Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Filling and Peanut Butter Frosting

I originally made these cupcakes because I had some leftover bananas I wanted to use up.



I found the recipe on the blog 6 Bittersweets. However, I substituted my own favorite peanut butter frosting recipe for the one the original blogger used (because I love it so).




Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Filling
(makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:
* 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
* 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1/3 cup yogurt and 3 tablespoons milk)
* 2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 large egga, room temperature
* 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate filling:
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips


INSTRUCTIONS

To make the cupcakes:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Peel your ripe banana and mash it very well until there are no large chunks remaining. Add the buttermilk to the bananas, mix well, and set aside.

Using an electric or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and then the vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture, the banana mixture, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 25 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, cut a cone in each cupcake and spoon in 2-3 teaspoons of the chocolate filling. Replace the cone and frost as desired.


To make the chocolate filling:

Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Try to submerge the chocolate as much as possible, but it's okay to have some above the cream. Microwave the mixture on medium for 1 minute. Stir and heat again in 15-second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted. Let this cool and thicken (in the fridge if needed) before using.


Peanut Butter Frosting

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
* 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
* 4 tablespoons milk


INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined.

Alton Brown's Beer Cheese Bread

I love Alton Brown, and this bread was easy and delicious!



INGREDIENTS
* Nonstick spray
* 8 ounces all-purpose flour
* 4 ounces whole-wheat flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
* 4 1/2 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
* 12 ounces cold beer, ale or stout
* 1 to 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, optional


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the inside of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with the nonstick spray and set aside.

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and dill in a large mixing bowl. Add in the cheese and stir in the beer just to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds, if using.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cookie Dough Cuppycakes, Part Deux

I've made cookie dough cupcakes before, but this time I decided to try a different recipe. This recipe was shamelessly stolen from the blog "How to Eat a Cupcake."



I've never made whipped cream frosting before, so I was quite proud that I succeeded in making it without collapsing my whipped cream. The reason these cupcakes are a little uglier than usual is that I wasn't sure that whipped cream frosting could be piped without destroying it.




Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(Adapted from Chocolate Cupcakes at MarthaStewart.com - makes 12 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs, room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup whole milk


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined.

3. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

4. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Place a ball of frozen cookie dough (I used 1-oz pieces of pre-made, pre-sliced frozen cookie dough) on top of each cup (do not push it in). Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cupcake (but not in the cookie dough) comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



The cupcakes, cooling on my baker's rack.


Cookie Dough Frosting

INGREDIENTS

Eggless cookie dough:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tbsp
4 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

Whipped Cream Frosting:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
16 oz cream cheese, softened
2.5 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla


INSTRUCTIONS

For the cookie dough, cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in 2/3 cup Mini Morsels. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Break dough into 1/4 teaspoon sized chunks and place the chunks on a plate or in a plastic container, separating layers with waxed paper.
Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the frosting, in a medium bowl (a cold bowl with cold beaters) beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat); set aside. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. Fold the frozen cookie dough chunks into the frosting and immediately frost the cooled cupcakes.

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

Someone posted this recipe on LiveJournal, and I just had to try it. It's a Martha Stewart recipe. Martha is my hero, and I don't care who knows it.




INGREDIENTS
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 cups sugar, plus more for dipping (the "dipping" sugar should be the raw kind)
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, 2 cups sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and combine with mixer on low speed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of each ball into sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

(I have nonstick cookie sheets, so I preheated my oven to 325 degrees and I believe the cookies stayed in the oven for 10-11 minutes. Also, I did not use the Silpat baking mats.)

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

I had high hopes for these cupcakes, and I was not disappointed. Please note that the frosting needs to "set" in the fridge for a while, so you'll want to make it first and then bake the cupcakes afterwards. Also, if you're like me and find baking to be easy but cooking to be a bit of a challenge, you may have trouble with the caramel. The first time I tried to make it, I burned it and had to start over. But all's well that ends well.


Salted Caramel Frosting
(adapted from here)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 8 tablespoons water
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 3 cups confectioners' sugar


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. To avoid weird chunks or crystallization, I recommend that you only stir for a second or two and then just swirl the pan periodically as it's heating to dissolve the sugar.

2. Once the mixture is clear, bring heat to high. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color. My recipe said it would take about 6 to 7 minutes to get to dark amber, but I think it actually took considerably longer.

2. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. (NOTE: The last time I made these, I poured the cream and vanilla in very, VERY slowly and stirred with a plastic whisk as I was adding it. I got a lot less chunking that way. Voila, you have caramel! Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

3. Combine butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add confectioners' sugar, and mix until completely incorporated.

4. Turn mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add caramel. Beat frosting on medium-high speed until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until stiff, about 45 minutes, before using.


Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
(Stolen from Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe)

INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup Guinness stout
* 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
* 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 2 cups sugar
* 3/8 cup sour cream
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 24-inch muffin pans with paper liners. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into cupcake pans (about 2/3 full), and bake until risen and firm.

