Cupcake Friday: Blackberry & Mint Chocolate Muffins – Baking Serendipity
This is harder than it looks, guys. Where do we find the time? Even something as simple as Cupcake Friday – where I didn’t do any baking and I didn’t do any photographing, and all I’m doing is lusting after somebody else’s delicious creation – has proven too difficult to maintain. Every evening feels like a Friday, but every morning feels like a Monday. This die-hard tea drinker is now a coffee drinker because let’s face it, it’s faster, easier, and has more caffeine.
Anyway, cupcakes! This week I’m cheating a little – these call themselves muffins. But who do they think they’re fooling? These are muffins in the sense that any cupcake without frosting is a muffin. (And by Patrick’s logic, that means we can have cupcakes for breakfast.) These make me think of the amazing chocolate soufflé I had at dinner the other night at Fleurie… But here, before I get too distracted, why don’t I just show you?
Blackberry and Mint Chocolate Muffins by Baking Serendipity
Don’t you want to eat one of these right this second? I do. I want to eat five. (Three for me, two for the baby in a few hours. She only gets two because she’s little.) Oh man, this makes me think of my other incredibly exciting discovery of the week – another Smitten Kitchen Awesomeness – Everyday Chocolate Cake. I might have a chocolate problem. But does it get more delicious?
Actually, this reminds me of a question I’ve asked myself far too many times now. What’s the last food you would ever consider giving up? What’s the food that makes life worth living? For me, it’s a hard call between chocolate and cheese, but I think cheese wins due to its versatility. But obviously I can’t fully commit to that, since I keep asking the question. What’s your one thing?
Cupcake Friday: Melting Snowmen – Erica’s Sweet Tooth
I have a sleeping baby in my lap as I write this, and I’m listening to Frosty the Snowman and really starting to get into the holiday spirit. It’s been a bit rough this year, trying to take care of the baby, work, and still get all of my holiday activities together, but as we come into the home stretch I think I’ve finally settled down. It’s hard learning to multitask, and more importantly learning to re-prioritize with the baby, but it’s the best kind of hard. Every day’s adventure is the best one yet.
In honor of our 60 degree days this week before Christmas, today’s cupcake is the Melting Snowman cupcake from Erica’s Sweet Tooth.
I’m sure when I try to make these myself, they’ll be even more melted than this, which is also what would happen to any snowmen wandering through town this week. Hard to believe it’s the end of December when you can wander around outside in your shirt sleeves. Also hard to take the end of the year seriously when it still feels like September. I need a kick in the butt – I still have yard work to do!
Happy Holidays, everybody. I hope you all have exactly as much time off and family as you’d like, and as much peace and quiet as you need. (We have, as always, an overabundance of family – the best kind of overabundance to have.)
Cupcake Friday: Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites – Created By Diane
On this cold, rainy day, I definitely need my weekly dose of cupcake porn. Today’s cupcake of choice follows the cheesecake theme from before Thanksgiving, but adds a seasonal twist. Gingerbread is essential to the winter holidays, and I’m not sure I would survive without it, although I’m not a traditionalist. I don’t go in for the crunchy gingerbread cookies, but I drool over Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread, and my pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving was made with Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps, which are also to die for (and I don’t even like ginger snaps).
So today, Sophie and I are sitting at my desk lusting after Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites from Created By Diane. These look spectactular, and they almost look easy, which is always a bonus – hey, that’s why we make cupcakes instead of cakes, right? I’m excited to add these to my holiday repertoire. I might even make them this weekend, if I’m feeling particularly ambitious. Of course, I don’t really “do” store-bought dough or crusts, so I’ll probably make my own. Just another amazing recipe to track down…
Do you have any gingerbread favorites planned this holiday season? I’d love to hear all about them!
