A Dessert a Week

1st Place Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

2013-02-27T17:29:00.000-05:00

Last year, I won 3rd place in the Decadent Dreams Chocolate Festival's Cupcake Wars with a Raspberry and Chocolate cupcake, and this year, I won 1st place! I entered a Strawberry Chocolate cupcake made with local winter strawberries from the Bush N Vine. They were FANTASTIC!! One of the judges came up to me afterwards, and he was like, "How did you get it so moist??!" I have no idea how it ended up so moist, I guess the recipe was just perfect!

These strawberries were so perfect. If I had been unable to get local strawberries, I would've made a completely different cupcake because the supermarket strawberries just don't compare.

Strawberry Twins!!

Luckily, I was able to find adorable cupcake liners that matched the buttercream at the store!

The photo above is a photo of the completely reduced strawberry puree.

I was originally just going to fill the cupcakes with a normal chocolate ganache, but I had some strawberries left over, so I just mashed and reduced them! I would love to try a chocolate strawberry truffle using this method asap.

It was less than 30 minutes before I was supposed to leave for the event, and I was trying to figure out how I should place the strawberries on the top! I finally went with halving the littlest strawberries and dipping them in the leftover chocolate strawberry ganache!

Perfection! These cupcakes are PERFECT. They are my top cupcake that I have made. Please try it out, and let me know what you think!!

Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

makes ~30 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup 2% milk
1 1/2 T vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. Put milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) in a cup and let sit for at least 5 minutes until thick. Then, in another bowl, combine the milk mixture, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for around 20 minutes (check at 14 minutes), until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the tins for about ten minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Strawberry Ganache Filling

Ingredients

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
16 ounces (2 cups) heavy cream
1 ½ cups fresh strawberries

Directions

Heat cream and chocolate over medium heat until melted, stir until smooth
Puree strawberries and reduce over medium heat until reduced to half
Whip ganache until thick, and add reduction.
Mix until together
Pipe into center of cupcakes

Strawberry Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups unsalted butter
Dash of salt
7 cups of confectioner’s sugar (divided)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Place strawberries in a blender; puree until smooth.
Transfer strawberry puree to a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring often, until puree is reduced by at least half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Beat butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat 2 cups confectioners' sugar into butter until just blended.
Beat 4 tablespoons strawberry puree and vanilla extract into butter mixture until just blended.
Repeat with 2 cup confectioners' sugar, followed by 4 tablespoons strawberry puree two more times.
Beat last 1 cup confectioners' sugar into mixture until just blended.
Pipe onto cupcakes!

Kara's Baking Tips and Tricks

2013-01-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

I've been baking my entire life, and I have built up some tips to help me out with recipes over the years. I will add to this list as I think of them, but here are some tips and tricks for the kitchen!

Don't ever buy buttermilk. Seriously. You can make your own and avoid the whole "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THIS EXTRA GALLON OF BUTTERMILK I WAS FORCED TO BUY!!!!?!?!?" meltdown that I used to get at least monthly. Just add 1 or 2 tablespoons of something acidic, like lime or lemon juice or vinegar (I have used all three of those, depending on what I have on hand at the time) to one cup of milk and let sit until it gets thick, about 5-10 minutes. I usually add 1 1/2 T or 2 T because I like the buttermilk mixture to look extra thick, but I guess that is preference since most places call for 1 T. There, no more buttermilk meltdowns!
More to come later!

Coastal Kids Magazine Food Columnist

2012-11-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

I am so excited!!! Several months ago, my cousin, Krista, contacted me about writing for a magazine called Coastal Kids Magazine. I instantly accepted and started testing recipes for the holiday issue. Well, the first issue came out several days ago, and the magazine looks FANTASTIC! I made a green bean casserole from scratch, pralines, and apple cinnamon cupcakes. Check out the holiday issue here, and be sure to like them on Facebook! I can't wait to start working on the next issue! My column is on pages 33-36, and my ad is on page 40! Here are some sample pages!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

2012-11-18T12:37:00.001-05:00

This is one of the MOST DELICIOUS cupcakes I have ever eaten. And I have eaten far too many cupcakes to count. The light, airy cupcake is decadently balanced by the rich, creamy coconut and pecan filling. This past summer, I interned for 100 hours with a dietitian in my hometown for one of my nutrition classes. I interned at a nursing home, and I was able to learn so much about gerontology and the diets of the elderly. So anyways, when my internship was coming to a close, I asked Ken (the dietitian) what his favorite desserts were, and the first thing he said was "German Chocolate Cake"! So I decided to turn it into a cupcake (way less messy and more share-able).

Well, he loved the cupcakes and so did everyone else! I am definitely filing this recipe away for my future cupcake making business. Also, in the photo above, is a mixture of milk (I used 2%) and lemon juice. Buttermilk is so expensive and usually goes to waste at my house, so I just decided to make my own. Much cheaper and better for me!

These cupcakes turned out perfectly! Usually I overfill the cupcake liners, but I managed to do it just right this time.

To toast the pecans, I just threw them on a baking sheet and placed the sheet in the oven until they smelled fragrant. I chopped the pecans pictured above, but you could also put them in a bag and smash them, which is much quicker.

I completely forgot to take photos when I was assembling the cupcakes because I was already late to work for my last day, but they are so easy to assemble!

