Cupcakes!

Oh for the perfect vanilla cupcakes!  These are so delicious!

The Bakery-Style Cupcake post on one of my favorite blogs, Sweetapolita, caught my eye.
They are quite easy to make; the only thing I didn't have on hand was self-rising flour.  I couldn't find it at Whole Foods for another recipe, so I made my own and I don't think the recipe turned out as well.  I found Gold Medal brand at Kroger, and used it for this recipe.

The recipe says it makes 24, so I tried to fit the batter in to 24 cupcakes and it made them too big.  Next time I will make a few additional cupcakes with the extra batter and not try to get it in to the 24.  I used a #40 scoop and it was the perfect amount for each cupcake, so they are contained in the paper.   I had used the smaller scoop to go back and add to each cupcake and there was not enough to add to each of the 24 cupcakes.  So, at least I was able to compare the smaller (purple paper) and larger cupcakes (orange paper).

Since it is almost Halloween, I used orange and purple cupcake papers, and orange frosting.  Little C helped me with the frosting and we kept adding red and yellow food coloring to try to get the right orange.  It looked orange enough in the bowl, but was still a little too light on the cupcakes.  I will get orange food coloring gel for the next ones.  I only made 1/2 the frosting recipe because I didn't want to have tons of frosting left over like I did for the giant pink cake.  Well, I was wrong with this one and ran out of frosting on the last cupcake.  Also, if I had had more frosting and the smaller cupcake tops, I could have completely and very generously covered each cupcake.

Now for the taste - so incredible!  The cake texture is perfect and the flavor is exactly what you would expect a bakery style vanilla cupcake taste like.  They even seemed to be more moist the next day.  After I got over my icing frustration, I was extremely pleased with the cupcakes.  I am looking forward to making them for Little C's pumpkin party at school, along with super chocolaty cupcakes.  

The recipe is also on Food Network, so I have included links to both.
Click here or here for the recipe.

Vanilla Cupcake with Orange Frosting

Vanilla Cupcake with Orange Frosting

Vanilla Cupcakes with Orange Frosting

Sweet Brownie Queen Birthday

Happy Birthday to my blog - Sweet Brownie Queen is 1 year old!!!!!
A fancy birthday dessert would have been good, and I may still make one today, but I was pressed for time (always, ugh) and still obsessed with the mini muffin pan brownies.  Plus, I figured I should do something with my original Sweet Brownie Queen Brownies.  The result is what we are calling Brownie Buttons. :)

After last week's "adventure" I didn't want to fill the mini muffin cups too full, so I ended up with tiny brownies.  Here is how it started: As I said yesterday, I just got a mini muffin pan and wanted to make everything mini muffin size.  I needed to make something for small group last week and thought I would just whip up some brownies.  I knew it wasn't the best idea to experiment at the last minute, but I ignored all reason and went forward.  I made the recipe that has the box brownie look, but isn't, of course.  I used my medium scoop and filled each muffin cup.  I quickly looked at 2 brownie bite recipes and figured 15 minutes was a good bake time.  Now, this recipe has some baking powder in it, so they rose a little and had muffin like tops which made it very hard (impossible) to easily loosen the edges and get the brownies out.  Also, this is a chewier brownie so it pretty much fell apart when I tried to remove each one from the muffin cups.  That is when I realized the tops would come off easily and I served them since they looked good (that perfect brownie glazed look) and tasted great.   Thankfully I also had the towering pink cake to share.

But, I do not deal well with baking failures, so I am determined to get this right.  Last night I made my classic secret brownie recipe and used the small cookie scoop to fill the muffin cups.  I sprinkled each one with a little sea salt.  15 minutes was a perfect bake time for these and they came out of the pan very easily.  Since this recipe doesn't have any baking powder or soda in it, they did not rise and overflow at the edges.  I would have liked them to be a little bigger and next time I will fill the cups a little fuller. I may be able to use the medium scoop since these don't grow any during baking.