Cupcake Friday: Mini Cheesecakes – The Wicked Noodle
This is our first Cupcake Friday back in business, and it’s more wishful thinking than actual intention, since I don’t have time to make cereal these days, much less cupcakes. Today’s cupcake isn’t a traditional cupcake, but since it’s still baked in muffin tins I think it counts. These Mini Cheesecakes from The Wicked Noodle look so good that I want to rush out and eat them right this second. Yes, all of them. No “just one mini cheesecake” for this lady!
These cupcakes are thematically appropriate, because my (self-)assigned contribution to Thanksgiving this year will be Pumpkin Cheesecake – which, with luck, will be posted on here shortly thereafter. Lusting after mini cheesecakes will help get me in the mood.
Would you believe that there was a time when I didn’t like cheesecake? I’m not sure what was wrong with me. It’s possible that I’d only ever had store-bought cheesecakes, which everyone knows are inferior. But seriously – I love milk and cream and sugar and cream cheese. How on earth could I ever have thought I didn’t like cheesecake? Honestly, it might have been the graham cracker crusts. But I’ve gotten around that! I always use ginger snaps now.
Regardless, cheesecake is one of the best things ever, and these cupcakes look simply scrumptious. I can’t wait to get around to making them someday!
Cupcake Friday: Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes – LivingWithPurple Edition
This is a red letter blog post. It’s the first time I’ve turned a Cupcake Friday cupcake into a LivingWithPurple Edition! Huzzah! I’ll confess that the photos on Jamie’s blog are prettier, but I’d challenge her to prove that her cupcakes were tastier! These turned out amazingly well – we ate most of them at the Super Bowl party, and the rest were demolished the next day at work.
[Note: I did discover that while pumpkin coffee makes these amazing cupcakes, it does not make amazing coffee. So I’m hoarding the rest of the beans for when I have another pumpkin coffee recipe I’m enthralled with.] (more…)
Cupcake Friday: Gingerbread Cupcakes – Framed Cooks
Dear loyal LivingWithPurple followers,
First off, let me apologize for the past two and a half weeks of absenteeism. I started off the new year with a 1-post bang, and promptly got totally distracted and left you all to your own devices for almost three whole weeks. I’ve missed TWO Cupcake Fridays! I’ve failed you. But don’t give up on me yet. Let me make it up to you!
Today’s long-awaited cupcake is brought to you from Framed Cooks, a blog I’ve been following for quite a while because of the incredible recipes and amazing leaping girl in the header image.
Gingerbread is one of my favorite things, but gingerbread cookies are typically harder than I want them to be – I’m a big fan of the soft and chewy cookie, not as much the snap (although don’t get me started on Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps” – best snack ever). So gingerbread cupcakes seem like the perfect solution – guaranteed to be soft and fluffy, and conveniently served with frosting!
I’m half-consciously starting to plan our Super Bowl party, and I think these would be perfect. (But then again, so would the Pumpkin Mocha cupcakes, which I still haven’t made even though now I have the pumpkin coffee.) (Maybe we’ll just have lots of cupcakes.)
What are your favorite gingerbread things?
Cupcake Friday, New Year’s Edition: Eggnog Cupcakes – Bird on a Cake
This is a bit of a last minute post – I’ve been off work since the Friday before Christmas, and the 11 day vacation is starting to go to my head. Or maybe it’s just the amount of “family time” involved in the first half of that vacation. Don’t get me wrong – I love my family, but my sense of timing and days of the week is a bit off right now… Sleeping until 8:30 and making coffee for sisters and husbands at 10:00 really throws me off. (Okay, really only one sister and one husband.)
Anyway, it’s apparently Friday, and I nearly missed it. Just like I missed wishing everyone a merry Christmas and happy Solstice and all the other holidays we cram into this time of the year. (Here, I’ll make it up to you via a quote from some of my favorite holiday cards this year: Merry Everything, Happy Always!) But no, I can’t miss Cupcake Friday! So here I am, in my pjs, getting ready to settle down in my scrumptious, pre-warmed bed with The Hobbit and my Elinor Sheep, and instead I’m writing you your Cupcake Friday post. Don’t you feel loved?
