Bittersweet Guinness Cupcakes

Here is a Chocolate cupcake that will please any Chocolate Lover

This are so moist and awesome..........You have to give these a try for your next gathering.

At first I thought ?What.........but my son is such a Guinness fan, I thought what a nice surprise but I have to be honest....................I was the one surprised

I hope you will try them and tell me what you think.........

Bitter Sweet Guinness Cupcakes

(From Raley's Supermarket)

Ingredients

1 (18.25-oz) box pudding in the mix dark chocolate cake mix

1 (12-oz) bottle Guinness Extra Stout

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 (4-oz) bar bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Frosting

Cream cheese Frosting: Beat 1 8-oz package room temperature cream cheese, 2/3 cup powdered sugar and t tbsp. heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

Directions for cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine cake nix, Guinness, oil and eggs in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape bowl and beat for an additional 2 minute on medium. Stir in chocolate and pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting. Keep refrigerated.

My Favorite Summer Pie recipe

Last year for the first time I ate a piece of Strawberry Rhubarb pie and it was the best tasting pie, the combination is perfect.........Usually my first thought on Rhubarb is ICKY!!!! but now I know what I had been missing. I needed to find a recipe to satisfy my taste buds and here it is. I found this recipe in a magazine All you March 28, 08. This pie is simple to put together and beautiful when baked.

If you never liked Rhubarb I suggest you be a little adventuress and give this a try..............I am glad I did!!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

1 (9inch) unbaked pie crust (homemade or store bought)

Filling:

4 cups rhubarb, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 cups strawberries, each cut in half

1 T. grated orange zest

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup instant tapioca

Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

8 T. unsalted butter softened

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 425. Place a rack in lower third of oven and line a baking sheet with foil.

Next prepare filling. Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl and let rest for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Make topping, Mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub in butter until mixture forms clumps. Stir in almonds

Spoon filling into pie shell and sprinkle evenly with topping. Place pie on lined baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake 1 hour longer, until fruit is bubbly and topping is brown and crisp. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Great with your best Vanilla ice cream!

"King of the castle"

Another birthday for my dear neighbor Ralph, even thou I have only known him for a short time, he is a wonderful and kind person. Some one you'd meet and like immediately...........This is for you Ralph because you are the "King of the Castle"

Gingerbread Cake

Castle

Baking spray that includes flour (to be used to prepare pans)

4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 sticks unsalted butter (1 lb)

2 cups unsulfured molasses

2 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups boiling spring water

1 1/3 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take out three 8 or 9 cup nonstick castle molds and baking spray, but Do Not spray pans until just before batter is to go into the oven.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, salt, and pepper

Melt the butter with the molasses, and set it aside to cool.

Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until they are very thick and almost white. Add the butter mixture, and beat on low speed, just until combined. Using a rubber spatula scrape the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment, and stir well, making sure all the ingredients are well combined. Add the boiling water, sour cream, ginger root, and orange juice, and beat 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment, making sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Spray the castle molds with the baking spray until every surface inside the molds is completely covered. Immediately pour the batter into the molds, dividing it evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, and check with a toothpick to see if the gingerbread is done. If necessary , allow another 5 to 10 minutes for the gingerbread's to bake until a toothpick inserted

into the middle of each gingerbread comes out clean. ( You may also bake the gingerbread's on convection, checking after 25 minutes.)

Cool the gingerbread on rack, for 20 minutes.

Carefully invert them to unmold on greased racks. Cool completely, then carefully slide onto serving plates. Decorate as desired, and serve with best quality vanilla ice cream

Each gingerbread makes 4 t0 6 servings.

****Special note: This recipe can be found in Diane Mott Davidson's book.......Sweet Revenge, a novel of suspense and one of many terrific recipes. Enjoy the book and recipes.

Busy as a Bee

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have blogged, I have been so busy with work and school, it has been impossible..........But that is about to change.......I hope for the better......

I looked at my oven the other day and thought what is wrong with this picture..........Well the first thing I noticed was it was empty, not on, and no wonderful aromas coming from it.

