Go Big Or...

For me, and maybe for others, it just seems I have days when breakfast seems like the perfect meal, no matter what time of day. Waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits, orange juice, you name it... it all seems to hit the right spot. Cinnamon rolls also always seem to be a staple at breakfast time. I have two great memories of cinnamon rolls. The first being my grandmother. Breakfast was always a grazing process at her house; as a feast was made with every meal and breakfast was no exception. With these breakfast feasts salt was always the main flavor then you ended with just a kiss of sweetness from the canned pillsbury cinnamon rolls, orange cinnamon rolls, those are my dad's favorite. Orange cinnamon rolls seemed to be the dessert of breakfast. My mom also has a version and uses my great grandmother, Ga-ga's, cinnamon roll recipe. These are different in that they are more of a cinnamon biscuit, light and airy with less sweetness, more spice and showed up around Sunday afternoon. These rolls were a meal all to their own. Each one of these rolls are unique to themselves but each one allows me to have a special memory with different family members. Growing up my mom always encouraged us to be creative, find ways to use our talents, and always be willing to be true to ourselves. Baking has always been a fun outlet for me, it allows me to be creative, think outside of the box and experiment with new ideas. I wanted to find/create a recipe that brought these two memories together, a marriage of flavors and textures. During this process my original thought was to make a cupcake that consisted of a cinnamon roll taste but in cake form. However, I could never settle on the right formula, the right dough, and I ended up with a recipe that put a cinnamon roll into a cupcake liner, creating the perfect sized roll to enjoy. I altered a Paula Deen recipe from her website for the rolls and she surely spares no expenses when it comes to baking. Every turn there is butter and sugar and these cinnamon rolls are a testament to the statement that sometimes bigger can be better. These orange cinnamon rolls are plump, gooy, delicious and make enough to share for weeks. These rolls gave me the feeling of homemade goodness combined with just the right amount of pillsbury's sticky sweetness.

ORANGE CINNAMON ROLLS

ROLL

2 cups 2% milk

1 tbs dry active yeast

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

In a saucepan or microwave, warm milk to about 110 degree Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar into the milk.

Add salt and two cups of flour and beat for two minutes.

Beat in eggs and butter.

Next stir in the remaining flour at half cup each time, and beat until well incorporated each time.

Flour a large surface area and your hands and place dough on top.

Knead dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Flour the bowl the dough came from and place dough back into bowl and cover with a towel.

Set the dough in a warm place and allow to rise for about 40 minutes - 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once dough has risen, flour a LARGE surface area for dough to be rolled out on.

Flour the rolling pin and begin to roll out dough until it is approximately 1/4" thick.

Allow to rest while working on filling.

FILLING

1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided and melted into two separate 1/4 cups

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbs cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

1 orange

Fill two cup cake pans with cup cake liners (will make 24 rolls).

Zest 1 large orange into a large bowl and set aside.

Juice the zested orange into a small bowl and set side.

Melt only 1/4 cup butter and mix with the freshly juiced orange.

Using a pastry brush evenly spread the butter and orange mixture on top of the dough.

Next with the bowl the orange zest is in, mix in the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. 

Spread this mixture evenly on top of the dough (on top of the butter/orange mixture). Make sure there is     an empty one inch border left on all sides.

Tightly roll dough over itself, on the longest perimeter, back to front, so that a long log forms.

Slice the log into 24 even pieces.

Place each piece of log into a liner. You may have to work the log to fit into the liner, this can easily be done by folding the ends together to make a c and pushing into the liner. (Just channel Tim Gunn from Project Runway and think to yourself.. Make it work!)

Place cupcakes in a warm place and allow to rest for 30 - 40 minutes, they will continue to rise some.

While resting in a warm place, preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Remove from warm place and melt the remaining 1/4 cup and distribute evenly over each roll.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

ICING

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 package 8 oz cream cheese

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

While rolls are baking make icing.

Using an electric mixer whip butter and cream cheese until one smooth mixture.

Once smooth, slowly incorporate confectioner's sugar, there should be no lumps.

Heavily ice (as if you were icing a cupcake) the cinnamon rolls while they are still hot so that the icing melts (or microwave later to help icing melt) and enjoy!

