Halloween Cupcakes

I've baked cupcakes once again. This time for the office halloween party. It's nothing special, just the usual vanilla and chocolate combination with vanilla butter cream frosting. All from scratch of course. I topped some of them with sprinkles and candy corn and used white and orange coloring for the frosting. You know, the usually halloween type things. I also used these really nifty spider-web cupcake liners but I ran out so I only used them on the first batch of vanilla ones. The rest were lame and just had white ones. phhss.

falling behind

I've been neglecting the blog once again. I seem to do that a lot. I guess when I started this at the beginning of summer I had no idea how much work it was going to take. It's not that its even all that hard, I think I'm just being extremely lazy. Its not hard for me to bake things. Its not hard for me to take pictures of things. Its not hard for me to write about things. Yet, when its all put together it seems to be really difficult for me to do. I usually get up to the writing part and then stop. So now I've got loads of pictures of food sitting around on my computer and here they are. If anyone wants a recipe, just let me know. I don't remember where they all are off of from the top of my head but if you're interested I'll look.

I'm not usually a fan of plain blueberries but these were most delicious blueberries I have ever had.

Half whole wheat half regular flour muffins with streusel topping from a very old betty crocker cookbook. The dogs sadly ended up eating most of these....

Cupcakes and cupcake cake that I made for my grandmothers birthday in august. All of the circles were handmade out of fondant. Sorry for the bad picture, my dad took it.

More of the cupcakes.

Mini orange blueberry muffins.

Amazing blondies.

Vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies for my mom's friend Dee.

Even though these were vegan, they were really really good.

Yummy chocolate chip cookies.

A rustic peach tart with vanilla ice cream.

The peaches were amazing with the crust.

I hope that from now on I just get over myself and post more.

Cinnamon Rolls

I didn't think to take pictures till the last one was finished...next time!

This past Tuesday I made cinnamon rolls from scratch for my mom's birthday. I made them in the morning and then brought them over to my parents office so they guys could have them when they were still warm. They loved them! The recipe was very easy and this was my first time baking something that needed yeast. I didn't use my bread machine for this because I honestly don't know how to work the thing and it just repetitively beeps at me when I turn it on. It turned out fine doing it by hand. I used the recipe from Life. Unconditionally. and will be making them again very soon!!!

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes

I made these last night for dinner with my grandparents. They loved them! I got the recipe off of Salt and Chocolate's blog and they are amazing. I don't think I will ever try another chocolate cup cake recipe again, they were that good. They are dense and moist and have a very chocolatey flavor that works great with the carmel frosting. I threw a couple chocolate chips into the batter and on top for decoration, which worked nicely.




Chocolate Cupcakes
3 cups of AP Flour
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of cold water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350.Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the water, oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar. In a large bowl add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the wet and mix to combine. Then add 1/2 of the remaining dry ingredients and the rest of the wet, stir to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until combined. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set. (mine took about 30 -35 minuets, but my oven has issues) Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
12 oz of cream cheese, softened
4 oz of unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons of heavy cream (I didn't have any on hand, but it turned out fine with out it)
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
1/3 of a cup of caramel ice cream topping

Cream together the cream cheese and the butter until they are light and fluffy. Then add in the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Sift in the powdered sugar in 3 additions making sure to mix well after each addition. Add in the caramel sauce. Set this aside to chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Frost each cupcake and if desired drizzle with extra caramel sauce.

Zucchini Bread

This is my Grandma Elaine's recipe and every one in my family loves it. Sometimes when I bake things, people don't eat them all. They have one or two and then let them sit on the counter till they are stale and hard. This is the one recipe that never last more then three days in my house, even when I double the recipe it still gets eaten. The last time I made this I had them sitting on the cooling rack on our kitchen and walked upstairs to talk to my mom about something. I hear something moving in the kitchen so I go back down to see what it is. I find my dog Daisy with her front paws on the counter devouring a loaf of my bread. Even though she got in trouble, she knew it was worth it.

The half eaten loaf of bread thanks to Daisy

Zucchini Bread
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all dry ingredients together with the grated zucchini. Mix in all wet ingredients and pour into 4 small greased loaf pans or 2 large loaf pans. Bake for 45 min. for small pans and an hour and 15 min for large. Let cool on wire rack and cut into slices.

Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp

hot out of the oven!

This is the same idea as the peach crisp I posted with out pictures a few weeks ago, just I put this in individual dishes and used what I had on hand - frozen berries! This was soo good hot out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream on top of it. I really like most anything with a crisp, especially this recipe for it. I really like this recipe because its very rough and you can make it for one or a bunch of people with out much problem and its very easy to adjust to your personal tastes.



Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp
Filling:
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

Crisp:
2/3 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup flour
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 tps cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 tps salt
1/4 cup raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all filling ingredients together. Place filling in four individual oven-proof ramekins. Mix all crisp ingredients together and top the filling filled ramekins with it and bake for 25-35 minuets or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

so tasty....

oven baked chicken

This chicken is super simple and super tasty. I only roughly crushed the crackers with my hands because I was lazy and don't have a food processor, but I'm sure it would work out just as well or better if they were crushed finer. These are definitely best served right out of the oven. I had a few leftover that I put in the refrigerator because my dad and cousin weren't home for dinner that night and they were soggy the next morning.




Oven Baked Chicken
1/2 roll ritz crackers, finely crushed
2/3 cup flour
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3 chicken breasts
salt and pepper

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the egg and milk together. Mix the salt and pepper into the flour. Cut the chicken breasts into 3-4 evenly sized strips. Roll in flour and the dip into egg mixture then coat in the crushed crackers. Lay the strips of chicken a few inches apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place in the oven for 35-45 minuets till fully cooked and crisp.

Brownie Cookies

My new alice in wonderland plate.

These cookies are fantastic. They really do taste like a brownie on the inside. I ended up giving half of the cookies away to my grandparents and aunt(along with some of the banana cake and other yummy things I have yet to post) and freezing the other half. I eat them right out of the freezer, since I'm too lazy to defrost them. There still really really good that way. Also, excuse the not so good pictures, it was a rainy day again.





Brownie Cookies
from Cafe Johnsonia
14 Tbsp. butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for several minutes on 50% power until melted. Whisk to combine. Add the brown sugar and the cocoa powder. Whisk well until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly. Add egg and egg yolk, whisking well again. Add the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and whisk well between additions. (You may need to switch to a wooden spoon towards the end. Add the chocolate chips

Use a small ice cream scoop (1 Tbsp. size) or two spoons to drop tablespoon size balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for about 8-9 minutes. (Check a little before just to make sure...) The cookies will look dry on top, but will be soft in the middle.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack to let the chocolate chips set before storing.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Banana Cake

excuse the not so good pictures, it was a rainy day.

This was the best banana cake I have ever had. EVER. It was so light and soft. I was not so sure about the coffee icing but it complimented it so very well. I would have never imagined the combination to taste as good as it did. I could seriously eat this everyday and never get sick of it. I have plans to make this again and again.


Banana Cake
from Cathie Cooks Food
3 - 5 over ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

(I also added a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg)

Whip the banana's for about 5 minutes. Then add eggs and vanilla

Combine next five dry ingredients in a bowl, then add to the banana mixture.

Pour the batter in a greased and floured pan. Any size will do. This mixture will also fit nicely into 2 loaf pans.

(I dont have any load pans, so I used 6 mini bundt pans and baked then for 25-30 minuets)

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, and then check with a clean dry knife. If it comes out clean it's done. If not give it another 10 minutes and check again.

The lovely dripping frosting.

Icing:

I use a coffee flavoured icing for this cake. It might sound wierd, but it's really delicious.

(I didn't have any coffee already made so I just added a few instant coffee granules and it worked just fine)

1 cup of confectioners sugar
Drizzel in some coffee a little at a time and mix until you have the consistency you want, and then ice the cake!

Pasta and Peaches

I am soo sorry to have taken so long with this post and also not having any pictures for this one. I was too tired to be bothered with trying to take pictures in the dark and my dad just ate the last of the leftovers. The pasta is one of those things I put together by how it looks, not by measurements. Its very good, very simple and quick. This would be perfect for severing a lot of people.

Baked Pasta With Ricotta and Pesto
1 bag/box ritoni, cooked
smallish container ricotta cheese
1/4-1/2 cup pesto, depending your taste preference
1 jar tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 9 by 13 pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the pasta, pesto and ricotta cheese together in a bowl and then spread the mixture in to the pan. Cover with tomato sauce and top with cheese. Bake for 15 minuets and then turn the oven on broil and continue until top is golden brown and bubbly. Cool for a few minuets and serve.


This was absolutely amazing with vanilla ice cream and it was so easy. It turned out prefectly and seems almost fool proof. You could throw in anything, deppending on what you had and it would turn out great. My mom sugested throwing in a handfull of blueberrys next time, which would add a wonderful flavor to it. I'm sure you could use a lot of different fruits in this.

