happy halloween

...it's like I have a full on Sears backdrop in my  house....

frankenstein: green face paint + eyeliner + bronzer + hairspray + his own plaid shirt + old pants cut off + a 5 minute burlap vest + batting stuffed in his shirt + cut off gloves.the stinky skunk: a $4 black shirt + a felt tummy + a stuffed felt tail + fur trim + felt ears hot glued to clips.
easy peasy.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I'm in love with pumpkin right now. All things pumpkin all the time is what I've been thinking about. Even though I've been roasting up my own sugar pie pumpkins that I grew in the garden almost every day (I have 8 left, I started with 13.) I went to the Olympia Farmers Market today to buy more. Sounds pretty crazy, but I want to eat and experience different varieties that I have an interest in to see if they are worthy of garden space next year. I went home with an orange Kabocha squash that looks like a pumpkin, and I took home a beautiful white pumpkin called "Lumina".
More pumpkin stuff to come, sweet and savory.

These pumpkin whoopie pies are my new favorite thing. I sent some to my husband's work and I also took a batch to a party, and they were loved by all. They are all of the things a whoopie pie should be, moist, soft, spicy pumpkin cake with a yummy cinnamon cream cheese filling.

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

adapted from this recipe. This recipe makes about 20 small whoopie pies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1 15 oz can pumpkin (make sure it's pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light olive oil (or other neutral oil)
2 TBS molasses
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups all purpose flour

For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 and cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, oil and molasses.

In another bowl add flour, salt, spices, and baking soda.

Add flour mixture to wet mixture and beat together, make sure all is incorporated.

Scoop batter onto cookie sheets lined with parchment. I used a medium sized cookie scoop, about 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons in size. If you don't have a cookie scoop I'd use a tablespoon for this task to make sure they are all the same size.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Mine took 11 minutes.

Cool completely then make sandwiches with frosting.

Frosting Instructions

While cookies are baking, add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl of stand mixer. Beat together until whipped, 3 minutes or so, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Or alternately, use a large bowl and hand mixer, beat well.
Add the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar, 3 cups first, then beat well. Add more if you wish your frosting to be more stiff. Add cinnamon to taste, I'd start with 1 teaspoon, and go from there. I ended up using 2 to 2 1/2. This amount will also depend how fresh or what variety of cinnamon you are using, and your taste of course.

You will probably have frosting left over. It freezes well. Or add a little milk to it and use it as a frosting for cinnamon rolls. Or use it as a filling for my next whoopie pie recipe coming soon! Banana whoopie pies, stay tuned!

Happy Halloween!

As a side note: Look at all of these pumpkin recipes at NY Times.com! 

Blueberry lemon cupcakes!

Jag har inte haft tid att baka speciellt mycket den senaste tiden, enligt mina mått mätta då. Helst skulle jag vilja baka varje dag, men det går ju inte att äta upp allt själv! Så för att fira att denna veckan är slut och att två tentor är avklarade i skolan firar jag med blåbär och citroncupcakes med citron swiss meringue buttercream (smbc). Det här receptet på smbc är det andra jag provar, och jag tror faktiskt jag föredrar detta receptet då frostingen blir lite mindre smörig och lite mindre söt.

Blåbär och citroncupcakes
ca 15 st

•3 3/4 dl mjöl
•1/2 msk bakpulver
•100 gram rumsvarmt smör
•2,5 dl socker
•2 stora ägg
•1,5 dl mjölk
•1 tsk vaniljextrakt
•1/2 dl färskpressad citronsaft
•Skal från 1 citron
•150 gram blåbär

1. Värm ugnen till 175 grader. Blanda mjöl och bakpulver i en bunke. Klä en muffinsplåt med muffinformar.
2. Vispa rumsvarmt smör och socker fluffigt i en annan skål. Tillsätt äggen och vispa tills smeten är fluffig. Tillsätt vaniljextrakt.
3. Tillsätt sedan mjölblandningen, mjölk, citronskal och citronsaft. Vispa försiktigt tills allt är väl blandat. Rör försiktigt ned blåbären i smeten.
4. Fyll formarna till ca 3/4. Grädda ca 25 minuter.

Citron Swiss Meringue Buttercream
•5 stora äggvitor
•200 gram socker
•225 gram smör
•1 tsk vaniljextrakt
•Skal och saft från 1 citron

Gör såhär:
1. Häll äggvitor och socker i en värmetålig skål, ställ i vattenbad på spisen. Vattnet i kastrullen ska sjuda.

