Maple Bacon Cupcakes

As promised, I've been baking!

The icing is coming but I've done the cupcakes so for now you'll get the recipe for those.

With a small child who requires entertaining, baking these days gets done in stages or not at all. 

I'm only blogging because she's been napping like a champion today. I suspect a growth spurt.

For John's birthday we're doing a 'Ron Swanson' theme (from Parks and Recreation) because they share many likes and dislikes. 

Taking Ron's love of breakfast food I googled some bacon cupcake recipes.

This one does not disappoint.

Recipe from the glorious website Bacon Today

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

(makes about 10 cupcakes)

• Fry 6 pieces of bacon then mince into small pieces. Set aside about 1 tbsp of bacon grease and allow it to solidify in the fridge.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin.
• In a bowl, cream together 4 1/2 tbsp butter with 5 tbsp brown sugar. Add in 1 tbsp bacon grease. Add in 1 egg and 4 tbsp maple syrup.
• In a separate bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt. 
• Mix half of the flour into wet ingredients, then add 1/4 cup milk and the rest of the flour.  Fold in the minced bacon (about 1/4 cup).
• Pour into muffin tins (filling about 3/4 full) and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Bacon!

Maple icing recipe coming up soon :)

Birthday Baking Part 2: Cracker Jack Cupcakes

Part two of the delicious birthday cupcakes is up!

Again, recipe is courtesy of The Brunette Baker.

Start with the base:

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

(or no-nut butter if you're like me)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with muffin cups.
• In a bowl, cream together 2 cups packed brown sugar, ½ cup butter, and 1 cup peanut butter/no nut butter. Add in 3 eggs, one at a time, and 2 tsp vanilla. 
• In a separate bowl mix together 2½ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Mix into the peanut butter mix, alternating with 1¼ cups buttermilk.
• Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 14-18 minutes then allow to cool.  

Then pull out the salted caramel you made before and whip up some salted caramel icing

(it's maybe the best icing I've ever made):

Salted Caramel Icing

• Cream together ½ cup butter (softened), 4 cup icing sugar, and 1 cup salted caramel. If your frosting isn't the right consistency (mine wasn't) then add cream or milk 1 tsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  

Put it all together by topping your cupcakes with caramel corn and peanuts (I don't think I have to mention that I skipped the peanuts) and then drizzling with salted caramel. 

These cupcakes are so tasty and very decadent so you probably won't want to eat more than one. 

But if you do, go for a second without any hesitation!

Orange Velvet Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream

After a bit of a delay - and missing the pre-thanksgiving mark - here is the other pumpkin cupcake recipe with the best fall sinpired icing you"ll ever make.

 

Orange Velvet Cupcakes

(recipe from Southern Shelle)

To make these delicious cupcakes, you'll need:

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa
• 1 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 container of orange gel dye

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into a bowl.

Beat butter at low speed until creamy. Add sugar; blend on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each. Scrape bowl; add food coloring and vanilla.

To get the perfect shade of orange you are going to add the entire container of orange gel food coloring. I know, gel food coloring is so concentrated that you don't normally need that much, but unless you want University of Texas Burnt Orange, add the whole container. I also used approximately 15 drops of liquid yellow food coloring to take away some of the burnt undertones.

On low speed, beat in flour mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. In small bowl, stir together vinegar and baking soda. Stir into batter.

Line cupcake pans and fill 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan and then move to wire rack to let cool completely.

Then for the full absolutely irrisistably autumn effect, top them with the most delicious thing you'll ever make, ever:
 

 

(as you can see, I should have splurged and bought orange gel food colouring instead of trying to combine red and yellow for the desired effect!)

 

Pumpkin Buttercream

(recipe from Nancy Creative)

 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 Tablespoons canned pure pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons half & half or milk

Cream the butter, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and vanilla, blending well. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add half & half or milk and blend well.
NOTE: This makes a very thick buttercream frosting. If you want a thinner, creamier frosting, add more half & half or milk until you get the desired consistency.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

*Note: as soon as I can get my phone to connect to the internet I'll be posting an even tastier recipe for pumpkin-inspired cupcakes*

 

Moving on to the tried and true, cupcakes were the obvious next choice.

I did try to make pumpkin cream cheese truffles but they turned out kind of icky and I didn't like the way they tasted so they got wasted.

Yep. That rhyme just happened.