I really like that other brownie recipe for a regular brownie, as an alternative to my super rich dark brownies.  I am determined to get them to turn out well in the muffin pan too.  It might not be feasible since they are so chewy, but I will try one more time.  I will put less batter in each cup and bake a little longer.

I want to try out a new cupcake recipe, make some pumpkin desserts, and another zucchini cake, but I may be stuck on these little brownies for awhile!

The Blog Birthday Celebration will stretch out for the rest of the week........my motivation to make something other than brownies! ;)

Brownie Buttons with Sea Salt

Pretty in Pink

We celebrate Little C's 1/2 Birthdays, so I used that as an opportunity to try out another vanilla cake recipe.  I haven't tested any more vanilla cake recipes since the spring, but am still on the look-out for great ones.  This one is really good!  Four layers of yummy white cake and lots of pink fluffy frosting!!!    As usual, I was frosting the cake just as our dinner guests arrived, so I didn't have time for detailed frosting.  I was just excited that all four layers were staying place and the frosting was going on well.  Since I knew I couldn't get a perfectly smooth frosting finish and didn't have time to pipe on any frosting, I went with the whippy swirls.  Since decorating cakes is not my strength, I know I cannot a perfect looking frosted cake, but I think this is the prettiest cake I have ever done, and that makes me happy!  Little C loved the cake, and that really makes me happy!

I made so many things last week, but will have to remake to take some good pictures and blog about them.  For my book club I made an Autumn Pumpkin soup that was delicious, Pecan Pie Muffins that really tasted like pecan pie, and Butter Muffins that were really good.  I purchased a mini muffin pan (finally!) to make the muffins and fell in love with it right away.  Now I want to make everything in mini muffin form.  I tried brownies and that didn't turn out so well for reasons may review later, when I have success.  However, I did pull the tops off the brownie muffins and there were a hit.  They looked like brownie cookies.  I also made picnic cakes and chocolate chip cookies, but they are like all the others I have done posts on - still super delicious, but nothing new to write about.

Tomorrow is my Blog Birthday, so I need to think up something for that one!
Have a great Monday!

For the Vanilla Cake Recipe Click Here

Pink Frosted Vanilla Cake

Pink Frosted Vanilla Cake - Inside

Orecchiette Pasta

Something different for pasta night!  This recipe from the September 2012 Better Homes and Gardens looked interesting to me.  I have 3 pasta recipes that I have been wanting to make, when I could get the appropriate fresh ingredients for them.   (One of the others has fresh figs and another has asparagus)

I had homemade ricotta that Mr. SBQ had made for me, so I used that and a fresh grated Parmesan.  I didn't measure the Parmesan, so I am not sure how much I used, but I will use more next time.  The red is the chard stems, not pancetta which it looks like in the photo.  The dish is pretty, fresh and flavorful!

Orecchiette with Ricotta and Chard Pan Sauce
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens September 2012

1    bunch Swiss Chard
3/4 lb. dried orecchiette
2    Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2    Tbsp. butter (unsalted)
-     Crushed red pepper - dash+ to taste
2    oz. freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh, whole-milk ricotta cheese
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Ground nutmeg
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring large pot of generously salted water to boiling.  Separate chard stems from leaves; cut both in to bite-size pieces.  Add orecchiette to boiling water.  Set timer for 10 minutes
Meanwhile, for pan sauce, in a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat.  Add chard stems; cook 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender.
After 10 minutes, add chard leaves to cooked pasta (still in boiling water); cook 2 minutes more.  Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of cooking liquid.  Return pasta and chard to the pot; place over lowest heat setting.  Add chard stems and any residual oil to pasta, along with butter, crushed red pepper, and reserved cooking liquid.  Grate in Parmesan; toss.  Season with pepper and nutmeg.  Divide among bowls.  Top each with 1 Tbsp. ricotta (at least double is better).  Add sea salt, pepper, and additional Parmesan to taste.

The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but they are large servings and we got 2 meals out of it.  (About 6 servings)

Enjoy!

Orecchiette with Ricotta and Chard Pan Sauce