Thank you so much for checking out my page! There are many more recipes coming soon!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Joy of Baking

makes 24-30 cupcakes

Ingredients

4 ounces (115 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (70 grams) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm coffee (or water)
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (or 1 T lemon juice and 1 cup milk)
1 1/4 cups (280 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups (450 grams) granulated white sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 or 3 cupcake pans with liners.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until fully melted. Let cool to room temperature.
If you are making your own buttermilk, combine 1 T lemon juice (or vinegar or lime juice) with 1 cup of milk. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and then you're good to go!
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, combine the coffee (or water) and buttermilk.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy (this will take about three to five minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine. Then add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated.
Add the coffee/buttermilk mixture and flour mixtures in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat only until the ingredients are mixed together.
Fill cupcake liners with the batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop for accuracy). Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and place cupcakes on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) pecans
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
3 large (60 grams) egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven, cool, and then chop (reserve about 30 whole pecans to top the cupcake).
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, and when the mixture begins to boil and thicken, remove from heat (about 5 minutes). Stir in the chopped pecans, coconut, and vanilla extract. Let cool until spreadable (about 30-60 minutes).

Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped semi-sweet chocolate
enough water to make the chocolate pourable! (start off with 1/4 cup)

Directions

Place chocolate and water in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave on 20-30 second intervals, stirring well, until fully melted and drizzle-able!
Place chocolate into a melting/decorating squeeze bottle.

Assembly

cut a hole in the center of the cupcakes using a cupcake corer or a knife
Spoon coconut filling into cupcakes and onto the top of the cupcake
Place a whole roasted pecan on the top of each cupcake
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cupcake
Enjoy!!

Update

2012-09-30T13:06:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I apologize for my hiatus these past several months. My summer wasn't as relaxing as it should've been, but I did get tons accomplished! I started my junior year in college last month, and I have been getting back into the swing of things. All of my classes are easily manageable except for chemistry and chemistry lab (no fun!). Last week, my cousin in Florida offered me a job as a columnist at Coastal Kids Magazine in Florida, and I accepted! I will be writing the food column. This is a fantastic opportunity, and I will be updating A Dessert a Week MUCH more often now. I am so thankful to all of y'all who continue to read my blog. Although at this point, I may not be updating weekly, I will certainly be updating every few weeks at the least. Thank y'all again!

Love always,
Kara

PS. Here is a picture I took yesterday at my job at a men's clothing store!

Beach Trip & Summer Update

2012-07-07T12:22:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I don't know about y'all, but my summer has been busy, busy. I am working two jobs, taking a summer course (Business Accounting, any accounting majors out there to help me??), and I am officially halfway through a summer internship at a long-term care facility. In addition, I finally opened my Etsy store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/adessertaweek, even though there are only two items listed. I plan to have much more custom made items as soon as I can find the time though! I just got back from vacationing at Topsail Island, North Carolina for the past week. Where have y'all been vacationing at this summer? I'd love to see pictures :) Here are some photos from my beach trip:

Photography Competition Entries

2012-05-29T18:45:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I am entering the Arts Council of York County's annual photography competition. I have shown work in two of the previous competitions, and I am once again entering several of my photographs for judging. Since the photographs from my Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes post turned out so well, I decided to enter them. First place is $1,000 so I certainly hope that I win!

Let me know what y'all think!

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

2012-05-22T18:37:00.000-04:00

This is a copy of my first ever guest post from yesterday on Coupon Savings in the South:

Hey everyone! I'm Kara from A Dessert a Week, and this post marks a very special milestone in my blogging life! It is my first guest post and this is also my blogiversary post! I knew I had to make something super special for it, and after searching through countless desserts online and in cook books, I found the perfect, easy recipe. These lemon blueberry cupcakes are the perfect way to welcome a celebration, whether it is a blogiversary, a graduation, or the beginning of summer. The frosting has the perfect tang of lemon without being overwhelming, and the juicy blueberries offer the ideal sweet contrast. They were so perfect, in fact, that I actually ate two within the first five minutes. Trying to stay fit is difficult when I am always around so many delicious desserts!

Lately, I’ve been getting into the local food movement. I am a Human Nutrition major, and much emphasis is placed on eating fresh, locally-sourced produce. A fantastic place to go if you are in upstate South Carolina is the Bush-N-Vine. It is located in Filbert, South Carolina and is run by the Hall family. For the past several weeks, I have been picking up buckets of their delicious strawberries to use in recipes such as strawberry lemonade, strawberry soup, and double-crusted strawberry pie. I will have a recipe for the strawberry lemonade up very soon, so be sure to check back. They were fresh out of blueberries, but I did manage to pick up some reasonably priced lemons.

Cupcakes are generally very easy to make, and this recipe was no exception. I beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest, then added the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. I alternated the milk and flour mixture, and then gently folded in the flour-dusted blueberries. I used a standard ice cream scoop to place the batter in the cupcake papers and into the oven they went.

Also, if anyone has any summertime favorites they’d like to see featured on A Dessert a Week, please don’t hesitate to let me know via my Facebook page or through e-mail (kelowman@gmail.com). I love to test out new recipes!

I used to skip the step about flouring fruit before I placed it into cakes or cupcakes, but after having one too many desserts come out where all of the fruit sank to the bottom, I decided to pay attention to that part of the recipe. It works so well!