2. Vispa hela tiden med en handvisp, tills blandningen blir cirka 65 grader. Ta genast bort från värmen.

3. Vispa blandningen med elvisp eller med hjälp av en köksassistent tills blandningen är fluffig och vit, som en marängsmet. Vispa tills blandningen är sval, vilket kan ta upp till 10 minuter.
4. Tillsätt sedan smöret, en liten bit i taget. Efter allt smör är tillsatt, vispa cirka 3 minuter.

5. Tillsätt vaniljextrakt, citronskal och citronsaft och vispa ett par minuter tills frostingen är slät.

friday love (the sweet and condensed version)

Craziest week ever!
My head is no longer attached. But it's finally Friday, the kids costumes are done, and we are ready to weekend it up!
I love that the kids are home from grandmas and our lives are back to crazy normal.I do not love Robby's new school schedule for this block....but I DO love that we made it through the first block! Hooray! Only like 700 more to go.I love that my plans for

jeremy

blogged over here

Candy Corn Pretzel Bites

And so the million combinations for pretzel bites continue...

However, this time we are using a Hershey Kiss that is seasonal so you better act fast!

Have you seen these little guys?

Candy corn flavored Hershey Kisses.  My friend Jennifer introduced me to them and while I actually can't stand candy corn, these are pretty addicting.  Add a pretzel and a dark chocolate m&m and you've got quite the perfect little bite. 


Recipe Note
I have only seen the candy corn kisses at Target.  I scoured grocery stores for a long time so let me you save you a trip and just head to Target.  If you have made the original pretzel bites, know that these are a little different.  The candy corn hershey kisses do not harden as well as hugs do.  If you are making a big batch and want to throw them in a bag, I suggest making ones with double pretzels.  I had to lay them side by side with parchment paper on top or they get kind of melty on each other. 
Ingredients
1 bag candy corn Hershey kisses (see recipe note)
1 bag square pretzels
1 bag dark chocolate M&Ms
parchment paper
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place one kiss on top of each pretzel.  Bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly melty.  Remove baking sheet from oven and top each kiss with an m&m.  Press down slightly so that the hershey kiss smushes down on the pretzel.  Optional:  Press another pretzel on top instead of the m&m.

The Never Nudes Take Las Vegas

Warning: if you are not a fan of bathroom talk or men in awesome shorts, then this post is not for you. But come on, who is not a fan of those things?Before we start the long process that is this post, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with Tobias the Never Nude (from the best show ever, Arrested Development) see here




THE NUMBERS: 6 in one van6 in the other.195 miles through Las

I Believe In Pink

Yesterday I went to go visit my friend Andra. We have been friends forever, sure...but that isn't the biggest reason I went to see her.

Andra owns her own salon in Phillips, WI. Her business is called Hair Design by Andra ~ located at the Rejuvenation Station right off of Hwy 13.

Andra is a bubbly, sweet girl.  She has always had this magnetic personality that everyone is attracted to.  Now she's using that amazing personality she has to promote a positive purpose.

Andra shaved her head! In the name of all those who are battling or have battled cancer!
Her inspiration was her friend Debra who is currently battling breast cancer. Debra made a star appearance at the salon and stood right by Andra's side the whole time.

First, I delivered a special hug from my mom who has won the battle with cancer.  My mom still misses my Aunt Rachel (my mom's younger sister)  who passed away from cancer a little over a year ago. 

my radiant Aunt Rachel

While I watched the crowd gather around in the salon, people felt comfortable enough to open up & share their stories about their experiences with cancer.  Andra's friend said that when you are sick, it's really important to share the experience with a friend who cares about you, so that you have the support you need in a difficult time.  It felt really warm inside of the salon today, even though cold, wintery winds blew outside.

We all wore *pink*.
Even Andra's hair was pink before she shaved it off!

My role?  I delivered Andra her dream cupcakes----Pink Strawberry Margarita Flavored!
With a surprise juicy strawberry in the middle of each cuppycake.

All donations went to the Susan G Komen foundation.
To make a more personal connection, Andra gathered donations for her friend as well.

It was a very teary eyed and sweet event for all~and for different reasons.

I had three different reasons to donate my sweetness~my Mom, my Aunt Rachel, and my brave friend Andra.  What would your reason(s) be?

Apple tree cake!