I’ve been saving this one for you. Some people think that Eggnog is a Christmas treat, but for me it’s honestly more associated with New Years. I’m actually not sure why – maybe because until recently I didn’t drink eggnog at all, so my Christmas doesn’t have that affiliation? But recently I’ve been introduced to some phenomenal eggnogs, homemade by clever, delicious-drink-concocting individuals, that makes me wonder why I avoided eggnog for all those years. (Could it have had anything to do with all of those five-syllable words on the carton ingredients list?)
So for today’s Cupcake Friday, half way between Christmas and New Year’s, I bring you Eggnog Cupcakes with Nutmeg Frosting, from Bird On A Cake.
This lovely cupcake post talks about people who love eggnog and people who don’t, and how these cupcakes just might change your mind. As a recent eggnog convert, I would guess that I’d have made my conversion earlier if these had showed up along the way. And I’m 100% certain that if you used a homemade eggnog instead of store-bought (the recipe doesn’t specify), you’d be hooked on these as a holiday treat for life. (Unless you’re just one of those people who don’t like eggnog, I guess…)
Happy Weekend, everybody. And in case I miss it, Happy New Year! I’ll be back sometime next week to tell you about my favorite kitchen-related presents and my personal New Year’s goals.
Cupcake Friday, Christmas Edition
Rather than limit myself to one cupcake today, I’m going to treat you all to a smorgasbord of adorable cupcake decoration ideas from blogs I’ve never heard of before! I just can’t get over how cute these are.
Do, absolutely, try these at home. I have no idea how, but apparently this lady teaches classes, so if you’re in Singapore stop in!
Here are my favorite cupcake ideas from Kuidore, which I discovered by Google-searching “Christmas cupcakes” (what a find!):
For another collection of incredibly cute Christmas cupcakes from various sources, also check out this compilation from Cute Food For Kids. Here’s a snapshot:
Cupcake Friday: Melting Snowmen Gingerbread Cupcakes – Erica’s Sweet Tooth
It was 25°F when I woke up this morning. Since we’re only a little more than a week away from Christmas, I feel like 25°F means there should be snow. Of course, an hour later it was up to 35°F, and the high for today is supposed to be 55°F, so it sure doesn’t look like snow is on the horizon.
In honor of this unfortunate and confused weather, today’s Cupcake Friday is Melting Snowman Gingerbread Cupcakes from Erica’s Sweet Tooth, yet another foodie blog that I follow. Coincidentally, Erica adapted this recipe from a cookbook I happen to have at home as well – Hello, Cupcake – which I highly recommend for inspirational cupcake ideas that take far too much time but are totally worth it in the shock and awe department when you present your masterpieces.
These little fellers look just how our weather feels – they start off frozen and happy, snowy and cold the way they should be on December 14th on a 25°F morning, and then over the course of the morning they begin to soften, slouch, slip back into a watery puddle that goes sploosh when you tromp in it. Except that these particular snowmen are made of frosting, so when they melt, they taste delicious.
Go ahead and check them out – I know I’m going to! Thanks, Erica! And happy Friday, everyone.
Cupcake Friday: Chambord Cupcakes – My Baking Addiction
I’m sneaking this one in here by the skin of my teeth, not to disappoint my loyal Cupcake Friday followers. Once again, I have failed to make cupcakes this week (although I did make my favorite stand-by cookie, stay tuned for that one if I ever get around to writing blog posts again). It’s been a really busy week, folks, and I know we’re headed into the busiest time of the year, and I haven’t even told you about my Thanksgiving recipes yet! I’m so sorry. I’ll try, I promise!
For now, here’s your last minute dose of cupcake lust: Chambord Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction.
These cupcakes combine two of my favorite things (chocolate and Chambord – which in case you aren’t familiar, includes one of my other favorite things, raspberries) into one of my favoritest things – cupcakes. I have some stories for you about Chambord. Would you like to hear them?
