The Perfect Chocolate Cupcake

So a while back...wow almost a year ago I made some of the most perfect cupcakes ever.  Perfect chocolate cupcakes.  I have always been fond of Joy the Baker's chocolate cupcake recipe...but sometimes it is a little unreliable.  I've had them cave in more times than they've com out....

So I did some tinkering from another recipe I use quite a bit and came out with perfect, fool proof, soft, delicious chocolate cupcakes.

They're awesome.  Served them at my daughter's 4th birthday party and they were a smashing success....

Here's her cupcakes from last year...

Cherry Almond Muffins

So a couple weeks ago I need a girls weekend...like BAD.  So I went to see my friend Maryann (The Cookie Artisan) because she only lives like 3 hours away from me....and the drive to her house is like 75MPH the whole way so....sweet-borrowing-my-hubs-fast-car-action.  Anyway, while we were there she, being a perfect hostess of course (would you expect less?), made us blueberry muffins for breakfast.  Ok, so I usually hate blueberry muffins...the blueberries are always gritty and I dunno...but I was hungry.  So I ate one....then two....then stuck a couple into my suitcase...

Basically I was a blueberry muffin converter....

After I got home however and ran through my stash I needed more muffins....and I needed them BAD.  They were just so soft and moist and fluffy...and juicy...and sweet and perfect...and comforting....

Yes I AM talking about muffins still....

Brown Sugar Peach Tart

Did you know it's peach season??

Well it is.  At least that's what my handy desk backdrop tells me and it would never lie to me.

I think.

(BTW: You should totally check out the desk top calendar by Going Home to Roost...it's spiffy to the max.  She does one every month for your computer and your iPhone.  New Love.)

Anyway...my weakness for peaches is deep rooted...in my deep southern heritage.  My grandpa used to go help harvest the peach crops in Georgia during the season.  We always had TONS of peaches around.  I have fond childhood memories of making peach ice cream on the patio...You know, with the old ice cream makers where you needed rock salt.  We would have peach tea, peach cobbler, peach jam.....

Anyway...I love peaches...and I've always had a soft spot for anything baked with peaches...like peach pie.  Or how about fancify it??  A peach tart!

And not just any peach tart....this is one sinfully-delicious-mouthwatering-sweet-and-savory-peach-explosion!

Yes I said it....explosion.  This is going to EXPLODE PEACHES.  

I don't shy away from the dangers of the kitchen...so I went for it..and my alchemy proved to be SO successful I have to share it with you...

Almond Cherry Pie

Over this last 4th of July, I had a surplus of cherries.  How did this happen you ask?  Well, I was coming back through Dallas on my way to Joplin, and so you just know I HAD to stop at the happiest place on earth...

Wildberry Pie

Ok, I love pie.  I mean LOVE pie.  Almost as much as I love my husband....

However, I have never been a huge berry pie fan.  Maybe because most berry pie you get out there is made with the canned filling....or a flat, stale crust.... I dunno.  But I've never been a berry pie fan...

Until now

This pie is SO good!  It's a little tart and a little sweet.  Basically, perfect with ice cream.

Simple Gingerbread

Well, it's here....Christmas Eve.

I don't have much to say, except that I hope everyone has a wonderful day with their family tomorrow.

Here, let me deliver Christmas well wishes with delicious gingerbread.....

Recipe: Easy Brownie Triangles with Mint "Buttercream"

So after the events last Friday, I didn't feel much like working over the weekend.

It's Christmas, a time for love and family and peace, and the thought of working through another weekend with my daughter was a little depressing.  So I didn't.  I had fun with her instead.

Every time I make cookies she asks me if she can be my little helper.  It's heartbreakingly sweet...that little face with those doe eyes looking up at me.... tho I know her real motivation is just to get her hands on a cookie and icing...to eat it.  Still...

So this weekend I made a project that she and I could do together.  Even got the hubs to join in.

So yeah, it's a family activity.  Something you can easily do with your kids this holiday.  And it's fun too!

No, these wont be OMG amazing or expertly done or perfect by any means....just clean wholesome down and dirty baking fun.