The eggs in the above photograph are pale blue/green in color. They came from my nana, which has several different breeds of chicken on her farm, and some lay blue eggs. They are absolutely beautiful in person, and the yolks are a deep orangey yellow hue from their diet. I also have three white Chinese Silkies at my house, but their eggs are way too small to use in baking recipes.

I normally don’t work with cream cheese frosting, so icing these cupcakes was a bit of a challenge for me. Also, I couldn’t find my favorite large star tip, so I had to use a plain tip. Cream cheese frosting doesn’t hold up as well as buttercream frosting, but I got the hang of it. However, you may want to refrigerate the cupcakes as quickly as possible if you are working on an extremely hot day because they may melt just a little bit.

These are my second favorite cupcakes I have ever made, the first being myGanache-Filled Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes. I actually just ate another one while writing this post ;)

Thank you to Shannon for letting me guest post this week on Coupon Savings in the South! If you would like to see more recipes weekly, please check out my Facebook page, A Dessert a Week, and my website, www.adessertaweek.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Barely adapted from Annie’s Eats

Yield: about 16 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:

¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
¾ cup cake flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon
Additional fresh blueberries, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. With the mixer on lowspeed, mix in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large plain tip to frost these cupcakes.) Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Strawberry Lemonade

2012-05-21T21:26:00.001-04:00

Here is a quick and easy recipe for restaurant-quality strawberry lemonade! Simple syrup and club soda add complexity, and fresh local strawberries and lemon juice add sweetness with a kick. Feel free to substitute lime juice to make Strawberry Limeade! I halved this recipe, and it was the perfect amount for me and my best friend.

Strawberry Lemonade

From Food Network

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, halved
2 cups cold club soda
Ice
Mint sprigs, garnish
Whole strawberries, garnish

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.
In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.
Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Lime Meltaways

2012-04-11T16:25:00.000-04:00

As some of y'all may know, I love the tart, citrusy flavor of lime. I've even been known to eat limes straight with sugar or salt! And these cookies are absolutely perfect for those citrusy types of cravings. They are called meltaways because of the way they, well, melt in your mouth. The powdered sugar called for in the recipe contributes to this melty sort of texture. If you have access to key limes, then by all means use them. I can never find key limes at my local stores though, if any locals can help, please let me know!

I love my microplane zester, but be careful when using it because I have cut myself more than once!

Sorry that I haven't been posting, this semester has been extremely difficult, and I have been using all of my energy to keep up with my classes! Once my summer begins (in three weeks), I will be back to posting weekly or even bi-weekly, depending on how much baking I will be doing. Thank you for being so understanding about my unintended hiatus!

Lime Meltaways

From Smitten Kitchen & Martha Stewart

Yield: 5 dozen

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Grated zest of 4 tiny or 2 large key limes

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (a.k.a. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffy.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined.

3. Between two 8-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Remove parchment from logs; slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.

5. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly, just three or four minutes. While still warm, place cookies in the sugar-filled bag; toss to coat. Bake or freeze remaining dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Mocha Cupcakes

2012-01-27T09:35:00.001-05:00

And so begins the Valentine's Day desserts.

I absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day. It's a win-win. I get presents, flowers, chocolates, AND dinner! Sorry to all guys out there, although I am low-maintenance most days of the year, Valentine's Day is definitely not one of them. Luckily, I have a wonderful boyfriend that coooompletely understands ;) These cupcakes are perfect: the icing is fluffy and light and mimics the coffee undertones in the cupcake. Plus, sprinkles make everything more amazing.

Oh, by the way, about a week ago, I applied for a research assistant position offered by the one and only Tucker Max. He's a comedy writer who has written titles such as I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell and Assholes Finish First. He is absolutely HYSTERICAL, and I jumped at this wonderful opportunity to work for him. I made it to the second cut, and I will hear back (or not) by January 30th. I'll be sure to keep y'all updated!

I didn't have espresso powder or a small sieve, so I used a larger sieve and filtered the coffee-infused milk through 5 times before adding to the sugar mixture. As you can see, there were still coffee granules in the batter, but it didn't make a difference in the end product. This recipe makes 12 perfectly sized cupcakes, but if I made it again, I would definitely double it.

Also, one of my mom's close friends brought me chocolate pasta from the Pike Street Public Market in Seattle, AND the green coffee beans I ordered finally came in. I wanted to roast and grind them for this recipe, but I couldn't figure it out in time. But when I do, be prepared for the how-to! I'm probably going to incorporate the chocolate pasta into other Valentine's Day dish, but I'm still thinking on it. Does anyone have experience with chocolate pasta and want to share? Oh, and I still always find it faster and easier to weigh out my dry ingredients instead of using measuring cups. It probably saves me a good 7-10 minutes.

This batter is very liquidy,so I poured it into a liquid measuring cup to measure it out, but if you have one of those pancake/cupcake batter dispensers (I bought one from Sur La Table for ~$10.00) that would be your best bet because I still got batter everywhere. Be careful not to fill them too much, a little under halfway is the best because they rise a lot.

I saw on other blogs that people put another paper liner around the cupcakes to make them prettier, but I couldn't figure out how to make it perfectly align with mine. I guess they were different sizes!