One Bite... Part II.

As a post Valentines Day date, Bryan and I visited The Melting Pot. We had both been there several times before but had never done the dessert course. This time we decided to go all out, we were going to try everything The Melting Pot had to offer. As a result, I must say it was one of the best decisions Bryan and I have ever made in our life, as little of a decision it might have been. We decided on the peanut butter and chocolate fondu and it did not disappoint. We had marshmallows rolled in chocolate cookie crumbles (Bryan's favorite), strawberries, cheesecake, brownies, you name it we were dipping it into chocolate. Each bite just melted in your mouth. After our visit I knew I needed to create something that rivaled the flavors we had that night. I needed to make something that was more readily available and didn't require a fondu set up every night. It needed to have the big bang but with out all the jazz. I decided that I would create those same flavors by further testing my cake pop skills. It would be one bite that gave you all the flavors we experienced. One bite that exploded with chocolate and peanut butter. 

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE POPS

*Please see previous post Disaster Adverted for key tips on making cake pops.

CAKE 

1 box chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup peanut butter 

2 tbs vanilla frosting

Follow the baking instructions on the box.

Bake cake 3/4 of the way. 

Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow to partially cool.

After the cake has rested for about 5 minutes and is still relatively warm, using a knife trim off edges of cake and top and bottom of cake. 

After you have trimmed the cake, in a large bowl crumble up the remaining cake into very fine crumbles, no large pieces. 

Next using your hands mix peanut butter and frosting in with cake crumbles. 

Continue to mix with your hands until a dough forms.

Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them onto a baking sheet.

Freeze the cake balls for at least 2 hours.  

COOKIE CRUMBLES

6 oreos

Place Oreos in a plastic zip lock bag and crush into tiny crumbles.

Pour into bowl for easy access, and will be used later.

CHOCOLATE COATING

1 12oz package of chocolate candy melts

24 cake cop sticks

1 large piece of flat styrofoam

Take the styrofoam and stick all 24 sticks spaced out evenly into it. Make sure that each stick is at least an inch apart so that while the cake pops are drying they do not touch each other.

Remove sticks and set aside to be used later for cooling purposes.

Using a double boiler (or in medium sauce pan filled 1/2 way with water, bring water to a boil and place glass bowl over top) place in candy melts and occasionally stir allowing candy to melt.

Once chocolate is melted, turn burner off and begin working with each cake ball individually.

After allowed to freeze, working with one cake ball at a time, place a stick into the center of each cake ball.

Once a stick has been placed dip in chocolate.

Using the cookie crumbles, sprinkle crumbles onto warm chocolate coating on top of cake pops right after they have been dipped.

Once covered in chocolate and cookie crumbles place the cake pop in the hole you created earlier with the stick in the styrofoam. 

Continue with each cake pop until all are fully covered with chocolate and cookie crumbles.

Allow cake pops to cool in fridge for 1 hour or 20 minutes in freezer and enjoy. 

Disaster Averted.

This year for my birthday I received a gift from a friend that included cake pop making tools and cake pop recipes. I had never made cake pops before, they always seemed as if there were one of those "too good to be true" recipes, "deceptively hard" recipes, and besides Starbucks right up the road makes the best birthday cake pops and I could always run up there to get my fix when I needed it. Despite these odds I wanted to try to make them, I was in the mood to make something other than cupcakes. In the end I did end up being wrong, these little morsels of flavor are not THAT hard to make, just takes a little finesse, time and practice to result in a PERFECT creation. I stress that and perfect here, as in it will take a little patience and some trial and error but hopefully my tips I'll share below with you can help you skip a few of those missteps I encountered. Also to help cut back on the learning time and just dive in head first to a new recipe I decided to skip the part of making my own cake batter and went straight for the box mix, and store bought icing, semi-homemade is ok right? Plus I mentioned before that I love cake batter and I might have been needing a spoonful or two. No matter what happens with these cake pops, just remember that sometimes baking can take some practice, enjoy the process and be open to learning something new, after all, all the elements are sweet so you can always eat each little piece of disaster you might create. 

CHOCOLATE COVERED YELLOW CAKE POPS

CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup + 2 tbs vanilla frosting

Follow the baking instructions on the box.

