Nothing mini about the huge amount of flavor in these cupcakes!

I finally had the change to go to Mini's Cupcakes in Salt Lake and it exceded my expectations. It was so darling and cute inside. Had the funnest atmosphere and the best selection of mini cupcakes. And let me tell ya, there is nothing bad about a mini cupcake because I have learned when you eat a mini cupcake, you can have another and not feel bad! I also liked that I was able to sample a few different flavors because of how little they were. I was so impressed with these cupcakes. Take a look at the few different flavors I got....(and might I add each and every one of those babies was gone before I went to bed that night!)

From the top left curving around to the right:
black n white, breakfast at tiffany's, cocont, lemon meringue

The black n white"
Moist chocolate cake with butter cream frosting, amazing!

The lemon meringue:
vanilla bean cake, fresh lemon curd in the center
with meringue frosting. This one was so delicious and refreshing.

And finally, the Breakfast at Tiffany's:
have you seen a cuter cupcake? Vanilla cake, blue
cream cheese frosting with silver and white gems. This one was so fun to eat!

If you have a change go check out minis!

I finally made them!

For the past few months I have been dying to make cookie dough cupcakes. The idea was so intriguing and I thought how could that be bad? Cookie dough in a cupcake! Definitely a winner. So after months of wanting to make them, I finally did! It was my brothers birthday and I thought that that would be the perfect opportunity. There was a recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor for cookie dough cupcakes but I just made a plain yellow cake mix and put a frozen cookie dough chunk in the center. If you buy the tollhouse cookie dough already cut in cubes (the one that makes 24 cookies) I found that just one of those cubes was the perfect amount of cookie dough.

These cupcakes were super yummy and really fun for people to eat because there was a little surprise of cookie dough in the middle! For the frosting I did something I haven't done before. I wanted to make a SMBC but didn't have the right equipment for it. So...I invented a new frosting! I made a traditional chocolate buttercream with melted symphony bar and cocoa powder. Then I did the first step for SMBC which is to basically make the meringue and then I folded that into the buttercream. It made it so light and fluffy and not too sweet. People loved them and I can't wait to make them again!

"From Head to Heel" Grand Opening!

Last Saturday I had the grand opening for my spa/boutique that I started in my basement. It was so much fun! I had no idea I would have such a great turn out of people. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated my new business with me and offered their support. A lot of work went into this party. My husband designed the cutest fliers for it and made three amazing posters that we framed and hung up in the basement. And of course, I worked hard in the baking department. I made chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with chocolate and vanilla buttercream. I alternated all of the flavors so that it seemed like I had more flavors to choose from. They turned out pretty cute. Here are some pictures of my place....

Here is the little nook where I displayed my cuppies!

Not the best pic but those three pictures are the ones Micah designed.

This is where I display the skin care products I sell. I sell a few different kinds but the
main two are Rhonda Allison (which I am in love with!) and Vivant (I am also in
love with their products too!)

Creepy crawler cupcakes...a little late but still cute:)

This past week has been a crazy one. I have been planning and preparing every second for my grand opening of the spa/boutique I have in my home. It was yesterday and it went great! I will do a post about it but first things first, I made these cute Halloween cupcakes and need to post them even though it's late. Please forgive me! I would have posted them earlier but like I said my grand opening took all of my time, I was so busy I couldn't even do my Daring Bakers Challenge for this month :( I was very sad I had to miss my first challenge. So this month I am hoping will be a little bit more relaxed and I will be able to post a little bit more.

So back to the cupcakes, these are the yummiest homemade devils food cupcakes. Their texture is moist and the flavor unbelievable. the recipe is from the book "cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski. I have been very happy with this book. So feel free to try these out and you don't have to make them halloween themed you could just make them normal glazed cupcakes without the spider web. Enjoy!

Creepy Crawler Halloween Cupcakes

Devils Food Cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 packed brown sugar
4 T. butter at room temp
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat over to 350.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into bowl. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium igh speed, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 min. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the water and buttermilk, beating on low speed until just combined; srape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium high speed just until no traces of flour remaing, about 30 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Milk chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup cream
1 T corn syrup
pinch salt
8 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the cream, cornsyrup and salt and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate; let stand for 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the chocolate glaze to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla extract.