So I set myself in motion to bake a Lemon BeeHive cake for my dear friend Nel who is celebrating her birthday later this week.....And all of us girls here in our neighborhood like to get, together and celebrate each others birthdays, we usually also go out for breakfast or lunch.

We have had some really good times and also have found some great resturants in the process.

If you are curious as to, how this was made I used a Nordicware beehive pan and the recipe that came with pan. The sugar bees I found at http://www.flourpot.com/ It was easy and alot of fun............Party's tomorrow

I hope the ladies will enjoy it as well

Happy Birthday Nel............wow your how old?..........ah but you don't look it.....your still a youngster

A Royal Tea Party

High Tea or Royal Tea that was the question I asked myself........But what is the difference. I learned that if you also serve Champagne at a tea, it then becomes a Royal Tea...............Hm mm.

Learning much about the etiquette of giving a tea turned out to really quite interesting. I cannot remember just how many books I read on the subject. With a few ideas of my own.......... I sent out my invitations to 20 lady friends with all accepting...Much to my surprise........It was a wonderful party that I will never forget......A very special Thank you to all my friends who came, I have never felt more loved and appreciated.

Royal Tea Menu

Chocolate Charlotte

Lemon Madeline's

Apricot scones with Devon shire cream (also called clotted cream)

Apple'N' Honey scones

Lemon Poppy seed bread

Date Pecan Tea Bread with chunky cream cheese spread

Summer Fruit Tart

Triple nut Diamonds

Layered Vegetable Cheesecake with assorted crackers

Lemon drop Champagne

Large variety of tea

"Oh what fun we had"

Gallery of what I have been up to for the last few Months

It has been about 5 months since my last blog.......My life has been so busy between working and going to school, my life has been a very enjoyable whirlwind.



Even though I have not been blogging, I still continue to bake...........It is the one thing in my life that helps keep me sane..........I am sure some may doubt this..........Ha! Even thou I am feeling sorta rusty.....I decide to at least let you see what I have been up too. Enjoy my mini Gallery of baking..........No licking the screen (LOL)

Lemon cupcake with lemon curd........Fit for a queen
Cappuccino cupcake....Yum mo!!!

My Favorite of all of these: Amaretto creme cupcakes




A little Smurf for our friend John, who loves Mickey D's french fries.

A little something tropical
Mango bread........

Ernie Keeble and a cranberry coffeecake for our friend Larry, who was such a good sport. We always tease our friend about being short and brown nosing at work............Larry is that Fudge on your nose. LOL


Butter cake cupcakes, Now I understand why Paula Deen drools over Butter cakes. Not very pretty but a fantastic cupcake





Time out for a Mocha Frappuccino



























Tirimasu

Berry-Licious Cupcakes

Perhaps I spoke to soon, I have been so buried in homework and I have two exams next week, that my head is spinning, but if I don't find time to bake, I will go crazy............This is the one thing in my life that gives me pure enjoyment.

So last week I did make some time and made these cupcakes called Berry-Licious. If you are a fan of Strawberry shortcake, then you will love these because they are even tastier..............I have a friend who's birthday was on the 4th of April and I thought they would enjoy this little treat.
I found this recipe in a really great new book from Wilton's called Cupcake Fun..........They also have a web site http://www.cupcakefun.com/ Definitely for die hard cupcake fans.

I hope you will try this recipe, I think you will be pleasantly surprise.

Yum!!

Berry-Licious Cupcakes

1 package white cake mix (no pudding in mix)

1 package (16oz) frozen strawberries in sugar or syrup, thawed.

Water

3 egg whites

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pan with baking cups.

(I actually made these in my jumbo muffin pan, I wanted them to look like mini cakes)

Drain berries, reserving liquid. Add enough water to reserved berry liquid to make 1 1/3 cups. In large bowl, combine cake mix, berry liquid, egg whites, and oil, beat with electric mixer 2 minutes. Fold in thawed berries. Spoon into baking cups. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden. Cool cupcakes in pan on cooling rack for 5-8 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.

Makes about 24 cupcakes or 5 mini-Tasty-filled cakes and decorate as you desire, I used whipped cream plus add a little of the strawberry liquid and topped it off with a fresh strawberry and lite sprinkle of Pink sprinkles.