The Cupcake Curriculum

NEW WEBSITE!

2011-11-19T23:38:00.002-07:00

Hey guys!
Check out my new buisness website at www.cupcakesbykeckie.com
I am trying to break into the cupcake catering biz head first, so give it a looksee!
Thanks for the support! ... remember, word of mouth is the BEST advertising!

Cupakes for sale!

2011-10-15T21:30:00.002-06:00

Planning a wedding, shower, or party and want some specialty cupcakes? I would be glad to make you a batch of customized cupcakes! I can create just about any flavor, style, color and quanity of cucpakes you can imagine. Please call or email me and we can arrange a tasting and discuss options. All prices are determined by the ingredients you choose, but I promise that I am extremely reasonable.

Feel free to browse my blog for ideas on flavors, but the options are not linited by what you see here.

I can also provide references upon request, I have many happy customers!

My contact information is 303.807.0077 or keckie.swenson@gmail.com

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

2010-12-12T21:28:00.002-07:00

Yields: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients (for cupcakes)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely pureed ripe bananas

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients (for the chocolate buttercream)

12 tbsp. softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

8 tbsp. dark cocoa

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3-4 tbsp. milk

--Optional: A few drops of banana creme flavoring

--Optional: Yellow sprinkles

Directions In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt, pureed bananas and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

**For the “kid version” I also added the following buttercream to the top. However, it’s probably a little overkill for most adults.

Directions:

Beat the butter until smooth in the mixer. Turn mixer off and add the powdered sugar. Slowly restart the mixer and beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add extract(s) and milk and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Pipe on to cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles!

Iron Cupcake Win

2010-03-07T10:28:00.002-07:00

Oh... my... Lanta!!! I can't believe it, but I finally won the Iron Cupcake Earth Challenge! This month's challenge was "passion" and the winning cupcake was my "Lavender Love Cupcake." Thank you all so much for your votes and support! And thank you VERY much to the outstanding sponsors who are donating a killer prize pack! Thank you Sandy, the "Cupcake Queen" for bringing us Iron Cupcake!

The recipe for my winning cuppie is below if you would like to whip up your own award winning batch!

Please show some love to those awesome sponsors at....

The Demy by Key Ingredient
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Stupid Easy PBJ Cupcakes

2010-02-25T18:09:00.005-07:00

Yeah, the title says it all... These are seriously some of the easiest cupcakes I have ever made. I managed to make these and clean my kitchen (all dishes included) in the time it takes me to make many of my other cupcakes. But the great news is that they were excellent nonetheless! The only thing I would change is maybe making the cake even more peanutbuttery. The peanutbutter frosting compensates for the slightly less peanutbuttery cake because the flavor is very intensely peanutty. These cupcakes were a huge hit at work. Several people actually called them their favorites! I have to admit that is a little bit of an (unintended) backhanded compliment to me since I know how simple they were to make in comparison to my other creations ;) Oh well, like all my Food Network mentors say, simplicity is key!

Side note: I will be entering these to the Iron Cupcake Challenge under the name "Kindergarten Crush."

PB Cupcake:

1 3/4 cups cake flour (AP flour is okay too)

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk (I used 3/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup soy milk)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup room temp. unsalted butter

2 eggs at room temp.

3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at a low speed in the electric mixer until just blended. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Spoon batter into a lined cupcake pan, fill each cup apx. 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Allow to cool completely. Use a large pastry tip to hollow out a hole in the middle of each cupcake. Discard (eat) the center plugs.

Peanutbutter Buttercream:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup creamy peanutbutter

3 tbsp. milk (or soy milk)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Beat the butter and peanutbutter in the electric mixer until smooth and completely combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to fluff up and become light. Spoon the buttercream into a pastry bag with your favorite frosting tip on the end.

Finishing Touches:

Heat one cup of jelly (I used grape) in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds at a time (stirring between each time) until it is somewhat pourable. Spoon jelly into the center holes of each cupcake. Pipe the buttercream on top of each cupcake. Spoon a light drizzle of jelly on top of each frosted cupcake. Enjoy!

Happy baking!

Voting for Feb. Iron Cupcake

2010-02-25T16:54:00.005-07:00

Voting will open on Iron Cupcake on 2/28 at 8pm. Please go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and place your votes. Voting will remain open until 3/4 at noon. The cupcakes I entered for this month's Passion theme were "Lavender Love," "Aphrodite's Kiss," and "Kindergarten Crush." Every voter gets three votes. Thank you and happy baking!!

Let's show some love to our outstanding sponsors:
The Demy by Key Ingredient
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Lavender Love

2010-02-13T21:44:00.008-07:00

If you're in the mood for a very adult cupcake, this is definitely it! The flavors in this one are mature, subtle, and layered. The cupcakes have a distinct fruity olive oil undertone, which is lighted by lemon and sweetened by the blackberries. The lavender gives the entire cupcake a lightly floral aromatic quality. There is a hint of salt to add the the complexity of the final flavor. These are some serious cupcakes! (Something a little different from the cotton candy or s'mores cupcakes.)

I made these while filming my audition video for Food Network! I really hope it's special enough to catch their attention! :) So... here's the recipe:

Lavender Oil Cupcake Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup Baker's sugar
1 packed teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. dried lavender, chopped
1/2 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers. Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and lavender in a medium bowl until foamy. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter evenly among pans, and bake until light gold and testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool completely. When cool, use a large round pastry tip to poke a hole in the center of each cupcake, eat the plugs

Blackberry Filling:

3/4 cup black berried (fresh or frozen)

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. water

1-2 tsp. corn starch

1 tsp. high quality balsamic vinegar

Heat the black berries, sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir often. As the sauce begins to come together (apx. 3-4 minutes), add the corn starch if necessary to thicken the sauce. Add balsamic vinegar, and allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes. Allow the sauce to cool. Spoon or pipe the filling into the holes in each cupcake. Make sure the edges are relatively clean.

Lemon Butter Cream Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2- 2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon extract

1-2 tsp. milk

Whip the butter in electric mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the powdered sugar until completely combined. Add lemon zest, lemon extract until completely iincorporated. If the mixture is too stiff, add 1-2 tsp. milk. Pipe the frosting around the edges of the blackberry centers using a leaf pastry tip. If desired, dust with a little pearl powder. Enjoy!

Happy baking everyone!

Aphrodite's Kiss

2010-02-13T08:56:00.007-07:00

Okay, so I made a couple of quick changes to my pomegranate Mexican chocolate chai cupcakes. First, the name is going to be "Aphrodite's Kiss" since it's chocolaty, spicy and full of aphrodisiacs. Second, I got an idea in the middle of the night to add pink peppercorns for a little special addition. They pair perfectly with all the other spices and the pomegranates.

So, here's the recipe. Sorry that some of the measurements are not exact, I was really just playing in the kitchen when I put these together.

INGREDIENTS FOR POM CUPCAKE: (c/o Pom)

Juice from 2-3 large Pomegranates, or 1 cup Pomegranate Juice (100% juice, unsweetened)
3 cups all-purpose or cake flour
2 cups granulated or Baker's sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 100% Cocoa)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, heated to boiling
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar) I used a nice Balsamic I picked up in Italy!
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice if necessary. Preheat oven to 350F. Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.
Whisk together the dry ingredients (including sugar) to combine well.
In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.
Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.
Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about 3/4 full).
Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs.

Ingredients for the Mexican Chocolate Ganache:

Mexican hot chocolate (one "wheel" or "circle")
2 tbsp. butter
1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar

Melt the chocolate, butter and oil together in a double boiler. Slowly add sugar, stirring constantly. If the mixture is too thick, add more oil. If it is too thin, add a little dark cocoa and cinnamon. Spoon the ganache on the cooled cupcakes. Allow the ganache to set up on the cupcakes before adding frosting.

Ingredients for chai buttercream:
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temp.
3-4 cups powdered sugar
apx. 2 tbsp. milk
1 small packet of instant chai tea mix

Whip the butter in the electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time (make sure to slow the mixer down). Mix in the chai tea mix. If the frosting is too stiff, add milk one tbsp. at a time. Use a pastry bag and your favorite pastry tip to top the cupcakes. Add candied ginger, pink peppercorns, or any other final topping you wish. Enjoy!

Chai Pomegranate Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-02-11T21:35:00.005-07:00

Yeah, yeah... the name needs some serious work. How about "spiced deliciousness??" No?.... Well, I'll keep you posted.

So, these ones were pretty simple to whip up, but the pay off was big! First, I made the Pomegranate dark chocolate cupcake base from my "Pom Gin Cups" (also featured on this blog), then I melted some Mexican chocolate along with some oil, butter, sugar, and a little extra cocoa and cinnamon. I topped each cupcake with the Mexican chocolate, filling the small dips in the centers of the cupcakes. As they cooled, I made a chai buttercream frosting. I topped each cupcake with a little candied ginger. Mmmmm....

I will post a more detailed recipe soon! Happy baking!

January Voting

2010-01-28T18:16:00.004-07:00

Hi guys!!
So the January Iron Cupcake voting has opened. Please go to www.ironcupcakewilwaukee.com
and place your votes. Each voter is permitted three votes. I made cotton candy cupcakes and smores cupcakes. I can win some amazing prizes, so please show your support! Thank you!

Prize Packs generously provided by...
The Demy by Key Ingredient (the COOLEST electronic cookbook ever!)
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Cotton Candy Cupcakes

2010-01-16T09:59:00.005-07:00

In addition to the Smores Cupcakes (see below) that I made for my eighth graders, I also made these Cotton Candy Cupcakes. Both used a similar base recipe from "The Cupcake Deck." The cake reminds me a little of an angelfood cake, but not quite as light; it still has some heartiness to it. It is sweet and has that slughtly syrupy cling in your mouth the way cotton candy does when it melts. Mmmm... The kids loved these ones too. I found the cotton candy extract while on a trip to KY in an amish store. I would guess you would find it pretty much anywhere that has candy making supplies.

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Cotton Candy Cupcake base:

1 ¼ cups cake flour

¾ tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

¾ cups whole milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. cotton candy flavoring

6 tbsp. unsalted room temp butter

1 cup baker’s sugar

3 large egg whites at room temp

Cotton Candy Frosting:

1 cup room temp unsalted butter

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. cotton candy flavoring

3-5 drops red food coloring

Blue sanding sugar

Filling:

Pre-packaged white chocolate pudding mix and whole milk (as directed per instructions on the packaging)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper cups.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and flavorings.

In the electric mixer, mix together the butter and sugar for apx. 3 minutes until it looks light in color and completely combined. The mixture will be clumpy. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture alternately. Add the flour mixture in three additions and the milk mixture in two additions (starting and ending with the flour mixture.) Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add one third of the egg whites to the cake batter, gently folding it in. When no white streaks remain, fold in the remaining two thirds into the cake batter. No white streaks should remain.

Use a disher to pour the batter into the cupcake pans. Fill each cup two-thirds full. Bake for Apx. 15 minutes.

Mix the milk and pudding packet together as directed on the packaging. When the cupcakes have cooled, use a piping tip to make a hole in the center of each cupcake. Fill a pastry bag with the pudding and fill each hole with a little pudding.

To make the frosting, combine the powdered sugar and butter in the electric mixer until it is light and airy. Add the food coloring and cotton candy flavoring, mix until it is one color. Use a pastry bag to pipe frosting on to the cupcakes. Top with blue sanding sugar. Enjoy!

Smores Cupcakes

2010-01-16T09:48:00.002-07:00

Okay, so smores cupcakes have become a little, well, passe in the cupcake underground... But I have always wanted to make one and I finally had two great reasons. First, this month's Iron Cupcake challenge is titled, "Winter Warm Up" and is supposed to be inspired by things you do to warm up during the winter months. And as I am a Colorado native, camping and smores run through my veins. Second, my students just finished their first semester as members of a competitive acting league (NJFL) and I promised to make them cupcakes as a reward. So what's better for a group of Colorado eighth graders who requested chocolate cupcakes? Smores!! I had a lot of fun making these (read on about the marshmallow trochings!) and the kids LOVED them! There is almost nothing more satisfying than making tasty sugary sweets for kids... and then sending them off to someone else! ;)

I hope you enjoy the recipe! It was adapted from "The Cupcake Deck" (as were the Cotton Candy cupcakes I made on the same night.)