Bake cake 3/4 of the way. 

Most recipes I researched were calling for baking the cake for only 1/2 of the instructed baking time on the box. I found the cake to be too wet at this point and was most satisfied with 3/4 of the way. In actuality you could probably bake the cake fully, it's just that the cake balls will not compact as well and won't have a dense enough consistency.

Place the cake on a cooling rack and allow to partially cool.

After the cake has rested for about 5 minutes and is still relatively warm, using a knife trim off edges of cake and top and bottom of cake. 

You do not want any darker areas that are also more firm, you need only the moist, sponge like areas of the cake. Do not trim too much of cake though, only remove areas of discoloration and discard, or reuse/eat to your liking. WARNING: If you are doing this on cooling rack place a paper towel underneath to catch trimmings, as well since the cake is not fully baked and is still relatively warm the cake as a tendency to break apart easily and you want to be able to save as much as possible, plus have an easier clean up.

After you have trimmed the cake, in a large bowl crumble up the remaining cake into very fine crumbles, no large pieces. 

When the cake is crumbled properly it should resemble a consistency when graham crackers have been crumbled.

Next mix frosting in with cake crumbles. 

Dig in at this point. It's best you use your hands to squeeze together the cake and the frosting. 

Continue to mix with your hands until a dough forms.

Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them onto a baking sheet.

Freeze the cake balls for at least 2 hours. 

Most recipes I found again said to only freeze for 10 - 15 minutes, however I felt the cake balls had not firmed up enough yet and were still too easy to reshape and I worried how they might melt when covered in chocolate. 

CHOCOLATE COATING

1 12oz package of chocolate candy melts

24 cake cop sticks

1 large piece of flat styrofoam

Take the styrofoam and stick all 24 sticks spaced out evenly into it. Make sure that each stick is at least an inch apart so that while the cake pops are drying they do not touch each other.

Remove sticks and set aside to be used later for cooling purposes.

Using a double boiler (or in medium sauce pan filled 1/2 way with water, bring water to a boil and place glass bowl over top) place in candy melts and occasionally stir allowing candy to melt.

Once chocolate is melted, turn burner off and begin working with each cake ball individually.

If you leave the burner on the chocolate will stay too warm and will not hardened in an appropriate amount of time and will melt right off the cake ball.

After allowed to freeze, working with one cake ball at a time, place a stick into the center of each cake ball.

Once a stick has been placed dip in chocolate.

If you tilt the glass bowl up and allow the chocolate to accumulate in one area it will be easier to dip the cake ball. When you dip into chocolate start at top and roll towards bottom allowing a small amount of chocolate to get onto the stick, this will further help hold the cake ball in place and prevent from falling off stick. Continue this on each side of the cake ball, until it is full covered in chocolate. Dip quickly, as with each pass cake is rewarming and will expand and not stay on the stick very well.

Once covered in chocolate place the cake pop in the hole you created earlier with the stick in the styrofoam. 

If the chocolate is not drying fast enough and you can see chocolate melting off you can always place this entire piece of foam in the freezer and help with the cooling process.

Continue with each cake pop until all are fully covered with chocolate.

If you wish to add decoration to your cake pops, simply melt other colors of candy melts and drizzle on top of cake pops.

Allow cake pops to cool in fridge for 1 hour or 20 minutes in freezer and enjoy. 

Cake pops can be left at room temperature without melting or be kept in refrigerator.

A Little Bit of Indulgence.

2013 seems to be the year of births. This year has already been filled with much excitement of anticipated little ones and just as spring is arriving they are making their grand entrances into this world. A few months back, some fellow friends of mine and my husband's, decided to arrange a last minute get together. One of the couples is expecting a little baby, gender yet to be revealed, and the girls and I knew at the time that we would not be able to make the mom's upcoming baby shower. As a result, we decided to make this last minute get together a surprise shower for her and her family and that's how these cupcakes came into existence. No grand entrance worthy of telling your future grandchildren, no sparkles, no bows, no cute little baby blue suits.... just a plain chocolate chip cupcake. A cupcake that was indulgent and worthy of consuming while pregnant, worthy of putting on those few extra pounds. These cupcakes were light and airy with a tad bit of chocolate sweetness and just the right amount of raspberry jam to give them a little feeling of weight. Just the right amount of little girl or little boy sweetness to let you know it will be ok to have two... or more :)

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY JAM FILLING 

AND CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

CAKES

3 tbs cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (12-14)

Heat up a sauce pan and slowly melt together the butter and cocoa on low heat.

