Want s'more?

After the huge success of my banana boat cupcakes, I decided to try another campfire classic in cupcake form...S'mores! I know this concept is no new, but it is delicious! I made chocolate cupcakes and stirred in a few graham cracker goldfish into the batter. Topped them with a fluffy marshmallow frosting, and torched those babies with my blow torch. (okay, it is just a little brulee torch, but that sounds wimpy) Here is the marshmallow frosting I used: (it is Jennifer Shea's from Trophy Cupcakes)

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes
8 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
Place egg whites, sugar, and 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 vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Don't be intimidated! It really is easy! Make sure to toast them with a torch or under your broiler just before serving so you get the crispy outside!

Cake Tasting

My cousin is getting married!I am so excited. I love my family. I love weddings. Bryan and his fiancee asked me if I would make their wedding cake. I'd be honored! But you gotta choose what kind first. Tough job, I know. I had the happy couple over a few weeks ago to have their cake tasting, and to be my testers for a new experiment. Here it is: (it was a big hit)
Lemon cake with grapefruit buttercream. I used grapefruit flavoring oil and a pinch of citric acid in the buttercream.

They also tried almond cake with strawberry buttercream

chocolate with Oreo, butter pecan, and coconut.

Which did they choose?

Coconut with coconut buttercream, lemon with grapefruit buttercream, and chocolate with raspberry buttercream. I can't wait to do this cake! I'll have pics up of it soon, as the wedding is this month!

Cupcakes on the brain.

Okay. So, I have cupcakes on the brain today. My church group has asked me to teach a little cupcake decorating class in two days, and I am drawing a blank. What I love about cupcakes is that they can look so classic and yummy when decorated simply. So, I hope whatever I come up with will not be too disappointing. I have been looking through my pics and trying to get inspiration, but they all look similar...with a cupcake it is all about the flavor combos! These are the only cupcake pics I have not posted.

Teeny tiny ones are always fun.

These are chocolate cupcakes with caramel buttercream. (wowie!) and a chocolate dipped caramel heart.

Same thing, different packaging. I love putting my cuppies into great packaging to deliver...

And when this is inside, you can't miss!

I am a goddess. Worship me.

My husband wanted to take a treat to the neighbor who has been helping him out with something, and I had overripe bananas in the kitchen. The stars had aligned. I had taught our girls about banana boats recently (you take a banana, slice out a wedge lengthwise and insert chocolate chips, marshmallows and peanut butter, wrap it all up in foil and toss it in the coals of a camp fire until it gets all warm and melty and gooey. Unwrap and eat. YUUUUUUMMMY! ) So, I decided to try and recreate this campfire confection as a cupcake. Pretty, aren't they? They tasted sooo good. Banana cake, chocolate ganache, peanut butter Italian meringue (I'm still perfecting the recipe for this--but it was amazing) all topped with mini marshmallows that I took my little blow torch to to toast them. Now we can feel like we're camping with out the bushwhacking and dirty fingernails. Sounds good to me!

Sweet Little Baby Shower

Okay, Shower #2. For my good friend who had twin girls. I was planning on having the shower before the arrival of said girls, but they came 8(!) weeks early and so we had to postpone. This was a dessert open house shower, with "Sweet little baby cakes" as a theme. So, naturally, we had cupcakes! Again, I didn't get a picture of the whole table (a shame, because it was soo cute!) but I got the cupcakes... We had four flavors to choose from...Sweet little coconut baby cakes (deja vu...?)

Sweet little Oreo baby cakes...

Sweet little vanilla baby cakes (My friend Emily made these)...

Sweet little butter pecan baby cakes.

I also made red velvet cake truffle pops. All served with milk and pink punch. We also had fruit with really yummy dip, thanks to Harmony:)

It was great to sit and chat with all my neighbors and friends. I hadn't laughed that hard in quite a while. I think shower week was a success!