Smores Cupcake Base:

2 cups cake flour

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 ½ cups whole milk

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

12 tbsp. unsalted room temp. butter

2 cups baker’s sugar

6 large egg whites at room temp.

Extras:

One 12-16 ox bag of chocolate chunks

One bag of large marshmallows

1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

A butane torch

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper cups.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and flavorings.

Use a disher to pour the batter into the cupcake pans. Fill each cup two-thirds full. Crumble some of the graham crackers and slightly chop some of the chocolate chunks, combine in a bowl. Top each cupcake with a generous amount of this mixture. Bake for Apx. 15 minutes.

While the cupcakes cool, cut the marshmallows into halves. When the cupcakes are completely cool, top each cupcake with two marshmallow halves. Torch those suckers with a butane torch from that crème brulee kit you never use! Careful though, because they will catch fire, and you do have to blow out a lot of “birthday candles.” I found it actually works best to torch the bottoms of the marshmallows (the side with the powdery dusting) first, then quickly turn them over and smoosh them on to the cupcake. The cup sides should be up. The cut sides will yield a much nicer looking caramelized top when you finish torching the marshmallows (plus, they stick to the cupcake better.)

If desired, melt some of the remaining chocolate and add a little vegetable oil. Drizzle this chocolate sauce over the finished cupcakes. Enjoy!

Time to VOTE!!!

2009-10-30T15:16:00.002-06:00

It's voting time everyone! Please go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ and place THREE votes for my cupcakes. My screen name is "Keckie's World" and the three cupcakes I bakes are called "Fat Bottomed Girls," "You Can Leave Your Hat On," and "Gin and Juice." Thank you so much for you support!

Our Generous IronCupcake:Earth Prize Providers:
The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne

Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-28T16:03:00.003-06:00

Ingredients
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
2 cups (16 0z.) canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 bag milk chocolate chips

1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-2 tbsp. canola oil

Directions
This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 2 dozen.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside. Stir in the milk chocolate chips.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 absp. of the oil in a double boiler. If the melted chocolate is not thin enough to drizzle, add one more tbsp. of oil. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies. Allow the chocolate to harden, enjoy!

Sippin on gin and juice...

2009-10-22T22:01:00.003-06:00

Here's my third and final entry for Iron Cupcake's music challenge. This is my "Gin and Juice" cupcake. It is a cranberry and gin poundcake. Make sure you help me out with your votes at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ Voting will open no later than October 30th at 8pm. Also, show some love to our sponsors...

The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne

RECIPE FOR GIN AND JUICE CUPCAKES:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 c. Baker's sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 egg whites
1/2 cup cranberry juice concentrate
1-2 tbsp. gin
Line 14-16 muffin cups with paper liners. In a mixing bowl sift together dry ingredients.
Add oil and juice. Beat until smooth. Add enough gin to loosen the mixture slightly. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture in two batches.
Pour into cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for apx. 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
GIN GLAZE:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1-2 oz. gin
3 drops of red food coloring
Mix all three ingredients together, add the enough gin to make your desired consistency of glaze. Hold each cupcake by it's base and dip the top into the bowl of glaze, let the excess drip off, set aside and top with dried cranberries. Allow the glaze to dry. Then just lay back, and sip on your gin and juice.

Iron Cupcake is Back!!

2009-10-21T23:51:00.002-06:00

Iron Cupcake Earth is back and this month the group is trying to get featured on the Ellen show. So to help our case, we're making music-inspired cupcakes. The cuppies this month need to be based on the title of a song. For my first entry, I made "high hat cupcakes" although they did not turn out too high... which was okay by me because they ended up looking like Hostess cupcakes;) The song title for these babies? "You Can Leave Your Hat On."

Then I went a little crazy and decided to use Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" for my second entry. These are pink lemonade cupcakes, but honestly, who cares!? It's all about the name and appearances on these cuties!

Anywho... send an email to Ellen and tell her to feature Iron Cupcake Earth! The more emails she gets the better chance we have... And who doesn't love Ellen!?

Sorry for the short post, but it's bed time and I have classes to teach in the morning, lots of love to you all!!

Anise Olive Oil Bundt Cakes

2009-08-12T22:08:00.003-06:00

I just bought this amazing new mini bundt pan at a restaraunt supply store and couldn't wait to use it... Unfortunately, two batters failed the test. One was far too fluffy (I overflowed out of the pan and then fell apart when getting the cakes out) and the other was too chunky and went into a loaf pan instead. But, thanks to Martha, this recipe for Olive Oil Anise Bundt Cakes fit the bill pretty well. They have a complex flavor and they took on the shape of my highly decorative mini bundt pan. The other nice point is that they were easily removed from the pan (yes, they actually fell out when I flipped the pan!) There were some air bubbles that caused the pattern to come out a little less than perfect, but oh well. Next experiment for the bundt pan will probably be that Pom Wonderful cupcake base from my Pom Gin Cupcakes. Mmmmm.... They have an outstanding flavor and they're moist, dense, and have a smooth finish on the tops. I'll let you know if it works as well as I'm hoping!

Ingredients:
Vegetable or Olive oil cooking spray
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 packed teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for dusting.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 12 mini Bundt cake cups with cooking spray. Whisk eggs, yolk, granulated sugar, orange zest, and anise seeds in a medium bowl until foamy. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter evenly among pans, and bake until light gold and testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm.

Voting is OPEN!!!

2009-07-28T20:55:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone! Voting for the June Iron Cupcake "Herbs" Challenge is Open!! Voting is only open for one week, so hop to it!! You get THREE votes and I entered three cupcakes this month. The three I entered were:
1. Lavender cupcakes with salted caramel centers and fugde frosting
2. Pomagranate Gin Cupcakes
3. Orange Gale Cupcakes
Please go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ and get your votes in!!
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.
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Big props to the sponsors of Iron Cupcake... (see below)
Our June ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
A delicious treat from CIRCLEMONKEY http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5335273
a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Orange Gale Cupcakes

2009-07-23T08:41:00.007-06:00

Here's my third entry for this month's Iron Cupcake "Herbs" challenge. I went with my hubby to the Brew Hut this weekend (yes, he is a Brew Master) and I found a couple of unique ingredients that sparked my imagination. The first was a package of sweet orange zest pieces, second was bag of dried sweet gale. Gale is an herb that is sometimes added to beers to add a aromatic, floral, and herbal touch. Sweet gale pairs well with nutmeg and sweet orange, and that just sounded like a ready-made cupcake!

So I used a teacake recipe that was delicate and tender. It came out of the oven, light, yet moist and with an excellent natural crust on the tops (no need for a egg wash or sanding sugar.) The cake is flavored with cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and the sweet gale (reconstituted in a simple syrup.) When the cupcakes puffed up over the tops of the liners, I sliced off the tops and smeared them with an orange marmalade I bought in Italy.

To top them off, I made a vanilla buttercream with more fresh nutmeg and cinnamon. My favorite special additions were a candied orange peel I made from my Brew Hut supplies and a light drizzle of a syrupy sweet aged balsamic vinegar. Yum, yum, yum!

*Baking tip: You should start by creating the candied orange peel and reconstituted Gale, that will set you up for a quicker process.

INGREDIENTS FOR SPICED TEACUPCAKES:

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup Baker's sugar

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. dried sweet gale (plus 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar for reconstituting)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 small jar of orange marmalade

DIRECTIONS FOR CUPCAKES:

Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Boil the 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Add sweet Gale. Bring the heat to low and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Stain out only the Gale and discard the syrup.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer until the mixture turns a light yellow color and thickens (about 2 minutes.) Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix for another minute. On a low speed, mix in the oil, vanilla, and sweet gale until blended. Mix in the yogurt until no white streaks remain. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together by hand just until there are only small lumps remaining.

Fill each cupcake liner just over 3/4 full. Bake for apx. 20 minutes or until a golden edge appears around the tops of the cupcakes. Allow the cupcakes to completely cool. Carefully slice the tops off the cupcakes. Microwave 1/4 cup of the marmalade at a time in a microwave safe bowl for 15 seconds. Smear each cupcake with a small amount of the marmalade with the marmalade and place the tops back on.

SPICED BUTTERCREAM:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (just slightly cooler than room temp.)

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS FOR BUTTERCREAM:

Whip the butter in the mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Blend in spices and vanilla.

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 oz sweet orange peel

Sweet, syrupy aged Balsamic vinegar

Boil the water and sugar, stir the sugar until dissolved. Add the orange peel and simmer for 90-120 minutes. With a slotted spoon, pull out the orange peel and place on a wire rack. Dust the orange peel with granulated sugar while still wet. Allow to cool. For best results, wait 24 hours before using.

Top the frosted cupcakes with candied orange peel and lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!

Pom Gin Cup

2009-07-16T21:44:00.006-06:00

My Second entry for this month's Iron Cupcake Herb Challenge is this "Pom Gin Cupcake." I wanted to make something with an excellent flavor combination, but was simple to make. I came up with the idea for Gin and Pomegranate cupcakes this afternoon, and unfortunately the "simple" part of my endeavor went downhill from there.... For some reason today was just one of those days. Right after returning from the grocery store, I noticed that my sugar canister had only about half a cup of sugar left in it! SO, back to the grocery store. Then, as I was finishing the cupcakes and starting the frosting, I realized that we were out of Gin! SO, I took a short trip over to the liquor store. Of course, when I decided to reduce this Gin on my cook top, I singed my hair!! Yikes! Then as I was getting ready to decorate the cupcakes, I dropped about 100 dragees on the floor (much to the joyful surprise of my dogs!) SIGH... What an insane baking experience for a "SIMPLE" cupcake... oh well, they taste great and maybe, just maybe, were worth it... :)

INGREDIENTS FOR POM CUPCAKE: (c/o Pom)
Juice from 2-3 large Pomegranates, or 1 cup Pomegranate Juice (100% juice, unsweetened)
3 cups all-purpose or cake flour
2 cups granulated or Baker's sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 100% Cocoa)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, heated to boiling
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar) I used a nice Balsamic I picked up in Italy!
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice if necessary. Preheat oven to 350F. Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.
Whisk together the dry ingredients (including sugar) to combine well.

In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.
Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.
Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about 3/4 full).
Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs.

GIN FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

Silver Dragees (if desired)

2 8oz. packages Marscapone cheese

3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

4 tbsp. Dry Skim Milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup Gin (I used Beefeater)

2 Tbsp. granulated or Baker's sugar

**For the love of Pete, PLEASE be VERY careful when cooking the alcohol off the Gin! It is a lot of Gin and there will be A LOT of FLAMES that will burn big and long!**

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING:

Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add the Gin. If you have a flat top range like me, use a long nose lighter to light the edge of the pan. Make sure that nothing flammable is nearby or above the pan!! When the flames extinguish, stir in 2 Tbsp. of sugar. Set aside and allow to cool.

Blend the Marscapone in the mixer until whipped. Stir in the Gin and sugar mixture until combined. Blend in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Add the vanilla extract. If the frosting is a little too loose, add the dry milk into the mix until combined. Cool the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes to one hour.

Frost the cupcakes and decorate with dragees. Enjoy!

Lavender Heaven Cupcakes

2009-07-14T23:54:00.012-06:00

For my first entry for this month's Iron Cupcake: HERBS Challenge, I wanted to do something relatively simple and yet very tasty. After a little brainstorming with a fellow foodie, this was the result...

A lavender poundcake cupcake that has a sunken center filled with caramel. The Caramel is salted with Fluer De Sel. Petals of chocolate fudge frosting surround the caramel centers.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect from these cuppies. I didn't think they would really be anything that spectacular.... BUT boy was I surprised when I had a bite! This cupcake is beyond delicious! It is darn near heavenly! It's floral, aromatic, salty, dense, buttery, chewy, and fudgey... Does it get any better!? The flavors all accent and compliment each other in an unexpectedly amazing way... YUM YUM YUM!! You really do have to try making a batch of this bad boys!