Förra veckan gjorde jag denna tårtan till en väns fars födelsedag. Önskemålet var en mandelmarängbotten, och någonting med jordgubbar, banan och vit choklad. Tårtbottnen var nästan precis som att göra macarons! Jag trodde att bottnen skulle misslyckas, men den blev förvånansvärt fin och rak i kanterna. Nu fick jag ju tyvärr inte möjligheten att smaka på den, men jag delar med mig av receptet ändå!
Tårtan innehåller för övrigt jordgubbsmousse och banan, sedan är den täckt med vit choklad swiss meringue buttercream. Jag kan tänka mig att bottnen passar väldigt bra ihop med choklad!








Mandelmarängbotten
4 st bottnar á 20 cm

400 gram oskållad sötmandel
6 dl socker
8 äggvitor
ev. smaktillsats, t.ex 2 tsk vaniljsocker eller 1 msk kakao

1. Värm ugnen till 175 grader
2. Mal/mixa mandeln och blanda den med 4 dl socker
3. Vispa äggvitan med en tredjedel 3/4 dl av det resterande sockret tills det börjat skumma. Tillsätt sedan resten av sockret (1 och 1/4 dl), lite i taget och vispa till en fast maräng.
4. Blanda försiktigt ned mandelblandningen i marängen.
5. Enklast är att rita upp rundlar på ett bakplåtspapper och sedan breda ut smeten direkt på, men vill man ha raka kanter så klä botten och sidorna på en rund bakform och fördela smeten jämnt mellan fyra formar, alternativt använd samma form i omgångar.
6. Grädda i mitten av ugnen cirka 15–20 minuter
7. Låt svalna en stund innan du stjälper upp den på bakplåtspapper, var försiktig då den går sönder lätt!

quite the weekend...

....I'll tell you about it soon.

see ya!

follow my twitter to keep up with all the blood sweat and tears!

on my mind....

my left (your right) hand looks really deformed in that picture.
we went to the pumpkin patch. I love pumpkin patches. acres of pumpkins.....all different kinds.I decided I want to own a pumpkin patch someday, and grow fancy pumpkins.

I've been thinking of going (a bit) red (ish) with my hair.
I've been thinking about it for so long, I thought it would be easy.
I'm nervous.
I might need

SUGAR RUSH CUPCAKE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

Sugar Rush Cupcake Extravaganza. 
I will be there sharing the cupcake love with California again. Yay!

Here are the details, and the website.
My friend Shastin is hosting the event, and she is casting talented bakers for the Sugar Rush event right now!

Where: Piecemakers Store in Costa Mesa.
When:  January, 29th, 2011 11am-3pm
Why:  You Love Cupcakes, Music, Sugar, and Delicious Life.

Proceeds go to the Orangewood Children's Foundation.

Shastin's email:  shastinf@hotmail.com


Sugar Rush Website:  http://www.sugarrushcupcakeextravaganza.blogspot.com/


Sugar Rush Facebook Page

See you there!!

~xoxo~
Amanda Cupcake

before and after

I almost cried leaving the farmers market last week.It was the last one until next June....JUNE!!! but they do have a smaller market each week at Tony Caputos....I need to find out more about that....anyone know?
Since it was the last market, I let the kids pick out whatever they wanted, and the boy wanted this. A buttercup squash. I had never heard of it.....but why not try it out?
It was (of

Fall foods: Pumpkins and Apples

Dried Apple Rings

This post is to accompany my talk on BTO for Tuesday, October 19th, 2010.

Oh how I love the fall. Living in the Pacific Northwest where apples are dripping from the trees makes life even sweeter here. When I was a newbie here about 4 years ago, I couldn't believe my eyes. It seemed everywhere I looked there were apple trees with literally hundreds of apples dripping off them! It was like a happy mirage. Apples are indeed abundant here. I'm lucky enough to acquire apples every year from people who can't keep up with them all and are more than happy to share. Which means this time of year I'm busy making things like pies, tarts,

applesauce, apple butter, dried apple chips, etc. So below I will be sharing some of my favorite ways to use apples.

Pumpkins are one of my favorite things! I love to use them to decorate my porch as a sign that fall is here, and Halloween near. I love the taste of them and I love how versatile they are. I grow them, and am now harvesting them so they are on my mind. So here are some awesome pumpkin recipes too!