Anyway, I made a batch of mini cupcakes and I have to say the maple cream cheese icing is so good. I cleaned the bowl (a luxury I often pass up as it's John's favourite part but - lucky me - he wasn't home when these were made so the bowl was allllll mine).

 

 

recipe from sweetopia.net (where there is also a great tutorial for fondant pumpkins)

 

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the icing:

• 1 block cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tbs real maple syrup
• 2 cups icing sugar

Instructions

For the cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, into a medium bowl.
3. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.
4. Divide the batter among the muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Set pumpkin cupcakes aside to cool completely. These are delicious frosted with cream cheese icing or just as is!
For the Icing:
6. Cream the cream cheese, butter and maple syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Slowly add the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
7. Once your cupcakes are cool, ice them with a butter knife or large piping bag and tip of your choice.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Minis

 

On Thursday night we had some friends over for dinner.

I obviously was quick to use it as the perfect excuse to break my cleanse.

I did, a little, and it was like heaven had been revealed to me.

Pita! Dips! Cheese! Pasta! *gulp* Cheesecake! Wine!

 

Our original plan was to have a lovely outdoor dinner on the patio and use one of our buildings rental BBQs. But ol' Ma Nature decided to veto that plan with rain and chillier than seasonal temperatures.

 

So we BBQ'd indoors!

 

On the menu was shiskabobs.

Chicken, orange peppers, onions, zucchini (some with muchrooms) and halloumi

& Spicy Italian sausage with yellow peppers and onions.

 

The appetizer was pita bread with 4 dips - hummus, tzaziki, spinach, and artichoke & asiago.

 

The sides were a pasta salad with a roasted red pepper & artichoke tapenade and a caprese salad.

 

 

 

Then for desert, since I was breaking my cleanse, I wanted to get as decadent as I could.

I made mini cheesecakes with a red velvet cake base. I tinted the cheesecake pink to go with the red.

They were pretty good but I used a boxed red velvet mix and it wasn't as rich as I was hoping for.

Could have been my fault for only making 1/3 of the box and probably messing up the ratios of ingredients a bit.

 

 

Anyway I won't post the recipe because all you need is a recipe for Red Velvet Cake like this one, and a recipe for Cheesecake, like this one.

 

Mix 'n' match with any and all of your favourite deserts and flavours.

 

In other news, I decided today that I couldn't go back to the sparse diet of the cleanse after allowing myself such indulgence. I did well during the day at work, fruit for breakfast, brown rice and veggies for lunch. But when I got home to the left overs from dinner I devoured them.

 

And subsequently am still - almost 12 hours later - dealing with the consequences.

I'm bloated and gassy and crampy and uncomfortable.

 

All signs seem to point to dairy though as the source of the trouble.

I did have cheese, dairy based dips, chocolate, and a mug of coffee that was easily 1/5 cream.

 

I think I'm lactose sensitive.

I won't say intollerant because I think I have to have a fair bit of it to make it an issue.

 

So back to the cleanse.

Tomorrow/today I plan to let my digestive tract have a break and then slowly start to include dairy but not so much that it gives me trouble.

 

But there's a good chance I'm stopping at Tim Horton's in the morning to get a donut.

 

 

Gluten Free Quinoa Chocolate Cupcakes

John's birthday was on Thursday so I sent him off with his favourite cupcakes - rainbow chip - but also with a gluten free option since I know some of his co-workers are gluten intollerant.

Having recently become a big fan of quinoa (and also not having any rice flour or other gluten free flour to substitute), I did a quick google search for cupcake recipes using quinoa and found this one from Michael Smith.

For a flourless cupcake it was pretty good, although I did run into an issue or two.

(Original recipe found here)

You will need:

2/3 cup (160 mL) white quinoa

1 1/3 cup (330 mL) water

1/3 cup (80 mL) milk

4 eggs

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

3/4 cup (185 mL) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) sugar

1 cup (250 mL) cocoa powder

1/2 tbsp (7 mL) baking powder

1/2 tbsp (7 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

• Combine quinoa and water in a pot. Heat to simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is soft and has absorbed all the water, about 18 minutes. Spread flat to cool. Should produce about 2 cups (500 mL).
• Start with all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
• In a food processor, combine quinoa, milk, eggs, vanilla and butter. Blend until smooth, about 5 minutes, scraping down sides halfway. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and puree 2 more minutes.
• Pour into 9-inch silicone cake mold (or a similar-sized cake mold, greased). Bake for 25 minutes, rotate and continue another 25 minutes. The top should spring back when touched. A toothpick will come out sticky, but dark, instead of shiny.
• Rest in pan for ten minutes before removing. Set upside down on wire rack to cool.

