Author Archives: Carrie Hoke

Top Ten Countdown to Harry’s Birthday: #9 Butter Beer and Pumpkin Juice

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With the introduction of Dobby the house elf, the flying Ford Anglia, and of course, the deadly Basilisk, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has Harry and his friends taking on a new set of dangerous adventures that sets the tone for the rest of the future editions. It is my second favorite in the series, with the first being Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie is when Harry and Ron find out that the porthole to Platform 9 3/4 has been sealed (by Dobby, of course!),  thus missing the  Hogwarts Express. They are  ultimately forced to take the bewitched Ford Anglia and find themselves searching for the train to Hogwarts. To their unfortunate discovery, the train they thought was near, was actually behind them.

Now on to the treats…

BUTTER BEER! The first time I went down to Universal Studios to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, my first mission on my list was to taste the Butterbeer. It was an amazing combination of cream soda and butter flavoring….and obviously, delicious! This recipe is an oldie, but goodie, by the ever so talented Darla@Bakingdom and has been on my page before, but I thought it deserved a second post in honor of the countdown.

Ingredients:

FOR THE BUTTERBEER:

  • 6 12-ounce bottles chilled cream soda, substitute diet cream soda for a still yummy sugar-free version
  • 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) imitation butter flavor, or 2 tablespoons clarified butter (instructions linked above **clarified butter does not always blend well with the cold beverage, see info above**)
  • OPTIONAL – 1 ounce light rum, per serving, for adults only

FOR THE FOAM:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 6 tablespoons sugar, or splenda for sugar free version
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons imitation butter (if using clarified butter, double the amount to 3 teaspoons, or 1 tablespoon)

To make the butterbeer: Set out 6 16-ounce glasses. Place 1/2 teaspoon of imitation butter (or 1 teaspoon clarified butter) in each glass. Pour 12 ounces of butterbeer into each glass, over the butter. Lightly stir, if necessary.
To make the foam: In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and continue whipping until very soft peaks begin to form, another 3-4 minutes (if you need to whip more or less, then be sure to do so, the times can vary quite a bit based on environment). Stir in the vanilla and imitation butter (or clarified butter), then whip for another 30 seconds or so, until soft peaks form.

Spoon a generous portion of foam on top of each glass of butterbeer, mixing gently, if desired (or spoon the foam into the bottom of the glass and pour the butterbeer over the top). Serve immediately.

Recipe by Bakingdom.

…And PUMPKIN JUICE!!!

This recipe was created when the final film was coming out in theaters. Notice the picture of Harry and Voldermort in the background? The hubster and I went to a week long, 8 film viewing in theaters leading up to the final film and this was part of our care package.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of pumpkin, chopped up into chunks (I used canned pumpkin pie filling for taste and texture)
  • 2 cups of apple juice
  • ½ cup of pineapple juice
  • 1 teaspoon of honey (more or less to your liking)
  • Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and/or Allspice (all ground, to taste)

Directions:

  • Step 1: Juice the pumpkin pieces by squeezing through a cheesecloth or using a juicer if you have one.Step 2: Pour the pumpkin juice, apple juice and pineapple juice into a blender.Step 3: Add the honey (we recommend you start with 1 teaspoon, as you can add some later!) to the juices and blend thoroughly.Step 4: Add your spices (to taste). This might take some experimentation to get right.Step 5: Chill your pumpkin juice or serve iced and enjoy!

“It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.” ~Albus Dumbledore

 

Top Ten Countdown to Harry’s birthday: #10 Acid Pops, Licorice Wands, and Chocolate Frogs

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If you have been following along at all here at Bake No Prisoners, you know that I am obsessed with all things Harry Potter, so I thought it would be only fitting that we have a countdown to Harry Potter’s (and J.K. Rowling’s) birthday on July 31st.  Being the major Potterhead that I am, I will be posting my favorite Potter treats each day, for the next 10 days, leading up to a massive birthday cake on the 31st.

I will also be posting some of my favorite quotes and clips from all 8 books/movies, starting with the first movie, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, when Harry meets Ron and Hermione for the first time.