Apple Tart

Apples

Apple Tart
This is absolutely one of my favorite things to do with apples. It is an amazing dessert that is loved by all. This is the thing I make if I need a dessert quick. I usually have all of the ingredients and I can whip it up in 20 minutes, throw it in the oven, and in an hour have something great. The crust is buttery and tender.
This recipe comes from my mother. It is something my sister makes, and is loved by her family as well. I use Granny Smith apples, but any cooking apple will work well.
Ingredients
3 large apples
1/2 cup (one stick) soft butter
1/4 cup unsifted powdered sugar
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 TBS melted butter
For pastry, cream butter with powdered sugar until fluffy.(I use a hand mixer for this.) Then mix in 1 cup of the flour (still using hand mixer) to make a soft dough. When the dough comes together mix dough with hands until you can shape it into a ball. Using fingertips, press dough into a tart pan, or flat on a foil or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, to make a free form tart.
(I usually make it free form.)
Core and slice peeled apples, (you can also use unpeeled apples) and arrange overlapping on top of dough. In a bowl stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and remaining 1/4 cup flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples. Drizzle melted butter over all. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Dried Apple Rings
Did you know that you don't need a dehydrator to dry stuff? You can do it on the lowest heat in your oven. For me that's 170 degrees Fahrenheit. I've been drying apples for years with my abundance. The wonderful thing about these is that they last a very long time. I had some in my pantry for 2 years, I kid you not, and they were perfectly good. I do use sugar and dry them well. It's the moisture that would make them mold so if you plan to keep them for long unrefrigerated, I would also make sure they are quite dry.
Instructions
Core and slice some apples as thin as you can. I use a V slicer or a mandoline similar to this one for this task. It makes it super easy to get the slices as thin as I want them. If you are using a knife, just slice them as thin as you can get them.
I coat the slices with powdered sugar using a sifter and dusting it on. I use powdered sugar because it dissolves well onto the apples. I'm sure regular sugar would work also. You can also choose not to use sugar. I do because I like it, and I was using Granny Smith apples that were tart so the sweet contrast was nice. I also believe that the coating of sugar helps to prevent them from browning.
If you don't use sugar you may need to treat them with lemon juice to prevent browning. Other ways to accomplish this is using a vitamin c tablet dissolved in some water. Dunk the slices in that for a few minutes, dry them and they are ready to go. Or dunking them in a bowl of salt water also works well to prevent browning in fruits.
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.
Line some cookie sheets with foil, or you can only use foil with no cookie sheet. Lightly grease the foil and place your apple slices in rows next to each other without overlapping.
Put them in the oven and bake them for anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours or so. It depends how thin you are able to slice them. After an hour of so I turn them over to cook on the other side. This can usually be done with your fingers, since the oven temperature is so low.
When they are quite dry, remove them and store them in an airtight container, after they have cooled.
Apple Leather
Here is another great thing to do with apples. Perfect for snacks. And you can do this in the oven too!
Instructions
Make some applesauce. To do this just peel, core and chop up some apples. Throw them in a pot with a little water, just enough so the bottom of the pan won't scorch. On medium high heat, cook the apple, stirring often. They will get soft cook down and look like applesauce in 15-20 minutes or so. Add sugar and spices to taste if you'd like. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves all make good choices. Or you may use prepared applesauce, or really any fruit puree. Like plums, or peaches, just dice and cook the fruit in a pan, then puree in a food processor or blender.
Here is a good site with numerous fruit leather ideas.
Pour the applesauce into a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with sides) lined with foil and greased. It should be about 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch deep. If it's deeper it will just take longer to cook. It will take 2-3 cups of applesauce to fill a typical jelly roll pan.
Cook it on the lowest setting of your oven for 8 hours or so. You can also cook it overnight. It should be dry not tacky but still pliable when done. Peel it off the foil and cut it into strips, or leave it in one piece and roll it up in plastic wrap like a fruit roll up. Store it in the refrigerator.
Make Your Own Pectin from apples
Apple Recipes from the Washington State Apple Commission

Pumpkin Seeds ready to give

Pumpkins
Pumpkin is a great vegetable. It is sweet and mild and has so many sweet and savory applications as well as being great for you. It is extremely high in beta carotene which is an antioxidant that converts to Vitamin A in the body Only one cup of the vegetable provides 171% of the daily requirement of Vitamin A. It is full of minerals and low in calories. The seeds are great for you as well, they are high in magnesium, manganese, iron and copper, and a good source of protein. That's my kind of healthy eating!