My major complaint was that the cupcakes stuck to the liners and worse - they came out very deflated.

Nothing that a little extra icing couldn't fix though!

If you're gluten sensitive/intollerant or you're just looking for something new to try, give this recipe a whirl. Quinoa is really good for you so you can almost rationalize eating several cupcakes in one sitting.

Almost.

German Chocolate Cupcakes & Blackberry Buttercream

On Saturday night, following a wonderful dinner at Balsamico restaurant (review post to come!), John and I went home to spend an evening baking cupcakes, eating said cupcakes, and watching Mad Men.

Our (read: my) original plan was lofty: to pick 3 recipes each and make 6 batches of cupcakes.

We ended up with one and then the following day my mom and I made lemon cupcakes.

For our cupcake date we picked a Martha recipe for German Chocolate Cupcakes.

I've made these several times before and I'm never disappointed with the results.

John did all of the baking, I stood back and read out the instructions. The only time I touched the bowl was to show him how to cream the butter and sugar.

He even decorated his with Philadelphia chocolate spread (super addictive, keep your spoons out of it or I promise you'll eat way more of it than you should) and candy pebbles and army men (bottom right).

I topped a few of the chocolate cupcakes with the blackberry buttercream I made which, if I can be totally honest, is the best icing I've ever ever EVER made.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

(A Martha Stewart recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with cake flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together 2 cups cake flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 3/4 tsp salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream  3/4 cup butter and 1 1/3 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of 1 cup buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in 5 ounces (about 2/3 cup) melted chocolate until combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes. Run a small offset spatula or knife around the edges to loosen; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.
4. Spread frosting on top of each cupcake. Serve immediately.

Blackberry Buttercream

1. Beat 1 cup butter with 1 tsp vanilla until smooth.

2. Add in 4 cups of icing sugar, one cup at a time until creamy.

3. Using a blender, puree 1 cup blackberries. Fold into icing then spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

Enjoy!

1 Day Til Christmas: Gingerbread Cake Pops

Merry Christmas Eve!

My favourite night of the year, hands down.

Spending the night with my family, engaging in traditions we've followed for years, and the anticipation of the morning to come.

Last night at work was a bit busy (a patient fell out of bed and broke his leg. I heard it snap) and I was tired but I didn't want to sleep in too late this morning.

I had Christmas things to do!

I fell asleep watching Home Alone, then woke up, showered, and got started on some Gingerbread Cake Pops.

Step one is to make the Gingerbread cake.

(recipe from Martha Stewart)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lower third of oven. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper, then spray the paper. Dust the entire pan with flour and shake out the excess.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup turbinado sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup molasses, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup canola oil, and 1/2 cup buttermilk.
4. Dissolve 2 tsp baking soda in 1 cup of boiling water. Fold the baking soda and molasses mixtures into dry ingredients until combined. (Do not overmix.) Fold in the minced ginger.
5. Scrape batter into the prepared baking pan; bake until cake is set around edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack.

The next step is to make Cream Cheese Icing

1. Mix together 1 pkg cream cheese and 3/4 cup icing sugar. 

2. Crumble the gingerbread cake into pieces and mix into the icing, then roll the mixture into bite sized balls.

3. Melt molding chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and dip each ball into the chocolate. Allow the chocolate shell to harden, a few minutes. Decorate as desired if you want to before the chocolate hardens.

That's it!

Easy & delicious!

I hope everyone sleeps well tonight and wakes up to a beautiful Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookie Countdown: Eggnog Cupcakes (23 days to go!)

Eggnog is the ambassador drink of Christmas.

Do you drink it at any other time of the year?

If you do, then ... keep it to yourself cause we're talking Christmas now.

With eggnog being only for Christmas I set out to find a recipe that would incorporate eggnog into the ingredients.

I found a really easy recipe for eggnog cupcakes.

(recipe from www.eggnogrecipe.net)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until well combined and fluffy.
3. Add 2 eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Add in 1/2 tsp vanilla and mix well.
4. In another bowl combine 1 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
5. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by half of 1/2 cup eggnog
6. Mix until just combined then add the remainder of the flour mixture and the remainder of the eggnog and rum. Mix until combined, scraping the sides if necessary.
7. Pour batter into 12 lined cupcake tins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed.
8. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire wrack before frosting.