This frosting almost has a whipped cream consistency. When you are piping, be aware that if you leave out at room temperature for a while, the frosting will start to slightly spread out, messing up the perfect little ridges. So pipe, then put into the refrigerator! This cupcake would be great filled with some sort of chocolate mousse or a Valentine's Day themed filling.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mocha Cupcakes
adapted from Love & Olive Oil

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or 1/2 tablespoon ground coffee
1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons brewed coffee (cooled)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Sprinkles!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat milk until hot (but not boiling). Stir in espresso powder. If you don't have espresso powder, put coffee grounds into a fine sieve. Pour milk over grounds and allow to seep through. You will end up with a few grounds in your milk this way, but it won't affect the final product.
Whisk sugar, oil, and vanilla extract in to coffee mixture. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and beat until no lumps remain (or very few remain).
Pour into liners, filling each with a scant 1/4 cup of batter (to me, this was a little over halfway up the side of the liner). Bake 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
For frosting, sift together powdered sugar, cocoa. Cream butter and add to sugar mixture slowly. Add salt, and coffee. Beat 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes and add adorable Valentine’s Day sprinkles!

Champagne Marshmallows

2012-01-21T20:40:00.002-05:00

I still had a bottle of champagne left over from the Champagne Cupcakes so I decided to continue the theme of Champagne-flavored desserts! This recipe makes a lot of marshmallows. So be sure that you really like marshmallows or have lots of marshmallow-loving friends! By the way, these marshmallows last two weeks at room temperature, a month in the fridge, or almost indefinitely in the freezer. So you'll have plenty of time to eat all of them! ;) If you aren't too fond of the idea of alcohol-flavored marshmallows, I have some Chocolate-Swirled Marshmallows that maybe you'll like better!

Feel free to use whatever Champagne you like best; this type just happened to be on sale at the time. If you wanted to get creative, I feel like Moscato would be a great substitution.

One of my really good friends, Stacy, marbled my nails for me! We saw the idea on Pinterest, and it was such a great idea. It's definitely a two person ordeal though unless you're extremely talented.

The recipe said to reduce the champagne mixture by half, to eight ounces, so I weighed my pot beforehand then weighed it after I added the champagne so I would know exactly what weight to reduce the mixture to.

This is what the mixture looked like after I added the cooled champagne reduction mixture to the gelatin.

I wasn't quite sure how much marshmallow mixture I'd started off with or what 300% of that amount would be so I just whisked until I had A LOT of marshmallow.

Noms.

Although I probably should've used a larger dish. This one is 9x13.

I waited around 6 hours to uncover my marshmallows, but overnight is preferred.

Then you just cut them bad boys up and coat them thoroughly in powered sugar! Be sure to wipe your knife off when it gets coated in marshmallow though because it'll make it more difficult to cut perfect marshmallows.

Champagne Marshmallows
slightly adapted from Brave Tart

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces gelatin
11 ounces champagne
11 ounces corn syrup
16 ounces champagne
28 ounces sugar
1/2 tsp salt
optional: 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod reserved for another use OR 1 tsp of vanilla extract
ample powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Have a lightly greased 9”x13” pan at the ready.
Combine the gelatin and 11 ounces of champagne together in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl. Set aside.
Pour sixteen ounces of champagne into a medium pot and place over medium-low heat. Simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. The actual time it takes depends on the width of your pot and specific heat, so keep an eye on it as it may go faster than expected. Weigh the champagne after reducing to make sure you have taken it down to eight ounces. If you accidentally reduce it too far, add a little more champagne to bring it back to eight ounces.
In the same pot, combine the eight ounces of champagne reduction with corn syrup, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean scrapings (or 1 tsp of vanilla extract). Set over medium heat and stir gently.
Keep cooking, undisturbed, until the mixture registers 240° on a candy thermometer. Once it does, shut off the heat and let it stand until it cools to 210°. This is important; too hot a mixture will prevent the gelatin from setting properly, leaving you with unworkable, gooey ‘mallows in the end.
Once the mixture has cooled to 210°, pour all of it into the mixing bowl with the awaiting gelatin. Fit the bowl with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed for about a minute, until the gelatin has fully melted. Now, crank it to medium-high and whip until the mixture has nearly tripled in volume.
When it has, shut off the mixer and set the whisk attachement aside (don’t even bother to try and scrape it clean, the mess to reward ratio favors mess by far). Pour the marshmallow goo into the prepared pan and bang the pan against the counter a few times to level the mixture.
Dust the top of the giant marshmallow with some powdered sugar, cover in plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
To cut the marshmallows, dust a cutting board with powdered sugar and have a large chef’s knife ready. Take the pan of chilled marshmallows and literally reach your fingers between the marshmallow and the pan, and pull it right out.
Dust the exposed bottom of the marshmallow with more powdered sugar. You can use a metal cookie cutter to cut the marshmallows into shapes, or use a knife to cut out the pieces instead. For the latter, cut the big marshmallow pillow into 13, 1” strips. Stop periodically and clean the knife as gunky marshmallow buildup on the blade will give subsequent cuts a ragged edge. Once the strips are cut, roll them about in powdered sugar so none of the sides are sticky.
Now cut the strips in 1” increments (you can gather up 3 or 4 strips to chop up in one go).
Toss the cut pieces in powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. They’re essentially nothing but sugar, so they have a terrific shelf life. About two weeks at room temperature, a month in the fridge, or eternity in the freezer.