One other admission, I did not actually intend to have the centers of the cupcakes sink... However, this turned out to be a very happy surprise. The sunken centers were very advantageous when creating the caramel centers and fudgey frosting petals. I think the reason I got this result was that I whipped the snot out of my butter, then my butter and sugar mixture, and then my butter/sugar/egg mixture when creating the poundcake. I did this because I wanted to create a good texture in the poundcake and because the Joy of Baking seemed to say that was the way to go. Well, if I had made a regular poundcake I probably wouldn't have been a happy baker, but as it is, this worked perfectly for what I had in mind!

INGREDIENTS FOR CUPCAKES (Lavender Poundcake)
1 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup superfine Baker's sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 heaping tbsp of chopped dried lavender

DIRECTIONS FOR CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together twice, the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of your mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (this will take about 5 minutes). After about five minutes the batter should be light in color and fluffy in texture. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lavender and beat until incorporated.

Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for apx. 15 minutes or until you see golden edges. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

INGREDIENTS FOR CARAMEL FILLING:

15-20 prepared caramel squares

2 tbsp butter

1 tibp Fluer de Sel

DIRECTIONS FOR CARAMEL FILLING:

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the caramels. Stir often to keep from burning. When the caramel is just melted, spoon a dollop of caramel into the center of each cupcake. After the caramel has almost completely cooled, top each with a small amount of Fluer de Sel.

INGREDIENTS FOR FUDGE FROSTING:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup dark cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup plain soy milk

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING:
Melt butter and mix in cocoa by hand. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well by hand. Use a pastry bag and "leaf" pastry tip to decorate the edges of the cupcakes.

VOTE!

2009-06-17T15:21:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone!
Since I won't be in town to remind you to vote, I'm going to post the link now. Voting will open on June 28th at 8pm. Voting will remain open until July 6th at noon. You get to place THREE VOTES. To vote, please go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com
The four cupcakes I am entering in this month's "berry challenge" are:
1. Anniversary Cupcakes (a strawberry peach angelfood cupcake)
2. Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes
3. Blackberry Pumpkin Cupcakes
4. Italian Raspberry Cupcakes
The winner will be announced on July 7th.

Big thanks to the sponsors of Iron Cupcake: Earth...

A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
A groovy linocut piece from BLOCKHEAD PRESS http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6108705
a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Italian Raspberry Cupcakes

2009-06-17T13:18:00.009-06:00

Tomorrow morning my hubby and I are leaving for a three week backpacking trip through France and Italy. As a little "thank you" for his co-workers who will be helping to pick up the slack, I treated them to an Italian style cupcake. This one was inspired by the flavors that Giada DeLaurentiis of The Food Network created in a sweet and savory panini. Her panini had a brown sugar and olive oil crust on the outside, the inside was filled with mozzerella, raspberry jam, and rosemary. I adapted this by creating a olive oil, honey, and rosemary cornmeal cupcake. I filled the cupcake with a fresh raspberry and rosemary filling. Each cupcake was topped with a crust of brown sugar and a sweet marscapone frosting. They turned out great... My husband's co-workers loved the sweet and savory combination, and they appreciated the thought. I'll be sure to take lots of culinary notes while on my trip and hopefully return with lots of great ideas!

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS FOR CORNMEAL CUPCAKE:

1 (16 oz.) package Marie Callender's Corn Bread Mix

1 1/2 cup water

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Honey

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cake flour

2 Tbsp. diced fresh rosemary

1/4 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR CORNMEAL CUPCAKES:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers. Pour cornmeal mix to a large bowl. Add all other ingredients (except brown sugar) to the bowl, mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Fill each cupcake 3/4 full. Top each cupcake with a sprinkle of brown sugar. Bake for 10-15 minutes, test with a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out clean, they are done. Allow to cool completely. Puncture the center of each cupcake with a large pastry tip, discard the "plugs."

INGREDIENTS FOR RASPBERRY FILLING:

12 oz. Fresh Raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. diced fresh rosemary

1-2 tsp. flour

DIRECTIONS: Heat butter over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add sugar and mix together with the butter. Toss in 8 oz. of the fresh raspberries (reserve the remaining raspberries to decorate the tops of the cupcakes.) Continuously fold and stir the raspberry sauce until most of the raspberries have fallen apart. Add the flour to thicken the sauce and remove from heat. Allow to cool and fill the cupcake holes with the raspberry sauce.

INGREDIENTS FOR MARSCAPONE FROSTING:

8 oz. Marscapone cheese

1-2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. butter, softened

DIRECTIONS: Whisk the marscapone, butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar together in the mixer until fluffy. Add up to one more cup of powdered sugar (depending on your desired texture and sweetness.) Whisk in the vanilla, make sure it is completely Incorporated and still fluffy. Frost the cupcakes with your favorite frosting tip and decorate with raw, fresh raspberries and rosemary if desired. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Blackberry Cupcakes

2009-06-15T16:57:00.009-06:00

Mom and I made another entry for the Iron Cupcake Earth: Berries Challenge. They are SO delicious! These are definitely in my top five cupcakes... Mmmmm.... These cupcakes are a moist ginger pecan cupcakes, their texture and flavor are unbeatable. We filled them with a fresh blackberry sauce. Since mom and I couldn't agree on what flavor to top them with, some were frosted with anise buttercream and others had maple buttercream. (Both of them turned out spectacular, but I preferred the anise.) To dress them up a little we added a few more pieces of candied ginger and a drizzle of extra blackberry sauce.

Although we had a lot of fun making these, we did run into a little trouble along the way... My mom was going to roll up some cute miniature diplomas to put on them since they were going to be eaten by some high school graduates. She was sitting up at the bar and I was making the buttercream on the counter space just below the bar. She accidentally knocked her spool of string in to the bag of powdered sugar. I darted to try to catch it before it fell in, and in the meantime I spilled the bottle of maple extract all over the counter. Some of the extract even splashed on to a wall! I guess maybe we were both subconsciously trying to sabotage each other's attempt to make a different flavor of frosting than we wanted. Oh well, in the end, everything was cleaned up and we made great cupcakes! :)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GINGER PECAN PUMPKIN CUPCAKES:
3 cups flour

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups pumpkin purée

2/3 cup melted butter

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup water

1-2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1-2 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 teaspoon ground cloves

1-2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

4-5 Tbsp candied ginger (in small pieces)

1/4 cup candied ginger (reserve for decorating the tops of the cupcakes)
DIRECTIONS FOR PUMPKIN CUPCAKES:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fold in the 4-5 tbsp. of candied ginger and chopped nuts. Spoon mixture into a lined cupcake pan. Bake for apx. 20 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, it's done. Allow to completely cool. If adding the blackberry filling, puncture the center of the cupcake with a large frosting piping tip and discard the "plugs."

INGREDIENTS FOR BLACKBERRY SAUCE:

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup sugar

2-3 cups frozen or fresh black berries

1-2 tsp. cornstarch

DIRECTIONS FOR BLACKBERRY SAUCE:

Melt the butter in a heavy pot, add the sugar and stir. Add in the blackberries and gently but continuously fold until a sauce has formed. Add the cornstarch and allow to cool. Fill the cupcake holes with the sauce. Reserve some for topping the frosting.

INGREDIENTS FOR ANISE OR MAPLE BUTTERCREAM:

1 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. anise extract

1 tsp. maple extract

DIRECTIONS FOR BUTTERCREAM:

Mix the butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy in the mixer. Split the buttercream in half. Add the anise extract to one batch and the maple extract to the other batch (unless of course, you want to do only one of these flavors.) Frost the cupcakes and then top with candied ginger pieces and blackberry sauce.

Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes

2009-06-15T00:16:00.009-06:00

This one will be my second entry to this month's Iron Cupcake Challenge: Berries. It is a little like a bread pudding, and it is delicious! I made a custard filled with Grand Mariner, orange zest, cinnamon, and fresh nutmeg and soaked it in to chunks of challah bread. Then I made a tasty blueberry sauce and poured it over the top of each cupcake. After baking, I frosted them with a maple cream cheese frosting, maple candied walnuts, and (in honor of the creator of Iron Cupcake Earth) maple bacon... Mmmmmm... The aroma, flavor, and texture of these cupcakes are wonderful, it's everything you love about breakfast and cupcakes together at last! :)

*A quick side note: this recipe will make a TON of cupcakes (around 48!) so you may want to cut the recipe in half.

INGREDIENTS FOR CUSTARD FRENCH TOAST:

14 eggs

1 Quart of whole milk

1/2 to 3/4 cup Grand Mariner

Zest of 1 Orange

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

3 loaves of Challah bread torn into pieces (day old bread is best)

DIRECTIONS FOR CUSTARD FRENCH TOAST:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs together. Mix all the remaining ingredients together. Make sure everything is well mixed. Pour over pieces of torn challah and allow to soak for apx. 15 minutes, fold occasionally to ensure absorption. Line several cupcake pans with cupcake wrappers. Fill each cup with the bread mixture. Top each cupcake with a spoonful of the blueberry sauce. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing.

INGREDIENTS FOR BLUEBERRY SAUCE:

2 lbs. fresh blueberries

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. corn starch

DIRECTIONS FOR BLUEBERRY SAUCE:

Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add sugar, stir in with the butter. Add blueberries and gently stir/fold constantly. When the blueberries have begun to burst, add the cornstarch and continue to stir. When the sauce has thickened, remove from heat.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese at room temp.

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

2-3 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR MAPLE FROSTING:

Blend together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the maple syrup, stir until combined. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, stir until combined. If the texture of the frosting is too runny, or if you would like it to taste sweeter, add 1/2-1 cup more powdered sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAPLE WALNUTS:
1 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

3/4 cup walnut pieces

DIRECTIONS FOR MAPLE WALNUTS:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy pan. Toss in the walnuts and lightly stir to coat with butter. Add the maple syrup and stir continuously until the walnuts are completely coated and aromatic and there is very little syrup left in the pan.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAPLE BACON:

1 package bacon

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS FOR MAPLE BACON:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil. Line bacon slices on the baking sheets, brush with maple syrup. Bake for apx. 15 minutes and drain on paper towels.

Anniversary Cupcakes

2009-06-13T16:01:00.004-06:00

My first big cupcake baking experience came from my Cousin's wedding. One year ago, she asked me to create a cupcake tower filled with cupcakes for 250 guests. After trying out three or four recipes at the bridal shower, she decided on Strawberry and Champagne cupcakes. Well, my cousin's first anniversary is this week and instead of defrosting the cake topper like most wedding cakes, I made them a new batch of cuppies. With her permission, I dressed up these second round cupcakes since I wouldn't be making 250 of them.

This batch was Strawberry peach cupcakes. The cake is a sweet and sticky strawberry angelfood cake. The cupcakes are filled with a fresh strawberry custard. They are topped with a fresh peach buttercream frosting that is to die for. Mmmmmm.. very summery, sweet, playful, and lovely!

INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY ANGELFOOD
1 3/4 cups Baker's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon strawberry extract, or extract of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

4-5 drops red food coloring

DIRECTIONS FOR ANGELFOOD CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, food coloring, strawberry extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Carefully spoon mixture into lined cupcake pans. Fill each cup until it looks overfull. Bake for apx. 7 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden toothpick. Allow to cool before adding filling or frosting.

INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY CUSTARD FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups soy milk
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

2 lbs strawberries, sliced

DIRECTIONS FOR STRAWBERRY CUSTARD

Start a double boiler (boil a pot of water and place a glass bowl on top.) In the glass bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch and slowly add milk. Slightly beat egg yolks and temper with a small amount of the hot custard; stir well. Add egg mixture to custard bowl and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

In a different pot, cook sugar and butter for apx. 1 minute on medium heat. Add 1 1/2 strawberries to the pot, stir constantly. When the strawberries have become like a chunky stew, strain the mixture and allow much of the water to drain out. Drop the remaining strawberries in a blender for a few seconds. Add the blended strawberries to the custard, mix well. You may want to add a few drops of red food coloring if the color is ugly. Reserve the rest of the strawberries for decorating the top of the cupcake or the serving plate.

INGREDIENTS FOR PEACH BUTTERCREAM

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp.

