cake, cupcakes, cookies, kick ass recipes

My moms’ friend is getting married and my mom is a bride’s maid. Her friend originally wanted me to do her wedding cake but, I didn’t want my mom to get stuck in the middle if her friend was unhappy with it for some reason. The compromise was that I would do the bridal shower cake. I am really happy with how it turned out. It has been a long time since I have done a wedding cake that I actually had trouble covering the cake in fondant. Took me 2 tries before I remembered my handy dandy fondant smoothing tool!!! I felt so stupid…. I can’t believe how many hours that I wasted trying to smooth it and not being able to figure out why it wasn’t working. DUH!! Well, once I remembered my handy dandy $3 tool… I was off and running!

The bottom tier is coconut with caramel filling. And the top is Collette Peters Coco Loco… and I have got to say that Collette’s recipe for Coco Loco is hands down the best tasting chocolate cake EVER!! And that is truly saying something. The only problem is that it did not bake flat… it was a big ole dome!! I even followed the instructions just like she said and baked it at 275°. I don’t have the book on me or I would post the recipe (I am at my sister in laws house); I will definitely post when I get home.

So last week my friends and I decided that every Monday night we would get together and play stupid board games. Just kind of a way to forget about how much Mondays really suck! It was determined that it would be up to me to provide a fabulous tasty treat for said event.  No problem!!! Would LOVE to do it! Well, I got the idea into my head that I would start game night off with a bang by making Pavlova. Super fancy, for my super low class friends!!!  I LOVE YA GIRLS, I’m just playin’ wicha!  So, on Sunday night I stayed up till 11:30pm baking little miniature Pavlova’s. Enough for each of my friends to have their very own little meringue bowl filled with creamy fruity goodness. And how many people showed up? Just 2 (including my husband). So we just pigged out all by ourselves. I am going to give it 1 more chance. We’ll see if anyone shows up next week.

In the mean time, I did come up with a totally bitchin’ recipe for Pavlova!  Let me know if you can think of a cool  name for this thing… I am at a loss.

Sorry about the sucky picture.

Meringue Bowls

• 4 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼  cup super fine sugar (just take regular sugar and put it in the food processor - it’s cheaper and easier that way)
•  ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• ½ teaspoon white-wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon rose water (this makes it ULTRA fancy

Start by covering 8 - 6 oz. Pyrex bowls with aluminum foil, shiny side out. Give it a very light coating of baking spray. Preheat over to 175◦ F. Fill a medium size sauce pan ¼ of the way with water and put on stove to boil. In a large Pyrex bowl mix egg whites, super fine sugar, white-wine vinegar, rose water, corn starch, and cream of tartar.  Place bowl over sauce pan and beat on high with an electric mixer. Do not let the bowl sit as you do not want to cook the eggs. After about 4 minutes add confectioners sugar and beat for another 6 minutes until glossy stiff peaks form.  Remove from heat and frost your aluminum covered Pyrex bowls with the meringue (do not frost all the way to the lip of the bowl as it will make it very difficult to remove the bowl from the meringue shell once it has cooked). Place the bowl on a baking sheet upside down and cook for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. The object is to have the meringue dry on the outside, but to have it still soft to the touch (like a marshmallow), do not let it brown; it should remain pure white. When they are done cooking, open the oven door and allow them to cool slowly.  Be very careful when removing the Pyrex bowls, there is no easy way to do it. Just be patient. 

• 2 ½cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• ¾ cardamom seeds, crushed
• 1 envelope saffron powder
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• ¼ cup of sugar

Add whipping cream, cardamom seeds, saffron, and sour cream into medium size sauce pan. Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrap out all of the yummy vanilla goodness and place into pan, as well as the vanilla pod itself. Heat the cream mixture on medium low heat. Do not allow it to boil, you just want to heat it up enough to get the sugar to dissolve and allow all of the seasoning to marry together. Keep on the heat for about 30 minutes stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl and cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge at least over night. Take the bowl and mixer attachment for your electric mixer, run it under water, and place into freezer for at least a half hour. Pour liquid threw a chinois strainer and whip on high speed for about 5-6 minutes.