Faux Gingerbread: Brown Sugar Spice Roll Out Cookies

Recipe time!!

Let's start with a story.  Love stories right?  I'll just pretend you said "yes, love them, please tell me a tale...."

My dad hates molasses.  I mean can't stand it.  The look or smell of it....just not his thing.  And it's not that Dad is picky.  He eats just about everything.  He used to cook for a living before I was born.

See, when Dad was a kid he went to go work at the feed mill with my grandpa.  Well, one of the byproducts of the mill was molasses.  Or something like it anyway.  It was my dad's job to climb down in the tank whenever there was a back up and unclog it.  So he had to go down armpit deep into the pit to fix it.  Guess what kind of things like molasses?  Maggots.  Maggots love it.  And beetles.  Getting a visual here?

Really, I don't blame him.  Not one bit.

Appetite aroused?  Awesome.

Anyway, my family came up for my daughter's 4th birthday party and I was working on Callye's 12 days of Chirstmas project.  I was making a "gingerbread box".  But for some reason I didn't have molasses in the house.  Must be habit.  And good thing too because I don't know that dad would appreciate the molasses-eee goodness a bakin'.  SO I improvised with what I had in the house to make a gingerbread-like cookie that is molasses free....  And it turned out AWESOME!

So awesome in fact, that I just had to share it.  If your team NO MOLASSES then these cookies are PERFECT!

WFD? Hot Cocoa Roll Out Cookies

So earlier this week, I posted some hot cocoa cookies inspired by a Christmas card.  It was all part of Haniela's post link up, which was super fun.

Anyway, I mentioned that they were hot cocoa flavored and I got a decent response for the recipe.

So here it is!:

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

Just a quick note to say...

Pumpkin Macarons: Recipe and Linky Party!

I enjoy trying new things.  Really...even when they turn out pretty crappy.

I also enjoy pumpkin.  A lot.

So when I get the opportunity to combine the two I do.  And since it's so close to Thanksgiving the opportunity to experiment with pumpkin has been frequent.

I've been playing with macarons lately.  And while I certainly have a LONG way to go....I think most of what I need is practice.  Technique practice.  So while these macarons might be less than perfect, they sure are tasty.

Twilight Is Nearing An End....

I was sitting here chatting with my cookie friends instead of sleeping like all good pregnant women should be at 1:00am, and starting thinking about the Twilight movie coming out this weekend.

It's the end of the series.  The same nostalgia that hit when the last Harry Potter movie was released.

Well, except I still haven't accepted the end of Harry Potter.  I mean I have, but I still miss it.

Anyway, I was thinking back on Twilight over the years...and I realized I had a set of Twilight cookies that, for some reason or another, I don't think I ever got around to posting on my blog.  Facebook and Flickr yes... but the blog.... I couldn't find it.

So I thought I would go ahead and post them.  For old times sake.  To say goodbye to Twilight.

Have to give credit to Sugarbelle here.  She allowed me to use a few of her ideas...because really...she's already made the most awesome Twilight cookies.

Looking back.....I wish a year ago me would have taken the time to take prettier pictures....

Ah well.  Lesson learned...life moves on...

My Post Cookie Con Hand Painting Attempt

Also known as, my week trying to be as cool as Arty.

Well, I'm back from Cookie Con, and still not even kind of caught up on all the excitement.  I'm reeling.  It was AWESOME....with a capital AWE.

I'll do a Cookie Con recap later this week (or next), but for now I wanted to talk about something particular.

So Arty McGoo was there teaching in our little troupe that weekend.  And she did her all famous hand painting.  Really, if you enjoy damp dark places and have decided to live under a rock, and don't know who I'm talking about.... CLICK HERE.

Anyway, she did her demo on hand painting and somewhere during her presentation I said (aloud...why did I say it aloud?) "I think I can do that".

Then after Liz and I chatted, and she told me how fast and easy it was to paint on cookies.  I'm all for fast and easy....

And I came home.....and had a deadline to meet...and thought....quick and easy....ok... let's do this!