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

Everything I Need to Know About Life, I Learned From Cupcakes

In most groups of friends, each individual tends to have a specific role. There's the one who is known for kindness, the one people go to when they're in a bind, and the one who can always make you laugh. In my circle of friends, I am known as the one with the cupcakes.

My obsession with cupcakes started out innocently enough. A little over three years ago, a friend gave me some silicone baking cups as part of a wedding shower gift. Although I hadn't baked anything (not even cookies from pre-made dough) since high school, I gave them a try. The next thing I knew, I was hooked. I thought I could keep it under control – after all, it was just a box of cake mix and a can of frosting every now and then, right? Before I knew it I was using a pound of butter a week and everything I owned was covered in white powder.

I realized while my husband and I were scrambling to buy a new house, pack everything up and rent out the old one that baking had become much more than a hobby. It had become part addiction, and part coping skill. And more than that, it had become a great teacher. Here are some of the lessons I have learned from baking, so that you can benefit from my experience.

The first lesson I learned from cupcakes is never to take the easy way out. When I first started making cupcakes, I used mix from a box and frosting that came in a can. The silicone baking cups made them taste a little extra moist, and people loved them. Every time I brought some to a party, everyone told me I made the best cupcakes, which made me feel a little ashamed. Once, someone even asked me for my recipe! Then I made cupcakes from scratch one time. I have never been able to stomach using a mix or canned frosting again. The taste difference is so enormous, I don’t know how anyone could mistake cupcakes from a box for the real thing.

The second lesson is a corollary to the first. Nothing worth having lasts forever, and the best things in life are gone before you know it. Back when I was making boxed cupcakes, I could keep them in the fridge for a week or even longer without a noticeable decline in taste or quality. But a homemade cupcake tastes best for two or three days after baking, at most. After that, it’s more or less inedible.

A third lesson that I have learned from cupcakes is that no matter how much you think you know, you should always keep an open mind. After I’d been making cupcakes for a while, I started browsing the Internet for recipe inspiration. On one website, I found a recipe for French toast cupcakes with bacon. You may be thinking, “Cupcakes with bacon? That’s disgusting!” I know I was. But once I’d seen them, I had to try making them. They turned out to be some of the tastiest cupcakes I’ve ever made. Everyone who tried them seemed to agree. Who knew?

Another thing that cupcakes have taught me is how much you can do with a few basic skills learned well. The first cupcake recipe I made from scratch had a really delicious buttercream frosting that almost everyone loved. I loved it so much that I learned how to use it as a basis for building other frosting recipes, experimenting with a variety of flavors and ratios. I’ve since tried other frosting recipes, and some of them have been great. But when all else fails, I can make almost any flavor of frosting I want without even having to think too hard about it.

Probably the most important lesson I’ve learned from cupcakes is that life truly is what you make of it. One of my favorite resources for new recipes is the Food Network's website. I like this website because not only do I get the benefit of a variety of professional bakers' work, I also get to see how well the recipes have worked for other bakers. Before making any new recipe, I will read the review section to see how it worked for other people. And it's inevitable... no matter how many people have posted raving, 5-star reviews for a recipe, at least one or two unfortunate souls will post, "Worst recipe ever. Didn't work at all."

In baking, there are a lot of reasons that you can fail even if you’re working with a wonderful recipe. Maybe you don't have the proper tools. Your oven might not be calibrated correctly, or perhaps you're using a hand mixer when a stand mixer would be more appropriate. Maybe you didn't follow the directions properly. This is more common than you think - the simple mistake of not letting your butter come to room temperature can completely change your results. It’s also possible to overbeat, underbake, use baking soda instead of baking powder, and the list goes on and on. I once completely destroyed a batch of cupcakes because my oil was too old. It smelled fine in the bottle, but my cupcakes came out tasting like petroleum.

Even if you’re working with the proper tools and the best raw ingredients, many circumstances can affect the outcome of your baking endeavors. If you live at a high altitude, your bake times and the amount of leavening agent you use need to be modified. If you live in an area with high humidity, you need to store your ingredients differently.

I think it’s pretty easy to see how these lessons can be applied to life. There’s no substitute for the good things in life, and when you have them, you never know when they’ll be gone. Don’t be afraid to try new things – you might like them more than you expected. Don’t assume that you have to be the best at everything. A thorough understanding of one or two things can go a long, long way.

Last but not least, if you’re not successful, don’t assume that you never will be. Life is a delicate balance. Sometimes you’re working with the best tools you know to use, but it’s not enough. It’s important to seek guidance from others when your own experience and knowledge aren’t getting you to where you want to be.

For me, cupcake-making (and baking in general) has become more than just a way to pass the time. It’s given me an outlet for some of the stresses of my everyday routine. And more importantly, it’s shown me some interesting truths about life in general. I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about them.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream

I made these cuppycakes the same night that I made the already-posted Red Velvet Cuppycakes. What happened was that I was going on a trip with two friends and asked each one for a request.