In a bowl whisk together the sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth; the glaze should be spreadable. If it seems too thick whisk in additons milk in a few drops at a time. If too thin add more sugar.

So heres what you do!!

Spoon the chocolate glaze of the cupcakes and then with the vanilla glaze places in a piping bag with a small tip, make circles on the cupcake, like this:

Then with a tooth pick, starting in the middle, drag it out to the edges and it will look this likes!;
I even put some in a box to give them as a gift, look how cute!

Recently I was watching the food network and the Neley's did a special on Salt Lake treats! It was very exciting seeing my state being represented. One of the things featured was Spotted Dog Ice Cream. Living half an hour from the city I was very disappointed I wasn't going to be tasting it anytime soon. However, as I was shopping at my local Harmons yesterday I saw some in the ice cream section! It was expensive, $4.99, so I was reluctant to buy it. But of course I did. I got the lemon cream pie ice cream and boy was it worth the $4.99! I would have paid ten bucks for one bite of it! It was amazing! Also featured on the food network was a bakery called Les Madelines. They have these amazing French pastries which I also tried but unfortunatly dont have a picture of. If you are ever in Salt Lake take advantage and try these yummy sweets!

Better late than never, right?

Last July I went on an amazing Alaskan cruise and have been meaning to post about it since I got back but somehow it got left out with all the baking I have been doing. So, even though I am a little embarrassed because this post is so late, I am still posting about it because as amazing as the cruise and the scenery was, the food was better! I had the best fish and crab I have ever had in my life. The fish and chips were to die for and the salmon-well- lets just say you haven't had salmon until you have had fresh Alaskan salmon. Today we are still enjoying Alaskan salmon because while in Alaska we went on a private boat to go fishing and I caught my first fish! A coho (I think thats how you spell it) salmon, and my husband and sister in law caught King salmon.

Here is the beautiful fish I caught:
And Micah's...
And the best fish and chips I have ever had in my life!

One of the very exciting moments on the trip was when we were in Skagwee and we were told about this little famous cupcake shop. So we went on the search and found it! It was the cutest little shop with the yummiest cupcakes! Look how cute....

Inside the darling store with my yummy cupcakes!

It was an amazing trip, probobly my favorite one to date. The scenery was beautiful and the food spectacular. We were able to do alot of fun and scary things. My least favorites were the many little plane rides we went on which I was convinced the whole time we were going to crash into a mountain. One of the most amazing things was the whale watching and going out in a boat very close to grizzly and black bears. We saw a momma bear with her three cubs. It was so cute but also very scary because we were so close to them. Here is a video clip of a little bit of what we saw...they were very cute, but also scary when you looked into their crazy eyes!

Candy corn kisses?

Yep, thats right! My main fall candy obsession has now been made into a Hershey's kiss. They don't taste exactly like candy corn but close enough and they are good! Thanks to cast sugar I got the idea to make these darling cookies with the kisses. However, I had to go to two different grocery stores before finding them. Harmons didn't have them but Albertsons did. I was so sad that my favorite grocery store let me down! I am still on the search for the pumkin spice kisses, neither grocery stores had those. So if anyone know where I can find them please let me know!

These cookies were so much fun to make and to give to people because the candy corn kisses shocked everyone! The recipe came from the back of the bag and its pretty good so give it a shot!

Hershey's Candy Corn Cookies
Ingredients:

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. shortening
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. quick-cooking oats, divided
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
66 Hershey candy corn kisses (pretty much the whole bag)

Heat oven to 350°F Beat peanut butter and shortening in large bowl until well blended. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together 1/2 cup oats, flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in remaining oats; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten cookies with tines of fork to form a crisscross pattern.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Remove wrappers from candies. Place 18 candies in heavy-duty resealable plastic food storage bag. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; knead bag and candies. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, kneading after each heating, until candies are melted and color is uniform. Cool slightly. Cut off corner of bag about 1/8 inch from point. Lightly drizzle cookies. Before drizzle sets, place candy piece in center of each cookie.

