Amazing Carrot Cake Cupcakes

07/19/2010 • Desserts, Food + Drink • by

These carrot cake cupcakes taste as amazing as they look!  As a special treat for our Friday Family Night, I baked a dozen regular sized cupcakes and six large ones.  The family loved them!

Ordinarily, I would only bake the standard two layer cake with this recipe.  I guess I just wanted to try something a little different and I’m certainly glad I did.  The rest of the family was definitely okay with it too.

The recipe I used was the Better Homes and Gardens Carrot Cake Recipe.  Be sure to use freshly shredded carrots if you decide to try it and if you’re so inclined, add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. 

The cream cheese frosting I make includes 8 oz Philly cream cheese, 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 stick of margarine, 4 cups of powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring.

If you’re planning a birthday party, baby shower or some other special event, remember this recipe.  It’s worth a  try.

Worth the Drive

05/21/2010 • Desserts, Restaurants & Cafes • by

I have a sweet tooth.  One that will force me to get into my car and drive insanely out of my way to buy something I don’t need incredibly delicious baklava for 99 cents.  And then, to justify having driven so far, I buy a couple more things I don’t need  a slice of cake and spinach pastry.

Shame on me.

Mmmmmm… the baklava is so good.

But seriously, slap on the back of my hand shame on me.

A 40 Something Caramel Cake

05/19/2010 • Desserts, Food + Drink • by

Yesterday I celebrated another 40 Something birthday and, as a special treat, I decided to bake this Caramel Cake.  I found a couple bloggers raving about it here and here so I had to give it a shot for my special day!

The recipe contains simple ingredients which I love and it’s really easy to follow.  While I mixed the batter I couldn’t help but recall my failed attempt at buying a slice from Piece of Cake a couple weekends ago.  It was my fault…I went to the farmer’s market first, got caught up in their fresh produce and spices and left later than planned.  I arrived at the bakery about 15 minutes after closing.  Their cakes are rich, have that homemade feel and are just plain ol’ amazing!  But that’s okay because I’ve stumbled across this really great Caramel Cake recipe.

The batter was so silky smooth.  I found myself eagerly anticipating the intoxicating aroma that would soon fill my home as I poured the batter into the cake pan and placed it in the oven.

Here it is. A single cake layer waiting for it’s caramel bath.

The Caramel Glaze was also easy to make.  After glazing the cake I, the birthday woman, had the distinguished pleasure of sampling the warm caramel which was left on the spoon.  Baking it yourself really has it benefits.

If allowed to rest a while, the glaze thickens.  Waiting requires discipline.  As it turns out, I’m a little impatient because I cut the cake while it was still a little warm.  Yum!!!

If you would like to try this recipe, you can print a copy of it from the Epicurious website.  Thanks for stopping by to share a slice of my birthday joy!

Spanish Almond Cookies Homework Assignment

05/10/2010 • Desserts, Food + Drink • by

Last week Miss A was given two homework assignments requiring her to choose and prepare two Spanish influenced dishes, the first of which was a dessert. She chose to bake Polvorones which are Spanish Almond Cookies. Miss A found the recipe here and doubled it because she needed to make enough for all of her classmates. I was not able to assist her with making the cookies but I did take a few pictures while she baked.

First, she toasted the unbleached flour for a few minutes.

Next, she toasted the almonds until they were browned slightly, then ground them in a food processor.

Afterwards, Miss A started mixing. She creamed the butter,

added sugar,

and cinnamon.

Finally, she mixed in the flour and ground almonds until it formed crumbly dough.

She poured the dough onto wax paper and pressed it until it was flattened to about half an inch. She scored the dough with a knife then cut it into squares.

Using a spatula, she moved the crumbly squares to a baking pan and placed them in the oven for 25 minutes.

After removing the cookies from the oven, they were cooled and then sprinkled with powdered sugar before packaging them in a box for transport to school.

Miss A said that her teacher and classmates enjoyed the cookies.  I sampled one after she finished and agree that the cookies were quite good.  This recipe is a keeper for us.  I’m very proud of my daughter’s efforts and look forward to sharing the second part of her assignment with you in a couple days.

Individual Brownie Bite Trifles

05/05/2010 • Desserts, Food + Drink • by

These little shots of goodness really are as tasty as they look.  I’ve made these mini treats several times and always with great reviews.  They’re also very easy to make.

The primary ingredients are all “instant” in nature and include Nestle Brownie Bites, Jell-O Chocolate Pudding, 2% Milk and Cool Whip.

This is the first time I’ve ever tried brownie dough like this.  I saw the package in the refrigerator section at the grocery store and bought it on a whim.

I usually mix and bake a regular batch of brownies, wait for them to cool, break them into pieces, then assemble the trifles.  I thought this pre-made package would save some time.

In the package is one pre-scored chunk of brownie dough.  I cut the pieces apart and placed them on a cookie sheet.  Kinda on the messy side but still no mixing required.

The baked bites obviously look like and have the texture of cookies but they do have a brownie taste.

While the brownies were cooling, I prepared the instant chocolate pudding according to package directions.

Next, I spooned one cup of the chocolate pudding into a bowl, then added two cups of Cool Whip and folded gently until well blended.

To assemble, I crumbled two brownie bites into the bottom of a small glass dish.  For these trifles, I used little tealight holders which I found in a package of 4 for $1.49 at Ikea in Atlanta.

I spooned approx. 5 tbsp of chocolate pudding into the holder.  I prefer to go by sight…adding enough pudding until the holder is two-thirds full.

Finally, I filled a decorating tool with mousse and piped it to create the cute little swirls.  The mousse can also be spooned on top if desired.

After they were assembled, I personalized the trifles with assorted toppings.  The ones used were Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, Hershey’s Caramel Sauce and a crumbled Heath bar.

The result was a quick, easy and deliciously chocolaty treat with splashes of flavor based on the toppings choosen!

View the entire recipe

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