Magnolia's Famous Vanilla Cupcakes (with a little help from me)

This has become my default vanilla cupcake recipe. I substitute heavy cream for the milk that the original recipe calls for. This makes the cupcakes nice and moist and a little richer. This time, I only made half a recipe.

1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 if using nonstick pans). Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk cream and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Cocoa Buttercream Frosting

I stole this recipe from here. If you are like me and want tons of frosting per cupcake, you should double the recipe below.

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk (plus a few tablespoons to adjust consistency)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes.



Here are the cupcakes in one of my cupcake containers.


More cuppycakes!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red velvet is one of my favorite types of cake. Despite what some people may say, it is NOT just a chocolate cake with red food coloring added. I firmly believe that red velvet is a classic example of a whole that is more than the sum of its parts, because seemingly small modifications (adding vinegar and buttermilk) make it much different (to me) from a chocolate cake.

Because I lovelovelove red velvet, I am painstakingly picky about it. As a result, I have always been afraid to attempt baking it myself. However, last week I finally sucked it up and gave it a shot.

I was making these cupcakes for a friend, so I did a trial run first (not pictured). For my trial run, I used this recipe. I chose it because it used a traditional cooked-flour frosting that I was curious to try (even though I was planning to use cream cheese frosting on the final batch, at my friend's request). I loved the frosting (though I think I need to mix the flour and milk together more before cooking next time because there were a few lumps). However, the cupcakes were a little on the dry side.

For my second and final run, I used a recipe adapted from the above recipe and this other recipe. As you can probably tell, the two recipes are very similar, but the first one has more cocoa and uses butter, while the second one has less cocoa and uses oil. I wanted the moistness of an oil cake recipe while keeping the slightly dense texture that comes from using more cocoa.

This second batch came out almost exactly the way I hoped it would. I still think I could increase the amount of cocoa slightly, which I may try next time.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 ounces red food coloring
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 degrees if using a nonstick pan).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Line two cupcake pans and fill about two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.


Cream Cheese Frosting (I made a double recipe)

1 pound cream cheese (I always use it straight from the refrigerator)
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cuppycakes

I made these cuppycakes about 2 or 3 weeks ago for a community theme. However, having just moved to a new house, I have been crazy busy and never got around to posting them here. So here I am, squeaking in (hopefully) just before the theme deadline.



I stole this recipe from here, but modified it so that the jelly was baked into the cuppycakes rather than injected afterward. I stole that idea from another blog, which is here.

These cupcakes came out great! Mike says that they may be the best ones I have made yet. I personally think they could have used more jelly. I'd have to fill them a little less full to make that happen, because a few of them did explode a little bit.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Insert 24 liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Mix in the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 - 2/3 full, and make an indentation in the center of each one. Drop jelly onto the indentations (I used 1/2 tsp per cupcake). Then drop a little more batter on top of the jelly pocket.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops start to crack like peanut butter cookies (you can't really insert a toothpick in the center, but you can try to get near the center, I suppose). Cool cupcakes in the pan.


Peanut Butter Frosting

3/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons milk

Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined.



The cupcakes before they were frosted.


One of the "oops" cupcakes that exploded a little.


A full tray of fully frosted cuppycakes! Nom nom.

Paula Deen's Spinach and Bacon Quiche

I have always seen myself as a good baker and a hopeless cook. However, joining some new baking communities recently has made me realize that I can use my baking skills to make meals sometimes, too. This weekend, I made my first attempt at a quiche. This is actually the second attempt because my husband liked it so much that I made another one! (The first one failed to get photographed because we had friends over).

I was so proud! I like baking because you put the ingredients together and then you're done. Whereas with cooking, you're standing there over the burner with your food about to turn into a blackened lump (if you're me) and wondering what to do right now.



Anyway, here is the recipe I used, courtesy of the Food Network and Paula Deen. No butter, but lots of eggs, cheese, bacon and heavy cream. Hmmm, wonder why I never seem to lose that extra 10 pounds. ;-)

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. Cut into 8 wedges.

Cookie Dough Cuppycakes

I made these cuppycakes as a theme post on a baking community. They turned out yummy, but I think I can tweak them and make even better ones next time.

For this recipe, I had to prepare some cookie dough balls in advance. I bought a roll of pre-made cookie dough, divided 8 oz of it into 12 balls, and stuck them in the freezer for a couple hours. Next time, I will probably make my own dough from scratch because I have gotten to the point where using pre-made anything in baking makes me feel bad.

I used this recipe that I found on Lovin' From the Oven for the cupcakes. She says she found it at Cupcake Bakeshop, but I wasn't able to find the original post there.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar (I packed mine)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
6. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
7. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
8. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
9. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
10. Place previously prepared frozen cookie dough ball (mine were fairly big) into cup liners, then fill about half to three-quarters full of cupcake batter.
11. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when lightly touched. (Testing by using a toothpick would be insufficient because of the gooey cookie dough in the center).

