Cupcakes Cupcakes Cupcakes

Hello again! Its been awhile since I have posted. This has been a very busy week. Along with my baking I am teaching myself how to crochet. So for it has been a blast. My daughters like it because I have begun making clothes for their dolls. I plan to post some pictures of my finished work later on in the week. Tonight I am going to be posting some of my new creations. After some thought about each of my children and my husband I decided to do a few different cupcakes. One for each member of my house. This was actually very simple. I used a vanilla cupcake recipe that I found online and I added my own special things to each cupcake. What was also nice about this is I only had to make the batter one time and I just divided it up and added every ones special treats to their batter.

Vanilla Cupcakes

 2 c flour
 1 1/2 c sugar
 3 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 4 egg whites
 1/2 c shortening
 1 c milk
 2 eggs
 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

First preheat your oven to 350 degrees
 1. Mix your four, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, vanilla, and milk in mixer on low speed for about 2 minutes
 2. Then add your egg whites and mix on high speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes fluffy.
 3. Add candy's and treats of your choice. I chose crushed Lemon Heads, crushed Boston Baked Beans, cut up gummies bears, and crushed up butterfingers. Now with this recipe unless you want very large over lapping cupcakes make sure to only fill them halfway.
 4. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes

For my icing I used a meringue recipe I found online also.

 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
 1/2 c cold water
 2 c sugar
 1/4 c corn syrup
 1/2 c cold water
Beat the meringue powder and 1/2 c cold water until it is stiff. This usually takes me about 6 minutes. Then in a saucepan bring to a boil your corn syrup, sugar, and other 1/2 c cold water. Once this begins to boil remove it from the heat and let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Then slowly add it to your meringue mixture while beating it on high speed for 4 minutes.

Then frost them however you like and decorate. My husbands favorite was the lemon head cupcake. I hope you enjoy.

Simple Stove Top Pizza

Crust

 1 tsp sugar
 1 pkg. (1/4oz) active dry yeast
 2 tsp virgin olive oil
 salt and pepper to taste
 2 1/4 C all purpose flour

 1. Pour one cup warm water into a medium bowl

 2. Add your sugar and then sprinkle with yeast

 3. Let this stand until it is foamy ( this is about 5 minutes)

 4. Whisk your oil and salt into the yeast mixture

 5. Add flour and stir it with spoon until the liquid in all mixed in ( the mixture should look dry)

 6. Flour your counter and work the dough (knead until the dough has an elastic look to it ) around 2 min

 7. Place in a oiled medium size bowl, cover with plastic wrap or towel

 8. After 45 minutes punch down the dough and recover. Let this sit for another 30 minutes

While this is sitting cook and cut up the toppings you are choosing to use.

 9. After 30 minutes take your dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a ball and divide it into four separate pieces. Then roll it out to the thickness you prefer. Place a nonstick skillet on medium heat and lightly oil, salt, and pepper your dough. Something different we tried was oiling the dough with Italian dressing for a different flavor.

 10. Brown both sides until desired crispiness. Remove from heat

Then the fun begins. Top with all your favorite toppings (lots of sauce on this crust may make it soggy so try to use topping in small portions)  and place directly on middle oven rack at 325 degrees and remove when cheese is melted around 2-3 minutes. I myself also love it with just the olive oil and salt and pepper. Enjoy!








 6.

A great Saturday night cooking with my husband!

So far this has been a great weekend. It started off with my husband calling and getting a sitter and then surprising me by taking me out to eat and to get some new baking supplies. This was very relaxing for us considering the four little ones we have running around. Then Saturday night we did some cooking in the kitchen together which I absolutely love! He decided to create a homemade pizza. It was delicious. The crust could be used for so many different things. This recipe could also be used just to dip in your favorite sauce or if you are more like me just to eat alone. I decided to bake Lemon cupcakes with a Raspberry frosting and I added cut up fruit slices for the kids. Not only did they add color but my husband and kids thought they were a huge hit. I hope you enjoy!

Lemon Cupcakes

 3 C flour
 1 tbsp. baking powder
 1 C butter (room temperature)
 2 C sugar
 1/2 tsp. salt
 4 eggs
 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
 1 C buttermilk
 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
 1/2 C cut up candy fruit slices (make sure to same some for decorating)

First preheat your oven to 325 degrees

 1. In your mixer cream your butter and sugar until they are fluffy. Then you are going to add your eggs one at a time making sure to mix well after each addition.

 2. Then mix in your lemon and vanilla extracts

 3. Whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt

 4. Add your four mixture and alternate it with your buttermilk and lemon juice.

 5. Chop up your candy fruit slices and add them to the mixture.

 6. Bake for 22-24 minutes

Frosting

 2 1/2 C confectioners sugar
 1/2 C butter (softened)
 1 Tablespoon Raspberry extract
 1 Tablespoon milk ( add more milk until you get desired consistency)

Cream your butter and confectioners sugar until its light and fluffy. Then add your milk and raspberry extract. Garnish with candied fruit slices or whatever you desire.

Maple Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Batter ingredients

1 1/2 C butter (room temperature)

2 1/2 C granulated sugar

5 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp maple extract

3 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 C milk

Filling ingredients

1/4 C milk

1/2 C confectioners sugar

1 8oz package cream cheese ( softened)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Icing ingredients

3 Tbsp Meringue Powder (if you do not have meringue powder this is around 4 1/2 egg whites)

1/2 C cold water

1/4 C corn syrup

2 C sugar

1/2 C water

First Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I like to let mine warm up for about 20 min

1. In your mixer cream butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy

2. Add your eggs one at a time. Make sure to mix well after each addition

3. Mix in the vanilla and maple

4. In medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together

5. Add your flour mixture alternating with the milk. Start with your flour first

6. Pour into your pans and bake for 22-24 minutes

7. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan

Filling Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine your cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, and milk together

2. Beat this with a mixer until it is well blended ( I mixed mine for some time before it all blended well)

3. Refrigerate until cupcakes are cooled

4. Fill cupcakes and then refrigerate them until you are ready to decorate and or serve

Icing Directions

1. First beat your meringue powder and 1/2 C cold water until stiff ( this for me was about 6 min on high speed)

2. In a medium saucepan bring your corn syrup, sugar, and 1/2 C water to a boil ( make sure to mix)

3. Remove from heat and let cool for 3 to 5 min then add syrup to your meringue mixture slowly while beating on high for 4 to 5 min

4. Then decorate your cupcakes and enjoy! If desired sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of frosting or anything else that sound delicious to you.

The Start of a New Year.

This year I decided to do something new. I recently did a bake sale for the first time and I loved it. So needless to say I have been baking and cooking up a storm in my kitchen and even my family of six is having a hard time keeping up eating all of the goodies I am making. I am a stay at home mother of four and aside from selling Scentsy as an independent consultant my days are mostly full of running and caring for everyone. So this year I decided to do something fun for me that would give me my own personal little thing to look forward to everyday. So with starting my own blog I would love to share all of the creations and meals that come with love from my own home. This is a place I hope moms and others from all around can come for a little quiet sharing and bonding through recipes to share in their own homes. The first recipe is too come soon and I hope you all enjoy my page.