Fruit Salad

• 1.5 lbs of Fresh Strawberries
• 1 pound black berries
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
• 7 tablespoons of rose water
• 6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup pecan pieces

Julianne strawberries and dice mint leaves. Toss in blackberries, rose water, and orange juice. Allow to sit for a few hours or overnight.  Fill meringue bowl with cream and place fruit salad on top, sprinkle pecans over Fruit Salad.

So husband got me this fancy smancy airbrush for X-Mas. Only problem was when I got it and took it out of the box and tried to use it…I realized, that I had no idea what I was doing and made a big ole’ mess.

Luckily for me, Browen had just put together an airbrush class here in Austin, hosted by All In One Bake Shop well; Browen is in my book right up there with Collete Peters. To think that I could actually get to meet her and learn from her… so excited!!!

Unfortunately for me daughter had the flu that week and I was praying that I would not get sick. I did NOT want to miss out on this class. Somehow I managed to escape the flu. But, I was late to class because I was trying to make sure that Stasia was all taken care of. So I ran out of the house forgetting my cell phone… and my camera!!! Of course I got lost, and could not call. And arrived to class 30 minutes late AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

But it is ok, I jump right in. Like a sponge I absorb EVERYTHING that Browen has to say. I become a master with my airbrush. While people are busy writing their names, I am drawing skulls & cross bones. Totally patting myself on the back with such pride. Browne taught us so many tecniques before you knew it the entire class had painted a beautiful sunset over water onto a cake board covered in butter cream.

Next, she tells us that we are going to sculpt a frog. OMG, my ears totally perk up. I am so excited…I can TOTALLY DO THIS! I love to carve cakes!! Well, I made a boo boo and carved too much off of the neck (just like she told us not too – way to listen Luki) and his head started kissing the floor. So, I was so busy dicking around trying to fix it while I was putting my fondant on… that I was missing a demonstration up at the front of the class. So, I left my froggie for a moment to see the demo… it is very important to me that I not miss a single word. When I come back, YUP my fondant had dried – OH NO!!! And there was no Crisco for an emergency save! So needless to say my froggie is totally retarded. But, on the other hand without Browen I never would have made a froggie.

All in all it was a very cool class. It seemed to me that I was the only local there though. Everyone else was from out of town/ out of state. But the real kicker was, after class when everyone was having their picture taken with Browen…. I just had to leave because I had left my camera at home. I am such an idiot. I wanted to go home and cry.

No matter how many times I kissed my stupid froggie…. he NEVER turned into a prince… or even a decent looking froggie.

So, as the old saying goes…. If you don’t succeed – try , try, try again! Well, I did not get the Cupcake Hero award last month for “mint”. Not to say, that once I win… I will stop entering. This has been so much fun… I’m LOVIN’ IT!So, this month’s ingredient is coffee. Whenever I think of coffee, my mind instantly races to an ice cold Starbucks Frappucino – mhhhhhhhmmmm YUMMY! Sugary sweet, creamy, ice cold caffeinated goodness! So, when the Cupcake Hero ingredient for this month was announced of course I was going to make Frappucino cupcakes. I am a bit concerned as the guest judge is Jao (Laurie’s Husband – Laurie runs the Cupcake Hero). Laurie wrote that her husband is a no frills kinda guy. Likes his cupcakes plain and simple. Well, this could be a problem. But the way that the flavors and textures all work together for this cupcake, it is purely magical. As my dad would say, it is a total “Tongasim”! So, I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one! Either way, I am very proud of my little creation here.This challenge was a labor of love. I did not get it right the first time… or the 2^nd for that fact. But, I came through and it is in my mind PERFECT! Like its predecessor the Frappucino, this cupcake is best when served cold.