When the butter and cocoa are smooth and well incorporated add the water then set aside off the burner to cool down (warm is ok, you are trying to avoid scrambling the eggs when mixing with remaining ingredients)

In a small bowl (to be set aside) dissolve the baking soda into the buttermilk.

In another bowl mix together the sugar, flour, and salt, set this aside as well.

Using your electric mixer, crack an egg into a large bowl and mix at low speed with the butter/cocoa/water mixture that has been cooling off the burner, continue to mix until well blended.

Slowly add in the sugar, flour, and salt while continue to mix at medium speed.

Next add the buttermilk/baking soda mixture and the vanilla.

Continue to mix until all ingredients are one smooth batter.

Poor into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes

RASPBERRY JAM

6oz carton of raspberries

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup sugar

Place a sauce pan on medium heat and slowly melt the half stick of butter.

Add in raspberries and sugar.

Bring to a low boil and continually stir until raspberries have melted into a jam like consistency. 

Take mixture off heat and allow to cool.

Place mixture into a squeeze bottle so that the mixture can be injected into the cupcakes.

When the cupcakes have baked and allowed to cool for a few minutes, inject jam into cupcakes. This can be done by piercing the cupcake with the squeeze bottle and squeezing the jam right into the cupcake. Or by taking a straw, piercing and removing a small portion of the cupcake so that you are left with a small hole to fill with jam (you may need to make a few puncture sites with the straw in order to give the cupcake lots of filling)

CHOCOLATE FILLED RASPBERRIES

1/2 cup chocolate candy melts

12- 14 raspberries

Using a double boiler (or bring to boil water filled 1/2 way into a sauce pan and placing a glass bowl over top) melt the chocolate candy melts.

Once the candy has melted pour into a squeeze bottle (similar to red/yellow ketchup and mustard bottle).

Fill each raspberry with chocolate and place chocolate side facing up in a bowl (you don't want the chocolate to come running out that you just filled the raspberry with) and allow to rest in refrigerator until chocolate has cooled in each raspberry.

Top cupcakes after they have been iced.

FROSTING

1 stick unsalted butter

1 package 8 oz cream cheese

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

1 tbs of cocoa

Using an electric mixer whip butter and cream cheese until one smooth mixture.

Once smooth, slowly incorporate confectioner's sugar, there should be no lumps.

Add in the cocoa, sometimes the cocoa can thicken the icing too much, so if you desire a more creamy result add a small splash of milk to thin out the icing.

Ice the cupcakes and top with chocolate filled raspberries!

TIPS & TRICKS

[ a few helpful notes to keep in mind when baking ]

A Baby & Johnny Depp.

One of my best friend's and her husband are due to give birth to what will be, I'm sure the most beautiful baby girl any day now. Even though she and I only first met when we were in high school we have shared in so many great life experiences together, many ups and downs. And I am beyond excited for this upcoming journey her and her husband are about to embark on. And of course, can't wait for when baby Norah is here for all of us to love on and watch her grow. In early January I assisted in throwing her a baby shower along with a fellow friend and some of her family members. Our theme was a winter wonderland where everything was either silver, pink or white and I just knew these cupcakes would be the perfect addition to the party. Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I've tried several recipes for red velvet and several times the cakes turned out dry... until I watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina Garten was making the red velvet cupcakes recipe listed below... and since then these cupcakes turn out perfectly moist every time. They have a hint of cocoa and the cream cheese frosting just elevates the richness. So rich and creamy I usually add chopped walnuts to the top to add a contrast in texture. Here, the cupcakes are pictured with sugar crystals to represent snow and go along with our shower theme. I will admit though, I was nervous to bake these cakes, I had made them before with much success, but I was still nervous. My friend and I have had many adventures in the kitchen, some great, some not so great. Let's just say raw cake batter seemed a much better dessert to me than actually putting it in the oven, so even though these should undoubtedly be a success, my track record hasn't always been that great. Also, what would she think of the taste, her and I have high expectations for taste. Once we were watching the movie Chocolate, it was a Johnny Depp film in some European country, and all the decadent desserts just kept appearing scene after scene and it had our mouths watering. So we stopped the film mid way and went to the kitchen and in a fury baked the most perfect chocolate cake and sat there and ate the whole thing while we finished the film. Although, I'm sure I had a few bites of batter along the way to lessen the load. We might have been a little too over indulgent but it's one of the most perfect memories we have together, and I wanted these to be a perfect memory too. The cupcakes were a success. These cupcakes were worthy of eating while watching Chocolate, they are worthy of sharing in the joys of friendship.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

