friday love

This week somehow slipped away so quickly.....and I am ok with it....enough with this snow already!! But there were still so many things to love........like sleeping in this morning! Because....why not. Although we weren't really sleeping--all four of us in one bed until 8:00, with eyes being poked and hair being pulled.....but 8:00!! I'll still take it.You know I love a simple recipe!Roasted New

Cupcakes in a Jar--I call them Cupcake Kaleidoscopes!

Happy Birthday to my mom-2010 style!
I won't say her age but I will say that she is a goddess with fiery red hair.

This will be the second year that I have mailed her a cake for her birthday.

I really thought the best way to ship a cake to my mom is a cupcake in a jar!
It's fun.   I baked two cakes-a strawberry cake, and a vanilla cake.
I stacked the cupcakes, loading the frosting in between each flavor. Delish.
Now what makes the cupcake in a jar the most fun is what you add to the inside of the jar.
The possibilities are endless.

For my mom's cupcake jar, I added frosted animal cookie pieces, sprinkles shaped like hearts/flowers, edible glitter. Not only will the cupcakes be delicious to eat right out of the jar, but she can shake the jar several times and it will always look different. Kinda like a snow globe. Or..I call it a cupcake kaleidoscope!

Love you Mom. xoxo

chocolate chip coconut cookies

2 sticks of butter (1c), at room temp1/2 c white sugar1 1/2 c brown sugar2 eggs2 tsp vanilla3 c all purpose flour1 1/2 tsp baking soda3/4 tsp salt3 cups shredded sweetened coconut1 lb chocolate chips/chunksCream the butter and the sugars until light. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add

senses of spring

I see new life. Everywhere. Blossoms on the treetops, blowing through the air, and scattered on the ground.I hear the birds.Each morning before the sun comes up. "It's spring" they say.I taste.....everything! The freshness of spring fruits and veggies (waking up my tongue!) that I have waited all winter for. It's perfect.I smell the sweetness of the flowers that can be found on every corner.I

chile and lime veggie bowls

These are so so good! We've had them a few times since I first found the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.Chile and Lime Veggie Bowlsadapted from BHG1 Tbsp. soy sauce1 Tbsp. lime juice1 tsp. chili powder1 tsp. fresh oregano, snipped, or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed1 tsp. olive oil2 medium sweet potatos, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and

lemon lime tea cakes

And so it continues... my preoccupation with bite sized fare.  I won't go on and on again for all the reasons I love things in mini portions, but these are perfect for so many occasions.  I had an order for some bite sized food for a baby shower and I remembered about these mini tea cakes my friend Lea had told me about.  They turned out to be the perfect spring treat and they are so easy.  I was thinking about whipping up a couple of batches for Cinco de Mayo.  They just seem like the perfect treat for a fiesta... My only warning:  You might want to consider tripling or quadrupling this recipe... the go very, very quick.  

Lemon Lime Tea Cakes

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients

Cooking spray or butter for coating pan

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

2 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 large lemon (ends cut off), very thinly sliced and seeded

2 tablespoons lime zest (optional: for garnish)

Powdered sugar (optional: for garnish)

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place a baking rack in the top 1/3 of the oven. Lightly coat a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, 2/3 cup sugar, and lemon and lime zests on medium speed until light and creamy, but not fluffy. Add lemon and lime juices along with eggs and beat to combine, scraping down bowl.  Gradually add flour and salt and beat until blended on low speed. Divide batter among muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon each). Bake until cakes are golden around edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

While mini cake are baking, combine 2/3 cup water and 2/3 cup sugar in a medium size pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add lemon slices and rapidly simmer until peel turns translucent and lemon syrup thickens slightly, 5 minutes.

With a toothpick, poke holes all over tops of warm tea cakes in pan. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon lemon syrup over each cake. Let cakes cool slightly in pan; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To plate, place candied lemons on a platter.  Place tea cakes on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar and lime zest.  

over the weekend

2 tier cake!

