It's St Patty's Day- Let's Cheer for the Irish!

Oh how fun........I love St. Patrick's Day..............Over the years I noticed, that people love to celebrate this day...............Is it because it means, Spring is right around the corner.......Could be.

I made Key Lime Cup Tarts just for this occasion, the recipe is from "The Artful Cupcake" by Marcianne Miller. I really haven't had a chance to make many of the recipes from this book, I have noticed these recipes can be a little time consuming, but if your a person who loves to spend the day in the kitchen creating yummy cupcakes or desserts...........This is a great cookbook.

This cupcake is out of the ordinary, and is made in 3 to 4 different steps, it depends on how you look at it...............It is actually a cupcake in a tart shell, and then covered with a Key Lime custard that is baked over the top.
It does taste like your eating Key Lime pie....................
Since the cupcake had to be refrigerated for an hour, after baking them, I decided to also experiment with adding a Whipped Cream frosting.
I was afraid the sweetness of the frosting would take away from the tartness of the cupcake but it did not.............It actually mellows it.

Honestly, this cupcake has opened up a whole new avenue to explore, on styles and techniques, perhaps this was the push, I needed.

A Simple Bee Hive Cupcake

I love when I find a cupcake recipe that while baking in the oven , fills my home with wonderful fragrances, that are comforting to the soul.

The recipe I chose for this cupcake, comes from CUPCAKES by Elinor Klivans. It is called a Banana Butter Scotch Cupcake.

One thing I found I did not like was the texture of the frosting that was suggested for this cupcake, it was different from other frostings I have made in the past.

It called for a blend of brown sugar with powder sugar. It was a little on the soft side, almost like soft serve ice cream so it did not give me the design effect that I was looking for.... Something to work on.

To make the bees I used a simple idea I found on the M & M's website www.brightideas.com I cut a mini Snickers in half and used sliced almonds as wings.

With the aromas that filled my home, the attempt and flavors of this cupcake, were worth the time...................

Latte Trouble A Coffeehouse Mystery

Having, now finished the 3rd book in the coffeehouse mystery series, Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle, I have made some very interesting discoveries about Coffee along the way............And some are just so exciting

not to share..........

Roasting your own coffee beans at home................Yes!! It is true. I found you can take, your passion for great tasting coffee, to the next level. It is called the i-Roast 2 coffee roaster. It costs about $199.00 and is from

Hearthware Home Products

You can customize the roast, they claim, to your liking, ranging from a light cinnamon to a dark French roast. The roasting process takes just about 15 minutes. You can find purchasing information at www.i-roast.com or you can call 888-689-2831

I also found a great little shop on a recent trip to San Francisco called Mud,
Wind, & Fire, where I found this great t-shirt by Cactus, to show my love for Espresso. They are located upstairs on Pier 39............And also can be contacted at www.madragsfashions.com or (415) 397-7066.
This t-shirt has quickly become a favorite of mine.

The next book in this series is called Murder Most Frothy and will be published in August 06, till then I may have caffeine withdrawal....................."Not!"

Friendly Frog Cupcakes

Some one asked what the occasion was for making these cupcakes.
"Don't you know", I replied, "March 1st is Kermit the Frogs' Birthday!"

At least it is in our home.......................Kermie, holds a very special place in our hearts, since our son received him, as a birthday present when he turned two.

To celebrate, I made Pistachio Cupcakes, using the recipe in the cookbook
125 best Cupcake recipes by Julie Hasson.

The idea of the Frogs, comes from the M & M's website, www.brightideas.com
They actually call them Lily Pond Treats.....................They are easy to make plus delightful to all.

"Happy Birthday Kermit the Frog!"