CAKES

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp red food coloring

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (will make 12 - 14 depending on fill amount)

In a small bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients buttermilk, red food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

With an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until well incorporated.

Turn mixer down to low speed and slowly add in the wet ingredients and then the dry ingredients until all are well incorporated into a smooth batter. You may need to increase the speed to medium once all of the ingredients are in the bowl.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack while making frosting. 

FROSTING

1 stick unsalted butter

1 package of 8 oz cream cheese

1 lb confectioner's sugar

Using an electric mixer whip butter and cream cheese until one smooth mixture.

Once smooth, slowly incorporate confectioner's sugar, there should be no lumps.

Ice the cupcakes.

TOPPING

15 - 20 walnuts

In a food processor or with a hand chopper, chop walnuts and sprinkle on top of cupcakes.

Chocolate Lovers Will Not Be Disappointed.

It always seems when my husband Bryan and I buy Halloween candy we end up with an abundance of one particular type. This always seems strange to me because I'll eat just about anything, although my favorites are the old schools like bit-o-honey and boston baked beans and my husband prefers, what I'm assuming most children have complete aversions too, are dots and black licorice, and then of course we'll both tackle the chocolates. So you would think we could clear out any extra remnants that might be lurking in our pantry, calling out for a late night indulgence, but it's just not the case. This year's lone solider was chocolate malt balls. I love them, but Bryan doesn't particularly favor them and to eat almost a gallon size bag of them by myself just didn't seem appropriate, well, more like probably not the best of ideas. So I decided to make chocolate cupcakes incorporating these little morsels of tastiness, in an attempt to maybe empty at least part of the bag. Also, Bryan absolutely loves chocolate. I'm not sure where he acquired this gene, yes it is a gene in his family. His mother loves dark chocolate and will frequently remind us of all of it's antioxidant properties and health benefits... proof of a true chocolate fan and helping us remember a little moderated indulgence every now and then is always good for our hearts. Then there is Bryan's father who has the ultimate sweet tooth, so much so that he is frequently known as the cookie monster. Every treat needs to be tasted at least twice, to ensure if the first bite was truly good or truly bad, of course showing us that we should always love what we do and produce in life and always strive to be our best. With Bryan's inherited love of chocolate it seemed to be another easy way to get these temptations out of the house. Ming Makes Cupcakes came to my rescue once again for the cakes portion of this recipe. These cupcakes are moist, rich, decadent and filled with the joy of chocolate in every bite. The added chocolate cream cheese frosting even adds a smooth and creamy texture to the bite and further enhances the chocolate in the cake. If you choose to add the splash of milk to the frosting it tastes of chocolate ice cream melting in your mouth... warm chocolate cake with smooth cool chocolate ice cream. All chocolate lovers will not be disappointed. Mama B and Papa you would not be disappointed.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

CAKES

3 tbs cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners (usually bakes 12-14 depending on how full you fill your liners, I  usually fill half way and will have 14 cupcakes... I prefer two extras to practice how I will icing).

Heat up a sauce pan and slowly melt together the butter and cocoa on low heat.

When the butter and cocoa are smooth and well incorporated add the water then set aside off the burner to cool down some (warm is fine, you just do not want straight from the burner into the mixer to prevent from scrambling the egg).

In a small bowl to be set aside dissolve the baking soda into the buttermilk.

In a bowl mix together the sugar, flour and salt, also to be set aside.

In the electric mixer crack the egg and mix in at low speed the butter/cocoa/water mixture until well blended.

Add in the sugar, flour, and salt while continuing to mix now on medium speed.