Idag gjorde jag min första våningstårta täckt med sugarpaste! Jag fick mitt paket från kakburken i veckan, som bl.a. innehöll små "embossstämplar". Först satte jag bara på blomman och var ganska nöjd, men sen var jag ju såklart tvungen att testa stämplarna. Sagt och gjort. Egentligen hade jag gjort massa blommor att ha på tårtan men jag tyckte det blev finast att bara ha en. Tårtbottnen är en trefärgad chokladbotten, fylld med apelsinchokladmousse, dulce de leche och apelsincurd. Den är spacklad med kaffesmörkräm och täckt med sugarpaste. Nu ska jag gå och skära i den!

friday love

It's Friday!!! I loved this week!!As much as I loved the warm sunshiny beginning, I didn't mind the rain so much these past few days....especially while baking bread.Honey Whole Wheat Breadadapted from this recipe (yes, I alter my own recipes....just upped the wheat flour this time)1 1/2 c warm water1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast1/3 c honey2c all purpose flour2 TBS butter, melted1/2 TBS

friday feet

erin: watching aaron watch the massive surf roll in.sheena: wormy (to add to our compost) feet.

earth day

unplug and enjoy it:)

it rained. and rained. and rained.

Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

I am starting to have a serious urge to prepare everything bite size.  Every time I see a cake or an appetizer dip, I start thinking about how I could make it into mini portions.  Not sure what this urge has to do with, but I'm goin with it and I have a couple of bite size sussies to share with you. 

Maybe it has something to do with being at a party or restaurant and not sitting close enough to the appetizer. You know, you are at a long table and you just feel like a beef cake if you reach over 4 people one more time to get another nacho.  Or you are at a cocktail party and you are trying to balance a glass while taking a bite of something with a tiny little fork all the while trying you are trying to keep up conversation with people you barely know.  So here's my solution.  This way, everyone can either get a few bites or make a balancing act a little bit easier.

I made these for a ladies luncheon a couple of months ago and everyone seemed to really enjoy them.  I think my above point was proven because these went way faster than the pasta salad or fruit, which required a fork.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Adapted from here

Ingredients:

24 cherry tomatoes, a mixture of red and yellow if possible
1/4 lb. chevre (fresh goat cheese)
1 tsp. half and half
1/8 c. basil, minced
1/8 c. parsley, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Cut a circle in the top of each and with a small spoon or the edge of the knife, scoop out the juice and seeds. This should produce a sturdy, hollow shell.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Using a small spoon, a pastry bag fitted with a small tip, or a ziploc bag with the corner cut off, fill each tomato with the herbed goat cheese mixture.

Just plate and serve.  These can be made the night before and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Orange almond biscotti!

Nästan varje gång jag är ute och fikar väljer jag faktiskt att ha en mandelbiscotti (helst doppad i choklad såklart) till kaffet. Många tycker nog att det är lite underligt med tanke på vilket utbud det finns. Men jag säger som jag brukar, det enkla är oftast det bästa (och godaste) och bör inte underskattas! Därför var det på tiden att jag gjorde mina första biscotti, med apelsin såklart. Underbart gott!



Mandelbiscotti

2 st ägg
1,5 dl socker
100 gram sötmandel
3 dl vetemjöl
1 tsk vaniljsocker
1 tsk bakpulver
En nypa salt
Rivet skal från en apelsin (kan uteslutas)
Ca 200 gram mjölkchoklad att doppa i

1. Värm ugnen till 200 grader. Vispa ägg, vaniljsocker och socker vitt och poröst. Tillsätt rivet apelsinskal. Hacka mandeln grovt.
2. Blanda mjöl, bakpulver och salt i en annan skål. Häll i mjölet i smeten, lite i taget. Blanda i mandeln och rör till en jämn smet (den är ganska kletig).
3. Häll ut smeten på ett bakplåtspapper så att det bildar en längd (ca 10cm x 35cm) som är lite mindre än bakplåspappret. Vill du göra mindre kakor så gör två smalare längder. Grädda i ugnen ca 16-18 minuter.
4. Ta ut ur ugnen och låt svalna en stund. Sänk ugnsvärmen till 150 grader och skär längden på diagonalen i ca 1,5 cm tjocka skivor.
5. Vänd kakorna på plåten och grädda på ena sidan i 10 minuter. Ta ut plåten ur ugnen, vänd kakorna och grädda i ytterligare 10 minuter. Låt svalna.
6. Smält choklad i vattenbad. Doppa varje kaka så att chokladen täcker ungefär hälften. Förvara i en lufttät burk.



In English
Every time I'm out for a coffee (I don't think there is a word for the Swedish word "fika") I choose to have an almond biscotti (preferably dipped in chocolate) with my coffee. Many people seem to find that strange, since there are so many other delicious pastries to choose from. But as I usually say, simplicity should not be underestimated! That is why it was about time I made my own biscotti, with orange of course. Wonderful!


