Monday, April 23, 2012

Peanut Butter Surprise Sundae Cupcakes


This past weekend marked Riley's 14th Birthday!
..ok it was two weekends ago.. I'm a little late with this post!
(Riley is the daughter of one of my co-worker's- Kelley)

They had browsed through cupcakes on pinterest and settled on a "Peanut Butter Surprise" cupcake. I was a little hesitant at first. The word "surprise" just makes me nervous (ie.  surprise meatloaf). What exactly does that mean ? Anyway! After some mild tweaking- here is my attempt:



The Cupcake

Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup sour cream

Directions
1. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a bowl. Set bowl over saucepan with two inches of simmering water. Gently stir butter and chocolate until melted and combined. Set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
3. Whisk eggs in second bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.
4. Fill cupcake line ¼ full. Add a Reeses peanut butter cup (SURPRISE!) to each well and finish pouring cupcake batter on top of it until the wells are two-thirds full. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
5. Cool cupcakes to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.


The Frosting

My buttercream frosting is deeelissshh! I don't mean to toot my own horn but..
..toot toot!

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a standup mixer, mix butter about 30 seconds or until smooth. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. 2. Add the confectioners sugar and mix again, about 15 seconds.
3.While mixing, drizzle in the extract through the small opening in the feed tube.
Process for another 30 seconds, or until smooth.
*For a stiffer frosting, add a little less milk or more confectioners sugar.*
* For a glaze, or thinner frosting add more milk or less confectioners sugar.*
*Mix at LOW SPEED*

Assembly


1. Frost cooled cupcakes.
2. Freeze frosted cupcakes for ten minutes.
3. Drizzle chocolate pour (I used Shell) over chocolate frosting.
4. Shake sprinkles on chocolate sauce.
5. Place peanut butter cup on top and add a more frosting.
6. Finish with a maraschino cherry.




Thanks for the photo Kell!




 
Yay, Riley!



XOXOCORIN


Monday, April 9, 2012

Edible Mini Easter Baskets!


Happy Easter!

I have a serious obsession with spring colors. I also like that wearing multiple bright colors in one outfit is now acceptable- although Dad thought I basically got dressed in the dark when I showed up wearing a coral dress with a huge, aqua necklace...


Anyway! The past few weeks have been extremely busy. I decided not to contribute any Easter sweets this year for dinner at Grandma's (pretty much everyone in my family is dieting and cupcakes aren't exactly bikini-friendly). I did, however, make something cutie for the boys- Alex (nephew) and James (Godson).


Saw this idea on Pinterest! Shocking, I know.
Edible Easter Baskets




I used 4 Reese's Peanut Butter eggs and 4 Snickers eggs. I cut a small piece of square cardboard to support the bottom. I arranged the 4 pieces of candy on the edges and glued the crinkled ends and bottoms. Next, I cut 2 strips of scrapbook paper (one patterned) and, arranged in the shape of a handle, glued the sides to the back of the candy pieces. Finish with a bow! (I feel that all instructions should end that way).




The boys did their Easter egg hunt at Grandma's and I volunteered to hide the eggs. They're getting older (almost 8 and 9) so I definitely got more creative on the hiding spots. Pretty sure my Grandma will be still finding eggs for the next few months to come! Usually, the smart thing to do is to count the eggs before hiding them. That way you know how many are missing. Well Aunt Corin obviously miscounted- whoops! The combination of counting, drinking wine and trying to ignore my mom, who was shouting shouting...  32, 12, 48, 62 51 ...just didn't work out.


As for me- I got theesseee Easter treats! Lovelovelove chocolate peeps!

XOXOCORIN