For the frosting, I adapted a chocolate frosting recommended on The Cupcake Review. Then I made the eggless cookie dough recommended by both of these two blogs and (stupidly) tried to mix it in with my Kitchenaid mixer. What I got was a VERY delicious chocolate mousselike frosting that was completely not obvious it contained cookie dough.

Cookie Doh! (I guess next time I need to just stir the chunks in myself. It was late at night and I blame that for my stupidity. I spent all day packing and appliance shopping.)

Chocolate Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes.

And here's the eggless cookie dough recipe...

Eggless Cookie Dough - from How To Eat A Cupcake

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in mini chocolate chips (optional).
   
2. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
   

I personally thought that the eggless cookie dough tasted a little weird, but it was fine once it was mxed into the frosting. If I do this again, I might try another recipe.


A cuppycake in all its glory!


The inside of the cuppycakes. I think they need more cookie dough next time.

French Toast Cuppycakes with Bacon

I totally stole this recipe from The Busty Baker.



These cupcakes came out so delicious! The maple buttercream has a very smooth texture, like whipped butter. It's very different from the buttercream frostings I normally like to make (I usually favor a very thick, heavy buttercream). However, it works perfectly with these half-savory, half-cinnamon-rolly cupcakes. My husband and I are both in love with them.


French Toast Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and then cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup milk
10-12 slices bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking pan with paper liners.

2. Cook bacon in batches by prefered method until browned, but still slightly flexible. Soak up any extra oil on paper towels and set aside to cool. Once bacon is cooled enough to handle, cut a couple slices of bacon into inch-long pieces. This will be the decoration on top of the cupcake, so make as many as you think you'll need. Set aside. Chop or tear the remaining bacon into tiny pieces. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in maple extract. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mix and two of milk, beating until smooth. Fold in small bacon pieces. Mix until evenly distributed throughout batter.

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.






Maple Buttercream
2 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup, maple extract, and salt, and beat until well combined. Add confectioner's sugar, half cup at a time, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Frost or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top with inch-long bacon pieces.

Wacky Cake

I had never heard of Wacky Cake until I met Mike (my husband). Apparently, however, it's a pretty common thing - I think it may be Southern. His mom makes it with this insanely sugary caramel topping, which seems to be somewhat unusual. But it's good that way.



According to this blog, Wacky Cake originated during WWII. Because butter and eggs were rationed, people came up with cakes like this one that didn't require these items. I haven't checked Snopes, so feel free to do so yourself if you want and be like, "Oh noes, Wacky Cake originated in Ming Dynasty China before eggs and butter were invented" or whatever. Really, I don't mind. :)

Yesterday afternoon, I asked Mike what I should bake this weekend, and he suggested Wacky Cake. I was surprised by this suggestion, but why the heck not? The only problem was that the recipe is written on an envelope in Mike's mom's sort of hard-to-read handwriting. It was pretty sparse in terms of instructions, so I have added my own embellishments, accomplished through research and, um, mistakes.

You can see from the strikethrough text below what mistake I made. Oops. The cake still tasted fine with the extra vanilla, though.

Dry ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder

Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp vanilla 2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold water (some people sub one cup of cold coffee for one of the cups of water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 for non-stick pans).

Sift dry ingredients together and place in a mixing bowl. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9" cake pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out (almost) clean and the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run spatula along the edge of the cake and remove from pan to cool the rest of the way.

Caramel Frosting
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp vanilla

In a pan, cook butter, brown sugar, and milk on medium-low heat until the mixture reaches the softball stage on a candy thermometer. Add vanilla and beat until thick. Spread on cooled cake.

The instructions I had were really vague and didn't indicate what level of heat to use when cooking the caramel for the frosting. I tried using low heat and it took FOREVER. Then Mike decided I need to crank it up to high. The caramel finished cooking faster that way, but it didn't seem quite as voluminous as I was expecting it to. Mike talked to his mom and said it's supposed to work sort of like fudge. Based on perusing some fudge recipes, I believe this frosting needs to be cooked on medium low heat. Will do that next time.

Because my frosting didn't fluff up as much as expected, I didn't have enough to cover the whole cake. I tried to make an extra half a batch, but I was almost out of vanilla. Sadly, I didn't realize this until the brown sugar and butter was cooking on the stove. Without enough vanilla, this batch of frosting came out crumbly and looking like the creeping crud. Sigh.



Might as well post my failures as well as my successes, right?

Mike says the cake is really good. He even said that after eating one of the creeping-crud pieces. Ah, true love.

I will admit that the prettier pieces of the cake are pretty darn tasty. Next time, Gadget.

Tres Leches Cake

I decided to branch out and bake something besides cupcakes. I made this cake (using Alton Brown's recipe) for Mike's birthday. It seems to have been a big hit.



