Trouble Makers.

November 26, 2010 at 6:04 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My kids are great. I love them. That being said, they are also little monsters (my three-year-old even insisted on being a monster for Hallowe’en and her favourite movie is Monsters Inc). I think my kids are such trouble-makers so that I can experience what my parents went through.

When I was only a toddler, my brother and I would hatch plans and get into a terrible amount of trouble. Soon after I learned how to walk, I used the drawers in the kitchen to create steps up to counter. There I was able to get the bottle of Flintstones vitamins and hand them to my brother who proceeded to open said bottle–we ate them all.

Another time, we decided that we wanted all the Fudgesicles and Popsicles for ourselves. So, when my mom and dad went to bed we snuck downstairs to the big chest freezer in the basement. My brother lifted me up while I opened the freezer and took the icy treats. We thought we would be smart and save them so we hid them under our pillow. We awoke to my mother’s screams as she saw a melted brown mess spreading from underneath my pillow.

Now, it is my turn.

It seems like every day my daughters stir up trouble. One incident happened just yesterday. I went to the bathroom and I was gone for under 2 minutes only to return to a gigantic mess of cracked eggs and butter smeared over the kitchen floor and on my little angels. Mind you, this was just after then had been given a bath.

Today, they decided to top themselves. My daughter asked me to peel her an orange. My first mistake was turning my back to them. They grabbed one of their chairs from the craft table and placed it near the cabinets. My eldest daughter climbed up and removed the vaseline from the a basket. All the time I was doing this I was thinking “wow, my children are so great. They can play so nicely and quietly together.” That was my second mistake–my girls never play quietly.

Let’s just say that vaseline is a lot harder to clean up than butter and eggs.

Despite the lack of butter and eggs, I knew I had to make some cupcakes today. It was someone’s birthday weekend and I had to deliver some birthday spirit in the form of baked goodies. It was a bit hard to figure out what to make because this person doesn’t really like sweet stuff. So I racked my brain and decided on Gourmet’s dessert of the month, Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Again, this recipe is perfect to satisfy a desire for autumn flavours (and a cinnamon fanatic like myself). Instead of a cake I made cupcakes so that it would be easier to serve and eat.

Photobucket

SPICED APPLESAUCE CAKE WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
From Gourmet Magazine
Makes 14 cupcakes

FOR CAKE

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

FOR FROSTING

  • 5 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

For the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line muffin tin with paper cups or grease.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Scoop batter out into muffin tin filling it 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.

Cool in muffin tins for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy.

Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.

Spread frosting over top of cooled cupcakes.

Chocolate Toffee Peanut Butter Bliss Cupcakes

November 9, 2008 at 6:55 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments
Tags: , , , ,

This is ground breaking news!! I finally had time to do some baking while E was awake.  She was very good and didn’t pull at my leg once while I was baking– if you know E that is very impressive.  I decided to make cupcakes because my hubs has a staff meeting tonight and I thought why not give the workers something to sweeten their night.

Well, well, well… let me tell you I love these cupcakes but that is because I am a peanut butter fanatic! I eat peanut butter every day.  Even writing about it makes my mouth water.  So without further adieu here is the recipe for Chocolate Toffee Peanut Butter Bliss Cupcakes.  Enjoy!!
Photobucket

Ingredients for Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • 2 tbs coffee, cooled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup milk

Ingredients for toffee drizzle

  • 1 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tbs corn starch
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 skor bits
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate

Ingredients for Peanut Butter frosting

  • 1/3 cup peanut butter, creamy
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • Splash of milk or cream

Prepare Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whip butter with electric hand mixer.  Add sugar and continue to whip.  Once mixture has a fluffy, light apperance to it beat in eggs one at a time.  Pour in melted chocolate and coffee– mix well.

In a seperate bowl blend flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Pour one third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and blend.  Add some milk to the batter and mix.  Alternate dry ingredients and milk until all the ingredients are finished.

Pour batter into cupcake tin and place in the oven for 17-20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Prepare Toffee Drizzle (make sure cupcakes are cooled before preparing)

In a small sauce pan melt butter over low heat.  Add chocolate and melt careful not to burn chocolate.  Measure out milk and add corn starch to it.  Then pour milk-cornstartch mixture into chocolate.  Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.  Take saucepan off heat source.  Add sugar and skor bits.  Stir until sugar is melted and skor bits are partially melted.

Prepare Peanut Butter Frosting

Whip butter and peanut butter together.  Slowly add confectioners sugar to mixture.  Add a splash of milk to make sure frosting is nice and smooth.

Assemble Cupcakes

Use a chopstick or some kind of poking device to perforate the cupcakes.  Drizzle toffee mixture over the holes making sure the chocolaty goodness seeps down the holes.  Sprinkle skor bits over it.  Let the chocolate cool so that it hardens.