3 cups powdered sugar

4-5 drops red food coloring

3 fresh peaches

DIRECTIONS FOR PEACH BUTTERCREAM

Mix butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Cut peaches in to pieces, place in blender or food processor until smooth. Add peach puree and food coloring to the buttercream mix until well combined. If the frosting is too liquidy add more powdered sugar.

ASSEMBLING THE CUPCAKES

Use a frosting tip to punch a hole in the center of a cupcake. Fill the hole with custard. Frost the cupcake with a rubber spatula or a piping bag. Top with sprinkles or strawberries if desired.

On the fitness wagon (again)

2009-04-03T14:02:00.003-06:00

Like many others, I have had a long struggle with the gym. For about 6-7 years, I have gotten off and on the wagon every few months. In my most recent stint, I enlisted the help of an amazing trainer. I lasted 4-5 months and he got me into awesome shape. I was able to keep up with the routines even when the school year started... However, as soon as my secondary job as the school's play director (AND costumer, make-up artist, set designer, lighting designer...) I feel right off again. It's not the time that became my issue. If I really wanted in squeeze in an hour I could. It was the mental commitment that overwhelmed me. I am an all-or-nothing type, and I couldn't mentally juggle my commitments, so something had to stop. Unfortunately, that meant my own stress relief and confidence suffered greatly.

So after finally reaching a point where I became completely unhappy with myself, I sucked it up and sulked back to my trainer. Thankfully, Jason is one of the most understanding, patient, and motivating people I could train with. The goals we set are to get me back to the fitness level I was at when I trained with him a few months ago and then some. As a long term goal, we would like to get me to the point where I can do a half marathon, marathon, and maybe more. Scary! (But I think I can do it.) In order to get started, my minimum gym time is twice a week in the month of April, three times in the month of May, four times in the June, and five to six times during the summer.

But again, I am an all-or-nothing type of girl, so this week I've already convinced myself to go in three times and go skiing for 5-6 hours. I am planing to go at least once more this week. I want to try out a few different activities instead of always doing cardio and weights at the gym. I really enjoyed spending time skiing, but the season is almost over and it is super expensive. I may also try to incorporate outdoor running and indoor rock climbing. There is a rock climbing gym very close to my house so that might be a fun option for weekends.

Anyway, wish me luck, cuz here I go.... I am really hoping to keep consistent for a year at least. I feel like that will get me roped in for life. I'll keep you posted!

Skiing with Callie

2009-04-02T22:29:00.001-06:00

Callie's first attempt at skiing, and she rocked it! :)

Taking the kiddos to the Museum

2009-04-02T22:25:00.000-06:00

March Voting Instructions for IRON CUPCAKES!

2009-03-29T12:19:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! Voting for Iron Cupcake is now open! Please go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ and place THREE VOTES in the right hand column. My screen name is "keckie." The three cupcakes I entered for this month's "nuts & seeds" challenge were "Fig and Walnut Cheesecake Cupcakes," "Easter Pie Cupcakes," and "Hawaiian Cupcakes." Thank you so much for your support!!

Hawaiian Cupcakes

2009-03-22T19:04:00.004-06:00

My friend, Laura, wanted to learn how to bake. SO, she was recruited to help me with my third entry to Iron Cupcake Earth. We made Hawaiian cupcakes that are to die for! They are a pineapple upside-down cupcake. The cupcake itself is a perfectly moist mango cupcake studded with white chocolate chips. They are filled with a homemade macadamia nut marzipan. We soaked the tops of each cupcake with rum and topped them off with a touch of coconut buttercream frosting. A few pieces of macadamia nuts are sprinkled over the tops.

These cupcakes are sweet, moist, and make you feel like taking a nice little vacation.

Please remember to go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/ at the end of this month to vote for all three of my entries for this month's "nuts & seeds" challenge! My entries for this month are: Hawaiian Cupcakes, Easter Pie Cupcakes, and Fig & Walnut Cheesecake Cupcakes. Thank you so much for your support!!

See the recipe for the Hawaiian cupcakes below...

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CUPCAKES...
2 cups granulated sugar (I used Baker's sugar)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe mangos (diced)

1 can mango in light syrup
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt

1 bag white chocolate chips

EXTRAS...

2 cans pineapple pieces (in pineapple juice) drained and sliced in half

1/2 cup rum

FOR THE COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING...

1.5 lbs powdered sugar

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1/4 cup soymilk

1/2 stick butter (room temp.)

FOR THE MACADAMIA NUT MARZIPAN....

Apx. 10 oz. macadamia nuts

1 cup powdered sugar (possibly more if not thick enough)

INSTRUCTIONS:

TO MAKE THE MARZIPAN....

Chop and blend the macadamia nuts in a food processor until smooth. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it is the consistency of a thick peanut butter.

TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM...

Blend the butter, soymilk, powdered sugar, and coconut extract in a mixer until smooth and thick. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

TO MAKE THE MANGO CUPCAKES...

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 3 cupcake pans with cooking spray.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Blend the mangos in a food processors until a fine puree. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the mango mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Stir in bag of white chocolate chips.

.
TO ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES...

Place 4 pieces of the pineapples into the bottom of each cupcake cup. Pour enough batter into each cup to fill them half way full. Drop apx. 1-2 tsp. of marzipan on to the batter in each cup. Top each cup with another layer of batter (cupcakes should be a little over 3/4 full.) Place in oven and bake until edges turn golden brown. Once done, allow to cool. Turn each cupcake out of the pans, brush with rum. Using a pastry bag, swirl a small amount of coconut buttercream on each cupcake. Top each cupcake with reserved, chopped pieces of macadamia nuts.

Easter Pie Cupcake

2009-03-13T17:19:00.007-06:00

Easter pie is an Italian tradition. I make a sweet (but slightly savory) version of it every year for dessert at Easter dinner. This time, I shrunk them down and used my cupcake pan. It is made with sheets of phyllo brushed with butter in between each layer. The cup is then filled with a ricotta, egg, toasted pine nuts, short grain brown rice, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest mixture. The tops are brushed with butter and browned in the oven. I topped them with few pieces of orange zest, a couple pine nuts, and a dusting of powdered sugar. They come out like delicate yet crispy, yummy little nuggets. The texture of the filling is somewhere between of cheesecake and rice pudding.

RECIPE (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish
6 large eggs
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoon orange zest, plus extra for garnish
1 (30-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup cooked short-grained brown rice
2/3 cup toasted pine nuts, plus extra for garnish
1 package fresh phyllo sheets or frozen, thawed
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Blend 1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly butter 2 cupcake/muffin pans. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of a cup, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet (Use apx. 5 layers for each cupcake.) Spoon the ricotta mixture into the cup. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter. Repeat for every cupcake.

Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 15-20 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. Use a butter knife to carefully lift each cupcake out of the pan. Place each cupcake into a cupcake sleeve. Place a few pine nuts and pieces of orange zest on top of each cupcake. Dust with powdered sugar.

Fig and Walnut Cupcakes

2009-03-10T17:53:00.006-06:00

Here is my first entry to this month's Iron Cupcake Challenge! This month's secret ingredient is nuts & seeds. I based this cupcake on a cookie I make for Christmas every year. The base of the cupcake is a cookie crust flavored with orange and lemon zest. The bottom of the cupcake is filled with a fig, walnut, honey, cinnamon, and lightly-orange mixture; think of it as a Highly Glorified fig newton filling. The fig filling is then covered with cheesecake and topped with either a half of a walnut or a decorative piece of cookie crust (brushed with an eggwash and sanding sugar.) This cupcake is the perfect blend of crunchy, creamy, gooey, sweet, spicy, and slightly savory. These cupcakes are great for an elegant adult party. So good!

Recipe follows...

Recipe for pastry and fig filling from Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients:
Pastry Dough: (Doubled this pastry dough recipe)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups cake flour
2/3 cup Baker's sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teasppon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

Fig Filling:
9 ounces dried Mission figs, stems discarded
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Cheesecake: (multiply this recipe 1.5 times)

1 lb. room temp. cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 room temp. eggs (3 yolks, 2 whites)

1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt

1 tbsp vanilla

Directions:
For the pastry dough: Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingers until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the egg mixture and mix with a fork until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough in 2 and flatten into disks. Wrap the dough disks in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, for the filling and cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Finely chop the figs and raisins in a food processor. Add the honey, orange juice, cinnamon, and lemon zest, and pulse just to blend. Scrape the fig mixture into a medium bowl. Stir in the walnuts.

To make the cheesecake, cream the powdered sugar and cream cheese together in a mixer. Continue mixing and add eggs and yogurt. Mix in vanilla at the end. Place in refridgerator until ready to use.

Butter 2-3 cupcake pans.

Roll out 1 disk of dough on a floured work surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut round pieces of the pastry and line each cup in the cupcake pan. Gather the dough scraps into a disk, then cover and refrigerate while assembling the cupcakes. Spoon the fig mixture into the bottom of each cupcake. Fill the remaining space in the cupcake with the cheesecake mixture. Leave only a 1/8 inch of the cupcake empty. Place either a walnut half or decoratively cut pieces of the cookie crust on top of each cupcake. If you use cookie crusts to decorate the tops, brush with an eggwash and dust with sanding sugar.

Bake for apx. 15 mins. Don't worry if the cheesecake puffs up or cracks, it with deflate to it's original height when it cools.

Allow the cupcakes to cool comepletely, use a small knife to gently lift each cupcake up and out of the cupcake pan. Enjoy!

Feb. Iron Cupcake VOTING instructions

2009-02-24T23:08:00.003-07:00

Iron Cupcake VOTING will open no later than March 1st at http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com You may vote for THREE cupcakes total. Please be sure to vote for my cupcakes. My entries are Kahlua Hazelnut Pound Cakes, Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes, Banana Frapp Cupcakes, Blueberry Coffee Cupcakes. All of my cupcakes are tagged with my blog name "Keckie's Word." Voting will close on March 6th at noon.

These are the sponsors who help provide prizes for Iron Cupcake... show them some love!

Our February ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:
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PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!As an added bonus for February, SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in a variety of cupcaking supplies, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com ; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Blueberry Coffee Cupcake

2009-02-23T19:48:00.004-07:00

Why not bake the coffee right into the coffee cake? This is my fourth entry to the Iron Cupcake: Earth Coffee Challenge. It is an overloaded blueberry coffee cake filled with walnuts, mini chocolate chips, oats, and blueberries, blueberries, blueberries. They are also flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee, and wheat. I topped the cupcakes with a strussel that got nice and crunchy after baking. I topped them with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting with a cute blue swirl and a final blueberry (what else!?)

My co-workers thought these were awesome. Some even proclaimed them my best cupcakes to date! (Other top cupcakes have been the angelfood coffee cupcakes, the dark chocolate apricot blackberry plum wine cupcakes, and the banana hazelnut chocolate cupcakes.)

Voting for Iron Cupcake will open up on the 26th or 27th, so click on the badge to the right and VOTE for my cupcakes! THANKS!!

RECIPE FOR CAKE AND STRUSSEL:

Topping:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1/3 cup walnuts (small pieces)

1/4 cup oats
2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

2 tsp. instant coffee powder

Zest of one lemon

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Batter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.
1/4 cup baker's sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup soy milk

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3.4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cake flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 package frozen blueberries, mixed with 1/4 cup honey (I replaced one tablespoon of the honey with molasses.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

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In a small bowl combine strussel topping and set aside.

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In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, blend well on low speed. Stir in yogurt, soymilk, instant coffee, lemon zest, and vanilla. Sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt, in a separate bowl. Stir chocolate chips and walnuts into the flour mixture. Add to wet batter and to the flour mixture and blend well. Lightly fold in the blueberry/honey mixture.

Scoop the batter into lined cupcake pans. Fill each cup a little over 3/4 full. Top each cupcake with the strussel topping.

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Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes or until done. Stick a toothpick into one of the cupcakes, if it comes out clean, they are done. Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting them.

FROSTING

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Using a pastry bag with a large tip, paint a strip on the inside of the bag with food coloring. Fill the pastry bag with cream cheese frosting and pipe on to completely cooled cupcakes.