Frosting Directions

1. Beat 1/2 cup butter until soft, add in 2 cups confectioners sugar one cup at a time.
2. When frosting starts to become stiff, slowly add in enough eggnog (about 1/8 cup) to bring about a spreadable consistency.
3. Pipe or spread the icing on to the cupcakes, sprinkle with cinnamon and place a cinnamon stick in the cupcake for garnish.

Casserole Night

Yesterday a sweet ol' pup made her way to that big backyard in the sky.

John's family said goodbye to their dog, Molly, after 14 years.

Pets become part of our families so to lose them is to lose a family member.

She was a beautiful dog with those sad eyes and a loving personality.

She will be missed but remembered always.

I've been crazy busy so I think I might start pre-posting in an effort to keep my ramblings from occuring only once a week.

I started my new job yesterday and it's wonderful.

I teach swimming lessons at a kid's rehab hospital and, apart from getting to work with kids, one of the perks is that the water in the pool is like a bath tub. It's beautiful.

I love that they operate on a reverse-integration policy so they register kids with different abilities first (Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down's Syndrome to name a few of the more common) and then open up any remaining spots to the general public in the area.

As a result there is a nice mix of abilities and the learning opportunities for the kids and for the instructors are immense.

My mom (who I like to think of as the Equity Ambassador to the world) would be so proud.

What else?

I told you about my night shift at the hospital, about picking up any and every shift at (other) work this past week.... I slept for 12 hours last night. John and I went out for dinner then came home to watch a movie (Jim Gaffigen stand-up on Netflix). I fell asleep on the couch at 9:30 pm.

Woke up and moved into bed at 10.

Woke up this morning at 10 am.

Not only is 10 am like a solid 4 hour sleep in for me, but I rarely sleep for more than maybe 10 hours.

My body is quite happy this morning.

 Besides falling asleep before 10 pm, I think now that I am on the closer-to-30 side of my 20s my vision is starting to go.

I am an over-reactor and a slight hypochondriac (see this post for confirmation of both) so I just assume I have some sort of macular degeneration or a brain tumour in my occipital lobe.

I like to prepare for the worst.

Anyway, I need to go get my eyes checked when I get some free time. Not today. Today is my first day with NO obligations in a long time so I'm enjoying it as is.

It could be that being tired is just making me feel wonky-eyed or it could mean always wanting reading glasses has finally sunk deep enough into my subconcious mind that I'm creating symptoms.

I do have this really annoying floater in my right eye though...

Anyway.

I want to make these cupcakes, EXACTLY the way they are made to look in this picture.

Damn you, Betty Crocker and your craftiness.

Then I want to make this.

Maybe tonight.

Note: This picture is actually of a different recipe but I couldn't find a picture of the one I want to make so this visual will have to do.

From Everyday Food:

(picture of Scalloped Potato & Leek recipe on Marthastewart.com)

• Preheat oven to 425. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add 2 leeks (sliced, white and light green parts only), and 3 celery stalks (sliced). Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
• Add in 2 pkgs frozen artichokes, 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth, and 1 bar Neufchatel cheese (just use cream cheese like I plan on doing).
• Remove skillet from heat and add in 2 tbsp lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• Brush a baking dish with 1 tbsp oil. Arrange 1 medium russet potato, very thinly sliced, along the bottom of the baking dish and top with the artichoke mixture. Top the artichoke mixture with another 1 medium russet potatoes, very thinly sliced, and brush with 2 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until sauce is bubbling and potatoes are gold and tender, about 35-40 minutes.

Cookie Cupcakes

Last summer on the final day of work I brought the maintenance staff a gift basket of goodies to thank them for all of their hard work.

These are the people that make sure the pool is up and running and clean every day and I really believe that it's so important to thank people.

So obviously I'll be doing the same thing again this year and the last day happens to be this Thursday.

I've been trying to brainstorm some ideas for the gift basket, not wanting to duplicate last years items (some of which can be found here). I came across a cupcake recipe in September's Everyday Food Magazine that I really want to try so I think they will be the first goodie for the gift basket.

(I took a picture on my camera of the cupcakes from the Everyday Food magazine and then picnik-ed it because I am now obsessed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Melt 2 tbsp butter and let cool.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt.