I love the part when the trolly pulls up and Harry buys “the lot” to make Ron feel better about his soggy lunch. So in honor of the trolly scene, I decided to make a few of the trolly treats that Harry and Ron enjoy in the film!

If you watch the clip carefully, you can see the Acid Pops on the trolly in the background. These are nothing but round lollipops dipped in warm honey and then rolled in Pop Rocks.

The licorice wands above are Milk Chocolate Twizzlers dipped in melted white chocolate candies and then rolled in gold and silver sprinkles.

These licorice wands made a fun and exciting activity for the 2 AWESOME muggle kids I watch over the summer!

As it turns out, HP treats are just as tasty as muggle treats!

We also found neon Twizzlers (I love NEON!) and tried different sprinkles to give the wands some variety just like in Ollivander’s Wand Shop!

And finally, to make our chocolate frogs a bit more brillant, we used the leftover melted white chocolate candies in the frog mold, added peppermint flavoring, and then sprinkled them with hot pink sugar crystals.

Enjoy!!

“Now if you two don’t mind, I’m going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed – or worse, expelled.” ~Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

 

If you like Piña Coladas…

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Yes, I just pulled a cheesy song intro, but…come on….you know you are singing the rest of that song in your head! (I know I am…Ha!)

I can still feel the sand between my toes…the sun shining on my face…. the waves crashing on the beach…

But alas, my beach vacation is over…back to my everyday small town life. It’s not so bad really(in fact, I LOVE where I live now), but growing up near the beach my whole life, I took advantage of its close proximity. There were many days where I would hop in my car after school and drive down to the beach to hang out with my friends. When it takes you more than 4 hours to get to the nearest beach it makes you appreciate it so much more. It makes you want to stay forever!

These are just a few pictures from our annual family trip to Myrtle Beach, SC.

Our favorite places to eat included Pier 14 and Peaches! At Peaches, I recommend the foot long that has chili, cheese, and fritos…YES FRITOS!!

We walked out onto the Pier after dinner and hammed it up in front of the camera!

My in-laws (middle left) are a few of my favorite people. I am so very blessed to have them in my life.

We got to ride the enormous Sky Wheel on the boardwalk. The view was spectacular! The red arrow is pointing to where my in-laws were sitting while we were up in the air! Now that is a long way down!

Now on to the cupcakes….

While on vacation, my MIL and I enjoyed our own Piña Coladas, but when you can’t get your hands on your own tropical drink, these cupcakes will do the trick for an everyday fix!

Piña Colada Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Bake Time: 25 minutes

For the Cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup crushed pineapple
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk

You can add 1-2 tablespoons of rum to the cupcake batter for flavor

To Brush the Cupcakes:
1 to 2 tablespoons white rum

For the Pineapple Coconut Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¾-3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons pineapple juice/rum (if you want that extra kick!)
3 tablespoons Coconut pudding

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the  vanilla extract and rum. Mix until combined.

6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand. Fold in the crushed pineapple.

7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.

8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of rum. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

9. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the pineapple juice, rum and coconut pudding and  mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with a wedge of pineapple, a cherry and an umbrella .

If you would prefer to not use liquor in these cupcakes, you can absolutely omit it from both the cupcakes and the frosting with no problem. If you do omit it, I would add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the frosting.

(Recipe adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride)

Blue Velvet Cupcakes and a Sprinkle Bakes Cookbook GIVEAWAY

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I have a winner to announce for Bake No Prisoners first GIVEAWAY! Our winner will receive SprinkleBakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist, by Heather Baird of SprinkleBakes.

The winner is……comment #10!!!!!

Sarah says:

July 16, 2012 at 8:29 pm (UTC -5) Plus, I’m following you on Twitter.

Congratulations, Sarah!! I will contact you shortly for shipping information.