***IMPORTANT NOTE: These cupcakes are pretty good right after making them, but they are INCREDIBLE if you let them sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Banana Frapp Cupcakes

2009-02-17T14:57:00.011-07:00

Homemade chocolate covered espresso beans.

Cross-section of the final product.

Before frosting or decorating the cupcakes.

Just after adding the caramel.

Without the caramel (topped with banana and chocolate covered espresso beans)

Creating holes and plugs for the banana custard filling. I used a large pastry tip.

Cooking the malted banana custard filling.

All Done!

My Third entry to this month's Iron Cupcake Challenge is a Banana Frapp Cupcake. The ingredient of the month is coffee. The cupcake itself is a coffee angelfood cake dotted with a few chocolate chips. They are filled with a homemade banana custard. I topped the cuppies with a vanilla honey buttercream. To add a little prettiness, I placed a slice of banana, homemade chocolate covered espresso beans, and burned caramel. The idea was to base this cupcake on the Frapps at a certain green-logo coffee shop I used to work at. One of the summers I was working there, they really focused on promoting these Banana Coffee Malted Frapps, and they were unexpectedly delicious... Just like my cupcakes!!

I am so proud of these cupcakes! I think these are in my top three cupcakes I've ever made. They are so tasty and every step was so carefully done. It took me a lot of time, but they are worth it and the recipe makes a lot of cupcakes.

MALTED BANANA CUSTARD
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups milk
4 medium ripe bananas
3 egg yolks beaten

4 tablespoons malted milk

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DIRECTIONS
Combine sugar and flour in a medium mixing bowl then mix well and set aside.
Pour milk into a large saucepan then cook over medium heat until candy thermometer registers 160.

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Gradually stir one fourth of hot soy milk into yolks then stir into reserved dry and add to remaining hot milk. Cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats the spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

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Let cool to room temperature.

Place all four bananas in food processor with one cup of custard so it will blend well. Pour the banana puree into the remaining custard. Mix in malted milk to the custard mixture.

COFFEE ANGELFOOD CAKE
1 1/2 cups egg whites (from about 1 dozen eggs), at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons hot water
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso
1 1/8 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 bag of chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

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In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and continue whipping until stiff and the sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds.

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In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and instant coffee to make coffee extract.
Using a sieve over a large bowl, sift the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the pre-sifted cake flour 3 times, to aerate the mixture.

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Fold the flour mixture into the egg whites in batches; then fold in the vanilla and dissolved coffee.

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Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake pan, filling each cup only half way. Drop a few chocolate chips into each cup. Fill the cups 3/4 the way full and top with a few more chocolate chips. Bake for apx. 10 minutes or until golden on top.

BUTTERCREAM

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp honey

DIRECTIONS

Blend all the ingredients together in mixer until smooth. Add more sugar or butter if consistency is too dry or wet.

To make the chocolate covered espresso beans, I just melted chocolate in a double boiler and poured it over a small container of espresso beans. Make sure the beans cover the bottom of the container, but are not piled on top of each other too much. Then I stuck the container into the freezer until it was frozen. To get it out of the container, I turned it upside down and hit it. I chopped the block into small pieces.

To make the burned caramel, I used caramel squares. I dropped them into a heavy pan over medium heat. As they melted I added one tablespoon of butter at a time to keep it fluid. While continuously stirring the caramel, I allowed the caramel to burn slightly on the bottom and bubble up.

To assemble the final cupcakes I made a hole and a plug in each cupcake using a very large frosting tip. I spooned a little of the banana custard into each cupcake hole and replaced the plug. Using a pastry bag and a star tip, I frosted a small pile of frosting on to each cupcake. I then put a slice of banana on to each frosting pile. I then took a homemade chocolate covered espresso bean and placed it in the frosting pile. While constantly keeping the caramel hot, I drizzled it over each cupcake. After allowing the caramel to cool (and taking some photos) I covered the cupcakes and refrigerated them until serving.

YUM!

Review: Richard III

2009-02-16T20:39:00.004-07:00

My incredible, amazing, wonderful hubby surprised me on Valentine's Day with a great weekend getaway to Downtown Denver. We stayed at the same hotel we went to the day of our wedding day, Hotel Teatro.

This has got to be the best hotel in Denver, hands down. We've stayed at the Oxford Hotel and toured the rooms at the Brown Palace, and although they are all wonderful.... Hotel Teatro is just unmatched for it's style, service, location, and perks. I am so glad that that place has a special place in me and my husband's lives. Ahhh, if only I could live there.

Anyway, Erik also made reservations for us at a new restaurant that opened up across the street from the hotel. It is a great seafood place called the Oceanaire. This place is known for shipping in the freshest, high quality seafood. I decided to indulge in a Valentine's tradition and get the lobster tail. It was SO good... Erik got a wonderfully prepared swordfish. Yum!

After dinner we had a little bit of time to head back and grab all the goodies from the theater package at Hotel Teatro. The package included the theater binoculars, Grand Marnier, and a piece of chocolate. Later, as a Valentine's day treat they left us roses and a little more chocolate. :)

Then we went to see Richard III at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (literally next door to Hotel Teatro.) This show was done by the Denver Center Theater Company. The Director, Jesse Berger, actually placed Richard in the time and place Shakespeare wrote the play in... Makes me laugh because I have an Onion newspaper clipping that says "Unconventional Director Stages Shakespearean Play in Shakespeare's Intended Time and Place." I have to say, they pulled it off well.

The set design worked very well. It was a castle center room that converted to the dungeon cells in the tower for George, Duke of Clarence, and for the two young princes. This really helped give the feeling of a prison and kingdom in one. There were a few set pieces in specific that really caught my attention. There was a large round stained glass window at the top center of the stage, underneath it was the throne. Directly parallel to the throne, at the edge of the stage, was a beheading block and axe. All three of these elements created symbols between God's power, man's sometimes violent and corrupted path towards power, and the throne between them. This was really cool because this is often an allusion that Shakespeare makes in his histories. Supposedly, the monarchy is divinely chosen by God, but man has the ability to exercise free will and pursue his own sinful greedy obsessions with control. Of course, in the end, the sinner fails; just as Richard, at the height of his power he is completely dependent on one of God's own creatures for his survival... "A horse! A horse! My Kingdom for a horse!"

Surrounding the thrust of the stage were black boulders, bars, and other random broken items. The floor of the stage had a large trap door that was used very effectively throughout the play. There were also six small grates in the stage floor encircling the trap door. These grates were also used nicely to uplight faces, release fog, and create colored clouds or beams of light. The lights were also used interestingly when the throne was nearly always lit up, even if only with the dimmest of light as it was pulled into the background.

The actors did a remarkable job. What I think I enjoyed the most from their performances were their sense of humor. They managed to highlight the humor that is innately in the script (but is sometimes ignored or overlooked) in wonderful way. Their use of humor broke the tension at points, and revealed the deeply twisted psychology behind Richard's journey to the throne. The performances that truly shined for me were David Manis (Richard III), Kathleen Brady (Duchess of York), Jeanne Paulsen (Queen Margret), and Nisi Strugis (Lady Anne). These actors all gave stunning performances. The two young boys that played Prince Edward and Prince Richard also were incredible... Makes me wonder what it took to get children their ages to not only memorize but eloquently recite Shakespeare. Hmmm...

The sound design was also nicely done. Thoughtful arrangements of music and effects, all which added to the overall quality of the play. The costuming was of course beautiful and thoughtfully created. We are so lucky in Denver to have such a wonderful performing arts center with such talented casts and crews.

I highly recommend all of the events and places of this weekend to anyone looking for a lavish and fun get-away. Go stay at the Hotel Teatro, have dinner at the Oceanaire, and take in a show (Hopefully Richard III before it's gone.)

All in all, this was an amazing weekend... Thanks to my AMAZING husband!! I love you, Valentine!

Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes

2009-02-16T14:20:00.009-07:00

My second entry to this month's Iron Cupcake Coffee Challenge was based on one of my favorite coffee drinks. If you've never had a Vietnamese style coffee, it is amazing. The basic idea is hot strong coffee poured over a small pool of sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of your cup. I have had this hot and cold, both ways are awesome! The strong bold coffee gets these little shots of sweet creaminess. Occasionally you'll find these drinks with a little hint of coconut syrup or even coconut milk in it.

The cupcakes I made were adapted from the a Milwaukee Cupcake Queen recipe. They baked up resembling more like a real cup of coffee than I even expected. Since there wasn't butter, but oil instead they were more chewy and moist in texture. After they cooled I cut a hole into each cupcake and added some sweetened condensed milk to the center. The filling was absorbed into the cake a little, and some of it soaked into the base of the cupcakes, just like the drink! ;) Then I made a coconut buttercream frosting. I frosted the cupcakes and then rolled the tops in toasted coconut shavings.

I think the best part of these cupcakes was the smell they made in my house... everything smelled like natural sweet, slightly buttery coconut. Yumm!! (See recipe below!)

CUPCAKE:
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 cups white baker's sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup cold, strong, brewed coffee
1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 small can of sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, soy milk, yogurt and oil. Stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15-20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack.

Cut a hole into each cupcake when they are completely cool. Reserve the plugs from each cupcake. Spoon apx. 1-2 tsp. sweetened condensed milk into the holes. Replace the cake plug.

FROSTING:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

4-5 tbsp. cream of coconut

1 1/2 cups natural coconut shavings

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla extract. Add cream of coconut one tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency. Use a rubber spatula to frost each cooled cupcake. Toast the coconut shaving in a toaster oven, keep a close eye on it. I had to do this in three 1/2 cup batches. Hold each cupcake by the base and roll the frosted top into the coconut shavings.

Thank you Cupcake Queen!

2009-02-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

Hee hee hee!!!

CHICAGO review

2009-02-09T20:54:00.005-07:00

My husband and I went to go see Chicago at the Denver Center on Wednesday night. This is the first of our six shows we'll be seeing this season. So here is my review; written from the tiny podium of a public school teacher of Drama.

As much as I hate to admit it, my first experience seeing Chicago was the 2002 film by Directed Rob Marshall. Part of me wishes that had not been my introduction to Chicago, because of course I entered with plenty of pre-conceived notions and expectations... That's not to say that I didn't beg my dad at the age of five to go see it… For some reason he wasn't convinced that he HAD to get me tickets! Cabaret neither, huh…. Anyway, what I can say is that at least the film got me to be highly enthusiastic fan who couldn't wait to get in to see the real deal.

So as I sat in my theater seat through the first act, I came to a couple of unsettling realizations. First, I was disappointed by the lack of power in the female characters. Two, I was left feeling lack luster by the staging. And third, I was totally ashamed that I, of all people, would be upset that it…. Ugh, "wasn't like the movie." I absolutely hate it when anyone complains that the book was not like the film, the film was not like the book, the play was not like the movie, the movie was not like the play, or any combination of these ignorant whines. Come on, now, really? They are not meant to be the same! There are multiple ways adapting art to art. I even teach this to my own students so that they will gain not only a tolerance, but a taste for creative adaptations.** Art that simply duplicates and replicates it's inspiration piece is uncreative, and well, uninspirational.

I should not have wanted to see the film on stage. I knew that walking in, I didn’t expect to see the film on the stage. My beef laid with the fact that the original musical did not offer some of those themeatical qualities that got me hooked on Chicago to begin with.

What I loved about the film was that the women were empowered, yet misguided. I saw this as film about women attempting to find their own voice in a time full of misdirection, violence, and wrecklessness. These were women who did not have real role models in 20s Chicago. Those that were admired, and seen as strong pillars, were the vaudeville girls. These women had powerful men wrapped around their fingers, while their meek female counterparts were being beaten by their husbands at home. Taken to an extreme, the heroines killed their oppressors and still sparkled.

Of course, the real tragedy unfolds when their reliance upon the easiest road to control leads to their ultimate failing. These women fell upon the simplest tool they had towards gaining the upper hand: their sexuality. This gained the some ground, some temporary power, but what was the next step? Using men as their only example, they turned to violence. Violence learned from their husbands and gangs of thugs, the women began to "reach for the gun." But in the end, these mistaken attempts at achieving true power, led to reliance upon men once again. Billy Flynn's puppetiering captures this point nicely. It is not until the final number that Roxie and Velma just barely start to give us a slight hint of a real possibility for the success of women. Velma and Roxie put aside their catty hatred and jealousy to work together, imperfect as they both know each other was.

