Monday, July 30, 2007

Cupcakes Cupcakes and More Cupcakes. And Brownies.

Oh my gosh I have so much to type. I had a big event this past Saturday for our political group, and as a small fundraiser, I volunteered to make cupcakes and brownies. Well I have a lot of icing recipes I wanted to try out but I didn't want to make anything too weird, so I stuck to the classics; patriotic funfetti, and yellow cake with chocolate icing. But to at least try out something fun, I made Pink Lemonade Cupcakes from a recipe I found online at the FoodieBride's Blog. All in all I made 72 cupcakes and 24 brownies. All from box mixes, and we made about $100 from it all so I am very happy.

First, I made the funfetti cupcakes, but this mix did not have the sprinkles already in the bag of ingredients, and I FORGOT to put the separate packet of sprinkles in!!! At least I realized as soon as I put them into the oven that they looked a little plain and I forgot something!!! So I immediately took them out of the oven and put a few sprinkle in each cup of batter and stirred it in with a spoon. This worked out just fine, and one customer even remarked about the "burst of patriotism" in the center of the cupcakes, lol.

Then I made the yellow cupcakes. Nothing exciting there.

THEN I made the pink lemonade cupcakes. Let me tell you, these are STRONG, but I did not cut down the recipe, I liked it a lot. The batter smelled amazing, just like this pink lemonade lipgloss I used to have, YUM! However, the batter was not very pink, even though the lemonade mix was VERY pink, so next time I would add some food coloring. I baked them at the same time and temp as the recipe called for, yet they turned out a little sad, but completely done the whole way through, so I just covered it with the icing. Speaking of, I tried to be all cool and make a piping bag from a ziplock bag, but it didn't work, the bag burst on the first cupcake. SAD! So I just used a butter knife.

*Just so you know, these might not be a hit with children. None of the kids at the fundraiser liked the pink lemonade cupcakes. In the words of one little boy, "They're too sour..........and too sweet." lol

Here is the recipe:
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
1 1/8 cup (9 oz) frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed*
White cake mix (yes, the boxed stuff)
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Non-stick spray
1 recipe Lemon Buttercream Icing (recipe follows)
* For a less tart cupcake (and these babies do pack a punch), try reducing the amount of pink lemonade. 3/8 cup water and 3/4 cup pink lemonade will cut the tartness.
In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and the pink lemonade concentrate. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for 90 seconds (the batter will still be a bit lumpy; take care not to overmix so you don’t end up with dry cupcakes).
Spray each cupcake liner with the non-stick spray and spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups between 2/3 and 3/4 full). Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registers “done” in the center cupcake. Remove the pan from the oven and cook 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the icing and ice the cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream Icing
3 cups + 3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Red food color (to color icing and sugar, optional)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)
Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and food coloring (if using) to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy and uniformly pink. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip and ice the cupcakes.
Optional - Add the sugar and a couple drops of the food coloring to a food processor. Process until the sugar turns pink. Spread the sugar onto a plate and let dry for 15 minutes. Sprinkle onto freshly-iced cupcakes and enjoy!


Here are some pictures:

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All in all I made 72 cupcakes and 24 brownies. All from box mixes, and we made about $100 from it all so I am very happy.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Reese's Pieces Cookies

Today I made Reese's Pieces Cookies, from scratch. They are drop cookies. The recipe says it makes 3 doz, but I only came out with 2 doz cause I made them kind of big. I found the recipe online, cooks.com or something. It's the only reese's cookie recipe I could find (well I didn't search that hard). My mom says they taste like light brownies, I think they're pretty yummy!

Reeses Pieces Cookies
COOKIE:
2/3 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. unsifted all purpose flour
1/2 c. Hershey's cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. milk
8 oz. pkg. Reese's Pieces candy
Chocolate frosting (below)
FROSTING:
1 c. confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp. Hershey's cocoa
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Cookie: Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy; blend in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup Reese's Pieces candy. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes until set, but not dry. Cool slightly, remove to rack. Frost cooled cookies with chocolate frosting, decorate with remaining 1/2 c. Reese's Pieces. About 3 dozen cookies. Frosting: Combine sugar and cocoa, set aside. Cream butter in small mixing bowl, add cocoa mixture alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla.


*Also, I did not make the icing, because they were good all on their own.

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Sour Cream Cookies Part III

Today I finally used up all the remaining dough, and it was a lot easier this time around because I knew to use an entire BUCKET of flour so it wasn't sticky. I forgot to mention that aside from the regular cookie cutters, I used a round biscuit cutter to make the round ones, to make them like the ones in the recipe picture. I tried to make lemon icing using this recipe I found online:

Lemon Icing
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add more confectioner's sugar, or lemon juice to adjust the consistency as needed.