This recipe makes 42 cupcakes.

A Beautiful Simple White Cupcake

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 8 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325ºF Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat butter and 2 cups of sugar till pale in color; about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides and add vanilla and sour cream and mix on low. Add flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with milk, beat until just combined. In a separate bowl fitted with a whisk attachment beat egg whites on low till foamy then gradually add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff high peaks form; about 4 minutes. Fold egg whites into batter mixture. Bake approximatley15 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Mocha filling

• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 4 oz of milk chocolate (I use Ghirardelli)
• 1 tablespoon really good vanilla
• 1 ½ cup freshly brewed espresso
• ½ cup cornstarch

Add cornstarch to shipping cream and mix well (very well… make sure that the all the cornstarch has dissolved prior to heating the cream). The cornstarch is necessary because of the amount of espresso being added. In a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat pour in whipping cream, chocolate, espresso, and vanilla. Stirring constantly until chocolate has dissolved, do not allow your mixture to boil. Transfer a medium size bowl, cover, and place into refrigerator for a few hours. Place water and ice into a large bowl and set your medium size bowl with your mixture into it so that it can get ice cold. Let it sit for about an hour. I do this instead of putting into the fridge because my family life is NUTS… and if I put it into the freezer I am likely to forget about it and it will freeze rock hard and be ruined. If you are using your kitchen aid mixer rinse your bowl whisk with water and place into freezer for at least a half of an hour. Pour mixture into bowl and whip at high speed for about 10 minutes. * Note: You must wait until your cupcakes are completely cool before piping your filling into them.

Frappucino Butter cream Frosting

• 8oz of softened mascarpone
• 4oz of softened cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups of Crisco
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder
• Dash of salt
• 1 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
• ½ cup of freshly brewed espresso
• 2lbs. powdered sugar

With your paddle cream together mascarpone, cream cheese, and Crisco till smooth. In your microwave melt chocolate at 50% heat in 30 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate is smooth and shiny. Add chocolate, meringue powder, and salt to bowl and continue creaming for 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar in 3 batches alternating with espresso. Go easy on the espresso as you do not want to add too much and cause a watery icing. Just add enough to reach your desired consistency. Then beat on high for 3-4 minutes, this gets the meringue powder working and makes your butter cream fluffy. Refrigerate for an hour or so. This gives the espresso time to really come alive and for the cheeses to set.

When you frost your cupcake with the Frappucino Butter cream use a 1M tip to create a hollow center and do not close the top. It should look like this.
Fill it with yummy creamy goodness!

Whipped Cream Frosting Filler (I don’t know what else to call it)

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl sprinkle gelatin and add a few tablespoons of water and let sit until gelatin soaks up water. On the stove top on medium high heat mix together evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. DO NOT BOIL!!! Just heat the mixture enough to get the sugar to completely dissolve. Add mixture to gelatin and stir well. Cover bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Place water and ice into a large bowl and set your medium size bowl with your mixture into it so that it can get ice cold. Let it sit for about an hour. If you are using your kitchen aid mixer rinse your bowl & whisk with water and place into freezer for at least a half of an hour. Pour mixture into bowl and whip at high speed for about 10 minutes. You can not over whip this stuff, the more the better.Place whipped mixture into a piping bag and fill in the fill in the hollow center.Dust with coco powder and place a few chocolate covered espresso beans on top. OF COURSE, I make my own chocolate covered espresso beans! It is so easy; I bet you can do it too! Melt your favorite chocolate. Mine is Ghirardelli, drop some espresso beans into it and then roll them into coco powder. Repeat this process 2-3 times. See, so simple.. and EVERYONE will be so impressed!