Almond biscotti

2 eggs
1,5 deciliters sugar
100 grams almonds
3 deciliters flour
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsk baking powder
A pinch of salt
Zest from one orange (optional)
About 200 grams milk chocolate for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Beat eggs, vanilla and sugar until white and fluffy. Add the orange zest. Chop almonds coarsely.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Add the flour to the egg mixture and stir until smooth. Add the almonds (the mixture is pretty sticky).
3. Pour the batter on a baking sheet so it forms a log (about 35 cm long and 10 cm wide). If you wish to make smaller biscotti you can make two thinner logs. Bake for about 16-18 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let cool. Lower the heat on the oven to 150 C and cut log into slices about 1,5 cm thick on the diagonal.
5. Turn the biscotti and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and turn slices over, and bake again for 10 minutes. Let cool.
6. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Dip each slive in chocolate, covering half. Store in airtight container.

random thoughts on thrifting

Scenes like this make my heart pitter patter. Garage sales and outdoor markets are starting up for the year and I am soooooooooo......ooooooo excited.(your welcome coca cola for the free ad) I seriously think I have issues. There are a few things that I cannot pass up buying, and old books is one of them. Do I need them?? no. Do I HAVE to have them because they are 50¢....YES!-The Running of the

a simple snack

avocado on toast.This is one of our favorite snacks. aaaaannnnd....it's easy. healthy. and super quick!It took 4 minutes and 16 seconds to be exact. yes. I timed it. I wanted actual proof that it takes no time at all to have a healthy snack.What you'll need:-a good slice of whole grain bread, toasted-ripe avocado-salt and pepper-a good magazine to read while you enjoy.enjoy!

Dear Charly,

Today you are 1....er........oneish. If I were the best mother in the world, I would dig out your papers and figure out exactly when your birthday is....but I guess I am not the best mother...but let's face it, you haven't exactly been the best puppy, have you....If I recall correctly, you have eaten:-the siding off the garage-every chew toy I have ever given you-the cable for our tv (which you

Pictures of My Cupcakes

This Blog Site is still under construction, (I am still trying to figure out how to build a website!) and there is a link to my photos but it might just be better to share some of my work right now...

But for now..a shortened version of an Amanda Cupcake Portfolio:

listed!

some springy new prints added to the shop!this one is my favorite:)

over the weekend....

....we ate. and ate. and ate. did a little thrifting. and ate some more. it was wonderful. Just days after we left the Southwell home, they couldn't handle life without us, and came up to play for another weekend!Places you simply must check out (soon!) Rooster in Provo (thanks brutschs:)Our favorite pizzathese cookies + coconutDolcetti GelatoHappy Sumoand last, but certainly not least, Caputos

lauren and ben

blogged over here!

Little Kitchen Renovation

Okay, so I know most people use the word renovation when they are knocking down walls and redoing cabinets but for one, I'm not most people and for two, this first little renovation has helped me so much that I feel like it is significant enough to be called one.

So here is my new spice rack.  Oh, I'm just thrilled about it for quite a few reasons.  I was first inspired to do this after I bought my 3rd bottle of paprika only to discover that I already had some, but just couldn't find it in the chaos of my cabinet.  With my limited cabinet space, this has also given me another shelf in the pantry, which is prime real estate in this tiny tot space.  And, I just think it's so darn cute.  I have included the details of the project below and I have to give Mr. Hungry all the credit for the actual execution of this one.  It was written all over the woman's face at Home Depot, who was helping me gather materials, that she thought there was no way I could pull this off.  Little did she know I had Mr. Hungry at home who has a high interest in me liking our kitchen (the more I like, the more I cook) and knew just what to do with the brackets and assorted screws that I brought home.  There are a few other projects I am tackling to make this renter's kitchen more bearable so I'll be back with more.

Still can't do anything about this eye sore of a microwave. There are days when I think about just chunking it because it is so ugly, but Mr. Hungry would have a cow if he didn't have a way to make easy mac cups or heat up leftovers.

The shelves: The shelves were simply one piece of wood I had cut into 3 even pieces by the fine people at Home Depot.  I bought plain white paint and gave them a couple of coats.