As I sit here writing this post, I am overlooking the peaceful coastline of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Mental note: perfect writing location) It is a trip we typically take every year and it normally includes a healthy variety of Mr. BNP’s family. I smile fondly when I think about our family trips to the beach in years past and it fills my heart with joy knowing that I will always have those memories to share in the future. We stay at the same beach front condos that have been in the family for years. We love to lay out under the umbrellas and splash in the sea. We enjoy eating out at the same places like Peaches and their fabulous foot-longs or Sea Captain with their spicy seafood jambalaya. We have to have our liver-mush and biscuits in the morning and pinto beans in the afternoon. And at the end of the week, we always celebrate the hubster’s birthday!

A few weeks before we left for the beach, I had ordered the new cookbook everyone is the baking blogosphere has been talking about lately, Sprinkle Bakes. While flipping through the visually appealing pages of what I can only call a “baking art museum”, I had noticed a blue velvet cupcake recipe that would go perfect for Mr. BNP’s beach birthday! So this year I thought I would be a bit proactive and bring cupcakes to help celebrate the occasion. (I also made a giant birthday cupcake, candle included, that the hubster got to eat for breakfast the day we left for the beach). I am so impressed with this cookbook that I thought I would use it in our first Bake No Prisoners GIVEAWAY!! You will absolutely love the artistic side to all of author/baker Heather Baird’s sweet creations! As well as how easy she makes it with her step by step directions and photos. You definitely won’t want to miss out! (See the bottom of this post for details).

Now on to the cupcakes! These blue velvet cupcakes are very similar to red velvet cupcakes and happen to be my FIL’s (Aka three bite wonder) favorite!

 

These cupcakes were pretty easy to make and their blue hue tied in perfectly for a great beachy feel! Add these to my FIL’s famous homemade vanilla ice cream and you have the perfect summer treat!

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake portion:
2 cups sugar
½ pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 ounces liquid blue food coloring
1 small dab of violet gel food coloring
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons white chocolate ganache (my special touch!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.

2. Cake:In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together to form a paste, and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.

3. Pour batter into cupcake papers. Batter will be thick! Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

4. Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, ganache and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip. Embellish as desired.

Recipe by Sprinkle Bakes.

How to Enter the Sprinkle Bakes Cookbook GIVEAWAY

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

“What’s your favorite summer treat?”

Additional (Optional) Entries

To up your chances of winning, you can receive up to THREE additional entries to win by doing the following (these are optional, not required):

1. Become a fan of Bake No Prisoners  on Facebook. Come back and let me know you became a fan in an additional comment.

2. Share Bake No Prisoners on Facebook on your personal page and let me know you did in an additional comment.

3. Follow @BakeNoPrisoners on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional comment.

The Fine Print

Restrictions: Winner must have a U.S. shipping address.

Deadline: Friday, July 20, 2012 at 11:59pm EST. **Contest has now ended.

Winner: The winner will be chosen at random using Random.org and announced at the top of this post. The winner will also be notified via email; if the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

GOOD LUCK!!

Blackberry Pie with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

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This pie is just in time for Independence Day! When I think of the Fourth of July, I not only think of freedom and those who have fought and defended my right for freedom or how awesome it is to live in southern, down home, “bless your heart” America, but I also think of classic American food. You know exactly what I am talking about. I absolutely love to grill out with some burgers and coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans. I also have to have fresh from the farm watermelon, strawberries, and of course, blackberries. And it is an must in our home to have classic American desserts like my Mama used to make.

My pastry crust recipe goes back a long way and can be a bit tricky, but my pie filling  is as simple as…well…pie! I had purchased a couple pints of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries a few days ago at the market. They were too perfect to pass up and I knew I would find a use for them somehow. I ended up using the blueberries for a layered blueberry almond cake and I snacked on some of the raspberries with a bit of honey one of my students had given me (his Mom is an actual bee keeper and super awesome!). And so I decided to make this pie using the blackberries and remaining raspberries I had. And what pairs perfectly with warm, tart blackberry pie? Homemade vanilla ice cream, of course! This vanilla ice cream recipe comes from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. Lebovitz is a pastry chef  living the perfect life baking his way through Paris. He has his own website, www.davidlebovitz.com, in addition to, several amazing cookbooks. His traditional vanilla ice cream recipe takes a bit of time, but is oh so worth it. We made 2 quarts of this creamy, rich custard like ice cream and it was gone in days. Tie it with this patriotic pie and you have the perfect all American treat!