Then add the buttermilk/baking soda mixture and the vanilla.

Continue to mix until all ingredients are one smooth batter.

Poor into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes.

FROSTING

1 stick unsalted butter

1 package of 8 oz cream cheese

1 lb confectioner's sugar

1 tbs of cocoa

Using an electric mixer whip butter and cream cheese until one smooth mixture.

Once smooth, slowly incorporate confectioner's sugar, there should be no lumps.

Add in the cocoa, sometimes the cocoa can thicken the icing too much, so if you desire a more creamy result add just a small splash of milk to thin out the icing.

Ice the cupcakes!

TOPPING

8 - 10 malt balls (for crushing)

12 whole malt balls

Crush the 8 - 10 malt balls either in a food processor or with a hand chopper.

Sprinkle crushed malt balls on top of iced cupcakes and top with whole malt ball. 

The first and obviously not the last...

It only seemed right to pay homage to the cupcake that started everything for my first official baking post. My rekindled interest for baking started this past fall. It was mid October and Thanksgiving seemed so far away. Fall was beginning to settle in, the colors of the leaves were beginning to change and the smells of home were everywhere. I was craving something sweet, but yet warm and lots of spice. So of course Pinterest seemed to be the likely place to start. I wanted something that tasted as good as my fall candles smell. I stumbled upon the website Ming Makes Cupcakes (http://mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com) which is the base of the cakes recipe below. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candied Pecans and Cream Cheese Frosting seemed to be the perfect bite for what I was craving. These cupcakes were Thanksgiving dessert in one bite and Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. On my father's side the family always gathered at my grandmother's house and she would cook a great feast that never disappointed. I always looked forward to coming home and eating her meals. Part of my joy for food comes her, she was what seems most appropriate to say "southern trained" no measurements, everything to taste and pinches and dashes but perfectly proportioned. She was full of love and dedication to her family and her food showed us that. As I remember eating these delicious little bites of love these cupcakes reminded me of fall, they reminded me of Thanksgiving, they reminded me of home, and they reminded me of my grandma Billie.

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND CANDIED PECANS

CANDIED PECANS

24 whole pecans

1/2 stick butter

white sugar

brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Place pecans in a small pan (I usually use a metal deep dish pizza pan, a cookie sheet will work, the smaller the better though). 

Dice the stick of butter and layer on top of pecans. 

Sprinkle on top to your liking the white sugar and brown sugar, the more heavy handed the sweeter the pecan. 

Bake the pecans until they just begin to brown. 

Remove from oven and toss the pecans in the melted mixture. 

Line a plate with a paper towel and pour the pecans onto plate. 

Allow to rest until ready to garnish. 

(*Note: I usually bake the pecans on the bottom rack with the cupcakes in the oven)

CAKES

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers of choice. 

Mix together in a small bowl flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt nutmeg and cloves. 

In a separate bowl with the electric mixer, mix the sugar and eggs. 

Add oil to the sugar and eggs mixture and blend for several minutes. 

Once mixed, slowly begin to add the dry ingredients mixture you first prepared. 

Once well blended add the pumpkin. 

Continue to mix until one consistent mixture. 

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Place on cooling rack when done and begin to prepare frosting.

FROSTING

1 stick unsalted butter

1 package of 8 oz cream cheese

1 lb confectioner's sugar

Using electric mixer whip butter and cream cheese until one smooth mixture. 

Once smooth, slowly incorporate confectioner's sugar, there should be no lumps. 

Finally ice the cupcakes! 

The blog.

As of recently I have found myself more and more interested in attempting to bake culinary masterpieces; and Pinterest only seems to add fuel to the fire. The photos always look appetizing and delicious and although, my results may not always turn out as perfect as the photographs, I figured I could at least make things taste good. My first few attempts have seemed to turn out well, so, I figured I'd take things a step further. For me baking is relaxing and it's more than just a task. It's a chance I get to be creative; it's a chance I get to share my love of food and the stories of those who have influenced my love of food. As a result here is this blog. A place to share images of the food I bake, recipes on how to bake the items, and a place where I can share the stories behind all the baking madness.

So I guess in no other better cliche' of words from the great Julia Child... Bon Appetit!