The primary modification I made to this recipe was that I used White Lily all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. This wasn't a stylistic decision - I just couldn't find cake flour ANYWHERE for some stupid reason. Of course, yesterday I finally saw some in a store and bought it for next time. Sooner or later, I'll try this recipe using the cake flour and let you know if it makes a big difference.

The other change I made was to put the whipped topping on immediately (well, after the glazed cake had been in the fridge for about 15 minutes) and let the cake sit overnight with the whipped topping. I did this because saw reviews of the recipe on foodnetwork.com that said the flavors married a lot better that way than if you waited to put the whipped topping on. A couple reviews also suggested waiting 2 days before serving the cake, and I see why. It definitely tasted yummier after a day and a half than it did after 1. The sweetness had smoothed out and it was just delicious.


Ingredients

For the cake:
* Vegetable oil
* 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
* 8 ounces sugar
* 5 whole eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze:
* 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 cup half-and-half

For the topping:
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 8 ounces sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.


For the glaze:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.


Topping:

Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Chocolate Malted Cuppycakes and Vanilla Cuppycakes with Butterscotch Frosting

(aka my first semi-professional cupcake gig)

I baked these for my Dad's 60th birthday party, which was last night. I was really happy with how they came out. As always, Mike piped on the frosting for me. I'm still too scared to use the piping bag.


Chocolate Malted Cuppycakes (topped with Whoppers candies)


Vanilla Cuppycakes with Butterscotch Frosting (topped with Butterfinger minis)

Chocolate Malted Cupcakes (originally from Martha Stewart's cupcake cookbook)
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1-1/4 cup Carnation malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs (room temp)
1 cup sour cream (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 degrees if using a dark or nonstick pan). Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugars, baking soda & salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

2. With mixer on Medium High, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filled halfway (NOTE: I actually filled them about 2/3 full). Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until until cake tester comes out clean or baked about 20 minutes.


Chocolate Malted Frosting (I stole the idea from a nice girl on LJ - see my previous blog post)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz Lindt 85% Cacao bar, melted
6 tbsp Carnation malted milk powder (I think it actually needs more than this)

NOTE: I updated this frosting recipe to use 6 tablespoons of malt instead of the 4 I used last time. It was much yummier this way.


Magnolia's Famous Vanilla Cupcakes (with a little help from me)
I have used this vanilla cupcake recipe before, and my only complete was that the cupcakes were a little too dry. This time around, I fixed that problem by substituting heavy cream for milk. The more I bake, the more evil and fattening my baked goods seem to become. But they are also becoming yummier! :)

1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk cream and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Butterscotch Frosting (adapted from here)
2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup butterscotch chips, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons cream
1/4 tsp salt

Melt butterscotch chips in the microwave along on low heat along with 2 tablespoons of cream. Mike and I did this by heating it for a few seconds, stirring a bit, and then heating some more. We originally tried melting it in a double boiler (which is how I melted the chocolate for the chocolate malted frosting), but it seemed to be melting too slowly and the first time we made this frosting we ended up with weird butterscotch chunks. Also, the frosting was a bit too sweet (so said my taste testers), which wasn't too surprising since (I failed to notice this initially) the original recipe did not include any salt. I do not believe in buttercream that does not include salt. Oh well.

In a bowl, beat butter, melted butterscotch chips, vanilla extract and powdered sugar with an electric mixer. It will be dry. Add cream 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time and combine. Continue adding milk and beating until you get your desired frosting consistency.

Chocolate Malted Cuppycakes

These were a test run for a cupcake recipe I'm hoping to use when I bake (OMG) 4 dozen cuppycakes for my dad's 60th birthday party in a couple weeks. I "borrowed" this recipe from a nice girl who I met in the "curiouscupcakes" LiveJournal community. The cupcake recipe came from Martha Stewart's cupcake cookbook, and the frosting is a recipe she made up herself (which I then tweaked). The cuppycakes are topped with Whoppers candies.



I really liked the way the cake part turned out. So moist! And the frosting was yummy, too... though I think I want a stronger malt taste when I do the "real" batch of cuppycakes for my dad's party.

Here are a couple of pics of the cuppycakes pre-frosting and pre-Whoppers.






Chocolate Malted Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1-1/4 cup Carnation malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs (room temp)
1 cup sour cream (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 degrees if using a dark or nonstick pan). Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugars, baking soda & salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

2. With mixer on Medium High, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filled halfway (NOTE: I actually filled them about 2/3 full). Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until until cake tester comes out clean or baked about 20 minutes.


Chocolate Malted Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
3 oz Lindt 85% Cacao bar, melted
4 tbsp Carnation malted milk powder (I think it actually needs more than this)

Beat half of the sugar and all of the other ingredients on low until just combined. Slowly add the rest of the sugar and beat on low until combined. Beat on medium until fluffy and uniformly blended.