Champagne Cupcakes

2012-01-03T17:55:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I took a little bit of time off to recoup from the stress of finals and my first semester as a nutrition major. Thankfully, I made all As this semester, and I had my first day of classes today. If you have champagne left over from your New Year celebrations, then I have two perfect recipes to use that up for you: champagne cupcakes and champagne marshmallows (which will be up tomorrow)! For Christmas, I received a Bamboo graphic arts tablet so I can begin work on designs for recipe cards and other baking-themed projects! What cooking-related items did y'all get for Christmas?

We brought in the New Year quietly at my house. I was asleep by 12:30! Also, Jeremy and I's 3 year anniversary also landed at midnight, so we went out to eat at a fantastic place in Charlotte called The Cowfish. As their name suggests, they serve both sushi and burgers, and they are AMAZING. We got The Motherload as an appetizer, which features a slice of every fish available on their menu! ! I ate several things I knew (octopus, clam, yellowtail, tuna, salmon, shrimp) and tons of things I didn't. I had no trouble downing everything on the plate except the raw shrimp and the tempura battered prawn-big shrimp-crawfish thing. I took a bite of it, and the legs came off in the mouth and all I could think about what that it looked like I was eating a spider, and I freaked out a little. Before you go though, be aware that they have an extremely large menu. It wouldn't be a bad idea to browse the menu online before you went.

I used a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to accurately measure out the batter. I usually overfill the papers, but I managed to do pretty well this time!

Please excuse my cupcake tins; I scrubbed and scrubbed, but I just need new ones.

I dyed the icing pink for funsies. White icing on a white cupcake is no fun! From my experience with piping bags, I've been using plain large ziplock bags with a tiny slit cut out of the corner. It works great, and cleanup is a snap (I mean, you just throw the bag in the trash).

I know, I know. This isn't a champagne flute. BUT the cupcakes wouldn't fit in the flute, and this looked sooooooo much cuter :)

This is my favorite photograph I've taken in a long time. I'm going to submit this post to Food Gawker, cross your fingers that I make it in!

Champagne Cupcakes
from Ambrosia

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup champagne/sparkling wine

For the Frosting

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon champagne/sparkling wine

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

To make the cupcakes, begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 16 cupcake wells with paper liners. Cream together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together in the bowl of a standard electric mixer, beating together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition, and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the vanilla extract and beat in well.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine together the Greek yogurt and champagne, and whisk well (the mixture may fizz initially). Alternately add the flour mixture and champagne mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (I did 3 and 2 additions). Mix only until just incorporated, taking care not to overmix.

Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the prepared cupcake tins (the batter will be thick!) using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Tap the cupcake tins against your counter or other hard surface to get rid of air bubbles. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly in the tins, and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

While the cupcakes are baking, begin to prepare the frosting. In a small saucepan, bring to a simmer 1 cup of champagne over medium-high heat. Simmer the champagne until it has reduced to 2 tablespoons (this took me between 20-25 minutes). Allow this to cool completely. In the bowl of a standard electric mixer, combine the butter and powdered sugar, and beat together until completely light and fluffy. Add in the cooled 2 tablespoons of the reduced champagne, and the remaining 1 tablespoon champagne (straight from the bottle), and mix in completely.

Crustless Cranberry Walnut Pie

2011-12-03T11:33:00.000-05:00

I bought three days of cranberries the other day, (hey, they were on sale for 99 cents apiece, what was I supposed to do?) so I knew I needed to get a hold of some great cranberry-involving recipes as soon as possible. This recipe was really, really good. The cranberries were just tart enough to counteract the sweetness of the cake/pie. It's called a pie, but it's basically a thin cake to me. My brother happened to be home this weekend, so this dessert was gone within 12 hours!

I had some cranberries left over, so I froze them in the bag to use in future recipes. Does anyone know what a raw cranberry tastes like? I thought about trying to eat one, but I couldn't get up the nerve! Homework and classwork has pretty much been taking over my life for the past week- two tests, two oral presentations, a portfolio due, and a paper- BUT I got it all done, and I have all As in my classes going into finals, which start this Wednesday. I can't wait for winter break! I'll have so much more time for baking and planning products for my Etsy store. I already know I'm going to sell vintage kitchen items, recipe cards, and dinner menus, but beyond that, I have no clue.

I melted the butter in a saucepan and mixed the ingredients in there to make cleanup easier.

I'm positive this isn't a new idea, but I was SO EXCITED that I thought to do it. I use shortening on everything, (despite my new knowledge of trans fats learned in NUTR 231) but it's always so messy. So I decided to put my hand in a small ziplock bag and spread the shortening around with no mess. It was fantastic!

Okay, so i maybe I added a little too much shortening using my bag technique. Next time I'll use a little less!

Crustless Cranberry Walnut Pie
from AllRecipes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch pie pan.
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. If you are using frozen cranberries, the mixture will be very thick. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Thanksgiving Bundt Cake

2011-11-23T14:42:00.001-05:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and I am in the middle of baking five desserts. Yes, five. I kind of went crazy and bought way too many cranberries and sweet potatoes in the spirit of the season. I am making a sweet potato pie for Grandmama's, a red wine chocolate cake (not very Thanksgiving-y I know, but Jeremy's mom really likes red wine) for Jeremy's, a cranberry pie for Nana's, random lemon cranberry muffins and sweet potato cupcakes, and a Thanksgiving bundt cake (above) for my mom's best friend. Although I will have full posts on all desserts I'm making, here are the links to what I am baking for Thanksgiving! What is your go-to Thanksgiving dessert?

Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese and Brown Butter Frosting
Thanksgiving Bundt Cake (All I did was change the colors: I didn't dye the chocolate cake black, I dyed the yellow cake yellow and orange, and I dyed the icing yellow and orange)
Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Wasted Cake

2011-11-10T11:28:00.000-05:00

My boyfriend's 21st birthday was this past weekend, and this cake seemed totally appropriate. It's chocolate on top of chocolate on top of even MORE chocolate! It's insane. I had to choose between this cake and an Oreo cake, but I really just wanted to go crazy and throw tons of chocolate on a cake. Seriously, that's what you do. And what could be better? Also, chocolate has phytochemicals, which are good for you. Trust me, I'm a Nutrition major ;)

Sadly, my first wonderful cake fell. I waited too long after adding the baking soda to the wet ingredients (about 12 minutes; I was hastily buttering the pans and cutting out parchment rounds) and the baking soda reacted before I had a chance to put it in the oven. I had to resort to box mix for the cake layers, but feel free to try the original cake layer recipe. It has had many good reviews on the original website. All cake batter photographs are from the original cake recipe, not the box mix version. (I used Betty Crocker Super Moise Triple Chocolate Fudge mix).

I accidentally dropped powdered sugar on Sophia because she was under my feet! She was begging me for some cake to make up for it.

My boyfriend's 21st birthday landed on 11-11-2011 this year! And on a Friday! He survived the weekend, but a memorable experience includes him yelling at a guy with a blow-out like Pauly D, "HEY PAULY D, THIS ISN'T THE JERSEY SHORE" at an Asian restaurant while wearing these sunglasses...indoors.

Oh, and he didn't notice that the cake said 21 across the top for three days (until he saw the photograph on Facebook). Bless his heart. He absolutely loved this cake, and all of the chocolate-lovers, men, etc. in your life are bound to as well! As a plus, eat the cake and watch the movie, Grown-ups, that inspired this cake!

Chocolate Wasted Cake
adapted from The Art of Dessert
serves 8-12

Cake (This is the recipe for the original cake that fell due to my mistakes. Feel free to use it or box mix)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
liqueur for drizzling on the cake layers (i.e. chocolate, coffee or almond, I used Kahlua)

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate for drizzling:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2-3 Tbs. heavy cream or vegetable oil

For the top of cake:

Assorted chocolate candies (I used Kit-Kats and chocolate chips, but feel free to experiment)

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and dust two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with cocoa powder. Set aside.
Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour in the batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and wait for about 10 minutes to remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy.

Chocolate Drizzle:

Melt the chocolate and cream (or oil) on top of a double boiler (or in the microwave), until melted. I poured my melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle and squeezed lines all over the top of the cake. These containers are around $2.00 for two and are SUPER convenient!

To assemble the cake:

Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake circle. Poke holes in cake with toothpick, fork, etc. Lightly drizzle with liqueur. Spread an even layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Lightly drizzle with liqueur.
Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting. Cover the sides of the cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and cover the top with assorted chocolate candies.
Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides of the cake.

3rd Place Award at Cupcake Wars

2011-11-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, my mom sent me an e-mail telling me about the Decadent Dreams Chocolate Festival Cupcake Wars! I signed up and decided to make Ganache filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream. Although I had a minor setback this morning- my first batch of cupcakes fell- I whipped up another batch! There were 21 contestants in the cupcake wars, and I came in 3rd place! I wish I had pictures of the step-by-step process for y'all, but I was in such a hurry that I didn't have time. My best friend ever in the entire world, Carrie, loves raspberries, and she's coming home over Thanksgiving break, so I will probably make them then! Thank y'all for all of your support, and I hope to be entering many more competitions!

Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-06T20:12:00.002-05:00

Get ready for tons of pumpkin recipes because I have 10 cans of pumpkin puree. TEN. I got freaked out a few months ago when I decided to make some pumpkin dog treats for my loves and I couldn't find any pumpkin. ANYWHERE. It was as if canned pumpkin had completely disappeared from South Carolina. Which is basically what happened: due to a pumpkin disease/shortage/something in 2010, Libby's had less pumpkin than usual. So, rationally, when I saw pumpkin back on the shelf a few weeks ago, I grabbed as many as I could. Now I'm paying the price. P.S. Pumpkin isn't my favorite. I have no idea what I was thinking! This was a delicious loaf bread though, the taste of pumpkin wasn't overwhelming and it was extremely moist. This recipe makes three loaves: enough to freeze, give as gifts, or hoard all winter long.

This recipe was such an easy one that I ran out of steps to photograph before I knew it! I didn't even use a stand mixer for this, just a wooden spoon and a big bowl.

I am so excited for Christmas to come that I baked the loafs in snowflake pans. Only seven weeks away!

Pumpkin Bread
From All Recipes

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Halloween Blondies

2011-10-30T12:03:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Halloween! I'm so excited, although I still don't have an entire costume yet. If anyone wants to donate one before tomorrow, please feel free! As of right now, I'm a cross between a dark angel and a vampire. Anyways, I am not a huge fan of blondies, but my blondie-loving friends declared this recipe a huge success. I thought they used to have blondie mixes at the store, so I went to check for y'all, but I couldn't find any. Also, if you wanted, you could alter the design of the Reese's Pieces to show a pumpkin, ghost, or anything Halloween-themed.

