how the cake turned out yet, but if the batter is any indication, it should be scrumptious!   I didn't use her icing recipe, as I have one that I find delicious already.  I wasn't sure how to decorate the cake, but I decided that after a long winter, I wanted something spring-like.  What represents spring more than Cherry Blossoms?

Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures.  Some day, I will learn to take beautiful ones that show off the cakes better.

Irish Potato Candy

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Growing up in a very large Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia, I thought everyone knew what Irish Potato Candy was.  That was until I took some a few years ago to my in-laws.  They claim to have never to have had it, which I find to be blasphemy!  If you aren't lucky enough to know what these delicious bites of heaven are, please hurry and make this recipe before the big day arrives. 

A fantastic combination of cream cheese, butter, coconut and cinnamon.

I found this adorable container at Michael's last week for a dollar.  I couldn't resist.

So, readers...have you tried Irish Potato Candy before?  Is it a yearly tradition for you, too?

More Irish Car Bombs

Drive-by Posting

Since I know I've posted Irish Car Bomb cupcakes previously, I going to do a quick post of the ones I made this morning for a friend's St. Patrick's Day party tonight.  Irish Car Bomb cupcakes are perfect, no?  Guiness Chocolate Cake, Jameson Ganache Filling, and Bailey's Icing.  Yum. 

They are not my prettiest looking cupcakes, but they certainly taste amazing!

Drive bys and car bombs...I'm just now realizing how violent this post is.  Maybe I should put a parental advisory on this post.

Cupcake Bites

Book Club and Ladies Night

A few weeks ago, my cousin asked me to make something for her to take to a Ladies Night get-together she is having with the ladies in her neighborhood.  She gave me free reign to make whatever I want.  I was very excited to finally try Cupcake Bites from Bakerella.  I also have book club tonight, so I figured I'd do a test run before I make them for the Ladies Night.  These take a little bit of a learning curve, but I think I got the hang of it by the end.  I'll be making a bunch more tomorrow afternoon, so I'll update this post if they turn out any better than the ones I made today. 

Not as cute as Bakerella's, but its a start.

Peace Corps Cupcakes

Good Luck, Michael!

An awesome coworker of mine has decided to join the Peace Corps, which is fantastic and admirable, but it means that he has to leave us.  That.... I am not a fan of, as he is fantastic at his job.  He will definitely be missed, but we are hoping to send him off tomorrow with a little goodbye party.  Of course, I wanted to make the cupcakes somewhat tailored to his unselfish endeavor.  I absolutely need some practice at my piping skills, but it somewhat resembles the Peace Corps' symbol. 

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing and Fondant Toppers.

Remember the fondant I made over the weekend?  These are what I made with it!

And here is Michael, himself, enjoying his cupcake!

Brownie Fail...and a few other things.

Another snow day...

Yet, not the most successful day of baking.  In the simplest of terms, I tried to use this...

to make brownies, but ended up with this...

and this...

So much for trying to be cute with brownies.  The bright side is that Matt loves to use brownie pieces in his ice cream.  Guess what we are having tonight instead of cute brownies?

I also made some Peanut Butter blossoms using some cookie dough I had made awhile ago and frozen.  Delish.  Can't go wrong with peanut butter cookies.

Finally, I attempted to make my own fondant for the first time.  I detest the way store bought fondant tastes, so I decided to try a homemade recipe.  Let me tell you, I will never use store bought again.  This fondant tastes just like buttercream icing, and it is simple to make.  I need the fondant for cupcakes I am making this week and thought that I could get a head start.  It  is not pretty right now, but hopefully I will be turning it into something special later this week.

Big Winner

I won!

This week, I was the lucky winner of the Foodie Blogroll Giveaway!  Considering I NEVER win anything, I was very excited.  Annie the Baker sent me 12 cookies, which included several of her delicious flavors...Semisweet Chocolate Chunk, Toffee Milk Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter with Mini Peanut Butter Cups, Oatmeal Double Chocolate Chip, and Doodle Snicker.  I have to tell you, THEY WERE DELICIOUS!  I have only sampled a piece of each one, as they are so rich that I knew I would not be able to eat one of each!  Annie describes her cookies as "chewy gooey mounds of decadent cookie goodness," and I could not agree more.  They almost taste like the heaven that is raw cookie dough.  If you are in California, you are lucky enough to be able to visit her at the Napa and Saint Helena Farmers Market; however, everyone else can buy her delectable treats at her store on Foodzie. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Matt and I are not usually in to the Hallmark Holiday, but we had my cousin and her family over for lunch to celebrate.  We had a simple lunch of homemade pizza and heart shaped brownies.  Both were very good.  But watching the kids, Kate and Jack, was better. 

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Snow Day #4

Another snow day today.  The amount of snow that is out front is almost unfathomable.  Unfortunately, Matt had to go to work today, so I'm alone.  I have been wanting to try this recipe out of my Martha Stewart Cupcakes book.  These cupcakes are a basic chocolate cupcake recipe with the centers of the cupcakes scooped out.  I made the homemade salted caramel from the book.  I've always been intimidated to make caramel at home, but this was effortless!  Then, they were topped with decadent chocolate icing.  To top it off, I sprinkled them with sea salt.  This cupcake, although very messy to eat, is simply scrumptious.  The consummate combination of salty and sweet.

without the icing

the cupcake with its inspiration...the snow!

an aerial shot