Chocolate Velvet

I tried out a new chocolate cake recipe today. I feel like I am always on the hunt for a perfect choco cake. My poochy belly is evidence of that.  I found this chocolate velvet cake recipe here.  I made a mini cake and a few cupcakes from this recipe and then I swirled it up with cream cheese buttercream frosting.  I think it is a swell recipe. The texture is velvety, soft and light.

I don't know if this will replace my one bowl cupcake recipe from Martha. M Stew's has a richer chocolatey flavor and I am a big fan of that.

Happy Mother's Day

My mother got me a sweet set of butterfly cookie cutters and is a fan of the new cookie recipe I am using, so what better way to honor her than to make a butterfly cookie bouquet. 

I attempted to identify the butterfly shapes and make them true to life, but it was more fun to just base it on the colors and let the icing flow. 

I really like the cookie recipe that I am now using. It makes a soft fluffy cookie, but it still holds its shape well. I also tried it as a chocolate version and that was rad too.

Sugar Cookie recipe  adapted from Cookie Crazie

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
2 1/4  cups flour (for chocolate version, substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the egg, vanilla,  and sour cream. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.  Roll out cookie dough and let chill for an hour. Cut out shapes and chill on cookie sheet for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 325 degrees.  Bake for  10-14 minutes depending on size.

Since I did the vanilla and chocolate versions of this recipe, I had a bounty of cookies to decorate and bring to my mom.

Of course I also had to make some cupcakes for that lovely lady who gave me life. Her one request was for chocolate butter cream frosting.  For the cupcake itself, I used a funfetti white cake recipe that has a subtle taste of vanilla and almond. Instead of sprinkles in the batter I used mini chocolate chips in pink, yellow and semi-sweet.  They came out pretty cool. 

Happy Mother's Day to my mommy and all the other moms out there in the world. You give life and love, support and strength,  hugs and hope. Thanks mama. :)

Fire Engine Red

Happy 2nd Birthday to a sweet little boy!

I had the pleasure of making 60 cupcakes and 24 cookies in fire engine red and bright yellow colors. It was a lot of work and a lot of red gel coloring, but it was fun and I hope all the treats were enjoyed.

The cookies were individually bagged and tied with ribbons. I kept the designs simple with mostly dots and swirls so that the colors would really stand out.

 

For the cupcakes I did chocolate cake with bright red vanilla buttercream and yellow sprinkles.

I also did a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and red/yellow sprinkles.

 60 cupcakes felt like a daunting task, but it was good experience for my sister's wedding in the fall (potentially 100 cuppys and a two tiered cake!) Fortunately I got some bakery boxes with cupcake inserts to transport these sweeties. I have had way too many anxiety filled cupcake transportation moments in the past. The boxes made life so much easier.

My fingers might be permanently tinted red.

Mac and Me

This is the classic and heartwarming 1988 tale of a beautiful friendship between a Mysterious Alien Creature and a special young boy.  It only gets a 3/10 on imdb.com!?  That is preposterous!!

Actually, this is the tale of  the precious and scrumptious French macaron and me.  I spent about a month on the interwebs googling and foodgawking macarons. I read recipes, tips, and stared at photos.  Finally, I got the courage to buy some almond meal and give them a try.  A lot of the blogs and recipes I read told me that the mac is a finicky treat and it may take some practice to get the technique down.  I was mentally prepared to age my eggs, sift my almond meal and confectioners sugar, fold the meringue and dry ingredients for the perfect amount of strokes, and let the macs rest and grow feet before baking.  Oy vey! The basic recipe I used is Tartlette's via Bakerella.

I made two flavor variations to the basic recipe:

Coffee Macaron with mocha ganache

 

 Clementine macaron with clementine buttercream

Macarons are chewy little sandwiches of pleasure. I love chocolate, so the coffee and chocolate combo was my favorite, but the clementine version was flavorful and fruity. 


Tartlette's Macarons


For the shells:
90 gr egg whites
25 gr to 50gr  granulated sugar
200 gr powdered sugar
110 gr almond meal
Age the eggs: Separate the whites from the yolks and place the whites in a  clean bowl. Leave at room temp, uncovered or loosely covered with a towel for at least 24 hrs.
Sift together the powdered sugar and almond, removing any large pieces.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam and gradually add the sugar until you reach a glossy meringue. Do not overbeat the meringue.
Add the almonds and powdered sugar to the meringue,  and fold together until the batter falls back on itself after counting to 10. The process should not take more than 50 strokes.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden the shells
Preheat the oven to 300F. When ready, bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
When cool, match up pairs of shells and sandwich with desired filling.

* For the coffee variation add 1 teaspoon of finely ground espresso to the almond/confectioner sugar mixture.  For the ganache filling:  heat 1/4 cup heavy cream with 1tsp ground espresso. Pour over 4ounces of semi-sweet chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes and then stir to combine. Cool the mixture until it reaches a good piping consistency.

*For the clementine variation add the zest of one clementine to the almond/confectioner sugar mixture. Add a few drops of orange gel food coloring to the final mixture, if desired. For the buttercream filling: cream 1/2 cup (1 stick of butter) with 3 cups of confectioners sugar (or more if needed) in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Add the zest and juice of one clementine.

But seriously, I liked the flick "Mac and Me" when I was a child. It is not the tops as far as 1980's movies go, but I have funny memories of watching it with my sisters.

It's a Stampede

 

It's just a pack of tiny chocolate sugar cookie giraffes. They are harmless and sweet. :)

But I did catch them hanging out with these Monkey heads.

Welcome!!!

Welcome to my sugary world!  I am here to share my sweet creations. When I think of how to begin, I know it has to start with chocolate. Chocolate is so rich and creamy, dark and dreamy...I would drape myself in chocolate if it were socially acceptable.

Chocolate Love Cupcakes

A moist chocolate cupcake with fluffy, rich chocolate buttercream frosting and a dark chocolate heart topper, what else could you need? Yum! This is an easy one-bowl recipe for the cupcakes.

 For the cupcakes:  Makes about 24  adapted from Martha Stewart

    •    3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    •    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour       
    •    1 1/2 cups sugar           
    •    1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda       
    •    3/4 teaspoon baking powder       
    •    3/4 teaspoon salt           
    •    2 large eggs               
    •    3/4 cup warm water           
    •    3/4 cup buttermilk           
    •    3 tablespoons vegetable oil       
    •    1 teaspoon vanilla extract   

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.  Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix together until smooth.
3. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake about 18-20 minutes until a cake tester or skewer comes out clean when poked into the center of a cupcake. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

 For the Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 3-4 cups of confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cream the butter in a bowl or mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and blend well.
2. Add the cream and vanilla extract and continue to blend. Scrape down the sides as necessary.  Add more confectioners sugar as needed to reach a desired consistency.
3. Pipe on to cooled cupcakes.  Top with a molded chocolate heart for a little extra love.