Then frost with peanut butter frosting.
Photobucket

Also, I thought I would add a photo of what trouble my little E gets into.  Note the child proof lock on the cupboard… oh E.

Photobucket

Chocolate chip cookie … d’oh cupcakes?!

September 6, 2008 at 7:03 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Tags: , , , , , ,

For the longest time I have been trying to create original cupcakes that I couldn’t find on the web.  However,  I couldn’t think of anything.  Then I had an idea — a really great idea if I could pull it off.  That idea was chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.  The only problem was the whole raw eggs issue.  So I looked on the web and to my surprise and delight I found a recipe for edible cookie dough (who knew! I didn’t).

Alas, the chocolate chip cookie d’oh cupcake was born.
cookie6
I wish I had more time to decorate them but again I am a mommy and when you have a baby tugging at your pant legs its hard spend time on the decoration.

Oh and I would like to thank my lovely sister Tonija for helping me prepare this delicious cuppycakes even though she kept on eating all the ingredients.


Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcake

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs Vanilla extract

Edible Cookie Dough

(recipe taken from Lynettee’s Kitchen)

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter — softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

    • cookie3

Chocolate Icing

  • 8 oz semi sweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cup whipping cream

Prepare Vanilla Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl blend together softened butter and sugar. Then beat in milk, eggs and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture slowly while using an electric mixer on low.

Fill cupcake liners two thirds of the way full. Cook for about 15 minutes or until cake tester insert comes out clean.

Prepare edible cookie dough

In a bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl blend together the butter and sugars. Once fully blended, add the milk and vanilla. Then, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture — stir well. Complete by folding in chocolate chips.

Prepare Chocolate Whip

Place a metal bowl over a pot of boiling chocolate. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until melted. Remove bowl from pot and mix in cream with a hand mixer for 10 minutes or until desired consistency.

Prepare Cupcakes

Take the cool cupcake and use a paring knife to remove the center.
cookie2
Take the center piece and cut off the rest of the cupcake so that top is flat. Fill the center with a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough.
cookie4
Place the center piece back on. Ice the cupcake and top with a mini chocolate chip cookie.
cookie5

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

September 2, 2008 at 7:25 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

 
Photobucket

Yesterday was my mothers birthday and today I am going to Vancouver to visit her!  So, I decided that I would make a little something special for her.  I didn’t feel like going through the effort to make a pie because pie crust takes a lot of time and that is one thing this mama doesn’t have!  The alternative? — Cupcakes, lemon meringue cupcakes that is.

My mom really likes lemon meringue pie so I had to make sure these cupcakes lived up to her love of the pie.

I couldn’t find any recipes I really liked so I made my own.

Of course, when you have a baby like E problems arise.  Half way through my baking I was having to hold E in one arm and mix my batter with my free hand.  Then the tops of my meringue got burnt while I was tending to E so luckily I was able to peel them off and had extra meringue.  However… they didn’t look as pretty as the first ones but oh well.

There is no time for perfection–this is a life of a mother!

Ingredients

Lemon Cupcake

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbs + 2 tsp lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Curd

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 5 egg yolks
Meringue
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1 tsp x 8 of cream of tar tar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
Prepare Lemon cupcakes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt together.  In another bowl blend together softened butter, milk, eggs and lemon juice.   Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture slowly while using an electric mixer on low.  Once everything is mixed together fold in the lemon zest.
Fill cupcake liners two thirds of the way full.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until cake tester insert comes out clean.

mmm

Prepare Lemon Curd
Combine 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, one cup of lemon juice in a saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil while gently stirring so that the sugar dissolves.  Whisk 1/2 of sugar into egg yolks.  Add about 1/3 cup of lemon juice into the egg mixture gradually to temper it.  Return the egg mixture into the saucepan.  Continue to cook the mixture while whisking constantly.  Once the whisk leaves a trail in the curd it is done.  Transfer the curb into a shallow dish and place it in an ice bath to cool it off.
Prepare the meringue
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and sugar over in a metal bowl over a boiling pot of water for 5 minutes.  Add in the cream of tar tar and continue to beat until stiff peaks appear.

lemonones

Assembling the cupcake
Once the cupcakes are cooled use a dowel (I used a chopstick) and poke a hole in the cupcake.  Fill a pastry bag with the cool lemon curd and in fill the cupcake with the lemon curd in the hole.  Brush some of the remainder lemon curd on top of the cupcakes.
Top the cupcakes off with meringue and place it in the oven on broil till the tops are brown.

lemoncup

THEN DEVOUR THEM!!

Photobucket

(but save some for the ones you love if you are feeling nice)

Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.