Now, back to the live play. The performances of the female convicts (Roxie and Velma included), were absolutely horrifying. They acted like complete imbeciles… no, stupid bimbos puts it better. The cell block tango was kind of like watching something from the latest installment of "Legally Blonde." So I wasn't just disappointed by the lack of scenery (although, it is supposed to give us the ol' razzle dazzle), or it's overall dissimilarity to the film version. It was the fact the at the theme seemed completely lost. As I left for intermission, I felt such a sense of being let down. I thought they had succeeded in creating a very shallow musical about "silly flappers knocking off their hubbies just because they thought it was 'silly.' " ughhhhh….

As I re-entered the theater, I slunked back down into my chair. But then, a happy surprise! Not only the second act give me the "razzle dazzle" and all that jazz. (In fact, I was temporarily blinded by the razzle dazzle at one point…) But I also I saw a slightly darker side to the entire feel of the musical. There was a sinister sense given to the jail, the courtroom, the "circus."

Now, Roxie, unfortunately continued to at like a complete moron. But suddenly, I was seeing the overall concept and plan behind this directorial decision. The lines about the courtroom antics, the ease of fooling the justice system take on light never seen in the film. It becomes clear to me that the "lost, misguided fool" of this play is not the female role model, but the American Justice system. Chicago has the ability to be slanted in either direction. The director may choose to slant it towards the budding female roles in American society, or the budding Justice System. Ah! There is was! The substance that I feared was lacking. The women had to be portrayed as idiots because there was such a pointed focus on how even these "bimbos" who didn't have a clue were able to outwit the courts.

I will admit that since my own sensibilities slant towards feminism just slightly more than legal balance, I still do like the choices of Rob Marshall. However, I can fully appreciate the artistic choices of this particular musical. I really do love it when directors find the multiple layers of a script, focus their version on a single point, and do not fear the "predisposed audience" like myself.

Overall, I truly enjoyed the show. I felt that the performances were strong, although there were a few weak points in singing. As can sometimes be the disappointing way of plays, even the most ignorant of audiences can sometimes point out chorus members or supporting actors that stole the show from the mediocre leads. I am speaking of a couple of the cell block girls, Amos, and Mary Sunshine. They stole the show while Roxie, Velma, Billy Flynn, and Momma Morton left something to be desired at times. Makes me wonder if I too am sometimes running the risk of falling into "director's tunnel vision" in casting. Kick me if I do. Thanks!

Okay, I've said my very long winded peace… Now go see the musical when it comes into your town and argue with me if you disagree. Much love, Keckie!

** In case you are not familiar with these adaptation styles, in most cases they can be broken into "thematically inspired," "plot inspired," or "direct translation." Thematically inspired would be something like Apocalypse Now being born from Heart of Darkness. Plot Inspired would be something like Ten Things I Hate About You from The Taming of the Shrew. And Direct Translation might be something like Zefferelli's Hamlet and Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Iron Cupcake Coffee Entry #1

2009-02-08T23:02:00.004-07:00

This month's ingredient for Iron Cupcake: Earth, is COFFEE... After being a three and a half year veteran Starbucks Barista, you'd think this one would be as easy as, well, cake! But, the issue is was just that. The options are so open-ended, it actually hurt my brain to settle on a single idea. So, you can expect that I will have several entries for this month.

In addition to my issue of having too many ideas and not enough limitations, I also have felt the need to pull back on my outrageous recipes. After the tobacco and brandy cupcakes (and a couple others that pushed the envelope a little TOO far) I thought I should return to what I know is just plain good. I think my co-workers, AKA guinea pigs, will also appreciate this. ;)

So, my first entry is a vanilla pound cake brushed with Kahlua and filled with a homemade hazelnut marzipan. I topped these cuppies with an espresso chip meringue. Yumm! The recipe can be found below... Enjoy!

POUND CAKE:
2 cups sugar (I used Baker's sugar that had vanilla beans stored in it)
1 cup butter, softened
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup vanilla soy milk

Heat oven to 350° F.
Mix sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in large bowl.
Beat on low to mix ingredients well.
Beat on high for 5 minutes.
On low, add flour and baking powder alternately with soy milk.
Beat well after each addition.
Spoon batter into lined cupcake pan, 3/4 full in each cup. (OPTIONAL: Add hazelnut marzipan into the center of each cupcake before baking. Pipe in a small amount using a pastry bag with a large tip.)
Bake for 15-20 minutes.

HAZELNUT MARZIPAN:

1.5 cups chopped and toasted hazelnuts

1/2-3/4 cups powdered sugar

Put all the hazelnuts into a food processor until it becomes a smooth hazelnut butter. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and turn the food processor on again. Consistency should be like a firm, paste. If it is not stiff enough, stir in the remainder of the powdered sugar using the food processor.

ESPRESSO CHIP MERINGUE:
3 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch fine sea salt
3/4 cup Baker's sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt until frothy, about 1 minute. With the machine on medium-high speed, gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick and holds stiff peaks, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Use a rubber spatula to "frost" onto each cooled cupcake. Using a butane torch, toast each meringue.

Coraline

2009-02-06T20:32:00.001-07:00

Woah... My long lost cartoon twin! She likes cupcakes too!

Guest bedroom

2009-02-01T16:47:00.003-07:00

This weekend we spent some time taking care of the house... Cleaned up the backyard, got some new stuff for the guest bathroom and bedroom. Anywho, here's how the guest bedroom turned out. Pretty simple, but I think that's how a guest bedroom ought to be: simple and clean. That way, the guests can toss their belongings where ever. I might go and get a couple more pillows and a small night stand. So what do you think?

IRON CUPCAKE

2009-01-29T19:03:00.003-07:00

Iron Cupcake Voting for January is OPEN!! Voting started this morning and will close on Feb. 4th. This month's ingredient is WINE. I entered four cupcakes... they are:

Blackberry Apricot Plum Wine Cupcakes
Ginger Plum Wine Cupcakes
Spiked PB & J Cupcakes
Tobacco Brandy Cupcakes

You can vote for three cupcakes when you get to the site. Follow this link to place your votes: http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your votes!!!

The prizes are provided by the following, generous sponsors... So show them some love!

DOGBONE ART - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=22042
as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet! As an added bonus for January, our friend at SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in another treat as well, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com/,
HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com/,
JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com/;
the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com/;
TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com/.
NEW, BEGINNING IN JANUARY; our new friends at UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/ will be providing our winner with one of their cute cupcake attitue t's!
Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com/ .

Chair Covers

2009-01-25T18:34:00.002-07:00

Our dining room chairs were getting pretty yucky... Lots of spots on our ivory colored seats. So we went down to the fabric store and got a nice blue fabric to re-cover the seats. It was a lot easier than I thought. All we did was unscrew the seats, cut fabric, tightly fold the new fabric around the seats, and staple the fabric down with a staple gun.

After re-screwing the seats on, the chairs looked really nice. Erik and I both think the dining room set actually looks nicer than when we bought it. It matches our house better, and the style is definitely us. What do you think?

Tobacco Brandy Cupcakes

2009-01-24T00:01:00.004-07:00

My Fouth and final entry to the IRON CUPCAKE: EARTH challenge. This month's secret ingredient is WINE. Voting for the challenge will begin not later than JAN. 29. Voting will end on FEB. 4. So, of you like my cupcakes, please remember to vote! My four cupcakes, which can all be found on this blog are:

Plum Wine Ginger Cupcakes
Apricot Blackberry Plum Wine Devil's Food Cupcakes (AKA the Devil's Drunken cupcake)
Spiced PB & Red Zinfandel Cupcakes
Red Velvet Tobacco Brandy Cupcakes

Wine's cousin, Brandy, makes it into this Red Velvet cupcake. And what goes better with Brandy than a cigar? Yes, these cupcakes were actually made with tobacco! The cupcakes are filled with a goat cheese, almond, Brandy cream. Finally, they are topped with a Brandy glaze mixed with a little cocoa. So what do you think? Mad genius or just plain mad?

Got tickets?

2009-01-22T20:38:00.007-07:00

So Erik and I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy season tickets to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We got a ten pack of tickets so we can see five shows together. I am SO excited I can't even tell you! This has been a wish of mine for a long time...

We went to NYC this summer and saw August: Osage County and In the Heights. That was a dream come true. I've never actually seen a show on Broadway before (I saw them when they came into town.) After that, I realized how much I missed seeing shows. College made seeing live shows take a backseat. I saw the occasional show here and there for special events like Valentines day or my birthday, but not nearly as often as I used to.

So the shows we're going to see this year are:

Chicago

Wicked

Rent

Spamalot

Quilters

We also got tickets to see A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Colorado Ballet (w/the full orchestra.) We may also try to go see Richard III at the Denver Center if we get a chance.

Anywho, you all can look forward to some theater reviews up on the the old blog. Hooray!

SNL does Broadway

2009-01-22T19:19:00.004-07:00

Okay, so maybe this is only hilarious to a theater geek like me, but I was DYING laughing at this. I have seen so many of these Broadway shows over the years... my dad did lighting design for the stage so I got to sit and booth and watch tons of them as a kid. I've even performed pieces of some of these plays... So naturally when SNL did a skit about all the Broadway characters it killed me! Go check it out! Is this awesome or what?

http://www.hulu.com/watch/52190/saturday-night-live-save-broadway#s-p1-st-i0

Homestarrunner.com Video

2009-01-20T22:23:00.003-07:00

Another fun Shakespeare internet video... Click the link below

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail195.html

If you don't already know Strong Bad and Homestar Runner.... Where the heck have you been??? It's a slightly odd website of silly , yet clean cartoons. Good fun, so check it out!

Spiced PB & Red Zin Cupcakes

2009-01-18T17:42:00.012-07:00

ENTRY #3 for JANUARY'S Iron Cupcake: Earth, secret ingredient WINE

**Please vote for my cupcakes on between Jan. 26th and Jan 31st at http://ironcupcake.blogspot.com . My three entries for this month are: Ginger Plum Wine Cupcakes, Dark Chocolate Apricot Blackberry and Plum Wine Cupcakes (AKA Devil's Drunken Cupcakes), and Spiced PB & Red Zin Cupcakes.

What do you do when your 9 year old niece wants to enter a cupcake for ICE when the ingredient of the month is wine? You make a spiked PB and J style cupcake! These are peanut butter cupcakes filled with a Red Zinfandel curd (adapted from a lemon curd recipe) and topped with a cinnamon vanilla meringue. The peanut butter cupcakes are dense, yet touched with a hit of cinnamon. The curd definitely tastes like a great red wine (but the kiddos loved them.) The meringue is light and toasty, it is like adding the glass of milk to your PB&J sandwich.

NOTE: I started with the meringue since some of the ingredients need a lot more cooling time. Then, I worked on the curd; and finally, the cupcakes. This order worked well for getting the assembly to work out. Make sure to set aside lots of time if you plan to do all three parts of the recipe... It takes quite a while to make it all. (BUT that's just another reason why this was a great project to do with the kiddos!)

PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
*
DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Take a metal tube (the wide end of a large frosting tip works well) and stick it in the center of the cupcakes. Twist the tube and pull it out of the cupcake, a plug should pull out of the center. Snack on the left-over pieces :) You can fill the centers with the Red Zinfandel curd (recipe follows.)
*
RED ZINFANDEL CURD INGREDIENTS:
3 large eggs
1/3 cup Red Zinfandel
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Red food coloring
*
DIRECTIONS:
In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and wine until blended. Stir in as much red food coloring as needed (the mixture will look grayish otherwise.) Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Allow to cool. The wine curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Spoon the curd into a pasty bag with a medium sized tip. Squeeze some of the curd into each cupcake hole.

