Monday, January 24, 2011

sour cream lemon cake

i confess, i didnt make the chocolate bacon cupcakes like planned.
i decided to bake a lemon cake instead because family was visiting from georgia
but, with all that said, the cake came out great!
so pretty, so moist, so yummy.
can't wait to bake it again, and make some minor adjustments!










3 baking tips!
1. Grease & butter the pan generously. This helps the cake slide out of the pan once cooled.
2. Be creative; add zest to the batter and to the glaze. This recipe seems like the flavor can be adjusted easily. I will use this recipe as a base for some other bundt cakes like an orange sour cream cake, cherry chocolate chip, and many more.
3. Follow recipes as they are written. Chefs write recipes for home-makers to use properly. Follow step by step directions, videos, or pictures.

happy baking, friends.
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Thursday, January 20, 2011

fresh

cantaloupe
apples
pears
oranges
tangerine
raspberries
blueberries
& a squeeze of lemon juice

fruit salad
:)






enjoy something healthy, fresh, and easy to make.

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

wednesday wants.

im in want...
of many things.
not only to be a better person
but a better baker
a better wife
a better friend

so, to make this less depressing..
i will show you what is making me happy
right
this
second

 yellow button flowers blossoming in spring
[i used these as the main flower for my wedding]


my mom dried my bouquet while i was on my honeymoon,
& the yellow buttons turned mustard.
even more beautiful, aging like all natural things.


 an Etsy treasure; a vintage avacado green kitchen scale
valentines present, babe?

paula deen's bacon chocolate cupcakes
>>BACON<<
i plan on baking those chocolate cupcakes this weekend,
check back soon for pictures, the recipe, and tips!

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Monday, January 17, 2011

red velvet

last august, miss little green bird from rochester
flew into new jersey for my wedding.
during her stay, she wanted to do a cupcake photo shoot with me in my new kitchen.
i was so excited about how enthusiastic she was!
and totally flattered that she wanted to take pictures of my cupcakes!
weee had a blast!
the cupcakes not only tasted good, but looked adorable.
she brought along crafty items from her collection to dress up the cupcakes!
she inspires me to not only bake from my heart, but to show case what i have created.
..
with that said, here are some of the pictures from the shoot.
enjoy, be inspired, & find joy in all that you do.







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apple cider cupcakes

i can't wait to share everything i've been doing since october!
you may be overwhelmed, as am i.
but, we'll get through it.

apple cider cupcakes.
when i found this recipe, my body melted.
i fell in love.
so, enjoy!
Recipe;
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened.
1-2/3 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple cider
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

-whisk dry ingredients together. set aside.
- beat softened butter.
- add sugar to butter.
- add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, scraping bowl between each addition.
- on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with the apple cider [ending with flour]
- fill baking cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.





try something new! use what the season has given you.
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scones

mmm, scones.
what is a scone you might ask?
a scone is a delicious baked good, a mix of a biscuit and a muffin.
flakey, yet buttery.
sweet & flavorful.
simple.


cranberry orange scones
flour.sugar.fresh orange zest.baking powder
baking soda.salt.butter.fresh squeezed orange juice
an egg.cream.dried cranberries


blueberry lemon scones
[same recipe as above, except a few minor changes]
fresh lemon zest
freshly squeezed lemon juice
dried blueberries

three helpful hints when baking scones:
1. do not over-mix.
once all ingredients are in the mixer, the dough should be mixed for under 10 seconds.
you can even mix the dough lightly with your hands.
it will look dry and not together, but that's the reason why scones are light and flakey.

2. be creative!
use whatever flavor combinations you want! cranberry orange, cherry vanilla, blueberry lemon, pumpkin spice, cinnamon butterscotch, and those are just a few!

3. egg wash!
make sure to brush each individual scone with an egg wash.
what is an egg wash? - 1 egg and a splash of milk. whisk.
after brushing each scone with the wash, sprinkle raw sugar on each.

i hope you've enjoyed reading, learning, and getting hungry while on my blog.
check back weekly for new recipes, pictures, and ideas!

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