I invented my own drink once, many years ago. It’s a very chick drink, but it’s delicious and I highly recommend it. I can’t give you measurements, because when it comes to booze I basically just pour by instinct, but it’s basically this: start with Mike’s Cranberry Hard Lemonade. Pour it into a red wine glass (the enormous kind that can hold an entire 12 oz bottle of Mike’s, preferably), then add a shot or two (or three) of Chambord, and then a splash of Bacardi Razz. If you’re feeling frisky, also add a splash of Absolut Mandarin. For a long time, this drink didn’t have a name. Then a friend advised me that you should always name drinks after your invisible childhood friends. So the original version is the Lisa, and if you add the Absolut Mandarin, it becomes a Crazy Lisa. Try it, and let me know what you think. It could probably benefit from a bit of actual cranberry juice to cut the sweetness. I drank many of these in my early 20s. They were delicious.
Shortly after inventing the Lisa, I tried to switch to the cheaper stuff. You know, name brand liquor is expensive, and there are so many knockoffs, surely dropping down just one level wouldn’t be too bad, right? I bought a bottle of Chateau Monet. It was about $10 cheaper, but certainly not bottom of the line. I thought I was safe. Fate advised me otherwise, at least for Chambord. One night, when I was about to mix myself a drink in my dad’s still-under-construction kitchen with poured concrete floors, I picked up that bottle of Chateau Monet. I had carried it half way from the cabinet to the counter (a journey of about 48 inches) when the unthinkable happened – my hand slipped, and the bottle went crashing to the floor. It shattered.
Did I mention that the poured concrete floors were also cut into large tiles, a continuous pattern of diamonds across the kitchen and eating nook, towards the laddered hole that should have been stairs?
When the Chateau Monet shattered, the thick, dark purple, sticky sweet raspberry liqueur instantly discovered the wonders of that floor. It found pathways through the tiles that I never knew existed. It learned to creep both across the floor and under the plywood temporary cabinets. It crawled, seeped, and poured across the kitchen, filling crevasses with sugar and booze and berry.
I cleaned up the glass, wiped the tiles, and toothbrushed out the seams, thanking whatever gods that I had not just shattered a bottle of true Chambord. I never bought the cheap stuff again.
One of my daydreams is to make Chambord Ice Cream. I did actually find a recipe, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’m expecting I’ll get around to these cupcakes first, but maybe I’ll make them both together. Chocolate Chambord cupcakes with Chambord Ice Cream. How could you go wrong?
Cupcake Friday: Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes – My Baking Addiction
When I decided to institute Cupcake Fridays, Calin looked conflicted and said it wouldn’t be good for us. To compromise, I said that I would only do my own cupcakes about once a month, and the rest of the time I would feature other people’s cupcakes that I really want to make. This is both a safer proposition, because I theoretically won’t be making cupcakes every week, and a dangerous one, because I will actively be looking for cupcakes I want to make in the future. (Right. Like I haven’t been doing that all along…)
This week’s featured cupcake recipe is Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction. Doesn’t it look delicious?
Cupcake Friday: Better-Than-Box-Mix Cupcakes
Happy Cupcake Friday!
I made these cupcakes ages ago, and somehow managed to save them until I had started a Cupcake Friday feature on my blog. How appropriate! Don’t they look delicious? Now I want to make more this weekend… (more…)
Cupcake Friday: Halloweeny Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin-Cinnamon Icing
Happy Friday everybody. :) Turns out I never posted my Halloween cupcakes post, and how better to celebrate the coming weekend? So here they are! Halloweeny pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin-cinnamon cream cheese icing!
Inspired by Katie, created by Miz Purple, iced and eaten by Helper Hubby.
It’s never the wrong time to make cupcakes, but cupcakes in the fall get high marks, especially if they’re pumpkin. (more…)
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