MERINGUE INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon cornstarch (or Kuzu)
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 pinch salt

DIRECTIONS:
Blend cornstarch (or Kuzu) and cold water in a saucepan. Add boiling water, and cook until thick and clear. Cool completely.
Beat egg whites till foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Add salt and vanilla, and slowly beat in cold cornstarch mixture. Beat quickly for several minutes. Spoon the meringue into a pasty bag fitted with a large circular tip. On a well buttered cookie sheet, swirl out cupcake toppers (make sure to count the number of cupcakes you have.)
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Once cooled, pick up the meringues with a spatula and place one on to each cupcake. Dust with cinnamon.

Blackberry Apricot Plum Wine Cholocate Cupcakes

2009-01-11T16:49:00.007-07:00

My second entry to the Iron Cupcake Earth Challenge- Secret Ingredient: Wine. I am REALLY proud of these ones... They taste amazing, they look beautiful, and I think they're a pretty creative use of the secret ingredient. Now I just have to come up with a better name.... hmmm... since it has stone fruit and wine maybe Stoned Drunken Cupcakes?? Or since the base is an upside down Devil's food cake: The Devil's Stoned Underworld??? Needs work.... Help me out here people!!

As I said, the cupcake is chocolate devil's food cake, very moist and chocolaty. It is infused with plum wine... Mmmmm, smells sooooo goood.... Ummm.... oh yeah, anyway, the bottoms of the cupcakes have a apricot half baked in. The cupcake is then turned out of the pan and set upside down. I made a sauce of mashed blackberries, plum wine, and a little dark chocolate over the stove. This sauce was poured over the cupcakes. Yummy, yummy, yummy!! Blackberries are so sweet right now since they're at the peak of their season, I bought a few extra boxes to eat for breakfast; go out and get some if you haven't already!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup boiling plum wine
3/4 cup cocoa powder
6 ounces butter
2 cups baker's sugar

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs (room temp.)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup yogurt

2-3 cans of apricot halves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Whisk together boiling wine and cocoa. Cover and set aside. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and add this mixture, alternately with the yogurt. Add cocoa and wine mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly grease the cupcake pan. Drop one apricot half into each cup. Scoop batter into cupcake pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool. Once they are completely cool, place a cookie sheet on top of the cupcake pan, turn both pans upside down and tap the bottom of the cupcake pan so the cupcakes fall out on to the pan.

Sauce:

11 oz. Blackberries

Apx. 1/2-3/4 cup Plum Wine

4-6 oz. Dark Chocolate

1/2 cup of sugar

Directions:

Melt the Dark Chocolate in a double boiler. Mash the Blackberries with a potato masher (leave a some texture, do not make it completely smooth.) Place the blackberry mash, the chocolate, sugar, and plum wine in a heavy saucepan. Cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened. If you would like the sauce sweeter, add more sugar. Spoon sauce over the cupcakes after it has cooled.

Ginger Plum Wine Mini-Cupcakes

2009-01-11T16:39:00.005-07:00

My newest entry to Iron Cupcake Earth! This month's secret ingredient is WINE. So my first entry is going to be these Ginger Plum Wine Chocolate Mini-Cupcakes. The cake is devil's food cake infused with plum wine and ground ginger. The dark chocolate ganache on top also has ground ginger mixed in. The cute pink garnish is a piece of ginger. I really like the fruity, slightly bitter taste of the plum wine and it pairs really well with the gingery kick. Yummy! The Japanese aromatics make them quite alluring! ;)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup boiling plum wine

3/4 cup cocoa powder

6 ounces butter

2 cups baker's sugar
3 table spoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs (room temp.)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup yogurt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Whisk together boiling wine and cocoa. Cover and set aside. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger and baking powder and add this mixture, alternately with the yogurt. Add cocoa and wine mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop into mini cupcake wrappers and bake for 10 minutes. Cool before icing.

Ganache Ingredients:
8 oz. Dark Chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoons Ground Ginger
Pickled ginger (or candied ginger)

Directions:
Melt the Chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk depending on the consistency of the ganache. Stir in Ground Ginger. Spoon over the cupcakes. Top each one with a piece of pickled or candied ginger.
I know that the pickled ginger sounds really weird, but surprisingly, it actually works really well with the cupcake. :)

Chistmas Gifts!

2008-12-26T10:10:00.002-07:00

So I got five aprons done for Christmas... (The fifth one is not in the picture.) I made one for my mom, grandma, and cousins. Don't they look sweet!? Merry Christmas!

Chewy Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

2008-12-20T23:49:00.005-07:00

Chewy Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

**High Altitude Instructions: Reduce oven temp. by 25 degrees, and reduce sugar by 2 tbsp for every 1 cup.

½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar (I prefer to use Baker’s sugar, it is slightly more fine than regular sugar.)
½ cup unsalted butter at room temp.
1 large egg
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
1 cup sifted All Purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 Orange
1-2 cups of powdered sugar

Optional: Dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugars and butter until very light and fluffy (the fluffier, the better.) Add egg, and beat to incorperate. Add vanilla, beat to incorperate.

In another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture slowly until a soft dough is formed. (If adding chocolate chips, add them now.)

Place dough in balls on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Zest orange and place it in a mixing bowl. Juice the orange and set aside. Place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Add OJ to the sugar one table spoon at a time until a glaze forms. Add zest to the glaze.

When the cookies have cooled, dip the tops into the glaze. Allow the glaze to dry.

Iron Cupcake Entry #2

2008-12-19T14:55:00.003-07:00

Here is my second entry to the Iron Cupcake Challenge... Secret Ingredient: Chocolate

These cupakes were inspired by a drink I used to make when I worked at Starbucks. It is a pumpkin and espresso cupcake (the cake is layered in like a checker board) and the frosting is White Chocolate. It really is just like the drink; the cake is airy like a foamy latte and the top reminds me of whipped cream with a drizzle of caramel and a dusting of cinnamon and cocoa. The white chocolate creates the perfect bridge between the pumpkin and espresso flavors.

Keckie's World

2008-12-17T21:40:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Apron!

2008-12-17T20:53:00.002-07:00

This is my very first complete sewing project. I bought a sewing machine a little while ago and started doing alterations and such to costumes for the school play, but this was a fun project I had going on the side. I am SO stinkin' proud of myself I can't even tell you! Okay, okay, so it's just an apron... but seriously, the craftsmanship is nearly perfect! Besides, if I can get me hubby to wear it so I can take a pic, you know he's impressed by my efforts too! :) Doesn't he look sweet!?

Iron Cupcake Challenge Entry #1

2008-12-17T00:16:00.003-07:00

Banana Bread, Dark Chocolate, and Hazelnut Cupcakes...

My very first entry to the Iron Cupcake Challenge!! Yea! This month's secret ingredient is chocolate. I made Banana Bread cupcakes with dark mini chocolate chips and a hazelnut cocoa frosting. I topped them with a super dark chocolate chip and some toasted hazelnut pieces.

The cupcake itself is really moist and has a definite banana flavor. There are lots of tiny chocolate chips running through the cake. The frosting is to die for... to be honest I rarely like frosting, but this one, I actually LOVE. It is thick and rich, you can definitely taste the fresh hazelnut butter and dark earthy cocoa. The mix of banana, hazelnut, and dark chocolate makes these cupcakes perfect with a glass of milk.

Well, wish me luck with the challenge. And if you can, please click on the badge on my blog and go vote for my entry. Happy baking, everyone!

Production Week!

2008-12-08T23:28:00.004-07:00

This week is our Fall Play at the middle school I teach at. We'll do three "previews" where we show 30 mins of the play to the school and one full show on Friday night. Actually, this year I have two shows. One is a 15 minute play created by my Advance 8th Grade students and the other is a traditional hour long performance with sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The "big play" is called "Property Rites." I am so wiped I can't even begin to start describing the last couple of weeks. This Saturday made the last of four Saturdays at work with dress rehearsals and set construction. The last dress rehearsal is tomorrow night.... *deep breath*

I woke up this morning after having nightmares that the whole show was a disaster.... The funny thing is this show has been much easier to produce than the others I have done, and I feel like everything is much more prepared. I guess those old fears and anxiety never go away. I just want so badly for everything to turn out better for the sake of the kiddos that I think I let the stress build up. These kids are awesome, they are working so hard. They really deserve to end up with a great show that they are proud of.

So keep us in your thoughts and hope that we all "break a leg." I'll let you know how it goes!

Pumpkin Cookies

2008-11-30T12:51:00.003-07:00

I made these cookies with my nephew on Thanksgiving morning. This one is a pleaser to kids and adults. If you live at a high altitude like me, you might want to make these changes to get puffy cookies: reduce baking powder by 1/2, reduce oven temp. by 25 degrees. I left the nuts out of a few of the first cookies since Noah doesn't like nuts.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup Bakers white sugar and 1/4 brown sugar)
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup raisins (I used golden rasins)

Icing:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons whipping cream, fresh orange juice or rum (I used OJ)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add nuts and raisins. Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
Icing: Cream confectioners' sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. (If icing is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar; if too thick, add more cream, orange juice or rum.) Drizzle over cookies.

Cranberries

2008-11-30T09:43:00.002-07:00

Here's another dish I made for Thanksgiving this year. It came from Emril Lagasse, he calls it "Cranberry Conserve." It is really simple to make, and the taste is outstanding. I made it last year too.. eve my cousin who (has hated cranberries her whole life) took leftovers home! S0 if you've never cared for traditional cranberry sauce, this is the perfect recipe to try. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 pound fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 whole orange, seeds removed, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup peeled and chopped pear
1 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

(I double this recipe because we have a really big family. I add 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts instead of adding another 3/4 cup of pecans. I also add lemon zest and orange zest to the recipe.)

Directions
In a medium heavy saucepan combine cranberries and water and cook until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Add all other ingredients except pecans and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Add nuts, stir to combine, and allow to cool. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl or jar and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 weeks. Conserve may also be frozen in plastic food storage bags for up to 1 year. Alternatively, you can process hot mixture in sterilized jars and keep in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

Thanksgiving Stuffing

2008-11-30T09:13:00.004-07:00

Have I mentioned that my favorite chef is Giada De Laurentiis? (I even waited in line for over an hour to have her autograph my cookbooks.) Here's what I made for Thanksgiving.... It is one of Giada's recipes and she calls it "Aunt Raffy's Turkey Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing." I made it this year and last. This stuffing is so amazing, it is literally addicting! Save it for next year (or maybe for Christmas.) Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 medium green apple, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
1 medium red apple, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cubed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (6-ounce) bag dried cranberries
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, meat removed from casing
8 ounce jar steamed whole chestnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 pound day old cornbread or bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup canned chicken stock
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Make sure it's real Parmigiana Regina)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan add the apples, onion, 1 tablespoon oil and butter cook over a medium low heat for 10 minutes to soften. Add the wine, cranberries, and salt and pepper, simmer for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and turkey sausage meat and break up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl toss together the fruit and onion mixture, the sausage, the chestnuts, the cornbread and red pepper flakes. Combine all the ingredients.
Add the chicken stock, and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Gently place into an 8 1/2 by 8 1/2- inch glass Pyrex baking dish and top with the remaining Parmesan. Dot with butter. Place in middle rack and bake until top is golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Diet Soda Battle Rages

2008-11-26T17:40:00.006-07:00

Hooray!!! Eleven days and I've only had one Diet Soda. I don't know why it's working, but it is. I started out with lots of flavored waters and flavored bottled teas, but you know what? After a while the taste of that stuff makes you feel kind of sick. Imagine that! So I've been breaking it up with straight up bottled water... Shockingly it was, dare I say, Refreshing! I'm slowing but surely drinking less and less of the flavored stuff and more regular water. That flavored stuff has Splenda in it anyway, so ideally I'd like to get that out of my diet too.

I have to say, I've been able to adjust a lot of my eating habits in the past, but I really thought this one was going to be much harder than it actually turned out to be. It makes me think that maybe I could try to eliminate even more artificial garbage from my diet. To be honest, I don't eat that much over-processed foods. However, I think maybe I underestimate the impact of all the chemicals, hormones, and other not-so-pleasant things we ingest. I have always admired the vegan, organic lifestyle. I have been thinking about trying something like this out. I have done some "whole foods" plans before and learned a lot from the experience. I continue to use many of these credos in my daily life. My biggest fear is that I'll end up not eating as balanced as I should, that I might begin to rely on one food group (probably carbs) to get me through.