From all of us at Bake No Prisoners, we hope you and yours have an amazing Fourth of July! God Bless America!

Blackberry Pie

Ingredients:

  • 2 store bought/homemade 9 in. pie crusts
  • All-purpose flour, for surface
  • 7 1/2 cups mixed blackberries and raspberries
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
  • Lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • Salt
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Roll out 1 pie crust  to about 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place carefully in a 9 in. pie plate. Trim excess dough and flush with edges of pie plates using a knife, or crimp edges.

2. Stir together berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest and a pinch of salt. Fill pie shell with berry filling.

3. Whisk together yolks and cream. Roll out remaining pie crust to about 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut out stars and stripes using cookie cutters , a knife, or a pastry wheel. Decorate tops of pie with cutouts, brushing bottoms with egg wash to help them adhere.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of pie with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

5. Bake until juices are bubbling and tops are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. (Tent with foil if crusts are getting too dark.) Let cool.

Recipe adapted by Martha Stewart, Pies and Tarts

Vanilla Ice Cream

About 1 quart (1l)

For a richer custard, you can add up to 3 more egg yolks. For a less-rich custard, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, realizing that the final texture won’t be as rich or as smooth as if using cream.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (250ml) whole milk
  • A pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.

2. To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

5. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.

6. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: Used vanilla beans can be rinsed and dried, then stored in a bin of sugar. That sugar can be used for baking and, of course, for future ice cream making.

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop (Ten Speed Press)

 

The Daring Baker’s Challenge: Battenberg Cake

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So last month, while I was perusing the internet for other foodie blog inspiration, I discovered The Daring Kitchen. To quote the website, “The Daring Kitchen is the home of The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks. The premise of both groups is to create one recipe each month, given to us by a monthly host. We all create the same exact recipe and then post about it on our personal blogs on a designated date.” How awesome is that?!? So I decided to join The Daring Bakers.  Each month I will be challenged with a new recipe that will most likely be outside my comfort zone. When I got my first challenge a few weeks ago, I felt like a baking superhero, which is kind of their theme. In addition to my superhero status, my first challenge was to create a Battenburg Cake  to coincide with The Queen’s 60th Jubilee. For those of you who don’t already know, I am obsessed with the British Royal Family, especially Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. I even took the day off from work to watch the entire Royal Wedding of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, so this Battenburg Cake challenge was right up my alley.

The first Battenberg cake was made to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria, to husband Prince Louis of Battenberg.It’s traditionally flavoured with almond and has the signature Battenberg markings, that is, the yellow and pink squares (said to represent the four princes of Battenberg). The strips of sponge are glued together using jam (normally apricot) and the whole cake is covered in marzipan. Sometimes the edges are crimped and the top is patterned with a knife.

My Battenburg Cake below was actually my second attempt. My first attempt turned out perfectly fine until I started working with the marzipan. I had ordered it online since it is quite difficult to buy it in large amounts where I am located. Unfortunately, it started to crumble and tear as I tried to roll it out. It was also almost yellow in color and did not pop as well as the white fondant used in my second attempt. I did go with the traditional Battenburg recipe of the yellow and pink squares, but there were other options on the The Daring Kitchen website that included coffee and walnut and even a Rubix’s Cube recipe. All the recipes given had explicit step-by-step instructions and pictures to allow for baking success. All in all, I had a wonderful time with my first challenge and recommend The Daring Kitchen to anyone who loves being in the kitchen as much as I do!

Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease.

Mojito Cupcakes

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There is nothing better during the hot, summer months than a fruity, frothy alcoholic beverage.You know the ones I am talking about…they come with a wedge of orange or a happy little tropical umbrella! You picture yourself in your bikini on a sandy beach, reading a juicy novel when you think of them. Well, at least I do…minus the bikini part. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a big drinker. In fact, that is why I love this post! I can enjoy the taste of all my favorite summer drinks sans the alcohol by making them into my favorite food group…cupcakes.

