Tuxedo Cupcakes

Today, I flash back to my freshman year of high school.

Y has had a few opportunities this fall and winter to attend some formal school dances. In our efforts to help him navigate the world of men’s formal attire, we’ve explained to him that he has one responsibility. –He is to not detract from how good his date looks!
He’s taken the advice well and has been fortunate enough to have incredibly good looking dates. The dresses available for these girls are so different than those when I was that age. I grimace at the photo of me in my hideous Homecoming dress from 1983. There is much regret in that selection.
So my advice to Y is “Keep it simple, yet formal.”
Just like these Tuxedo Cupcakes:

Tuxedo Cupcakes

Mix and bake 24 white cupcakes from a boxed mix or your favorite scratch recipe. Let cool completely.
Frost with a Chocolate Ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1 1/2 cups grated chocolate or chocolate chips
1cup whipping cream
Heat cream and chocolate whisking well, or blend in the food processor.
There is not much difference between a ganache and a glaze. You can play with the amounts of cream:chocolate ratios to thicken it or thin it depending on its purpose.

Garnish with a chocolate dipped strawberry.

I enjoy the entry way photo shoot every time my son has a formal date. The teens- obviously view it as a painful parent pleasing ritual. Despite how much I enjoy the photo opps, I’d rather get a glimpse of my kid bustin-a-move on the dance floor. However, no doubt he would think it unparalleled funny to have watched me try to blend my simple farm girl upbringing with my first pair of high heels and a “fancy” dress.

Turtle Cupcakes

Is it “Girls Night Out”?!
Do you need a treat your girlfriends will appreciate?
Through the years of treat sharing, I’ve noted that a “turtle” dessert is most favored among female recipients. Apparently the true appreciation of the combination of caramel, chocolate and pecans requires a refinement of the taste buds.
In my youth, I avoided all things with nuts.—why?
Well, one year I remember a thin box on top of the refrigerator. I saw my mom return it there one afternoon. I asked the contents thereof- she simply distracted me. I soon returned to the empty kitchen. As I reached for the thin box of “Sees Candies” my mom’s radar kicked into superhero mode and she was quickly upon me as I opened the box.
“You won’t like them!” she quipped
“I think I will!” was my rebuttal.
“No! You won’t. She strongly replied- “There’s nuts in them.”
And that was convincing enough for me.
Somewhere along in my adulthood, perhaps my sophomore year at college when I learned that I love Snickers Bars, I realized the truth.
Today we are bringing together chocolate, caramel, and pecans in a favorable cupcake treat.

Turtle Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Fudge frosting
Mini Chocolate chips
Caramel Sauce
Chopped Pecans
Chocolate Glaze
Begin with a batch of Yummy In My Tummy Chocolate Cake batter, omitting chips, if desired. Bake batter in lined cupcake pans for 15+ minutes.
Pipe chocolate frosting onto the cooled cupcake. I’ve been experimenting with fudgy frostings and haven’t found anything I love yet. Thus in the meantime, I use a boxed mix requiring milk and butter. I decrease the milk by about 30% allowing the frosting stiffness. Today, I piped it using a contraption broken a bit, held together by duct tape. It was a pain. Next time, I’ll just use a freezer strength Ziploc, with or without a “tip” attached.
Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips onto still wet frosting. If you are using a tip, and your progress seems slow, frost six cupcakes, then sprinkle chips and repeat. Next, drizzle with caramel topping. I prefer Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel Sauce piped from a freezer strength Ziploc. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Finish off with a couple of swirls of chocolate glaze, drizzled from a freezer strength Ziploc.

Now call some girlfriends to get together, or prepared to be highly favored by whomever you choose to share with :)

Oreo Cupcakes

I am supposed to be making six dozen cupcakes.
Most importantly, I need some for a neighbor friend who deserves a huge thank you. My daughter didn't bring home her math text book for her homework yesterday because she can access it online. She tried to log on and realized she couldn't remember her password. She called a neighbor friend who is in her class. J's friend told her she would copy the pages J needed for her and even offered to deliver them. J graciously accepted the generous offer. However I insisted she call her friend back and tell her we could come get the pages. I sent Y as the driver for the errand. He and his sister returned a few minutes later. I inquired as to the success of the mission. J shows me a 7 page stapled packet. Her friend copied not only the pages with the problems (which she highlighted for J), but also the instructional pages. Following the last page she copied for J, she included a couple of blank pieces of lined notebook paper. It was the most amazingly generous "copy of a text book page" ever! So of course, she needs to be thanked.
I also have committed about 5 dozen cupcakes to the women’s group that I belong to. There is a fantastic program planned for this evening followed by a sampling of gourmet cupcakes.
However, after polishing off my string bean chicken, mixed vegetables, and steamed rice, my fortune cookie told me "YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE AND COMPLETE ANYTHING YOU DESIRE". So it only makes sense that I put aside the cupcakes and further experiment with a Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe made from scratch. After all, it's not every day you get a fortune promising you success…