Hmmmm, if I decide to go for it, maybe I need to find a strong role model or at least a reliable published plan. If you have any suggestions for getting started, let me know.

Confession of the Diet Soda Addict

2008-11-17T20:43:00.005-07:00

Yep... any of you that know me well know that I am completely, totally addicted to diet soda. I never drank soda (diet or regular) when I was younger. I started drinking it about four or five years ago and it has gotten Waaaay out of hand. I won't even admit how many I drink per day... let's just say... a lot. Anyway, through the urging of my trainer, (who I absolutely trust and am extremely indebted to) I have decided to try to quit again. I think he was about to fall over when I finally told him about my addiction :(

So far so good... two days, no soda and getting through the headaches. I have stocked up on tons of bottled water and unsweetened iced tea. My waters are the flavored kind that have some aspartame still, but I absolutely hate water so this is my temporary compromise. Hopefully I can eventually get myself to drink regular water... I am totally alone or does anyone else feel absolutely sick from drinking plain water?... Bleh!!

Anyway, wish me luck! I'll keep you posted!

The Cupcake Sonnet

2008-11-14T21:15:00.009-07:00

Sooo, I wanted to model how to write a fun sonnet for my Shakespeare students.... I try to always do the assignments with them instead of just handing them out. .....And, well I got a little stuck. I did want to post something on my blog though, so the resulting mess is an odd mix of the Iron Cupcake Challenge I just decided to join (via Blogger) and Shakespearean sonnets... Good Lord, what is wrong with me??!

Secret Ingredient: Cranberry!

Upon this day I hath taken upon myself
A task so great I couldst not bear to see
It pass me by. A humble kitchen shelf
Call’d out to me: “Bake me! Frost me! Cup me!”
Iron Cupcake Challenge Baker I will
become! Secret ingredient cranb’ry:
Thou scar'st me not, I know what I will fill!
A zest of orange, and not a slice of brie.
A white corn muffin, touched with orange honey
Mak’st sweet smells rise through creamy tops of light
Frosting (and smooth choc’late blankets…) Sunny
Days come with these secrets all kept lip’d tight.

Ah snap! What damage’s done? Have now I said
Too much? Oh please, forget what ye hath read!

Herbie's Story

2008-11-06T19:55:00.006-07:00

About three weeks ago we adopted a puppy from a puppy mill rescue. It's the only one I've heard of in Colorado. The people there are great and the adoption process is relatively simple.

If you do not know about about dog mill rescues, here's a quick run-down on what they do. Dog mills are basically commercial dog producers. They hold dogs in small cages and breed them constantly and then sell them to the majority of pet stores. These dogs are treated very inhumanely and those that are "not saleable" are destroyed. Dog mill rescue workers build connections with these mill operators so that when they're preparing to destroy the unwanted dogs, the rescue workers can take them.

If you are considering adopting a dog, I highly recommend puppy mill rescue. The group we worked with had a simple three step process and minimal charges. First I filled out an online application. Second, they emailed me to set up a time for a home inspection. Third, we drove to a Petco Colorado Springs on a Saturday to meet the available puppies and adopt one. Many of the dogs are puppies and most are full breeds. Sometimes the dogs are fearful of humans and take a couple of weeks to feel comfortable with their new owners; but most who adopt a mill rescue dog will tell you that the dogs actually seem to be even more loving and "thankful" than other dogs once they get accustomed to you.

Our little beagle-jack Russel terrier mix ("Herbie")is so sweet and adorable. He had no trouble feeling right at home with us. He also really loves his sister, Pandora. Herbie was already neutered and he had all his shots; the rescue only charged us $250. He was pretty malnourished, but he's gaining weight and his coat is getting thicker everyday. He was almost totally potty trained when we brought him home and he hasn't had any behavior issues to speak of.

Here's some pictures of our sweetheart! Please feel free to ask any questions about the adoption process if you're interested. I have also included a link to the homepage for the rescue... Check it out! ;)

http://www.milldogrescue.org/index.html

Sixth Grade Politics

2008-11-04T22:13:00.002-07:00

Today in my sixth grade Drama class I asked my students why they thought the characters in "Into the Woods" were not given names. (The characters are called things like "the baker," "the baker's wife," "little red riding hood," and "the wolf.")

One eager little girl raised her hand and started with, "Okay, so say they were to give the wolf a name like 'Joe the Wolf...' "

......Wow.

How can you help education?

2008-11-03T23:00:00.001-07:00

My husband and I were discussing the role that education plays in the political and social realms of our society. It is clear that education often plays the role of cornerstone, battle field, or even a scapegoat in American culture. As an educator, I do not necessarily think this is a detrimental perspective. It places a heavy burden and responsibility and on the education system, and rightly so. The choices we make for our schools today, shape where our country will be in 20, 30, 40 years in the future. If we fully equip our students to compete in the world of the future, America will continue to enjoy its place of power. Alternatively, if we fail to prepare our students, our future citizens will watch their jobs, ideas, and finances move to foreign countries. You see, education is not simply an issue for those with a soft-spot for kids, it is not simply about ethical treatment of those who do not have a political voice of their own; education causes a ripple effect in all the pillars of our society’s future.

Recently, there has been some talk about school vouchers. Some of you may be familiar with the idea. Basically, the concept works like this… currently, school districts have a set amount of funds per head on students each year. Let’s say for example that amount is $1,500. This money is divided up in resources such as supplies, buildings, and teachers. This money is determined mostly by the property taxes from homes in the district. Of course, this is anything but a perfect system; since property taxes determine per pupil spending in the district, students who live in areas with low property values (and overall low socio-economic status) tend to have under funded schools. Students from wealthy neighborhoods have the advantage of better funded schools. Over time this system creates an education gap between the lower and upper classes. Students who receive better education, especially one that makes them a competitive candidate for top colleges, in turn get better jobs. They will likely get even better jobs than those of their parents. Meanwhile the students who attend our under funded schools get less education and possibly even less lucrative jobs than their parents. Thus, slowly but surely the gap increases over time as each generation continues in this pattern. While this current system is deeply flawed, the alternative school vouchers do not fix this problem, in fact they actually help the education gap widen faster and with more ferocity.

An education voucher would take the per pupil spending (like our example of $1,500) and give it directly to the guardians of students so that they can use this money to send their student to any school they wish. Districts will not determine where the student attends school. Sounds like a good idea, right? If the district borderlines are causing some of the funding issues, let’s ditch ‘em! It’s not that easy…. When upper class parents have an extra $1,500 per year in hand and no restrictions on where to send their kids to school, where do you think they will send them? These upper class parents are typically well educated themselves and will enroll their students in the best private schools. The voucher system allows government funds to be used in any way the parents see fit, yes, including private schools. Now, parents who do not have extra cash to add to their vouchers will send their kids to the public school that costs exactly that of amount given by their government. As more and more upper class parents pull their kids out of public school, the funding for the public schools will decrease. In essence, it will privatize education. The public schools will have low attendance numbers and therefore very low funding. The education of students in lower classes will receive lower and lower quality education. The lower class will get poorer and poorer with each graduating class. This has proven to be the result in many countries around the world that utilize this kind of fund allocation. How many times have you heard from someone outside the country that, “Nobody goes to public school where I’m from. Except the extremely poor.”

Do we not believe in the American dream? That all citizens can achieve success, happiness, and wealth? If we really want education the cornerstone of our society, we have to live up to that responsibility. Does our country not believe in providing equal opportunities for this success? Then we ought to invest in the foundation of a strong society and aide the public education system. Education has the capacity to change the shape of our people, so let’s act like we want that to happen.

In the end, although our current distribution of funds into education is far from perfect, there is still opportunity to aide in the improvement of this system. One of the changes you can make TODAY is to VOTE! If there is a mill levy on your ballot, VOTE yes! If there are other funding issues on your ballot for schools, vote YES! And if there is a candidate running for office who is pushing “school vouchers” as their education plan, for the love of Pete…. see the candidate for what they truly are, an opponent to public education. Candidates who endorse school vouchers are shooting the future American citizens in the foot. The future American citizens will have no middle class to sustain them, America as we know it: a powerhouse of the world, will no longer exist. Furthermore, politicians who propose bills to help “standardize” education but do nothing to provide funding to carry out these bills should never be followed. These politicians need to take a serious look at the problem from within the schools, and monitor the repercussions of their plans from within the schools. Politicians who have not set foot in a school since their graduation day, or who haven’t had candid conversations with teachers have no business instating educational policies.

A few side notes on my own personal ballot…. I am a voter in the Cherry Creek area of Colorado. I firmly endorse issues 3A and 3B, Amendment 59, and Obama. Thank you for spending the time to read my thoughts. Please feel free to leave a comment or click a response.

Shakespearean Candidates?!

2008-11-03T20:59:00.005-07:00

I am showing this in my class tomorrow.... Seriously one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Then again, I am a dorky theater teacher. Whatever, just watch it and tell me you're not ready to wipe away tears of laughter.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/186547/october-02-2008/shakespearean-candidates---stephen-greenblatt

(By the way, I cut off the last sentence when I showed the kids!)

Annie and Noah

2008-10-30T15:48:00.001-06:00

My niece and nephew came over today and they helped me make a poster for my classroom. We made examples of set painting techniques. Now they're lil' experts on ombre, schleptischka, and combing! Noah decided to do an extra painting when he was done. Reminiscent of Jackson Pollock or Picasso, huh?!

PB&J cupcakes

2008-10-27T21:02:00.001-06:00

I got this recipe from "How to eat a cupcake Blog." As you'll see in the photos of the unfrosted cupcakes, I injected the jelly in three holes rather than one. These cupcakes were also for my co-workers about a month ago. I brought them in for a Men's baby shower, they were a big hit.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter

1 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 jar jelly (any flavor)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Insert 24 liners into a medium cupcake pan.

2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Mix in the vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

6. Once the cupcakes are cool, fill your piping bag with jelly. Insert your piping bag into the center of the cupcake and squeeze jelly into the cupcake.

Peanut Butter Frosting (this is the original recipe x1.5)

3/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons milk

Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined. Frost the cupcake. Drizzle with jelly on top.

Fun-tober Continues!!

2008-10-27T20:17:00.001-06:00

Alright.... I know, you can start rolling your eyes now.... BUT I LOVE to dress up my dogs!! I know, it's silly, but I think that's why I love it. Anyway, here's my pups in my their Halloween costumes! Yeah!!

Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars

2008-10-25T22:07:00.001-06:00

This recipe came from Peabody.
I made it on Thursday for my co-worker's last day at our work. It received rave reviews from the staff. I even went out and bought new whole spices to grind up since some of mine were either old or pre-ground. Mmmmm... that makes the whole baking experience even that much more fun. The only issue was trying to make pretty presentation since the bars don't come out really firm.

Ingredients:

For the bars:
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
16 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. molasses
1/3 c. rolled quick oats

For the filling:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 c. mashed pumpkin
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 large eggs

For the drizzle:
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To make the bars:In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar and molasses until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture and place in a small bowl. Scoop the remaining mixture into a 10″ x 15″ baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray.

Add the oats to the reserved mixture and mix until combined - set aside.

To make the filling:In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves - mix until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined. Scoop the mixture over the uncooked base and use an off-set spatula to evenly spread the mixture over the top. Crumble reserved oat mixture over filling.

Bake until the topping is a golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the drizzle:In a small bowl, mix together confectioners’ sugar, butter and vanilla. Mix in just enough milk until the mixture will easily flow from a spoon - drizzle over cooled bars.

Pumpkins Galore!

2008-10-25T21:33:00.000-06:00

So I have to say that October may just be my favorite month. Shocking to those of you who know I can't stand to give up summer.... But, Halloween has got to be the best holiday ever, I love the colors and textures (especially in the fashion world), and pumpkin is probably one of my favorite scents and flavors.

So this week I am probably going to post up some pumpkin recipes to celebrate the awesomeness of October. I may also post up pictures of my puppies in costumes... and, well, who knows whatever festive shananagins I'll get in to!