(NOTE: The girl from whom I borrowed this recipe made up this frosting recipe herself but didn't note the exact amounts of the ingredients she used. She just remembered that she used "powdered sugar, pinch of salt, 3 oz of melted chocolate, 2 sticks of butter, and a few tablespoons of malted milk powder." As I am becoming ever more adventurous with my frosting escapades, I decided to try to guess at the correct proportions.

The ingredients above are what I ended up using. I think that next time, I need to use 2 and a half sticks of butter because Mike said the texture was a little rough when he was piping the frosting. Also, I had to add milk because it was too clumpy without it. This probably means that I used more sugar than I "should" have, but I liked the frosting otherwise, so more butter it is.

I also want to add more malt next time. I feel that the frosting could be more "malty.")

4th of July Kool-Aid Cuppycakes

I stole this idea from this recipe on "Cupcake Rehab" but tweaked the frosting a bit. I am horrified by the idea of using 4-5 cups of sugar with one stick of butter to make buttercream - that seems WAY too sweet (nothing personal against the original baker - it's just a very strong personal preference). So I doubled the amount of butter and added just a little more sugar. Sorry, but here in the Evans household we do not DO low-fat. ;-D

I was really pleased with the way the frosting came out. I used a larger packet of the blue Kool-Aid than I did with the reddish stuff because it was the only size I could find and I was too lazy to try to weigh out an equal amount. I guess I could try using a larger packet of the red stuff next time to see how it affects the flavor and color.

The taste of the vanilla cupcakes was really yummy, but I feel like they could have been more moist. These cupcakes would be good candidates for using my silicone baking cups next time (I used paper this time around). I also might take them out a little sooner next time (I baked them for 18 minutes).

* Note: I have since found an idea on another blog (Cast Sugar) for making this cake recipe come out more moist. The solution is to use yogurt or sour cream instead of milk. Will have to try that next time.


MAGNOLIA’S FAMOUS VANILLA CUPCAKES

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


CHERRY KOOL-AID FROSTING

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
.13 oz. packet KOOL-AID Black Cherry Flavor Soft Drink Mix
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
5-10 drops red food coloring (to make it less pinkish and closer to "red")

Beat half of the sugar and all of the other ingredients on low until just combined. Slowly add the rest of the sugar and beat on low until combined. Beat on medium until fluffy and color is uniformly blended.


ICE BLUE RASPBERRY LEMONADE KOOL-AID FROSTING

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
.22 oz. packet KOOL-AID Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade Flavor Soft Drink Mix
1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
5-10 drops "neon" blue food coloring

Beat half of the sugar and all of the other ingredients on low until just combined. Slowly add the rest of the sugar and beat on low until combined. Beat on medium until fluffy and color is uniformly blended.


Here are a couple more pics:

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I'm posting the recipe and pictures for some Pink Lemonade Cupcakes I made a few weeks back so I can share them with Tammie on Plurk. Enjoy!

I made two batches of frosting per batch of cupcakes. Double your frosting, double your fun!









Here is the recipe, which I got from here on the Cast Sugar blog.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 c. thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 or more drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with liners.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.

Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Pink Lemonade Buttercream:
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate
Red food coloring

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly pink. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

How Your Cat Can Save You Money

In these tough financial times, it seems that everyone is preoccupied with the question of how to save money. TV, newspapers and magazines constantly cover the dilemma of how to decrease your spending and balance your budget. In the face of all this media coverage, it’s easy to become anxious about your financial future. If you’ve spent one too many nights pondering your own monetary fears, I’m happy to say that I have good news to offer you. You may already be in possession of one of the best money-saving devices in the world! Even better, you don’t need a business degree to make the most of this important asset. The financial tool of which I speak is none other than your common housecat.

The first way in which your cat can save you money is by reducing your medical expenses. The Centers for Disease Control website states that owning a pet can decrease your blood pressure as well as lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Additionally, a recent study at the University of Minnesota's Stroke Research Center suggests that people who have owned cats at some point in their lives have significantly lower rates of death due to heart disease. While this study doesn’t actually prove that cats cause a lower risk of heart attacks, it’s worth considering.

Numerous medical experts, including the Surgeon General, have stated that there is an inextricable link between mental and physical health. An exhaustive study of the people in my household (performed by me) proves definitively that owning a cat can improve your mental health. Study participants reported that even after a hard day at work, their cat was always happy to see them… as long as they had food, treats, or a warm lap to sit in. And what cat owner hasn’t experienced a drop in anxiety levels while sitting on the couch with a lapful of purring kitty goodness?

Now that you’ve heard about the undeniable savings you’ll see on your medical bills, I’m sure you need no further reasons to adopt a cat today. But wait… this is only one of the exciting financial benefits of welcoming a cat into your home! A second way that a feline friend can improve your bottom line is by providing free entertainment twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that an animal capable of using its own tail as a toy can be pretty fun to watch and play with.