Scooping out the cooked pumpkin

Why not just use canned pumpkin? Canned pumpkin is fine, but I find comfort in knowing I don't have to rely on canned if it's not available. Like the great Pumpkin Shortage of 2009. When Libby, the biggest producer of canned pumpkin in the U.S. makes 85% of all of it, that's a big responsibility if something goes wrong, like it did last year. Since I grow my own, I know it's organic and where it came from. Not to mention that it's not from a can, so no BPA from the lining of the can. Of course you don't have to grow your own, you can easily find them in stores this time of year.
Sorting out the pumpkin seeds

Let's start with selecting pumpkins. Pumpkins are a type of Winter squash. Most of these squashes taste about the same. A popular eating variety and the kind I grow in my garden are Sugar Pie pumpkins. They are small and tasty. If you don't see small eating pumpkins in your local store, you can use Butternut squash or Acorn squash like you would pumpkin and no one would be the wiser. I recently used only butternut squash to make a pumpkin pie, it was delicious and I would never know it wasn't pumpkin if I didn't make it myself. These other squashes also have seeds, and can be treated the same as pumpkin seeds.

Jack O Lantern pumpkins are not the kind you want for eating. They are grown for size and structural strength, and can be bland, watery, and stringy. They are edible, but really should just be used for carving. But definitely eat the seeds from them! (I've included some seed recipes below.)

Preparing Pumpkin

First let's talk about how to prepare the pumpkin or squash in a pureed form similar to the form that's in a can.

1. Cut your pumpkin (or other winter squash) in half and dig out the seeds and put aside.

2. Place the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet. (Lined with foil for easier cleanup if you'd like.)

3. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes to an hour or so. Until very tender. Prick it with a fork to test.

4. Set on counter to cool.

5. When cool, with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. You will be left with just with the thin skin remaining, discard the skin.

6. Puree the flesh of the squash in a food processor or blender. This can be done with a food mill also. It's not absolutely necessary to puree it, it's smoother and silkier in a pie if it is, but I've also made a pie by just using the pulp after scooping it. It gave the pie a little more texture. I liked it, but it is not traditional.

This puree freezes very well. Now the puree is ready to make a pie, or a silky soup, or for making pumpkin leather! (recipe below.)

Pumpkin Leather

Making pumpkin leather is a great way to get children to eat their vegetables. It tastes like pumpkin pie!
It can also be cut into jack o lantern shapes for a fun Autumn party.

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1/2 to 1 cup sweetener (honey or maple syrup works very well) sugar or brown sugar can also be used. If using brown, sift it first to eliminate lumps.
cinnamon to taste (about 1 tsp.)
pumpkin pie spice to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
other spices to taste, like ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or cloves (optional)


Mix all ingredients together and taste as you go. The taste will be a little more concentrated once it is transformed into leather, but not by much. So make sure it tastes good now!

Pour this mixture into a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with sides) that is lined with foil and greased pretty well. The thickness should be on the thicker side (about 1/4 inch), as when this leather dries, it has a tendency to shrink and break apart as it dries, more than a fruit leather. When it is thicker, it is less likely to do this.

Alternately, you may use part pumpkin and part applesauce. It will be less likely to break as it dries.

Cook in low oven, 170 degrees for about 8 hours or overnight. When it is done, it will be dry, not tacky, but still pliable. When cool, roll up with plastic wrap or cut into strips or shapes. Keep stored in airtight container.


Pumpkin Seeds

This is one of my favorite snacks this time of year, and this is my favorite way to prepare them!

Salty, Spicy, Sweet Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

2 cups Pumpkin seeds
olive oil
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
cinnamon, about 1 tsp
pumpkin pie spice about 1/2 tsp
cayenne pepper just a little, about 1/8 of a tsp (optional)
salt


Take your seeds and wash them and pick off the bits of squash. Dry them on a clean towel.

Toss them with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and some salt.

Line a cookie sheet with some foil and dump the seeds on it. Lay the seeds out in a single layer.

Cook them in a 275 degree oven for an hour and a half or so. You can raise the heat if you are in a hurry to 300, it will take 40 minutes to one hour. Stir and check them every 20 minutes or so.
They will be done when they have some color, when they've browned a bit. Eat one, it should be nice and crunchy.

You can go ahead and eat them now if you like, roasted and salted.

If you'd like them spiced, then place the seeds in a bowl.

Put a skillet on medium high heat and add the 1/4 cup sugar and another tablespoon of olive oil.

