Mystery, Cupcakes.....I am there!!!!!!

"There is no Mystery to where this Cupcake went!"


If I said I didn't have fun doing this, it would be an out and out lie. It was a BLAST!!!!
It is funny how things can just fall into place.
While cleaning out our pantry after Halloween, I found a small bag of these skull rings, my first thought was, Gee I could have used these to decorate my Halloween cupcakes, but Oh Well, maybe next year.
I have been trying very hard to organize all my cake decorating stuff, so that, things like this can stop happening, but anyway.

I put the skull rings in with all my stuff, so I will know where they are, come next year.......
the door bells rings and I notice the UPS man has brought me a package. To my amazement it is the book I had ordered recently Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what this book was about or what to expect.
I picked it up on Friday afternoon and finished it Saturday morning. With a big smile on my face.
I fell in love, by the 3rd paragraph, I knew I was hooked, in a very GOOD way!!!!!
A murder mystery, with a FOODIE TWIST, works for me. I have now ordered all the rest of the series and look forward to Cherry Cheescake Murder,being released early next year.
Yes, I've already gone to www.Amazon.com and preordered it.

This book is an easy read plus you can't help but like all it's characters.

It's definitely , small town USA. It just leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, unless of course your the corpse.

Right after finishing the book, I know exactly what I had to do, BAKE!!!! The cupcakes are really good but do let them sit awhile, they really do taste better after a few hours or the next day. They seem to get richer with age.

You can go to Joanne Fluke's website it is www.murdershebaked.com They occasionally post her cookie recipes for all to enjoy.

An additional FYI to all who own her 1st edition of Fudge Cupcake Murder, there is a typo in the recipe, instead of 1 1/2 t. baking soda, it should read 1 1/2 t. baking powder.

SECRET ingredient to this cupcake, I'm not telling.

"ENJOY THE BOOK!!!"

"All eggs are not created equal"

Happy Thanksgiving

A pumpkin cupcake with Maple Frosting

(YUM)

2 Tips, I have already learned this holiday season:

1st tip:

The measurement of an egg is not always equal. Some could fall a little short. In baking, your eggs should measure 1/4 C. If not, your baked goods could come out slightly dry. And if more than 1/4C. They could be to moist. (personally there is no such thing)
If they do not measure 1/4 C. per egg add a little water.
If they measure more, take out a little of the egg white.

2nd tip:

You're all set to bake but forgot to take out the eggs. No Problem!!

Place eggs in a small bowl with lukewarm water, let sit for 5 minutes, Wha-La, Room Temp eggs.

When does a Creation/Recipe become your own?

I found a recipe this week, that I wanted to adapt for Cupcakes.
It's my Wedding anniversary this weekend and I wanted something, Extra Special.
I found a recipe in a Chocolatier Magazine that was published in 1993

Just browsing through the magazine, the first thing that struck me as odd, was there were no websites for Anything. "Oh how times have changed".

I found a recipe Jackie's Bailey's Delight," Ah Ha!!! This is it."

I changed the Sara Lee pound cake and made a Velvet Butter Cake, a recipe I found in the Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. With the extra batter, I made extra cupcakes to freeze and decorate later. I think a Rum Butter frosting will compliment these cupcakes.
Sorry, I'm getting side tracked.

Any way then came the Bailey Mousse. I had a little trouble with this.

Bailey's Mousse

1/2 cup Bailey's Irish cream liqueur

1t.Vanilla paste

1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Make the Bailey's Mousse:

In a small cup combine the Bailey's liqueur and vanilla paste. Sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture and allow it to stand for a least 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until blended.

In a medium saucepan, cook the milk over medium heat until boiling. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture until blended. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. until the custard has thickened slightly. Do not boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and strain the custard and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Place the bowl over a larger bowl of iced water and stir for 5 to 10 minutes, or until just cool.

In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set a medium speed, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks begin to form, Using a rubber spatula, fold one third of the whipped cream into the mousse base. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Chill for 2 hours.

I found after 1 1/2 hours, it was not sitting up, the way it should, I then whipped the 3 egg whites and another cup of whipping cream and folded into the Mousse base.

I took the cupcakes that had cooled from the jumbo cupcake pan, washed it and put the Bailey's Mousse mixture in them and froze them, for another hour.

I split the cupcakes in half, unmolded the mousse, loosing with a off set spatula, putting the Bailey's mousse between the cake slices. "Perfect Fit!!!" Decorated with a Chocolate Glaze on top.

Chocolate Glaze:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1T. Brewed coffee

1t. Vanilla paste

I did copy the picture in the magazine and served.

De-Lish.

But again, I ask, is this now my own recipe, I changed the Vanilla extract to Vanilla paste, I add egg whites when their recipe called for none. I added more whipped cream, I changed the pound cake to a Velvet Butter cake recipe and made my own. I made quite a few changes yet went on their basic recipe. Or does this still belong to someone else.

Hhhmmm!

This is about finding Balance "Yin and Yang"

This is about learning and balancing new things in my life.
I was finding that I have been sitting on the sidelines of life.
I have awakened a new Passion within myself in baking. I love cupcakes!!!!!!!!!!!
It came to me late one night. (Don't most things)

This cupcake is very simple, done with basic Vanilla and chocolate cupcake batter, I used the recipes from Julie Hasson's booking , 125 Best Cupcake recipes, with a Vanilla cream frosting. The best part of making this cupcake was the discovery of:
Madagascar Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.
It can be bought at www.Surfas.com . I encourage everyone to try it.

Today is the day!!!

I am starting in a new direction today and I am going to do it one cupcake at a time.
This is all very new to me, it should be fun and where I end up a year from now could be very interesting.
I love to bake and my hubby is always telling me, that desserts are my specialties. I do hope you too will enjoy my journey into the future.
This obviously is not a Cupcake but a labor of Love that I made this year for my Sweetie, on Valentine's Day 05'
It took me 7 hours to make and I loved every minute of it.
It is a:

Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake by Marcel Desaulniers (Death by Chocolate) on top are chocolate covered strawberries by Shari's Berries www.berries.com.

A toast to the future and what it holds!!!!