3. Lightly beat 1 egg plus 1 large egg yolk. Add the melted butter, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup hot water. Whisk until smooth. Spoon 1 tbsp batter into each muffin cup and top with 1 oreo cookie. Top the cookie with another tbsp of batter. Bake until cupcakes are puffed and set, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile in a large bowl using an electric mixer beat 1 cup butter and 3 tbsp raspberry jam on medium-high until smooth. Add 3 cups marshmallow topping and 1/3 cup confectioners sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a ziplock bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes and serve immediately.

*Update: After receiving many thanks for the maintenance men, one told me specifically that "the cupcakes with the oreos in them" were his favourite thing in the basket.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

I wanted to make Tiramisu for the Easter long weekend but my not planning ahead left me stranded without the necessary ingredients on Friday morning. I assumed the grocery store would be open on Friday but alas, it was not. It was, however, open on Monday so I picked up some more mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers and heavy cream and got to work on crafting a delicious tiramisu!

I already posted the recipe that I used so if you want to make one of your own follow that. It didn't take as long as I was anticipating it to AND I had leftover mascarpone.

Rather than let it go to waste I decided I would use it to make tiramisu cupcakes!

I used a Martha recipe but put my own spin on it as once again I did not plan ahead. I was missing some ingredients and had to sort of improvise a bit but it turned out pretty good in the end.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together 1 1/4 cupcake flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat 1/4 cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in 4 tbsp butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, and 1 cup sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.



3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.
 4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
 5. To finish, brush tops of cupcakes evenly with cooled coffee and repeat several times until the tops are soaked with coffee. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

Mascarpone Frosting

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk 1 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup mascarpone and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

I brought these in to work yesterday and they were a hit. I'm bringing the tiramisu in tomorrow and I think it'll be even better than the cupcakes. I'll need to get some bowls and spoons though cause it's not the kind of thing you can eat with your hands.

Now back to Dexter!

I'm alllllllmost done season 5 and it's getting sooooo good.

I'm attending a focus group for my nursing program later on this evening - I think it's about whether there's a need to incorporate more on family violence into the curriculum.

Cupcakes I Want....

While searching for cupcake ideas to make for my aesthetic nursing reflection (I'll explain later) I came across this amazing recipe and REALLY want to make it. I love all things smores so the minute I saw this I knew it would be a life-long love. I used to make smores at home in the microwave. Not as good as the authentic over-the-fire-at-the-cottage smores but a decent substitute. I've also toasted marshmallows over a lighter. True story. Again, not as tasty as burnt over a fire.

I enjoy too finding out if people prefer their 'mallows lightly toasted, just gently browned, or if they're like me and like a layer of black ash on theirs. So much better.

Anyway, if you like smores here's the cupcake recipe for you!

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
• Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.
• In a large bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup oil, and 2 tsp vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.
• Place 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.
• Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.
• Place 2 tsp chopped chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting
• Place 8 egg whites, 2 cups sugar, and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 2 tsp vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Today's recipe, which already has me drooling, comes courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything.

My friend had been talking about making cookie dough cupcakes so I googled a recipe and come across this thing of beauty.

Who doesn't like raw cookie dough?

It's one of those things where you knowingly risk the consequences of eating raw eggs because even violently throwing up is worth it to indulge in raw cookie dough.

My mom's old school used to have a fundraiser where you purchased tubs (yes, I said tubs) of raw cookie dough to keep in your freezer and take out whenever you wanted to bake some cookies. And it may not come as a surprise to you to hear that I frequently snuck down to the basement freezer with a bowl and a spoon.

What I'm getting at is that the combination of cookie dough and cupcakes is a match made in heaven.

It's a bit of a lengthy process but I'm going to be baking these this weekend.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake tins with liners.
2. Mix 1 1/2 cups butter and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Combine 2 2/3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl then add to the wet ingredients alternating with 1 cup milk but beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend in 2 tsp vanilla extract and fold in 1 cup chocolate chips.
4. Divide the batter among the 24 cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool.
5. In another bowl, combine 4 tbsp butter and 6 tbsp light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 cup + 2 tbsp flour, 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about half an hour.
6. Cut a cone shaped hole in the bottom of each cooled cupcake. Fill each hole with the refrigerated cookie dough.
7. Make the frosting: in a bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups butter and 3/4 cups light brown sugar until creamy. Mix in 3 1/2 cups icing sugar, until smooth then add in 1 cup flour and 3/4 tsp salt. Mix in 3 tbsp milk and 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
8. Frost each cupake and sprinkle the tops with some mini chocolate chips. The serve and enjoy!

And that's how you do it!