Now I have asked all my friends and family to name their favorite summer drinks. My goal is to make at least 6 of them into a cupcake. Here is the first one…my favorite…the Mojito. I am a big fan of mint and everything that contains mint. I even have my own mint growing in my herb garden. Although, it is separated from the rest of the herbs because if its not, it will take over your entire garden. Trust me! The Mojito typically has mint muddled at the bottom of the glass and as the other components are added, lime, rum, sugar, the mint compliments each one beautifully. My Mojito cupcake contains all of the components that the drink itself has, but I do simmer down the alcohol to remove the alcoholic content and  just allow for the taste of the rum flavoring. They are very tasty and unlike the drink, I can have more than one!

Favorite summer drink cupcake #2 – Pina Coladas

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

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So to piggy back off of last post’s Chocolate Chip cupcakes, I have discovered the latest and greatest cookbook that prides itself around the best part of making chocolate chip cookies…chocolate chip cookie dough! The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, which I have already ordered and is being delivered as we speak, has everything from cookie dough cream pie to these cute little cookie dough truffles below. I found this truffle recipe on display over at Bakerella and was immediately compelled to jump into my kitchen and whip up a batch! I mean, how can you go wrong with cookie dough wrapped in chocolate or peanut butter candy coating with mini chocolate chips? So be honest…do you eat some of the raw cookie dough when you are baking chocolate chip cookies? For me, it is the highlight of the entire cookie baking process!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
chocolate candy coating
Popsicle sticks, cut in half (use kitchen scissors to make a clean, smooth cut) or cake pop sticks

  • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
  • Mix in milk and vanilla.
  • Add flour and salt and mix on low until combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Chill dough in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm enough to roll or scoop into 1-inch balls.
  • Place rolled balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
  • Melt candy coating following instructions on the package. Remove a couple of balls from the freezer at a time and insert the cut stick into the ball. Dip in candy coating and let any excess fall off back into the bowl.
  • Add small sprinkles on top and place on wax paper to set. If the chocolate pools at the bottom of the ball, dot the balls on the wax paper until most of it is pulled off the ball and then place it on a clean spot of the wax paper to set.
  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.

If decorating like chocolate chip cookies, flatten the balls into patties and freeze for dipping. Insert the stick carefully into the thickness of the patty and dip in melted peanut butter candy coating. Then just sprinkle with more mini chocolate chips before the coating sets.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

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I love chocolate chip cookies! Especially the new ones at Chick-Fil-A. They are at their best when they are gooey and soft and fresh out of the oven. Last weekend I was in the mood for chocolate chip anything when I came across this recipe from Martha Stewart. I own her infamous Cupcakes cookbook which has everything from dipped and glazed to simple and sweet. Since it is just my husband and I here, I had to cut the recipe from 30 cupcakes to 15 and finally to 8. This was not an easy feat and at one point I actually had to 1/2 an egg! Fortunately for me, it all worked out. They were a bit on the muffin side rather than of a cupcake consistency, but after I slapped some vanilla butter cream with chocolate chips, I was in heaven!

Click on the link below to check out the recipe!

Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

It’s a Cupcake Graduation

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If you are a frequent visitor of BNP, then you know that during the day I teach 4th grade at an amazing K-12 charter school. Well a few weeks ago I was perusing the school’s Facebook page and a parent had asked if we had a baker in our school community. So I thought to myself, Self, why not put yourself out there and see what happens. Come to find out, this parent contacted me and asked if I would be up to making 5 dozen cupcakes for the 2012 seniors. And to that I said…OF COURSE!

So I sent her a few design ideas and she came back with a few of her own and together we came up with a very cool and creative cupcake to celebrate the milestone of high school graduation. I developed a vanilla cinnamon cupcake that is compared to that of a cinnamon roll and used a vanilla butter cream to top it. This is by far my favorite cupcake I have ever made to date! I also made 2012 and PLP signs out of  white chocolate to contrast the blue frosting (blue and white are our school colors) and used a graduation liner and hats to make it festive.

Congratulations Class of 2012! “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” ~Dr. Seuss