Wait for the sugar to melt. This will take a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix the spices together with the extra tablespoon of sugar.

When the sugar is melted, add the seeds and the spice mixture. Toss it all together and lay it on a cookie sheet. When cooled, you may need to break them up a bit.

By cooking them a second time in a pan with the sugar, it makes the spices, sugar and salt stick to the seeds well.

Some clever pumpkin seed variations over on Chow.com

Some Pumpkin Links

How To Cure Pumpkins from The University Of Illinois

How To Prepare Pumpkin from AllRecipes

Lots of Pumpkin Recipes from Pumpkin Nook

awkward....

.....so..... somehow my photo blog domain name (which also happens to be MY NAME) was swiped out from underneath me last week, and now they are using it so run some awesome sex pills website. 
Isn't the internet awesome like that?? And where is my cut from their profits?
To view my photo blog, please go to www.sheenajibson.blogspot.com from now on, and please please please change your

over the weekend....

...we went on a drive...
the end.

Black Cats! Meow.

My newest creation, that kids will love!
Black kitty cats for Halloween!
Pumpkin flavored when you bite into them.

Knowing kids, they love to bite the heads off their sweet treats first!
So this is perfect.

Apple spice caramel cupcakes!

Äpple och kanel är en kombination som man enligt mig måste använda sig av på hösten! Jag har länge spanat på ett recept med just denna kombinationen i Martha Stewarts bok om cupcakes. Jag halverade receptet i boken och gjorde några andra ändringar och de blev så otroligt saftiga och goda! Till detta gjorde jag min nya favoritfrosting, swiss meringue buttercream med vaniljsmak. Alla borde verkligen testa denna frosting, när man lyckas med den är den verkligen fantastiskt god! Jag misslyckades såklart första gången och då blev den riktigt äcklig och smakade bara smör. Kolasås kändes som ett passande tillbehör, för att tillföra lite extra lyx i vardagen!




Applesauce spice cupcakes
ca 12 st

•1 cup mjöl
•1 tsk kanel
•1/2 tsk bikarbonat
•1/4 tsk riven muskotnöt
•1/4 tsk nejlika
•55 gram rumsvarmt smör
•1/2 cup socker
•1/4 cup ljust muscovadosocker
•2 stora ägg
•3/4 cup äpplemos
•1 granny smith äpple

Värm ugnen till 175 grader. Blanda mjöl, bikarbonat, nejlika, muskot och kanel i en skål. Vispa smör och både sorterna socker fluffigt i en annan skål. Tillsätt ett ägg i taget och vispa efter varje. Skala äpplet och skär i bitar. Tillsätt äpplemoset och sedan mjölblandningen och vispa på låg hastighet. Rör sedan försiktigt ned äpplebitarna. Fördela smeten mellan muffinsformarna, fyll dem till cirka 3/4. Grädda 18-20 minuter.




Ingredienser


Blanda torra ingredienser. Vispa smör och socker fluffigt.


Tillsätt äpplebitar och fördela smeten i muffinsformar.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Vill du ha rikligt med frosting rekommenderar jag att dubbla receptet!

•2 stora äggvitor
•150 gram socker
•113 gram smör (inte kylskåpskallt men inte helt rumsvarmt)
•1 tsk vaniljextrakt

Gör såhär:
Häll äggvitor och socker i en värmetålig skål, ställ i vattenbad på spisen. Vattnet i kastrullen ska sjuda. Vispa hela tiden med en handvisp, tills blandningen blir cirka 65 grader. Ta genast bort från värmen. Vispa blandningen med elvisp eller med hjälp av en köksassistent tills blandningen är fluffig och vit, som en marängsmet. Vispa tills blandningen är sval, vilket kan ta upp till 10 minuter.
Tillsätt sedan smöret, en liten bit i taget. Efter allt smör är tillsatt, vispa cirka 3 minuter. Tillsätt vaniljextrakt (eller annan smaktillsats) och vispa ett par minuter tills frostingen är slät.

Ingredienser


Värm blandningen till 65 grader, på den andra bilden är blandningen varm


Vispa tills blandningen är vit, fluffig och sval. Tillsätt smöret


Nu börjar det likna något. Färdig!



Kolasås

•0,5 dl socker
•0,5 dl grädde
•0,5 dl ljus sirap

Blanda socker, grädde och sirap i en gryta. Låt koka upp och sjuda på låg värme i cirka 5 minuter. Låt svalna.