I mixed everything together in the saucepan to avoid piling up unecessary dirty dishes, and it worked fantastic! I'd suggest using a slightly deeper pan than I did though because I had to very carefully mix to avoid getting flour everywhere.

I arranged my Reese's pieces in rows, but feel free to arrange them however you like!

Halloween Blondies
from Martha Stewart

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for pan
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 cup each orange, yellow, and brown candy-coated chocolates (from a 12.6-ounce bag)
Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; stir just until moistened. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Arrange candies in 12 rows (2 rows per color, repeating once) on top of dough.
Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares.

While browsing the internet, I came across several other recipes that are deliciously Halloween-themed, and I will probably be making some of them tomorrow!

Halloween Marshmallow Pops
Black Velvet Layer Cake
Super Easy Halloween Rainbow Cake
Skinny Chocolate Spiders & Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
Jack-O-Lantern Apple Pie
Halloween Poison Cake
Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Candy Corn Gelatin with Grand Marnier

2011-10-15T12:50:00.003-04:00

IT'S ALMOST HALLOWEEN! Well, kind of. Halloween is two weeks and two days away! I have already changed my Halloween costume plans four times: ~~Alice in Wonderland~~, ~~Ke$ha~~, ~~vampire~~, dark angel. Who knows. My family throws a HUGE Halloween party, so I'll be sure to post some adorable craft ideas in the next few days as well. And as y'all all know, candy corn is the epitome of Halloween. I had so many ideas involving candy corn, but I didn't want to get too carried away, so I picked the best one. The orange layer has Grand Marnier, but feel free to take it out. The Grand Marnier gave the dessert a deeper, more complex citrus flavor. This recipe is best made in adorable 8 oz glasses (which neither I or Wal-mart had), so I had to use slightly larger glasses and larger quantities.

This recipe was so easy. You simply layer the jello one layer at a time, and chill in the refrigerator for about twenty minutes each time. And if you leave it in there longer, it's okay! After the layers had set, I whipped up some whipped cream (I whipped about half a cup of heavy cream, a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract). I like my whipped cream very sweet, so edit it to your tastes.

For the photographs, I piped my whipped cream onto the gelatin, but it looks equally pretty if you dollop a spoonful on top. Just throw on some candy corn, and you're good to go!

This is definitely going to be one of my easy go-to Halloween recipes from now on. Feel free to experiment! I have a lot of vintage Jello molds, and I used two to see how this recipe would work in them. To loosen jello from the molds, be sure to spray them lightly with cooking spray before, then place bottom of mold in warm water. They will then come out easily.

One of my jello molds!

Candy Corn Gelatin with Grand Marnier

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 packages (3 ounces each) lemon gelatin
1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
2 T Grand Marnier or to taste (optional)
Whipped cream, for garnish
Candy corn, for garnish

Directions

Prepare lemon gelatin according to package directions. Set aside in a medium bowl to cool. Prepare orange gelatin. Set aside in a medium bowl to cool.
Pour half of lemon gelatin into a measuring cup; divide among eight 8-ounce glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
Remove glasses from refrigerator. Divide orange gelatin among glasses, pouring on top of lemon gelatin.Return glasses to refrigerator, and chill until orange gelatin is set, about 20 minutes.
Remove glasses from refrigerator. Divide remaining lemon gelatin among glasses. Return to refrigerator, and chill until lemon gelatin is set, about 20 minutes. Just before serving, spoon a dollop of whipped cream on each serving, and garnish with candy corn.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

2011-10-10T11:42:00.003-04:00

These cookies are. so. addicting. I ate one nonchalantly and before I knew it, I had eaten 6. SIX. In less than ten minutes. Thank goodness I had a lot left to take to my family reunion that day. They are buttery, melt-in-your mouth, chocolately delicious. Perfect for parties, potlucks, hoarding, whatever. Oh, and be on the lookout for Halloween specials! I will post at least 5 Halloween-themed desserts! What would you like to see?

I didn't have any espresso powder on hand, so I used instant coffee. If you're looking for a deeper intense coffee flavor, use the instant espresso powder and toss in some Kahlua.

Using a plastic bag to roll out the dough made the process SO easy. I plan to incorporate this idea into many of my rolled cookie ideas!

I used an icing spatula to transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet!

Ingredients

Adapted from Use Real Butter

1 tbsp instant espresso powder (I used instant coffee, and it worked just fine)
1 tbsp boiling water
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz. bittersweet/semisweet chocolate, finely chopped OR 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. Set aside to cool. Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in vanilla and espresso, then reduce mixer speed to low and add flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated.

Fold in the chopped chocolate or chips with a sturdy rubber spatula. Using the spatula, transfer dough to a gallon-size zip-loc bag. Put bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn't cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares.

Transfer the squares to the baking sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving. Makes about 3 dozen.

Candy Sushi

2011-10-02T14:52:00.001-04:00

This is a great project to get kids involved in the kitchen! My friend is gluten-free, so we used gluten-free Rice Krispies, but feel free to use regular Rice Krispies, it will work the same. Rice Krispies treats and candy is used to imitate Japanese sushi in this adorable dessert. Substitute or add any of your favorite candy; this recipe is extremely versatile.

My friend, Jennifer, is a Nutrition major like me, and she LOVES to cook. Ten minutes after I met her, she invited me to dinner the following the night.

If you are tight on time, feel free to use pre-made Rice Krispies treats.