For X-mas my mom suggested that I bake my dad a loaf of banana bread - his favorite. My dad is kind of a strange guy and when he gets an idea in his head it is “the best”. He has ALWAYS had me make him this recipe by Paul Prudhomme. Dad is a HUGE fan of the fat one himself and anything that Paul suggests is the gospel truth. I have never really thought that it was what I would consider a GREAT recipe. It was ok. But, it had been a few years since I had made it - so I whipped out the book and began . I remember I kept thinking to myself.. “why so much baking soda” …. “oh well, if Paul says so I guess so”. Let me tell you, my husband doesn’t have the sharpest pallet out there. He thinks just about anything that he puts in his mouth is “divine”. I have to admit this sometimes causes jealousy when he goes on and on about other peoples CRAP food…. but that is a different story for a different day. With this banana bread he said “it’s ok”…”your dad will like it”. OH NO!! I so then I tasted it…yup, too much baking soda!!!!So, by this time it was 8 o’clock on X-mas eve. Not one single grocery store open to buy more bananas . So, long story short no banana bread for dad on X-mas. A few days later when the stores were all open and the mad rush had subsided. I went and got some bananas and let them sit out to try this whole thing all over again.Paul used in his recipe melted butter, and that just never sounded right to me to begin with. So, I decided that instead of trying to fix his very broken recipe that I would go out on the hunt for a new one. I thought maybe Paula Deene would have a really good one because she loves butter and she is Southern…. but, I did not think that her recipe was all that. I tried a plethora of blog sites and nothing seemed appealing. Even tried Martha Stewarts website - NOTHING!!!! AAARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! I was getting so frustrated. Then one last stitch effort Emeril Lagasse, he claims to be Southern so why not!?! Well, his recipe seemed OK. I liked that he used sour cream; I put sour cream in just about everything. He also used a TON of butter…. but it seemed like he forgot the “BAM” on this one. So ok, it is a good “starter” recipe.

I added 1/2 cup of apple sauce, buttermilk, cinnamon, changed the walnuts to pecans (I’m a Texan that is how we roll) and allspice. Also, I mashed my bananas instead of pureeing them in the food processor. For items such as this I like it to feel home made as well as taste homemade. The batter tasted pretty good… and smelled much much better then Paul’s recipe. I made 2 loafs, 1 for my dad and another that I took to Grandma’s house. It was a big hit at Grandma’s even the kids liked it - and they usually don’t like anything that doesn’t involve chocolate. I myself like banana bread OK, not my favorite. This was definitely one of the better ones that I have had. All of the flavors blended together beautifully. And it had that extra little something that I was looking for. So here it is:

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• ½ cup applesauce
• ½ cup sourcream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecan pieces

Lightly grease a 9 ¼” by 5 ¼” by 2 ½” loaf baking spray.

Mash the bananas, and mix with sour cream, eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, and vanilla by hand.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in the nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes, then lower to 320° F for 30 minutes or until a knife comes clean and the bread pops back up after being pressed. Allow to cool for 15 minutes while still in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

So my customer was dead set on a cake in the likeness of a fish. I truly believe that if I had made a cake to look just like a fish, that everyone would be so grossed out, the stupid thing wouldn’t get eaten. So, she agreed on the compromise of a cartoon like fish. This stupid thing had to be hand painted because at the time I did not have an airbrush. It was so aggravating the colors kept streaking and needed 2 coats. Took me forever!! I think that the results came out OK….. but I totally fucked up the little fish that are swimming around the big fish. I can’t believe that I had cut them out to swim in the wrong direction! Well, I am naturally blond so what intelligence I have is artificial.

But anyways Husband got me an airbrush system for X-mas so hopefully that will save me some time in the future…. and I am sure it will look a lot better than my feeble paint brush.

For years I have had an obsession with cupcakes. Until now, I thought I was all alone. Then I found the Quirky Cupcake and discovered that I was not alone. Every month the “Quirky Cupcake” has a “Cupcake Hero” contest. It is kind of like the Iron Chef but NOT! They give you an ingredient and then you have to come up with a kick ass recipe and submit pictures.