However, when I was adding the vanilla I SPILLED a TON into the frosting, so it tasted a little funny, although everyone said they could still taste the lemon (I couldn't). I added a little food coloring to make it a teeny bit yellow too.
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I have to say they look pretty good!!! Especially for my first time making icing on my own.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Sour Cream Cookies Part II

Today I made cookies from half of the refrigerated dough, and it was sooo hard to work with. I've never actually rolled out dough before, by myself, and this was so sticky I had to put a ton more flour all over everything (including me!). My mom helped a little because I had to leave so I was rushing to get the trays in the oven. They turned out really cakey and soft, D-LISH!!!!!

Here is what I did today:

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Tomorrow: FROSTING!!!! (Get Excited!!)

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Sour Cream Cookies

I got this recipe from a link Anna from Cookiemadness.net had up for a cookie competition; "Mrs. Fields & iVillage Search for the
30th Anniversary Cookie Contest." It is from one of the entrants. I am really excited because they look so yummy, but I have to refrigerate the dough tonight so I don't know how they will turn out yet. Here are some pics of the process, and also the recipe from "brookecookie". I used real butter instead of margarine.

Sour Cream Cut-Out Cookies
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2c. sugar 2 eggs 1c. margarine 1 tsp. vanilla 1c. sour cream (the secret ingredient) 2 tsp. baking powder 1tsp. baking soda 1tsp. salt 4 1/2c. flour Beat sugar, eggs & margarine 'till fluffy. Add vanilla. Alternate dry ingredients with sour cream. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Bake 10 mins. at 325 degrees on greased cookie sheet.

and she also says: they are rolled and cut out into any shape you can imagine! The frosting is a simple butter frosting: 1/3c. butter, 4 1/2c. (yes, that is A LOT:) of sifted powdered sugar, 1/4c. milk, 1 1/2tsp. vanilla.
Beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla. SLOWLY beat in the remaining powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, if need to reach spreading consistency - my mom said she has never had to add any extra milk though! If desired, tint with food coloring....Enjoy.

My process so far:

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the final results tomorrow!!!!

Fundip

I forgot to post this, I got fundip for my friend Ashley while I was in florida. It's TROPICAL!!! I didn't end up seeing her, so I may just eat it if I don't hurry and mail it to her!!!!

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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Spice

I forgot to mention that while in Key West, I bought a seasoning, "Lime Rub." I don't know what to use it on, but I am thinking about pirogies. That might sound weird, but whenever I make them I normally use onions, butter, and lemonpepper, so it may just work. If I get up the nerve, I'll let you know, and if anyone has an idea of something else this might work well on just let me know.

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Thursday, July 12, 2007

Florida

Wow I just got back from an almost 2-week roadtrip to Florida. We went to Miami, Key West, Fort Myers, Tampa, and Orlando. INSANE!!

We ate at a million local restaurants, but I only took pictures from the one really amazing sushi place on Washington Ave. in Miami. The whole boat was only $50 when at another sushi place we paid the same amount (accidentally) for ONLY tuna tartar!!!

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The same place also had a dessert (rare at most sushi places) "Banana Tempura" It was AMAZING!!! It tasted a little like the banana spring rolls from PF Changs, and it was soooo good!

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On our last day in Miami, we stopped into a little Portuguese grocery store and I bought these cookies that looked fun:

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In Key West a street vendor was selling these Coconut Strips, also in Key lime flavor, but I just tried the regular. They taste like fried coconut; really sweet but yummy!

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Also in Key West, we stopped in a pet store and bought this cookie for our doggies back at home:

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Finally, before we left Key West I stopped at an amazing winery that had every tropical flavor of wine!!! I mean mango, lime, pineapple, grapefruit etc. I bought the Lime flavor, and haven't tried it yet but I will let you know how it is! Get some at www.thekeywestwinery.com

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At Epcot in Disney World, we ate a several restaurants "around the world" and the best was the bakery in Norway where they made us a fresh waffle with jam in the center. The jam was ok, but the batter for the waffles was AMAZING. I have never had a better waffle in my life!!!!

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We also stopped in a Coke stand where they had free samples of soda from around the world, the Mexican variety was super-sweet, which is why I liked it the best!!

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On our way out of Florida we stopped at a fruit stand and I bought a few oranges- fresh from the tree!!! I thought they were grapefruits at first because of the color, but they told me they were ripe and just un-dyed. I tried one last night and it was pretty good, not as sweet as what I'm used to, but a perfectly good orange.

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