Candy Sushi

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows or 1 package (10 oz) regular marshmallows
6 cups Gluten-Free Rice Krispies
Various candies including Swedish fish, fruit roll-ups, gummy worms, etc.

Directions for Rice Krispies Squares:

Melt butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows and mix until melted. Remove from heat.
Add Rice Krispies, and stir until well coated.
Using a buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan coated with cooking spray or butter. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Microwave Directions for Rice Krispies Squares:

Heat butter and marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, add Rice Krispies and press mixture into a 9 x 12 inch pan described above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Assembling Sushi:

This can get messy, so be prepared! Pick up a square of the Rice Krispies treat, and shape into either a thick rectangle (for sashimi) or a thin rectangle (for rolled sushi).
For rolled sushi, place candy (I used gummy worms) in middle and roll up. Roll a sheet of fruit roll-up around the outside of the sushi. Ta-da! Rolled candy sushi!
For sashimi, place candy on top of Rice Krispies treat (I used Swedish fish), then put a thin strip of fruit roll-up around the outside to hold the candy in place. Feel free to get creative!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

2011-09-26T19:13:00.001-04:00

Since it's been so dreary outside these past few days, I figured everyone could use a comfort food post. Zucchini bread is one of those things that you eat while curled up watching the rain fall (at least that's how it was in my house), and this transition into fall is the PERFECT time to make it! This recipe makes two loaves- perfect for sharing or freezing.

My garden produced copious amounts of zucchini this year, so I had plenty to work with.

Make sure to grease and flour your loaf pans; I only use Crisco or butter, but that's just personal preference. I'm not a fan of non-stick sprays. I don't think it gives the right flavor.

This would be a good present to give to friends and family at Christmas time because it's so easily freezable and lasts at least a week on the counter.

As usual, my puppy, Sophia, wanted to get under my feet and devour anything that was within her reach!

Zucchini Bread
From: AllRecipes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Vanilla Creme Brulee

2011-09-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I didn't know what dessert to make this week, and I was browsing around on Facebook. I found the "Questions" tab, and decided to poll my friends to see what they thought. Most people thought I should make a tiramisu, but Savannah's response (below) was so enthusiastic that I just HAD to make creme brulee! Savannah also LOVES to bake, so hopefully she'll feature a dessert on A Dessert a Week soon. I apologize for the crappy photos; my external flash decided to stop working immediately after I started photographing.

Creme brulee is such an easy dessert to make. I used to be a volunteer sous chef at an OUTSTANDING restaurant, The Brandon House, in downtown York, and I made their creme brulee a time or two, and it was so delicious. If you are ever in upstate South Carolina, then stop by there for a bite to eat.

If you don't happen to have vanilla beans in your house, then substitute 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Vanilla beans are wonderful though, and you can reuse them to make vanilla sugar!

As you see, I'm horrible about fully separating the white from the yolk. You can strain the creme brulee mixture before pouring into ramekins if you wish, but it'll turn out fine if you don't.

I waited until I put the pan in the oven to add water; I didn't want to spill extremely hot water all over myself, but it's whatever you feel comfortable with. I used a glass 9x13 baking dish and a square cake pan for the water bath. You can use anything that is oven safe to place the ramekins in.

I used a welding blowtorch to melt the sugar, but it would be a lot easier and safer to use a kitchen blowtorch or the oven!

Ingredients

1 quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 cup vanilla sugar, divided

6 large egg yolks

2 quarts hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

2011-09-10T18:11:00.001-04:00

These were my first experience at making whoopie pies, and I was so pleased by the results! The first time I made them with a seven minute frosting (as pictured), and the second time I used a marshmallow creme filling. Both are delicious: the seven minute frosting is much airier and lighter, and the marshmallow creme is for those of you that love a filling with more substance. The seven minute frosting only keeps for a few hours before separating, so be sure to make it right before you plan to serve the whoopie pies. The marshmallow creme filling doesn't seem apt to separate, and could probably be made ahead of time. The whoopie pies last at least four days in a sealed container at room temperature.

Recently, I started collecting vintage cooking items for my soon-to-open Etsy store. This is my first experience with selling items, and I am SO EXCITED about it! I will be sure to update everyone when the items are up and put a link at the top of this website. Thank you so much for all of your support!

If you have a large cookie scoop, then by all means use that. I haven't bought one yet, so I just used a large spoon to shape the dough.

If you are using the marshmallow creme recipe for filling, then disregard the seven minute frosting photographs below.

Whoopie Pies
from Martha Stewart

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Seven Minute Frosting (recipe and ingredients below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. Line two baking pans with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, place cookies onto lined baking pans, 12 per pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Spread 2 tablespoons frosting onto each of 24 cookies. Sandwich together with remaining 24 cookies.

Seven Minute Frosting

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Heat 3/4 cup sugar, the water, and
corn syrup in a medium saucepan
over medium heat, stirring until sugar
dissolves. Increase heat, and bring to
a boil. Wash down sides of pan with
a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook until it registers 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, whisk whites with a
mixer on medium speed until soft
peaks form, about 2 1/2 minutes. Add
remaining tablespoon sugar; reduce
speed to medium-low. Pour sugar syrup
into whites in a slow, steady stream.
Increase speed to medium high; beat
until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.
Beat in vanilla; use immediately.

Marshmallow Crème Filling

1/2 cup butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup Marshmallow Fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a medium bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and remaining ingredients until light and fluffy.