…It is now hours later. The cookies were an epic failure. I guess the key word “SHOULD” in my fortune left room for error. (And there were plenty of them!) So I got busy making some very fun single serving desserts!
I never had an Oreo as a kid. In high school, I remember on one special occasion picnic, Mom bought generic “sandwich cookies” for a treat. Now that I’ve had an Oreo, I can tell you those cookies were terrible! I chose to not deny my kids that perfect treat. B had his first one around the age he could be bribed to crawl to it!! And today, I’ve chosen to make a simple Oreo Cupcake to share.

Oreo Cupcakes

Begin with a base of Yummy In My Tummy Chocolate Cake batter.
Make 24 cupcakes with the batter. Bake approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely.

Oreo Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, whipped
8 oz. Cool Whip.
5 crushed Oreo cookies.
Stir together all ingredients until well blended. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and garnish with an Oreo cookie. I piped the frosting by spooning all of the frosting into a gallon size freezer strength Ziploc and trimming a half an inch from the corner of the bag.(This batch will frost 10-12 cupcakes)

Save a few Oreos for bribing:

A Bad Idea?

What constitutes a bad idea?
Its a very subjective question.
Is something a bad idea only after it fails?
Or is it a good idea that just needs more refining..
For example-
I joined a gym. Well, you know, I kinda had to - because my treadmill is broken. I thought for sure W would surprise me and get me a treadmill for Christmas, but he stayed with the original plan of not getting me anything because we need a new TV. (Everytime you push the button to increase volume, the channel changes.) So, I'm on the treadmill at the gym one afternoon. A guy, a few years older than me climbs on the machine next to me. I look at him, and then without being able to control the incling to not to, I double take back. The "outfit" he chose was a tight green polyester tank top with white piping paired with tight short black shorts. I assume the last time he worked out, he probably wore these same clothes- the early eighties. So who had a bad idea?
Me? Deciding to go to the gym at 2:00pm?
Him joining "MY" gym? -Clearly not-- as it was obvious he needed to be there too!
Perhaps just the what to wear idea he had?
So, if you've nothing else to do, think about that.

I'm sure we can all agree that this frosting looks like a bad idea--



or does it just need more refining?

Have a good day. I'm re-working some of my non-treat recipes and couple of more cupcake recipes!

Strawberry Cupcakes

My daughter came home from school last week, tossed down her bag and told me her friend was sick and not at school. J said she wanted to call her friend and tell her about “science”. (I have since learned that’s a code word.) Her conversation began while I was in the kitchen near her, and a science experiment was indeed discussed. Minutes later, my daughter had gone into the other room and told her friend, “Oh yeah- And- you missed the first day of dancing with boys in P.E.!!” Her tone seemed like such a task was irritating. But I knew all to well; it’s only irritating if you don’t get to dance with someone “good.” I remember my first school dance. I was in eighth grade. I was wearing a new gray and mauve jumpsuit. The intro to “Stairway to Heaven” began to play and I panicked. This was the most important song of the whole dance because it was the longest: six minutes, twenty-four seconds. My eyes nervously scanned the group as I tried to see if any boy was moving toward me. I checked the doors for the nearest exit. If an “undesirable” began closing in, I’d have to make a quick exit to the hall for a drink. I was delighted to be asked by Doug, and although perhaps there was still a bit of awkward conversation, and lack of coordination on my part, I was happy to be dancing with someone “good”. So, today we celebrate dancing with boys! Here’s the recipe for a cupcake suitable for celebrating:

Strawberry Cupcakes

1 strawberry cake mix
1 small package strawberry cream or vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup water
1/3 cup oil
Mix all ingredients in Kitchenaid until blended. Increase speed and mix 2 minutes. Spoon batter into 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15+ minutes. Cool.

Strawberry Cream Frosting

8 oz. softened cream cheese
½ cup soft butter
2 small packages Strawberry Cream instant pudding mix
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Whip together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla, pudding mix, and powdered sugar. Beat on high for two minutes.
Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with a strawberry slice.

The truth is, according to my husband, who was the first one to tell me the truth- I dance like Elaine on Seinfeld. Nevertheless, I’m happy to raise a cupcake in the air, and toast- “To dancing with boys!”