Peach Crisp
inspired by Smitten Kitchen
fruit base:
2 pounds peaches
1/4 cup sugar (use more or less depending on how ripe your fruit is)
1/4 cup flour

crisp topping:
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 cup oats
2/3 cup flour
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds
pinch or two of salt

Cut the peaches into slices and place in a oven proof pan (I used a curcular 10 inch pyrex pan/bowl for this.) Mix all the ingredients for the fruit base together and smooth so the top is somewhat even. Next, mix all of the ingredients for the crisp topping together and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30-40 minuets at 400 degrees. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or by its self.

*Cough*

So I haven't got much baking done since I had a full weekend of shows and I started to get sick tuesday. Hopefully I'll be better soon. I only have this weekend and next weekend left of my show, so once that is over I will have a lot more free time.

To make up for lack of cooking I leave you with a terribly adorable picture of my dog Violet.

Cream Scones

I love scones, but I'm very pick about them. I really don't like those dry, hard things some places try to pass off as scones. These were soft and had a very nice texture to them. After I had made these I decided to make some butter as well, which was delicious on a nice warm scone. This recipe was very easy. I've already made it twice this week, once with currants and once with cherries. They were both very tasty and I plan on playing around with different flavor combinations and whatnot.




My mother took these and some muffins I made with her to Nebraska this week and my Grandma and aunts loved them, which is always nice to hear. I am going to have one for breakfast tomorrow, that is if there is any left.

I have no idea why the actual recipe's font size is so tiny, nothing I do seems to fix it. sorry about that!

Cream Scones
from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours
1 large egg
2/3 cup cold heavy cream
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, but into small pieces and cilled
3/4 cup moist currants

Center a rack in the oven and pre hear the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon mat.

Stir the egg and cream together.

Wish the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between - and thats just right.

Pour the egg, cream and currants over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, come together. Don't overdo it. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that's about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 wedges and place it on the baking sheet. (At this point, the scones can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight. Don't defrost before baking- just add about 2 minutes to the baking time.)

Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firmish. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for them to cool to room temperature.

How were those cupcakes?

I think its safe to assume they liked them...

My aunt licking the remains of cupcake off her plate.

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

I've this was my first time using this vanilla cupcake recipe and I must say, I love it. It's very moist and isn't too sweet. I've been using the chocolate cupcake recipe from Emeril for a while and I really like how you just throw it all into the bowl at once. The vanilla recipe made 24 cupcakes(filled a little too full) and 12 mini cupcakes, The chocolate made 16. 

This frosting did NOT work like I thought it would. I have a terrible time with buttercream frostings and this was no better the usual. I still had the annoying runnyness, but I managed to save it. I added a lot of powdered sugar to it. Started to separate. I added a block of cream cheese. A little less separated. This was getting me quite frustrated so I searched my pantry for something to fix it. I came accros two packets of Wip It. Brillaint! This fixed everything and now I have the lightest, almost whip cream like frosting ever. Its soo good. I think my problem is that I didn't beat the eggs long enough and poured the sugar mixtuer in to quickly.

Vanilla Cupcake

For the vanilla cupcakes
(recipe from Desserts by the Yard, Sherry Yard)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk


1. Make the Cake: Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together two times and set aside.

3. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a large bowl and a hand mixer, and beat together at medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Scrape down the paddle or beaters and the sides of the bowl.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. Beating on low speed, add the milk and the flour mixture each in 3 additions, alternating wet and dry ingredients. Beat only until smooth. Fill the cupcake pans 3/4 full.

6. Bake for 30 minutes. To test the cake for doneness, lightly touch the top with a finger - it should spring right back into place; the cake should also be beginning to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. If necessary, bake for 5 to 10 minutes more.

7. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before frosting.

Vanilla Cupcake

For the chocolate cupcakes

From Emeril's Theres a Chef in my Soup!

1 large egg, cracked 
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 
1 1/2 cups flour 
1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder (optional for chocolate cupcakes) 
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and make sure the oven rack is in the center position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups, and place 4 paper cups inside a second muffin tin. Add 2 tablespoons of water to each of the remaining empty muffin wells.Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a bowl, adding the water last. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the lined muffin cups. Bake until risen and golden in color and a toothpick inserted into the center of 1 cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cupcake

For the buttercream

recipe from Desserts by the Yard, Sherry Yard

2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (60 grams) water
seeds of one vanilla bean or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3 1/2 sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, citrus zest, etc.)

1. Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

2. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

3. While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

4. When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don't worry about this and don't try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!

5. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

6. While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

7. With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.

8. At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

9. Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it's set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

Granola

Granola

I've very picky about my granola and usually when I buy it, it doesn't get eaten and it ends up sitting in the pantry for a few months...or years. But I love home made granola and this is one that I'll actually eat. Its great over yogurt or milk and its nice to snack on all by itself. This is one of those things that I just eyeball, so the measurements are rough and you can use whatever you have on hand and customize it to your personal preference.

Whatever Granola
5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbs vanilla bean paste
2 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs nutmeg
pinch or so of salt
1-2 handful flax seeds
5 handfuls of assorted nuts, roughly chopped (I used sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, peanuts and cashews)
3 handfuls dried fruit (I used raisins, golden raisins and currants)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly coat with oil, so the mixture does not stick. Mix all ingredients in a bowl excluding the dried fruit. Pour this mixture onto the baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minuets. Half way through, flip the pan and toss the granola. Once the 30 minuets are up, remove from the oven and let cool. Once it is cool you can mix in the dried fruit.

My Breakfast

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crossovers

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crossovers

Lately peanut butter cookies have been sounding awfully good, so this morning I decided to make some and I'm glad I did. They were very soft and chewy, but almost too sweet for me, so I might cut back on the sugar next time. I changed up the recipe a bit by halving everything(it originally made 40 and I didn't need that much) and adding mini chocolate chips(about a cup or so of them). As I was almost done making them I spotted a bag of mini marshmallows and decided to add them to the dough I had left, which made for slightly funny looking cookies but the flavor and texture is so good. I'll work on making those with the marshmallows look prettier and not so blob like next time I make these.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Crossovers

Peanut Butter Crossovers
from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours
21/2 cups all-purpose four
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter- crunchy or smooth (not natural)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
11/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

about 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Getting Ready: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

Whisk together the four, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two, until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minuet. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they have just disappeared. Mix in the chopped peanuts. You'll have a soft, pliable(mushable actually) dough.

Pour the 1/2 cup sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level teaspoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop them in the sugar to coat them, then place on the baking sheets, leaving two inches between them. Dip the tines of a fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one directing and then in a perpendicular directing-you should have flattened rounds of dough with crisscross indentations.

Bake for twelve minuets, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still a little soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for a minute before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide metal spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

intro and cupcake disaster

Hello Everyone! I thought I would start this thing out with a little of my baking/cooking history. 

One day when I was about 6 I woke my mom up and asked her to turn the oven on for me because I had a cake/pie/thing to put in it, which I had made completely from scratch and topped with multicolor mini marshmallows. It didn't taste half bad. I continued to do things like this for a few more years. Then I ventured in to making dinner for my mom and dad, which usually went okay. I do have one memory of making a rice and lemon oven baked chicken breast, that I brought to the table half cooked, which my mother quickly brought to my attention (luckily no one had eaten any of it yet) That ended in tears and my father finishing off the chicken on the stove. The next few years continued on like this and I didn't do much baking or cooking. Then one day I got the brilliant idea to make biscotti. I had to get the very old kitchen aid stand mixer off the top of the refrigerator and wipe off the thick layer of dust before I could start. I had everything ready and it was going well. That is until the mixer started smoking. Even with that setback the biscotti turned out pretty good. Then we moved to a new house, with a big kitchen (and a new mixer.) and I didn't cook that much, partially for fear of dirtying a new, clean kitchen, which is something I am fantastic at(the dirtying part, that is) There were a year or two of cookies and failed attempts at scones. Then in the start of 2008 I decided I was going to expand my kitchen knowledge. I made Easter dinner for my family and grandparents. Some very messed up cupcakes. Some very good cupcakes. Some not so good lemon meringue pie. And some fantastic granola. 

The good cupcakes!

The bad cupcakes...

I made Chockylit's Vanilla-Cherry Cupcake recipe for Easter this year. I was so excited for this, as they looked amazing(and they tasted even better then they looked!) I decided to also make them in chocolate(as you can see) I had everything ready and going and baked a batch. Failure. They looked like the second picture. Now I do this about 6 more times, and each time I end up with these weird terrible cupcakes. So I blame the recipe and try a cupcake recipe from Emeril's Theres a Chef in My Soup and the same thing happens. So I decide to take a break and make the frosting, even thought I have no edible cupcakes. I go to the pantry to look for the powdered sugar. I don't see it. I go back out and look on the island, and there is the powdered sugar, which I had been using as if it was flour for all of those failed cupcakes. I just about cried. But I wasnt going to let that stop me. I picked back up where I left off(using flour this time) and ended up with the lovely cupcakes you see in the first picture. The ones in the front with the cherry's on them are the Vanilla-Cherry and the blue ones in the back are plain chocolate. Sorry about the not so great iphone pictures. 

-Sydney