No expensive accessories are required in order to enable this feature of your cat. Cat toys are generally cheap and easy to obtain. Standard toys such as catnip mice can be purchased at your local pet store for less than a dollar apiece, and can provide hours of entertainment for you and your cat. In fact, most cats will even play with items that are not intended to be toys, such as those plastic rings you pull off your bottles of milk when you open them. Our cat can also be whipped into a playful frenzy with the aid of a laser pointer that we bought for a whopping three dollars at our local drugstore.

The entertainment value of your cat will increase exponentially if you own more than one. In households with multiple cats, play will occur even if the owners don’t initiate it or provide any toys. However, living in a house with multiple cats is similar to renting an apartment above a dance club: there’s no guarantee that the party will stop when you’re ready to go to sleep. Still, that’s nothing a cheap pair of earplugs can’t fix.

As if these astounding features aren’t reason enough to start saving money today by owning a cat, there is a third way that your cat can help you achieve a stable economic profile. Having a cat in your home may decrease the money you spend on common household items. For example, why turn up the heat in the wintertime when you can cuddle with your cat to keep warm? And when your alarm clock breaks, you won’t need to replace it. Get into the habit of feeding your cat every morning before you get ready for work, and you will never need an alarm clock again. Your cat will faithfully wake you up when it is time to get ready for work on weekdays by meowing incessantly. In fact, your cat will work overtime to ensure that you are trained to wake up on time every day, even if your office is closed.

After hearing all the ways a cat can help you become financially solvent, I’m sure you’re ready to run right out and adopt one. After all, your cat can help you save money on medical bills, provide free entertainment, and reduce your spending on common household items. With benefits like these, your cat will pay for itself in less than a year. And by adopting from a shelter, you can get even more savings by reduced overhead on shots and immunizations! Don’t miss out on the savings any longer… welcome a cat into your home today!

A Strange Breed

Welcome to the first lecture in an ongoing series called “Know Your Geeks.” This series aims to educate you about the various types of Geeks found in the wild. Tonight’s talk will focus on a strange and misunderstood breed of Geek, Geekus Programmicus.

Commonly known as the Programmer, this species shares many characteristics with his fellow Geeks. He lives and hunts alone or in small groups. Sensitive to light, he hides in a small burrow called a “cubicle” during daylight hours. He prefers a diet high in caffeine, sugar, and fat. He is generally pale in color, with fat reserves around the midsection and haunches.

The novice observer may confuse the Programmer with his closest genetic relative, Geekus Computus. Also known as the IT Geek, this close cousin has many physical traits in common with the Programmer. Both species use computers as tools and become aggressive when provoked. However, the trained eye can easily tell them apart.

The reclusive Programmer can go days or even weeks without interacting with others. He often sits in the same position for hours at a time, barely moving. In stark contrast, the IT Geek roams freely across the office plains. Though not a social creature, he does form loose alliances with other species in the ecosystem.

Avid Geek Watchers can also tell the two species apart by watching for tool use. Both species use primitive tools such as the computer. However, most Programmers cannot fix a computer or even understand how it works. They also tend to use other tools such as a second monitor or noise-canceling headphones.

Now that you know how to recognize this species, you should learn what to do should you spot a Programmer in the wild. Because of the Programmer’s volatile nature, you should use caution when approaching him. This species can become extremely agitated when cornered.

When treated with respect and patience, Programmers can be rewarding to tame and breed. In order to successfully tame the Programmer, you must understand his environmental needs. Like a spider, he spends most of his days spinning webs. However, while a spider uses silk to create his web, a Programmer spins a material called “code.”

Optimal code production requires a very specific environment. The Programmer can only produce large amounts of code when he is in a trancelike state. In order to produce the best code possible, the coding environment should be free from outside stimuli.

An ideal coding environment has low lighting and little noise. Due to modern climate changes, many Programmers have learned to adapt to fluorescent light. To avoid ambient noise, the Programmer often wears headphones while other office animals are nearby. Music can also help the Programmer achieve the desired dream state.

Once in the dream state and producing code, the Programmer is totally unaware of his surroundings. Loud noises and sudden moves will startle him. If you interrupt the trance state abruptly, he may feel threatened and become aggressive. If possible, avoid all direct contact with a Programmer in the coding state.

In the event that you must approach a Programmer while he is in the coding trance, use extreme caution. Be patient while he emerges from the trance state. Make first contact by approaching the Programmer slowly and standing quietly in his field of vision.

Wait several seconds before attempting any further contact. This will allow the Programmer to adjust to the reminder that other animals exist. This realization is often difficult and confusing. Above all else, do NOT touch the programmer during this phase of contact.

Watch for signs that the Programmer has become aware of your presence, such as a nod, a wave, or a grunt. Such gestures indicate that he has seen you. He may need to finish the task at hand before speaking to you. Allowing him to slowly make his way back to reality will increase the chances of a successful encounter.