Parisian Macarons take 2

Last week I made the Parisian macarons again, this time I did alot of research and found out the technique to perfecting these cookies. I am not going to lie, I kind of have a macaron obsession right now. I am so intrigued by their cuteness! And they don't taste half bad either. These macarons I made had a white chocolate ganache filling. The taste was so unbelievable that I had probobly 7 in one day. They were so good! They also make the cutes gifts. I encourage anyone intimidated by making these little cookies to go ahead and make them anyway because I think you will find they aren't that hard! Especially if you use the wonderful advice given in the desserts magazine. I found out my second time around making them that the first batch I underfolded which made them too puffy. This time, I felt like I overfolded them but they turned out just perfect. The recipe for these macarons also came from the desserts magzine.

I have found it really helps to sit them out for at least an hour
after piping to allow a shell to form on the outside. Some recipes
call for this and some don't, but this batch ended up looking alot better
I think because I allowed them to sit out for an hour. It prevents
cracking in the oven.

I am so glad I dyed this batch pink, it gave them such a fun touch.

Dont they make the cutest gifts!

Late Lavash Crackers....

So this month has gone by way too fast. I haven't even done my birthday post yet! I have been excited to make these Lavash crackers all month for the Daring Bakers but I knew I would be cutting it close to the dead line. However, little did I know that the deadline already had past! I was thinking the whole time the deadline was the 30th, but I was very wrong, it was the 27th so forgive me Daring Bakers but I did complete the challenge! I was in a hurry to complete them when i found out I was already two days late so I didn't do anything exciting to the recipe to jazz it up. And for the dip, I created my own vegan bean dip with black beans, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, and a touch of cinnamon. It was actually very good considering the hurry I was in to get it done. And pardon the absence of step by step pics, again, too big of a hurry to take the time! But here is the recipe if anyone wants to try these yummy and very easy crackers out, and make sure to see how the other Daring Bakers did on this challenge here!

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers
(I made the non gluten free version)

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Baking for the Blues....

Yesterday I went to get my hair done and was excited to get an all over color to match my natural hair color. Well...it turned out a little darker-ok- alot darker than I had planned! I cried all last night about it and for a while this morning when I decided to whip myself into shape and get over it. I decided to bake something because nothing cures the blues for me like baking. I have been wanting to make Parisian macarons for a while and rummaged through my cuboards hoping I had the right ingredients. I luckily did and let me tell ya baking these cute little macaroons almost made me not hate my hair! (notice I said almost.)



They weren't as hard as I thought they were going to be. Actually, they were quite simple. They didn't turn out as good as they could have but I made them in a hurry and instead of using a piping bag with a tip I used a zip lock bag which made them a little uneven. I am going to have to keep my hair for 2 months until I get it done again, so, I decided in the mean time I will be doing alot of baking (more than usual) and I will practice these babies until I get them perfect! Heres the recipe for anyone wanting to take a whack at it.

Chocolate Macarons

Macaron Batter
1 cup (100 gr) powdered sugar
½ cup powdered almonds (about 2 ounces , 50 gr, sliced almonds, pulverized)
3 tablespoons (25 gr) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons (65 gr) granulated sugar

Chocolate Filling
½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
4 ounces (120 gr) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon (15 gr) butter, cut into small pieces

Chocolate Almond Buttercream

(this is the filling I used because I didn't have any heavy cream)

1/4 c. (2 oz) almonds
1 2/3 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

Grind the nuts and confectioners' sugar in the food processor. Cream the butter and add the nut dust. Sandwich the macaroons together with the pistachio buttercream.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.

Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn't quite fine enough.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone).

Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (3 cm) circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart.

Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the countertop to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

To make the chocolate filling:

Heat the cream in a small saucepan with the corn syrup. When the cream just begins to boil at the edges, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the pieces of butter. Let cool completely before using.

Assembly

Spread a bit of batter on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. (You can pipe the filling it, but I prefer to spread it by hand; it's more fun, I think.)
I also tend to overfill them so you may or may not use all the filling.

Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze. If you freeze them, defrost them in the unopened container, to avoid condensation which will make the macarons soggy.