And after a WEEK this is what I came up with

Gothic Halloween

Happy Halloween Everyone!!  :)

Chocolate and White Halloween

I really don't enjoy black icing.

I just don't.  So I try and use it as sparingly as humanly possible.

Well during my design session for this years Halloween cookies, I noticed quite a few designs that required black icing....and we're talking lots of black......

Me no likey that....

So here's what I did instead

Right so it's not exactly black but the general point is made.  And the best part about it....you only have to mix one icing color.  If that.  It's just white.  White icing on chocolate cookies.

Now I suppose I could have added more cocoa or a little bit of Americolor black to the dough to make it darker....yes, that would have been nice looking.  But I didn't....because I didn't think of it till after I baked them.  Crikey.

But still....for some fast and easy cookies...not too shabby.  I used a little bit of Americolor black mixed with some water and painted on my remaining details.  These were seriously fast...and fun too!!  I even put a little sanding sugar on my ghost and moon.

I will be posting the last of my Halloween cookies tomorrow...on Halloween.  Seems fitting.

Till tomorrow!!!

Sweet Halloween

Ok, so I am arriving SO last minute to the Halloween Party this year.

Truth is, I've been so busy nesting for baby and getting ready for my big trip to Cookie Con, I've fallen a little behind.

 made like 5 different sets of Halloween designs and only finished 3.  Perhaps I can still re purpose some of them.  Or possibly post them late?  Dunno.  Haven't figured it out yet.

Anywho...  here's a quick little set I made for the kiddies.

Nothing fancy or WOW about them.  But cute and fun all the same.  All made with a little candy cutter.

I do have to say, I am SUPER excited and SUPER nervous about Cookie Con this year.
I'm teaching a class.....scary I know.  Now there is some REAL Halloween terror for you right there.

But I'm also really looking forward to seeing my cookie friends, and I know it's going to be a whole lot of fun.

I might post my teaching project and some pics of Cookie Con when I get back.  Perhaps a few tutorials of what I am teaching for those who are unable to make it this year.  It's all up in the air.  I dunno...

Anyway, I will probably have another post today....maybe two more...because I have 2 more sets to show you.  And I was hoping to have a tutorial for one of them but I don't know that I'm going to be able to get to it.  Boo....

Tell then.....!

WFD?: Almost Grandpa's Apple Cake

My whole family is from Georgia.  But when I was 8 we moved to Texas and my grandma left her home in Albany and followed us.  So basically I'm a Texan.

So when I was little, my grandpa used to come visit us in Texas for the holidays.  He would leave Georgia right after pecan harvest season.  And when he would visit he would bring pecans, peanuts and all these fresh ingredients from the farms.  I have a lot of fond memories of him.  We would do jigsaw puzzles together in the afternoon.  He had an infectious laugh.  Sun tea and pumpkin pie were some of his his favorites.  He made the best Mayhaw jelly....

Anyway, every season when he would visit, there was always apple cake.  It was my favorite.  I snacked on it every second I could.  And since he passed over 10 years ago, there has been no apple cake.  I miss the apple cake.  Every year around the change of the seasons, I start to think of him.  Grandpa and apple cake.

On Grandma's milk glass....so appropriate :)

WFD?: Decadent Double Chocolate Cake

Seriously, this is the best chocolate cake in the history of the world.  I'm not even making that up.  Would I fib to you??  

No, I wouldn't.  Mamma didn't raise that kind of girl.

It's perfect for a chocolate craving, a family function, just because.... pregnancy induced hormonal meltdowns.....

Tutorial: Stacked Pumpkins

So about 2 years ago, I made these cute little stacked pumpkins out of a snowman cutter......

WFD? Roasted Tomatoes with Angel Hair

OK, I LOVE PASTA!  I'm not kidding.  I have to control my pasta intake because I am a pasta nut.  I will eat my weight in pasta.  (and hunny that's a lotta pasta...)

This is a recipe that I commonly make for lunch.  Mostly because it's light, tasty, and only calls for a few ingredients (most of which I always have handy).