If your presence does not elicit any response after several seconds, further intervention may be needed. At this point, a slow and gentle tap on the shoulder is acceptable. Do NOT shout, shake the programmer’s shoulder, or block the screen. These behaviors are a surefire way to provoke a Geek Attack.

Once you have made contact with the Programmer, he will slowly begin to emerge from the Coding Trance. This process may take several minutes. Like a sleepwalker, he may speak to you but be unaware that he is doing so. A Programmer who is ready to listen will stop looking at his screen and cease all typing behaviors. Watch for these signs.

Although Programmers can learn human languages, their native tongue is TechnicalSpeak. A passionate Programmer may lapse into this language. It’s okay to tell him that you don’t understand – he probably doesn’t realize that he isn’t speaking English. For best results, point out specific words or phrases that confuse you.

Be especially careful when approaching a Programmer about a problem with his code. Programmers have a natural curiosity and an aptitude for finding and fixing problems. They are often grateful for the chance to correct their mistakes. However, they may become confused and agitated by vague statements such as, “Your code isn’t working.” Be specific.

Once you have conveyed what you need from the Programmer, back away slowly and allow him to focus on his work. He may need time to switch from one task to the next. Do not attempt to make small talk with a Programmer who has recently been in a coding trance.

In conclusion, Programmers are the arachnids of the office environment. They are often feared and avoided due to their frightening, sometimes hairy appearance. Like spiders, they create complex webs of code that can rid your environment of pesky bugs. Though daunting at first, with proper care and feeding, a Programmer can be a wonderful addition to your office environment.

(by Sarah G. Evans, May 2009)

Dark Chocolate Cuppycakes with Vanilla Buttercream

I had people coming over for a scrapbooking group on Saturday, so I decided to try this recipe. I frosted them with vanilla buttercream that I made based on the recipe here.






These came out pretty good... as the Cast Sugar blog mentions, they are sort of like brownies in cupcake form.

Cupcake recipe thoughts:
- I used 85% cacao Lindt chocolate because I had no time to go anywhere besides my local grocery, but will probably try the Trader Joe's Valrhona chocolate recommended in the recipe if I make these again. They came out really good, so I probably will.
- The chocolate mixture in this recipe requires a little bit of fussing, so don't try this one if you have never ever baked anything before. Pick a simpler one first. :)
- I used cupcake pans with silicone baking cups and did not use any parchment paper as the recipe suggested. My cuppycakes seemed to come out fine.
- I might want to tweak this recipe a little bit next time to see if I can get the cupcakes a little more moist... maybe 2 sticks of butter instead of one and a half?

Frosting recipe thoughts:
- The frosting recipe calls for 2 tsp of vanilla extract, but I ended up using 2 and a quarter tsp because it was too sweet and not vanilla-y enough for my taste. I would have happily gone up to 2.5 tsp or more, but I didn't want to keep mixing the stuff and make it all funky. I want to use ground vanilla beans in the frosting next time.
- I used about 6 cups of confectioner's sugar in the frosting. The recipe calls for 6-8. I am going for 8 next time in order to make it thicker, but I think it needs REAL vanilla in order to do this and not be overly sweet, at least on these rich, chocolatey cuppycakes.

General baking thoughts:
- At first, I felt like the vanilla buttercream was too sweet for these cupcakes, but in the end it kinda grew on me.
- I think these cuppycakes would also be good with the really yummy cocoa cream cheese frosting that I've made in the past. May have to try that sometime.
- I have switched washing methods for my silicone baking cups due to feedback from that she could taste soap residue on my pink lemonade cuppycakes. I thought maybe she was just REALLY sensitive to soap taste (because I ate another one of the cupcakes after that and failed to detect the soap taste). Then later, I got a cupcake that tasted soapy to me as well. Apparently, a couple of the baking cups did not get adequately de-soaped. Ew! I did not notice any soapiness with these chocolate ones after switching washing methods... but I think you might only really notice with something like the pink lemonade ones that have a more delicate flavor. Hopefully the issue is resolved now. *blush*

For posterity, in case the blogs I linked to ever happen to go away, here are the recipes...

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3 to 4 oz. Valrhona 85% cacao (or any bittersweet chocolate)

12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter

1 1/8 c. sugar

4 eggs

5/8 c. flour

1/8 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

3/4 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper and laying out cupcake cups. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for 10 seconds between each.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, return to the electric mixer, and mix until blended.

Scoop batter into cupcake cups and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
6-8 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup milk

1. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
2. Beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy
3. Add half of the sugar, the vanilla and the milk. Beat until combined
4. Gradually add remaining sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

EDITED TO ADD:

We had a few extra cupcakes with no frosting because we ran out. So I tried another recipe for vanilla buttercream this evening on the remaining cuppycakes.


Vanilla Buttercream Frosting #2:

3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. milk
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

This is just a variation on the buttercream recipe I liked so much with the pink lemonade cupcakes. It turned out much better than the first vanilla buttercream, in my opinion. I want to try using heavy whipping cream next time instead of milk. :)