How they are hanging:  They are hanging with tiny L brackets.  If you are really interested in more specifics, you can email me and I can ask Mr. Hungry (I was not allowed in the kitchen during this process... apparently, I am not as helpful as I think I am when it comes to such projects... but don't get me wrong, I'm also thankful that I'm not needed... no problems here)

Spice jars:  Bought these at Ikea for 4 for $3.99... pretty darn good deal if you ask me.

Labels:  They are Martha Stewart labels sold at Michael's.

And the good news... this was all done for under $30, which is cheaper than most spice racks you can buy (which I don't like anyway because they take up valuable counter space).

This doesn't look like the terrible "before shot" that it really was before I forgot to take a pic of this disheveled shelf before I took out all of the spices, but trust me, it was bad.  When I was first trying to organize, I bought these little mini risers, but they quickly bent and really just weren't providing the organization I was looking for. 

Fun with Art.

I had a migraine this weekend..and I had been planning to bake some new cupcakes and try some new recipes =( Needless to say I was disappointed. So instead, I stayed home and created some new Amanda Cupcake art.. that part was fun.

Flower frosting!

Häromdagen plockade jag ut några cupcakes ur frysen och gjorde lite frosting för att testa tyllen jag köpte för några månader sedan. Har liksom inte hittat något bra tillfälle att prova den, men nu tyckte jag att det var dags! Frostingen bör vara ganska fast för att den ska hålla sig på plats. Tyllen är perfekt att använda när man inte har tid att göra dekorationer i sugarpaste, men ändå vill göra lyxiga cupcakes! Cupcakesen nedan är halloncupcakes med cream cheesefrosting.

A "Tiery" Time

Recently I was asked to make some cakes for a couple of friends. The mud cakes turned out great and are reliably consistent and delicious although terribly wicked. Happy customer. Happy cakemaker. Happy twenty first recipient.

The other request was by a friend whose future daughter-in-law wanted cupcakes. A casual engagement party. Her only request was that they be purple and white. A darker purple, not the lilac kind. And that was it. The creation was all mine. Now I must confess to a slight case of nerves. Good nerves though. Not the shake-in-my boots, pull-out-my-hair, oh-my-god-I-can't-do-this kind of nerves. Actually I was very impressed with myself if I may be so bold. I put in some practise to discover a really great buttercream recipe. I then made the cupcakes from the exact same cookbook and they equally turned out extremely well.

The book is surprisingly called "cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski. It's a little gem and of all the cupcake books out there at the moment I was very pleased I made the "right" choice. You have to have a good foundation, so once the buttercream and the cake mixture was mastered, my creativity stepped in and I became rather caught up in the whole cupcake affair. I will even go so far as to say I enjoyed it, which I really didn't think I would.

Cupcakes sure can be fiddly. They can also be awfully rewarding. It was so lovely to hear the gasps of delight as I assembled the tier on the night. Instead of hiring a stand which I felt was outrageously expensive, I bought a "high tea" stand, covered it with some organza material and white and purple ribbon. Underneath I roll hemmed a gorgeous deep purple piece of fabric upon which the whole thing sat. You can only visualise so much.

On the night I ended up scattering extra sugar hearts and fondant flowers and silver, pearl cachous to add some tizz. Together with a scattering of gold crystal and purple speckled glitter dust, this cupcake creation was definitely demanding to be noticed. And noticed it was. Although it was in a poorly lit dim part of the room, it didn't stop people from coming up and taking photos and admiring it throughout the evening.

Again. Happy customer. Happy cupcake maker. Happy engaged couple. I had heaps of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed my tiery time.

Vanilla Cupcakes
recipe from "cupcakes" by Shelly Kaldunski

200gm plain flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
185gm sugar
90gm unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
125ml whole milk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180degrees C. Line a standard 12 cup muffin pan with paper or foil cases.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, 2-3minutes. Add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well on low speed after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium high speed just until no traces of flour remain, about thrity seconds; do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. 18-20minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about one hour.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream. The frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. bring to room temperature before finishing. Garnish the cupcakes the the coloured sugars and nonpareils, if using and serve.



Buttercream Recipe

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
185gm sugar
pinch salt
250gm unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature
flavourings of your choice

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 71degC on an instant-read thermomenter), about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temperature and holds stiff peaks (the mixture should not look dry), about 6 minutes.

With the mixer on medium low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the flavourings of your choice and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use right away.