This totally excited me like you would not believe! Seriously, it was like my life all of a sudden had a purpose (kind of sad – but NOT). Feeling totally rejuvenated and inspired I purchased sinfullysweetconfections.com and set up this blog site. Now I can start my journey to becoming the NEXT CUPCAKE HERO. Bitches best step aside, and make room!

The ingredient for December is mint. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me but the first thing that popped into my head was ginger. I ran the idea by a few friends and everyone rolled their eyes and said “YUK”. Well, I don’t know why I bothered to ask them in the first place because I really don’t care what they think! So, I hit the kitchen and gave it a whirl. Let me tell you, usually I am very good at refraining myself to a single cupcake. However, before I had realized it I had eaten 4 FREAKIN cupcakes!!! The cupcake was so moist, yet firm enough to easily remove the wrapper… and the flavor combination was sssooooo perfect! It was like I had gone on auto-pilot mode and could not help myself.

To be sure that I wasn’t just patting myself on the back (I do have a tendency to do that) I took a batch to work and passed them out. Everyone LOVED them! It was crazy; I had people coming up to me in the hall asking what I had put in them to make them taste so good. I even had someone walk up to me and tell me that this is the only cupcake that I should make for the rest of my life. I was even receiving emails from co-workers asking for the recipe. One person said that she took one home to her wife and that she ate it so fast that she had frosting all over her face! So, I think that I may be onto something here.

I now present to you without further adieu Ginger Ale Cupcakes with Peppermint Butter Cream Frosting.

This recipe makes around 36 cupcakes.Preperation:For this recipe you will need candied ginger. Since you don’t know me yet let me inform you that I am completely crazy; and totally believe in making everything from beginning to end. However, you could purchase pre-made candied ginger. If you have never candied ginger before it is EASY to do. When you make it everyone will think that you are super woman *stupid mortals*.Using fresh ginger, peel and slice about 1/8” thick… do not, and I repeat do not try and get all fancy by dicing, chopping, or julianning – you will regret it! Slice it! Toss it into a crock pot. Pour Sprite over the ginger until it is just covered. Add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water - stir. Cook on medium heat for around 8 hours. All of the liquid will reduce down to thick syrup. Pull the slices out and let them dry on a wire rack. Once cooled, toss in granulated sugar. *As a little side note, the syrup that is left behind is fantastic in hot tea… I highly recommend it!

Ginger Ale Cupcakes:

• 4 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ cup Ginger ale
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• ½ cup sour cream
• 6 egg whites

Start by beating butter on high with the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. Once it turns to a pale color add the sugar and cream for 3 minutes. Add salt, baking powder, fresh ginger, and sour cream. Put ginger ale, milk, and vanilla into a separate bowl. Slowly add flour in parts of 4 alternating with liquid mixture. Once complete stir in chopped candied ginger. Beat egg whites until they have a stiff peak and fold into mixture.

Bake at 350F for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Peppermint Butter cream Frosting:

• 2 sticks softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup Crisco (do not be cheap here and try and use generic brands, you will be sorry!!)
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp popcorn salt
• 2 lb. powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons clear vanilla
• 1 tablespoon Crème Bouquet
• ½ cup cold water to start, adjust as necesarry
• ¼ - ½ tsp. Peppermint Extract (this depends on your brand of extract as some are more potent than others.)

Crushed candy canes for garnish

Cream softened butter and Crisco for 3-4 minutes. Add Meringue powder, salt, popcorn salt, crème bouquet, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Add powdered sugar in batches of 4 alternating with water. Mix on high speed for 4-5 minutes (this really whips the meringue powder into shape and makes your frosting light and fluffy). Add peppermint extract, start off light and keep adding until you get to a nice mild pepermint flavor. Becareful, this stuff is strong and you don’t want it to be overwhelming.

Once you have frosted your cupcakes sprinkle on crushed candy canes.